DASUKI, KANU: NBA, SANs differ with Buhari, Sagay

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 62663

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

VANGUARD Governors of the Year 2015 Pages 40-43

Oshiomhole

N150

MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

Dankwambo

Amosun

No telecom subscriber'll be shortchanged under my watch — Minister 9

Shettima

DASUKI, KANU: NBA, SANs

differ with Buhari, Sagay •It's not breach of rule of law — Sagay •An accused is innocent untill proven guilty— NBA, SANs

By Innocent Anaba, Dapo Akinrefon &Ikechukwu Nnochiri

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BUJA—NIGERIAN Bar Association, NBA, and some leading lawyers in the country have disagreed with the Presidential Committee on anti-corruption led by Professor Itse Sagay over President Muhammadu Buhari’s insistence that the former National Security Adviser, NSA,

Continues on Page 5

NEW FUEL PRICE: PPPRA satisfied with compliance 9

Mr & Mrs

P.19

OWEI LAKEMFA

Children of austerity

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HENRY

BOYO An unusual austerity budget for 2016

COLUMNISTS:

THANKSGIVING—From left: Wife of Lagos State Governor, Bolanle Ambode; Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State; Pastor Enoch .A. Adeboye of Redeemed Christian Church of God; his wife, Pastor Folu; Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule and her husband Saheed, during the 2016 Annual Thanksgiving Service by Lagos State Government, at Alausa, Ikeja, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

EPA: $8.94bn development package tears ECOWAS apart 21 C M Y K

2 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4 , 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016 — 3

C M Y K

4 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4 , 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016—5

POCKET CARTOON

INAUGURATION—From left: Managing Director, UACN Property Development Company Plc (UPDC Plc), Mr. Hakeem Ogunniran; Wife of Oyo State Governor, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi; the Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; and Director, Technical Operation, UPDC, Mr. Brian Greenaway, during the inauguration of a new housing estate built in partnership with the state government, in Agodi GRA, Ibadan, at the weekend.

BAIL: NBA, SANs knock Buhari over Kanu, Dasuki Continues from Page 1

presumption of innocence of an accused person.

They argued that rearresting someone immediately after the court has granted such person bail makes mockery of our democracy which is In his submission on the presumably anchored on president’s stance, the rule of law and of powers.”

Professor Sagay argued separation Buhari had in his first that the Federal presidential media chat at Government was not in the Aso Rock Villa in violation of the rule of law Abuja, adduced reasons the Federal as any bail granted an why Government would not accused is completely readily allow both Dasuki related to the offence and Kanu to regain their which he is charged before freedom from detention. the court.

Whereas Kanu, who is The NBA and some facing a six-count charge on treason, has Senior Advocates of bordering been in detention since Nigeria, however, October 14, 2015, when contended that the position he was arrested by the president took was operatives of the offensive to the tenets of Department of State DSS, the former constitutional democracy, Service, NSA, who is facing rule of law and multiple charges before

Col. Sambo Dasuki, and the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu who are facing separate criminal charges, would not be released from custody, despite valid court orders that granted them bail.

IT'S UP TO YOU

W

BY AYO ADIO

HAT makes you special isn’t really what you do but who you are. Strive to become better each day and life will reward you tremendously. It's up to you.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Love is giving others the freedom to be—Take Heart Quotes

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EARN to live without attachment to things or people. in the song of life. It does not matter who is dancing away from you but rather more sweetly who is singing in harmony with you. Be generous, tender and yet strong enough to stand by your decisions.

Learn to yield and bend. Be flexible in your dealings with others. Always choose kindness over being right. Fill your heart with gratitude and practice radical humility. See the miracle of love in everything and everyone.

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE The woman with a large buttocks will know the challenges when the race starts.

three different courts, was re-arrested last week at the gate of Kuje Prison, Abuja, shortly after he perfected all his bail conditions.

Responding to a question during the media chat, President Buhari, justified the continued incarceration of the two accused persons.

He said considering the weight of the allegations against them, they could jump bail if granted any form of freedom.

He said: “Technically, if you see the kinds of atrocities these people are believed to have committed against the country, if they are given the opportunity, they will jump bail. And the one you are calling Kanu, do you know he had two passports – one Nigerian, one British – and he came into the country without any? Do you know he brought equipment into this country and was broadcasting Radio Biafra? Which kind of government do you think should harbour that kind of person? There is a treasonable felony suit against him and I hope the court will listen to the case.”

Rule of law must be respected — NBA

Speaking to Vanguard, yesterday, on the issue, President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Augustine Alegeh, SAN, said “government has a need to respect the rule of law. As a matter of fact, there is need for government to be in the front burner in the respect for the rule of law.

Whoever is unhappy, including government with a pronouncement of the court, has the opportunity of still going back to that court, for the court’s decision to be vacated or appeal to a higher court, but not to

ignore it or carry on as though nothing has happened or that the court’s order is not binding. That is an unacceptable principle in the rule of law”.

According to him, “an agenda for the respect of rule of law is a must for the government. For specific cases in court, it’s not the business of the Nigerian Bar Association to make comments on them, because we have our members on both side and they can decide to speak on the matter, but on the general principle of rule of law, as an association, it is one area we are passionate about, which we feel is very essential.

“So, both government and citizens must subscribe to the principles of rule of law and doing otherwise is not an option.

You cannot pick and choose which court order to obey, if you try to do that, you are clearly undermining the principle of rule of law and the obvious consequence will not help the society in anyway.

We believe that from our interaction with the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, they do not have an option but to obey court orders. You must bear in mind that the courts are there to settle disputes between individuals as well as between government and individuals, so it is important that all parties respect the rule of law and judgments and decision of courts as that is one area we will not compromise”.

SANs fault Buhari

Supporting the NBA, the senior lawyers who spoke to Vanguard, yesterday, faulted the President on the matter, saying the position he took was offensive to the tenets of constitutional democracy, rule of law and presumption of innocence of an accused person.

The lawyers further advised the President to, in future, allow the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, to handle such topics on behalf of the government.

According to Mahmud Magaji, SAN, “going by provisions of our extant constitution, the presumption is that a person charged to court for whatever offence, is innocent until guilt is established. Unless I am told that the constitution was amended last night.

That you level an accusation on someone does not make the person guilty automatically. If it is so, why then are the courts there? What we are practicing is constitutional

democracy. Anyway, I did not listen to the media chat and cannot therefore speak much on the issue”.

Chief Joe Agi, SAN, said: “I really want to believe that the President did not mean what he said. I have a feeling that what he wanted to say was that though granted bail, if there are other cases against the accused persons, they could be rearrested, notwithstanding the pending case.

“It will be totally wrong to refuse to release someone on bail in the absence of any pending allegation. Clearly, I am so sure that what the President meant to say was not what he said or what was understood. We should also appreciate the fact that he is not a lawyer.

“If I am to advise the President, I will say he should in future, leave such issues to the Attorney General of the Federation to clarify”.

Another SAN who spoke on ground of anonymity on the basis that he was “among the persons that fought to bring this government to power”, said: “I will say that the President’s statement is an infringement on the concept of separation of powers.

“No matter how strongly one feels about the culpability of any accused person, once an order has been made, the Executive is bound to obey.

“Even if you have other crime allegation against an accused, you must first of all respect an order for bail, and maybe re-arrest the person later to answer to the fresh charge.

However, for the President to say that the accused persons will not be released from detention because of the gravity of charge against them is an affront on the hallowed principle of separation of powers.

“Such things were never supposed to be voiced out by any person under a democratic government, not to even say the President. It is unfortunate, though the Presidency has come out to clarify. As the President of Nigeria, one can hardly separate Buhari from the Presidency.

“Nevertheless, for them to come out to clarify the

issue shows deference to public outcry”.

Expressing his view on the matter, a constitutional lawyer, Mr. Festus Ogwuche, said: “The President got it wrong. No matter the number of allegations against an accused person, once the matter has been charged before a competent court, that court assumes powers to determine whether or not the person deserves bail.

“Court orders are made to be obeyed, if not, it becomes impunity. No matter the gravity of the offence, an accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Proper investigation ought to have been conducted and concluded before a person is charged. Re-arresting someone immediately after the court has granted such person bail makes mockery of our democracy which is presumably anchored on the rule of law and s eparation of powers”, he added.

It’s not a breach of rule of law —Sagay

Meanwhile, justifying the continued detention of Col. Dasuki (retd) and Kanu, legal icon, Professor Itse Sagay, SAN, said the Federal Government was not in violation of the rule of law.

He said: “The way I see it is that any bail granted an accused, is completely related to the offence which he is charged before the court. So, if after he (the accused) has been granted bail and the prosecution discovers another offence for which no bail has been granted, then the accused can be re-arrested. So, that cannot be in violation of a bail, which is in relation to an earlier stated offence.

Sagay, who is also the chairman of the presidential committee on anti-corruption was quick to point out that “I do not know the full facts but what I am saying is that if this re-arrest arises out of fresh offences, which are not part of the ones for which the person had been granted bail, then there is a right to arrest. This is not a breach of the rule of law.”

6—Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4 , 2016

Fleeing robbers kill cop, one other in Bayelsa Y

By Samuel Oyadongha

ENAGOA—A policeman was reportedly killed Friday night by a gang of armed robbers as they attempted to escape after robbing a woman at Agudama community in Yenagoa Local Government area of Bayelsa State.

Witnesses told Vanguard that the five-man robbery gang also shot dead one Victor Abule, 23, after robbing the woman identified as

Evelyn Patrick at about 10 pm on new year's day in the densely populated Agudama area.

It was gathered that the deceased police officer confronted the hoodlums as they were escaping from the scene of robbery and succeeded in killing one of them.

But the cop was not that lucky as he was reportedly overpowered by the hoodlums,

who shot him.

The killed policeman was said to have been rushed to the hospital where he eventually died.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Asinim Butswat, confirmed the incident, saying “on January 1, at about 10pm, a five-man armed robbery gang, robbed one Evelyn Patrick at

Agudama, Yenagoa, and shot dead one Victor Abule 23.

“Consequently, as they were escaping, a police officer confronted the armed men and shot dead one of them.

“The officer sustained gunshots injuries, he was rushed to the hospital where he eventually died. Efforts have been intensified to arrest the fleeing suspects and investigation is ongoing,” he said.

Police nab 2 robbery suspects in Lagos

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By Esther Onyegbula

AGOS—A gang of armed robbers that specialize in using motorcycle to rob within Lekki-Ajah Expressway in Lagos were arrested over the weekend by operatives of Rapid Response Squad, RRS, of the Lagos State Police Command.

The Police authority revealed that the suspects, Odunayo Mustapha, 22, and Adedayo Akinjola, 22, were nabbed while trying to escape with their motorcycle, after they had successfully snatched a mobile phone from an unsuspecting member of the public.

The suspects confessed that they were a three - man gang who usually rob in a traffic gridlock along Lekki-Ajah corridor.

The leader of the gang, Odunayo Mustapha, who hails from Ijebu-Igbo in Ogun State said: “I was lured into the crime due to financial predicament. Lack of formal education was one of the reasons I went into robbery."

While noting that his victim’s phone attracted his attention when he peeped into her car, Mustapha added that “three of us left home in search of our would-be victims.

On getting to Ajah opposite a shopping mall, where traffic is usually hectic, we sighted a woman in a car holding a phone; I alighted from the motorcycle while the other members were standing by on the motorcycle. Immediately I forcefully collected the phone from her, we mounted the motorcycle and zoomed off.

“While on the run, we sighted the RRS men chasing us with brand new powerbike, later, they overtook us but one of us disembarked and took to his heels with the stolen phone, while we were arrested.

“I am an illiterate because my parents could not provide the wherewithal for me to have a formal education. This was what brought me to Lagos some years ago. While in the state, I started work as cart pusher around

Jakande area in Ajah. Little proceeds from this business couldn’t sustain me.

“Our first operation was carried out by the three of us in Ajah, Lagos. We collected one smart phone from our victim. It was sold to one Mallam Hassan by Adedayo, I was given N2,500.

The second operation was not

successful and the third one was this one that led to our arrest.”

The second suspect, Adedayo, said, “before now, I was learning aluminium work but I could not complete it due to financial constraint. We just started the act of robbery in the area. And this was our third

operations. The motorcycle we use belonged to the third suspect who is now at large.”

Lagos State Police command’s image maker, Joe Offor, confirmed the arrest of the suspects and added that efforts were in top gear to arrest the third suspect.

NABBED: The suspects, Odunayo Mustapha and Adedayo Akinjola.

Army arrests 3 over alleged killing of okada rider in Delta

By Perez Brisibe AGBARHA-OTOR—MILITARY officials attached to the 222nd Battalion, Agbarha-Otor, Ughelli have arrested three members of a local vigilante group at Oveto Street in the town for allegedly killing an unidentified commercial motorcycle operator popularly known as okada rider on New Year's Day. Two single barrel guns, 4 live cartridges and a cutlass were said to have been recovered from the suspects, Peter Oghenechuko of the Ughelli Vigilante Council, UVC, Sunny Oyovwire and

Fidelis Onwah, already handed over to the Ughelli ‘B’ Division police station.

A female passenger of the victim (name withheld) told newsmen that the victim was shot at the back of his head by one of the vigilante members who had accosted them along Oveto Street following an argument between the okada rider and the vigilante group.

Accepting blame for the death of the okada rider, the suspect who allegedly pulled the trigger, Peter Ogheneochuko, described the incident as an

accidental discharge noting that he never intended shooting the victim.

He said: “I wanted to shoot into the air to scare him while he (okada rider) tried to ram into me with his motorcycle when the gun exploded and hit him on the head.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Celestina Kalu, while confirming the incident, disclosed that the victim was rushed to the Ughelli Central hospital where he later died, adding that investigations into the matter are still ongoing.

LAGOS CULTS' WAR: No

arrest made —Police

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By Angela Okpe

AGOS—LAGOS State Police command says no arrest has been made with respect to the cults' war in Bariga last week that led to the death of a teenager, Rilwan Kokumo, and the destruction of properties and burning of houses by hoodlums in the area.

It will be recalled that on Tuesday at about 9pm unidentified cultists led by one Ololade Michael reportedly stormed Ibukulolu Street in Bariga where they shot dead a teenager who just gained admission into Yaba College of education.

Although no arrest has been made, Lagos state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Joe Offor, said the police were on the trail of the killers.

He said: "Investigations are still ongoing to unravel the circumstances that led to the death of the teenager, Rilwan Kokumo, and the burning of houses by hoodlums in the area.”

It was learned that the deceased, Rilwan Kokumo, was with his friend Tevez when the cultist attacked them and he was shot several times, it was reported that while he died on the spot, his friend, Tevez, escaped with gunshot wounds.

According to an eyewitness, Emma Fadipe, “When the rival gang discovered what happened, they used the opportunity of kokumo’s death to burn down the house of one of the suspects’ grandparents.”

The fire lasted for about three hours and goods worth millions were destroyed. Although, the shops outside the buildings and a room of one Unilag graduate now on service were not affected. Ololade just came back from prison before the recent attack.

When Vanguard visited the deceased's house, at 37 street Fimbar road, his devastated mother was still in tears.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4 , 2016—7

Soldiers aided us in the creeks —Suspected pipeline vandals

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By Evelyn Usman

AGOS—TWO suspected pipeline vandals, who were arrested weekend in Isolo area of Lagos by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Anti Pipeline Vandalisation Unit, have alleged that soldiers aided them to load their truck in a creek at Ijedodo area.

The suspects, Moshood Jubril 40 and Friday Joseph 37 were arrested at the verge of conveying a 33,000 truck laden with the siphoned petroleum product to Ibadan, Oyo state ,where a petrol station owner was waiting to receive the product.

While Joseph, driver of the truck with plate number XA 898 ABC drove ahead, Jubril, an escort, reportedly drove behind in a Toyota Camry car with plate number AAA 208 DU.

State sector commander to go on their trail. The vandals according to him, were trailed right from Ijedodo to Isolo where Joseph was accosted.

When asked to produce the bill of lading, he(Joseph ) reportedly told the operatives

that his colleague, Jubril, was with it, unknown to him that Jubril had been arrested.

I get N300,000 for each trip —Joseph

In his confessional statement, Joseph said “We work for one

Bill of lading gave them away

Explaining how they were arrested, the officer in charge of the Unit, Mr. Valentine Olumese said when information on activities of the vandals reached him that he directed the Lagos

The suspects.

Timothy, owner of the truck . But our major receiver is in Ibadan. He owns a filling station. We bought the product for N85 per litre and intend selling at N120 in Ibadan.

Timothy is the owner of the Toyota Corolla which he bought as an escort vehicle. I receive N300,000 at the end of any successful trip while the escort is paid N50,000.

Joseph added that they stormed Ijedodo from Ibadan where one Ann, a girlfriend to one of the commanders in the creeks, called TK, collected the money for the product on behalf of TK from them.

"As we set out in the bush, we saw some soldiers who asked where we were going. We told them we were going to carry out repairs on the truck, they followed us and out of fear we told them that we were going to the creeks and they led us there. On reaching the creeks, they (soldiers ) brought out a power generating set and a hose.

While there, 10 other soldiers came from the creeks with boats and filled the truck. They escorted us out of the bush. But unfortunately, we were arrested by the Police on reaching Isolo. I have been doing this for a while”, said the Benue State born suspect.

Pregnant woman, man killed, others injured in Lagos auto crash L

By Godfrey Bivbere

AGOS—Attempt by a tricycle driver to evade arrest by officers from Adoff police station at Iyano School bus stop along Iyano-Iba/Isheri road in Lagos weekend reportedly claimed the lives of a pregnant woman and a man while many suffered varying degree of injuries.

An eye witness disclosed that the policemen were seen chasing the tricycle rider with their bus but in an attempt to evade the arrest, the driver crossed the crash barrier to the opposite side of the road without looking out for upcoming vehicles.

The eye witness added that immediately another tricycle rammed into the fleeing tricycle before a commercial bus and a jeep also rammed into the tricycles from behind.

The tricycle rider was said to have complained after the accident that he ran when he saw the police in the bus as they were out to collect money from them (tricycle riders) in the area.

The Police officers on seeing the accident, the eye witness, said ran away from the scene immediately, while tricycle and commercial bike riders matched to the Adoff police station in protest.

It was reported that the police officers on duty locked up the station gate on seeing them.

Efforts to speak with the DPO of the station yesterday proved abortive as officers on duty said that the DPO was not around.

The tricycle riders called on the Inspector General of police to come to their aid before residents and commercial vehicles

operators take the law in their own hands since they can no longer rely on the police.

The accident scene.

JIGAWA: NSCDC arrest 3 over alleged illegal trading in petrol

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UTSE—THE Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Jigawa said, yesterday that it had arrested three people, including a filling station manager, for alleged illegal trading in petrol.

The Commandant of the corps in the state, Mr Muhammad Gidado, who disclosed this in Dutse that the suspects were arrested at a filling station in Taura Local Government Area.

Gidado said that the manager was arrested for allowing the illegal sale of the product, while the station attendant was arrested for selling the product in the black market.

The commandant said that NSCDC officers recovered nine drums of petrol loaded on a Mitsubishi truck with number plate XB 388 BKD from the suspects.

“Our Anti-Bumburutu team in Taura Local Government Area arrested the sales manager of a filling station for patronising black marketeers.

“He was arrested with a black marketeer and the fuel station attendant after selling and loading the commodity into nine drums belonging to the illegal dealer,” the commandant said.

According to Gidado, Section 3 (e) of the NSCDC Act 2007 (Amended), gave the corps the power to enter and search premises of any suspected illegal dealer in petroleum products.

COMMUNITY INVASION: Villagers decry Police's alleged

backing for land grabbers

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By Bashir Adefaka & Esther Onyegbula

A G O S — PANDEMONIUM broke out when some policemen hired by some land grabbers invaded and attacked the serene village of Iragon community in the Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State.

One Alhaji Saheed Abimbola

based in Mile Two, Amuwo suburb of Lagos was said to had led over fifty miscreants to unleash terror on hapless villagers over a disputed two plots of land. They ran out of luck when they were overrun by the villagers who seized three policemen.

An eyewitness, who spoke to Vanguard, described the ugly incident as horrific but said more

suprising were the police officers who allegedly led over fifty hoodlums from Mile Two, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos armed with dangerous weapons and charms to vandalise the Baale’s residence.

The hoodlums also allegedly planned to take the Baale away as they shot sporadically into the air.

It was learned that that the spate of the shootings angered the entire community who mobilised the youths and elders to repel the attack

which led to apprehension of three policemen who have since been handed over to the Department of State Service, DSS, in Badagry by the Baale, Chief Francis Sedowhe.

It was gathered that the policemen were detailed by a senior police officer attached to XSquad at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters, who was alleged to be acting on the instance of one Alhaji Saheed.

8—Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

Buhari’s social intervention package not one-off scheme — Osinbajo

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SERVICE: Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, Osiele Oke Ona Egba (right) and his wives: Omolara, Yetunde and Olabis Tejuoso at the African Church Cathedral of St James, Idi-Ape, Abeokuta during the New Year eve service. Photo: WUNMI AKINOLA

Davido rebuffs Dele Momodu, says Sophia visits Imade weekly Gives reasons why Sophia insisted on Dubai trip

By Emmanuel Aziken

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AVID Adeleke, the 23-yearold pop artiste popularly known as Davido has rebuffed claims by his estranged lover, Sophia Momodu on the circumstances surrounding the removal of their daughter, Imade, from Sophia’s custody.

In a lengthy narrative issued last night, Adeleke alleged that Sophia had been in weekly contact with Imade up till last week and claimed that hospital authorities had sought to transfer the baby to officials of the Lagos State Children Welfare Authority on account of alleged drug use by Sophia.

Adeleke in his narrative said the hospital authorities recanted only after Sophia agreed to surrender the baby for care with him, saying his estranged lover had kept to the agreement until she recanted last week as she insisted on going along with the Adeleke family for the treatment and family vacation in Dubai.

Adeleke in the narrative poured invectives on the respected veteran journalist, Dele Momodu, who he accused of not taking care of his niece, Sophia, alleging that Mr. Momodu and his wife entered the scene as busybodies who he claimed did not bother about the welfare of their niece until she had a baby for him.

Vowing that he was manipulated

by Sophia and that he would never marry her, he accused his estranged live-in lover of debauchery, saying that he was a well brought up man who would not condone such attributes of a woman as a wife.

Efforts to get Mr. Momodu’s reaction to the development were unfruitful as he did not respond to SMS and phone calls at press time.

He said: “In May, the same month Imade was born, Sophia settled in her fancy apartment for which I paid a hefty bill for a 2 year lease. Her baby was healthy.

And she seemed happy. I would take care of all the financial needs of Imade and still pay Sophia a living allowance of N300,000 plus

utility bills.

“Within a matter of weeks, Sophia missing and lusting for the streets of Lagos, especially the glitzy night life. She often left Imade home for clubbing, binge drinking and a life of debauchery and deviant living.

She would sleep all day and party all night. When awake, she was addicted to the telephone and cannabis. She paid the baby no attention at all and seems to despise motherhood and parenting.

Blood polluted to the maximum level with cannabis

Imade was in her custody for two straight months, unchallenged and uninterrupted, until the baby took badly and severely ill in July. Imade cried, ceaselessly, for 48 hours. She was rushed to the hospital where her condition confounded medical experts.

Several tests were conducted on her and later on the mother.

Medical reports, herein attached, proved that Sophia’s blood was polluted to the maximum level with cannabis and she had by the process of breast feeding infected her child with complicated medical conditions associated with the use of alcohol and especially cannabis.

"The trouble spot for Imade was her lungs. She had difficulty breathing largely because of the contaminated breast milk and the severity of the “Second Smoke” of marijuana inhaled by the poor child.

“The medical experts at the hospital were enraged by the callous treatment of Imade by her own mother and declared her unfit for the caring and the nursing of a delicate baby. The team determined that they would hand over the baby to the Children’s Welfare Authority of Lagos State Government. My family started to plead with the hospital management. For the first time, Sophia too was sober,

sorry and contrite. We pleaded that the baby would be kept from the mother once she was returned to us, and that we would take over responsibilities for Imade’s welfare.

“Voluntarily, Sophia, in the attempt to avoid the handing over of the baby to the children welfare authority, agreed to a compromise position that she would transfer Imade to the Adeleke family until the cannabis in the systems of both mum and daughter was completely out and comprehensively cleaned out.

"The medical expert also indicated that the full damage to Imade’s person could not be ascertained right away and that her mental state now or in the future could not be determined nor predicted, until perhaps when she would have attained adulthood. This was why and how Imade was transferred to the custody of the Adeleke family.

Imade flown to hospital in Dubai

“Meanwhile, Imade was increasingly worse off in wellness and she had to be flown to the American hospital in Dubai. I wrote a letter of release authorizing my sister to travel to Dubai with Imade. The hospital saved Imade who was returned to Nigeria with a medical equipment that had to be used daily to enable Imade to gain restful sleep and balanced respiratory rhythm.

The photograph of this equipment is hereby attached.

“If Imade had not gone to Dubai, it is fair to say that she may not be alive today. Still, some people prevented her from keeping a follow-up appointment at the American Hospital in Dubai. For the silliest possible reason. My family would not pay for Sophia’s flight ticket and thus Imade would be disallowed from traveling for the vital purpose of medical conditions that lend oxygen to her life."

BUJA— THE social welfare intervention programme of President Muhammadu Buhari administration, for which N500 billion has been allocated in the 2016 budget, is not a one-off scheme, says Mr Laolu Akande, the vice presidential spokesman.

Akande, who is the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media and Publicity in the Office of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, yesterday.

He said the scheme “is a combination of several wellthought out programmes emphasising direct connections with the extremely poor, and the needy among other categories of the masses of this country.”

A breakdown of the welfare programme is contained in the 2016-2017 and 2018 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (PSP) submitted to the Senate for consideration and approval.

According to the document, the Federal Government will collaborate with state governments to institute wellstructured social welfare intervention programmes such as: School feeding programme initiative, conditional cash transfer to the most vulnerable and postNational Youth Service Corps grant.

Under special intervention, including cash transfer, home grown school feeding programme and micro credit loans (SMEs, market women etc), which is also covered by the social intervention programme, the government provided N300 billion for 2016, N339.05 for 2017, and N338.93 for 2018.

Money'll be paid directly to people concerned

According to the spokesman, the plan of the Buhari presidency is comprehensive and has taken into consideration some of the factors that led to the failure of past poverty alleviation schemes.

He said: “One of the major differences here is that the social intervention programme such as the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) would be a direct transfer of N5,000 monthly to the extremely poor among us.

“And this is a safety net that several advanced nations had put in place a long time

in their history, and most often at times of economic challenges.”

The SSA said the money would be paid directly to the people concerned on the condition of school enrolment and immunization.

He said: “This way, we are expanding school enrolment and also assuring physical wellbeing.The home-grown school feeding programme will commence in public primary schools in 2016, providing adequate nutrition to school children, promoting local farming, boosting agriculture, and creating jobs and wealth locally.

“We have experts working in the presidency, collaborating with experts from global bodies who together bring to bear international best practices working on how best to implement these programmes.

“I can tell you that no sooner than President Buhari resumed work, many of these experts have been meeting and planning on how best to implement these plans. We are not talking here of something hurriedly put together or a programme where some consultants would take the huge chunk of the resources.”

One million jobs

Akande also said that as part of the half a trillion Naira to be spent, a provision of no fewer than one million jobs in 2016, including 500,000 graduateyouths to be engaged as teachers.

He said: “There is another 500,000 non-graduate unemployed people who will be trained as artisans, making a total creation of about one million direct jobs,” adding that the presidency was determined not to repeat the past failed efforts at alleviating poverty.

“As the President disclosed during the budget speech, he has asked the vice president to coordinate the programmes and I can tell you that serious work is already apace,” Akande added.

He reiterated that for the first time in Nigeria’s budget history, the Federal Government would be directly intervening in lifting people out of poverty through a series of measures already proposed totalling N500 billion, representing nearly nine per cent of the budget.

“Through these measures and for the first time, the budget is paying attention to the problem of poverty in a proper and direct way,” he said.

The spokesman added that another one million extremely poor and disabled Nigerians would also benefit from the first phase of the CCT Scheme proposed in the 2016 appropriation bill to enable them to live decently.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016 — 9

No telecom subscriber'll be shortchanged under my watch — Minister Says sector holds the ace to economic challenges

By Emmanuel Elebeke

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BUJA— THE Minister of Communications, Mr Abdur-Raheem Shittu, has assured that no Nigerian telecom subscriber would be shortchanged by any service provider under his watch in view of the increasing complaints of poor quality of service and regulatory deficiencies.

This is even as the minister described the present economic downturn besetting the nation as a temporary setback, saying the telecom sector holds the ace to ending the current gloomy economy as it is set to boost the revenue base of the country and enhance job creation for the unemployed youths.

The minister in a statement issued, yesterday, by his Special Assistant on Media, Victor Oluwadamilare, declared that the telecom sector holds the ace to the litany of economic challenges confronting the nation and urged the citizens to support the President to provide the enabling environment for the industry to thrive.

His words: "As we celebrate the New Year, I appeal to all Nigerians to continue to rally support for President Muhammadu Buhari and governors, to ensure the success of the ongoing transformation.

"The various complaints of telecom subscribers across board and the challenges besetting telecom operators in Nigeria are being looked into holistically with a view to finding lasting solutions in conjunction with relevant stakeholders within the possible shortest time.

"The Federal Ministry of

Communications under my watch will ensure synergy in the communication sector, to give room for Nigerians to take full advantage of the potentials in the industry. ”The telecom sector holds a lot of promise for the economic growth of Nigeria

ORT HARCOURT— WIFE of Rivers State governor, Justice Suzzette Nyesom-Wike, has commended medical professionals for always sacrificing their time and lives to serve the people.

Speaking at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, when she visited the New Year baby, Justice Nyesom-Wike said the medical professionals deserve support from members of the public rather than being objects of attack by criminals.

She thanked God for the successful delivery of the New Year babies in the hospital.

She said: “My first day of this year started with a visit to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH, where

urged Nigerians to embrace peace and live in harmony irrespective of their cultural, religious and tribal differences, adding that Nigeria would only make remarkable progress as a people when the citizens are united.

FIRST JUMA'A SERVICE: Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State (left), and Chief Imam of Afonta Central Mosque, Sheik Wahab Baani Afonta, after Aregbesola's special prayer for Osun State and the nation's prosperity at the first Juma'a Service on the first day of the year 2016, at Afonta Central Mosque, Osogbo.

NEW FUEL PRICE: PPPRA expresses satisfaction with compliance

By Michael Eboh

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BUJA — THE Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, weekend, stated that from its monitoring activities in Abuja and across the country, the level of compliance by petrol stations to the new fuel

Rivers First Lady commends medical professionals

P

in terms of revenue generation and massive employment generation, if all the industry’s potentials and ICT’s limitless opportunities are well harnessed."

Shittu said since nothing could be achieved in a state of chaos and instability, he

I met with the parents of the first child born in that hospital this year. They are Mr. Achus and Mrs. Boma Harrison and their baby girl, (also their first child) was born at 1.50a.m., and weighed 3kgs. They are Rivers State indigenes from Abonnema in Akukutoru Local Government Area.

“Both proud parents and the child are well and happy and received gifts on behalf of their babygirl. We were informed that a set of twin boys were born 15 minutes before midnight and their mother as well as every other new mother in the maternity ward were also visited.”

price was satisfactory.

Assistant General Manager and Head of Operations, PPPRA, Mr. Victor Shidok, who led a monitoring team in Abuja to enforce the N86.50 and N86 per litre fuel price in petrol stations across the country, said: “There is 100 per cent compliance so far, though we are yet to reach the outskirts where there may be challenges with regard to total compliance."

According to him, the monitoring exercise is to ensure that the marketers comply with the new pump price, adding: “You know usually when we have a change in pump price we go round to monitor compliance. We have been to 10 filling stations and we are still going round to make sure that we cover as much as possible.

And good enough, all the stations we have visited, there has been 100 per cent compliance.

“But we shall go up to the outskirts because that is where our concern is, the challenge may likely be in the outskirts. All those we have visited say they have received directive from their head offices. We are in touch with the leaderships of oil marketers in the country.”

He further stated that the exercise would be conducted nationwide, as all its staff are in the field across the country and are also at the depot level working in conjunction with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

He warned marketers against sharp practices, declaring that any fuel station found to be selling above the new regulated pump price would be faced with stiff sanctions including withdrawal of their licences and denying them the benefits of the Petroleum Support Fund Scheme.

He said: “The law spelt out penalty, where you have deviant to whatever directive you issued. Any deviant may loose the benefits of participating in Petroleum Support Fund Scheme, because we may withdraw such people from participating.

And since we are working in conjunction with DPR, your licence may likely be withdrawn apart from other measures that we are likely going to take to ensure that Nigerians are not shortchanged.”

NiMet predicts dusty weather, reduced visibility for today

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BUJA — THE Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted dusty weather conditions over the central states of the country, today.

The predictions are contained in the Weather Outlook issued by NiMet’s Central Forecast Office (CFO), yesterday, in Abuja.

It added that there would be reduced visibility to two to three kilometres over Abuja, Minna, Bida, Nasarawa and Makurdi with night time temperature ranging between 13 and 20 degrees Celsius.

NiMet also predicted that the southern cities of Lagos, Port Harcourt, Benin, Warri, Calabar and Yenegoa would experience hazy conditions with visibility ranging from three to five kilometres during the forecast period.

It also predicted similar a situation for Ibadan, Osogbo, Ondo, Akure, Awka, Enugu, Owerri and Onitsha with night time temperatures ranging from 15 to 22 degrees Celsius.

The NiMet report also predicted that the northern cities of Maiduguri, Nguru, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto and Yelwa would experience reduction in visibility to about two to three kilometres.

The prediction also indicated that thick haze would result in visibility less than 1000 metres over some northern states with night-time temperatures ranging from 10 to 17 degrees Celsius.

According to NiMet, North-easterly wind from Sahara desert has continued to transport large quantity of dust particles which should lead to reduction in visibility across the country by tomorrow.

It said: “During this period of the year, the atmosphere is usually very dry, windy, and dusty.

Citizens should avoid substances that are easily flammable to reduce incidences of fire outbreak.

Flight operations may be disrupted due to poor visibility in some airports across the country.”

10 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4 , 2016

Lagos orders Project Information Board display by contractors

By Evelyn Usman

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AGOS State government at the weekend, directed that henceforth , all ongoing construction works or telecommunication infrastructure works must have a Project Information Board displayed on site, with a view to indicating the contractor involved.

The directive as contained in a press statement issued by the General Manager , Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency , LASIMRA Mr Babajide Odekunle , took effect from January 1, 2016.

Odekunle explained that the directive was aimed among other things, to curb illegal erection and encroachment on government facilities by contractors and also to ensure that public roads were not opened up without proper permit from LASIMRA. The concerned telecommunication infrastructure to be displayed on site according to him, included towers , masts, base stations, parabolic antennae as well as tar cut for fibre optic cables.

Consequently, he said; “All constr uction activities must ensure compliance with this directive by reverting to the LASIMRA office.''

LASU staff to sign nominal roll or forfeit salary

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AGOS—THE Lagos State University, LASU, has directed its staff to resume the signing of nominal roll before the fifth day of every month to ensure payment of their salaries.

This is contained in the university’s official bulletin.

According to the bulletin, the directive, which is meant for both the academic and Nonacademic staff said the members of staff must henceforth resume the signing of the nominal roll in their various faculties, colleges, departments, and units from January 2016.

Ambode, Adeboye hinge success on closeness to God

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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AGOS—GOVERNOR Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State yesterday said the outcome of the 2015 elections was an eloquent testimony of God’s love for Nigeria.

Governor Ambode said despite the predictions of anarchy and possible unrest, God showed His mighty hand upon Nigeria and for the very first time, the nation experienced a smooth and peaceful transition from one civilian government to another, and the ruling party became the opposition.

The Governor, who spoke at the Lagos House, Ikeja during the 2016 Annual Thanksgiving Service, also reassured Lagosians of the determination of his administration to work hard to achieve all-inclusive progress and prosperity for all in 2016.

In his exhortation at the service, the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye said despite the predictions for 2016 in the wake of the dwindling oil prices likely to result in loss of jobs, those connected to God can surmount these challenges.

He said those who seek to prosper in the New Year must take a stand to be closer to God. Governor Ambode said despite the bleak economic outlook predicted in many quarters, Lagos State will grow in leaps and bounds and take its rightful place among the major city-states of the world.

He said: “Our youths will become gainfully employed. Our young girls and women will be protected and encouraged to give their best.”

“Our entrepreneurs will experience a boom and our State will work for everyone. We are determined and God willing, we shall achieve all-inclusive progress and prosperity,” Governor Ambode said.

Speaking on the essence of the Thanksgiving Service, Governor Ambode said: “We are gathered this evening in thanksgiving to the Almighty for the grace to witness the beginning of 2016. This annual thanksgiving has become a tradition where we come together to sing the

praise of God for the continuous peace and prosperity of our dear State.”

“This service is an acknowledgement of the overriding power of God in the affairs of men and the need for us to trust in His grace and benevolence as a government and a people.”

“The fact the we are gathered here is enough proof that we are

covered under the banner of the Lord’s grace and that He surely answers prayers when He is called upon. It is with this abiding faith that we call on Him as we commence another journey in 2016,” the Governor said.

He acknowledged the religious and spiritual leaders in the State for their ceaseless prayers and intercessions for the people and government.

He specially appreciated the General Overseer of The

ONE LAGOS FIESTA: Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State governor (2nd right) exchanging pleasantries with member of the House of Representatives, Hon Wale Raji ,while the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu I (right), and Senator Ganiyu Solomon (2nd left) watch, during the grand finale of One Lagos fiesta, at the Bar Beach, Victoria island, Lagos.

2015: Lagos, airport NDLEA arrest 577 drug suspects

By Daniel Eteghe

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AGOS—A total of 577 drug suspects were arrested by the Lagos and Murtala Muhammed Airport Commands of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in 2015.

The Lagos State Commander of the NDLEA, Mr Aliyu Sule, and his Airport Command counterpart, Mr Garba Ahmadu spoke with newsmen in Lagos yesterdy on the arrests.

According to the commanders, 438 drug suspects were apprehended by the Lagos command, while the airport command apprehended 139 suspects during the period.

Sule said a total of 7315 kilograms of various drugs, were seized by men of his command during the period.

He said that the breakdown showed that Cannabis accounted for 7313. 06 kilograms, Heroin, 413.5 grams, while Cannabis Sativa

NUPENG calls for repair of federal roads

By Victor Ahiuma-young

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AGOS—THE National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, yesterday urged the Federal Government to rehabilitate federal roads in the country, to ease transportation of petroleum products.

Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, the South-West Chairman of the union, made the appeal in an interview in Lagos.

Korodo said that the rehabilitation would reduce unnecessary delay of

Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye and his wife for their commitment in the service of the Lord through persistent exhortations and prayers.

Special prayers were offered at the service for the state and Nigeria by clergymen including Bishop Mike Okonkwo, Most Rev. Chukwuemaka Kalu Uche; Pastor Wole Oladiyun, Pastor Wale Adefarasin, Archbishop Adewale Martins, Most Rev. E.A Ademowo, among others.

petroleum tanker drivers, who lose a lot of time on the roads before getting products to their final destinations.

“Most of the federal roads plied by petroleum tankers have become death traps and this is causing a lot of accidents to our tanker drivers. ''Oshodi-Apapa Express Road, Okene-Lokoja and Owo-Akoko roads are in deplorable conditions.

“Government should ensure that all these roads are repaired this year to ease the movement of all vehicles plying the

roads,” he said.

The chairman urged the federal government to strive harder to protect NNPC pipelines from vandals across the nation.

He said that this would return normal loading activities at all abandoned NNPC depots nationwide.

Korodo also urged the federal government to ensure job security for workers in the oil and gas industry and drastically reduce the issue of contract staffing.

amounted to 480 grams The state commander, however, noted that there was a drop in the number of arrests made in 2015, compared to previous years.

According to him, the NDLEA Lagos command, between 2011 and 2012, made a seizure of drugs between 10 tonnes and eight tonnes, compared to the seven tonnes in 2015.

Sule said the decline was as a result of proactive measures put in place by the command to monitor and apprehend drug suspects at their hideouts.

He appealed to Nigerians to cooperate with the NDLEA, pointing out that the war against drug trafficking was a collective responsibility.

On his part, Ahmadu, the NDLEA Airport commander, said out of the 139 suspects apprehended by men of his command, 119 were male while 20 were female.

Ahmadu said that the number of suspects arrested in 2014 was 129.

He attributed the increase in 2015 to training of officers and increased awareness that enabled them to uncover tricks used by traffickers.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016 — 11

Tension in Ile-Ife over selection of Ooni's second-in-command

By Gbenga Olarinoye

This led to a rancorous session at the ruling house yesterday as the supporters of the contenders threatened to shut down the town if Elu Abayomi was announced as planned.

One of the contenders, Fatai Adiyeloja expressed worry over the action of the committee and cautioned the aggrieved Ife youths to remain calm, assuring them that the matter would be resolved.

Speaking on the development, a traditional Chief in Ife, Chief Atimi Bada, Logun Apata of Ile-Ife said that the contenders for the vacant stool of

O

SOGBO—TENSION rose in the ancient town of Ile-Ife, Osun State, yesterday as the controversy surrounding the selection of the new Obalufe of IleIfe, the second-in-command to the Ooni of Ife caused rancour among the supporters of the ten contenders to the throne from Aga ruling house of the town.

The position became vacant following the death of the late Obalufe of Ile-Ife, Oba Solomon Omisakin in October last year.

The Obalufe, who is the traditional ruler of Iremo in Ile-Ife is the head of Ife kingmakers and next to the Ooni in hierarchy according to the tradition of the ancient town.

The process of selecting a new Obalufe started with the inauguration of a committee under the chairmanship of Comrade Ayoola Olafiranye.

The committee was saddled with the responsibility of screening all the contenders for the stool and report its findings to the ruling house.

It was gathered that the committee during its sittings invited and screened all the 10 aspirants but before it could submit its reports, majority of the contenders accused the committee of allegedly planning to announce the name of an aspirant from the female lineage, Elu Abayomi saying that Elu was not even qualified to contest.

the Obalufe must come from male lineage, adding that those from female lineage could only contest if there is no competent person from the male lineage.

According to him, “This rancour was avoidable if the committee had done the right thing in a transparent manner.

We all know that the female lineage can contest only if there was no competent person from the male lineage. But in this situation, there are nine contenders from male lineage, yet, the committee attempted to pick the only one person that came out from the female lineage. It is not right.”

The Head of the Ruling House, Chief Bello Adiyeloja said since the contenders could no longer trust the committee members, it has become imperative to dissolve the committee to prevent avoidable trouble in the town.

The Chairman of the committee, Comrade Ayoola Olafiranye declined comment on the report of the committee.

He said since the contenders, their supporters and other people have pass vote of no confidence in the committee, he would prefer not to talk on the outcome of the screening of the aspirants.

PARLEY: A Public Relations consultant, Aramide Tola Noibi, the Asst. Publicity Secretary Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF) with a Southern Nigeria People Assembly (SNPA) Secretariat member, Chief Edozie Ezeugwa, the Asst. Secretary General, Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF) Chief Samuel Adelana, the secretaryGeneral, Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF) Senator Anthony Adefuye, the coordinating secretary, SNPA Secretariat Dr. Ifedi Okwuenna and Chief Bayo Okunola at the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly (SNAPA) hosted by the Ondo State Govt at Jojein Hotel & Suites, Obaile, Akure Ondo State.

FARMERS, HERDSMEN CLASH: Ewi, Sultan want night grazing banned the Commissioner for Nigeria (MACBAN) led by

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

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DO-EKITI—AS part of efforts at putting an end to incessant clashes between farmers and cattle herdsmen in the State, the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III have recommended a total ban on night grazing of cow herds in Ekiti State.

At a conference held at the palace of Ewi of Ado Ekiti yesterday, the traditional rulers declared that night grazing should be prohibited from 6pm to 6am, adding that committees made up of farmers, cattle herdsmen, security agencies, representatives of traditional rulers and representatives of Local Government Areas should also be established at community, Local Government Area (LGA) and state levels.

The parley, which was organized to settle the persistent conflicts over alleged grazing rights and destruction of farms by cattle herds, was attended by representatives of the State Government led by

Agriculture and Rural Development, Hon. Kehinde Odebunmi; members of the Ewi in Council; representatives of the Sultan of Sokoto and National leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of

its National President, Alhaji Muhammadu Kirwa Hardon Zuru; representatives of the Police and Department of State Services (DSS) as well as various farmers’ groups and leaders of the cattle rearers in the state.

N210M STREET-LIGHT MAINTENANCE: Fayose’s aide lied – APC group for raising the alarm

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

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DO-EKITI—THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has described as baseless, the denial offered

by Commissioner For Public Utilities, Deji Adesua, over the accusation that Governor Ayodele Fayose expends N210 million monthly to power street-lights in AdoEkiti, the state capital.

A group, Enlightened Workers’ Forum (EWF), had few days ago quoted

the state Accountant General Report as saying that the government spent N210 million monthly to power streetlights in the state capital, saying such figure was fraudulently over-bloated, as streetlight was available for only three hours daily.

The Commissioner for Public Utilities, had described the claim of EWF members as mischievous, saying, spending such an amount to maintain streetlights was not feasible in Ekiti of today.

But the APC praised the

over the alleged fraud, even as it also commended the State Accountant General for letting the public know about the over-bloated figure that the governor had been passing to the government over fuel supply claim.

The party said the N210m quoted by the group and the Accountant General was the same figure Fayose quoted in his October 2015 media chat that rankled the residents who expressed shock over such figure even though street light was only available from 7pm to 10pm everyday.

Why we’re passionate about education — AREGBESOLA

By Gbenga Olarinoye

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S O G B O — GOVERNOR Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state has said that the passion with which his administration pursues its goal in the education sector arises from the conviction that education is the fulcrum upon which life and living rest.

Governor Aregbesola stated this while receiving a 35 year old compilation of past Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) questions and answers produced and presented to him by the leadership of the Coalition of All Progressives Supporters Group, at Government House, Osogbo.

The compendium contains past questions and answers of English and Mathematics from 1980 to 2015.

The Governor said only education can guarantee the improvement and betterment of human conditions.

According to him, a solid education guarantees progress and an assured future.

12—Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

Bayelsa supplementary poll: Police summon ex-militant leaders to meeting

By Samuel Oyadongha

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E N A G O A — FOLLOWING fears of a repeat of the violence witnessed during the botched December 5 and 6 governorship election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, the state police command has summoned exmilitant leaders to a security stakeholders' meeting in the state.

Southern Ijaw council had the highest concentration of militant camps at the height of youth restiveness in the Niger Delta and it was a theatre of violence during the December 5 and 6 governorship poll, a development that prompted the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to cancel the exercise.

The rescheduled poll for the council and some units in the other seven local government areas is slated for January 9.

The security stakeholders meeting slated for today, according the letter of invitation dated December 31, 2015, was summoned by the

command through the office of the State Intelligence Bureau led by Ondo Gbekumo.

The invitation letter, with reference number AB: 3 4 2 2 : BY S / S I B / Vo l . 6 / 8 3 , stated that attendance to the

meeting by ex-militant leaders was mandatory as issues bordering on threats to security in the January 9, election would be discussed.

It was gathered that some of the ex-militant leaders invited include, Mr Eris

Paul popularly known as General Ogunboss, Africanus Ukparisia known as General Africa among others.

Some of the ex-militant leaders, it was however, gathered have expressed lack of confidence in the State Police Command structure.

PRESENTATION: From left; Mrs. Aishatu Sadauki, Director MTN Foundation; Hajia Iyabo Jola-Ade Adewuyi, Kwara State Commissioner for Social Development, Culture and Tourism and Mrs. Adenike Odewunmi, CEO, GOLAD Services Ltd, after presenting a wheelchair to Mr. Idris Kanike, one of the beneficiaries in the Phase 5 MTN Foundation Disability Support Project, in Ilorin, Kwara State.

Judgments against PDP expected —Edebiri

By Gabriel Enogholase

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ENIN—AHEAD of the 2016 governorship election in Edo State, a governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Solomon Edebiri, has described recent court judgments against candidates of the party as expected in a developing nation like Nigeria.

He added that the PDP would dispense with the issue of godfatherism in electing its representatives in future elections.

Edebiri, who spoke with newsmen in Benin, yesterday, said that the adverse judicial judgements against the PDP, would be a thing of the past in the nearest future as the country grows democratically.

He said: “The PDP will give the judiciary a chance to do what it wants to do, whether right or wrong. The PDP will continue to respect the judiciary, allow their decisions to prevail and if at the Supreme Cour they rule against us, we will let it be.

“We are watching. My best advice to President Mohammed Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congrss, APC, is that they should concentrate on taking this country to the next level economically, create jobs for our teeming youths and stop

watching anybody.

“We will support him to succeed. That is all the country wants from us and you can see that PDP is already doing this and you know what the story would have been if we were to be

on the other side.

“APC should be careful in antagonizing the PDP because, PDP would have stopped APC from occupying that seat if it had wanted to and this would have certainly led to war.”

On godfatherism in the PDP, Edebiri said once the Senator Ike Ekweremadu report was ratified by the national convention of the party, it would be thing of the past, as the party will be returned to the people.

I'll use my expertise in capitalism to develop Edo —Obaseki

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN—GOVERNORSHIP aspirant of All Progressives Congress, APC, and Chairman of the Economic Team of Edo State Government, Mr Godwin Obaseki, weekend, vowed to source capital that will be enough to develop the economy of the state.

According to him, “My mission in life is how to get capital and use the capital to develop the economy because without capital you cannot set up factories and industries to employ people.”

He spoke at the end of year party held by the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, in Benin City.

Obaseki, who is seen by many as Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s anointed candidate for the 2016 governorship race, was apparently reacting to insinuations in the state that he may mortgage the future of the state to his friends like business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and others if he emerges governor of the state.

He said: “My area of specialization

is capitalism. And I was born into a capitalist system and it is also the system of governance of Edo State people right from time immemorial and I don’t know when the socialism entered the system.

"For me, I always make sure that everywhere I go in the world, because I am a council member of the Nigeria Stock Exchange, I try to make friends.

“I did not know Aliko Dangote before. It was when I became a member of the council of the Stock Exchange and observed what was happening that I met with Aliko Dangote to advise him not to be indifferent to what was happening at the stock market because if the market fell, it would affect him adversely because he has the largest number of companies in the country.That was the beginning of our relationship.

“I was about 29 years old when I helped a renowned chief in Edo State to set up a bank. I have helped many people set up banks. Some of the banks are today not in existence.

Even one of the giant

telecommunication companies I helped in setting it up. My influence in life is how to get capital and use the capital to develop the economy of Edo State."

Delta FMC moves for accreditation of more depts

By Festus Ahon

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SABA—THE Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Asaba, Delta State, has said that it was moving for the approval of five additional departments from the Nigerian Medical and Dental Council to enable it widen its scope of service delivery to the public.

The departments are internal medicine, family medicine, gynaecology, podiatrist and general surgery.

Acting Medical Director, Dr. Victor Osiatuma, who disclosed this in a chat with newsmen in Asaba, said the centre has incorporated into its scheme, internship training for doctors, p h a r m a c i s t s , radiographers, medical laboratory scientists and physiotherapists, otherwise known as medical rehabilitation experts.

He disclosed that in order to achieve success in these new areas, the centre has been affiliated to the Post College Medical Training of Nigeria, West African College of Surgeons and Physicians to do post graduate training in internal medicine, family medicine, gynaecology, podiatrist and general surgery.

“In those five key areas, we have started post graduate training, which means that we don’t employ medical officers any more, we employ medical graduates to do their residency training programme that qualifies them to get a fellowship in either of the colleges that will enable them to be appointed as consultants anywhere in the country or the West African Subregion," he said.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016—13

Anglican Communion consecrates three As Okowa urges prayers for the nation bishops A

By Festus Ahon

SABA—THE Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, yesterday, consecrated three bishops with a call on them to be good shepherds over their flocks.

Consecrating the bishops at the Cathedral of All Saints, Ughelli, Delta State, Primate of the Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, charged them not be wolves but rather good disciples of Jesus Christ and good disciplinarians.

Those consecretated bishops are Foreman Nedison (Bishop of Jalingo); Bishop Olubunmi Akinlade (Bishop of Ife) and Bishop Andrew Olu Igenoza (Rector, Crowther Graduate Theological Seminary, Abeokuta).

The state governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, who also spoke at the service, charged the ministers of God to resist the temptation to seek power at all cost.

Noting that the church is the conscience of the state, Okowa said, “Therefore, the man of God must not pursue political patronages or engage in flirtatious relationships with political leaders such that they lose the moral authority to speak

the truth to those in power.”

He urged the ministers to resist the temptation to seek fame, fortune, and power at all costs and congratulated the new bishops on their successful consecration.

“The state of our nation today is one that requires fervent, unceasing intercession, because the national economy is in dire straits, and virtually all sectors of our national life are in

limbo.”

Stressing that the country is a nation in desperate need of prayers, he said, “It is going to take something miraculous or supernatural to turn the current situation around.”

INTERDENOMINATIONAL SERVICE: Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel (middle), acknowledging cheers from the people at the 2016 interdenominational service, in Uyo.

PDP derailed from founding fathers' dream —Eyiboh ...defects to APC

By Emmanuel Aziken

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ORMER spokesman of the House of Representatives, Eseme Eyiboh, says the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has lost the visionary philosophy of its founding fathers and empowered a crop of political dealers deficit in inspirational leadership.

Announcing his resignation from the party, Eyiboh, who was also a former financial secretary of the Akwa Ibom State chapter of the PDP and chairman of the state’s Ethical and Attitudinal Reorientation Commission, EARCOM, said the PDP had thrown up economic choristers who had converted the commonwealth into private franchise.

Eyiboh, who declared his switch to the All Progressives Congress, APC, said: “Having had the privilege of the membership of PDP on whose platform I became the state Financial Secretary, Executive Chairman, EARCOM and later member of the House of Representatives, bespeaks the foundational vision of the progenitors of PDP as a leadership recruitment nursery.

“Today, that party has conducted itself in breach of the visionary philosophy of its founding fathers, instead of intended leadership nursery

guided by the principle of social justice and a platform to promote content analysis of its manifesto and implement strategies of its programmes to government as an enabler for good governance, it has rather, thrown up economic choristers

and social misdemeanours who have converted our common wealth into private franchise thus turning the party and the state into a behemoth of monstrous proportion.

“Its present system has

produced unprecedented crop of political ‘dealers’ instead of inspirational leaders occasioning the increasing deficits in revenue yielding assets and sundry incentives to trigger community growth and prosperity."

Ijaw group faults Tompolo's trial in absentia

By Akpokona Omafuaire

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ARRI—THE Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI, has said that the purported trial in absentia of Chief Government Ekpemupolo, a.k.a Tompolo, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was void, just as it condemned the process, noting that it was an invitation to anarchy.

IPDI, in a statement yesterday in Warri, Delta State, by Austin Ozobo, its National President, said that the trial was null and void as no law gives credence to prosecuting anybody in absentia as no criminal proceedings can go on without arrest.

According to the group, “Tompolo’s trial is tricky and dicey. It has no precedence and there is a lacuna in the judicial system. EFCC goofed as arraignment of someone in absentia is not a known practice in law.

“EFCC is acting on illegality and playing a political script, and as such it is an abuse of court processes and invitation to anarchy. Even in an instance of conspiracy, and one was arrested, the court cannot

punish the arrested accused person in crimes committed by the escapee because offences are not transferrabe.

“There is no provision in our laws or court rules that allows a person to be tried in absentia."

Women, youths demand removal of Delta community's youth leader

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By Emma Amaize

VA D E - O G H A R A — WOMEN and youths of Ovade – Oghara community in Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State, demonstrated, weekend, calling for the removal of the youth leader of the community, who they accused of indiscriminately arresting villagers, high-handedness, insubordination, corruption, among others.

The protesters carried placards, which bore different inscriptions.

Chairman, interim executive

committee, Mr. Hitler Igbakpa and a youth leader, Mr. Wilson Elisha, in their separate speeches during the protests, said that the former youth leader, for over a decade had refused entreaties to step down for another youth to take over the affairs of the community.

Mr. Igbakpa alleged that the former youth leader converted the community's bus provided by Pan Ocean Company and Christmas rice provided by the DESOPADEC Managing Director and community’s rubber plantation to his personal use.

Rights group tasks A-Ibom on SDGs

By Chioma Onuegbu

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YO—AS the world moves from the M i l l e n n i u m Development Goals, MDGs, to the S u s t a i n a b l e Development Goals, SDGs, from January 1, 2016, an Uyo- based nong o v e r n m e n t a l organisation, Policy Alert, has urged Akwa Ibom State Government to develop strategies aimed at ensuring timely and successful implementation of the new initiative at the community level.

In a statement by Mr. Tijah Bolton-Akpan, Head of Programmes, in Uyo, yesterday, the group urged the state government to produce an end-line report to assess the state’s performance of the MDGs to enable a knowledge-based transition to SDGs. Policy Alert attributed Nigeria's failure to achieve all the M i l l e n n i u m Development Goals to the late take-off of the programme as well as dearth of capacity for mainstreaming the goals into government policies especially at the local government level.

It said, “As the new SDGs come into force this month, it is important that governments and stakeholders at the subnational level hit the ground running because it is at those levels that some of the goals and targets can make the most meaning to the ordinary citizens.

“Local communities are where you find great number of the poor in our society, so there is no way we can make any real progress on the social, environmental and economic fronts without activating the goals and targets at that level.”

The statement stressed the need for the state government and stakeholders to strengthen their statistical systems to ensure effective monitoring of SDGs indicators at both state and local levels.

14 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4 , 2016

TUC berates NASS over plans to buy 469 cars •Says lawmakers don't understand nation's mood

By Victor Ahiumayoung

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RADE Union C o n g r e s s of Nigeria, TUC, weekend described the 469 cars the federal lawmakers plan to buy as a misplaced priority, saying it was pained that the lawmakers did not understand the mood of the nation or know the task before them and the country.

TUC in a statement by its President and Secretary General, Bobboi Kaigama and Musa Lawal, lamented that in the first instance, “For over two months running the country has been experiencing chronic fuel scarcity such that has never been heard of before. The freefall of the naira, poor health facilities, glorified primary schools as universities, closure of manufacturing

companies, insecurity of lives and properties, which essentially is caused by unemployment, etc. ''Our case has become so deplorable that we have now become a laughing stock among the comity of nations.

“Where is the conscience of the socalled lawmakers? Where are the good roads to drive cars? Why is it that the privileged in this country do not consider the less-privileged?

Lawmakers ride in public transportation in most developed countries to attend to state matters, despite the affluence of their country. The reason our leaders do ridiculous things beats our imagination.''

It will be recalled that the National Assembly members had, in August, collected between N7million and N8million as car loans. But they

said the 469 cars that they plan to buy would be used for oversight functions by members of the National Assembly.

“N47.5 billion for only cars is senseless and height of insensitivity and we support President Buhari to stand his ground on the issue. We are definitely not against the President holding a closed-door meeting with the lawmakers, but all we are saying is no to such frivolous expenses. ''Some have argued that the National Assembly go away with their official vehicles after four years, having paid the current value to government coffers. But we wanted something different hence Nigerians voted for change.

It just does not make any sense contemplating buying cars with almost 40 per cent of government annual budget. We just do hope the lawmakers mean well for the country,” they said.

Mixed reactions trail FG’s decision to avoid plea-bargain with looters

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BUJA—LAWYERS in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT yesterday expressed mixed feelings over the Federal Government’s decision not to consider plea-bargain being contemplated by treasury looters and their cronies.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Attorney General of the Federation, Mallam Abubakar Malami, had declared that the Federal Government was more interested in recovering to the last kobo, all public funds stolen and stashed away by top politicians and their cronies under the guise of arms purchase.

The government said that such plea bargain only allowed looters to go away with stolen public assets.

Speaking with NAN in Abuja, a lawyer, Mr Silas Onu, said that government’s stand was in order because plea-bargain was unconstitutional.

“Plea-bargain is not in Nigerian laws and so the refusal of the government to subscribe to it is not misplaced; government is only strictly following the laws.

C M Y K

“If you remember, the former Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Dahiru Musdapher, spoke about the illegality of pleabargain.

“EFCC just invented a legal proceeding that is not known to our laws; and the way we even apply it in Nigeria is not as it should be.

“Plea-bargain has been used in Nigeria as pardon for criminality; but pleabargain shouldn’t be like that.

“It should be as is operated in America, where it should only earn you a reduction in punishment; it shouldn’t set you free,” Onu said.

Mrs Uche Asiobi, another lawyer, who holds a different opinion, stated that plea-bargain should be considered if it will be to the benefit of the members of the public.

“I think sometimes you have to lose something to win something.

“I agree that it is hard, particularly when you are thinking of the economy and what has happened.

“You will think that these people should pay the full penalty, but if you take that angle, you might not get the full justice you require.

“So, if you realise that you will gain more through plea-bargain, it is better to apply it and recover more funds.

“Remember that even with plea-bargain the reputation of these people is already tarnished.

“So, plea-bargain should be used if the generality of the public will benefit from it instead of just one individual pocketing the loot,” Asiobi said.

Another lawyer, Ms Grace Ehusani, thinks that though the Federal Government would prefer to uphold justice, applying pleabargain would encourage more treasury looters to confess.

“When you provide an opportunity for people to confess and admit to their crimes knowing that because they confessed, the punishment will be lighter, they will be more willing to come to an agreement with the government,” she said.

The former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, and several others are currently being investigated and are facing prosecution over alleged diversion of $2.1 billion meant for the purchase of arms.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016 —15

Biafra: Niger Delta didn’t betray Ndigbo —MASSOB leader •Kanu’s bail not at Buhari’s discretion – Group is facing as he failed to answer so many critical questions.

“The only good thing we can get from the chat is his condemnation of the impending financial recklessness in National Assembly although he failed to tell Nigerians the truth about the alleged N18 billion he is planning to service the Villa in 2016 in the face of the growing hardship in the land,” it stated.

By Emma Amaize & Ugochukwu Alaribe

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EADER OF the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign States of Biafra, MASSOB, Chief Solomon Chukwu, has said that contrary to the widely held belief in the South East, the people of the Niger Delta area did not betray Ndigbo during the Nigerian Civil war.

Chukwu in an interview with Vanguard, said; “During the war, people said the Niger Delta denied Biafra. It is not true; the major betrayers of Biafra were even from the South East than the South South bloc. People like Ojukwu’s second in command, Gen. Philip Effiong, fought for Biafra till the end. My father and many strong men of Niger Delta also fought for Biafra. I’m a Biafran from Ikwerre extraction in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

“I’m a true son of Niger Delta.

Forget about the role of people like Ken Saro Wiwa, but in the mainstream of Biafra, many Niger Deltans stood to be counted.

Today, they still support Biafra.

Now, Asari Dokubo, Kalada George, Uche Okwukwu, among other great Niger Delta sons are in support of Biafra.

“Before now, everybody was saying Biafra is for Ndigbo and South East, but today the story has changed, the entire people of Niger Delta have realised the need to actualize Biafra. Again, with what Uwazurike has done in shifting the leadership of MASSOB to the Niger Delta, everybody has also seen that Biafra is not the business of the South East alone. People have

Ebonyi can't afford to be in opposition —Onu

By Peter Okutu RECEPTION: Governor Okorocha (2nd right), the wife Nneoma Nkechi, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume (left) and an elder statesman, Chief Marcillinus Nlemigbo, at the reception for the families of Governor Okorocha and Prof Anthony Anwuka after the dedication of Master Jidenna Anthony Anwuka on sunday at the Nick banquet hall, Government House, Owerri. embraced Biafra and it keeps expanding more than what they knew.”

He disclosed that MASSOB had embarked on sensitization visit to all cities in the Biafran territories where it had also opened liaison offices and commended the support of the people of Niger Delta to the struggle to actualize an independent state of Biafra.

“Today, people from all over the former Eastern region and Niger Delta now attend MASSOB meetings. Recently, we were in Warri, Delta State where the people received us with a rousing welcome. They were jubilating that this time, there will be no dichotomy again. There will be no divide and rule; that Ikwerre is not

Biafra or Niger Delta is not Biafra.

The former Eastern region and Niger Delta are working in unison to actualize an independent Biafra."

Kanu's bail not at Buhari's discretion Meanwhile, Foundation for Human Rights and AntiCorruption Crusade, FHRACC, Delta State, has faulted President Muhammadu Buhari’s stand on bail for the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, saying he had no power to decide who would be granted bail or otherwise.

Reacting to Buhari’s media chat, it said, “As far as our judicial system is concerned, bail is at the

Group faults Abia gov appeal court judgment

By Ugochukwu Alaribe

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BA—A socio political group, South East Progressives Assembly, SEPA, has faulted the judgment of the Appeal Court, Owerri, which sacked Governor Okezie Ikpeazu from office.

Addressing newsmen in Aba, President of SEPA, Ebere Uzoukwa, described the judgment as a rape on democracy, which left more questions than answers on the April 11, governorship poll including the supplementary election held in April 25.

He said: “In our own estimation predicated on points of law, morality and common sense, a judgment that clearly defranchised about 300,000 registered voters from Obingwa, Osisioma Ngwa and Isiala Ngwa North Local Governments which are the strong hold of the Peoples

Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Dr. Ikpeazu, can never survive the judicial scrutiny of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. There is no gainsaying that the said judgment in entirety is a rape on our nascent democracy.

“How did the Justices determine the substantial noncompliance in Ikpeazu’s home local government area, Obingwa, Osisioma Ngwa and Isiala Ngwa North as alleged by the appellant? How did they arrive at over-voting to cancel those legitimately collated and returned results from these councils?

“What did our law and Electoral Act stipulate in situations where over-voting is substantially proven? What informed the acceptability and invalidation of the evidence of the second appellant which finally formed the bedrock and

figures upon which Dr. Alex Otti was declared winner of the governorship election by the Court of Appeal?

“We deem it expedient to unequivocally declare our stand on the recent ruling of the Court of Appeal which sat in Owerri, declaring Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, winner of the 2015 governorship election, nullifying the election of Ikpeazu of the PDP. It is clear that Otti was awarded the governorship without the mandate of the Abia State electorate.

“For Abia people especially those eligible voters from the three councils, who were massively de-franchised by the ruling of the Court of Appeal, we appeal for calm as the process of scrutinizing the judgment at the Supreme Court will soon commence.”

discretion of the court no matter the gravity of the offense, if Buhari is not satisfied with the courts decisions, let him order the prosecuting agencies to file an appeal against the verdicts.

“It is not in his position to decide who to be granted bail and who not to be granted bail, which is the exclusive function of the judiciary. He should be guided with the principles of separation of power enshrined in the Constitution, 1999 (as amended).

“His postures clearly showed that he has no respect for the constitution. His answer to the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB’s protests in the South East is provocative, scornful and it smacks of total disregard to the provisions of the constitution which seeks to balance the federal appointments among the six geopolitical zones.

“Mr. President cannot expect the Igbo to feel being part of his government when he denied them sensitive positions in his government in gross violation of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) particularly under section 14 of the Constitution.

“President Buhari’s first media chat is disappointing. It brings to mind misery and subjugation of popular will particularly his resolved to be a judge in the anti corruption war.

“Those accused of corruption, particularly some select people, have already been convicted by Mr President. He is now exercising the functions of the judiciary by passing an executive judgment on some alleged corrupt individuals standing trial.

“There is no law in Nigeria that denies former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki and anybody standing corruption trial bail. His media chat in all, gives no hope in sight to the growing economic challenges the country

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BAKALIKI— THE Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, weekend, called on the people of Ebonyi State to support the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as the state cannot afford to be in opposition.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftain stated this at his country home, Uburu, in Ohaozara Local Government Area of the state while addressing leaders and supporters of the APC in Ebonyi State who came to celebrate the New Year with him.

He added that the state with its tremendous potentialities stand the chance of benefiting from Federal Government’s policies and programmes.

Onu, a former Governor of old Abia State noted that Buhari inherited bad economy from the past administration and has been working round the clock to fix it through diversification of the economy.

He restated his readiness to reposition the Ministry of Science and Technology to make it vibrant and result oriented.

The minister also raised alarm over an illegal facebook account created in his name by some unscrupulous elements to defraud innocent citizens of the country.

According to him: “In the first place, I don’t operate any facebook account and I wonder why people are using my name on facebook with my picture to do all manner of business.

“So many people called me on phone that they were the ones chatting with me on facebook and I stand here to say I don’t operate facebook account, I don’t.

16—Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

Boat mishap claims life of 27-yr-old in Bayelsa

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BOAT mishap yesterday claimed the life of a 27-year-old man in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

The man died after a canoe conveying him and one other person capsized at the creek near the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, in Yenagoa.

It was learned that the unlucky victim met his untimely death in the tragic incident before rescue could come his way, but the second passenger in the boat survived the accident.

Sources said that the canoe capsized following violent waves caused by a passenger speedboat that sped past as the illfated boat was crossing to the other side of the creek.

Asinim Butswat, spokesperson of Bayelsa State Police Command, confirmed the incident.

He said that the corpse of the deceased had been deposited at the FMC morgue

Akunyili: Court frees suspects over attempted murder

By Abdulwahab Abdulah & Jane Echewodo

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USTICE I.U Bello of an Abuja High Court, has acquitted and discharged six persons accused of conspiracy and attempted murder of the late DirectorGeneral, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Dr Dora Akunyili.

The suspects are, Francis Okoye, Emmanuel Nnakwe, Marcel Nnakwe, Emeka Orjiakora, Christopher Mbah, and Olisaemeka Igbokwe.

The accused persons, who were initially eight in number were charged with a fourcount charge of conspiracy, attempted murder and murder brought against them by the state.

The charge reads: “That you Francis Okoye; Ebubedike; Emmanuel Nnakwe; Marcel Nnakwe; Emeka Orjiakor; Christopher Mbah; Olisaemeka Igbokwe; Chukwuka Ezeukwu; Jude Ugwu on or between October, 2001 to December 2003 at different places in the Federal Capital Territory and Anambra State agreed to do or cause to be done an illegal act to wit: cause the death of Dr Akunyili,

HOLIDAY: Fun lovers celebrate New Year holiday at Elegushi Beach, Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau Director-General, NAFDAC and that the said act was attempted to be done in pursuant of an agreement and that you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code.”

Plea Moment their plea was taken, the accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

It will be recalled that a no case submission was initiated by the accused persons

Dismiss MTN's suit against NCC, lawyer tells court

By Innocent Anaba

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LAGOS lawyer, Mr Tope Alabi, has urged the Federal High Court in Lagos to dismiss MTN Nigeria’s suit against the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC. He said that the N1.04trillion fine imposed on MTN was in order, adding that the telecoms firm has no reasonable case against NCC. According to Alabi, granting MTN’s reliefs will result in “people breaking one law and hiding under another law to escape liability.”

MTN is urging court to quash the $3.9billion sanction imposed on it by NCC in October for failing to disconnect unregistered subscribers. The initial fine of $5.2billion was reduced by 25 per cent to $3.9billion earlier this month. The payment deadline has expired.

But MTN through its lawyers led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, is challenging NCC’s powers to impose the fine. It argued that NCC being a regulator cannot

assume all the functions of the state.

However, Alabi, in an application seeking to be joined as an interested party, said MTN’s suit was an abuse of court process that must not be tolerated.

The lawyer said for over three years, NCC had directed all service providers to register their SIM cards already sold and in circulation. He said he duly registered his line sometime in 2012 and MTN called him in 2013 to obtain further information towards completing the registration.

“The first defendant (NCC) gave time limit for all subscribers to register their SIM cards. The time limit was also extended repeatedly. The plaintiff was in default to register 5,200,000 subscribers “The plaintiff could register all the 5,200,000 subscribers SIMs in default within the time limit and extended time given by the first defendant.

I believe other service providers such as Airtel, GLO, Etisalat, Starcomm strictly complied with the first

defendant’s directives without defaulting; except the plaintiff.

“The plaintiff never denied it defaulted in registration of the 5,200,000 subscribers. The fine imposed on the plaintiff by the first defendant is in order. The suit of the plaintiff with reliefs sought therein will encourage a culture of impunity in Nigeria.

“The law under which the plaintiff is subjected to liability is justice-able and valid. It is in the interest of justice to grant this application for the applicant to defend this suit within the purview of the law,” Alabi said.

Alabi prayed the court to grant his application so that he could prove that MTN has no reasonable cause of action against NCC, and that granting MTN’s prayers will encourage a culture of impunity in Nigeria “whereby people would do all kinds of illegal and unlawful acts and get away with it so long as they can secure legal service to escape liability.”

through their counsel, Mr. Clement Onwuenwunor.

The 2nd and 3rd accused persons questioned the jurisdiction of the court to entertain counts 3 and 4 of the charge.

The no case submission was upheld by the the court, which was affirmed by the court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, but set aside the aspect of the ruling which declined jurisdiction to entertain counts 3 and 4 of the charge.

The 7th accused person had died sometime in 2005 while the 8th accused person was discharged by the Supreme Court.

Judgment Justice Bello in his judgment held that, “On the charge of conspiracy for instance, the prosecution could not have been successful in the face of exhibit 18(n), a manifest from MTN tendered before the court by the prosecution itself and indeed exhibit 20 equally a similar manifest tendered by the defence, both intended to establish any possible transaction or controvert any such transaction as stated by PW3 between him and 2nd accused through phone conversation.

“It turned not to be falsehood, this rendering the PW3 as unreliable witness and he is so branded. And with that position, the prosecution has failed to discharge the onus of proving the offence of conspiracy as charged.

Accordingly, the accused persons are discharged and acquitted on that count.”

Prosecution The judge also held that the prosecution was not able to pin the accused persons with the

degree of certainty at the scene of the crime and obviously the commission of the crime at the scene.

According to Justice Bello, “Consequently, failure to investigate the alibi as raised by the accused persons and in particular 2nd accused, who had tendered exhibits D1-D7 representing his travel documents is fatal to the case of the prosecution’s case.

“In this regard, there is no option to holding the view that 2nd accused was indeed elsewhere representing the meaning of alibi as raised and is successfully so. I therefore, agree with the defence that the case of the prosecution is wholly based on suspicion and the charge on attempted murder cannot stand, and although, the prosecution was able to establish that there was in fact death of a human person being part of the ingredient of the substantive charge under Section 221 of the Penal Code, there is nothing in form of evidence directly or circumstantial showing that it is the accused persons that caused the death of that person, one Emeka Onuekutu while driving his Mitsubishi L3000 minibus with Reg. No. AE 763 AJL. “In fact, by the evidence before this court per exhibit 53 representing Ballistician report stated clearly that it was the AK 47 in the possession of the Sergeant, Haruna Adamu, one of the policemen in the convoy of Dora Akunyili that was shot, indeed, the expired shell recovered from the scene corresponds with the AK 47 of the said Sergeant Adamu who gave evidence as PW 18 for the prosecution.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016—17

Cross section of Clergys: during the 2016 Annual Thanksgiving service by Lagos state government, at Alausa, Ikeja, yesterday

Fomer Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande and his wife, Alhaja Abimbola, during the 2016 Annual Thanksgiving service by Lagos state government, at Alausa, Ikeja, yesterday. Photos: Bunmi Azeez

Mimiko tasks artisans on wealth creation

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NDO State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, yesterday. tasked artisans in the state to use their skills to create wealth, especially at this challenging period in the country.

Mimiko who spoke during a thanksgiving service of the State Artisans’ Group, which held at the Acts of the Apostle Church International in Akure, described the artisans as the bedrock of the nation’s economy, adding that they should work hard and utilize their skills to take the nation to the next level of development.

The governor assured of his administration’s continued assistance and support to the group, stressing that their unalloyed cooperation was necessary for peace and development of the State.

He noted that God has blessed Nigeria with abundant natural resources, adding that the nation can survive without oil but stressed the need for Nigerians to work harder in the new year.

Mimiko said “This year will be a year of prosperity and possibilities for Nigeria. The joy of the Lord is our strength, the joy is the assurance that God is with us even without fuel.

In Ondo State, this year 2016, the joy of the Lord will abide with us but we must work hard in the year.

The possibility for our nation is infinite and God has endowed us. You are the bedrock of our economy but must work harder, God has given you skill to create wealth and to live well. We as government will strive hard to assist you."

C M Y K

18 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

BEFORE 2003, there was progression in the incidence of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. Records show that from 1991 – 1999 the HIV prevalence increased from 1.8 percent to 5.4 percent. It dropped to 4.1 percent in 2011 and further dropped to 3.8 percent in 2013.

Nigeria is currently treating 800,000 people living with the virus with Anti Retroviral (ARV) drugs.

Currently the number of people living with HIV that are on Anti Retroviral Therapy increased from 359,181 in 2010 to 747,382 in 2014.

Regardless of all efforts, Nigeria still accounts for 55 percent of the new HIV infections in West Central Africa Region (WCAR), and with 3.4 million people living with the virus, the nation is rated as the country with the second highest burden of HIV in the world after South Africa.

More worrisome is the increasing number of infected women and children, and the fact that most of the children infected with the virus contacted it from their mothers.

A 2014 survey showed a decline in HIV cases among pregnant women who

Ending AIDS in 2030: How achievable for Nigeria? attend antenatal clinics to 3.0 percent compared to 4.1 percent in 2010, but 10 percent of HIV infections are still as a result of mother-to-child transmission.

Of these, 154,920 new infections are in children out of an estimated 281,180 new infections and data shows that about 229,480 pregnant women are HIV positive annually.

The high morbidity and mortality associated with pediatric HIV infection has virtually eroded most of the previous gains towards elimination of mother-to-child transmission in Nigeria.

Worse still, the high prevalence of HIV among pregnant women, high total

fertility rate, culture of prolonged breast feeding, and non-use of modern health facilities for antenatal and delivery purposes have contributed to the high rate of mother-to-child HIV transmission in the country.

Nigeria has found herself in this precarious state as a result of sociocultural issues such as preference for Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) instead of orthodox health facilities.

Gaps in coordination of partners and underutilization of maternal and newborn services contribute to the challenges.

The way forward for Nigeria is to be guided by the new UNAIDS target of

90:90:90, which is to ensure that 90 percent of the global population are tested for HIV, 90 per cent of those who test positive have access to treatment and for 90 per cent to be virally suppressed.

The current drive to eradicate HIV/ AIDS by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals is instructive.

Government agencies at all levels in Nigeria must review the visibility of eliminating HIV/AIDS with a view to integrating it into the broader Maternal and Newborn and Child Health agenda.

The argument for closer relationships between managers of HIV and AIDS control agencies and other stakeholders at the national and state levels cannot be overstated.

Tackling the root causes of vulnerability to HIV/AIDS remains the sure way to achieving the goals, even while creating strategic local funding initiatives and sound monitoring mechanism for transparency.

Nigeria can only achieve elimination of mother-to-child HIV transmission through proper legislation, realistic policies and adequate resource appropriation.

OPINION Before engaging unemployed graduates as teachers

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By Adewale Kupoluyi

HE Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, recently announced the intention of the Federal Government to convert most of the unemployed graduates to teachers in a bid to tackle the perennial problem of graduate unemployment, adding that all youths in the country are not entitled to the N5,000 monthly stipend promised by the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government, hence the basis for putting in place the teacher recruitment programme.

Ngige had clarified that contrary to the widely-held opinion that the N5,000 was meant for all youths, only the vulnerable youths would benefit from the welfare package. The minister further said that “Most unemployed graduates would be converted to teachers. The move is equally aimed at boosting the education sector. For the social safety needs, we have budgeted N500 billion for the next fiscal year. We have captured unemployed graduates. We are doing two things; we get those who read Law, Engineering and other disciplines but do not have jobs. We would train them for nine months and convert them to teachers”.

The initiative on the part of government to provide employment to its teeming unemployed populace is a right step in the right direction. The adverse effect of joblessness can better be imagined. Apart from the restiveness that is a fall-out of such a situation, there is the challenge of under-

utilisation of human capacity that should be at the centre-point of economic development. Over the years and despite the existence of series of programmes, the rate of unemployment has remained ever high and alarming. As laudable as the plan of the government is, there is the need to exercise caution before its implementation to ensure that the nation’s educational system is better-off.

It is commonly known that Nigerian teachers suffer from poor pay and bad working conditions. In most states, teachers are usually the last to be paid their meagre salaries at the end of the month, if they are paid at all. Many states still owe teachers several months of accumulated salaries and allowances while the retired ones do not receive their entitlements as and when due.

A combination of these factors have made teaching - a noble profession - to be rendered unattractive and relegated to the background.

Apart from the problem of infrastructural decay, other quality assurance measures appear to have been lost over the years in our schools. It would be recalled that there was a

The products of Nigeria’s schools will be only as good as the quality of their teachers

time in Nigeria when certain practices, such as writing of lesson notes gave teaching its professional edge, which was made mandatory.

Today, hardly do teachers come to classrooms to teach with well-prepared and supervised lesson notes. Many of them simply dish-out teaching instructions without making adequate preparation, which could largely account for why students fail to comprehend what is being taught. It is not an exaggeration that most Nigerian teachers are not computer-literate.

Generally speaking, many unemployed graduates find themselves in teaching just to earn a living and for want of other things to do.

Even those trained as teachers have abandoned the profession for more paying jobs. Quality education remains the rock on which any progressive nation can build its future while cornerstone of this foundation lies with the teachers.

Definitely, the products of Nigeria’s schools will be only as good as the quality of their teachers. In countries that truly seek development such as Switzerland, The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium in which the best brains are assigned to teaching and remunerated adequately and invariably reflects in their levels of development. If Nigeria is to make any remarkable progress, teachers and the teaching profession should be accorded dignity in all respects.

Unfortunately, not much premium has been placed on effective educational planning, curriculum, budgeting and personnel, among others. This should not be so.

Education should indeed be well-funded, be given priority by governments at all levels and be spared of unnecessary politicking.

The sorry state of our schools is not too

different from what is obtainable in the nation’s higher institutions. Teachers are products of tertiary institutions such as colleges of education and universities. Bemoaning this rot, a foremost educationists and former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Professor Peter Okebukola disclosed that over 80 percent of teachers working in higher education institutions in the country have not received formal training. While delivering the 10th Convocation Lecture of Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, titled ‘Higher Education and Africa’s Future: Doing What is Right’, the Don stated that the “Depreciating quality of higher education teachers is a problem of the education sector. The inability to have quality higher education teachers, on account of its relative newness, only a few have training and skills as majority of them are learning on the job, which has resulted in the stagnancy of higher education.”

Professor Okebukola observed that there are several gaps that needed to bridge in the quest to reduce the stagnancy in education and elevate it to enviable heights. “More importantly, problem on the part of students is as a result of their attitude towards working.

People no longer want to read but want to pass. As a student, there should be willingness to read, you shouldn’t be forced. Poor attitude is reflected in absenteeism, nonchalance towards assignments and writing of lecture notes.”

It is for the above stated reasons that the Federal Government should ensure that the unemployed graduates to be engaged as teachers are given the requisite training. *Mr. Kupoluyi, wrote from Federal Varsity of Agric., Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016—19 Send Opinions & Letters to: opinions1234@yahoo.com

Children of austerity T

HE new year will be quite challenging for Nigerians. They need no prophet nor soothsayer to predict this. The country’s situation evolves from its reliance on a monoculture; oil. Politics is the largest and most productive industry in the country with being in government, the most profitable investment. With falling crude oil prices, the economy is bound to wobble, and unpalatable policy dishes served. Wisely, the Government benchmarked the 2016 Budget on a very low figure of $38 per barrel down from the $53 last year, and $76 for the 2014 Budget. Based on a 2.2 million barrels quota, it is hoping to make a daily income of $83.6 million or $30.514 billion in 2016.

Even at this quite conservative benchmark, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is saying it is a foolish proposition as oil may sell as low as $20 which will throw the budget into a spin from which recovery will be difficult. The IMF may be correct because last November, OPEC pumped 1.7 million barrels above its ceiling into a market witnessing glut thereby pushing oil

price below $37 per barrel. The seriousness of the Nigerian situation can be gleaned from the fact that oil sold at $112 in June 2014. It means there has been a two thirds drop in price.

The second challenge is the devaluation of the Naira that fell to a record N280 to the dollar at the parallel market before clawing to N268 on New Year eve. The implications for an import-dependent nation, are serious. It portends high inflation and devalued incomes. Parents with children schooling outside the country will need far more Naira to buy foreign currency as would those needing foreign medical treatment. To complicate matters, many of us cannot comprehend the staccato of policies on foreign exchange.

I concede that economics may be a much too complex science for commoners like me to understand. So economics takes the form of belief; for every new policy, all that may be required of us is to say, Amen, God Almighty bless you!

A third challenge is the cost of petroleum products especially in the

context of a generator-sustained economy. Again, it is another difficult terrain for commoners to comprehend.

For instance, the sector is pronounced deregulated with subsidy, which may mount as a result of currency devaluation, being phased out early this year, yet prices are imposed. To add to the confusion of novices in oily matters like me, the prices are ministerial announcements while the law says the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) is required to meet, discuss the pricing template and agree on prices. I love action, not rigmarole, so I am beginning to sing the Nunc dimittis to the PPPRA; if it is scrapped there will be only a few teary faces.

Higher petroleum product prices will not only deepen poverty, but also endanger jobs. It is heartwarming that government has promised mass recruitment this year, but it is also wise to do everything possible to pre-

We continue to do the same thing but announce that the result will be different; the Kanuris say if you dig a hole to fill another hole, you have one more hole to fill

2016: Prospects of Africa

By Charles Onunaiju

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HE reason for the narrative of the past few years of Africa on the rise or what is generally called Afro-optimism; i.e, primary commodity-driven boom seemed currently on the wane. Apart from the global glut in the demand of these primary commodities, the prices are on the downward spiral. Oil prices is particularly hit and the continental largest economy and key producer, Nigeria is at a cross road as its oildominated revenue receipt takes a plunge. Many of its thirty six state governments are in heavy arrears of public sector workers who have not received salaries for upward of nearly a year. Some of the state governments have controversially been considering a slash of the paltry slightly above one hundred U.S dollars monthly minimum wage.

Ironically these state governments pocket unaccountable millions of dollars in the so called security vote that can neither be examined by the legislature nor the public. A kind of slush fund, the security vote is guaranteed by the constitution for the exclusive use of the state governors as they deemed fit under a nebulous heading of security, when actually all security agencies are federally controlled. Nigeria’s newly elected government has unfolded a budget with anticipatory deficit financing.

Even though the budget inspired hope of socially sensitive and inclusive economic process, its revenue projections still rest on the unreliable receipts from oil sales. Meanwhile, the international oil market would take further drubbings as the prices are likely to nose dive. Africa would particularly feel the pinch but it also offers opportunity for structural transformations for economies hitched on the vagaries of primary commodity market. Russia, a non OPEC member, pumps the highest number of 11million

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barrels per day and China, formerly African reliable customer buys up most of Russia’s crude.

Iran set to return to the international oil market following its historic deal with the West, would likely pump about 2 million barrels daily into the market, further squeezing prize and putting pressure on African producers. Saudi Arabia, leading OPEC producer, has vowed not to cut production, a fact that would further keep prizes modest. Other primary commodities solid minerals, soya would experience slower demand.

However, these trends are natural cycles of the boom and burst that is characteristic of international market place. The strategy of most successful economies, both emerging and old ones is to secure and guarantee home markets, through the enhancement of domestic consumption.

The structural reorientation that is conducive to domestically integrated market is the critical challenge to Africa’s post-primary and natural resource based economy and it requires been weaned off, from the easy rents that accrue from primary commodity dominated economy. The noose would be tightened further on economies with vulnerabilities to the vagaries of international markets and Africa would be particularly hard hit in this respect. However, present challenges and difficulties can actually be converted into opportunities if the right lessons are learnt and hard choices made. In the case of Africa, the choice is almost self-evident.

To continue shipping her resources abroad for easy rent or to set in motion the

2016 might well open the debate of Africa’s future prospects

vent mass job losses. One sure way of job losses is the continuous increase in electricity tariffs which has become a periodic ritual. Before the new increases were announced, manufacturers in the country had cried out that energy consumes forty percent of production costs. After years of appeal, they had gone to court to stop further increases, but this has cut no ice with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) whose sole duty seems to be making the electricity companies happy and richer with tariff increases while turning a blind eye to their inefficiency, stagnation and lack of investment in the sector.

We may also see the reintroduction of toll gates across the country. Whatever the case, Nigerians should brace up to pay more taxes. Since the 1990s when state governments abandoned tax to consultants, ingenious ways of inventing, increasing and imposing more taxes are being made. Now, everything is game including paying taxes for water not supplied. Ironically, it is the worker and poor that actually pay prescribed taxes. The rich and the powerful including giant oil companies have ways of dodging, or paying token.

They have tax exemptions and waivers. They register multiple companies to beat the system.

It is during hard times the lowly paid, poor and vulnerable, need government support; it is the time to reduce or abolish taxes for them. Talking about the lowly paid; things may actually get worse with some governors renewing their agitations for a cut in the monthly National Minimum Wage of N18,000 which is less than $68. If they don’t succeed, they may cut jobs or return us back to the era of unpaid wages.

process, to build the requisite industrial capacity to process and add value to its resources and reap the comparative advantage of middle economies, without the excess baggage of over capacities.

South Africa, the continent’s major industrial economy is not a particularly happy one. After appointing three finance ministers in one month, President Jacob Zuma is struggling to get grip of certain economic policy and direction. Not rocking the boat of post-apartheid economic direction has kept the economy going steadily but evidently, leaving behind the huge mass of the mostly black community to whom post apartheid inclusive democratic rule, means and rightly so, a pull to the economic mainstream. Disaffection with the way things are, have spurred wide xenophobia and the return of left political tendencies to the mainstream political activity. 2016 would be exciting as these dynamics play out, prelude to the general elections in 2017.

As Africa’s economic prospects would be grim, the political and social prospects are not particularly encouraging.

Bujumbura currently burns as Burundi’s political elite dig in, to slug it out in the streets and bushes. If the current entente in Uganda succeeds, the worst could be averted; otherwise the thin lines that held the fragile polity together are set to be overstretched in the coming year.

President Pierre Nkruzizah ambitious self-perpetuation is at the root of Burundi’s unraveling, just as in neighbouring Rwanda where the former rebel leader and focused President Paul Kagame has won tenure elongation in a national referendum. Surely, Kagame is one of Africa’s political stars, having navigated his country from the epicenter of atrocious genocide to integrated forward looking society. He was one of the rare African leader that met the UN set development millennium goals. He seem considerably popular, but amending his country’s constitution to remain in office have raised alarm and could began a drain

None of these are strange to Nigerians born after independence as austerity measures have been imposed continuously by successive governments since the Muhammed – Obasanjo regime of the mid ‘70s.

They may come in different slogans; Belt Tightening, austerity measures, Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) Appropriate Pricing, Deregulation, whatever guise, it remains a value deducted life. The postindependence generations, are essentially, austerity children. They are fed with nothing but ‘palliative measures’ Ironically, with deepening poverty, we also witness the increasing number of billionaires. So we have a situation where those who are over fed, preach patience and sacrifice to the hungry. But why are we so blessed resourc wise and intellectually, yet cannot address the basic needs of our people? To paraphrase Chinua Achebe, why do we live on the banks of the ever flowing River Niger, yet wash our hands with spittle?

We continue to do the same thing but announce that the result will be different; the Kanuris say if you dig a hole to fill another hole, you have one more hole to fill. We believe in the catechism of the international financial institutions; cut costs, abolish subsidies, government has no business in business, the private sector is the engine room of development, privatize, liberalize, borrow, devalue, trim public service.

Our elites for centuries have looked westward hoping to see a different horizon. They lift their eyes to the same gods of underdevelopment and austerity, and say, where will our salvation come from?

on his international standing whose real measure could ebb away his domestic legitimacy, a sure recipe to instability.

Notwithstanding Burundi and Rwanda, Africa’s political life would look considerably miserable as its newest state, South Sudan, may not entirely get its act together and pull back from the brink. The sound bite from Juba where President Sylva kirr holds sway does not send any signal that a consensus needed to end the fratricidal war is insight.

Dr. Riek Machar, the armed opposition leader, does not seem ready to return to Juba anytime soon and the gulf between him and his former boss whom he served as vice president seemed as wide as ever.

Nigeria’s battered Boko Haram, deprived of any territory where to pose and pretend as a political entity will desperately haul bombs at any soft targets within its sights but what is certain is that their future is terribly bleak.

The project of neo-liberal political process will trod on, in Africa, with contentious multi-party elections that would hardly resolve any of the endemic burning national questions. The critical mass of the people will remain marginally involved in the democratisation process as they would be engaged in the rituals of voting without sufficient social awareness to integrate into the mainstream of the political process as ultimate guardians.

Notwithstanding, Africa’s existential challenge, its resilient people would ride the roughshod of its numerous travails, relying mostly on traditional civic structures of social intercourse with its entrenched safety nets to weather the socio-economic and political storms.

2016 might well open the debate of Africa’s future prospects and whether it has possibilities in the context of international neo-liberal political and economic order even as capitalism enters a stage of terminal crises in its core global zone.

*Mr. Onunajiu, director, Centre for China Studies, wrote from Abuja.

20—Vanguard, MONDAY MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

Rasaki’s family, bizwoman bicker over demolition of Lekki property Stories by Bose Adelaja

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OR Rita Akpogum, 37, Saturday, December 5, 2015 is a day she would wish never existed. It was on that fateful day that the mother of two who had laboured for years to build her own house, watched helplessly as the one-storey building she built at University View Estate, in the Lekki area of Lagos, was demolished by persons suspected to be agents of the son of a former military governor of Lagos State.

The Delta State-born Lagos businesswoman who has remained inconsolable since the unfortunate incident, told Vanguard Metro, VM that the most saddening aspect of the demolition was that she was not allowed to salvage anything from the building.

Rita told VM that her dream was to build her own property hence she defied all the challenges including borrowing money to acquire the land from descendants of Olawusi Family.

Her joy of joining the league of property owners in the highbrow neighbourhood was short-lived as the property which gulped several millions of naira, came tumbling down. The demolition was not executed as a result of a court order but because somebody took the laws into his hands.

Mother’s approval Rita claimed that immediately she moved into the completed building, one Mr Azeez Adegoke Rasaki who claimed to be the son of a former military governor of Lagos State, Brigadier-General Raji Razaki approached her, alleging that the entire estate belonged to his mother, Mrs Fatimat RajiRasaki. He allegedly told Rita that since she did not get his mother’s approval to erect the house, the structure will be demolished.

Irked by the development, Rita said she lodged a complaint with the Olawusi Family who calmed her down and promised to speak to the Rasakis. They (Family) allegedly invited the Rasakis to come forward to back up their claim of ownership of the disputed parcel of land. VM learnt that no response came from the family of the former military C M Y K

The bulldozer at work

Scene of demolition governor until that fateful Saturday when a bulldozer moved in to pull down the onestorey property. The demolition was allegedly supervised by six uniformed soldiers.

Narrating her ordeal further, Rita claimed that she was told by the demolition team to vacate the building or risk being killed in the process. “Before I could pull myself together, the entire building was pulled down in my very eyes,” she wept.

In a bid to get justice, Rita proceeded to Ajuwe Division, Lekki which later invited Mr Azeez Rasaki to the station for interrogation. According to Rita, before she knew what was happening, the suspect was released by the police.

‘’ Azeez demolished my house without a court injunction. He said his father acquired the land for agricultural purposes but I did not know he will go to the extent of demolishing the structure. I approached the descendants of Olawusi Family for clarification and was told that the property was on lease and the agreement terminates in December 2015,’’ she said, in a voice laden with emotion.

Speaking to VM on phone, Mr Rasaki claimed he has the necessary documents to back up his action. ‘’I took possession of my property because I have the necessary document to back it up and if she is not comfortable with that, she should seek redress in the court of law. The land was allocated to us by the Lagos State government and we have a certificate of occupancy, C of O.

Azeez

Rita

There is nothing wrong with me going about my business as long as I have the necessary documents to prove this. There were notices since 2009 to the effect that the place is an agriculture zone, but the land grabbers dared us by allocating it to others,’’ he explained.

But Mr. Olawusi Lateef Yusuf who also claimed his fore fathers were the rightful owners of the property, told VM that ‘’there are three cases in the court as regards ownership of this land

which comprises many villages like Olokonla, Olawusi, Amida and University View Estate to mention but a few. My fathers did not sell their property to the former governor and I am surprised his son is acting this way. The lady bought the property from our family and the Rasakis have been invited for a chat on several occasions but they did not honour the invitation, hence we took the matter to court’’.

Lagos Fire Service salvaged N98.3bn property in 2015 — Fadipe Before I could pull myself together, the entire building was pulled down in my very eyes

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HE Lagos State Fire Service said it salvaged property worth about N98.28b between the months of January and November 2015.

Similarly, the Fire Service attended to a total number of 1,630 fire incidents between the months of January and December 29, 2015.

The Director of the Service,

Mr. Razak Fadipe who disclosed these facts to Vanguard Metro, VM said a total number of 1,612 fire calls were received. A further breakdown shows that 126 were rescue calls, 11 for collapsed building and 173 were false calls.

Fadipe said a total number of 99 people were rescued

alive while 79 people may have died during the period.

He attributed some of the fire incidents to human error and advised Lagosians to guide against careless storage of inflammable materials.

Fadipe also advised residents to guard against careless use of candle and matches at this point in time.

JANUARY 4, 2016

EPA: $8.94bn development package tears ECOWAS apart •Nigeria’s share 12m Euro •12 countries sign agreement, 4 reluctant •Nigeria doesn’t need EPA now — MAN

By JIMOH BABATUNDE & FRANKLIN ALLI

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he Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has been divided over the $8.94 billion European Union’s Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

EPA is a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) designed to create free trade area between the EU and African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries in which duties on goods imported and exported between the parties are reduced and eventually removed.

Investigation conducted by Financial Vanguard, revealed that the EU has offered 6.5billion Euro (about $8.94

billion) Development Package to ECOWAS countries to develop necessary infrastructures in order to meet exports requirements to the EU, over the next five years (2015-2020).

FV learned that out of this figure, the amount that came to Nigeria through United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, UNIDO, the project implementer, is 12 million

Adamawa State Governor Muhammad Umaru Jibrilla laying the details of the state's over N120 billion appropriation bill after presenting it before the house... on Thursday 31-12-2015, C M Y K

Euro (about N3 billion).

It was further learned that though, some of the beneficiary agencies in Nigeria’s public and private sector, namely Consumer Protection Council, Standards Organisation of Nigeria; the Organised Private Sector-MAN, NACCIMA, NASME; NASSI and NECA; have started accessing the fund for capacity building, ministers of trade in 12 countries out of the sixteen ECOWAS countries are yet to sign the agreement with the exception of Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Gambia.

Ken Ukaoha, President of the National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) and member of the Nigerian negotiating team on Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), told FV that these countries have hastily signed the agreement through the ‘back door’, not minding “The real dangers of the EPA, if implemented in its current form.

He stated that the negative effects of opening up 75 percent of ECOWAS markets, with its 300 million consumers, to Europe over a 20-year period, are legion and cut across all facets of the economic life of Africa.

He cited the recent case involving Dominion Farms, an American company—with Canadian interest, with backing of United Kingdom— whose proposed 30,000 hectares rice project, has reportedly displaced 4,000 people at Gassol community in Taraba state, north eastern Nigeria.

He said EPA will give the highly subsidized farmers from the EU, the license to grab huge portion of land in Africa, thereby putting local small holder farmers at a disadvantage.

He also expressed concerns that foreign farmers are only interested in producing crops that would be converted to biofuels to service their factories, with a view to increasing

Continues on page 22

22 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

Cover

Business Enterprise is the Answer for Change in Nigeria

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nother factor that must be overcome is the fact that most entrepreneurs in the country reside within the city of Abuja.

Business enterprise needs to be spread about the country rather than in just the city. When starting a technology-based business an entrepreneur can reside anywhere in the country that there is an internet connection and operate a business. However, other sectors are in need of entrepreneurs as well.

From left: Mr Isiaq Na' Allah, Head, Business Development; Mrs Blessing Amiandamen, Station Manager, Murtala Muhammed International Airport and Eng Lookman Animashaun, Head, Engineering all of Medview Airline during the Airline maiden Lagos-Kano-Jeddah flight at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

EPA: $8.94bn development package tears ECOWAS apart Continues from page 21 their productivity an export, and not food crops that add value to the local people.

Elaborating on Nigeria’s position, he stated that the final ratification may not happen soon as Nigeria, which has consistently opposed the implementation of the Agreement, has neither signed nor shifted its stance.

“There are indications that other West African countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Gambia, will not ratify the Agreement if Nigeria rejects it.

The way forward, Ukaoha said, is for African leaders to do what is right and protect the interest and concerns of their citizens first.

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peaking in the same vein, Mr. Frank Jacobs, President of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), noted that EPA may appear like a good course in the document proposal, but will not be appropriate in Nigeria as plans of industry players are constantly distorted by the interplay of macroeconomic variables such as inflation, exchange rate and interest rate variations.

According to him, MAN has consistently opposed the endorsement of the EUECOWAS Economic Partnership Agreement as such cooperation is on unequal basis, hence the need for caution.

He said, “The EPA between Europe and Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries is C M Y K

an offshoot of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement (CPA) and is essentially designed as an instrument of economic and trade cooperation between the EU and the ACP countries.

The purported goals of EPA are to promote economic growth and development, reduce poverty in the partner countries, expand and diversify trade and increase domestic and foreign investment.

“However, the process, structure and perceived contents of the EPA negotiations have raised serious concerns about the impact that EPA would eventually have on ACP countries and their efforts towards poverty eradication, regional integration and economic growth.

Nigeria as a mainly commodity-goods-producer

Most of the industries in the country are undeveloped and are plagued by lack of supportive infrastructure.

This will therefore lead to untold hardship to the country as the unemployment situation and the standard of living of the people will worsen

country trading in an EPA free trade arrangement would be disadvantaged.

“It has very limited capability to produce and export industrial goods. Most of the industries in the country are undeveloped and are plagued by lack of supportive infrastructure. This will therefore lead to untold hardship to the country as the unemployment situation and the standard of living of the people will worsen,” he said.

The MAN boss said EPA will also confine the Nigerian economy to a mere market extension of the EU since it cannot compete with Europe on all grounds.

“It is on these grounds that we believe that Nigeria does not need EPA now until it has been adequately industrialised and able to trade industrial goods competitively. Moreover, after 30 years of preferential market access, the ACP countries still export just a few basic commodities to the EU. At the same time, the ACP share of the EU market is steadily declining. The existing trade preferences have not had the intended effect of helping the ACP countries diversify their economies into higher value products,” he said.

Jacobs harped that ACP countries presently attract only a small portion of the world’s foreign direct investment, stressing that Nigerian manufacturers are not aversed to free trade cooperation provided such is done on equal economic

Continues on page 23

The improvements Huge strides have been made in the last few years to try to tackle the many endemic problems which assail the country with political and economic stability being seen as the key weapons in attacking the corrosive influence of corruption. Whether the actions being taken on the ground now lead to dramatic improvements in levels of transparency and levels of corporate governance remain to be There have been a number of improvements that is allowing Business enterprise to grow. If these improvements continue and more are created, then Nigerian can escape its third world status and become an emerging economy.

The improvement includes: Entrepreneurs are able to control their own lives and can lives and can obtain security for their families without government interference.

The Nigerian government has now made it possible for Nigerian products to be shipped to Europe and the United States. If an individual wants to manufacture jewellery and sell it online, they can now market to U.S. and European customers.

Entrepreneurs in Nigeria are being offered tax incentives, such as not having to pay so much in taxes. Increased price ceilings also serve as a great incentive.

Modern technology is finding its way into Nigeria culture, making the country self-sufficient in the technology sector.

Although there are still barriers to break through, there is nowhere to go but up. Business enterprise is the way in which Nigerian will become a developed nation.

Opportunities There are opportunities out there to help those looking to break into business venture. Venture capital can be obtained via foundations, trusts, and NGOs. It is just a matter of researching and finding these funding opportunities.

Established in December 1999, the Small and Medium Enterprises Equity Investment Scheme (SMEEIS) instructed all Nigeria’s banks to put 10% of their pre-tax profit in order to invest in small and medium sized business of their own. As of 2006, only 26% of this funding had been used. This shows that money is there.

Nigeria also has an organization that is similar to the United State’s Small Business Administration (SBA). The Nigerian organization is The Small and Medium Scale Industries Development Agency (SMEDAN). It is very young, but working on providing entrepreneurs with funding.

Skills and Ideas Development Initiatives (SKIDI) is an NGO that is helping entrepreneurs realize their dreams in Nigeria so that they can obtain the freedom that they desires within their life.

That is both financial freedom and the ability to be with their family.

There is a specific focus on rural and suburban Africa, especially since rural areas do see more poverty. The poverty rate in Nigeria in rural areas stood at 40% in 2001. That was compared to the 35% in urban areas where more businesses tend to exist.

How business enterprise helps Itis easy to just say that business enterprise is the answer for change in Nigeria, but other than the fact that enterprises is the answer for change in Nigeria, but other than the fact that entrepreneurs are given more freedom, it is important to evaluate other factors. For instance: More tax money flows into the government, allowing for more opportunities to be made available to Nigerians and for more programmes to be implemented that will work on reducing the poverty rate.

Jobs are created. In the United States, there are 2 to 3 new jobs created per small business that is opened. It has been determined that the figures are quite similar in Nigeria. More jobs also mean more tax money and spending that stimulates the economy.

These are the factors that make any economy operate. Money has to keep flowing in order to keep money in the pockets of citizens.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016 — 23

Responses to “International conspiracy to ruin Nigerian economy” Published on November 16, 2015

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his is finding excuses for their wrong economical policies, The truth is that Nigerian government lack the understanding of economics. This is why they misuse the country’s resources. l understand the truth and real details each time the Nigerian government goes to borrow money from the IMF and world bank, there will be a revolution the next morning.

Nigerian economy cannot succeed because they are just doing copy and paste economy from EU and USA. This is the problem.

What they need is a new theory of Economy for Nigeria, that will change the whole game Efe Benedict Foreign nations know the importance of population to economy. They know that when you have a large population, you can become quite self sustaining as bulk of your products can be consumed by your citizens. That is the advantage China, and other highly populated nations including Nigeria has, but we Nigerians do

not see the strength in our huge population.

Nigerians should know that we are the most economically advantaged nation in Africa so we should take proactive and conscious steps to providing world class goods and patronise these products. Everyone is complaining that China makes low quality products yet these same Chinese manufacturers make standard product for their own citizens, and China as a matter of fact, tries to source all raw materials from within China. So imagine if we Nigerians utilise our raw materials and agricultural potentials, coupled with our huge population to patronise and consume home made products, even the sky would be a starting point for our economy.

Ejike Chimaobi Eric If there is an international conspiracy to ruin Nigerian economy as you claim, why don’t we also conspire internally to boost our economy?

Hahaha, this is a story and it’s like a cooked egg given to a baby to eat, so next, Vanguard.

Martins Ameh

If there is an international conspiracy to ruin Nigeria’s economy, the president should not work in line with that conspiracy by telling the

international community that Nigeria is broke. He should fix the problem.

That is why Nigerians elected him. For the past six months, all we hear is Jonathan’s government was corrupt. We know that. Fix it!

We voted President Buhari to fix Nigeria’s problems and not to complain about the rot inherited! If there was no rot in President Jonathan’s government, there will be no President Buhari today

Fredrick Obasuyi International conspiracy to ruin Nigerian economy should strengthen Nigeria and not for platform for complain. If there is conspiracy against Nigeria, it means the world recognises Nigeria as a future power. In any race, it is the man in front that is pursued or conspired against! The conspiracy should inspire us to look more inwards and less dependent on external powers. Nigeria is a great country, and any country that overlook that fact, does so at its detriment. We voted for change not for government of excuses. It is time for President Buhari to stop complaining about past PDP Governments and start fixing/solving problems. We voted President Buhari to fix Nigeria’s problems and not to complain about the rot inherited! If there was no rot in President Jonathan’s government, there will be no President Buhari today!

Stop

complaining and start fixing Nigerian problems.

That is what we voted for.

Skye Bourne Again, the FG and CBN have made the same mistake they’ve always made.

First ban the products then begin to think of how to bailout the sector later. It was just this week that we heard the news of FG and CBN planning an intervention loan for rice farmers - meanwhile, the ban (call it anything) on foreign exchange for rice importation had been in place from almost the beginning of this administration. Is that how to formulate policies?

The writer mentioned countries that were concerned. Of course, the EU also reacted by banning beans importation from Nigeria.

That is to show that it is not only Nigeria that is concerned about its internal economy.

But the writer purposely refused to mention that it was not only the international community that was complaining about the CBN directives, the Nigerian manufacturers were also complaining about the ban on steel products which form great part of our industrial spare parts.

Cover Continued from page 22 development.

He warned that any attempt to coerce the country into a free trade arrangement would only succeed in killing the fledgling manufacturing sector, which has just started to recover from a long period of comatose.

He lamented that Nigeria is a high-cost production environment with challenges cutting across infrastructure, inadequate and unstable power supply, poor road network, inadequate rail services, as well as poor and expensive port services.

He likewise listed cost

EPA: $8.94bn development package tears ECOWAS apart challenges as high interest rate on borrowed funds, dearth of long-term loans, multiplicity of taxes, high cost of self-generated energy and high cost of local inputs.

On the environmental challenges, the MAN President, among others, mentioned inconsistent government policies, increased trade malpractices such as smuggling, dumping and faking of made-in-Nigeria products, over-lapping functions of regulatory

agencies leading to duplication and high cost, while social challenges include insecurity (insurgency, militancy, kidnapping, area boys, etc.) and dearth of skilled manpower.

He maintained that the challenges no doubt would make Nigerian products uncompetitive not only in European countries but globally.

He added: “It is also clear that Nigeria, as a commodity-

goods-producer country, can only export agricultural products to Europe while Europe will export industrial goods such as machinery and so on, which Nigeria lacks the capacity and capability to produce.

“It is important to emphasise the following: EPA will stifle existing manufacturing industries as they will be uncompetitive as cheaper finished products from European countries will flood Nigerian markets. The

ECOWAS region, especially Nigeria, which is more industrialised, will witness unbridled importation which will lead to accelerated shut down of the few surviving industries in the region. This will further de-industrialise the region and would have catastrophic implications on employment generation thereby worsening the poverty situation in the region.”

He, however, said that instead of free trade agreement that requires reciprocity, especially at this stage of the nation’s development, the EU and Nigeria should rather continue with the existing tariff-based trading relationship.

24— Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

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Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016 — 25

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26 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

Corporate Finance

Elumelu entrepreneurship programme portal opens for applications

T

he Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme application portal opens for entries in January 1, 2016 and will accept applications until Midnight WAT on March 1, 2016.

To apply, entrepreneurs must complete the online application form on the web portal.

Successful applicants who complete the programme will receive the local currency equivalent of N850,000 as non-returnable seed capital, and are eligible for a further N 850,000 in the form of either debt or equity, depending on business need and other criteria.

Selected entrepreneurs will join the existing cohort of 1,000 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurs, from 51 countries, who formed the inaugural 2015 cycle of the programme and have thus far, received considerable benefits from their participation, including: Training: 12 weeks of training on how to set up and manage businesses with mentoring and financial support offered by The Tony Elumelu Foundation.

Accelerated Growth: Over 90% of Tony Elumelu entrepreneurs, with existing businesses, have reported increased growth in the past year.

Access to further funding: A significant portion of our entrepreneurs have accessed additional external funding through the platform provided

by Tony Elumelu Foundation.

Networking Opportunities: A flourishing alumni network has developed, providing personal linkages and business opportunities across the Continent.

Founder, serial entrepreneur and philanthropist Tony O. Elumelu said:”I believe in empowerment that can change the face of Africa as we know it. African entrepreneurs are our future leaders and I am passionate about giving them the opportunity to succeed.

The Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme is a major, deliberate effort on my part, to institutionalise luck and provide seed capital funding, mentoring, business training, pan-African networking and springboard that our aspiring Entrepreneurs need to leap from.”

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Capital market operators foresee increased liquidity in 2016 The operators in the Nigerian capital market are optimistic that the market will rebound and there will be increased liquidity once economic activities improve in the year 2016.

They further advised all tiesr of government to take advantage of opportunities in the market to finance longer term infrastructure, while encouraging investors to invest more in the market and reap from capital appreciation.

BY PETER EGWUATU & NKIRUKA NNOROM

S

peaking, the acting President, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) Mr. Oluwaseyi Abe has said that the outlook for the capital market in the 2016 looks promising given the expansionary budget read by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He further assessed the current state of the market and reassured both individuals and institutional investors to take advantage of the current low share prices to beef up their portfolios.

According to him “ We believe liquidity will be enhanced in the year if the budget is fully implemented. The market had always been a barometer that gauges the mood of the economy so the Nigerian economy would pick up soon as indices of prior uncertainties were fizzling out, especially, with the budget 2016.

Abe said, Chief Executive Officers of quoted companies are working round the clock to ensure shareholder value is enhanced. The lull in the economy and the need to boost disposable income and meet other exigencies made many investors to dump their shares during the out gone year, thus inducing bearish trading.

But he asserted that market fundamentals remained strong and share prices of many blue chip companies were trading below their intrinsic values. “I urged investors to take advantage of the cheap prices to increase their stakes in the quoted companies and reap from capital appreciation. Also, government at all tiers should look at the capital market to finance long term infrastructure.”

Continuing he said “Equity prices would soon pick up.

Securities issues, corruption are being addressed daily, the management of the Naira exchange rate is being looked into as well while the current administration would hopefully utilize the market to fund the infrastructural gap in the economy in the wake of dwindling revenue from crude oil.

Also the innovative efforts of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE and Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC combined with the awareness creation by the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers; CIS would ultimately strengthen

Mr. David Adonri the on-going globalization of the exchange.

David Adonri, Managing Director, Highcap Securities Limited, said there would be more allocation of funds to the equities market following the expected increase in macroeconomic liquidity, which is fallout of the expansionary budget just released by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

He stated that stability in crude oil market will also have a positive impact on the market.

His words: “For the capital market, because the budget is expansionary, it is going to increase macro-economic liquidity. And then, if the monetary authority also continues with the intention to keep interest rate very low and

“There would be more allocation of funds to the equities market following the expected increase in macroeconomic liquidity, which is fallout of the expansionary budget just released by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration”

Mr. Oluwaseyi Abe yet maintains the integrity of the foreign exchange market; that means that the equities market is likely going benefit from the budget because the macro-economic liquidity will be high and so most of the funds can be directed to the equities market. So, that can aid the recovery of the equities market.

Again, if the liquidity is also high and interest rate is low, it can also positively influence the activities of the real productive sector.”

Continuing, he said: “The only thing that is certain for the direction of the capital market is the budget and then secondly, the crude oil market.

If the crude oil market declines further, then the revenue projection which is at $38 benchmark will not be realistic and that will negatively affect the capital market.

“If the crude oil market stabilises a little bit and is above $30 dollars, and with the expansionary budget that has been proposed, the equities market will positively be affected. But the debt market will not boom; so assets will move to the equities market for 2016 based on the budget and projection of the crude oil market.”

Assessing the performance of the market for the year, Tola Odukoya, Managing Director, Asset Management & Research, Dunn Loren Merrifield, said the market under-performed stakeholders” expectations despite few positives that took place within the macroeconomy within the year.

According to him, “Generally, market under-performed due to several political, economic and financial developments

that brought about strong headwinds that hindered overall activities. This is regardless of the few positive developments that occurred during the year.”

Speaking on the outlook for 2016, he said the market would not be out of the bush yet but with the right policies and focus on those policies, the market will react positively.

He noted that in the short term, the market might experience some pain, but however, advised the regulators to remain focused in order to steer the economy and the financial market in the right direction. “And once we are able to achieve that, put those right policies in place and persevere through the period of pain, then we likely see sustainable growth and development.”

“It’s most likely the monetary authority will likely continue with the reduction in monetary policy and that will surely have positive impact on equities. Also on the primary side of the bond of the market, we may begin to see states coming to raise long term funds at sustainable rates.

We can’t take away the fact that the government will be borrowing hugely as a result of the need to fund the budget,” he added.

He emphasised that 2016 would be a year of repair in terms of putting certain other initiatives in place that will kick start the market. “On the equity side, remember also market has been lacking in liquidity for a while; by initiatives being put in place such that when that liquidity comes ten you see an upsurge in activities, but all of these are going to take time,” Odukoya said.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016 — 27

E-Commerce

Improved logistics, growth to shape e-commerce in 2016 Stories by JONAH NWOKPOKU

A

review of activities in ecommerce sector in 2015 showed remarkable growth trends despite subdued spurt towards last quarter of the year. Most of the 2015 operator reviews were positive, highlighting significant interest in local investment for the sector and increased growth of online marketplace, among others.

This trend especially the growth trajectory with more offline retailers coming online is expected to shape the industry in 2016. More so, some operators who spoke to Vanguard on the outlook for the industry in 2016 highlighted the need for collective efforts of players to improve level of confidence in e-commerce while addressing challenges around logistics and payments. Others believe 2016 will be marked by more stability with established players breaking even and pursuing some localised expansion.

Managing Director, Carmudi Nigeria, an online vehicle marketplace, Amy Muoneke said, “2016 is going to be more profitable for ecommerce ventures. With some of the trends noticed in 2015, e-commerce will have more room to grow and expand.

Most offline businesses already realize the benefit of coming online. There will be more improvement in logistics which is very important to ecommerce. We will also see more activities online because more businesses will move online. For Carmudi Nigeria, in the last year we have realized that more and more individuals and dealers are coming on the Carmudi website to sell their cars because they realize that is the easiest way to sell.

Affordable internet bundle and also cheaper smart phones will continue to drive this trend.”

She added that in terms of government policies, “We believe that creating conducive environment for e-commerce businesses and investors is the right step. Research has shown that a lot of jobs can be created from this sector if we can fully harness it.”

The operators, she said, “Need to improve on logistics, have more user friendly websites, mobile websites and easy to navigate apps. They also need to realize not C M Y K

everyone is a computer expert, thus they need to put creative ideas in place to reach them.

They also need to tackle the issue of trust. Having websites that are safe to use especially when it comes to payment gateways is a must.”

On his part, Managing Director, Kaymu Nigeria, Sefik Bagdadioglu said, “In 2016, more and more Nigerians are expected to feel more comfortable with the concept of e-commerce and that will be a result of joint efforts of all the e-commerce players in the market. One of the most common challenges for example is trust. Trust is still an issue with e-commerce. The other one is logistics, there has to be improvement in that as well.”

He said, “2015 was a meeting point for buyers and sellers to

see that this e-commerce is working. What we need to do with that is that we need to improve the processes so that people have good experiences.

So, while 2015 was like meet and greet, 2016 is when we expect e-commerce to become part of everyday life of Nigerians. What I see is that most e-commerce trends like

Research has shown that a lot of jobs can be created from this sector if we can fully harness it

logistics, payment, will stabilise in 2016. At the moment, it’s like a gold rush, back in the day when a gold mine is discovered, everyone goes there but with a little bit of time, it cannot sustain so many people. So what happens is that the rush era is gone and 2016 is the year for stabilisation.”

Also speaking, Chief Executive Officer, Printivo.com, Oluyomi Ojo said: “With more people coming online and confidence in online shopping gradually building up, 2016 looks great for e-commerce businesses in Nigeria.

Customer service and trust will be focal points for most players in 2016. This is because; online buying decisions are based on trust more than any other factor.

So we need to make customers trust us more by delivering value.”

AGM — From left: Mr. Mark Okoye, Company Secretary; Mr. Adeniyi Akinlusi, Managing Director; and Mr. Etigwe Uwa (SAN), Chairman, all of TrustBond Mortgage Bank Plc at the bank’s AGM in Lagos last week.

Jumia Nigeria names Juliet Anammah as CEO

J

umia Nigeria has announced Juliet Anammah as its new Chief Executive Officer, CEO. Anammah is taking over from former co-CEOs, Jeremy Doutte and Nicolas Martin, who are taking the reins of Jumia Global across the eleven African countries where Jumia operates.

Prior to joining Jumia, Anammah was a partner in Accenture and the Managing Director of the firm’s Consumer Goods Practice in Nigeria, and would bring to Jumia her over 24 years of professional experience with six years at senior executive level.

Co-CEO Africa Internet Group, Jeremy Hodara, said, “Juliet brings strong leadership capacity and a consumer driven mindset honed from her experience in consumer goods and services. As Jumia moves into a new

phase of growth, consolidating on the gains so far, while driving for more relevance to our customers, Juliet’s ability to focus sharply on the strategic levers of success is invaluable.”

Speaking on her new appointment, Anammah stated that it will mark a new phase of growth for Jumia Nigeria and her objective is to relentlessly focus on building the Jumia brand, making it the one-stop shopping destination in Nigeria by offering convenience and the widest assortment of quality products at affordable prices.

“We are building a platform for local and global brands to enter the market at the speed of light by going directly from the factory to the consumers. This is a game changer for Nigeria and a major shift in the way companies look at their market entry strategy,” she added.

ePortal.ng launches to drive school management

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Portal.ng, a unified school management and administrative system supporting education needs and open to students, parents and school administrators to make school management fun and a lot easier has launched in Nigeria.

The startup is a brainchild of 2Logics, a Nigerian ICT startup to help manage school processes, create an easier collaboration among students of different schools, carrying Parents along school activities and not letting them worry about what happens over there at their wards schools, and a host of other benefits.

“Having taken out some months to get a firsthand experience on how tedious school management as well as students management processes were by our research team, we sort for a solution to aid these processes become easier and less stressful” said Marcellinus Okeke, CEO at 2Logics, the firm behind ePortalNG. The site has 3 categories of users; School Administrators, Parents and Students and aim to make it more easily accessible with the largest database of Nigerian schools and students with verified school records.

Some core features on the site include School Management, Records Management, Alert System, Gradebook, Reports, Reports, card and more upgrades awaited as the platform evolves daily into a more robust system. s”With some of our solutions like Schools management, School website, Data warehouse and analytics, Admissions, Payments and more, we support every profiled school experience easier and convenient working hours. Administration becomes fun and no more stressful like it used to be,” says Okeke.

28 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

Interview

People must b development in

•Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina

D

octor Akinwunmi Adesina, Nigeria’s former Minister of Agriculture and President of the African Development Bank Group was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree (Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa) by his Alma Mater, Obafemi Awolowe University, Ile-Ife. In this interview with Jimoh Babatunde, he outlined his vision as President of AfDB i n the areas of provision of energy, industrialization, agriculture, integrating the continent and improving the quality of life for Africans.

He said Africa Development Bank is investing heavily in infrastructure, ports, rails, air transport facilities that will make it easier to connect countries, land lock countries to coastal countries, adding that at the end of the day development is about people. 'We must put people at the very heart of development", he said.

Excerpt :

By JIMOH BABATUNDE On leading AfDB Once the election was over for me work started right away. For me it was not really about me but what Africans need quickly . First and foremost, if you take a look at Africa situation today, you have about five million Africans that are living on less than a dollar a day. For me that is absolutely not acceptable. Poverty must not become the comparative C M Y K

advantage of Africa, Africa has no business of being poor. This is a very rich continent. My job is to try and focus on development that make development happen in a faster way in the life of Africans. So I picked five priorities very quickly.

One is to light up and power Africa, the second is to feed Africa, the third one is to industrialise Africa, the fourth is to integrate Africa and last is to improve the quality of life for Africans.

On importance of the

five selected priorities First take light and power Africa. Today, you have 640 million people in Africa that do not have access to electricity. People go to school they read with candles and lanterns. Industries cannot function. Industrialization is stalled, small and medium sized businesses don’t function. Hospitals cannot keep simple vaccines.

Look at some schools In Sierra Leone , I read story of some kids that actually read

with electricity that somebody put a wire outside someone’s compound and the kids come there at night to read. Does that make any sense?.

So, it is very important for us to realize that today Africa looses three to four percent of its GDP every year for lack of access to electricity. So economic growth is stalled.

We can easily be growing as a continent at ten, twelve and fifteen percent with electricity. Africans are very entrepreneurial but without electricity you are nothing.

I believe that Africans are tired of being in the dark. So lighting up and power Africa is a great thing, we have to unlock the tremendous amount of renewable energy potential we have.

Let me tell you how huge that potential is. Today, Africa only p r o d u c e s electricity the same size as Spain, the same size as Belgium. A whole continent of over 1.2 billion people, but if you look at the size of energy potential we have it is almost limitless.

Take solar for example; our sunshine should do more than just simply nourishing our crops. They need to help us power our homes. The big hydros we have should be powering our industries.

The numbers are staggering, Africa today in terms of renewable energy potential, take solar, it has 11

Look at some schools In Sierra Leone , I read story of some kids that actually read with electricity that somebody put a wire outside someone’s compound and the kids come there at night to read. That does that make any sense?

terawatts of solar potential all across the Sahara. The sunshine is there all the time You take hydro power, we have 350 gigawatts potential , you take wind power, we have 110 gigawatts potential.

You take geo thermal which is very important in East Africa and Central Africa, you have another 15 gigawatts to that, So Africa absolutely has potential in energy, but you can’t power industries with the potentials, you cannot light up a home with potentials. So we got to really unlock that particular potential.

Second, I am particularly bordered by the fact that seven hundred million Africans today don’t have access to basic cooking energy. 600, 000 of them die every year, fifty percent of those are children under the age of five, fifty percent are women. All they are trying to do is basic, just trying to cook. So they rely on fuel wood, on charcoal and so on.

Nobody has to die simply trying to cook. So I made a decision that if God allows me to be president of the Bank for ten years, if we are loosing 600,000 people every year, it means for ten years, six million people would have died. I will never be such President. We are going to solve that particular problem and provide universal access to all seven hundred million Africans today that don’t have access to cook energy, we will do it in that period of time of ten years.

Second, we picked the issue of feeding Africa. 65 percent of all the lands left in the world is to feed nine billion people by 2050 is not in Asia, or Latin America but right here in Africa, but Africa cannot feed itself.

If Africa is spending $35 billion importing food that it should be producing and as we do that we weaken our exchange rate. We are also exporting jobs and importing poverty at the same time as well as decimating the rural areas where you should be actually getting a lot of import.

No, Africa must not only feed itself, Africa must have a higher level of ambition and actually feed the world because we have got the potential to do that.

The third area that I picked

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016 — 29

Interview

be at the heart of n Africa — Adesina which was around the issue of industrialization. You can’t create jobs without industries and of course it is linked to the issue of power. If there is no power you cannot really fund industries as well.

But industrialization is important. Take the example of the basic thing like cocoa.

Nigeria, Ivory coast, Cameron and Ghana account for 75 percent of the total production of cocoa in the world, but we only account for two percent of the total value of the chocolates produced in the world annually and the market for that chocolate is 100 billion dollars in a year.

So we are producing, others are getting rich. So Africans should not be at the bottom of the value chain in every thing.

We must be at the top of the value chain. We cannot be producing crude oil, exporting the crude and importing Petroleum products. You can’t also be exporting whether it is gold, platinum, Zinc, copper, we keep exporting raw materials. I have not seen any region in the world that has become prosperous exporting raw materials, because you are subject to global volatility in these markets.

So, we made up our minds in the banks that we need to support African countries to industrialize. Today, African share of the global manufacturing is only 1. 9 percent and it is declining. It used to be 3.4 some years ago, so we are flat and so Africa must industrialize if it has to create jobs, so my position and that of the Bank is that everything Africa produces, we must add value to it.

Whether it is oil and gas, whether it is minerals and metals, weather it is agricultural commodities.

The fourth area, which is integrating Africa, is big. We have 54 countries which is a huge market. We must be trading more with ourselves.

Today the volume of Trade is only about ten percent within Africa. In North America free trade area, it is well over 54 percent. Among the Europeans it is well above 70 percent. In Asia, it is well over 60 percent.

No, that is why Africa Development Bank is investing heavily in infrastructure, ports, rails, air transport facilities that will C M Y K

make it easier to connect countries, land lock countries to coastal countries.

We are also investing in ICT infrastructure for connectivity among countries, integration is very critical for us.

And finally, is improving the quality of life of people. At the end of the day development is about people. We must put people at the very heart of development. They must feel the impact of developments in terms of education, in terms of skills, access to basic things like water, sanitation, health are very important.

I don’t accept that it is a great thing even when you make bore holes, we are used to making bore holes and sometimes I see when you make bore holes you make a big news about it. For the fact that you are making a bole hole is an indication of government failure. We must have access to pipe born water for people. Water is life and you must have access to it.

These are what the Bank is focusing on. So, I have my hands full.

O

n how Nigeria is going to benefits from the energy financing We are going to work with Nigeria big time on the energy sector. Nigeria is actually leading in terms of the reform in the energy sector with the unbundling of the utilities and the privatization of both power generation, power transmission and distribution.

I think Nigeria should be highly commended.

There are still a lot of work to be done. We have started discussions with the government and I know President Buhari is determined on the energy sector and we are determined to provide strong support. We have started that conversation. You will see it as it happens.

On the take away from the recent COP 21 for Africa The COP 21 was where Africa went to not to beg. Africa went to Paris to make a case that we are going to be part of the solution and we want the issue of Africa to be centre in all the negotiations.

I made a very big case out of it. Today Africa loses about 50 billion dollars a year as a

•Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina result of climate change.

Africa is the least emitter in terms of green house emissions in the world. Only 4 percent, we are suffering in terms of the negative impact of that climate change.

If you want to see the impacts take a look at Lake Chad. It used to be 25,000 kilometres but today it is 2000. The livelihoods are gone, the opportunities are gone. The whole area is taken over by terrorists because there is no livelihoods left there. So climate change not only affect agriculture or food, it decimates livelihoods and makes the degradation of the environment so bad that even terrorist take advantage of it. A lot of great is being done now on how to clean up all of that, but some of the root causes are these things I have just mentioned to you.

If there is no electricity you can’t have industries, you can’t create jobs, you can’t do ICTs, you can’t be competitive.

Electricity is like blood in the body and without it the body can’t function

So the positions of Africa in Paris are as follows. First and foremost, there should be a legally binding agreement that keep the temperature rise in the world to not more than two degree Celsius. In fact it should not be more than 1. 5 degree because right now, it is only one percent that Africa’s is suffering. Second, that there has to be more financing for climate adaptation, as Africa needs to adapt to what it has not created and the African Development Bank made a very big case about this in P a r i s .

Third what are we as Africans doing to solve the problem? I announced that AfDB will increase our support for climate financing to $5 billion a year by 2020.

That will make us one of the largest financiers of climate change among the development banks in the world. So climate finance in the AfDB by 2020 will represent 40 percent of all of our portfolio as I want greener Africa and the Bank is ready to support that.

The last thing I will say about COP 21 is that I am happy about the political will.

President Buhari was there.

He made a very big convincing point about the need to revive Lake Chad. So many African Heads of State were there too. With that political will, I believe COP 21 at the end of the day should be a success. But let me be clear that if the issue of climate financing for Africa is not sorted out then I will consider COP 21 not being a success.

On how AfDB will assist members state to achieve

the SDGs The AfDB is to help African countries to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

But for me, I like to simplify complex problems, there can be no development of any kind without electricity. It does not matter what you talk about. If there is no electricity you can’t have industries, you can’t create jobs, you can’t do ICTs, you can’t be competitive.

Electricity is like blood in the body and without it the body can’t function.

It all comes down to how you make sure that the big enablers of development are dealt with. I believe that the Hi five we have chosen at the bank will help us in dealing with that.

On challenges of leading the Bank It has been quite exciting for me as you know I am a reform minded person. I think the Bank is working with all of the Hi five. We are all working very hard. For me the only thing that ever matters in any thing I do is result. Nothing else matters and I have no doubt that with the support of the African governments, with the support of our partners, the shareholders and support of private sector, I have no doubt we can achieve those things we have set for the Hi five. I am an optimist when it comes to Africa. I believe that Africa’s better days are ahead of it.

And I think the AfDB has a crucial role to play in that, but we have to keep working and that one I can promise you I do all the time.

30 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016 — 31

Industry

We expect better business environment through right policies — Industrialists •Difficult access to forex to persist •Likely exchange rate adjustment in Q1

By FRANKLIN ALLI & NAOMI UZOR

I

NDUSTRIALISTS in the country have taken a look back at the out gone 2015 and expressed hope that 2016 will usher in a better business environment for them if the right policies are put in place by the federal government to stimulate the economy and attract domestic and foreign investments.

They made their expectations for the new year known through their various trade associations like the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI; Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC), Ikorodu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), etc.

Muda Yusuf, Director General, LCCI , noted that this year, the chamber expects the businesses of their members to surge and the country’s GDP growth to rebound, though, slowly to about 3.5 if the right mix of fiscal and monetary policies are put in place.

According to him, while the recovery is expected to be driven by increase in government expenditure, the growth in oil sector may be constrained still by low price and investment drive.

“Also the exchange rate volatility is expected to persist fuelling high inflation of about 10-11 percent. However, correction towards Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER) in the form of exchange rate adjustment is likely in Q1, 2016. This will reduce the pressure on external reserves.

Sectoral Outlook 2016 *The targeted N300 billion by the Nigerian banks to boost lending to Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) and the agriculture sector in 2016 will boost SMEs development and employment and thus increase non-oil export. *Subsidy arrears payment and end of subsidy regime likely to result in improved market efficiency and profitability as downstream sector players explore pricing

dynamics to boost investment.

The expected deregulation in the downstream sub-sector will be a game changer. *With the declining trend of global oil price and its attendant impact on government revenue and foreign reserves, general business outlook will remain tense. Implications on cost of and access to credit will be undesirable. Businesses,

especially those with high forex exposure, will continue to face challenges of meeting foreign obligations to suppliers and partners. This will also impact contractual trust and integrity. *Risk of default in financial obligations in both public and private sectors will be high as macro-economic conditions and cash flow remains tight.

Also, in a review of 2015

The recent restriction of 41 items from accessing foreign currency by Central Bank of Nigeria has resulted to reduction in trade relations, loss of jobs and rise in exchange rate in the country

•LCCI President, Chief (Mrs) Nike Akande

carried out by the NBCC, the Chamber’s President, Prince Dapo Adelegan, stated that the Federal Government has much to do to move the economy forward in the New Year.

He said that the chamber has requested the government to develop policies that will enhance accessibility of Foreign exchange for critical goods.

Adelegan said the recent restriction of 41 items from accessing foreign currency by Central Bank of Nigeria has resulted to reduction in trade relations, lost of jobs and rise in exchange rate in the country.

The Chamber has also charged the government to drive import substituting strategies by supporting small businesses with adequate funding to achieve price stability and increase aggregate output in the country.

“With a N6 trillion budgets for 2016, borrowing plans may require some Foreign

exchange depreciation to attract foreign capital to fund the federal government’s spending plans.

Nigeria has recorded only about $1.35 billion as Foreign Direct Investment, nearly 40 percent less than the figure recorded in 2014, and a worse situation has been recorded for investments in financial assets, where huge sell- off had been seen and foreign

So 2015 was generally a bag of mixed blessings: economic downspin and hope as espoused by the advent of a new government

investors’ confidence have dropped as a result of the foreign exchange policies,” said Adelegan Tope Oluwaleye, Director General, ICCI, also noted: “We hope that our members will thrive in their businesses in 2016 as government addresses these issues which had hitherto been a constraint to the development of commerce and industry in Nigeria.

“Last year witnessed the advent of a new government which promised change in the national life - change from what we had been used to in terms of governance, living conditions, provision of infrastructure, and better life generally.

“To a large extent, this expected change is still evolving. Many people had wished that Government would move faster, but I believe that it is good to lay the necessary foundation to the change, lest we find ourselves back at square one.

Economically things are yet to improve: the Naira is still in a downward spiral and the cost of oil, globally, is southbound. These have impacted seriously on Nigeria where some state governments even found it difficult to pay salaries. Now there are hints of workers’ layoff and all that. So 2015 was generally a bag of mixed blessings: economic downspin and hope as espoused by the advent of a new government.

“Normally one would expect 2016 to be markedly better in all these areas. The budget appropriation for 2016 had been variously described as capable of lifting the country out of the woods. One hopes and prays this would be so, but the continued slide in the price of oil which is the premise of the budget gives cause for concern. As a nation we need to find alternative source of funding fast. In this regard one hopes that the Solid Minerals sector would be adequately explored.

In 2016, we expect that a right economic direction would be espoused by government so that industries can thrive. For most businesses the challenge is not so much access to funds as the right enabling environment to function.

Therefore one would expect the emplacement of infrastructure like regular provision of power, good road network and so on. Thank God the present administration is tackling the issue of corruption so we expect the mitigation of this vice in the country’s business space in the New Year,|” he stated.

32 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

I

“

f you see a banker jump out of the window; follow him. There must be money in it.” Anonymous.

Once upon a time, that was considered good advice. Bankers, in those halcyon days, could do no wrong. They had a sure nose for sound investments from which to profit. For decades in Nigeria the wisest investment a banker could make was in oil and gas. So, bankers literally jumped out of the window to get their own pieces of the action in oil and gas. Money in local and foreign currency flowed into their coffers; so much so, they could, like Gowon in the 1970s say “Money is not our problem, but, how to spend it”.

What better way was there to spend it than to invest in more oil and gas ventures? If one goose lays a golden egg a day, surely two birds will lay two eggs a day; three layers will produce three eggs – ad infinitum.Unfortunately, life does not always move in straight lines. Sometimes it is like a boomerang; the stuff you throw out, turn your back and which returns to crack your skull. It was one of our brightest and best bankers, Mr Atedo Peterside, who during the debate on banking Con-SOLUDO-tion, who warned his fellow bankers, lining up to support Professor Soludo, that it is easier for an economist to understand banking than for a banker to understand economics. He earned my everlasting gratitude for that frank admission – as an economist naturally.

Economics is full of paradoxes. At least two of them are responsible for the dire situation facing the banks in 2016. The first is the idea of economic cycle. Plainly stated, it means that nothing lasts for ever – neither good times nor bad periods. When global or national economic boom occurs the incentive is there for more investors to enter the key sectors and for

Banking blues in 2016 those already there to expand.

When the global price of crude, driven by double digit GDP growth in China, India, Russia and near eight per cent in Brazil, Indonesia and South Africa, shot up to $145 per barrel in 2008/9 there were speculations that it might eventually reach $200 per barrel. The frenzied search for more oil deposits globally was only equaled by the famed search for gold in Colorado in America’s early days. Every puddle containing a “spoonful” of crude became valuable and more crude oil was pumped into the world than ever in history. Even the export embargo placed on Iran and Libya’s inability to produce were unnoticed by a world swimming in the “black gold”. Come to think of it, when was the last time oil was called “black gold”?

Crude started to lose steam as several countries in Europe went into economic recession and Greece twice threatened to default on loans. This was followed by economic slowdown in other countries as well – Nigeria is as good an example as one can get.

From annual growths of 6.5% to 7.2% in 2008 to 2014 — the

best racer on the continent during the period — our country crawled to 2.8% growth in the first three quarters of 2015. China is expecting less than 5% growth, Brazil and Russia are in recession and Saudi Arabia has a $200bn budget deficit to manage. Suddenly, the gold had become dross on our hands globally.

Another economic principle which explains why all the

When global or national economic boom occurs the incentive is there for more investors to enter the key sectors and for those already there to expand

banks might suffer the consequences of “Group Think” is called the “Fallacy of Composition”. Again simply explained, it warns economic units that if one or two profit from a venture and later everybody else joins disaster will follow. We are all familiar with drivers on Nigerian roads in a hold up.

Suddenly, one driver peels off and goes down the wrong way which is free and beats the traffic jam. Then two others follow down the wrong way.

Soon every vehicle is going down the wrong way and standstill occurs – until Road Safety comes to restore sanity.

When all the banks in Nigeria jumped out of the window in pursuit of oil and gas companies, a good economist could have told them that financial paralysis would follow eventually.

Financial paralysis is round the corner because the investments in oil and gas, which made sense at $145-90 per barrel, are now threatening to result in bankruptcy as the price of crude dives closer to $30 per barrel. Production has been halted in many rigs, meaning no money flowing in.

When oil companies fail to pay, bankers are in a fix. But, not just bankers; we are all in a fix. Shareholders of Nigerian banks, already waving off a bad 2015, will again have to endure two economic woes – low or no dividends and plummeting share prices. Currently, only two banks shares are above N15 per share: ECOBANK and GTB. None of the others is above N6 per share. These are shares that were eagerly purchased at N40-70 per share when Professor Soludo assured Nigerians that we could put our money in banks and go to sleep with our eyes closed. Nobody is sleeping now because the economic wolves at the gate are set to swallow what is left of bank share prices and, perhaps, the banks themselves.

Unfortunately, for the banks and the rest of us, “returning to base” – meaning a more diversified client base will not be easy. The easy money available in oil and gas rendered Nigerian banks lazy and, to some extent, unprofessional. It will not be easy for them to identify the next golden opportunities; and they might not even have the funds to lend. Turning back from the wrong road takes a lot of time and eats up your fuel.

Business & Economy

Alleged rights abuse: CPC gives Turkish Airlines ultimatum for full situation report T

he Consumer Protection Council has issued an ultimatum to Turkish Airlines to provide a full situation report of events surrounding the alleged ill-treatment of its passengers arriving into Abuja from December 20, 2015.

CPC, in a letter to the airline, dated December 29, 2015, signed by its DirectorGeneral, Mrs. Dupe Atoki, said, “Turkish Airlines flight TK 623 from Istanbul arrived Abuja on Sunday 20th December 2015 without the baggage of the passengers of that flight. Passengers of subsequent flights on the same route, up to 26 th December 2015, were also affected as their baggage failed to arrive on their respective flights.

“The baggage of the passengers of 20 th December flight started arriving piecemeal only on 25 th December, indicating that the Airline boarded

passengers knowing full well that their baggage would not be transported with them.

Passengers, some of who travelled with minors, were put to great inconvenience and hardship as they were unduly deprived of their belongings and other items necessary to accomplish the purpose of their trips.”

The agency, in its letter, explained that “all such passengers, including those whose destinations were outside Abuja, were forced to repeatedly check at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on the fate of their baggage, thereby incurring extra and unbudgeted expenditure, including hotel accommodation.”

While noting that “Turkish Airlines allegedly failed to provide passengers with prompt and proper information about their baggage which led to confusion and

disenchantment”, the Council stated that the airline “also allegedly failed to provide the passengers with any form of on-the-spot relief as required by international aviation conventions.”

CPC, therefore, requested the airline to provide it with a full situation report of the said events on or before Friday 8th January 2015, stating further that the report should include

its policy on delayed baggage, particularly as regards the compensation of affected passengers, the number of affected passengers, the number of passengers who had not received their baggage and when same was expected to arrive, including steps, if any, that had been taken to provide appropriate redress to the affected passengers.

The Council pointed out that its directive was pursuant to Sections 2 and 12 of its enabling Act, which, while empowering the Council to provide redress for services that cause loss to consumers, criminalises such an act.

It expressed concern about the complaints, which it said if confirmed, contravened Section 12 of the CPC Act.

FG can diversify economy through maritime — Bello

By Godfrey Bivbere

E

xecutive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, Hassan Bello, has said that the Federal Government can easily diversify the economy from oil and gas based through the maritime industry.

Making this known in Lagos when he played host to a team of Vanguard Editors in his office, Bello explained that the government can

generate more revenue than what it is getting from the oil and gas sector as well as create a lot of jobs for the army of unemployed youths in the country through the maritime sector if properly harnessed.

The NSC boss pointed out that all the government needed to do was to provide the necessary infrastructure and do the right things to make the industry work in accordance to international standard.

In his words, “We have to

make hard and painful choices if we want to make money from the maritime industry the government must invest in maritime infrastructure, we have to do things right also.

“There are so many things wrong with port operations, there is so much corruption. “”Through automation we could see what goods are coming and therefore they would be no need for physical examination because we have the International Cargo

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016 — 33

Economy

M

arket indicators of the financial health and perception of the economy appeared hazy as indicators point to all directions, with stock market looking up, currency market looking down and money market in mixed-grill.

Though the Nigerian Stock Exchange All Shares Index, NSE ASI, closed the year down by 17.36 per cent the market will be opening for the first trading day of 2016 from a positive point following the steady positive streak it recorded in the last trading week of 2015. The index appreciated by 3.11 per cent and 3.79 per cent last week Thursday and Wednesday respectively after a similar positive closing earlier in the week.

NSE ASI closed the year at 28,642.25 points, compared with 34,657.15 as at endDecember 2014. But weekon-week, the Index appreciated by 6.59 per cent and month-on-month it appreciated by 4.59 per cent in the last month of 2015.

In the currency market the Naira is likely to sustain stability this week on both the parallel and official interbank markets on weak demand for US Dollar with unofficial supplies and businesses yet to pick up for demands.

The local currency traded at N267/ USD1.0 on the parallel market on Thursday last week up from this year’s low of N280/ USD1.0 witnessed middle of last month. But the currency

From left: Dr. (AMB.) Austin Eruotor,President, White House Hotels; Mr. David Okeme, President,Advertiser Association of Nigeria(ADVAN); Ediri Ose-Ediale, Executive Secretary ADVAN; Aare Fatai Odesile, BOT Chairman, ADVAN, and Allen Ose-Ediale, Leader, Shepherdfield Network/Media Crest, at the end of the year stakeholders evening hosted by White House Hotels, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.

2016 economy: Markets start on mixed fundamentals Stories by Emeka Anaeto, Economy Editor traded at N199.5/ USD1.0 in Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN’s managed official market, some 1.26 percent weaker.

Also parallel market

dealers say the reprieve and stability witnessed in the unofficial market was largely temporal as they see the rate resuming downwards slide in the next one to two weeks.

In the money market Nigrian Interbank Offered Rates moved in mixed

directions and dealers believe the trend will remain mixed in the days ahead.

At close of market last week the three month and six months tenors advanced, respectively, to 10.67 per

2016 budget to struggle with poor MDG results A

s the 2016 fiscal plan appears set to roll a United Nations report has shown that key action plan for the economy would aim at reversing a negative trend on the UN Millenium Development Goals, MDG, to which Nigeria was an active signatory.

At the Millennium Summit during the 55th United Nations General Assembly(UNGA), held September 2000, an eightpoint MDGs were adopted by 149 Heads of State and Governments and high ranking officials from over 40 other countries.

The MDGs states that “every individual has dignity; and hence, the right to freedom, equality and basic standard of living that includes freedom from hunger and violence and encourages tolerance and solidarity.”

The MDGs with measurable targets for improving the lives of people globally are, eradication of extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary education; promoting gender equality and empower women; reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability and; developing a Global Partnership for Development.

All the world leaders present at the summit including Nigeria’s then president Olusegun Obasanjo, committed their nations to this new global set of objectives and partnership to ensure that by 2015, there was a significant level of growth and development in the areas of human capital, infrastructure and human

rights.

To monitor the progress, the UN Secretary-General has issues annual reports on the advancement towards the implementation of the MDGs. The report indicates that Nigeria has performed woefully in meeting the 2015 target, ranking as one of the bottom ten countries.

In meeting the fourth goal, which is to reduce mortality rate among children under five years of age, there were poor results recorded, particularly from the Northern part of the country.

According to the by the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, about 77 percent of infants die before their first birthday in the North-western part of the country, while low rates were documented in other parts of the country.

According to the report the

high mortality rate in northern Nigeria is largely connected to the prevalence of terrorism and insurgence in the area.

Reporting on the performance, Venture Capital said “Attacks in the north have caused the displacement of millions of Nigerians who lived in the area. With over 1.5 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) without wide-ranging health care system, it is not surprising that the high rate of infant mortality thrives in northern Nigeria”.

In contrast many African countries with lesser resources including Ghana have done far better than Nigeria in the report.

Ranking sixth in the top ten list, Ghana recorded a remarkable progress in achieving some of the MDG requirements.

cent and 12.76 per cent but, the one month tenor decline to 8.59 per cent while the overnight rate held steady.

Also, the Nigerian Interbank True Treasury Bills Yields mostly advanced on apparent demand as yields on the one month, three month and six month yields rose to 1.49 per cent, 7.02 per cent and 7.72 per cent respectively. However, the three month yield fell to 3.53 per cent.

Also in the Federal Government Bond, FGN Bond market, OTC NG FGN bonds at the over the counter market moved in mixed directions as bulls struggled against bears.

The 10-year, 16.39 per cent FGN January 2022 debt appreciated by N0.12 while its corresponding yield decreased to 10.84 per cent.

However, the 20-year, 10 per cent FGN July 2030 bond, the 5-year, 15.70 per cent FGN April 2017 paper and the 3-year, 13.05 per cent FGN August 2016 paper declined respectively, by N0.10, N1.01 and N0.03 while their corresponding yields rose to 10.95 per cent, 7.85 per cent and 5.96 per cent respectively.

Meanwhile the 7-year 16.00 per cent FGN June 2019 bond remained steady.

34 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

Maritime

APM Terminals Apapa Earns ISO 28000:2007 Certification

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PM Terminals Apapa Limited has achieved ISO 28000:2007 Security Certification, issued by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance Limited.

The ISO Certification is a security management system including those aspects critical to the security assurance of the supply chain, specifically the handling of containerized cargo.

APM Terminals Apapa Limited, which operates the busiest container terminal in West Africa, is the only company in Nigeria which has earned the ISO 28000:2007 certification.

This distinction reflects the commitment of the company, part of the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network, to perform at the highest international standards, and recognized best practices in theft prevention, cargo security, and supply chain integrity.

LADOL inaugurates advisory board, explains growth agenda

A

three-member Advisory Board has been raised by the management of Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL).

Speaking in Lagos during the inauguration of the Advisory Board, Managing Director of LADOL, Dr Amy Jadesimi said the company is adequately positioned to take advantage of business opportunities in 2016 and beyond.

Members of the Advisory Board are former Chief Economic Adviser to former President Umaru Yar ’adua, Tanimu Yakubu, prominent lawyer, Prof Fidelis Oditah, (QC, SAN) and former Deputy Secretary-General and Chief of Staff of United Nations (UN); Rt Hon Lord Mark Mallock-Brown.

Malloch-Brown, who is Chairman of SGO, served as Deputy Secretary-General and Chief of Staff of the United Nations (UN) under Kofi Annan.

Maritime in 2016: Stakeholders seek appointment of professionals

BY GODFREY BIVBERE

O

perators in the maritime sector have called on the Federal Government to appoint relevant professionals to fill the various offices in the sector in the new year if the vast potential of the industry must be explored.

They are of the opinion that despite the huge potentials of the industry, all their efforts to make past governments pay attention to it in the last twenty years have not produced meaningful result.

They expressed happiness about the fall in the prices of crude oil, noting that it would force the present government to finally pay attention to the sector which is capable of not only funding the budget but providing employment for millions of youths.

G O V E R N M E N T AGENCIES Chairman of the Nigeria Shipowners Association, NISA, Capt. Niyi Labinjo, said government through the various ministers responsible for agencies in the maritime industry must ensure that professionals are appointed to man these agencies.

Deputy National President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA, Uchu Block, is also of the same view.

The agencies in the sector are Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, Nigeria Customs Service, NCS and National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA. SHIPPING Labinjo lamented the appointment of neophytes in the past by previous governments as ministers of transport who did not do anything for the industry. He also expressed doubt as to the outcome of the present minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who he wondered what would be said of him after his time in office.

He said government must focus of the shipping sector of the industry because of the huge potential for the economy.

He said that the sector is more than capable of providing the N2 trillion needed to fund the budget.

He advised that the smuggling of petroleum products through the off-shore Lome and off-shore-Togo must be stopped because of the effect on the nation’s economy. He explained that a 5,000 ton vessel laden with Automated Gas Oil, AGO, cost N600 million. He noted that the

SEMINAR - A cross section of participants at the Nigerian Shippers Council-sponsored seminar, in collaboration with ANLCA in Lagos nation’s daily fuel consumption need according to the NNPC is about 1.8 million litres and that the government agency is importing half that quantity while the other half is smuggled into the country.

He pointed out that 900,000 litres divided by 5,000 litres comes down to about 180 and should this be multipled by N600 million, it comes down to N108,000,000,000.00. A large chunk of this amount is lost daily through smuggling of the product, he said.

This is outside the revenue that should have been collected by the various government agencies like the NPA, NIMASA, NCS etc should these ships had berthed at the nation’s ports.

He said the economic crime against the nation is being committed by foreign vessel that ship in these product informing their countries that they are headed for Nigeria, only for them to stop at the high seas where these products are discharged into smaller vessels and moved into Nigeria.

He noted that 68 percent of these products get into the

They expressed happiness about the fall in the prices of crude oil, noting that it would force the present government to finally pay attention to the sector which is capable of not only funding the budget but providing employment for millions of youths

country unaccounted for and this cost the nation huge revenue loss in terms of capital flight, since the transaction is done in cash, (not captured in the economy), creation of employment for foreign countries, crew of each of the ship and negative effect of balance of trade.

He said the Nigeria presently have no control over about 200 vessels involved in this illegal trade outside the nation’s territorial ways and that alone posses a security risk to the nation, especially with the security situation in the country presently.

The retired Navy officer, stressed that government must as a matter of urgency stop the smuggling of petroleum products into the country, as well as ensure that the Cabotage law is enforced fully.

Former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Temisan Omatseye, called on the minister of transportation to focus his action of proper implementation of the Cabotage Act as this will open up development in the industry.

Omatseye stressed that there is a need for the minister to call a meeting of stakeholders to deliberate and chart the way forward for the shipping subsector in the industry.

PORT OPERATIONS The absence of the economic regulator some say has resulted in the country losing over $80 billion annually due to arbitrary charges slammed on consignments by port operatives. Some of the charges are terminal handling ranging from N45,000 to N47,982; import delivery, N1500 to N40,000; customs examination, N2,500 – N11,667; fast track cargo fee, N1,500; documentation, N150-N10,000 and N3,500-N5,500. Others include transfer of container, N20,000-N31,500; royalty, N5,680-N6,181; release and documentation, N1,443.75-

N20,000; shipping agency fee, N15,000 – N37,400; container cleaning, N1,500; service charges N2,500-N5,000; among several others.

Uchu Block explained that port operations presently is not efficient and effective because there is no port economic regulator and therefore terminal operators who now manage the terminals after the concessioning of the ports, do whatever they please.

Block noted that the appointment of NSC as the port economic regulator was a welcomed one by most operators but that terminal operators and shipping companies ensure that the government agency could not function by dragging the NSC to court.

He noted that there is need for the federal government through the judiciary to ensure speedy completion of the case before it to stop what he termed illegal collection of charges and levies in the sector.

He also complained about the appointment of a non-Customs officer as the Comptroller General of the NCS, noting that the present helmsman of Customs is not knowledgeable about international trade and therefore his action will hinder trade facilitation.

He pointed out that the target given to the commands by the Customs boss is making the officers go over board by issuing Debit Note, D/N, on almost all consignments so as to meet their target.

Similarly, he observed that the restriction on foreign currency by the government has affected the volume of imported goods. The restrict he continued, will also make it difficult for the Service to meet the revenue target, stressing the government must decide what it wants to do, either for revenue collection or true trade facilitation that will grow local industries.

He also faulted the annual target given to the Service by the federal government, advising instead that cargo clearance process by made simpler and faster. This he noted will attract more cargoes, including the ones being diverted to neighbouring countries presently.

Apapa Traffic Most of the stakeholders are in agreement that the minister should liaise with the Ministry of Works to ensure that the chaotic traffic situation along the link roads leading in and out of Apapa is solved as soon as possible because of its effect on the nation’s economy.

They opined that Lagos plays host to two key ports in the country – the Lagos Port Complex (LPC) and the Tin Can Island Port (TCIP) – all of which are in Apapa.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016 — 35

36 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

(0805 220 1997)

P

resident Mohammed Buhari finally laid the proposed 2016 Budget before the Legislature barely a week before parliament proceeded on recess in December.

Regrettably, If the budget must be subjected to exhaustive scrutiny and quality debate, it may take another 3months or more after the National Assembly resumes in January 2016 before the Budget becomes Law. Consequently, the release of funds for capital expenditure may unfortunately not effectively begin until April, and this will invariably, jeopardise full implementation of those critical projects which could improve our social welfare. Regrettably, flagrant violations of the constitutional provisions on our Budget process, are often discountenanced and the extended delay in enacting Budget 2016, for example, may never attract more than a slap on the wrist as deterrent.

Sadly, the comprehensive implementation of an expanded capital budget of N1.2Tn is already clearly jeopardised ab initio and any hope for significant social infrastructural renewal in 2016 will clearly be misplaced.

Nonetheless, budgets traditionally serve as unambiguous statements of expectations and intentions, and responsible budget preparation will be guided by clear recognition of realistic potentials and limitations. Thus, when potential income appear realistically bountiful, the related budget could appropriately reflect increased public spending; conversely, imminent apparent challenges to revenue expectations will advise an austere budget with more restrictive spending estimates.

Incidentally, in public administration, austerity is defined as “ a state of reduced spending and increased frugality”; thus, governments adopt austerity measures to reduce expenditures and shrink

An unusual austerity budget for 2016 growing budget deficits to avoid unnecessary debt accumulation.

Alarmingly, crude oil, our major income source for over 50 years, has lately suffered a serious price crash, which threatens our income expectations. The path of wisdom for nations in such dire straits would be to cut down on unnecessary things and live with minimum comfort until the bad times pass over.

Conversely, misguided and self serving administrations may sustain or increase consumption, despite imminent revenue shortfalls, by borrowing; if such loans are directly dedicated to creating critical infrastructure which will significantly enhance mass social welfare, such debt accumulation may be recommended, particularly if cost of borrowing remains within best practice levels below 5%, for such risk free sovereign loans.

If, however, budget deficits are funded with loans with oppressive double digit interest rates, and if the proceeds of such loans are then applied directly to recurrent consumption, then such a spending plan will be perceived as profligate and reckless, if such borrowings further compound debt service provisions beyond the worrisome level of 35% of the total N3.86Tn projected generated revenue in 2016.

Thus, a debt service provision of N1.36Tn or 35% of estimated generated revenue must disturb any patriot. It is equally disturbing that despite the expected significant revenue shortfall, Buhari increased recurrent expenditure from N3.97Tn in 2015 to N4.28Tn in 2016; consequently, about N2Trillion would now be required as loan, with possibly double digit interest rates, to

fund increased consumption, the exceptional capital budget of N1.8Tn, and to service existing national debts which are currently in excess of N12 Trillion.

It is clearly inexplicable that government recurrent expenditure should spike in a predictably austere economy; it is equally worrisome that despite media reports of due process in public procurement and steady progress in eliminating thousands of ghost workers from government’s payroll and the implementation of other similar programs intended to plug leakages and reduce wastage by previous administrations, the size of recurrent expenditure has continued to rise!

Ironically, despite his well attested frugal administrative style, President Buhari has unexpectedly, pumped up recurrent budget from N3.97Tn in 2015 to N4.28Tn in 2016. The downside of this expansion is that the additional borrowing will

Instructively, however, if the present dollar demand pressure persists and the Naira inevitably suffers significant devaluation, successful implementation of the 2016 capital budget will obviously become seriously challenged

conducts a thorough budget evaluation and debate, the actualisation of the capital budget will become delayed as implementation may not commence until after the budget becomes law, possibly in April 2016.

Evidently, Nigerians would be more comfortable if capital votes are dedicated to specific and viable projects which can be readily identified and monitored up to completion. It would also be reassuring if the current capital budget was consolidated after a thorough inventory and evaluation of on-going projects which could be quickly completed for public use rather than left to decay as is often the case by successive governments after each election.

Nonetheless, if the adopted benchmark of $38/barrel is compared with current market forecast that crude price will recede well below $30/barrel, the 2016 revenue projections and borrowing plans will seem to be clearly ambitious. Indeed, if such dismal projections materalise, the already inappropriate humongous deficit of N2.2Tn may remain open ended and will invariably need more borrowing to fund any additional shortfall, particularly when government tax revenue is simultaneously constrained by high cost of funds to the real sector, and the lower economic activity caused by the exclusion of official dollar supply to some businesses and niggling multiple business taxes.

Furthermore, the absence of any provision for fuel subsidy is obviously a gamble on crude price remaining at the present lowly level. Evidently, however, if the Naira exchange rate depreciates significantly for whatever reason, the pump price of fuel will spiral and make provision for subsidy unavoidable. Any subsidy payment may unfortunately require to be funded with additional borrowing with the usual oppressive interest rate.

SAVE THE NAIRA! SAVE NIGERIANS!!

certainly increase government activity in the capital market, so that government will invariably continue to outbid and crowd out the real sector from access to cheap loans. Obviously, such outcome does not augur well for economic and industrial growth or job creation in any economy.

Inexplicably, the banks who will become the prime beneficiaries of increased government borrowing, will also ironically be funded by the usual surplus liquidity instigated by CBN’s subsisting obtuse monetary management.

Incidentally, some experts have suggested that a weak economy requires a huge dose of public spending to stimulate consumer demand and spur investment to create increasing job opportunities. Indeed, this may be so in an economy that is starved of liquidity; the Nigerian economy, however, is already eternally awash with excess liquidity, which ironically still constitutes the greatest challenge to CBN’s ability to establish productive price stability that would successfully drive growth. Thus, in a cash surfeit economy such as ours, the projected increased expenditure will ironically simply fuel inflation well above 10% to the chagrin of every income earner in 2016.

Nonetheless, the provision of N1.8Tn or 30% of total expenditure for capital projects may appear to be a step in the right direction. Instructively, however, if the present dollar demand pressure persists and the Naira inevitably suffers significant devaluation, successful implementation of the 2016 capital budget will obviously become seriously challenged; furthermore, if the National Assembly appropriately

Business & Economy Oil market points to further gloom in 2016

I

t appears there is more gloom in the international oil market horizon at least in the first quarter of the year.

Despite the posture of widening the revenue base economy analysts believe that about 70 per cent of Nigeria’s N6.1 trillion budget for 2016 is expected to be funded from the oil revenue projected at USD38 per barrel. The actual price has already dropped significantly below the projection at the backdrop of global supply glut.

In an ominous sign for firstquarter oil prices, U.S. government data showed a stockpiling of crude at a time production is still high among both OPEC and non-OPEC members.

C M Y K

The weekly Energy Information Administration data showed a jump of 2.6 million barrels of inventory last week, when many analysts expected a decline. Inventories dropped sharply by 6 million barrels the previous week.

“More bad news for the oil patch, as inventories across the board rose, especially at a time of year when we expect inventories to decline as refiners meet their end of year inventory targets,” said Andrew Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates.

The report comes as the market was grappling with the fact that Saudi Arabia has made a strong commitment to produce more oil even as it is being forced to cut back on

domestic subsidies due to the impact of weaker crude prices on its budget.

The fact that the kingdom signaled it is willing to take more domestic pain to maintain market share suggests to some traders that prices could stay low for even longer.

U.S. oil production, meanwhile has remained fairly steady. It climbed to 9.2 million barrels a day last week from 9.179 million barrels a day the week earlier.

That is above the 9.13 million level at the corresponding period of 2014. Though it is still below the 2015 peak of 9.6 million barrels per day observers believe the volume will increase steadily.

Omoh Gabriel Babajide Komolafe Clara Nwachukwu Peter Egwuatu Yinka Kolawole Favour Nnabugwu Godwin Oritse Godfrey Bivbere Michael Eboh Franklin Alli Ifeyinwa Obi Rosemary Onuoha Nkiruka Nnorom CONTRIBUTORS Princewill Ekwujuru Jonah Nwokpoku Naomi Uzor Providence Obuh LAYOUT

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Group Business Editor Deputy Business Editor Energy Editor Asst. Business Editor Snr Bus. Correspondent Insurance Correspondent Maritime Correspondent Maritime Correspondent Energy Reporter Industry/Agric. Reporter Maritime Reporter Insurance Reporter Capital Market Reporter

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Media/Marketing E-Commerce Industry Micro Finance Graphics Department

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016—37

Contagious form of cancer emerging

S

CIENTISTS are investigating the possible emergence of a new form of cancer that may be transmitted from one person to another.

A study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, said the cancer strain, known as Devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) can spread rapidly through populations, transmitted by biting.

Devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) can spread rapidly through populations, transmitted by biting.

With eight reported cases across southeastern Tasmania, the cancer causes large facial tumors in infected Tasmanian devils and can result in death within months. It is the second transmissible cancer known to affect the species. This form is genetically distinct to the newly identified cancer.

To date there were two known forms of transmissible cancers in nature, and this included forms of tumour spreadable between Tasmanian devils, as well as between dogs and soft-shell clams.

Scientists say that they knew about two other cancers that can be transmitted from animal to other - in dogs and soft shell.

Cancers normally cannot survive beyond the body of the host but this transmissible cancer can, through biting, see the transfer of living cancer cells between animals. Transmissible cancers, however, arise when cancer cells gain the ability to spread beyond the body of the host that first spawned them, by transmission of cancer cells to new hosts.

Cancers normally cannot survive beyond the body of the host but this transmissible cancer can, through biting

Cross section of mothers with their newborns. They need available and accessible health care services towards attaining successful prevention and elimination of HIV . Photo by Sola Ogundipe.

Eliminate mother-to-child HIV transmission, FG tasked

By Sola Ogundipe HE Federal Government has been tasked to live up to the expectation of Nigerians by meeting the goal of eliminating Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, MTCT, in the country by 2030.

Making the call in Enugu, during the national advocacy meeting of the Journalists Alliance for Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV in Nigeria, JAPiN, advocates for the prevention and elimination of MotherTo-Child Transmission of HIV, MTCT, lamented that Nigeria had been left behind in the global efforts to mitigate burden of MTCT HIV transmission.

Citing what was described as “the poor aggregation and coordination of eMTCT and PMTCT activities” coupled with dwindling international financial support for HIV/AIDS activities, delegates

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resolved that the Federal government should be guided by the new UNAIDS target of 90:90:90, which is to ensure that 90 per cent of the global population are tested for HIV, 90 per cent of those who test positive have access to treatment and for 90 per cent to be virally suppressed.

According to UNICEF, Nigeria currently accounts for 55 percent of the new HIV infections in West, Central Africa Region (WCAR), and with 3.4 million people living with the virus, Nigeria is regarded as the country with the second highest burden of HIV in the world after South Africa.

Lagos Club seeks research on pain of Sickle Cell Disorder

By Chioma Obinna

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DONATION: From Left: Medical Director and Apex Nurse , Gbagada General Hospital, Dr Lateef Tayo Lawal and Mrs. Oluwabuyide Abosede respectively; Santa Claus, with a patient ,Chidima Uchnna; PRO & Event Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc. Mr. Tope Ashiwaju, and Mrs Edith Uchnna during the Indomie Santa Surprise visit to Gbagada General Hospital, Lagos recently.

Currently, an estimated 60,000 new HIV infections are recorded among children in the country, a situation that has called for aggressive eMTCT and PMTCT intervention.

Worse still, the high prevalence of HIV among pregnant women, high total fertility rate, culture of prolonged breast feeding, and non-use of modern health facilities for antenatal and delivery purposes, among others, contribute to the high rate of MTCT in the country.

Better monitoring assistance for coverage and creation of strategic local funding initiatives were also recommended.

RKED that over 150,000 children are born every year in Nigeria with symptomatic Sickle Cell Anaemia, the Sickle Cell Club of Lagos has called for research into various fronts especially on the immediate causes of severe pain crises in people living with the disorder.

President of the Club, Mrs. Ayo Otaigbe who spoke during their annual celebration, said despite many medical advancements,SCD was still not well understood.

Otaigbe said the research should take care of the rational therapy so that not simply analgesics can be applied with the objective of effectively aborting or preventing their occurrence.

Noting the high burden, Otaigbe decried the apathy towards people living with SCD in Africa.

She said part of their plans for 2016 wase to consolidate on successes recorded as well as increase the level of awareness of services at the National Sickle Cell Foundation and other health facilities in the country.

Further, she said the Club would continue to draw attention to the importance of Transcranial Doppler Scan in children with SCD in order to reduce the incidence of strokes in affected children.

"The debilitating complication can impede their mobility and impair their intellectual ability. However, stroke can be prevented if children at risk can be identified early with ICD ultrasound scan. Children aged 2 to 16 years are most vulnerable and are hence invited to benefit it from this procedure on Mondays to Fridays.”

Otaigbe stressed the need for genetic counselling adding that families and individuals at risk who have gone through the counselling are better able to cope with the disorder.

She said plans are afoot to begin a bone marrow transplant at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idiaraba, Lagos.

Already the Club has contacted Mediterranean Institute for Haematology in Rome, Italy to give free BMT to 45 children.

38—Vanguard, MONDAY , JANUARY 4, 2016

Biafra: Why I can’t release Kanu – Buhari

Chuks Onyemah We Igbos do not trust in the Nigerian government; we only trust in Jehovah God, that’s why we keep on progressing despite the marginalization.

Chinedu Ifunanya Ezemba It is so unfortunate that what the Igbos are running from in Nigeria is waiting for them in ‘Biafra’ x10. I dont understand why they are not seeing the handwriting on the wall. Maybe they will import leaders from heaven to lead them in ‘Biafra’.

Iyiola Olaoluwa Bamidele Igbos make una take it easy ooo wit President Buhari on Kanu n Biafra’s case.

D Biafra u people r clamouring for if it finally come to pass most common IGBOS or Igbo masses will not benefit from it only d politicians or elite group will benefit from d new order. just like independent Nigeria where only politicians n elites r benefiting frm Nigeria after a well fought struggle for independence from our colonial masters.

May God guide Igbos aright.

Habeeb Haruna It is not Gen. Muhammadu Buhari that arrested Kanu and Buhari has no mandate or power whatever to release him. Kanu committed a crime against the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is the Court that can release him.

Tobe Osita Ejikeme Is this still a democratic country or an autocratic country?

Eddyaboche Haba PMB none is corrupt! So they are all saints right?

None of my ministers is corrupt – Buhari

Chukwudawn Hmmm. Saints in government Absolute4real Can you imagine, who will believe this old man?

Coyabri Directionless. Cluelessness, cheap talk, . I suppose these will be recanted at the appropriate time. The fact that the president , his vice and the party were on different wave lines during the campaign is manifested in the chaotic nature of this government today

Why Lai Mohammed should be fired

Naija Caesar The Buhari administration will prevail regardless of charlatans like Aribisala...Kudos to Lai Mohammed for his diligent work. Though the road ahead may be tough, that is why the day of tomorrow will be ours!!!

Wordbasedlibrary Truth is always bitter. What I expect you to do is contradict anything that is false in the write up. It is easy for depraved minds like you to sing the same old tune of “you have been paid”. Please talk based on facts and not unbalanced emotion.

Is it GEJ’s administration that is dropping the prices of crude which is acting against the Naira? Or is it GEJ that is asking Mr. Lie Mohammed to fabricate untrue stories? Is it GEJ that promised to pay jobless guys like you N5000.00 and not include it in the 2016 budget? Please learn to think straight for once.

Akidimah Kennedy I have never read an essay so true as this one. The writer has said it all. We can’t continue to dwell on propagandas and lies after lies to cover this distasteful governance. Lai Muhammad should resign as he is unfit for the ministry.

Omozogie Okoboh Femi Aribisala has always danced on the left side of everything good. He is a thorn in the flesh of development, honesty and integrity. Quoting the Minister or Buhari

out of context won’t do anything for your greedy selfish propaganda, sir.

Ivan Johnson Read this and know that APC is using Nigerians as their tools of propaganda.

The APC has been consistent in saying that the PDP has ruled Nigeria for 16 disastrous years in which corruption, impunity, insurgency, armed robbery and several ills of society held away.

But a very close look at the APC, I am seeing: * Rotimi Amechi - 8 yrs speaker & 7 yrs governor under PDP, *Atiku Abubakar 8yrs Vice President under PDP, * George Akume - 8yrs governor & 2yrs Senator under PDP, * Bukola Saraki - 8yrs governor & 2yrs senator under PDP, * Timipre Sylva - 4yrs governor under PDP, *Audu Ogbe 2yrs chairman of PDP, * Barnabas Gemade 3yrs Chairman of PDP & 3yrs Senator, *8.

Kawu Baraje 4yrs Secretary & Acting Chairman of PDP, * Ghali Na’abba 4yrs Speaker under PDP, * Aminu Masari - 4 yrs Reps Speaker, *Aminu Tambuwal - 4yrs House of Rep and 3yrs Rep speaker, * Chris Ngige - 3yrs governor under PDP,

Mixed reactions trail proposed reintroduction of toll gates Osipitan The removal of toll booths from the Lagos Ibadan expressway caused sprawl from Ogun State axis towards the Lagos end of the expressway because there was no land use control and determination of the rightof-way. An authority for the Highway need to be set up to manage the tolls and effect highway improvements.

The new toll technology system will help distinguish it from the old system before demolition. At all non-urban toll booths, no payment should be effected from the point of origin but at the destinations for checks and balances.

Charges can be based on distance covered and payments should made at exits.

All direct access to the highway must be blocked while exits and interchanges be created to link parallel roadway or communities.

The bottom line is that all roads designated to be tolled must have alternative routes that can take respective motorists longer trip times to their destinations because the government is responsible to provide the road system as a public good to its citizens.

However, the toll roads should justify the benefit of reduced trip time as well as better infrastructure and services along the corridor.

Gbenga Olu This is just the beginning! Nigerians will suffer and suffer and dry up like stock fish under their self imposed CHANGE! If a huge and healthy man dries up overnight it’s CHANGE too. If a sick man in the morning dies in the evening, it’s CHANGE too. If a man that used to eat three square meals foolishly invited a CHANGE glutton who finished up all he has in stock in 7 months he has no option than to go hungry or play a second fiddle to survive!

By the time APC has finished teaching Nigerians the lessons of their lives, Nigerians will delete the word CHANGE in their dictionary! This is just the beginning!

Nothing good has ever come from the pit of hell! All religious books describe hell as a place where there’s harship, wailing, crying, gnashing of teeth, regrets, accusations, blames, hunger, flogging, injustice, arrest, torture, in short a place where people complain to eternity!

Welcome to Nigeria under APC ruled by sadist painted as saint! Enjoy or cry to yourself; not me ooooooooo! If you are lucky to survive the impending evil hurricane orchestrated by CHANGE, next time vote wisely!

Challenges facing Africa

There is no doubt Africa is on the path of lasting peace, progress and prosperity having rediscovered itself. Planned and set a new agenda, the way to greater height is broad and clear.

However, there are certain impediments to overcome to realise this dream, such as insecurity, insurgency, corruption, growing population, unemployment, hijacked democracy and uneven distribution of wealth.

Others include unworkable policies and lack of the fear God. Indeed if Africans can overcome these challenges, the sky is our limit.

Dr. V. Dauda 111 +2348137518785

Backwardness of the North

The northerners should not blame ex-President Jonathan for their blunders or wrong doings. Total rejection/ opposing of western education from the onset based on religious extremism and sentiment is what is seriously affecting the north today. Illiteracy, poverty, almajiri, unchecked population, selfishness, wickedness, terrorism and corruption by our past and present leaders are some of the negative effects now. Northerners should rethink and stop making unnecessary accusations against anybody but ourselves. We should stop deceiving ourselves.

Alhaji. A.M. Shehu 089038235199

Boko Haram and terrorism

For some time now, the issue of Boko Haram has dominated the national discourse. How can this worrisome phenomenon be put behind us? The northern Moslem religious leaders can do a lot in this regard by calling the Boko Haram leadership to a dialogue on behalf of the federal government.

Now that it seems that they don’t trust the federal government, members of the sect should be able to trust their religious leaders and reveal to Nigerian in clear terms the essence of the killings. To the Boko Haram members, it needs be said that killing innocent persons is not the best option in expressing one’s displeasure over any issue no matter how serious it is.

Meaningful dialogue is the best option. Nigeria is for Nigerians and we must do everything possible to keep it one.

Clem Eruke 08153089490

Nigeria’s refineries

Our refineries are non functional, they need Turn Around Maintenance( TAM). The illegal ones in Delta State are operating. In the local content spirit, we should expand and modernise these illegal refineries and then use them to refine our crude instead of exporting crude for same purpose .

We have to grow and challenge Euro, America just as China has done.

Ugonwanne 08064091428

Subsidy removal

Of what use is the so called subsidy if the actual ‘relief ‘of the subsidy is not getting to the masses? If the ‘subsidized’ petrol spirit could sell most of the time for; N200, N250, N300 per litre, what use is the subsidy? Nigerians should please do away with this economic sabotage called ‘subsidy’!

Mike+2348063897516

Greedy leaders and total change

Nigeria has more than enough to meet our needs as a people but may not be enough soon due to our leaders’ greed. Some leaders are bad example to the followers,reaping what they didn’t sow.

Our founding fathers and fallen heroes are weeping in their graves.

We need the right people at the right positions for a total change.

Kelly 07057006736

Ndokwa’s share of oil dividend

My unreserved agitation and flair to speak out what’s happening in Ndokwa West Delta State as regards withholding Ndokwa’s share of oil dividend.

It is pertinent to note that left wing thinkers are characterized with negative mindsets which in turn sends retrogression to our economic development.

Please your execellency the governor of Delta State, Dr.Ifeanyi Okowa should call on those diverting the money meant for the people of Ndokwa to henceforth repent or face the wrath of God almighty.

Comrade ojumah from kwale delta state. 2347038664487

Terrorism in Nigeria

As long that the Federal government has not put up alternative means of survival for our local people, violent crimes are imminent.

Solo Aloba 07052624455

SAYINGS OF OUR ELDERS I have sown a riga without a neck. Let him who cuts a neck for it put it on.

- Hausa proverb

Send us your Sayings of Our Elders. They must be African sayings or proverbs. Biblical or English proverbs are unacceptable.

Address your sayings to: editor@vanguardngr.com

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016—39

Compiled by Richard Okotie 1 1 6759 759 081 6759759 08

These five sisters did a photo shoot to thank their parents for paying for all of their weddings

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T costs a lot of money to pay for one wedding, let alone five. That’s why sisters Lindsay, Becky, Kelly, Cassie, and Jamie, all née Walitsch, decided to thank their parents for their support with a surprise photo shoot of all of them in their dresses.

Cassie (second from left), suggested the idea to her wedding photographer, Rachel Blackwell. Blackwell was also the photographer for Jamie (second from right) when she got married last June.

“She pitched me the idea about six months before Jamie’s wedding, and we put the shoot on the calendar for one week after, like the day after she came

home from her honeymoon,” Blackwell told BuzzFeed Life.

Blackwell knew the shoot had to happen immediately, because the odds of none of the five sisters being pregnant at the same time were pretty low.

In fact, four of the five of them did get pregnant in the months right after the shoot, Blackwell said.

On the day of the shoot last July outside San Jose, California, they got their hair done together in the morning and made sure to wear their wedding-day shoes.

“They all helped zip each other up and were talking about their own wedding days,” Blackwell said. “They were having all kinds

of fun, while the husbands hung out at the house they got ready at and watched all the children."

They also toted along framed photos from their wedding days.

Blackwell said they specifically wanted to re-create this classic couch scene from Friends. All of the sisters wanted photos taken on this vintage truck.

And at a local Starbucks, where they could show off their rings.

Blackwell said the photos were a hit with the sisters and with their parents. “The mother of the girls loved them. She ordered some big prints for her house,” she said. Cassie told BuzzFeed life that the shoot was intended to be “a small and fun way to thank our parents for supporting

A groom bailed out of his wedding...

us and our marriages over the years.”

Blackwell’s favorite photo of the bunch? This one: “It’s nothing

Albanian TV presenter who was hired after auditioning with her blouse undone is FIRED for posing in Playboy...

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N Albanian TV news reader who landed her job after auditioning with her blouse open has been fired after posing for Playboy and replaced with another scantily clad presenter. Enki Bracaj, 21, was the host of an international news programme and her cleavage revealing outfits proved a hit with viewers as ratings increased. But her employers at Fire TV decided she had gone too far when she agreed to pose for Playboy and she was sacked from her post.

Nudity and even topless bathing are still taboo in conservative Albania, where some 60 per cent of the population are Muslim.

Revealing outfits

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HE caring family of a bride-to-be treated a city’s homeless population to a gourmet feast – after her fiancé got cold feet and bailed out of their wedding.

Quinn Duane, 27, was due to marry Landon Borup in Sacramento, California, on Saturday in a lavish £22,500 ceremony.

However, Landon had a change of heart and called off the nuptials with less than a week to go.

Quinn’s parents decided not to cancel the swanky hotel venue and catering, generously inviting homeless guests to the wedding

banquet instead.

Among the guests were babies, young children and the elderly.

The lucky diners – who were fed culinary dishes served up by the Citizen Hotel’s four-star Grange restaurant – were overwhelmed by the Duanes’ generosity.

Rashad Abdullah, who attended with his wife Erika Craycraft and their five children, said: “When you’re going through a hard time and a struggle, for you to get out to do something different with your family, it was really a blessing.”

Erika added: “To lose out on something so important to yourself and then give it to someone else is really giving, really kind.”

special, just a clean classic image of all the girls hugging. I would want that image if my daughters did a shoot for me like that.”

But her replacement has been announced, and she too has agreed to read the news wearing a series of revealing outfits.

Greta Hoxha, from the Albanian capital Tirana, has begun her new job and has donned the skimpiest of waistcoats without wearing anything underneath.

She even chose to wear a traditional Albanian waistcoat as she read the news during the country’s recent Liberation Day celebrations, which commemorate the the end of the Nazi occupation in 1944. Miss Hoxha said: ‘It underlines why I love working in the media. ‘We are doing something here which is original. If the truth be told, I

am not surprised that we get a lot of attention. ‘I want to send the message that when people tune into my show they will get the ‘naked’ truth, nothing slanted left or right’ TV station boss Ismet Drishti declined to comment on the row with Miss Bracaj and preferred instead to praise his new newsreader for her professionalism.

The 21-year-old, who studies public relations at the local university, said she was getting so many friend requests and messages on her Facebook page that she could not even read them all.

Defending the decision to present almost-topless news, she said at the time she took the job: ‘I am not expecting to get famous overnight, and it’s not easy to get into the television business. ‘I’m a journalist that’s just at the beginning of her career and at the start you have to take some risks.’

40 —Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

Oshiomhole: He made a choice for the people

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

PDP administration that preceded him.

The rebuilding programmes commenced by the short-lived Oserheimen Osunbor administration took on a life of its own a year or so after his inauguration in 2008 with a frenzy that literally transformed the state, especially in the area of road infrastructure.

Perhaps the most conspicuous testimonial of Oshiomhole’s stewardship in the area of road infrastructure is 5 Junction, an intersection where five roads meet in the heart of Benin-City, the state capital.

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N a remarkable session with journalists just before his inauguration for a second term as governor of Edo State in 2012, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole gave an unusual philosophical perspective to his political odyssey.

“I have not built any road in what is generally called the GRA where the big people reside and that is a conscious decision. I have chosen to put public resources in those depressed neighbourhoods where the forgotten majority reside,” Oshiomhole had said.

Hinting at his own inclination to self denial, Oshiomhole added: “I had the choice to build an ultra modern government house, “befitting” for the first family but I would rather prefer to build an ultra modern hospital which is currently under construction where majority of the people can have access to, rather than a government house where they will be locked out. Again, it is the cost of choice.”

While his assertion may well be challenged by his political critics, the comrade governor’s mission to direct the resources of the state towards the benefit of the greater majority may well have won him a place of significance in the hearts of the majority of the people.

Not surprisingly, some, especially the bourgeoisies see him as a disruptive leader determined to impede their claim to the commonwealth. It is a cross

Confusion in 5 Junction Gov. Adams Oshiomhole Oshiomhole, however, bears with great aplomb.

I had the choice to build an ultra modern government house, “befitting” for the first family but I would rather prefer to build an ultra modern hospital which is currently under construction where majority of the people can have access to

Oshiomhole’s path to folk hero, however, was not surprising for two major reasons. First, as the immediate past president of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, just before he contested the 2007 governorship election, he had won fame for his pro-masses chants and claims. Second, the yawning crave for good governance in the first eight years after the return of democratic rule had reached a peak by the time Oshiomhole contested the governorship election in 2007.

Indeed, given the situation he met on ground at the time he belatedly got his mandate in November 2008, it was generally assumed that he could not have gone below the benchmark he inherited from the substantive

5 Junction had over time won the sobriquet “5 Confusion”, on account of the horrendous time faced by motorists whenever it rained, no matter how briefly.

While city dwellers could avoid it by bypassing the junction, out of state travellers with limited knowledge of the city were often trapped at the junction for hours.

However, two years after Oshiomhole came in, the confusion in 5 Junction began to clear as it was integrated into the massive N30 billion Benin storm water Master Plan, a scheme conceived to eliminate the flooding that tended to paralyse motor traffic in the ancient town.

Besides Five Junction, the streets in the adjoining neighbourhood where Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia lives were almost wholly transformed with street lights.

Ibikunle Amosun: Consumate philanthropist

By Kayode Matthew, News Editor

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LECTED Fourth Governor of Ogun State, Nigeria: On 29 May, 2011, Senator Amosun was sworn-in as the fourth elected Governor of Ogun State, having won the election held in April 2011. He contested on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). This party merged with other parties to form the All Progressives Congress (APC) in February 2013. He was re-elected for a second term in office on 11 April 2015 and duly sworn- in on 29 May 2015.

Upon assumption of office as Governor of Ogun State, he outlined the Mission to Rebuild Agenda of his administration which is anchored on a 5 point Cardinal Programme: • Affordable and Qualitative Education • Efficient Health Care Delivery •Agricultural Production and Industrialization • Affordable Housing and Urban Renewal •Rural and Infrastructural Development/Employment Generation The programme is aimed at the

Sen Ibikunle Amosun welfare, prosperity and security of the citizenry and the state. His administration has since recorded significant achievements in various critical sectors such as free education, stimulation of the investment environment, agriculture, women empowerment, security, massive infrastructural development and urban renewal.

Political Career: SIA, as he is fondly called, stepped into the political space with the singular aim of giving back to humanity what he has been endowed with by God. He was elected into the Senate, the upper chamber of Nigeria’s National Assembly, in April, 2003, representing Ogun Central Senatorial District.

While in the Senate between 2003 and 2007, he served in the following capacities: •Chairman, Senate Committee on Commerce •Member, Senate Committee on Foreign

Affairs •Member, Senate Committee on Appropriation •Member, Senate Committee on Privatization •Member, Senate Committee on Security and Intelligence Amosun lived up to his status as a distinguished senator by amplifying the voice of the masses. He moved several

motions and sponsored many bills on issues that touched on the day-to-day lives of not only members of his immediate constituency, but also Ogun State and the nation in general.

He was particularly instrumental to some of the landmark reforms of the era, especially in telecommunications, customs and excise and other strategic sectors of the Nigerian economy. Some of these bills include: •Local Content Solid Minerals Development Bill, 2005 •Fire Service Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2005; and •Income Tax Relief Bill for Sports Development, 2005.

Professional Career: Senator Amosun, a chartered accountant, started his accounting career in 1984 as an audit trainee with Messrs J.A.A. Adeniyi & Co. (Chartered Accountants). He later joined Lanre Aremu & Co. (Chartered Accountants), where he rose to become a manager in 1989. He was also with XtraEdge Consulting as a senior consultant.

In 1990, through industry and passion for professional excellence, he became an Continues on page 41

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016 — 41

Dankwambo: The accountant-

governor as “Last man Standing”

By Adekunle Adekoya, General Editor

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IS meteoric rise in the accounting profession is just as arresting as his political ascendancy within a relatively short period of time.

Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, Executive Governor of Gombe State cuts the profile of a risen phoenix, a cool calculating executrix that seems to have plotted, almost with precision , his ascendancy both professionally and politically. When the nation returned to democratic civil rule in 1999, Alhaji Habu Hashidu, a former minister of agriculture, won election as governor, but failed to secure re-election in 2003.

A businessman, Alhaji Danjuma Goje of the PDP defeated him, and served as governor for two straight terms till 2011. All that time, Dankwambo was plotting his moves. First working with Coopers & Lybrand in 1985, the nation’s former number one book-keeper also worked at the Central Bank of Nigeria from 1988 to 1999, from where he was appointed Accountant-General of Gombe State, a post he held till 2005 when he was appointed AccountantGeneral of the Federation in April 2005.

It would seem as if, from this vantage position, Dankwambo was able to see things more clearly, especially as they concern his home state, Gombe. As

Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo Accountant-general, all the figures about the nation’s finances are at his beck and call, available at the snap of his fingers or the click of a computer mouse.

Seeing what the omens portend for Gombe, from a book-keeper’s point of view must have made his mind up for him to seek political power in the interest of his people, since politics drives economics.

How Dankwambo got the PDP’s nomination to run for governorship is both a curiosity and an attestation to his political nause. Usually, out-going governors (governors serving their second terms) very often dictate, indeed, anoint their successors from the cast of aides and commissioners. This is because a hostile take-over does nobody any good, as some people are presently re-discovering.

Even Chief Olusegun Obasanjo hand-picked late Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to succeed him, ostensibly to keep things the way they should be.

In Gombe, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Usman Bayero Nafada had been the favourite to succeed Danjuma Goje as the next governor. In fact, Nafada, was sure to win the nomination, but from out of the shadows, Dankwambo emerged in the political firmament of Gombe State, pitched tent with the PDP, overshadowed Nafada, and went on to secure the PDP nomination and win the governor’s seat.

Almost from the start of his tenure, differences between Goje and his successor began manifesting, and it peaked with the defection of Goje to the APC. This made it look like a tough job for Dankwambo to secure reelection in 2015, given Goje’s widespread influence and the tsunami-like reach of the APC coalition.

This was made more likely as Goje had previously unseated his predecessor, Alhaji Hashidu, and the feeling in town was that Goje would oust Dankwambo.

Ibikunle Amosun: Consumate philanthropist Continues from page 40 Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). In the same year, he established the highly successful Accounting Firm of Ibikunle Amosun & Co. (Chartered Accountants). In 2003, he was inducted as a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the Institute of Taxation (FITN).

His Philosophy: A social welfarist, he believes that the rich are obligated to cater for the poor and underprivileged in the society. His government policy thrust is anchored on a strong partnership between public and private sectors. While the government has the responsibility to provide the enabling environment, to achieve sustainable economic growth and social development, the private sector must play the pivotal role.

Senator Amosun’s work rate and capability for critical thinking remain his core leadership attributes, in addition to commitment to transparency and accountability. He approaches every responsibility and task with an infectious passion, commitment and perseverance. A hands-on leader who leads by example, he has the knack to identify, assemble, and nurture

talents to create motivated teams with capacity to deliver optimal outcomes.

Philanthropy: SIA believes that the provision of amenities and social development cannot be left to government alone. He therefore instituted a scholarship scheme in 1986, several years before venturing into politics, which he later institutionalized by setting up the Senator Ibikunle Amosun Scholarship Foundation (SIASF) on Thursday, 7 July 2005. He has awarded scholarships to over 1,000 students of Ogun State origin, in various institutions of higher learning.

A consumate philanthropist, Senator Amosun’s generosity and quest to uplift others transcends the award of

A consummate philanthropist, Senator Amosun’s generosity and quest to uplift others transcend the award of scholarships

Sen Ibikunle Amosun scholarships. He has instituted various other subsisting empowerment initiatives for trade groups, artisans, communities, women and other vulnerable groups in the society. His Alma Maters – African Church Grammar School, Abeokuta and Ogun State Polytechnic (now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic), also in Abeokuta - have benefited from his generous disposition to give back to the society. He built and commissioned the Administrative Block at African Church Grammar School, among other similar gestures.

Laurels and Awards: His leadership qualities and outstanding achievements have earned him recognition nationally

It was not to be, as Dankwambo, like a lurking lion in the savannah devoured his political opponent in the election. Again, in October, the election petition tribunal upheld his election, thus confirming the ascendancy of Talban Gombe as a politician of note in the state. Indeed, in the whole of northern Nigeria, Dankwambo is now known as “The Last Man Standing” being the only governor left in the region on the platform of the PDP. Since becoming governor, Dankwambo, has tried to give Gombe a new face. His major achievements are in the area of road construction, education and infrastructure, especially water supply.

Shortage of teachers In the area of education, he set up the College of Basic Studies in Kumo, a College of Education in Billiri, and a School of Nursing in Kaltungo. The college of education, he said, needed to be set up because of the acute shortage of teachers for the primary and secondary tiers. In fact, he wants the teacher training colleges, long scrapped, back, to address these shortages.

What is more, Governor Dankwambo is executing uncompleted federal projects. He said he had to do this because at the rate at which the Federal Government funds the national budget, many of these projects will remain uncompleted for years, while the people continue to suffer.

These, and more are what qualifies Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo as one of Vanguard’s Governors of the year.

and internationally, some of these include: •Best Security Conscious State Governor in West Africa” by Security Watch Africa. In Accra, Ghana – October 2012 •Investment Development Icon Award for 2013 by African Leadership magazine in New York – September 2013 •Good Governance Award: Governor of the Fastest Growing State Economy by Businessday Newspaper in Lagos – November 2013 •National Honour Award: Commander of the Order of the Niger (C.O.N) by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan – September 2014 Personal Data: Born in Abeokuta on Saturday, 25 January, 1958, he attended the following institutions of learning:•African Church Primary School, Abeokuta (1965 – 1970) •African Church Grammar School, Abeokuta (1971 – 1977) •Ogun State Polytechnic (now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic), Abeokuta (H.N.D, 1979 – 1983) •University of Westminster, London (M.A. in International Finance, 2000) Senator Amosun is married to Mrs. Olufunso Amosun and the blissful union has produced five lovely children.

42—Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

Shettima: Standing straight in the storm of insecurity

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

I

T is perhaps the bold response of Governor Kasshim Shettima to the bestial inclinations of the Boko Haram sect that may have projected the administrative competencies of the Borno State governor to the fore.

Despite being in the theatre of operations of the antieducation sect, Governor Shettima has in five years unarguably spurned some of the most proactive education initiatives in the Northeast, and perhaps in the country.

Indeed, in his fitting response to the mission of Boko Haram, Governor Shettima has not just encouraged more of his people to seek western education, he has practically relocated a number of Borno State students to western countries to seek western education.

An agricultural economist, turned banker who rose to the position of General Manager in Zenith Bank before he was appointed Borno State commissioner for finance in 2007, Shettima’s drive to boost education in the state has been phenomenal.

The governor has thrown incentives including reviving the payment of transportation allowance to day school students, increased fivefold the provision for feeding of boarding students, and in seeking to further boost the capacity of pupils from the state towards achieving international acclaim, the Shettima administration has established seven bilingual schools.

International acclaim The incentives directed towards keeping students in school are besides the upscale infrastructure that have been provided by the Shettima administration. Many times at great cost, schools burnt down

by Boko Haram have been rebuilt. To fortify confidence in the students and teachers, many of the rebuilt schools in the state have been fenced.

Towards the sustainability of his education policies, the Shettima administration has also sought to boost the capacity of teaching staff through local and international retraining programmes. Besides, the governor was quick on assuming office to implement the CONTISS 2 salary structure for teaching staff.

Governor Shettima has also

Gov. Kashim Shettima

brought his training in agriculture to bear in his administration of the state. The governor was quick on coming to office in 2011, to commission experts including the present minister of agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh and a former minister from the state, Ibrahim Ali to lay a blueprint to promote agriculture in the state.

Perhaps, part of the result

of the intervention was the training of 420 youths in an Integrated Poultry Entrepreneurship, a scheme supervised by a Professor of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Kyari Sandabe.

Besides, the administration has also taken initiatives towards boosting irrigation farming and encouraging a number of graduates to go back to the land through incentives that also expose agriculture graduates to integrated farming within and outside the country.

Agriculture graduates

It is remarkable that in the face of all the assaults against him, with the bestial forces of Boko Haram on one hand and local political traducers on the other, Governor Shettima has remained focused

Agriculture graduates have been sent to Songhai Farms in Republic of Benin to learn integrated farming and 100 were trained in rice farming in Thailand, remarkably one of Nigeria’s major sources of polished rice.

The administration has also made major impacts in assisting small and medium scale farmers with the supply of subsidised mechanised tools including tractors.

Given the rampage of the Boko Haram sect, Governor Shettima could have used the excuse of the insurgency to lower the template of good

governance. Unlike some governors in that section of the country, he has even refused to relocate or turn himself into a visiting governor who comes once in a while to sympathise with his people.

Governor Shettima has rather made his presence felt on the ground, a visible leader in the face of one of the most bestial insurgencies to have surfaced the world. Remarkably, his support for the federal security operations is also largely unstated, but it is a known fact that a substantial proportion of resources have been devoted towards supporting the military operations in Borno State.

Governor Shettima who came into politics on the coat tails of his immediate predecessor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff made his achievements despite the substantial subterfuge of political detractors for most of the first term. It is remarkable that in the face of all the assaults against him, with the bestial forces of Boko Haram on one hand and local political traducers on the other, Governor Shettima has remained focused.

For his efforts in the face of all odds, Alhaji Kashim Shettima wins Vanguard’s Governor of the Year award.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016 — 43

Nike Akande:

A veritable corporate amazon

By Franklin Ali

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HIEF Dr. Mrs. Nike Akande will, Tuesday, clock one month in office. She took over as the second female president of Nigeria’s premier chamber of commerce, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Saturday, December 5, 2015.

A peep into her life and times showed that she was appointed Minister of Industry, Federal Republic of Nigeria in December, 1997 and re-appointed to the same Ministry in August, 1998. This made her a two-time Minister of Industry under different administrations.

She was the first Nigerian woman to become Minister of Industries. This was not surprising to many who knew her as a strong believer in the philosophy that industrialization is the key to economic development, poverty alleviation and eradication, as well as employment generation.

For Chief Akande, therefore, the double opportunity to serve as a minister in the Ministry of Industry was an opportunity to fulfil a passion.

Before her appointment as minister, Nike Akande’s professional career had virtually been in the private sector, although she had in the past 25 years been closely involved with government on economic and industrial issues. She is a member of the board of Union Bank of Nigeria Plc.

Foundation member She is also a board member of NEPAD Business Group of Nigeria, a foundation member of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and a member of the African Foremost Industrialist, Business and Management Consultant and Nigeria’s first female Minister of Commerce and Industry as well as the Business Roundtable (ABR).

Dr. Mrs. Nike Akande is a Director; PZ Cussons Foundation, Board Member; Bank Directors Association of Nigeria (BDAN), Chairman; Academy for Entrepreneurial Studies (AES) Excellence Club, President of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), honourary Life Vice President; National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture NACCIMA and President, Pan-African Organization for Women Recognition.

One of her major achievements in office was the revamping of the Onigbolo Cement Company, a NigeriaBenin Republic joint venture

Chief Mrs. Nike Akande

to its present level of profitability. She also particularly emphasized the adoption and revitalization of Industrial Development Centres (IDCs) across the nation, to support and help the informal sector operators in Nigeria in order to boost

industrial productivity. In December 1998, she broadened Nigerians Industrialization effort by successfully signing an Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement with Romania and Bulgaria – a cooperation which Nigeria is still benefiting from till today.

Dr. Akande was also head of Federal Government delegation to sign the Investment Promotion and Protection agreements with the Governments of Malaysia and South Korea in March 1998 and was also at the Head of Federal Government delegation on Investment Promotion drive to Taiwan on the invitation of the Taiwanese Government in March 1999 among others.

Postgraduate programme

One of her major achievements in office was the revamping of the Onigbolo Cement Company, a Nigeria-Benin Republic joint venture to its present level of profitability

She attended Queen’s School, Ede from 1958-1962 for her secondary education and started her ‘A’ level Programme at Queen’s College, Lagos in 1963, before proceeding to the University Tutorial College London, where she completed her ‘A’ level in 1964. Nike later attended North-Western Polytechnic London now known as University of North London from 1965-1968 where she studied Accountancy. She did her postgraduate programme at the prestigious

Harvard Business School, Boston, USA. She also attended a management development course at Oxford University, United Kingdom, and an advanced Management Course, at International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland. Nike is a patron of many social, professional and trade associations.

Professional and trade associations She is a member/Director of the Harvard Business School/ Alumni Association of Nigeria, Member of the Institute of Directors (IOD), Honorary Life Vice President of NACCIMA, and National Council member of Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria (MAN).

She is also the President of the National Association of Nigerian Women in Business (Lagos Chapter), Council member of the Nigeria-British Chamber of Commerce; Member of the African Business RoundTable (ABR),Member of Board of PZ Cussons PLC Charitable Foundation.

She is also a member of Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists, Women Wing (NASSI W.W), Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH), and Business & Professional Women, Lagos.

44—VANGUARD, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

Nigeria is too small for Igbo — ADAMU CIROMA MALLAM Adamu Ciroma, journalist, administrator, politician, former minister of different portfolios and erstwhile governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, is one of Nigeria’s leading statesmen. Ciroma, who was third in the 1978 presidential primaries of the defunct National Party of Nigeria, NPN, subsequently turned out to become a close confidant of President Shehu Shagari and served as minister in the Second Republic. He was also a close confidant of President Olusegun Obasanjo in the Fourth Republic and a rallying figure in the northern opposition to the 2011 presidential bid of President Goodluck Jonathan. Ciroma has largely kept out of the public eye despite the active participation of his wife, Hayiya Maryam Ciroma in the affairs of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. In this interview with Vanguard, he speaks on issues in his party, the PDP, the polity and among others. Excerpts:

•Ciroma: present government just settling in

By Henry Umoru

Y

OU have been quiet for long on issues. Why? There is no issue and I don’t have to talk to the media or anybody.

As a founding father of the PDP, a lot of things went wrong and the party lost after 16 years in government. What do you think really happened?

You are a reporter and you have been following events more than me. Some of the things which caused the downfall of the party, have already been reported by you, and some of them were the cause of controversy in the party, for example about the presidential candidate where he comes from.

Do you also agree that there were also issues of lack of respect, lack of internal democracy in the party?

Everything about Nigerian politics and the formation of PDP and the management of affairs during the PDP period are known by you and indeed by everybody and everyone is even tired of them.

Now even the new government that has not been formed yet properly has not settled yet, has not done anything yet, why do you want to confuse us again about the PDP period? You know everything about PDP period; you know everything they are doing even now. I don’t want to be in the press because you have come to ask me questions.

How can we get to the end of the Boko Haram insurgency?

The President has asked the

military to bring the insurgency to an end by the end of December, this is official, everybody has heard of it and everybody is praying for the success of the president and everybody wants to help. So we pray that what the President said comes true and we hope that this nation will be able to have peace.

Was setting a time line for it really feasible?

I am not a military personnel, I am not a member of the police force.

Worries about foreign exchange I am not a member of any of the security agencies; so I am not the one to answer that question.

How would you assess the government of President Muhammadu Buhari?

I have just told you that the government that was elected after the elections has not yet been properly established; ministers have just been named and approved by the Senate, the ministers are still familiarizing themselves with their ministries; so it is too early to ask what they have done or how they are doing it.

In fact, a lot of the worries people have now, is about the economy and the foreign exchange and things of that nature. It is now for the president to look at what the people are saying and deal with the problems of which they are throwing up and it is his duty to do that.

How will you assess the

present economic team of Mr President and his economic blueprint? And if you are to proffer an economic advice, what would you recommend?

You go and ask Udo Udoma and the Minister of Finance to explain to you their positions on things as they have outlined their programme to the President.I am not governor of the CBN now; I have not been the governor of the CBN for a long time.

Even, I was the minister of finance a long time ago. So all I know is that people are worried about foreign exchange, about financial transactions, about banking and I know that the government knows about these problems; though I expect the government to deal with them.

Nigerians will want to share in your experience on how you succeeded as finance minister and as CBN governor.

I did not have the same problem with the present government. I am old fashioned. Our view was that finance must deal with funding government activities, paying government workers, paying for economic development and once you put an item in the budget, you may consider it already done because government must find the resources to do them; in fact they will not put anything in the budget if they cannot find the resources to do them.

So our own way of doing things was old fashioned and when we say things you know, they will be done. But the present government is just settling in. I don’t know their plans.

Part of their plans is to deregulate the price of petroleum which could see the price go up in future. Is there hope?

Udo Udoma laid out his views of what is likely going to happen to the economy. The Minister of Finance has said she expected there should be a lot of hard times next year.

Alleged arms deals But I am sure that from now on, they are trying to ensure that only good things happen, that the problems they are afraid of will be avoided and I am sure that they are going to do their best.

Are you worried by the revelations on the alleged misuse of the security funds raised against the former National Security Adviser, Col. Samo Dasuki?

The issue of the alleged arms deals involving the former National Security Adviser is just something which is unfolding and you know that the matter is in court, the EFCC is trying to prosecute some of those involved and you can see the complication in public affairs where something begins with security adviser and ends up with the distribution of money at party level for the campaign.

So we are still in the middle of these things, we don’t know how it is going to end. You just for the time being take note that people are being arrested, some are being tried and some denying Continues on page 45

All I know is that people are worried about foreign exchange, about financial transactions, about banking and I know that the government knows about these problems

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016—45

Continues from page 44 receiving money from the security adviser. So the issues are going to clarify themselves in due course when EFCC has finished trying those who are accused.

Col. Sambo Dasuki mentioned that some party leaders were involved and they used it as campaign funds for the party, was it right and during your time did it happen that money maybe from the NSA or so, will be directed to the party?

Anything in politics, no matter how you deal with it secretly, eventually becomes public, eventually people will get to know about it. What didn’t get exposed didn’t happen.

So the issues they are having now are issues that have happened. It didn’t happen before and that was why it was not exposed. And I don’t know the details of what they did.

The PDP recently organized a national conference supposedly to heal wounds? Did they get it right?

You know it more than myself, you were there, you reported the thing. I was not there, they said I would be there, but I was not there. Did they not say I would be there?

Why didn’t you attend?

I was not there because I wasn’t clear in my own mind what they were trying to do.

Meaning they didn’t come to explain, they didn’t visit you.

They visited me, they explained, but I was not convinced.

Immediately after the election, two prominent PDP leaders resigned their positions in the party Adamu Muazu and the next day the chairman BoT, Chief Tony Anenih, what is your take on this?

I will not. Adamu Muazu is alive and well, the former chairman of BoT is alive and well.

Winning and losing It is more interesting to get them to talk than to ask me a retired person to talk about things which happened when I was not there.

Some people are still saying that PDP will bounce back. Do you think so?

Politics is a continuous event, whether you like or you don’t like it, there will always be politics.

Even if the Army is there, there will still be politics, so politics will continue.

And parties in government will eventually lose; every party in government will have to lose, so there is nothing new really about the party losing election, it is nothing new. So losing elections, people get worried about this, what is there in losing election; what is new about losing election. If you are talking about democracy you are talking of winning and losing and anybody can lose, anybody can win; events of today can change tomorrow.

one another in such a way that you will understand that you have life that is you relate with each other in a friendly way, in a stable way, in an understanding way.

Biafra, this Biafra, I tell my Igbo friends, Biafra, for what?

This Nigeria is too small for you Igbos. All over Nigeria you will see Igbos everywhere. If you go to Ghana, Igbos everywhere. If you go to Niger, Igbos everywhere. If you go to South Africa, Igbo everywhere; this Nigeria is too small for you. But now you want something smaller, what does it mean?

It means that people sometimes do things without thinking very deeply. But education is to enable you to think and to solve problems.

What the Igbos are saying is that they want Biafra; I just remember only recently the Yoruba leaders said they want to break, break from where. The Yoruba are probably the people who economically enjoy Nigeria more than anybody, economically. So why are they going? So my own problem with Nigeria is that many people say things without thinking.

Nigeria is too small for Igbo — CIROMA •Ciroma: We are just Nigerians, we are not even called Nigerians One of the problems of the party now is after Adamu Mu'azu resigned, stakeholders from the Northeast claimed that he should have been succeeded by someone from the region.

What is your take on this?

I don’t know what you are talking about, I don’t know about it. I cannot comment on what I don’t know. Is it a new thing for PDP to change their position? In 2011 when Yar‘adua died, wasn’t it still the time of the north to continue with the presidency?

Was it not changed?

So there is nothing new about these things. But everything you do have consequences and you must remember that you are going to pay for the consequences of your action.

In other words PDP paid the price for not allowing the north to continue This is your own saying; we have already done the political side in 2011.

So, do you think the NWC did a good thing now by zoning the presidency in 2019 to the north?

Where exactly in the north do you think it should go now because at least the North West has had its own share?

If you do the right thing you will reap good result; if you don’t do the right thing you pay.

What is your take on the intrigues that threw up an opposition party senator as Deputy President of the Senate and an APC Senate President that was opposed by his party?

All these things are happening in front of your eyes and the people who are doing it are still there, what is the need for a retired person like me to answer.

Nigerians will be happy to hear your views on this No, it doesn’t follow that way.

Just because I say I am right or

just because I say something they are doing is wrong, it doesn’t follow that way.

Deal with the current events and the current event is that the National Assembly; they are just settling in; they have just finished appointing the chairmen of their committees and they have disputes between themselves.

There is nothing new about that, it is normal.

How do you react to raging issues in the polity such as the agitation for Biafra, the faceoff with followers of Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky to the call for separation by the Afenifere following the kidnap of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae?

The education process up to University enables you appreciate how life unfolds and especially with your literature.

You will read about how people think, how they create plays and things like that; a lot of it is drawn from real life.

Prescribed way of living So you are talking about Nigeria, you are talking about people, living people, you are talking about people who are Muslims; you are talking about people who are Christians, you are talking about people who are pagans; you are talking about people who speak different languages, about Kanuris, about Fulanis in the Northeast; so life is dealing with all these complicated things, of people who are actually living.

There is no single prescribed way of how they are going to live.

We are just Nigerians, we are not even called Nigerians, we are

just black people living in this part. The British came and put us together and said we are Nigerians and eventually we all agreed with the British that we are Nigerians. And when we are unhappy, we say we are Biafrans or when we are not happy we will say we are Yorubas, but we say we are Nigerians.

So we are learning to live with one another, we accorded each other, so the way things will unfold, you cannot predict and you have to learn how to live with other people. Sometimes I wonder you Nigerians, are you real people? Don’t you know that we are coming together only a hundred years ago and we are still learning how to live with one another.

Economic development By the time the Europeans came, even the Yoruba people, did not even learn how to live with each other, they were fighting and all over the north, they were fighting everywhere, there were tribal wars.

Now we are at peace because of economic development, social contacts and things like that are happening, they are changing our ways of thinking, they are changing our ways of life, education is changing us. And sometimes when you ask questions you seem to be unaware that Nigeria is a complicated place, but not only Nigeria, Britain is a complicated place.

Look at how a lot of people from all over the world now are going to Europe, they want to go and live and enjoy, the Europeans are resisting. So you Nigerians, you must learn how to live with

What the Igbos are saying is that they want Biafra; I just remember only recently the Yoruba leaders said they want to break, break from where, the Yoruba are probably the people who economically enjoy Nigeria more than anybody, economically

46—Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

Lagos govt commends Glo, other sponsors on One Lagos Fiesta

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AGOS STATE Government has commended national telecoms operator, Globacom, and other organisations who supported the first-ever One Lagos Fiesta for making it a huge success.

The fiesta, an innovative five-day-long celebration in five locations across Lagos State, came to an end on Friday morning with a countdown and a spectacular fireworks display on the stroke of midnight of the New Year simultaneously at the 5 venues.

At the Badagry centre, Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Oluranti Adebule, expressed appreciation to Globacom and other sponsors for keying into the One Lagos Fiesta project.

She said the contributions of Globacom and other sponsors made the first edition of the project a tremendous success.

Globacom had through its participation introduced unique entertainment and a wide variety of side attractions that made the fiesta a memorable one for Lagos residents.

At the five locations, hundreds of fun lovers were present to enjoy the fun provided by Globacom's stand, which included facilities for snooker, table soccer, mock on-the-sport kick, and video games.

Other varieties introduced included “Karaoke night” which enabled Lagosians to try out their singing talent and win gifts, comedy night, which featured some of the most popular comedians in Nigeria and dancing competitions.

Globacom also brought several of its brand ambassadors to excite fun seekers at the venues.

Those who graced the stages in various locations during the fiesta included Odunlade Adekola, Basketmouth, Bovi, Pa Latin, Burna Boy and AY. This was highly appreciated by the crowd.

Narrating his experience at the Globacom pavilion in Ikorodu, one Ibukun Oluwole, said: “It has been fun coming to the Glo stand in the last couple of days and there has been no dull moment here.”

NEDCOM bill to rebuild N’East's destroyed communities, resettle IDPs —Ndume

By Ndahi Marama

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AIDUGURI—THE North East Development Commission, NEDCOM, Bill before the Senate will address the “comprehensive rebuilding” of communities destroyed by Boko Haram in the North East geopolitical zone, before the over 2.2 million Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in camps return to their respective communities, the Senate Leader, Senator Mohammed Ndume, has disclosed.

Ndume spoke, Sunday evening, to newsmen in Maiduguri at his Government Reservation Are, GRA, residence, on the rebuilding of destroyed communities; and return of IDPs to their communities in the affected Northeast sub-region of the country.

He said that the NEDCOM bill had scaled the second reading; while the third and final reading will be done this month before President Muhammadu Buhari’s assent.

He said by February this year, the rebuilding of all the destroyed communities will commence under various Implementation and Monitoring Committees, IMMC, in the six affected states in the North East.

“The NEDCOM bill, will be similar to that of the Niger Delta Development

Commission, NNDC, established by the Obasanjo administration in addressing the Niger Delta militancy in the South-South and South East geopolitical zones of this country,” said Ndume on the import of bill before the Senate.

He added that the reconstructions, rehabilitations and resettlements of the IDPs in 45 camps, will commence in all the captured and recently reclaimed council areas in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states. He, however, noted that

Borno State had the highest number of 20 destroyed communities, with Adamawa and Yobe states having six and two local government areas respectively destroyed by the Boko Haram insurgents between 2012 and 2015.

“The level of destruction by these insurgents was enormous and devastating in the council areas of Kukawa, Ngala, Bama and Gwoza bordering Chad and Cameroon. Some of these

communities were completely flattened with explosives and petro-bombs, as all the infrastructure facilities for water and electricity supplies, healthcare, schools and councils’ secretariat complexes were razed to the ground by insurgents,” said Ndume yesterday.

He also assured that before the end of this month, the NEDCOM bill will be ready for President’s assent to become law in addressing the North East’s socio-economic and development problems.

PARTY: From left, Mr. Kehinde Omotayo, Managing Director Parasol Integrated Serrvices Limited, co-sponsors; Mrs. Opeyemi Omotayo, Managing Director Character and More Organisation; Mrs. Eki Ogbon, Chief Bintu Fatima Tinubu, Iyalode of Lagos State, and Mrs. Ronke Solomon, wife of Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon, representing First Lady Lagos State, during the Character and More annual Christmas Children party, at Kingsway Road, Ikoyi, Lagos

Lagos APC re-assures of fruits of change

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HE LAGOS State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has assured Nigerians that despite the bleak global economic prospects, the citizens would reap bountifully in 2016 from the change they effected in the country’s political leadership last year.

The party in a statement in Lagos, by its Publicity Secretary, Joe Igbokwe, said that the APC government is prepared to unleash unprecedented economic recovery policies in 2016 despite the fall in the price of crude oil.

It assured that by the end of 2016, Nigerians will have cause to applaud the right political choice they made in 2015.

According to the statement: ”We want to assure Lagosians that the state will get better in 2016 as the APC government adds immensely to the rich culture of good and accountable, result-oriented governance. Lagosians have immensely benefitted from since 1998.

"We want to reassure Lagosians that the state will continue to witness tremendous growth and progress as it positions to drive Nigeria’s recovery from the past of corrupt dependence on oil.

“We want to assure Lagosians that the state will witness massive infrastructure development, huge job creation, great boost in security and enormous investments as the present state government

continues to aggressively pursue the goals of a huge mega-city where millions of Nigerians continue to fall back for succour following the global economic downturn and the immoral mismanagement of the country by the past PDP Federal Government.

“We equally assure Lagosians that the state and its people will rebound in the state’s role as the bastion of the progressive take-over of the country from the corrupt and inept past government that brought the country to its knees even in the race of unprecedented oil boom.

"We want to assure a Lagosians that Lagos will, for the first time, draw handsomely from the interface with the Federal Government to vastly improve the huge

infrastructure base of Lagos and create massive opportunities for Lagosians to benefit from the centre for the first time in the state’s illustrious history.

“We, therefore, urge the good people of Lagos to continue to support the government in the state to continue the envious development of Lagos as well as support the APC government at the centre as it navigates the country intricately from the sordid past of corruption, megalomania and waste to a certain future of change, recovery and renewal in 2016.

“Once more, we wish all the good people of Lagos State and all Nigerians a very fruitful and much resourceful 2016.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016—47

Dubai Shopping Festival 2016 set to elevate its 3 pillars

Kwara teachers begin strike over unpaid salaries

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I

LORIN— The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Kwara State has said primary school teachers in the state will embark on strike, today, to protest the non-payment of their four months’ salary arrears.

Chairman of the union, Comrade Musa Abubakar, made this known, yesterday, in Kaiama, Kaiama Local Government Area of the state.

The strike will begin just when schools are expected to resume from their first term holiday.

Abubakar said the union could no longer guarantee industrial harmony in the state following the nonpayment of their four months’ salary arrears.

He said the primary school teachers had been loyal and dedicated to duty in spite of the failure of the government to pay them salaries for months.

He said: “I want to believe they have tried. If the members of the National Assembly are not paid for four months, I doubt if you will see anybody in the red or green chambers.

“I recall in Oyo State; they were not paid for just two months and some House of Assembly members did not go to work.

“So, for us to have worked for four months without pay, I think the teachers have tried and that is why we told the government that we cannot guarantee any industrial harmony again.

“We cannot guarantee any teacher going to class from today to teach with an empty stomach except the problem is addressed.”

He explained that the union would start a sit-athome strike action beginning from today to press home its demand.

According to him, workers from other sectors will soon join in the strike action in the spirit of solidarity.

The NUT leader criticised the state government for creating a dichotomy between primary schools teachers and their counterparts in the secondary schools.

NEW YEAR SERVICE: From left, People's Warden, Mr John Akiola; Cathedral Provost, Very Revd Samuel Nwaeze and Bishop of Kaduna Anglican Diocese, Rt. Revd Timothy Yahaya during the New Year service at the Cathedral of St. Michael, Kaduna, yesterday. Photo: Olu Ajayi.

Don’t flee, we'll provide more security, Shettima tells Ali Dawari residents

By Ndahi Marama

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AIDUGURI — RESIDENTS of Ali Dawari village of Jere Local Government Area of Borno State, fleeing after last week's attack by Boko Haram, have been urged to stay back as the government is ready to deploy more security agents to the area.

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, who made the plea, said it is the government responsibility to protect their lives and property.

The governor said: “You should not flee, we will do everything possible to protect your lives and property, I came with the garrison commander, deputy commissioner of police and commanders of Civilian JTF. I assured you they are going to deploy more personnel to the village and right now your village will be surrounded with ditches.”

However, Governor Shettima, during his condolence visit to Ali Dawari over the attack last Sunday also ordered for the immediate release of N200,000 to themembersofthevigilantegroup in the area, adding that the 20 members of the Civilian JTF in the village will be paid N10,000 each monthly to patrol the village.

Speaking earlier, the village head of Ali Dawari, Bulama Mallam, told the governor that 16 males and 11 females were slaughtered in the village while others who sustained injuries were hospitalized at state Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri.

He said: “As the governor has assured of more security and with the immediate digging of the ditches to surround our village, we will stay back, as most of our people don’t have any other place to go.”

Also speaking, the state coordinator of the Civilian JTF, Abba Aji appealed to the Federal Government, corporate

organizations, and individuals to assist them with logistics to adequately fight the insurgents.

Zamfara APC explains Gov Yari’s absence at LG polls

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State has explained why Governor Abdulaziz Yari and other key party figures did not participate in Saturday’s local government elections in the state.

Speaking with journalists in Talata-Mafara, yesterday, Alhaji Sani Mono, the party’s scribe in the state, said it was a deliberate move to ascertain the capacity of upcoming party chieftains to handle such critical election matter.

He said: “They did not participate in the election because they wanted to see if they have successfully nurtured the party ’s upcoming leaders in the state.”

The governor and all National Assembly members from the state were absent during the polls which was, however, boycotted by the main opposition party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. According to the party in a statement by its state chairman, Hassan Nasiha, the PDP would not participate in an election organised by a government it was challenging its credibility at the Supreme Court.

The APC state secretary, however, chided the PDP, saying that its boycott of the local councils polls was because the PDP was “afraid of defeat.“

UBAI Shopping Festival enters an exciting new era after two decades of success with its 21st edition.

The festival is set to offer extraordinary experiences to residents and visitors from around the world. It will highlight the festival as the world’s most unique shopping experience.

DSF 2016 will run under the tag line “Unwrap the Exceptional” with visitors being offered the opportunity to rediscover their sense of wonder, happiness and excitement from a line-up of over 150 events and activities that will be unfurled during the 32-day celebration.

From internationally renowned events to celebrity icons, familyfriendly activities to pulsating live entertainment and mind blowing raffle promotions offering millions of dirhams in prizes, this year’s Dubai Shopping Festival has been taken to a new level of splendour by the organisers, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).

DSF 2016 will elevate the festival’s three main pillars of Shopping, Winnings and Entertainment through a range of events and activities for the whole family with its all embracing slogan “One World. One Family, One Festival”, is bringing together people from different nationalities in a reflection of the cosmopolitan character of Dubai.

Aviation fuel: NCAA lifts sanction on Lubcon

By Lawani Mikairu

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HE Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has lifted the sanction it imposed on Lubcon from supplying aviation fuel to domestic and foreign airlines at airports in Nigeria with immediate effect.

Lubcon is a key player in the oil and gas sector through the manufacturing, lifting, distribution and sales of petroleum and allied products According to Mr Adesoji Fagbemi, Group Executive Director, Lubcon Limited, the

lifting of the sanction was contained in a letter to Lubcon signed by the Director of Airworthiness Standards, Benedict Adeyileka, on behalf of the Director General of NCAA. Lubcon was among petroleum companies recently suspended from supplying aviation fuel to domestic and foreign airlines at airports in Nigeria.

The letter said: “The suspension was lifted as a result of certification of Lubcon’s aviation fuel supply

facilities by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). This certification was preceded by verification visits by top officials of the two regulatory agencies. These visits were found satisfactory.

“The certification of the Lubcon Aviation Depot has resulted in the facility becoming one of the best in the industry. This is a confirmation of the enviable standards maintained by Lubcon. Lubcon commends DPR and NCAA for their quality assurances meeting international specifications.”

48—Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

Jonathan’s campaign rice: Edo APC vows to petition EFCC, Presidency

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN—ALL Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State has described as laughable, the defence by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state that none of its governorship aspirants diverted rice meant for the state by the campaign organisation of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The party threatened to take evidence of the rice which indicated how the sticker of the aspirant was super-imposed on the sack of the 2KG rice while under it was the map of Nigeria with the inscription “Feed Nigeria Campaign 2015”, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Presidency for probe.

Some leaders of the PDP, led

by Okharedia Ihimekpen, had raised alarm last week, alleging that the governorship aspirant seized the rice meant for PDP members during Jonathan’s presidential campaign and shared it to his supporters this Christmas.

They urged the EFCC and the Presidency to probe the matter, adding that it was the same way that funds meant for the Jonathan’s election were siphoned in the state.

But the state PDP, through Mr

Chris Nehikhare, described the allegation as untrue, insisting that none of its governorship aspirants diverted rice meant for Jonathan’s campaign in the state.

However, the APC in the state through its state Publicity Secretary, Godwin

Erhahon, who displayed the rice to journalists, said the PDP members who were allegedly denied the rice brought the rice to him.

Displaying the rice to journalists, Erhahon said, “You can see that originally, what was written on the sack was Feed Nigeria Campaign

2015. But the aspirant superimposed his campaign sticker on it. Can somebody who is running for governorship write ‘Feed Nigeria Campaign’ in the rice he wants to share to his supporters? No. Rather, it should have been feed Edo State.”

CROSS OVER SERVICE: Regional Pastor, South-South Region, Christ Embassy Church, Rev. Tom Amenkhienan, welcoming Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo, to the New Year Eve/Cross Over Service at the General Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt.

Cleric predicts economic boom in 2016

By Davies Iheamnachor

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ORT HARCOURT—THE General Overseer of Abundant Life Evangel Mission, Apostle Eugene Ogu, has predicted that Nigeria will experience economic boom from the first quarter of this year.

Apostle Ogu, who made the prediction during the crossover night in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said that the Nigerian economy would bounce back strong to the amazement of Nigerians.

He noted that 2016 is a year of reaping the goodness of God. The clergyman also said that despite the fall in oil price which affected the economy of the world including Nigeria adversely, the countr y ’s currency will gain strength in the first quarter of this year.

Preaching on Upsetting the Set Structures, Ogu added that the doctrine of federal character as enshrined in the political system of Nigeria was evil.

He said: “Nigeria's economy will shock the nations of the world. 2016 is a year of divine promotion by the will of God.

No man or political party will ever toy with the destiny of Nigerians again. Those who dug the pit of corruption will fall into it.

“The change that Nigerians have been praying for from the past bad leadership is from God and not from man or any political

party. Nigerians will soon see the genuine change that is from God. The country’s naira will regain its strength in the first quarter of this year.”

1,000 patients in Delta community receive free medicare

By Stephen Mmadukwem

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VER 1,000 sick persons in Igbodo and Onicha Ugbo communities in Delta State have benefitted from a two-day free medical programme organised by the Dr. Isioma Okobah Foundation as part of its end of year activities.

The free medical programme which is an annual event by the foundation is aimed at reducing the mortality and morbidity rate among the people and provide quality health care to complement the health care delivery scheme of Delta State Government.

During the health fair, the

beneficiaries were diagnosed and provided with free medications to treat such common ailments as diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure and high cholesterol while the visually impaired received medicated glasses to boost their sight.

Addressing the participants, the sponsor of the programme and president of the foundation, Dr. Isioma Okobah, said that the free medical programme was to provide affordable, accessible and quality health care for the rural populace who she noted, rarely seek professional care when faced with health challenges.

She added that most of the ailments that led to the death

of persons among rural dwellers could be prevented if proper health care were provided.

Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Azinge, who declared the ceremony open, commended Dr. Okobah for the initiative, saying that the free health care programme would boost the health care delivery programme of the state government.

Azinge announced plans by the Delta State Government to re-introduce the free rural health care programme as a deliberate policy to boost the health needs of the rural populace in line with the health component of the SMART agenda of the Ifeanyi Okowa administration.

72 persons renounce membership of cult groups in Delta

By Ochuko Akuopha

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LEH—NO fewer than 72 cultists have renounced membership of their cult groups at Ibrede community, Ndokwa East Local Government Area, Delta State.

The cult renunciation exercise which was witnessed by the police, members of the community ’s vigilante team, Anti-Cult Volunteer Corp and the leadership of the community, coincided with the Ibrede Prayer/ Praise Day tagged “Victory in the Blood of Jesus Christ.”

President General of Ibrede community, Mr. Finbarrs Onomerike, in his remarks during the exercise, reiterated the resolve of the people to wipe out cultism from the area.

He commended the repented cultists for their decision to voluntarily renounce membership of their various cult groups, saying they had “chosen to move from darkness to light.”

Onomerike warned that the cultists who failed to renounce their cult memberships “due to shyness or otherwise” would incur the wrath of the law if found to be indulging in cult activities in the community.

On his part, the President, Anti-Cult Volunteer Corp, Mr. Austin Emuamaka, thanked the leadership of the community for assisting in hosting the event, advising the repentant cultists to remain positive in all their endeavours so as to create a peaceful environment that would pave the way for the much needed development of the community.

In his homily during the prayer and praise session, the guest speaker, Ven. Robert Oziwele, said God had decided to liberate the community from the hands of criminals and wicked elements.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4 , 2016 — 49

Vanguard CLASSIFIED

Kwara NLC boss tasks Buhari on recovered looted funds NON-PAYMENT OF SALARIES:

By Demola Akinyemi

I

LORIN—KWARA State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Yekeen Agunbiade has urged the federal government to intervene in the financial crisis over non payments of salaries in the states and local governments across the country by making the looted funds recovered, available to them to pay the backlog of salaries.

Agunbiade who gave the advise in Ilorin over the weekend during a chat with journalists on the state of the nation,explained that the distribution of such looted funds to the 36 states of the federation would assist states to meet challenges in the payment of outstanding monthly salaries to their workers and also carry out some urgent developmental projects.

He decried the current situation in some states of the federation where workers had not received salaries to celebrate the just concluded Maolud Nabbiy and Christmas celebrations due to non payment of their salaries by their various state governments.

Agunbiade stated that,the development was occasioned by the perceived non availability of funds as claimed by some state governments in the country adding that, “if President Muhammadu Buhari can

make funds collected from those that had looted public funds to states of the federation available, it will go a long way in cushioning the effect of dwindling financial situations in some states and thereby allowing states to add values to their teeming workforce”.

He noted that, “many workers cannot be promoted to the next grade level due to non availability of funds and if the looted funds can be distributed to

the states of the federation, a new lease of life would come to the teeming workforce and this would enhance productivity on the part of the workers.

Agunbiade also advised the state government not to abandon local government councils in the state.

He said that, the state government should continue to lend financial assistance to the councils in the bid to meet the yearning of the rural populace and also to assist teeming

workers at local government councils to move forward.

Agunbiade pointed out that, it was worrisome that councils in the state could not pay salaries of workers adding that, “the development has led the workers in the 16 local government councils to go on strike for the past one month now.”

The NLC chairman therefore called on the state government not to relent in its efforts to bring dividends of democracy to the rural populace in order to reduce poverty among the people of the grassroots.

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OKOJA—KEY leaders and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State numbering about 103 have thrown their weight behind the Governor-Elect of the state, Alh. Yahaya Bello.

Addressing a press conference in Lokoja, Saturday, the Forum said their decision to back Bello was premised on the need to respect the decision of the leadership of the party to settle for the Agassa-born politician as replacement for the late Prince Abubakar Audu.

The Forum also resolved to adopt Hon. Umar Imam, Member Representing Lokoja 1 Constituency in the State House of Assembly, as the leader of the party in the Local Government Area.

The Forum called on all party leaders in the state to rally round the Governor-Elect to make the state a centre of peace and development, assuring the Governor-Elect of the readiness of the people of Lokoja Local

Reconciliation of Names This is to affirm that the names Okoh Chukwugozi, Okoh Kenneth and Okoh Chukwugozi Kenneth are the same and one person. I now wish to be known and addressed as Okoh Kenneth Chukwugozi.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

EDIRIN—I, formerly known and addressed as Aleke Edirin, now wish to be known and addressed as Aleke O k e o g h e n e Emmanuella.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CROSS OVER: Wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode (middle), Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Olukunle Ojo (left) and Mrs. Landun Ogunbanwo, during the Cross Over Nite Service, at the Chapel of Christ the Light, CBD, Alausa, Ikeja.

Lokoja APC stakeholders back Kogi Gov-elect

By Kingsley Fanwo

OKAFOR—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Okafor Marvel Uche, and Miss Okafor Marvel Nneoma, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Okoh Marvel Uche.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Government Area to work with his administration.

The communique was signed by the trio of Hon. Alfa Imam Umar, Hon. Nda Aaron and Hon. Mahmud Mohammed. The Lokoja

Resolution is believed to be changing the political narrative of the Bello/Faleke political tango as Hon. Jibrin Buba is believed to be rooting for the emergence of Hon. James Abiodun Faleke as governor.

Speaking to our reporters at the end of the meeting, the convened, Hon. Nda Aaron told Vanguard that Lokoja Local Government party leaders and people are solidly behind Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello.

....As group lauds Wada over Ganaja Junction flyover project

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By Kingsley Fanwo

OKOJA—A political group, Project Win With Wada has hailed the governor of Kogi State, Capt. Idris Ichala Wada over the award of the Ganaja Junction Flyover contract, saying the flyover will ease traffic in the confluence City.

Addressing newsmen in Lokoja, Friday, a chieftain of the group, Hon. Matthew Ochada said the controversy trailing the governorship election in the state has not slowed down the pace of development by the governor.

He said the project, when

completed, will not only ease the traffic problems in the city, but also change the outlook of one of Nigeria’s oldest cities.

“The people’s governor has refused to be slowed down by the controversy which marred the Kogi governorship poll, but has instead, continued his giant strides as a governor who is committed to development.

“The Ganaja Junction has been the centre of Nigeria and putting a flyover there will ease traffic as well as make the town join the very few capital cities in Nigeria with flyovers. The people of the state will always appreciate the contributions of

Capt. Idris Ichala Wada”.

On the problem of workers’ salaries in the state, Ochada said the problem is national and called on the Federal Government to release the bailout approved for the state to take care of salary arrears.

Ochada said the governor remains a statesman who places the interest of the state above his political ambition, expressing confidence in the Election Petitions Tribunal to give justice in the case before it.

“We cannot comment on the chances of the governor in the case challenging the outcome of the election instituted by the governor before the tribunal. But Nigerians are watching to see how the tribunal will determine the case.”

O TA O G H E N E — I , formerly known and addressed as Emmanuel Otaoghene Shobor, now wish to be known and addressed as Emmanuel O t a o g h e n e Guoluvunu Shobor. All former documents remain valid. UBA PLC and general public please take note.

MOHAMMED—I, formerly known and addressed as Aisha Mohammed, now wish to be known and addressed as Aisha Usman. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

USORO — I, formerly known and addressed as Mrs. Patience Paul Usoro, now wish to be known and addressed as Miss Patience Jeremiah Ufort. All former documents remain valid. First Bank of Nigeria Plc and the general public please take note.

FOR ENQUIRIES CALL: 08028289689 08035449960

50 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016 — 51

EXECUTION OF CLERIC: Iran says Saudi 'll face divine revenge

Nigerian charged in sophisticated email scam arrested in Dallas

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AUDI Arabia will face “divine revenge” for its execution of a prominent Shia cleric, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned.

Ayatollah Khamenei described Sheikh Nimr alNimr as a “martyr” who acted peacefully.

Protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran late setting fire to the building before being driven back by police.

Several hundred people gathered outside the building again on Sunday afternoon.

The authorities have changed the name of the street on which the Saudi embassy stands, naming it after the executed Sheikh Nimr, one of 47 people executed for terrorism offences on Saturday.

But Ayatollah Khamenei said the cleric had been executed for his opposition to Saudi Arabia’s Sunni rulers.

“This oppressed scholar had neither invited people

Protesters at the Saudi embassy in Tehran, burning images of the Saudi king to armed movement, nor was involved in covert plots,” the ayatollah tweeted.

“The only act of #SheikhNimr was outspoken criticism,” he added, saying the “unfairly-spilled blood of oppressed martyr #SheikhNimr will affect rapidly & Divine revenge will seize Saudi politicians”.

Sheikh Nimr had been a figurehead in the anti-government protests that erupt-

ed in the wake of the Arab Spring up to his arrest in 2012.

Iran - Saudi Arabia’s main regional rival - has led condemnation among Shia communities over the execution.

The foreign ministry in Tehran said the Sunni kingdom would pay a high price for its action, and it summoned the Saudi charge d’affaires in Tehran in protest.

EU to fight Polish media law amid row over values

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senior EU official has threatened legal action against Poland’s new conservative government over its controversial media law.

The EU Commissioner for the Digital Economy, Guenther Oettinger, said: “There are solid grounds for us to activate the rule of law mechanism and put Warsaw under monitoring.”

Polish MPs have approved a law giving the government direct control over top appointments in

public broadcasting.

It undermines free speech, critics say.

In an interview with Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) newspaper, Mr Oettinger said he would raise the Polish media law issue at a meeting of the Commission on 13 January.

Under the EU’s rule of law mechanism, adopted last year, the Commission can escalate pressure on a member state to amend

any measure that is considered a “systemic threat” to fundamental EU values.

In the last resort, a state’s voting rights in the EU Council - where government ministers shape EU policy - can be suspended. The Commission is the EU’s top regulator, enforcing EU treaties.

On Saturday the directors of four channels of TVP - Poland’s public service television - resigned in protest at the new law.

Donald Trump defends Muslim ban call after al-Shabab film

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ONALD Trump has again defended his call for a ban on Muslims

entering the US after it was used in a propaganda video by Somali militant group al-Shabab.

Mexico mayor slain a day after taking office

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HE mayor of a city south of Mexico’s capital was shot to death on Saturday, less than a day after taking office, officials said.

Gunmen opened fire on Mayor Gisela Mota at her house in the city of Temixco, said the government of Morelos state, where Temixco is located. Two presumed assailants were killed and three others detained following a pursuit, said Morelos security commissioner Jesus Alberto Capella. He said the suspects fired on federal police

Gisela Mota and soldiers from a vehicle.

On his Twitter account, Morelos Gov. Graco Ramirez attributed Mota’s killing to organized crime, without citing a particular drug cartel or gang.

The Republican presidential hopeful said people had praised his courage in truthfully highlighting a “problem” that others preferred to ignore.

“Now people are getting involved” in the issue, he told CBS News.

Mr Trump’s call, after a shooting in the US, has been widely condemned.

Other Republicans, the White House, and the British Prime Minister David Cameron were highly critical of the comments, which followed the San Bernardino massacre, in which 14 people died.

Democratic presidential candidate and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that Mr Trump’s rhetoric was turning him into the “best recruiter” for the Islamic State militant group.

Nigerian man living in the U.S. on a student visa faces federal wire fraud charges in connection with a sophisticated email phishing scam targeting businesses.

Amechi Colvis Amuegbunam, 28, of Lagos, Nigeria, was arrested in Baltimore in August and charged with scamming 17 North Texas companies out of more than $600,000 using the technique. He remains in federal custody in Dallas. If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.

He is accused of sending emails that looked like forwarded messages from top company executives to employees who had the authority to wire money.

Amuegbunam tricked the employees into wiring him money by transposing

Amuegbunam a couple of letters in the actual company email, authorities said.

The FBI issued an alert earlier this year about the new cyberattack it called the “Business Email Compromise.” The FBI said it is a “growing fraud that is more sophisticated than any similar scam the FBI

has seen before.”

Federal officials say more than 7,000 U.S. businesses have been scammed out of a total of about $740 million.

“It’s a prime example of organized crime groups engaging in large-scale, computer-enabled fraud, and the losses are staggering,” said Maxwell Marker, an FBI agent who oversees an organized crime section, in a recent bulletin.

The FBI said it’s the work of organized crime groups from Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

The Dallas investigation began in 2013 when two North Texas companies reported falling victim to the scheme, each losing about $100,000, according to an FBI complaint.

RWANDA: Kagame’s third term nod irks US

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HE United States is “deeply disappointed” by Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s New Year ’s announcement that he would seek a third term in 2017, according to the U.S. State Department.

Kagame, who has been president since 2000, has effectively been in control since his rebel force marched into Kigali to end the 1994 genocide.

He had been limited to two terms, but Rwanda approved constitutional changes last year that would allow him to stay in power until 2034, if he wins elections.

“The United States is deeply disappointed that President Paul Kagame has announced his intention to run for a third term in office,” John Kirby, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, said in a statement late on Saturday.

The United States is a

major donor to Rwanda and provides military aid. It has long praised Kagame for transforming the nation since the genocide.

It has expressed alarm at the growing list of African leaders seeking to extend their time in of- Kagame fice.

Neighboring Burundi, runziza’s announcement which shares a history of he would seek a third ethnic fighting with term, which the opposiRwanda, was plunged tion criticized as unconinto chaos in April over stitutional.

President Pierre Nku-

Mauritania seeks escaped militant linked to 2011 plot to kill president

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AURITANIAN authorities have said they are hunting for an Islamist militant who escaped from prison where he was awaiting execution for his part in a plot to assassinate President Mohamed Ould Abdel

US shuts down drone operation base in Ethiopia

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HE U.S. government has shut down its drone operation base in southern Ethiopia, an embassy official announced.

A decision has been reached that the base in Arba Minch, 450 kilometers (280 miles) south of Addis Ababa, is no longer necessary, embassy spokesman David Kennedy told The Associated Press by email.

“U.S. military personnel are no longer in Arba Minch,” Kennedy said. “In our ongoing bilateral discussions on defense cooperation, we reached a mutual decision that our pres-

ence in Arba Minch is not required at this time.”

Ethiopian media reported about the base when it was set up in 2011 but the U.S. has never publicly confirmed its existence. A security expert in Addis Ababa, who insisted on anonymity for fear of Ethiopian government reprisal, said the base was used to attack Islamic extremists in Somalia.

Ethiopia is a staunch U.S. ally in East Africa and has sent hundreds of troops to Somalia to counter the Islamic extremist rebel group.

Aziz.

A statement released on public television late on Saturday urged residents to provide information on the militant, whom they named.

It did not say when or how he escaped.

He was arrested in 2011 over alleged links to three vehicles containing explosives heading for Mauritania’s coastal capital, Nouakchott.

One of the vehicles was said to have been targetting Abdel Aziz, who had ordered military strikes in Mali against jihadist bases in 2010 and 2011.

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for the plot in a statement released on jihadist forums, according to the SITE Intelligence Group.

Islamist groups hijacked a Tuareg rebellion in early 2012 to seize Mali’s desert north. A French-led intervention scattered them a year later, but Islamist fighters stepped up attacks in 2015.

52 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4 , 2016

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016—53

Mikel earns Hiddink’s plaudits J

OHN Obi Mikel earned himself accolades from Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink after a splendid performance in their 3-0 win at Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The 28-year-old Nigerian put up a disciplined and sturdy defensive display that caught the eye of not just the Chelsea manager but also football enthusiasts.

The Dutchman described Mikel as “the ideal player ” capable of giving stability to the Blues as he did in their Barclays Premier League clash with Crystal Palace.

“Mikel played very well. He is the ideal player to bring balance to the team. He knows the game very well and how to cope. To watch a player defend so elegantly is a beautiful thing,” said Hiddink of

•Hiddink

the Nigerian midfielder.

The Nigerian has now started in Chelsea’s last two league games at

Manchester United and Palace since the departure of Jose Mourinho.

Onazi hooks Sandra in Lagos

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I G E R I A international midfielder Ogenyi Onazi has married his fiancee Sandra Ogunsuyi in a private ceremony in Lagos on 29 December.

Onazi, who plays for

Lazio in the Italian serie A, and Sandra tied the knot at the marriage registry in Ikoyi.

They were joined by friends and family including former Super Eagles striker Ayodele

Makinwa, plus the groom’s brother Thompson Onazi and close friend Ifada Ighodalo.

“I thank God for such a special day. Getting married is a milestone in the life of a man; to get married to a woman who you love and who loves you makes it even more special,” Onazi said in the New Year.

The bride, who is a Public Administration

graduate, wore a low-cut white lace gown and hat for the ceremony. A reception followed at an exclusive gathering.

The pair, who have been engaged for a year, smiled for photographers as they left the wedding venue.

•Sokari

Sokari scores debut goal in Tunisia

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INGSLEY Sokari scored his first league goal of the season

for Tunisian club CS Sfaxien on Sunday.

The former Enyimba

Success on target in Spain

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HOOKED....Ogenyi Onazi and wife, Sandra after wedding.

C M Y K

I G E R I A N forward Isaac Success was among the goals for his Spanish club Granada as they edged Sevilla 2-1 in the Liga BBVA on Sunday.

Success and Adalberto Penaranda set Granada on the path to only their fourth win of the season in the Spanish t o p d i v i s i o n . Vi t o l o scored for the away team at Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes.

In the sixth minute, Success had a sight at goal from Edgar Mendez’s assist but the former Nigerian under-17 star fired right-footed from

outside of the goal area off target.

Eleven minutes later, Success scored. He poached away from the centre of the box after Ruben Rochina’s shot was saved by Sevilla goalkeeper.

Sergio Rico to give Granada CF a 1-0 lead.

Granada doubled their lead with eight minutes to the break through Penaranda’s right-footed strike.

Sevilla threw themselves back into the contest with a late goal before half time through Vitolo, who finished from close range.

Uche Agbo joined his Nigerian compatriot, Success, to help protect

their lead when he replaced Rene Krhin in the 72nd minute.

There was one last action to involve Success but it was not a positive finish to the contest. A minute to time, he was booked by the referee, Alberto Mallenco, for a foul.

Success has now scored four goals in the league for Granada CF.

International midfielder netted Sfaxien’s second in the 2-0 win over Zarzis at Stade Taïeb Mhiri.

Sokari’s effort on 66 minutes guaranteed maximum points and saw them stay on the coat-tails of the leaders Etoile du Sahel.

CS Sfaxien are now in second place on the Ligue 1 standings with 34 points from 14 points, one point adrift of Etoile after the same number of matches.

Junior Ajayi is the other Nigerian in the books of the Sfax-based club.

Wozniacki upbeat ahead of new number one struggled at season

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A R O L I N E Wozniacki hopes to remain injury free in 2016 as she is keen to improve further.

The former world

the big events in 2015 as she fell at the second round in three of the four majors, with a fourthround exit at Wimbledon her best Grand Slam result last year.

54 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

Tottenham deserve to win — Alli T OTTENHAM are disappointed not to have taken all three points against Everton, midfielder Dele Alli says.

Dele Alli believes a 1-1 draw against Everton was harsh on Tottenham following their display at Goodison Park.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side dominated the first half but were forced to come from a goal down after Aaron Lennon’s fine strike, with Alli’s brilliant finish levelling the score before halftime.

Hugo Lloris made a superb save to deny Muhamed Besic late on but Alli, who saw teammates Harry Kane and Ben Davies hit the woodwork early on, insists a win would not have flattered Spurs.

“We definitely deserved more. It shows how well we’re doing to come

away to Everton and be disappointed with a 1-1, but the boys played well,” he told Sky Sports.

Defender Toby Alderweireld agreed Tottenham merited maximum points, adding: “I think first half was one of the best this season, we were very unlucky and could’ve scored one or two goals.

“But we have a lot of character and we showed that after the goal. But I think we lost two points today.

“I think we’re very solid at the back, we have a lot of quality in front to make a difference. If we keep playing like this the results will come.”

UP TO IT . . . Tottenham Hotspur’s midfielder Dele Alli (2nd R) tries a shot at Everton during their English Premier League match at Goodison Park in Liverpool. Photo: AFP

I’ll live like a king in retirement, says Ronaldo W

Pardew marvels at Fabregas display

A

LAN Pardew felt Cesc Fabregas was the difference as Crystal Palace’s six-match unbeaten run ended with a 3-0 Premier League defeat to Chelsea yesterday.

Palace were without Yohan Cabaye through suspension and Fabregas made the most of the Frenchman’s absence by controlling the centre of the field at Selhurst Park.

The Spain international, heavily criticised by Chelsea supporters for his lacklustre form in the slump that saw Jose Mourinho part company with the club last month, dictated proceedings as Oscar, Willian and Diego Costa were on target to record the first win of Guus Hiddink’s second spell in charge.

Palace boss Pardew was also without forwards Yannick Bolasie, Dwight Gayle and Connor Wickham through injury and he suggested that the number of key personnel missing for the hosts took a toll.

Pardew C M Y K

JUST LIKE A KING . . . Real Madrid’s goal merchant yells as he celebrates.

ORLD Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed he will “live like a king” once his playing career comes to an end, but has ruled out a move into coaching when he hangs up his boots.

In a wide-ranging interview with Spanish newspaper El Mundo, he admitted football doesn’t always captivate his interest.

“I have a top life, but I think I am going to enjoy it more when I finish my career, when I have time to do what I like,” he said.

“Last Saturday there was a boxing bout in Las Vegas and I would have liked to take my friends and family to see it, and I couldn’t because I didn’t have time.

“I am not going to cry about it now because I am making a sacrifice in inverted commas, but after I want to live like a king.”

Ronaldo is the world’s

third highest paid athlete according to American business magazine Forbes with an annual income just shy of $80 million dollars.

And the 30-year-old believes he will continue to work on his brand once he retires from playing rather than a more traditional move into coaching.

Guardiola disappoints Thiago

B

AYERN Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara feels Pep Guardiola is the best coach in history, voicing his disappointment at the Spaniard’s decision to exit the club at the end of the season.

Guardiola confirmed last month that he is to leave Bayern when his contract expires in June, with former Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti to replace

him.

Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City have all been mooted as potential destinations for Guardiola - who brought Thiago to the Allianz Arena from former club Barcelona in 2013.

Having played under Guardiola at Bayern and Camp Nou, the Spain international has lauded the 44-year-old’s coaching abilities.

Godin backs Atletico for trophy

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IEGO Godin has warned Atletico Madrid’s title rivals that his team-mates are hungry for trophies having hit the front in La Liga.

Atletico secured a 1-0 win over basement boys Levante on Saturday, capitalising on Barcelona’s goalless draw with Espanyol in the Catalan derby earlier in the day to go two points clear at the top.

Champions Barca have a game in hand, but Godin hopes Atleti’s lofty status can inspire their efforts across La Liga, the Copa del Rey

Godin and the Champions League.

“This strengthens us to continue working in this way, knowing that we must improve

things,” said the Uruguay defender, as quoted by AS. “We are aware that much remains and that we are on the right track.

“We are also excited [to lead La Liga]. We are a very ambitious team, we will keep fighting until the end and try to win every game to fight in every competition.”

Atletico travel to Rayo Vallecano in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, having beaten their city neighbours 2-0 in La Liga earlier this week.

TRUE FRIENDS . . . Pep Guardiola (L) and Thiago

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016—55

Don’t move yet—Musa advises Ighalo S

UPER Eagles captain and CSKA Moscow winger, Ahmed Musa believes a move to a “bigger” club could have a negative impact on the career of Watford attacker, Odion Ighalo.

Ighalo has been a revelation for the Hornets this campaign,

Tornadoes storm Ilorin for pre-season

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ROMOTED side, Niger Tornadoes will storm llorin, Kwara state today for a three-week pre-season camping prior to kickoff of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) later in the month.

The Nigeria National League (NNL) Super Four champions are one of the promoted sides to the NPFL together with Plateau United, MFM FC and Ikorodu United.

An official of the Minna outfit, George Daniya said the management committee, led by Hon Adamu Aliyu Mohammed approved the pre-season exercise aimed at putting the side in top form ahead of the commencement of hostilities in the elite league.

hitting 14 league goals to power the newlypromoted side to the top half of the Barclays Premier League standings.

Spanish club, Atletico Madrid reportedly watched him on no less than five occasions this season with a promise to double his wages as they tried to lure him with the prospect of tabling a £12 million pound deal for his services.

Musa however feels a move in the January transfer window would unsettle Ighalo.

“When it comes to issues like these, you usually leave the decision to the person that it affects directly so it is not really for me to say.

“However, if I was to advise him, I would ask him to remain at Watford at least for now because if he leaves, it could affect him.

“I also believe he will score a lot more if he chooses to remain at Watford,” Musa.

The Super Eagles captain concluded by voicing his sentiments on the “important” role he expects Ighalo to play in Nigeria’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying double header with Egypt in March.

“He (Ighalo) is one of the players we expect to play an important role in the two games against Egypt in March.

“I am sure he will do well and that will help us to qualify for the Afcon,” he said.

Watford have since issued an official statement to the effect that Ighalo is not for sale under any circumstances.

•Biffo

Eagles continued from B/P after their flight from Lagos down to Johannesburg before connecting Pretoria, but had to start training yesterday morning.

“Hard work begins in Pretoria.” the tweet read.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has debunked the news in some sections of the media that the team are C M Y K

camping in Cape Town.

In a tweet on @thenff, the federation said: “Clarification: The Super Eagles B delegation to pre CHAN training camp is travelling to Pretoria, not Cape Town.”

The home Eagles will play two friendly matches against Angola and Ivory Coast while at Pretoria camp to fine tune their preparation for the CHAN, which is being played by players in the domestic leagues on the African continent.

Rangers shop for technical director

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NUGU Rangers have announced they will interview candidates for the team’s posts for technical director and team manager on Friday, January 8.

According to a statement signed by Rangers spokesman Foster Chime, applications for these positions are expected from Monday.

Already the club have confirmed the reengagement of Imama Amapakabo is head coach on a year’s deal.

He will be assisted by Chukwuma Agbo and Tony Bulus Tokpe and John Edeh.

Goalkeeper trainer is Shuabu Sulaiman with Obeta and Ndubuisi Ajomiwe as trainers.

•Igbalo

CHAN: Eagles target trophy A

SSISTANT Super Eagles Coach, Salisu Yusuf, has declared that the target for Nigeria at this month’s African Nations Champion-ships, CHAN, is the trophy.

Coach Salisu told reporters at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos before the

Angola continued from B/P before they are expected to wrap things up against Mali on January 13.

There is talk of a fourth friendly against Lesotho, which could take place

Oliseh continued from B/P supervision.

“Oliseh is fully recovered now. We met him at the hotel on our arrival and he started training the team today (Sunday),” disclosed Oliseh’s special assistant Tijjani Babangida.

“He put the boys

departure of the homebased team to Pretoria, South Africa for their training camp.

“The target is the trophy I must say as we have selected a crop of quality players that have been doing well for their various clubs. All we want now is for Nigerians to be behind

us and pray for us so we can return with the trophy” the Coach stated.

The home-based Eagles team will be campaigning in Group C of this year’s championship alongside 2011 winners Tunisia, Niger Republic and Guinea.

before the Nigeria match.

CHAN kicks off on January 16 in Rwanda and Angola’s first game will be against Cameroon at Stade Huye in Butare a day later while they will also face Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia in Group B.

continued from B/P consecutive 90 minutes in the League since Guus Hiddink took charge of the Blues and the once out-of-favour midfielder is finding his confidence back with the Manager who gave him an FA Cup final full appearance and a title back in 2009. ‘ It was a great result for the team, we’ve been training hard and I think the result is becoming evident on the pitch. ‘ We’re not where we should be now in the table but if we keep getting this sort of wins, we will move up and be where we are supposed to be in the table,’ he told Skysports after the game.

His coach was not oblivious of Mikel’s

through their paces, correcting their mistakes and joining them in the game itself. He’s looking a lot healthier.”

On Wednesday, the Eagles will play a warmup game against another CHAN-bound team Angola.

They are also slated to face Cote d’Ivoire on January 11 before they depart for Rwanda.

Mikel

•Amapakabo pivotal role in the team’s overall performance. Hiddink said, “it’s possible to have three very creative players but in this league, which is one of the most competitive leagues in the world, it’s difficult. That’s why we looked for the balance and played Mikel”.

The Afternoon was wet as rain splashed while the winds whizzed but Hiddink’s men defied the elements to reward the Dutch-tactician his first win in 3 games.

Subsequently, the result saw the champions jump to 14th on the table and will next face West Brom at the Bridge- the only other team they ’ve beaten away this season-.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016

CHAN: Eagles begin training in Pretoria

Oliseh bubbling again N

IGERIA coach Sunday Oliseh is fully recovered from a virus infection that kept

T

HE home-based Super Eagles of Nigeria have begun the second phase of their preparation for Rwanda 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Pretoria, South Africa.

The team, who will feature in CHAN, which kicks off on 16 January in Kigali, arrived the South African capital city Saturday with the plan to train at a location that has the same high altitude as the one they will experience in Rwanda.

A tweet posted on the official tweeter handle of the Super Eagles revealed that the team and their coaches did not have the luxury to rest

Continues on Page 55

Continues on Page 55

IFE is certainly looking better for Super Eagles and Chelsea midfielder, Mikel Obi who put in

•Oliseh

Angola confirm Eagles friendly T ROCK SOLID: Super Eagles and Chelsea FC midfielder, Mikel Obi put up a stellar display against Crystal Palace in an English Premier League match at Selhurst Park yesterday. Chelsea won 3-0

Mikel sparkles in Chelsea win L

him away from Nigeria and has already got cracking in his preparations for the 2016 African Nations Championship, CHAN, which kicks off on January 16, officials have said.

Oliseh, who was not part of the team’s training camp in Abuja, received the Eagles squad Saturday night in Pretoria and the following day they were training under his

another stellar performance for the Champions who ran an away with a 3-0 win against city rivals Crystal Palace

yesterday. The 28-yearold Nigeria international played the duration of the game at Selhurst Park and was effective sitting

in front of the Chelsea back four.

It was Mikel’s 2nd

Continues on Page 55

HE Angola national team will play friendlies against Nigeria, Guinea and Mali as part of their preparations for the 2016 African Nations Championships (CHAN).

The Sable Antelopes are currently on a training camp in South Africa and their first match will be against

Nigeria on January 6 with the Guinea game scheduled for January 10 Continues on Page 55

RESULTS

Crystal 0 Chelsea 3 Everton 1 Tottenham 1

•Akas

QUICK CR OSS WORD CROSS OSSWORD

T OD AY'S PUZZLE ODA

FRI DAY'S ANS WERS FRID ANSWERS

Crossword Across 2 Smell (5) 7 Pass (4) 8 Snub (6) 9 Attire (5) 11 Dog (3) 15 Stagger (4) 16 Circuit (3) 18 Destiny (4) 19 Liberate (4) 20 Declare (4) 22 Gaelic (4) 23 Harmed (7) 25 Frank (4) 27 Guided (3) 28 Present (4) 30 Free (3) 31 Performed (3) 33 Destroy (5) 36 Comfort (6) 37 Thought (4) 38 Giant (5)

Down 1 Obscure (5) 2 Append (3) 3 Poem (3) 4 Donkey (3) 5 Gain (3) 6 Dupe (5) 10 Stop up (4) 11 Maker (7) 12 Ebbed (7) 13 Wed (7) 14 Renovated (7) 16 Lawful (5) 17 Heaped (5) 18 Charged (3) 21 Managed (3) 24 Equipment (4) 26 Fulcrum (5) 29 Ascended (5) 32 Cushion (3) 33 Damp (3) 34 Newt (3) 35 Family (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS Across: 1, Scrub 5, System 8, Noble 10, Bridal 11, Avid 14, Talent 15, Garnish 18, Tea 19, Tar 21, Dray 23, Petal 24, Held 27, Red 29, Eel 31, Disease 32, Master 34, Sage 35, Amazed 38, Allot 39, Roller 40, Berth.

Down: 2, Car 3, Undone 4, Boa 5, Seat 6, Soiled 7, Mostly 9, Bluster 12, Vat 13, Dear 16, Ague 17, Hated 20, Radical 22, Alas 23, Hamper 25, Less 26, Detail 28, Debate 30, Leg 33, Rear 36, Mob 37, Eft.

How to Play Sudoku

P

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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