FG plans new prices for fuel, as scarcity lingers

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 63000

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N200

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

Host community fund not removed from new PIB — Draft committee member >>9

FG plans new prices for fuel, as scarcity lingers Scarcity to end Thursday in Abuja, Lagos; weekend, in other states Apologise to Nigerians, Sen. Ohuabunwa tells Buhari We are not responsible for fuel scarcity —IPMAN Long queues takeover major roads in Lagos

By Sebastine Obasi, Mike Eboh, Joseph Erunke & Ediri Ejoh

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A G O S — NIGERIANS might have to pay more for petrol in the days ahead, as the Federal Government, yesterday, disclosed that it would review the price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol, next month.

This came as the Acting Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, Mrs. Sotonye Iyoyo, called on the Federal Government

Continues on Page 5

SARAKI AT CCT—Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, during his ongoing trial on alleged false asset declaration at the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

How Alake, Awujale aided my return to APC— OSOBA 6

COLUMNISTS: ENUGU 76: How they ended up in prison while searching for their women See Inside C M Y K

The Nigerian elite's aversion to competition •P.17

He weeps after sex •P.40

Saraki's aides made 70 lodgements into his account in one day If trial is fair, I'll be vindicated — Saraki 2

2 pregnant women collapse, die during teachers' verification in Bauchi 10 Mr & Mrs

2—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

DOCKED: Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki (on white), during his ongoing trial at

the Code of Conduct Tribunal, in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

Saraki’s aides made 70 lodgements into his account in one day —EFCC If trial is fair, I'll be vindicated —Saraki Loyalists weigh resignation option for Saraki

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri & Joseph Erunke

A

BUJA — FULL-BLOWN trial of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, kicked off before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, sitting in Abuja, yesterday, with the Federal Government producing its first witness to testify against him.

This came as Saraki said he was glad that his trial before the CCT has finally commenced, yesterday.

The trial commenced shortly after Saraki, through his consortium of 80 lawyers, failed to persuade the Justice Danladi Umar-led tribunal to suspend hearing on the 13-count criminal charge bordering on his alleged false declaration of assets.

Saraki had at the resumed sitting on the matter, yesterday, prayed the tribunal to stay further proceeding on the matter to enable the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal determine an appeal he lodged against his trial.

He went before the appellate court to challenge the jurisdiction of the tribunal to try him on the basis of a charge he said was legally defective.

The defendant, who predicated his application on the provision of Section 305 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015, urged the tribunal to, in-line with judicial hierarchy, hands-off the matter to enable the higher court determine the propriety or otherwise of the charge.

Meanwhile, after listening to arguments from the defence lawyer, Mr. Paul Usoro, SAN, and the prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, the tribunal declined to stay the proceeding, even as it gave the Federal Government the nod to call its first witness.

Immediately the tribunal refused Saraki’s application, a Principal Detective Superintendent with the

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Michael Wetcast, mounted the witness box and disclosed how the Senate President used two of his domestic staff to divert public funds into his personal bank accounts.

Wetcast, who headed a threeman team that investigated the alleged “suspicious transactions” involving the defendant, told the tribunal that the funds which he said were looted from Kwara State treasury, was diverted into an account the defendant operated with Guarantee Trust Bank.

He said whereas one of Saraki’s aides, Abdul Adama, on a single day, made cash lodgements 50 times on the same account to the tune of between N600, 000 and N900, 000, another domestic staff simply identified as Ubi, made 20 cash lodgements into the same account the same day.

The witness told the tribunal that Saraki operated three different bank accounts with GTB. According to the witness, “the defendant was governor of Kwara State between 2003. Shortly after the expiration of his second tenure in 2011, the commission received several petitions from various groups.

“One of the groups was Kwara Freedom Network. They wrote several petitions all bordered on allegation of abuse of office against the defendant, misappropriation and money laundering. These petitions were assigned to other teams for investigation.

Companies linked to Saraki

“While investigation was ongoing by the team, sometimes in 2014, the then Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, received an intelligence report of suspicious transactions relating to the defendant.

“On receipt of the report, he

set up a team of three investigators headed by my humble self. The other members were Chris Odofin and Nora Bako. Our task was to conduct further investigation on the intelligence report and submit our findings.

“The investigation report was reviewed by my team and in the course of further investigation we discovered that there were several companies linked to the defendant.

“Some of these companies include Cailise Properties and Investment Limited, Skyview Properties Limited, Limkers, Tiny Tea Limited and several others.

3 accounts with GTB

“Some of these companies maintain account with Guarantee Trust Bank, Zenith Bank Plc, Intercontinental Bank now Access Bank. In th cause of the investigation, we discovered that the defendant maintains three accounts with GTB. “The first is naira currency account, the second is US dollar currency account, while the third is pound sterling account.

“The accounts were analysed in the course of the investigation.

The first account which is naira account was analysed an it was discovered that between 2005 and 2013, the account had total inflow and outflow of over N4 billion.

“We also discovered that the major source of inflow into the account was loans taken from GTB within the period. The loan disbursement into the account was about N2.5 billion and other source of inflow into the account was massive cash lodgements by individuals. Other inflow was from Cailise Properties and Investment Limited.

“My lord, it was also discovered that most inflows into the account were basically used for acquisition of property.

“The dollar account was also analysed. We discovered that the

major source of inflow into the account was from Cailise Properties and Investment Limited, which was over $2 million. Another source of inflow into the account was from Bureau de Change companies, as well as cash lodgements by individuals.

“The total turn over of the dollar account between 2009 and 2013 was over $6 million. The total inflow into the account we discovered that up to $3.4 million was wired to American Express Services Europe Limited, which was used to fund the defendant's American Express Service Newyork Card account number, 374588216836009.

“The other part of fund into the dollar account was changed into pound sterling and also wired into the Europe to Fortis Bank for purchase of a property in London.

The amount wired was over £1.5 million.

“From the telex transfer documents made available to the investigation, and also from the position of GTB which was invited, it is suggested that the account belongs to the defendant.

70 lodgements in one day

“The cash given to him were normally lodged at GTB located at GRA in Illorin. From the lodgements, we discovered that one Ubi, who we don’t have his second name, on a single day, made five separate lodgements of N77 million.

“We also discovered another name, Abdul Adama, who on a single day made lodgements 50 times on the same account. The sum was dropping between N600,000 and N900,000.

“Shortly after that lodgements by Adama, the same Ubi made lodgements on the same day 20 times in the same range of N600,000 and N900,000.

“We looked for Adama and invited him. He also reported and stated that the cash sums were handed over to him by the defendant and stated further that the sum lodged into the same account by Ubi was from him.

“Both Adama and Ubi were personal assistants to the defendant while he was governor.

Adama was personal assistant to the defendant on domestic matters.

“After these individuals made the lodgements, the pattern of the cash movement changed. The

range of the figure (N600, 000 to N900, 000) was still the same, but what changed was that this time, several individuals were making the lodgements in large numbers on the same day.

“Further investigations revealed that those individuals were fictitious. The investigation team took up the matter with the bank and they said that they had done the needful by drawing a report and forwarding same to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, and they finished evidence to that effect."

Meantime, the tribunal, yesterday, adjourned the matter till today to enable Saraki’s lead counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, cross-examine the witness.

Loyalists weigh resignation option for Saraki

Meanwhile, ahead of the expected judgment of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, on the trial of Senate President, Saraki, his supporters in the Senate are considering options to manoeuvre him and the institution of the Senate towards a safe landing.

Among the options considered at the end of the first full day of trial at the residence of the Senate President, yesterday, was the option of resignation. However, that option was being put on hold upon mutterings of a lack of a clear succession plan.

A source disclosed that Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, senators and their colleagues in the All Progressives Congress, APC, were divided on which of the two parties would produce a possible successor.

If trial is fair, I'll be vindicated —Saraki

Saraki said yesterday’s proceedings had given him confidence that if the trial was conducted fairly, he would be vindicated.

He noted that even though the prosecution tried to bring in some dramatic narratives, it was clear that they were merely thrashing around and hoping to titillate the public with salacious tales.

He added that he was hopeful, however, that when the time came, his lawyers would have the opportunity to present his case.

The Nation holds forum on economy

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AGOS — TO chart a way forward for the country’s economy amid its current downturn, the management of The Nation newspaper, said it was set to hold the maiden edition of its National Forum on the Economy.

The forum, which is in collaboration with CEEDEE Resources, is themed: "National Economy: The way Forward," and will take place in Lagos, between April 7 and 8, 2016.

According to the organizers, “the forum is a response initiative to complement the current efforts to reposition the nation’s economy.

It is also expected to have influential inputs by major

stakeholders of the economy, particularly the private sector international organizations and foreign missions.

The event, which has the governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, as the host, will be graced by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who will give the keynote address, along with state governors and ministers who are guest speakers.

Also, the event is designed to achieve twin purposes through conference and exhibitions. The exhibitions by participating states will focus “Inter and Intra Regional Competencies” and “National Growth Through InterRegional Cooperation.”

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016 — 3

4 —VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

Iceland’s PM resigns over Panama leaks Zuma survives Nkandla company called Wintris in

ICELAND’s prime minister has resigned following massive protests in the wake of the Panama Papers investigation which revealed how the world’s wealthy avoid tax.

S i g m u n d u r Gunnlaugsson stepped down on Tuesday hours after thousands of protesters gathered outside parliament to demand his resignation.

Agriculture Minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson confirmed to Icelandic broadcaster RUV that Gunnlaugsson was stepping down as leader of the country’s coalition government.

Gunnlaugsson is the first major scalp from a leak of more than 11 million documents from Mossack Fonseca, a Panamanian law

firm, showing tax-avoidance arrangements of the rich and famous around the world.

Gunnlaugsson was among the names mentioned in the so-called Panama Papers, which were published on Sunday.

The leaked documents allege that Gunnlaugsson and his wife set up a

the British Virgin Islands with the help of the Panamanian law firm.

Gunnlaugsson is accused of a conflict of interest for failing to disclose his involvement in the company, which held interests in failed Icelandic banks that his government was responsible for overseeing.

Iceland’s Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson leaves the residence of Iceland’s President, Olafur Ragnar Grimsson yesterday

impeachment vote

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ARLIAMENT in South Africa has voted not to impeach President Jacob Zuma, despite a court ruling against him.

The governing African National Congress (ANC) defeated the oppositionsponsored motion, saying Mr Zuma was not guilty of “serious misconduct”.

Last week, South Africa’s highest court said he had breached the constitution by failing to repay public money used to upgrade his private home.

The opposition said Mr Zuma was a “crooked” president, not fit to govern.

After a rowdy debate,

Zuma with MPs heckling and shouting at each other, a vote was called in the lower house, the National Assembly.

The motion was backed by 143 MPs and opposed by 233.

Mr Zuma was not present.

The ANC had denounced the impeachment proceedings as a publicity stunt.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) needed a two-thirds majority - 267 MPs out of 400 - to impeach Mr Zuma.

GENOCIDE: ICC dismisses case Trump to cut off immigrants’ cash to Mexico against Kenya’s VP

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ONALD Trump wants to force Mexico to pay for a giant wall along the southern US border by threatening to cut off billions of dollars sent home by Mexican immigrants, a US newspaper reported Tuesday The Republican frontrunner’s promise to build the wall, in a bid to stop illegal immigration, and force Mexico to foot the estimated $8 billion bill is a cornerstone of his increasingly under fire campaign for the presidency.

Long dogged by questions about how he would

force the Mexico to pay for a project, The Washington Post said Trump gave them a memo outlining his plans.

In the two-page document, Trump threatened to change a rule under the antiterrorism Patriot Act that would cut off a portion of the funds sent to Mexico through money transfers, the newspaper reported.

The billions of dollars wired home by Mexicans living overseas each year is one of the most important sources of income for Mexico along with oil and tourism.

The Post said the feasibil-

ity of Trump’s plan was unclear both legally and politically, and that the idea could decimate the Mexican economy and set up an unprecedented showdown between the United States and a key diplomatic ally.

Trump’s memo said the threat would be withdrawn if Mexico made “a onetime payment of $5-10 billion” to pay for the wall, the newspaper said.

“It’s an easy decision for Mexico,” it quoted Trump as saying in the memo, which the Post said was written on campaign stationery.

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HE International Crimi nal Court (ICC) has terminated the case against Kenya’s deputy president William Ruto and ended his trial, saying there is insufficient evidence he was involved in deadly violence that erupted after his country’s 2007 presidential elections.

Tuesday’s announcement marks the second time the court has had to admit defeat in its attempts to prosecute alleged ringleaders of the violence that left more than 1,000 people dead and forced 600,000 from their homes in Kenya.

Ruto, 49,and his co-ac-

Turkey to strip terrorism supporters of citizenship

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URKEY should consider stripping supporters of terrorism of their citizenship, President Tayyip Erdogan said, adding that the government had “nothing to discuss with terrorists”.

His comments on Tuesday, in a speech to a group of lawyers in the capital Ankara, come a day after he ruled out a revival of peace talks with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Turkey regards the PKK as a terrorist organisation.

“To prevent them from doing harm we must take all measures, including stripping supporters of the terrorist organisation of their citizenship,” he said.

“These people don’t deserve to be our citizens.

We are not obliged to carry anyone engaged in the betrayal of their state and

their people.

“Supporters [of terror] who pose as academics, spies who identify themselves as journalists, an activist disguised as a politician ... are no different from the

terrorists who throw bombs.

“But like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, they serve the same purpose as the members of the terror organisation. As a nation we need to be careful.

Myanmar: Parliament approves Suu Kyi’s premier role

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YANMAR’s parliament has passed a bill that gives Aung San Suu Kyi a role similar to that of premier.

The bill has gone through both the lower and upper houses and now must be approved by President Htin Kyaw.

Htin Kyaw is Myanmar’s first elected civilian leader in more than 50 years, and a close aide to Ms Suu Kyi. The Lower House passed the bill to create the post of “state counsellor ”,

which now requires only presidential approval to become law. Unelected military representatives holding a quarter of parliamentary seats boycotted the vote, calling the bill unconstitutional.

Ms Suu Kyi’s party won elections but she is not allowed to be president.

Clause 59(f) of the Burmese constitution bars candidates with foreign spouses or children, and Ms Suu Kyi’s two sons hold British passports.

Ruto

cused radio boss Joshua arap, 40, have both denied three charges of crimes against humanity namely murder, forcible deportation and persecution - arising from Kenya’s disputed elections in late December 2007 and their violent aftermath in early 2008.

Prosecutors say more than 1,300 people died and some 600,000 were left homeless in the country’s worst violence since independence from Britain in 1963.

The case has been carefully watched in Kenya, which has led a high-profile campaign against the ICC by several African nations who accuse the tribunal of bias against the continent.

UN troops tried for CAR sex abuse

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HREE UN peace keepers accused of sexual abuse in Central African Republic (CAR) have gone on trial in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Two of the Congolese troops denied charges of raping minors, while a third denied a charge of attempted rape, the prosecutor said.

More than 100 people have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse by UN and French forces in CAR. French prosecutors have opened a new enquiry into the case, AFP reports.

The troops were deployed to end conflict which broke out in 2013.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon has said he was “shocked to the core” by the latest allegations, which include bestiality.

The Congolese troops

appeared before a military tribunal in Ndolo, a prison north of the capital Kinshasa, on Monday, AFP news agency reports.

Seychelles votes to for presidential term limits

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EYCHELLES parlia ment voted on Tuesday to amend the archipelago’s constitution and limit presidents to two five-year terms in office, officials said, in contrast to wider Africa where many presidents have sought to extend term limits.

The Indian Ocean island nation of 92,000 people elected James Michel as

president in December 2015, giving him a third term in office, but among the promises he made during his campaign was to ensure the change in the law. The amendment required two thirds of the 32 lawmakers to vote in favour but all sitting members are from the ruling party except opposition leader David Pierre, who also supported the change.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016—5

POCKET CARTOON

VISIT—From left: Coordinator, Daughters of Charity Hospital, Abuja, Sister Mary Okolo; Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi and Abuja Area Manager, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), Mr Lv Veng, during the minister's visit to the hospital in Kubwa, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

FG plans new prices for fuel, as scarcity lingers Continues from Page 1 to undertake the automation of PPPRA operations for improved efficiency and transparency and also develop a pricing framework to encourage local refining and discourage importation of petroleum products in the long term.

Meanwhile, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to tender an unreserved apology to Nigerians for allegedly creating hardship for them through his alleged inability to handle the country’s economy well, and for not providing solution to the lingering fuel crisis in the country.

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, also said, yesterday, that they were not to be held responsible for the lingering fuel scarcity.

Speaking during a visit to PPPRA, in Abuja, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, also stated that the present fuel crisis witnessed across the country would end in Lagos and Abuja tomorrow, while it would end in other states of the federation by the end of the week.

Kachikwu also stated that as part of a long term strategy to eliminate fuel scarcity, especially with the issue of sourcing scarce foreign exchange, the Federal Government was considering the privatisation of the petroleum industry, where operators would be allowed to source for funding and run the industry, while government’s role would be felt in the area of price regulation.

On the planned review of petrol prices, he explained that the country

IT'S UP TO YOU

BY AYO ADIO OUR feelings are always subject to your will.

It doesn’t matter how you feel at the moment, if the will and determination is there, you will achieve your goals.

Y

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

I like kindness. Who doesn’t? Life is definitely too short for being with self centered abusive people —Ellen Greene TAY centered in love. Keep your thoughts and sights on Divine Love, and you’ll notice beauty and attract positive experiences. No matter what, keep faith and embrace an optimistic attitude towards life. Instead of allowing other people to pull you down, stay centered in peace and lift them up with your bright shining light and words.

S

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE A fairy dancing by the bush path, whatever is beating the drums for it must be in the bush.

had been able to save a lot of money within the first three months of the year, adding that the savings would be used to fund the gap recorded in pricing in April.

He said: “The reality is that in the first three months of the price modulation, our recovery basically enabled us to save quite a lot of money and that is going to fund the gap that we see in April. But for May, obviously, the prices would have to be adjusted to mark the current trends.

“Our proprietary positions are for two different concerns. As petroleum Minister, my goal is to make sure that the price of crude oil continues to climb, but as NNPC GMD, our goal is to ensure that people buy product at cheaper price.

They do not go together somehow. So most time, I try to balance the curve.”

He lamented that the fuel queues had been a major headache for the government, while he emphasized the need for the right policies to be taken to bring the crisis to an end, once and for all.

“The whole fuel queues had been a complete nightmare for me. The reality is that I hurt more than every Nigerian who is at the filling stations. I am very emotional about my job and the things I do.

“We just need to take the right policies. As hard as they are, as difficult as they come, we need to take the right policies to ensure that we do not have a recurrence of this fuel subsidy. It has been with us historically, but I don’t want that to define my legacy in the petroleum sector.

“Hopefully, by tomorrow, Thursday, the fuel queues in Abuja should be over. Hopefully, the same thing should happen in Lagos and, thereafter, by the weekend, we should see same in Kano, Katsina, Sokoto,

Port Harcourt and a few other states," he said.

However, Kachikwu maintained that his major concern was not in eliminating the present fuel queues, but in ensuring that such situation never repeats itself ever again in this country.

He said he intended doing this through the privatization of the petroleum industry.

He said: “To that, there are so many things we need to do. First is that strategic reserves have not been in this country for over 20 years. We need to bring that strategic reserve with a 60 to 90day time products hold, so that we can respond within a couple of hours whenever there is shortage in any part of the country. Right now we need three weeks to respond.

“Two is that, we need to find the allocation of resources. For the first time, I have been able to convince the oil major producers, asking them to give scarce foreign exchange to the downstream players who bring fuel to us.

“That is not the futuristic long term solution. We need to find a way of being able to fund this sector and no better way than to steer it towards the privatization and allow them to go do their thing and PPPRA can modulate prices.

"We are going to be looking at that. And it is not necessarily synonymous with an increase in price.

Hopefully, the price modulation that we have put in place will enable us do that.”

People would criticize, but I don’t bother Kachikwu further stated that he was not moved by criticisms in the course of doing his work, even as he advised staff of the PPPRA to adopt a new attitude to work and take steps towards uplifting the organization and country.

He said: “When I get up every morning to go to work, I challenge and uplift myself. So any problem you throw at me, I’m ready. There are going to be criticisms, there are going to be spoilers, there are going to be those who will attack you, I don’t bother with those things. I have a very clear line of sight, which is on the goal post that I am trying to shoot.

Apologise to Nigerians —Ohuabunwa Meanwhile, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa has

asked President Muhammadu Buhari to tender an unreserved apology to Nigerians for creating hardship through his alleged inability to handle the country’s economy well, and also his failure to provide solution to the fuel crisis.

Ohuabunwa, who represents Abia North on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, told reporters, yesterday, that Buhari’s party men orchestrated the mass protest against what he called genuine intention of former President Goodluck Jonathan to deregulate the petroleum sector while he was in office.

He reasoned that if the deregulation had been allowed to scale through, Nigerians would not be going through the hardship they were currently experiencing as a result of the scarcity.

Ohuabunwa said: “It is unfortunate that Nigerians would have to go through this hardship in the midst of plenty; we are acclaimed the fifth largest oil producing nation.

“I think it is important that the government in power apologises to Nigerians because the level of hardship is getting too much."

He called on the Federal Government not only to look for a way to ameliorate the suffering of the people but to also find a lasting solution to the problem.

He continued: “It is very clear that this scarcity has gone off hand, we cannot manage it, we have been on it for over two months now. The Minister of State has said it would abate in two weeks, but the Minister of Petroleum who is President Buhari has not said anything. We should look for a lasting solution so that we do not relapse into this again,” Ohuabunwa said.

We'should not be held responsible — IPMAN However, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, said,

yesterday, that its members were not to be held responsible for the lingering fuel scarcity.

IPMAN’s statement came as long queues took over major roads in Lagos, thereby causing traffic logjam.

The National Operations Controller of IPMAN, Mr Mike Osatuyi, while debunking the statement made by Mr Lawson Ngoa who claimed to be the interim management secretary of IPMAN, that IPMAN should be held responsible for the scarcity, said the crisis in the association should not be used to defend the systems failure of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. He said: “While the intervention of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, in resolving the internal crisis in IPMAN is appreciated and commendable, the forefathers, past presidents, leaders of IPMAN and the general members of IPMAN nationwide will not allow Mr Lawson Ngoa who is not a marketer, let alone an IPMAN member, to use IPMAN’s name as a shield to defend or protect a systems failure of NNPC. “It is pure defamation of IPMAN’s name to go on air that IPMAN has accepted responsibility for the scarcity of petroleum products and that Nigerians should hold IPMAN responsible for the scarcity.”

Osatuyi explained that IPMAN controlled over 80 per cent of the retail outlets in the country and had partnered with previous governments to solve fuel crisis.

He said: "It is also on record that no member of IPMAN has voiced out against peace since this government stepped in to resolve the crisis a few days ago. That is an evidence that IPMAN and all its members want peace and are ready to embrace peace for seamless operation of the a s s o c i a t i o n ’ s administration and by extension the Nigeria oil sector."

6 — Vanguard, WEDNSDAY APRIL 6 , 2016

SON boss inaugurates tourism committee

By Jimoh Babatunde

T

HE Acting Director General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, Dr. Paul Angya, has said that standardization of the various tourism activities and products in the country are critical in the development and growth of the sector.

He said this yesterday at the inauguration of the National Mirror Committee on Tourism Related Activities in Lagos under the leadership of Mrs. Chika Balogun.

Speaking at the inauguration, Angya, said the committee provides an opportunity to harness the country ’s knowledge of tourism to grow the Nigerian economy through participation in regional and global standardization activities.

Nonagenarian sues FG, LASG over 40-yr-old school

By Innocent Anaba

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AGOS—A 92-year-old widow, Mrs Roseline Ololo has dragged the Federal and Lagos State Governments before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, praying the court to order the return of her schools, Metropolitan College and Isolo Secondary Schools, to her as the founder.

The widow in the fundamental human rights suit, is praying the court to declare that the refusal by the Lagos State Government to return her schools, was unjust, unconstitutional, illegal and unlawful.

Respondents in the suit are the Federal Government of Nigeria, Attorney General of the Federation, Minister of Education, Lagos State Government, Lagos State Attorney General, and Lagos State Commissioner for Education.

She is suing for herself and her company, Akaix West Africa Ltd, through her counsel, Mr Malcolm Omirhobo.

In her affidavit, Ololo averred that in 1940 she and her late husband, Mr Akaihieobi-Ololo Ogwuand moved from the Eastern part of Nigeria to the Lagos colony and in 1952, they both incorporated a company, Akaix Africa Ltd, in which name they established Metropolitan College.

How Alake, Awujale aided my return to APC — OSOBA

By Daud Olatunji

A

BEOKUTA—FORMER governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba yesterday in Abeokuta, the state capital disclosed that the Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland Oba Dr. Adedotun Gbadebo and the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Dr. Sikiru Adetona facilitated his return to the All Progressives Congress.

Osoba who broke his silence over the meeting held in his Ikoyi, Lagos residence with the leaders and some governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress last Sunday, expressed regret that the meeting had been misconstrued by some members of the public.

He also denied insinuation that he was begged by thge APC leaders.

The former governor had announced his return to APC on Sunday when some national leaders and some governors visited him in his house.

Those in attendance at last Sunday’s meeting were the Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode who was represented by his deputy, Mrs. Oluranti Adebule and former Governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Niyi Adebayo.

Others included former interim National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande; APC National Vice Chairman, South West, Chief Pius Akinyelure, Senator Gbenga Obadara and ex-Deputy Governor, Segun Adesegun.

SIGNING: From left; Awoyera Oluremi, Director, Modern Apprenticeship Training Program, Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB); Olawumi Gasper,Executive Secretary, Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB); Paul Orajiaka, CEO, Auldon Toys, and Ezenwanne Chiamaka, general manager, Auldon Ltd, at the signing of MoU between LASTVEB and Auldon Ltd for the clothing of the Unity Dolls in Lagos.Photo by Akeem Salau.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun, his acknowledged the role played by that I hosted South West meeting, Deputy, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga two prominent traditional rulers but I will not say it here today. and APC leaders in Osoba’s home in the state towards his return to ‘’The role of Alake and Awujale state of Ogun did not attend the the ruling APC. will be stated but this is not the meeting He said that the Alake and occasion to say it because this is The former governor who spoke paramount ruler of Egbaland, not a political gathering. yesterday during the public Oba Michael Adedotun Gbadebo ‘’So, I want to thank Kabiyesi presentation and launch of a book and the Awujale and paramount for what happened on Sunday; he entitled, “Alake of Egbaland: The ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru has always been with me and God Succession Dynamics,” written by Adetona, in particular, as well as will always be with you, Kabiyesi.

Chief Alani Bankole, the father of other prominent Yoruba Obas had By the grace of God, Egbaland the former speaker of the House continued to pressurise him to go will continue to flourish,” he said. of Representatives, Dimeji back to the party.

Osoba in a brief encounter with Bankole however said it was not The ex-governor added that he newsmen after the book launch true that the purpose of last would however not want to turn where he donated half a million Sunday’s meeting in his residence the book launch to a political Naira, said he had only taken in Lagos was just to host the South event, stressing that the issue was sometime off from the party and West leaders of the APC. has now returned to its fold. better left for a later date.

He stressed that he neither “There are other things that I “I’m a founding father of APC if convened nor hosted such will say about Alake because of I take a leave of absence from my meeting of the party leaders in his what happened on Sunday when own house, would I not return to house as being bandied around. the entire APC came to me, my father’s house? I’m back to my The former governor however leading to some people saying father’s house,” he said.

Court stops Kuku’s arrest by EFCC pending appeal

By Innocent Anaba

L

AGOS—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, restrained the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and others from arresting, probing or prosecuting a Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger Delta Affairs, Kingsley Kuku, pending the determination of his appeal at the Court of Appeal.

Trial judge, Justice Okon Abang had on February 17, in a ruling on a fundamental right suit, instituted by Kuku who was Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Niger Delta and coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, against EFCC and others, held that the respondents can arrest, probe and prosecute Kuku over alleged financial impropriety during his tenure.

Dissatisfied with the court’s ruling, Kuku appealed against the verdict and filed motion for stay of execution, supported with 11 paragraphs affidavit, deposed to by one

Chinedu Obata before the currently sitting in Abuja division of the court, came to court.

Justice Abang who is Lagos, yesterday, based on the

permission of the Chief Judge, to deliver ruling on the application.

APC chides PDP over attempt to re-open Tinubu’s CCT trial

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

T

HE Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has described the call by Lagos Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the Code of Conduct Tribunal to re-open the case against the National leader of APC and former Lagos Governor, Bola Tinubu as an attempt to tarnish Tinubu’s image.

Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Joe Igbokwe, in a statement, yesterday, said APC viewed the call “as silly rants of frustrated losers desperately splashing mud to tar others when they are facing weighty corruption cases.”

According to APC the trial which happened during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s led government and instigated by PDP; “Lagos PDP and indeed the entire PDP are suffering acute Tinubu-phobia borne out of the fact that Asiwaju Tinubu constitutes the greatest nightmare for PDP rank and file given his prosecution of the defeat of the PDP last year.”

APC, also described Lagos PDP as a spent gathering of losers facing indictment for their role in the monumental corruption that marked the woeful PDP governance in the country.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016 — 7

Aluko recants, says no truce with Fayose As EKSG, APC vow not to respect alleged truce

By Dapo Akinrefon & Rotimi Owomoyela

E

MBATTLED former secretary of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ekiti State, Dr. Temitope Aluko, has denied reconciling with the state governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, saying the parley between them was organised propaganda to stain his image and malign his integrity.

This is as Ekiti state government vowed to go ahead with its perjury charges against the former party scribe just as the All Progressives Congress, APC, says the purported truce will not alter anything to do with the revelations so far on the probe of the June 21, 2014 governorship election fraud.

Aluko recants

Addressing newsmen yesterday, in Lagos, Dr Aluko said the parley was a script aimed at misinforming Nigerians.

The former PDP scribe, who recanted his earlier stance, said; “One fact remains clear, there is nowhere that I, Temitope Aluko, refuted anything I have earlier said before Nigerians and the whole world about the manipulations that characterised the 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State.”

Expressing displeasure over the purported reconciliation meeting, he said; “I was shocked to see Governor Fayose walk into the meeting at this point. I won’t want to bore you with the drama and face-off that ensued between me and governor Fayose during the meeting. It is however worthy of note that it was at this point that my wife barged into the meeting to inform me that he noticed the presence of pressmen downstairs

and said ‘there is a problem’ but it was Fayose that interrupted her saying; ‘’Madam, there is no problem.”

He added that; “At that point, I became enraged and decided to leave the place but I notice Governor Fayose rushing after me downstairs in a gestapo manner.

My wife was already fidgeting and almost crying and suddenly I could not find her around me. I immediately realised that I needed to oblige to his (Governor Fayose) instruction of facing the press because of the safety of my family.”

He, however, appealed to Nigerians to disregard the peace treaty saying it was a tactical error on his part.

His words: “I will like to apologise to all Nigerians that perhaps, accepting the invitation was a tactical error. However, I wouldn’t have accepted to attend the meeting in the first place if I had known that Ayo Fayose will be in attendance. I only chose to attend in order to honour the party leaders’ invitation. I will also like you to know that I am dealing with a master fraudster who is always full of mischief. You will all recollect how he announced the purported death of Hon. Afolabi Akanni; the purported arrest of four Honourable Members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly that later resurfaced; the invasion of Ekiti House of Assembly that never took place; the unfounded $1 million bribe offer by DSS and recently his announcement last week that I brought in policemen from Abuja to Ekiti State to unleash mayhem.

“I need to emphasize that all that transpired on that day was an organized propaganda or

PARLEY: From left: Mrs Folashade Olufemi-Ajayi, Diabetes Care Division, Roche; Prof Chris Bode, CMD (LUTH); representative of the Minister of Health, Dr Jeanne Coulibaly,Medical Director Roche, Dr Abidoye Sunday, WHO Lagos State Coordinator and Dr Afoke Isiavwe, Medical Director Rainbow Specialist Medical Centre/guest Speaker during the World Health Day Media Roundtable organised by Nigeria Health Online Newspaper inconjuction with Roche Nigeria with the theme; Beat Diabetes, in Lagos yesterday. Photo by Biodun Ogunleye. drama to stain my image and malign my personal integrity and I believe it would be a good script for Nollywood actors,” he said.

He ‘ll still be prosecuted — Ekiti govt

Speaking yesterday in Ado Ekiti, the state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Owoseni Ajayi, said the state government will not withdraw the case of perjury it instituted at an Ado Ekiti Chief Magistrate Court, in spite of Aluko’s perceived reconciliation with Fayose.

The state government had instituted a case of perjury against Aluko at a Chief Magistrate in Ado-Ekiti, shortly after he (Aluko) gave a revelation that the election that brought Fayose into government was

massively rigged, contrary to statement he gave as the principal witness at the election petition tribunal.

Ajayi said; “We believed Aluko’s evidence was credible enough, as our principal witness during the governorship election petition, to sustain our case and gave us victory, right from the election petition tribunal to the supreme court. We can’t because of this interventionist apology collapse all our cases, government is not run that way. We can’t abandon our responsibilities as a state just because someone apologised to our governor on a case that was already pending in court.

They are not fresh cases and we will pursue them to a logical conclusion.”

Osun Assembly passes street trading, illegal markets prohibition law

By Gbenga Olarinoye

O

SOGBO—THE Osun State House of Assembly has passed into law, the Street Trading and Illegal Market Prohibition Bill 2016.

In statement by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, the passage of the bill followed a motion moved by the Leader of the House, Timothy Owoeye, and seconded by Babatunde Olatunji representing Ife North Constituency at the plenary on Tuesday.

The bill, the statement said, is seeking to prohibit hawking or exposing goods, wares and articles for sale or offer service whether or not from a stationary positions in any place or

streets in some major towns of the state or within the vicinity of any public building in the state.

The affected towns, it said, are Osogbo, Ile-Ife, Ilesa, Iwo, Ede, Ikirun, Ikire, Ila-Orangun and Ejigbo.

The statement added that the bill was also prohibiting the establishment or maintenance of any market by any person other than the state, local government or statutory corporations.

It added that the bill also discouraged extension of

shops into the walkways, road setbacks and building lines, as well as indiscriminate pasting of posters or banners, advertising goods and services on side-walls, bus stops, bridges or any other unauthorised space.

Ondo PDP holds congress, tasks Buhari over free polls “ Let’s continue to invest during the state

By Dayo Johnson

A

K U R E — GOVERNOR Olusegun Mimiko yesterday said that the greatest gift that President Muhammadu Buhari can bequeath towards sustaining the nation’s democracy is to give room to free, fair and credible and violent free elections.

He spoke in Akure

congress of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP. Expressing concern over the elections so far conducted under the present administration, he said; “ The greatest gift required from the President is to ensure credible, violence free election and the future will be bright for our nation. In spite of our challenges today, this nation has manifested to be leader of nations

our faith in credible election, credible election is the key to future of this nation there’s no alternative to this and there is no alternative to democracy.

“Without being sounding political, because the problem of Nigerians is that there is too much of politics than governance, I want to appeal to the President that the greatest gift he can give this nation is credible election”

Reconciliation changes nothing about Ekitigate — APC

Meantime, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, APC maintained that the peace parley between Fayose and Aluko would not alter anything in the revelations at the probe panel.

Olatunbosun said it was mischievous to insinuate that Aluko was lured by APC to lie against Fayose and the military officers who were dismissed after they were found guilty by the Army probe panel.

Dismissing allegation that Aluko was lured by APC to implicate Fayose and the soldiers, Olatunbosun said: “This is purely an internal matter within PDP and so APC has no hand in it.''

8 —VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016—9

that you want to work with. ‘’This is similar with what we did with the Nigerian Content Bill, we yanked it off from the PIB in 2010 to get operations going in that respect, so nobody can say Nigerian Content is no longer there. In fact, the Content Act is undergoing its second review.”

4 bills to be passed in phases

WORKSHOP: Minister of Power, Works & Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola (2nd left), President, International Institute for Petroleum Energy Law and Policy & Visiting Professor of Energy Law and Policy, University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Niyi Ayoola Daniels (left), Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Justice WaIter Samuel Onnoghen (2nd right) and Administrator of National Judicial Institute, Justice Rosaline Bozimo during the 2nd National Energy Workshop at the National Judicial Institute, Abuja,yesterday.

Host community fund not expunged from PIB — Draft c'ttee member 4 bills to be passed in phases Don’t open flank of conflict, HOSTCOM warns NASS again

By Clara Nwachukwu, Festus Ahon, Egufe Yafugborhi, Godwin Oghre & Ochuko Akuopha

L

AGOS — CONTRARY to widely circulated reports, the Host Community Fund has not been erased from the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB. A top member of the bill drafting committee, who disclosed this yesterday, said the fund would come in the last of the four new bills to be sent for legislative consideration to govern operations in the petroleum industry.

The member said in a telephone interview with Vanguard, yesterday, that the Host Community Bill would come under the Petroleum Revenue Bill, which would deal with what the government was expected to do with income earned from oil and gas resources.

The source, who had headed one of the petroleum industry regulatory agencies, and who preferred anonymity, said: “When people talk about host community fund, you can’t find it in a governance bill; host community fund is management, not governance.

“I am really surprised at all the reactions over the host community fund. Indeed, they are reacting over nothing, because that portion of the old Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, is in the last of the four bills to be sent to the National Assembly, which we are still working on.

“The Petroleum Industry Governance Bill before the legislators now is one quarter of the bills they will be considering.

There are four bills in all, and they include the Fiscal Regime Bill, the Upstream and Midstream

Administration Bill; and the last, the Petroleum Revenue Bill.”

He wondered why the host community fund would be lumped under a governance bill, considering that it is related to revenue management issues.

He said: “The Petroleum Governance Bill concerns institutions, the roles of these institutions, the powers to be conferred on these institutions, transparency and accountability issues that will be used to block all the loopholes and leakages in the system.

"This is because the bulk of the

problems in the industry today relates to governance issues. As a result, most of what is happening today, whether in NNPC or anywhere, is all due to leakages and poor governance because you don’t have the right people. Some companies are not even being governed properly.

"The Fiscal Regulatory Bill will be a different bill altogether because part of the contentions of the old PIB is the fiscal regime.

So it is being separated so that if there will be future amendment, you don’t need to upturn the whole bill, but you take the part

The source also explained that the four bills would be sent in phases to avoid the lacuna created by the omnibus PIB, which the legislators found difficult to pass for many years because of its volume.

He said: “All the other three bills are currently being worked on by various committees, and they will be presented to the National Assembly once we are done with them. So there is no need for the legislators to wait for all the four before they can start deliberating on them.”

As rightly said, the 53-paged Petroleum Industry Governance Bill 2016, obtained by Vanguard, identifies all the institutions that will govern the petroleum industry going forward.

Misunderstanding of Bill

However, negative reactions, even from some legislators, who have not read the bill, have trailed it because of the erroneous belief that the Host Community Fund had been removed from the bill.

The former PIB had proposed some percentage increase for host communities from oil and gas revenues from 10 to 15 per cent, which had drawn criticisms from some sections of the public, particularly the northern part, who felt it was giving undue advantage to the south.

But the benefit was not only meant for the host producing communities but every other community in Nigeria, which hosts one form of oil and gas asset

or another.

According to the source, what Nigeria needs at this point in time is unity, adding that experts should be allowed to do their job rather than being distracted with protests.

Don’t open flank of conflict, HOSTCOM warns NASS

Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of Host Communities, Oil and Gas, HOSTCOM, Prince Maikpobi Okareme, yesterday, reiterated the group’s opposition to the new bill, warning that the legislature would only open a new flank of conflict which might be difficult to control.

He said the late President Musa Yar’Adua introduced the concept of 10 percent equity participation of the host communities with a guaranteed minimum of $500 million profit per annum.

Community Development Advocacy Foundation, CODAF, a non-governmental organisation, said the removal of the host communities fund would reawaken crisis in the Niger Delta.

CODAF in a statement by its Executive Director, Mr Richard Benin, said: “The removal of the host communities development fund from the proposed PIGB is not surprising, considering the array of vested interests and corrupt practices for which the petroleum sector in Nigeria has been notoriously known.’’

Also, former NUPENG General-Secretary, Chief Frank Kokori, on his part, said: “For now, I think it’s still a speculation till it’s laid bare before the National Assembly for it to be debated and then we can know how the issue goes. ‘’The issue on ground is what have the governors of the Niger Delta states done with the 13 percent derivation that they have been collecting over the years?"

#PanamaPapers: Mark linked to 8 companies abroad I don’t know where this is coming from, it's political — Mark

By Henry Umoru, with agency reports

A

BUJA— NIGERIA’S immediate past Senate President, David Mark, has links to at least eight offshore shell companies while holding public office, in violation of a federal code of conduct law, a massive leak of files belonging to Mossack Fonseca, a law firm in Panama, shows.

The files showed how Mossack Fonseca, reputed as one of the most secretive companies in the world, helped clients register offshore entities, some of which are then used to launder money, evade tax and dodge sanctions.

They also provide details of the hidden financial dealings of 128 more politicians and public officials around the world, including in Nigeria.

The trove of 11.5 million files shows how a global industry of

law firms and big banks sells financial secrecy to politicians, fraudsters and drug traffickers as well as billionaires, celebrities and sports stars.

The revelations are among the findings of a lengthy investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, German newspaper, Süddeutsche Zeitung, and more than 100 other global news organizations.

As a former Senate President, Mark stands out among other notable Nigerians named in the files.

Mark and his secret companies The Mosseca Fonseca database shows that Mark is one of Nigeria’s most extensive users of offshore shell companies, even while being a public official.

In documents, Mark was linked

to eight active companies registered in the British Virgin Island.

They are Sikera Overseas S.A, Colsan Enterprises Limited, Goldwin Transworld Limited, Hartland Estates Limited, Marlin Holdings Limited, Medley Holdings Limited, Quetta Properties Limited, and Centenary Holdings Limited.

In the documents, Mark was repeatedly marked as a politically exposed person, and at a point the former Senate President had to send documents, across to Mosseca Fonseca to prove that he was clean.

It remains unclear what businesses Mark is conducting with the companies.

While not all owners or operators of such offshore entities are criminals, owning or maintaining interest in private companies while serving as a public official is against Nigerian laws.

The #PanamaPapers had on Monday exposed Mr. Mark’s colleague in the Senate, Bukola Saraki, as failing to declare at least four assets belonging to his wife, all tucked away in secret offshore territories, as required by Nigerian laws.

I don’t know where this is coming from, it's political — Mark However, Mark said, yesterday, that he was not sure of the accuracy of claims linking him to having at least eight offshore shell companies while in office, which amounted to a violation of a federal code of conduct law.

Special Assistant, Media, to Senator David Mark, Paul Mumeh, said: "I’m not sure about the accuracy of your claims, we know where that may be coming from, it is political.”

10—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

Man, 33, arrested for allegedly raping neighbour’s 8yr old daughter

By Evelyn Usman

T

HE POLICE in Lagos have arrested a 33year old man, who allegedly raped his neighbour’s eight-year-old daughter in Idimu area of the state .

The suspect identified as Okwuome Henry , reportedly invited the victim, a primary school pupil whose parents had gone to their respective business places, to his apartment at Abio Frank street, pretending to send her on an errand.

But on arrival, he forced the unsuspecting girl into his bed where he allegedly had a carnal knowledge of her, with a warning not to tell anyone about what transpired.

But the girl’s mother was said to have been alerted by her daughter’s blood stained clothe while washing it later that night.

Upon inquiry, her daughter revealed what transpired, consequent upon which Henry was arrested by policemen attached to Idimu division.

A neighbour, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Vanguard that “ At first, no one believed the girl because of the closeness between Henry and her parents. But on closer observation, it was discovered that her private part was still blood stained.

We were all shocked because our female children run errands for him.”

When Vanguard visited the Idimu Police Division, yesterday, it was gathered that Henry had been charged to court last Friday, where he pleaded not guilty. But the presiding Magistrate, Mrs. J.O.E Adeyemi granted him bail in the sum of N250,000.

The case was adjourned till April 25, 2016.

2 pregnant women collapse, die during Bauchi teachers verification

By Susan Edeh

B

AUCHI—TWO pregnant women collapsed and died in Bauchi, yesterday, while waiting to be screened by the Verification Team from the office of the Account General of the

state government.

The two pregnant women (names withheld) were among the over 6,000 teachers in the state that were asked to assemble at the state local government education secretariat for screening before collecting their salaries.

Vanguard gathered from an

eyewitness, Abubakar Yusuf , a teacher at the Baba Didi primary school that the first woman, who was seven months pregnant, fainted when the crowd were pushing to be verified, a situation that triggered a congestion during the exercise.

He said they all assembled at

Fake, counterfeit, substandard,expired and unwholesome products worth over N1 billion by National Food, Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, being publicly destroyed at the Sagamu dumpsite in Ogun State, yesterday. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye

the local government education authority for the verification, “because we have not been paid for three months. People came from all the local government areas of the state, so there was a massive crowd that gathered at the venue.

“The verification exercise took us by surprise because we were in the classroom teaching when we were summoned for the screening. That was why there was a large turn-out of people.”

He added: “Some of the people who came early were lucky enough to be verified, but as the crowd kept increasing, people began to push each other. In the process, an unidentified pregnant woman fainted and went into a comma.”

“Another pregnant woman also collapsed and had a miscarriage instantly. The two pregnant women were rushed to the hospital for treatment. We later heard that they died.”

He called on the state government to ease the sufferings of the teachers during verification exercises by finding alternative methods that will not lead to congestion of centres.

He expressed dissatisfaction with the exercise, describing it as excruciating for their age and health conditions.

Explosion kills two at Chevron facility in Delta There

was no explosion —Chevron

By Egufe Yafugborhi

W

ARRI—TWO personnel reportedly dead and another injured yesterday following a gas explosion at the Escravos Gas To Liquid, EGTL, plant, a facility of Chevron Nigeria Limited located in Ugboodo, Warri South West local government

area, Delta state. Sources told Vanguard that the incident resulted from a chemical explosion at a Portakabin (caravan) in the gas facility, but Chevron’s General Manager, Policies, Government and Public Affairs, Deji Haastrup, denied the information while also limiting the fatality to one.

“There was no explosion. A fire broke out in a container storage at Escravos, and it was quickly put out. Sadly, an employee of a contractor company was injured and another died. The safety of the workforce including contractors remains our first priority,” Deji said.

Vanguard gathered that one of

the victims died on the spot and the second died in Warri, during medical attention.

In a report on the incident, the Commander, Nigeria Navy Ship, NNS, Delta, Warri, Commodore Raimi Mohammed said, “It happened about 10am. Personnel working in the area called it a a gas explosion. It was not a case of sabotage.”

Cult war: Cultists invade Rivers community, kill 4, sack residents

By Davies Iheamnachor

P

ORT HARCOURT—NO fewer than four persons are feared dead as cultists clashed over supremacy in Rumuodogo 1 community, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Suspected Deygbam boys, one of the cults, yesterday morning

invaded the community in a reprisal attack over the killing of two of its members by the Icelanders cult group on Sunday.

The development, which created tension in the area, has sent the entire residents of the community scampering for safety.

Vanguard gathered that the unrest started when members of Icelander cult group came into

the community and killed two Deygbam boys.

Mr. Ikechi, a resident of the community, who spoke to Vanguard, disclosed that the Deygbam boys sent a message that they would avenge the killing of their members.

Ikechi said: “Early Sunday morning, we started hearing gunshots and some people

running about. Eberechi was just in his room sleeping around 5a.m. when some Icelander boys came and shot him.

“The boys also killed another person. After the killings, rumour went round that Deygbam boys said they will come to revenge.

Maybe that is what has just happened."

FG set to empower INEC to prosecute electoral offenders —AG

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

A

BUJA—THE Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, yesterday, said the Federal Government has identified as top priority, the amendment of the Electoral Act with a view to

empowering the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to prosecute electoral offenders.

The AGF said the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari intends to carry out a comprehensive legal reform that would address challenges posed by some of our outdated electoral laws.

In a keynote address he

delivered at the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room’s Stakeholders’ Forum on Elections, in Abuja, yesterday, Malami, SAN, said he has commenced consultations with the leadership of the National Assembly and the Judiciary to identify key laws and priority areas for reform.

He said: “The 2015 general elections was a major milestone

in Nigeria’s electoral evolution.

Prior to 2015 elections, it was always taken for granted that incumbent governments would win elections conducted under their watch.

“The election in 2015 changed this and put the world on notice that Nigeria’s electorate now matters. It is the intention of this administration to build on, and support improvements of the

conduct of elections in Nigeria.

“A democracy thrives and endures when the laws guiding the conduct of elections are well known and the citizenry are well informed on it. Taking from the gains of the 2015 general elections, it will be important for us as a country to entrench a culture of democratic values that will strengthen our nation.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016 — 11

12—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

At last, Edo Speaker swears in PDP legislator

By Gabriel Enogholase

B

ENIN—TO forestall being convicted for contempt by the Court of Appeal sitting in Benin, Edo State, Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Victor Edoror, yesterday, swore in Mr. Sylvanus Eruaga of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the member representing Etsako West II state constituency in the Assembly.

The swearing-in ceremony which was performed on the floor of the Assembly, is coming barely 24 hours after the Appeal Court ordered Edo State Solicitor General, Mr. Oluwole Iyamu, to produce the Speaker and the Clerk of the Assembly, Mr. Lawson Ugiagbe, tomorrow for disobeying the court’s directive in its judgment of December last year, to swear in Eruaga.

With Eruaga's inauguration, the PDP legislator will represent Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s constituency in the Assembly.

Edoror, while swearing in Mr. Eruaga, said that the action was in line with the Appeal Court's verdict last December and the issuance of a certificate of return to him.”

It will be recalled that the state Election Petition Tribunal and the appellate court last year invalidated the April 11, 2015 Assembly election of the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, and ordered the immediate swearing-in of Eruaga, being the first

runner up at the poll.

However, Eruaga’s inauguration became a subject of controversy after Speaker Edoror refused to swear in the lawmaker-elect, insisting that the House was investigating the Certificate of Return issued by INEC to Mr. Eruaga which he alleged

was faked.

Dissatisfied with the Speaker ’s posture, Eruaga, through his counsel, Dele Igbinedion, returned to the appellate court during which he initiated forms 48 and 49, urging the court to commit the Speaker to prison for disobeying its order.

COMMISSIONING: From left: Community leaders, Chief Andy Amukuro and Chief Idumesaro Iwobo; MTN Regional Sale Manager, Ms. Lillian Ilechukwu and MTN Government Relations Officer, Mr. Ndutimi James, during the commissioning of a bore hole donated to Kolo Community, Bayelsa State, as part of the MTN Foundation's What Can We Do Together? initiative.

Electricity crisis: Labour seeks review of PHCN's privatisation

By Victor AhiumaYoung

O

RGANISED labour has called on the Federal Government to immediately review the sale of the assets of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, if it hopes to find solution to the intractable electricity supply crisis in the country.

Speaking through the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in Lagos, Llabour

claimed that those who took over the distribution and generation operations of PHCN, had no capacity and expertise to run the power stations, but bought the distribution companies, DISCOs and generation companies, GENCOs, because of their privileged positions in government.

At the end of its Central Working Committee, CWC, meeting, the Joe Ajaeroled faction of NLC recalled that labour had warned against the privatisation of PHCN because the

Nigerian private sector had no capacity to run power station, but were only interested in extorting the citizens without providing power to them.

According to the Deputy President of the faction, Mr. Achese Igwe: “Those who took over the distribution and generation operations of PHCN, do not have the capacity to run those operations. Was due diligence done before they were given the assets? Was there transparency to ascertain whether they

Edo 2016: Why PDP must pick a consistent candidate

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

ENIN—A member of House of Representatives and chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State, Mr Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, has admonished the leadership of the party in the state to pick a governorship candidate that has been consistent in the party since 1999 in order not to endanger its chances in the f o r t h c o m i n g governorship election.

Agbonayinma, who represents Ikpoba Okhai/Egor federal constituency of Edo State, was reacting to his C M Y K

recent endorsement of Mr Matthew Iduoriykemwen as his preferred governorship candidate of the PDP. He noted that it was the only way the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state could be checked.

He said: “The PDP must avoid a candidate that will be a liability to the party because some aspirants of the party today have crossed from PDP to ACN and APC and on to PDP, while some moved from ANPP to ACN and back to PDP. These are not consistent candidates and picking people like that is dangerous to the party

because you never can know their next move tomorrow."

could deliver electricity to Nigerians? What are their pedigrees in the business?

The truth is that most of them know nothing about the electricity business. As we speak today, there have not been additional investment in infrastructure and they are only depending on PHCN

infrastructure built over 30 years ago, which they claimed were obsolete, to run the power supply. "

Gov Emmanuel launches Youths Enterprise, Employment Scheme

By Tom Moses

U

YO—GOVERNOR Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has charged youths of the state to explore the abundant economic potentials in the state to create wealth for sustainability and selfreliance.

Governor Emmanuel gave the charge during the launch of Akwa Ibom Enterprise and Employment Scheme, AKEES, held yesterday at Ibom Hall, Uyo. He noted that God has endowed the state with enormous human and natural resources that could be utilised by the people to grow the economy and earn a living.

He described the scheme as an answer to the yearnings of Nigerians for the emergence of small and medium scale industrialisation programmes as is done in other developing nations, stressing that it came at a time the nation was battling with economic recession by exploring other means of generating revenue following the decline in the oil revenue at the international market.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016—13

I want to make a difference in Edo people’s lives —Esele

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

F

ORMER president of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, Mr. Peter Esele, has said that he wants to succeed Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State to make a difference in the lives of the people of the state.

Seeking to govern the state on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, Esele, in an interview with Vanguard, said he had interacted with all segments of the citizens of the state, and was ready to provide solutions to their problems.

According to him, “I am confident that I have the capacity to lead the people of Edo State and also, the opportunity to put to use what I have acquired over the years in terms of experience. I have been president of PENGASSAN, TUC, member of the last National Conference, I have been on the board of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, among other government committees.

“I am very much qualified to contest for the office of governor of Edo State. If most of the good people are afraid to go into politics, why should they complain if they are being led by very wrong people? So, we all need to get involved. Nobody says you cannot

make change wherever you find yourself. But one thing is very clear, politics and being in government give you the larger reach for you to actually make a difference and change people’s lives.

“I have done my research, and I have done everything I need to do and that is why I am convinced that I need to get involved. Every day I visit communities, villages and

interiors of the state, I learn something new about my people and what they need.

Now, it is also an opportunity for me to know where the problems are with regard to the people and I am coming with the solutions. For me, that is the key, interacting with the people and also knowing that yes, you can really make the difference.

“My key areas of focus will be education, agriculture and

culture. That does not mean I will not touch other areas if given the opportunity. But these are the key drivers. Education is not an answer to all of our problems, but education is key to solving our problems. Now agriculture, suddenly because our economy is down, everybody is talking about diversification. You know there are so many things you can do with agriculture.”

VISIT: Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State (left) and the President of National Industrial Court, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, during a courtesy call by the latter and his team on the governor, in Asaba. Photo: Nath Onojake.

Urhobo youths petition EFCC over alleged scam in FUPRE The allegations are laughable —Registrar

A

By Festus Ahon

SABA—COALITION of Urhobo Youths Organization, CUYO, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, urging it to investigate the alleged financial recklessness and misappropriation of funds by the Governing Council of Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, FUPRE, Delta State.

It called for the dissolution of the Governing Council and prosecution of those behind the alleged financial and economic crimes.

The group alleged that the Chairman of the Governing Council, Senator Amange, got one of his companies, Tonye Ojoko and Company, registered with the university and allegedly used it “to withdraw the sum of N300 million from the institution’s account on October 14, 2014, the same day he sacked the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Efu Efeotor, after compelling him to endorse the withdrawal.”

Contacted, Senator Amange said that the issue of fund raising was common in institutions, C M Y K

adding that a committee was set up with Senator Oyofor as chairman.

He said that the fund raising was a continuous exercise.

Saying that the other allegations were laughable, he referred our correspondent to the Registrar for further clarification on the allegations.

But when contacted, the Registrar described the allegation as untrue, saying, “This is laughable. Where do we get all that funds from?”

CEPEJ faults Amaechi on plans to scrap Maritime Varsity

By Perez Brisibe

U

GHELLI—NIGER Delta-based activist and national coordinator of Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice, CEPEJ, Sheriff Mulade, has carpeted the Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, over his recommendation for the scrapping of Maritime University, Okrenkoko, Delta State.

Charging the Federal Government to commence construction at the university, Mulade, yesterday, at Ughelli, described the recommendation by the minister as an advice given in bad faith.

Urging the Federal Government to do the needful by retracing its steps and resume work at the university site, he maintained that the claims by Amaechi that work on

the site was not reflective of a feasibility study, shows that the minister was out of touch with realities on the university.

Appealing to the Federal Government to send an

independent body to visit the institution for an assessment of extent of work done, Mulade said: “We believe that scrapping of the maritime university is not in the interest of the Niger Delta region."

Omadino, an autonomous community —Village head

By Onozure Dania

W

ARRI—THE Head of Omadino community in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, Pa. Victor Ewomiewaraghan, has said that Omadino has been autonomous since its foundation even before the advent of the Oluship of Warri Kingdom.

Pa. Ewomiewaraghan, in a statement in Warri, in his reaction to media reports credited to one Roland Yomere,

said: “Never in history has Omadino subjected an inch of its territory to any monarch as claimed by Yomere,” and warned members of the public, Chevron Nigeria Limited and all stakeholders to disregard Yomere's claims as he does not have the capacity to represent Omadino community.

He maintained that the recently inaugurated Austin Oniyesan-led Itsekiri Regional Development Council, IRDC, was in line with the council’s constitution.

I've nothing more to prove after defeating god fathers in Edo — Oshiomhole

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

ENIN—AS he moves towards the end of his second tenure in office on November 12, 2016, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, has said that he has nothing to prove anymore in the state, as he had successfully defeated the Edo political god fathers and laid a solid foundation for the development of the state for future governments.

Oshiomhole, who disclosed this in an interview with Vanguard, said the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, should forget about winning the state in the forthcoming governorship election, as they had nothing to campaign with ahead of the election.

He said: “There are some things I was clear about when I came to office. First, was to reorder the politics of the state.

For me, that was the starting point because this state plays host to some of the most vicious godfathers in Nigeria's political history. Where electoral fraud is celebrated and where the people are dismissed as irrelevant for the purpose of electioneering and where chieftains advertise that there are no vacancies even on the eve of the election."

Madam Brigid Bakpa for burial

M

RS Brigid Bakpa of Ekurede Itsekiri in Warri South LGA, and Bakpa of Ovwian, Udu LGA, Delta State, is dead.

Vigil Mass and service of songs will take place at St. Paul's Catholic Church, Ekurede, Itsekiri, Warri on April 7, 2016 while funeral Mass will hold at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Warri/ Sapele Road, Warri, on April 8, 2016.

Private interment follows immediately.

Late Mrs Brigid Bakpa

14—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

Ntel seeks $1bn for broadband

N

IGERIAN Internet provider, Ntel, is seeking more than $1 billion to invest in 4G mobile broadband by 2020 as the owner of the former state landline company seeks to take advantage of a rising number of smart phone users.

Chief Executive Officer, Kamar Abass, said in an interview: “We are speaking to investors and banks, who are interested in a growth story for Africa.

“We are seeing the very beginnings of a shift from voice-oriented communications market in Nigeria to one that will be dominated by mobile broadband.”

Smile Telecoms Holdings Ltd. raised $365 million in August to expand its wireless Internet network in Nigeria, Uganda and Tanzania, while Lagosbased MainOne Cable Co. said in July it planned to raise $300 million.

Africanews launches

A

FTER the arrival, nine months ago, of a new majority shareholder, and the official opening, last October, of a new world headquarters, Michael Peters has unveiled the first element that flows from the new positioning of the group, which now consists of two international news sources— Euronews and Africanews.

CEO of Euronews and Africanews, Michael Peters, said: “We are engaged in a fight against disinformation and the negative aspects of what we call infobesity — an excess of news entirely lacking in perspective.

“These new phenomena, amplified by the digital revolution, provide daily fuel for our raison d’être: the urgent need to put pluralism back at the centre of the international debate.

“With the arrival of Naguib Sawiris last July, the willingness of all our shareholders to support Euronews in its sweeping changes; and having settled into a new headquarters at the cutting edge of technology, we now have the resources to match our ambitions.”

SEDA: From left—Partner & Managing Director, Nigeria, BCG, Jaime Ruiz-Cabrero; Senior Partner & Managing Director, Africa, BCG, Pascal Cotte; Global Chairman, BCG, Hans-Paul Buerkner, and Senior Partner & Chairman, Nigeria, BCG, Luís Gravito, at the launch of its Sustainable Economic Development Assessment, SEDA, report on Nigeria in Lagos, yesterday.

PDP convention to ratify Modu Sheriff’s tenure South-West to get Chairmanship slot

By Henry Umoru

A

BUJA—STRONG indications have emerged that Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will at its May 21 national convention slated to hold in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, move and approve a two-year tenure for the incumbent National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.

A source told Vanguard, yesterday, that besides the National Chairman, other members of the National Working Committee, NWC, some of who came on board in 2012 with former National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, would be replaced.

It would be recalled that aside from the Deputy National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, who took over from Sam Sam Jaja, the National Secretary, Adewale Oladipo, who took over after Prince Olugunsoye Oyinlola was removed and the National Auditor, Adewale Adeyanju who replaced Bode Mustapha as the National Auditor, others came with Tukur.

According to the source, it became imperative to give a two-year term to the former Borno State governor because the governors would want him to continue because he has been running the party with his money as national chairman and that getting a replacement for him at this period of the life of the party will be difficult.

The source said the

governors wanted their own to continue, since Sheriff belonged to that category as former governor of Borno State.

Vanguard also gathered that at the National Convention, PDP members would approve the zoning of position of national chairman to the South-West at the expiration of Sheriff ’s two years in

office.

It was also gathered that PDP will ratify the position of NWC, and National Executive Committee, NEC, which zoned the 2019 presidential ticket to the North, even as the source said that the moves by the party was to carry everyone and every zone along.

Hospital stalls take-off of Abuja-Kaduna rail test-run

By Favour Nnabugwu

T

HE encroachment of a Catholic hospital, Daughters of Charity, on the right-of-way of the Federal Government’s rail project along Kubwa Rail Line stalled the test-run of the AbujaKaduna Rail scheduled for take-off in March 31.

This is even as government imported diesel-powered coaches for the test-run of the rail line.

The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, who disclosed this at Kubwa Station in Abuja yesterday, stopped at the Daughters of Charity to have the buildings marked for demolition, but the hospital requested that it be given some days to prepare for the demolition.

Amaechi said Federal Government had finally reached an agreement with the Daughters of Charity

Hospital, which was hindering free passage of the rail tracks.

He said: “As you can see, because you are part of the negotiation, the two parties have agreed that demolition of the structures should be done tomorrow (today).

“Government, on its part, has fulfilled part of its promises to the hospital by obtaining Certificate of Occupancy for their relocation and the payment of N362 million to be given to CCECC to embark on the construction of another hospital and convent for the catholic sisters.”

Operators of Daughters of Charity Hospital had requested for more days to be able to evacuate patients from nearby wards before the demolition.

However, the minister insisted on today, saying government had fufilled almost all its promises to the hospital.

UNFPA urges Senate to reconsider Gender Equality Bill

By Dotun Ibiwoye

T

HE United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, representative in Nigeria, yesterday, disclosed that the Gender Equality Bill recently rejected by the Senate deserved another look and adoption for Nigeria’s fulfillment of humanity ’s vision of transforming the world by 2030.

UNFPA also noted that another look and adoption of the Bill by the Senate would be one of the practicable national responses to help implement the S u s t a i n a b l e Development Agenda as agreed by the world’s leaders, including Nigeria’s, in September 2015.

In a statement by the UNFPA’s Media Associate, Mrs Kori Habib, the vision of gender equality was not new. It is embedded in the International Bill of Human Rights, the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, all of which Nigeria had committed to realising.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016—15

Allegation of tax certificate forgery spurious—Gov Ikpeazu

By Anayo Okoli

U

MUAHIA—GOVERNOR Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has reacted to the allegation of forging tax certificate levelled against him

by Chief Friday Nwosu, saying he is not standing any trial for forgery of any sort, adding that nobody was urging Nwosu to withdraw the case.

Reacting through his Chief Press Secretary, Godwin Adindu, to Nwosu position not to withdraw the suit against the governor, Ikpeazu described the allegation as ‘spurious’.

He said: “His allegation is spurious because it amounts to the height of irresponsibility for him to be canvassing that a government functionary, who pays his taxes through the pay-as-you-earn system, forged his tax certificate.

“Again, as a lawyer, if he has respect for the ethics of his profession, he cannot jump to the press with the facts that are already before the court.

“It is only in this country that somebody who came fifth in a party primary election with only five votes, would be asking the court to declare him the winner of the election.

“The governor ’s team of lawyers is defending the suit and he should go back to court and prove his allegation and not to resort to the pages of newspapers for a campaign of blackmail that can never solve

his problem.

“I put it to him that this blackmail tactics will not help him at all. Nobody is urging Nwosu to surrender or to withdraw his case and nobody

will ever persuade him to capitulate. We believe in the Rule of Law and Nwosu should allow the courts to run their course.

“He is not an issue in

Obingwa not to talk of the state.

“Let me also inform him that Governor Okezie is not the type anyone can blackmail into compromise.”

FG moves to protect jobs in oil, gas sector

By Emeka Anaeto, Economy Editor

A

GAINST the backdrop of threats to current employment levels by the economic downturn, there were indications yesterday that the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, has stepped up efforts to protect private sector jobs from looming gale of downsizings in the sector.

The Comptroller-General of NCS, Col. Hameed Alli (retd) gave this indication while addressing staff and management of Snake Island Integrated Free Zone and Nigerdock company during an official visit to the location.

According to him, the Federal Government was concerned about the impact of the recent economic headwinds, which had brought some major constraints in the operations and businesses of major companies.

He lamented that the development had equally

portended a threat to job security and further complication of the economic hardship the citizens were already facing.

He, therefore, said his visit was part of government’s efforts aimed at ascertaining the challenges the company was facing and finding ways government could be of help to prevent the cyrstalisation of job cuts.

On the issue of threat emanating from unfavourable competition, the Customs boss promised to look into the

industry issues with a view to redressing any anomaly, adding that the complaints earlier made by the management of the company would be scrutinised by top management of NCS, who are knowledgable enough to know the right thing to do.

In his words: “Our people are knowledgable of what the law says and what happens here. We will go back and look at your claims and address anything that undermines the success of the industry.”

Ikpeazu to NDDC

Leave politics, focus on devt

By Anayo Okoli

U

MUAHIA— GOVERNOR Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has urged the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to stop playing politics and focus on its core mandate of working for the good of the people of Niger Delta.

Ikpeazu said NDDC could only achieve its objective when it places itself above politics and work towards realising its mandate.

Ikpeazu, who spoke yesterday when he received NDDC Acting Managing Director, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari in Umuahia, said a situation where state governments cannot make input to the activities of NDDC board was not in the best interest of the commission and states.

Enugu Assembly approves N30bn loan for Ugwuanyi

By Francis Igata

E

NUGU—THE Enugu State House of Assembly, yesterday, approved a N30 billion loan request for the executive to facilitate ongoing developmental projects across in the state.

This came on a day the House unanimously passed a resolution, urging Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to dissolve

all boards of parastatals, departments and agencies under the ministries in the state for their abysmal performance in monitoring, evaluating and policy formulation of the departments and agencies under their supervision.

Leader of the House, Ike Ezugwu, representing Udenu constituency, while reeling out prayers contained

in the resolution sponsored by 22 other members, said: “This motion urges the House to approve for the executive to register a N15 billion bond through the United Bank of Africa, UBA, with a 3-year profit plan at the capital market and another N15 billion bridging finance facility with a 12 percent interest in a repayment plan of seven years, making a total of N30 billion.”

THE SCARCITY OF FUEL IN LAGOS

Traffic gridlock at Ojodu Berger Bus Stop, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, due to queue at Oando Filling Station at the area, yesterday. PHOTOS: Bunmi Azeez.

ABOVE: Commander, Rapid Response Squad, RRS, ACP Tunji Disu (right), with the Manager and staff of a filling station at Otedola/Omole, along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, arrested for allegedly hoarding fuel, yesterday.

RIGHT: ACP Disu (right), confirming the availability of fuel in the filling station’s reservoir .

Another along Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos, due to queue at NNPC Filling Station at Ogunnusi Road by Omole Bus-Stop, Ogba, Lagos, yesterday.

16 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY APRIL 6 , 2016

Union Bank revenue up 8% to N998.1bn in 2015

By Nkiruka Nnorom

U

NION Bank of Nigeria Plc said its revenue for 2015 financial grew by eight per cent from N920.2 billion in 2014 to N998.1 billion at the end of the year.

However, despite the increase in revenue, there was 12 per cent reduction in profit before tax to N18.1 billion from N20.7 billion recorded in full year 2014, while the profit after tax declined by 13 per cent from N20.5 billion in 2014 to N17.7 billion during the period.

Other highlights of the results showed 19 per cent interest income growth, while asset yield improved from 14.9 per cent in 2014 to 16.4 per cent, buoyed by securities trading income.

Also, the net interest income rose by six per cent to N53.8 billion compared to N50.6 billion posted in 2014 period.

The bank’s net loan book was up 15 per cent to N349 billion compared to N302.4 billion in December 2014, while customer deposits grew by 12 per cent to N569.1 billion from N507.4 billion as at December 2014, compared to six percent growth achieved in 2014; reflecting increased customer confidence, a re-energised brand and success of new products.

The bank’s expenses was down two per cent to N56.0 billion as against N7.2 billion in the same period in 2014.

According to the bank, it has been able to achieve a downward trend in expenses since 2012 from various cost transformation initiatives despite continued investments in people, technology and infrastructure.

In his comments, Mr. Emeka Emuwa, Chief Executive Officer said: “2015 was a challenging year across board, with significant operational and economic headwinds.

Imo Speaker decries loss of lives at Ohaji

By Chidi Nkwopara

O

WERRI—THE Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Chief Acho Ihim, has decried the growing ease with which people destroy human lives in society.

Chief Ihim, who made his feelings known yesterday, during an exclusive interview with Vanguard in Owerri, equally expressed shock at the reported war of supremacy between cult groups in the Ohaji area of the state.

“Human life is precious. It is inalienable. It is a wonderful gift from God. I feel very sad

at the way some people destroy human lives as if it is worthless”, the Speaker said.

He expressed regret that a very little thing that can ordinarily pass as a joke, sadly snowballed into a big crisis, which ultimately claims lives.

“Anybody that takes a critical look at the genesis of these reported crises, will eventually discover that they are things that should ordinarily pass for jokes. The sad thing is that these initial little things sadly snowballed into big crises that claimed lives and properties destroyed. We cannot continue this way”, Chief Ihim said.

Apparently resisting the temptation of being dragged into making comments about the activities of Fulani herdsmen across Nigeria, Chief Ihim said his interest was how to preserve human life.

“It does not really matter where the perpetrator of the crime comes from. It does no also matter if the killer is an armed robber, drug baron, smuggler, cultist or a herdsman. My interest is the human life that should be preserved”, Ihim said.

While wondering “how Nigerians descended to this

low level”, the Speaker however expressed happiness at the way the security agencies operating in the state, have been tackling each reported incident.

“The security agencies have been doing their best in either stemming or containing the tide, each time there was any report”, Ihim said.

While appealing to good spirited individuals to always give credible information to the police, the Speaker however opined that “it was better to nip the crisis in the bud instead of waiting until precious lives have been wasted before acting”.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016 —17

L

AST week through this columnIdiscussedsocialmobility as a means to tackle corruption: if talent and merit determined success, corruption which exists and is facilitated in part because the wrong sort of individuals have access to government positions, etc., would be lessened. But why are people corrupt in Nigeria? It is important to tackle this question beyond the obvious answer, being greed and a desire for an increase in economic clout or status.

As I said last week, it seems corruption has become an act of survival. Without functioning public healthcare or education, corruption becomes a means to elevate one’s family and to shield them from the routine suffering and discomfort which afflicts Nigerians at almost all levels. It is virtually impossible to obtain any government services without connections within a specific office and this too encourages corruption from Nigerians who have seen that fighting the system doesn’t pay.

tprincewill@yahoo.co.uk

The Nigerian elite’s aversion to competition

ment, 1978). So, for all our talk of the average Nigerian’s lack of morals, it isn’t so much that we all don’t know right from wrong (or that we have forgotten) but rather that it is no longer in anyone’s interest for society to be sane, orderly or law abiding.

In Nigeria, it is not in the elite’s unfortunately short-sighted interest for the economy to work for all.

The common good in Nigeria does not seeminglyprovide financial pay-offs. Instead, the creation and maintenance of policies, which undermine the poor, discourage or halt their participation at all levels is extremely rewarding, particularly in regions where mass education is flawed or inexistent.

Legitimate means of survival The only reward for that is frustration or the denial of one's dues. So corruption is a selfperpetuating cycle in Nigeria: the more people are corrupt, the more the system suffers (consequences being a lack of development or economic prosperity for the majority) but the more the system suffers, the less opportunities to make an honest living there are, therefore encouraging people to see corruption as a legitimate means of survival.

The system, as represented by those involved in corrupt acts,enables and persuades individuals to ruthlessly acquire power (hence electoral violence) so that they can create special interests, coalitions that work hard to guarantee their selfperpetuating reign. But is it possible to make these people see that another way is possible?

One of the fundamental problems of Nigerian leadership, as I previously stated, is the calibre of persons one finds in our states and public administrations. This has little to do with an elite background or lack thereof and everything to do with education. Study-

Effect of poverty ing governance and political systems teaches you a thing or two about how and why things work (or don’t work). Sadly, many of our leaders beyond their flaunted

Those holding our country back are not the poor, guilty of petty offenses and crimes related to the dehumanising effect of poverty but rather the rich who know better

decades of political experience (which amounts to becoming experts at forming coalitions of allegedly corrupt individuals to support their power bids while for example ignoring party directives) do not have the policy experience or intellectual exposure to the ideas that could actually make a difference in the lives of Nigerians.

The first thing one must bear in mind is “politicians, despite their rhetoric to the contrary, do not typically respond to ethical concerns unless those concerns square with their vested interests” (Richard Paul, Power, Vested Interests and Prejudice, a paper presented at the International Conference on the Ethics of Develop-

Special courts

C

ORRUPTION is definitely fight ing back, the best way it knows how,by incessantly adjourning cases for frivolous reasons, frustrating public opinion and promoting a lack of interest. To secure convictions we need our own equivalent of the “Untouchables” on the US Police force which brought down the infamous gangster Al Capone. This group of “unbribable” men resisted mafia in*Lawyers: Helping to fight corruption or aiding and timidation.

It might be difficult, but it is not im- abetting it possible, to find 20 persons of honour, to persons accused of heinous crimes and who, morejudges whose responsibility it would over are flight risks. As for the illegal and themselves be to try cases that need special con- corrupt perpetual injunctions forbidding certain sideration due to the severity of the people from being investigated, arrested or prosalleged crimes. The Administration of ecuted, they are an affront to the very idea of justice.

Criminal Justice Act (2015) stipulates Nigeria needs special courts to try corrupt cases so cases must be heard daily but it seems as to restore public confidence in the possibility of the public and the judiciary themselves powerful people paying for wrong-doing. If we cannot have forgotten this given the propen- achieve this in Nigeria, then we can forget about sity to stay proceedings and grant bail achieving anything else.

To counter this, we must therefore find practical incentives or reasons for rich, powerful Nigerians to abide by the rule of law. We must look beyond punishment for rule breakers (a necessity, yes, but it won’t be enough given current levels of desperation and inequity).

We must realise and accept that those holding our country back are not the poor, guilty of petty offenses and crimes related to the dehumanising effect of poverty but rather the rich who know better (after all, they travel and see how things are done in other climes and are generally well behaved abroad). Therefore, government must make it in the elite’s interest for the rich to do better for the rest

of the country.

Strengthening our institutions would go a long way towards bringing impunity and dysfunction to an end but the truth is, even with judicial reform (signed into law by former President Goodluck Jonathan no less) implementation remains the paramount issue.

For some who have benefited from the largesse and distortion of a rent-seeking system, it might be too late to appeal to their conscience.

What we might then need is shock therapy, aka “big bang”, reforms whereby change happens in one fell swoop rather than gradually so as not to give vested interests time to strategise, recover and further distort or damage new policies.

What the Buhari government is not doing is building popular support for its reforms: the vested interests’ spiel and “wailing” is not countered.

Opposition to reform A strategy would be to devise compensations for vested interests, as their main fear and the reason for their opposition to reform is sheer panic as to what would happen to them should the status quo change.

We need to communicate and reinforce the idea, in Nigeria, that competition is good for business and that hoarding opportunities, establishing monopolies is detrimental in the long-term. Indeed, innovation supports survival and only in a competitive political economy will we build businesses with longevity.

Of all the previously rich families or wealthy military administrators in the '70s and '80s few survived till date precisely because they didn’t seek to invest in sustainable ventures beyond their tenures or when they did they refused to innovate or improve on products.

Complacency, a love of mediocrity and a lack of education (real education, not just certificates and degrees and by this I mean vision, depth and critical thinking), these are the issues holding the Nigerian elite back, thus making sure that the elite in this country is not at par with its global peers. If the government can speak to the elite in terms it understands, reform might be a little less difficult.

President Buhari

T

HERE have been many criticisms of various members of his cabinet. Again, the question of what qualifies people for political appointments must be posed and the answer shouldn’t be “they’ve been doing this job for X amount of years”.

The difference between a President Muhammadu Buhari successful chief executive and an unsuccessful one boils doubtful they’ll do so now, ironidown to his team: with truly cally, that they have the opportucompetent hands, change, al- nity. It might be time for something though laborious, is possible. new.

Where are the new ideas and policies from ministers to sup*Tabia Princewill is a port the Commander-inChief’s vision? Leopards don’t strategic communica- tions change their spots. If some consultant and public policy cabinet members didn’t come analyst. She is also the co-host and executive producer of a up with anything revolutiontalk show, WALK THE TALK ary while in opposition, it is which airs on Channels TV.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016—19 —19 Send Opinions & Letters to: opinions1234@yahoo.com

How much worse can things still get…?

N the light of some of the litre being more careful about I experiences that Nigerians what to expend the little fuel in have been through in recent their vehicle tanks on. Not for times it would not be out of place for one to wonder how much worse things could get before they would get better. We can only be optimistic in the present circumstances and not give in to any form of despair. For this reason it makes sense to believe that our situation would surely get better. That way we can all have something to look forward to- and very soon too. Otherwise, families might soon be at war, with wives up in arms against their husbands while children take out their parents as we all try to make sense of the nonsense that has become our lot.

These are indeed times that try men’s souls. The last few weeks, especially the last two, could well pass for some of the worst Nigerians have known in recent times. What with the double whammy of constant power outage and the terrible scourge of fuel scarcity. Nigerians have been literally grounded in their homes with many who can still afford the impossible price of petrol at about N300 or more per

them are the frivolous visits or trips to nowhere.

Much deliberation and thought go into what people do with their resources these days. Petrol has perhaps never been more precious to Nigerian than in the last two weeks. If you were grounded at home with no fuel to make the rounds of your usual haunts, life would at least be a little bearable if you could enjoy some family time in an atmosphere of peace. But what would you do when the home becomes literally too hot due to the discomfort of power outage?

Indeed how many Nigerians could afford the luxury of quiet family time even without electricity when they have to be out practically slaving away, unsure of where their next meal would come from? Even without fuel in their vehicles and with the steep increase in transport fare, Nigerian must still find a way to report at work, be it private business or otherwise. We are in a double bind, a recurrent cycle of crises in which there appears

to be no route of immediate escape.

In the circumstance there can’t be any room for wastage. This may yet be one of the practical benefits of the present harsh times. Nigerians who have been hard put learning to conserve energy may be coming to the gradual realisation that we are in different times and there must now be purpose to every action.

People who would casually ignore all domestic illumination switched on the previous night while leaving home in the morning, may learn to conserve power now that tariff keeps increasing in a state of constant power outage and no salaries.

Nobody would want to waste the few litres of fuel sourced from the black market to power bulbs nobody needs in day time.

Since Nigerians have taken up responsibility for many of the municipal services people take for granted elsewhere, having no fuel to do many of these things that could help ease the pressure they are under must be very aggravating. What are those things people do these days without petrol or electricity, whether self-provided or from the Distribution Companies? We buy generators to provide electricity, install boreholes or

Some might argue as they’ve been doing in the last nine months that we should say nothing, complain of nothing but simply accept our plight as the ‘change’ we voted for

That Presidential message

By Collins Obibi

I

N the month of March, some cities and states recorded the first heavy rain.

With this drop of rain, the very strategic Igbe road in Igbogbo area of Ikorodu Lagos is as usual condemned till sometime in November or December when the dry season will set in again.

Governor Akinwumi Ambode who has given signs that he can be trusted to govern Lagos perhaps needs to be reminded that Ikorodu with its landmass and phenomenal population growth in the recent past can no longer be treated as just any local government area. Did Lagos State officials see the state of the roads leading to the Babington Seminary School where three school girls were kidnapped recently? Ambode was in Agric area of the town two months ago and must have seen how vast this part of Lagos is. Truth is that Lagos with all the aura has many rural communities begging for infrastructural attention.

This piece is rather devoted to farming, indeed to President Mohammadu Buhari’s statement that agricultural revolution is a considered option out of the economic difficulties of the present. That statement requires a breakdown, just as is done after his budget presentation, without padding, to enable a layman’s understanding. The layman must understand and key into it if we must begin to scratch the challenges Nigeria faces today, because things are really bad.

Prices of goods have in the past three months risen so swiftly, frighteningly and unabatedly, engendering fear of the worst. In many cases they have jerked as high as 50 per cent while some have even doubled. The Naira continues the dangerous slide in the exchange market due to low foreign currency inflow.

Gradually, the high hope of better days following the swearing in of the new

administration is giving way to despair.

What is agricultural revolution? If it will hinge on government action or inaction then it has already failed. In fact, government does not lead a revolution, the people do.

A quick response to the hunger in the land today is for every Nigerian who has a parcel of land or small space even in his yard, front or back, to clear it and as the rains drop plant any crop of their choice.

This should cut across - public servants, businessmen, private sector employers and employees, professional farmers, youth, job applicants and students.

Everyone should maintain a farm no matter how small. Anyone who needs fertilizer should but it in the open market.

Any policy that will return the country to fertilizer allocation by the government must be resisted at all cost.

This should appeal more to public servants who in many states are being owed arrears of salaries even when their governors who now behave as sole administrators are property developers and merchants, indeed living in unimaginable affluence. To federal civil servants, this may serve as an immediate bail out from blocked avenues for extra income occasioned by the introduction of the Single Treasury Account (TSA) while they perfect strategies to circumvent it.

How do I mean? How, for instance, did over

Nigeria’s hope for food security and national development still depends on mechanised farming and industrialisation

dig wells to obtain water, dispose waste even if in drainages. We feel our governments by their near total absence in our lives except when they want to inflict more injuries on us. With this much to do already what more can the people of this country be expected to take upon themselves? When can they hope to look for more sustained and permanent respite from these troubles? But it would appear that Nigerians have learned a lot of endurance, sometimes one thinks they’ve learned to endure more than is healthy for them.

The thing is however that everyone is being careful.

Everybody is being extra careful not to tip things over the brink where they presently rest.

The Yoruba say when a child has not been sufficiently chastised, he hurls insults at his chastiser. But chastised beyond measure a child learns to beg for mercy. Nigerians have been chastised beyond measure, they’ve suffered all sorts of pain and indignities- far more than anyone would have thought possible in years gone by.

They’ve learned to bear the lies and serial betrayals of their leaders. We have learned to work and not be paid for many months at a time; and when we are paid just some percentage of what we are entitled to and our leaders give out the lie that we’ve been fully paid, we say nothing in return. Rather we even rush to go to the same job for which we are not being paid. Labour leaders have since lost everything- their bark and bite.

Everyone can read the writing on the wall and have wisely refrained from rocking the boat.

Some might argue as they’ve

23,000 ghost workers who received salaries worth billions of naira find their way into the payroll of the federal government after the biometric capturing exercise which cost a fortune and which we were assured would nip such cases in the bud?

The maize you drop in the ground today will in three months become a cob of thousands that provide variety of nourishing meals, just as melon and okro.

Yam can be harvested from the sixth month and cassava in nine months; rice and wheat from the fourth month. The plantain sucker you detach from the mother and plant in another location this month will fruit around December. The head part of the yam that house wives usually throw into the dustbin can turn to a big yam tuber some months later if buried in the soil at the backyard.

Take maize and plantain. If you consider what it takes to produce these two and the rich harvest from them you weep for the country. Corn of all varieties is among the healthiest foods in the world.

It can be boiled or roasted for meal, indeed be used to produce a variety of nourishing dishes. It is used by industries to produce flour, malt drink, cornflakes, syrup, animal feeds, beer, starch and others.

With all the arable corn friendly land in every state, good weather and high population, Nigeria is not mentioned among the top ten maize producers. The United States remains the unbeaten largest maize producer with over 40 per cent of the world’s output. Even the backyard neighbour, South Africa is ahead of Nigeria in maize production.

Yet, what it takes is to drop maize in a shallow ground, cover it with sand, weed at least once if you care, and in three months go for the rich harvest. Plantain does not even require fertilizer for good harvest, just warm temperature, bright soil and good moisture.

This modest, simplistic proposition can in the next three months and beyond help to address food shortages in the country, while we wait for the ‘revolution’. And

been doing in the last nine months that we should say nothing, complain of nothing but simply accept our plight as the ‘change’ we voted for. For them there is nobody to hold for the crisis in which this country has found itself but the present government of Mohammadu Buhari. Like Lot’s wife we are told not to look back to where we were coming from and ask nothing of the past. Indeed the present government has a lot to do and it would do well to brace itself more for the task ahead in order to bring immediate relief to Nigerians. For one it must find a permanent solution to the problem of incessant fuel scarcity. It does it no credit that just a month away from its first anniversary, it looks inadequate to discharge its remit. But it only needs to show that it has more staying power than its inherited problems.

It should go to work in a manner that would make its effort more obvious. For some of us, our present problems, especially such as we have encountered in the last few weeks, only remind us of how far we have journeyed from the unspeakable calamity that a Peoples Democratic Party government would have made inevitable. Only God knows what would have become of this country today had that government not been swept off in the tidal wave of the last presidential election. We are where we are today because of the massive corruption emplaced by that administration and we will only find relief when we resolve to do away with many of the ignoble ways of that inept regime.

when you remove hunger as the adage goes, you have broken poverty’s backbone. This will also reduce the pressure on the foreign exchange market.

In Abuja and high brow areas of Lagos in particular and some GRAs in some other cities, the elite compete to show off in their compounds shrubs and trees with only aesthetic value. Yet these still litter the compounds with dry leaves just as other economically viable yet aesthetically priced trees like mango, orange, guava, pear, paw-paw, and others which they should have planted. The architects of the make Abuja green programme willfully ignored the economic benefits and emphasised the environmental beautification aspects.

The so called experts disparagingly call this subsistent or local farming. But it fed our fathers and mothers and paid their children’s school fees. The commercial, mechanised, inorganic driven method they have been propagating for many decades now is still test-running in the face of ravaging hunger because it is one of the prototype universal models that do not have a blend of indigenisation.

Nigeria’s hope for food security and national development still depends on mechanised farming and industrialisation. We can begin to pursue and achieve this if we adopt right policies and attitudes. In fact, government stranglehold on virtually all sectors of the economy including land ownership must abate for private businesses to step in and make the desired impact. This is still in the realm of aspiration.

The reality is that there is an emergency and some contingent measures must be adopted. The slight increases in crude oil prices do not still translate to anything yet since the amount of imports is unbearable. All should wake up to this reality. This is the President’s message to all Nigerians.

*Mr. Obibi, a media practitioner, wrote from Lagos.

20 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

WAR OVER GAME RESERVE:

Community dares Plateau Govt on deforestation

By Marie Therese Nanlong, Jos

A

LL is certainly not well between the Plateau State government and people of the Qua’an Pan local government area of the State. The bone of contention is the decision of the state government to embark on the deforestation of the Pandam Game Reserve located in Qua’an Pan local government area and established in 1972 by the late Joseph Gomwalk’s administration.

It would be recalled that the Pandam Game Reserve was established by the Benue- Plateau State Legal Notice number 1 of 1972 with October 20, 1975 the date of commencement.

Kicking against the planned deforestation, some members of the host community, especially from the Pan/Koffiar axis of the local government, said they will “stiffly resist” any move to deforest the Game Reserve as doing so “under the pretense of revenue generation will amount to endangering wildlife and violating our inheritance.”

Speaking on behalf of his people, Albert Kobep, a lawyer, told Vanguard Metro, VM, that the community has to stand and defend the wildlife habitat seeing that Lalong’s administration is determined to deforest the area as is already being done in the Bwall axis of the Game Reserve.

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*A section of the park in dispute

*The office area

Adequate compensation

in earnest in Bwall district of Quaan Pan Local Government Area.”

He wondered why “in the 21st century a responsible government can involve itself in a venture which is capable of causing long-lasting ecological disaster to a vast territory”, noting that “the Federal Government has had a policy for reforestation in order to check desertification, and certainly the felling of these trees will not help in achieving the objective of stemming the southward movement of the desert.”

According to him: “It is on record that the Pan people were the sole occupants of the territory upon which the Game Reserve was established. It is also on record that till date, adequate compensation for the use of the land by government has not been carried out though we are aware that alternative residences under the resettlement scheme was done.

“However, we still hold to the fact that compensation under the law must be adequate to fulfil the bases for public use of communal or individual lands sought for such use by government. It is therefore with great anger and disappointment that we regretfully want to draw the attention of the general public to clandestine plans and activities being carried out with a view to deforest and privatise natural resources in Pandam Game Reserve which has commenced

We will stiffly resist any move to deforest the Game Reserve as doing so under the pretense of revenue generation will amount to endangering wildlife and violating our inheritance

Giving further reseaon why the deforestation should not be allowed to take place, the spokesman added that “the Game Reserve is home to rare species such as the pigmy hippopotamus, various exotic birds, monkeys and other wildlife. If the forest was logged where will these animals go?”

Kobep opined that in an era where everyone is going green and trying to establish means of revenue generation based on eco-tourism, “the pittance which will be generated from the sale of the timber will not be sustainable as a means of generating revenue for the government” and solicited the resuscitation of the Game Reserve by providing the necessary infrastructure to encourage tourists as such will generate revenue and still preserve the heritage for future generations.

Meanwhile, the community which viewed the planned deforestation as “ill advised, untimely, insensitive and downright irresponsible” stressed that “advanced plans have been made between the state government and expatriate companies who have no regards for the consequences of the venture on the sustainability of the land for the people but only for their capital interest.”

The people appealed to the Federal Government, the Conservator General of Nigeria and all other relevant stakeholders, including NESREA and the Federal Ministry of

Environment, to intervene urgently to prevent a looming ecological disaster and to urgently investigate the situation and put an immediate halt to the process.

They stated thus: “The people of Pandam area a n d surroundings were not consulted before this plan was hatched. We want to know the whereabouts of the environmental impact assessment report, the degree of compliance with the various protocols which Nigeria has signed at the UN for the preservation of biodiversity, and for the equitable participation of indigenous people in the exploitation of their natural resources.

Existing legal framework “The argument put forward by the state government that the state is in dire need of funds and hence the resort to sale of timber to generate funds is not sustainable. This is because there is an existing legal framework which regulates the exploitation of natural resources. Nigeria is a signatory to a number of international instruments and has ratified conventions related to same.

“These include Convention on Biological Diversity (1992), United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification (1994), Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (1973), Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (1980) amongst others.

They maintained: “We do not claim to be experts on the

environment, however, common sense dictates that if there were to be a logging of an existing forest, the government would have first developed a nursery for trees that would be planted to replace the trees which would be felled.

There would have been an identification of the trees which are mature for the purpose of taking an inventory of the products which would be exported.

“In addition, the logging would be done in phases with the young trees being planted and growing to a reasonable extent which would ensure that they will survive before further logging of other areas can be carried out.

Have all these things been done?

Required infrastructure “We consequently call on the Plateau State government to adopt the path of responsible leadership and develop the required infrastructure which will improve the marketability of the Game Reserve and improve its currently comatose fortunes.

Any stance adopted by the government in defiance of the superior logic advanced by this argument will be interpreted as a deliberate act aimed at provoking the peace loving people of Pan/Kofiar extraction and will be resisted with every available option under the law of God and the Nigerian State.”

Reacting to the issue, Emmanuel Nanle who is the Director of Press and Publicity to Governor Lalong said: “Whatever is being said is the figment of the imagination of the people.

“The Government is rather working on regulating the timber logging which has been going on with the traditional community leaders’ consent for the past two years to ensure that the environment is not degraded.

Government has not granted any permission for the deforestation of the Pandam Game Reserve besides the current area of exploration of the Chinese.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

Africa Finance Corporation grows asset by 25% in 2015

GTBank shareholders approve N51.5bn dividend

By Omoh Gabriel

By Peter Egwuatu

S

A

FRICA Finance Corporation (AFC) said its 2015 fiscal year results despite a difficult operating environment, delivered strong underlying operating results. It said it achieved 25 per cent growth in its balance sheet, with total assets in excess of $3.2 billion. Its net interest income increased by 39 per cent to $108.4 million with net interest margins growing to 4.4 per cent, a 7 per cent improvement over the prior year, as the Corporation continues to lower its borrowing costs. Fees, commissions and other income however declined by 85 per cent largely due to oneoff revenues of $46 million recorded in 2014.

Managing Director Lagos Deep Offhore Logistics Base (LADOL), Dr. Amy Jadesimi (right), conducting the Comptroller-General of Customs, Rtd Col Hameed Ali round the LADOL Industrial Free Zone at Apapa, Lagos on Monday, as the Chairman of LADOL, Mr. Ladi Jadesimi (middle) watches.

Maiden euro-bond In April 2015, as part of its efforts to diversify its funding base, the Corporation successfully issued its maiden euro-bond of $750 million as part of its established $3 billion Eurobond Global Medium Term Notes (“GMTN”) Programme.

It said that the reception of the bond was strong, and it was six times over-subscribed, positioning AFC in the capital markets as a strong African credit. It said that as a result of the challenging 2015 economic environment there was the need to maintain a tight rein on costs. Management had strong oversight on operating costs resulting in a 22 per cent year-on-year decline to $30 million delivering a cost to income ratio of 22 per cent, down from

26 per cent recorded in 2014.

Although no risk asset was impaired during the year under review, the Corporation’s first portfolio impairment charge of $26.7

The reception of the bond was strong, and it was six times oversubscribed

$2,860.00 -11.00 0.15

$37.56

-0.13

$ 35.64 -0.06 CURRENCY BUYING US DOLLAR POUNDS EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYAL KRONA SDR

196 280.2016 223.1852 204.2305 1.7571 0.3225 275.4884 30.2479 52.2583 29.9676 275.7524

SELLING 196.5 280.9164 223.7546 204.7515 1.7615 0.3325 276.1912 30.3255 52.3916 30.044 276.4559

197 281.6312 224.3239 205.2725 1.766 0.3425 276.894 30.4031 52.5249 30.1205 277.1593

CBN Exchange rate as at 05/04/2016

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million was recorded, in light of increased default risks, particularly in the Corporation’s oil and gas risk asset portfolio. Overall, the Corporation remains strongly capitalized, with a capital adequacy of 50 per cent. AFC is also very liquid, with approximately $1 billion liquidity as at December 2015, positioning the Corporation to take advantage ofinvestmentopportunitiesin2016.

The Corporation recorded total comprehensive income of $70.3 million for the year, representing a decline of 38 per cent compared to 2014. However total comprehensive income, after the adjustments for the exceptional fees accrued in

2014 represents a growth of 3%, even after taking into consideration the Corporation’s first portfolio impairment charge. 2015 it said was characterised by a decline in commodity prices, in particular oil, minerals and soft commodities.

Oil prices remained under pressure owing to a supply glut, a situation which saw prices plummet by approximately 50 per cent during the year. In addition China’s demand for raw material imports decreased as the country’s economy rebalanced away from manufacturing to services.

Nigeria’s Terms of Trade improves in Q4 2015-CBN

$ 122.05 -0.75 $ 14.79

— 21

By Babajide Komolafe

T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday said that the country’s Terms of Trade (TOT) improved in the fourth quarter of 2015.

The CBN disclosed this in its Terms of Trade Bulletin for the fourth quarter released yesterday.

The bulletin stated, “Nigeria’s all products TOT index for October, November and December 2015 stood at 103.02, 102.28 and 100.61, respectively. These indices showed favourable TOT for all the months of the quarter, indicating that Nigeria used 3.02, 2.28 and 0.61 per cent less of her exports to obtain the same level of imports in the respective months under review” Terms of Trade (TOT) is the ratio of a country’s export prices to her import prices, and expresses the quantity of import goods a country can purchase per unit of its export goods. It is common practice to multiply this ratio by 100, in which case the

TOT is expressed as percentage. If the TOT is above 100, implying that the country can buy more of imports for a given level of exports, it is said to be favourable. Otherwise, the TOT is considered unfavourable.

The CBN report stated, “Available statistics revealed that the product groups that contributed most to the positive trade positions during the review period were the: “Vegetable products”, “live animals; animal products”, “Footwear, headgear, umbrellas, sunshades, whips etc.”, “Wood and articles of wood, wood charcoal In Q4, 2015, the trade indices for “live animals; animal products” were 330.63, 289.04 and 227.42 for the months of October, November and December, respectively. These show favourable trade positions of 230.63, 189.04 and 127.42 per cent for the months, respectively.

HAREHOLDERS of Guaranty Trust Bank, (GTBank) Plc yesterday, approved the payment of N51.5 billion dividend declared by the Board of Directors for the financial year ended December31, 2015.

The shareholders ratified the bank’s 2015 financial statement at the twenty sixth Annual General Meeting, AGM, just as they commended the management and board for the impressive results recorded during the year under review.

The Chairman of Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, PSAN, Mr. Boniface Okezie, who spoke the minds of shareholders at the meeting said “ We commend the board for listening to the advice of shareholders on bonus issue and that is why it is paying high dividend and has recorded impressive results when compared to its peers in the industry. Bonus issue will over bloat the shares and servicing it might not be easy especially during this period of economic headwind.”

Positive performance A review of the 2015 results shows positive performance across all financial indices. The Group recorded Profit Before Tax, PBT of N120.7billion, an increase of N4.3billion or 3.7 per cent over the N116.4 billion reported in December 2014 and Gross Earnings of N301.9billion an increase of 8.4 per cent from the N278.5billion recorded in the same period of 2014. In terms of value creation for its shareholders, the bank recorded pre-tax Return on Asset and Equity, ROAE of 31.0 per cent and Return on Average Asset, ROAA of 5.0 per cent respectively.

The bank’s balance sheet remained strong with 7.2 per cent growth in total assets, from N2.36trillion in 2014 to N2.52trillion in the year under review. Loans to customers grew by 7.5 per cent to close at N1.37trillion from N1.28trillion in 2014. Despite the implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) by the FGN, customer deposits remained relatively stable with a marginal year-on-year decline of 0.49 per cent from N1.62 trillion in 2014 to N1.61trillion in 2015.

22 — VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

,

If you drive a vehicle in Nigeria and don’t have genuine insurance that means your vehicle is not yet registered on the Nigeria Insurance Industry Database, NIID

,

INSURAN

Building collapse: Why you need genuine motor Implementation of insurance compulsory insurances faulty — NAICOM I A Stories by Rosemary Onuoha

LTHOUGH Lagos State Government has a law in place which mandates builders to take insurance cover, implementation has not been fully executed.

Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Mohammed Kari who made the assertion, noted that the National Insurance Commission, NAICOM, will put more efforts to ensure that implementation is fully effective in all states of the nation.

Kari said, “Implementation has been an issue with compulsory insurance. In Lagos though there is a law compelling builders to insure, however, the implementation has been faulty.

“But we are now working with various state governments and the federal government to see how we can ensure enforcement of the compulsory insurances.

Insurance penetration The game will totally change and as we go from state to state to sensitise them on how insurance can help their economy, how it can create employment and how together we can enforce insurance, we expect a huge deepening in insurance penetration within the next 12 months.”

Kari said that the insurance industry don’t have the capacity to enforce the compulsory insurances for lack of human resources and infrastructure but the current trust of NAICOM’s efforts in developing the market is to see how much of compulsory insurances can be enforced and it is towards this that it is approaching the state governments.

He said, “We want to bring enforcement to the states level and we are asking for permission to consult and discuss with the state commissioners and the revenue generating agencies on how we can partner and enforce the compulsory insurances at the local level.

At the federal level we have already sent out circulars to all MDAs demanding to have a list of all insurable assets and C M Y K

reminding them that it is their responsibility in law to protect public asset.

“We have the support of government in the sense that the circulars we have issued have been widely circulated with a deadline on which to submit the information. When we receive the needed information, we are going to guide government in setting up proper insurance desks in various MDAs. There is need to have an insurance person to man the insurance desk in establishments. We have always complained that insurance is the only profession where you find a non insurance person heading the insurance unit especially in government.

You don’t find any accounting department headed by any other person than an accountant likewise legal department is always headed by a lawyer. But in ours, you find just every profession being posted and free to man the insurance desk. So we have sensitised government about the need to have relevant people heading insurance desks, that way they will be able to negotiate better terms for government when they are negotiating with a provider as against the provider being adviser, provider, claim adjuster and so on.”

We want to bring enforcement to the states level and we are asking for permission to consult and discuss with the state commissioners

T is regrettable that many motorists have failed to appreciate the need to obtain genuine motor insurance policies from registered insurance companies and kept patronising fake dealers. This is in spite of the dangers attached to such action.

If you drive a vehicle in Nigeria and don’t have genuine insurance, that means your vehicle is not yet registered on the Nigeria Insurance Industry Database, NIID and if your vehicle is not on NIID, then you have a fake insurance certificate.

motor insurance certificate racketeers. The database is an instrument that is very handy in the control or fight towards the eradication of fake insurances in Nigeria. The database facilitates easy collation and dissemination of statistical information relating to all classes of insurance in Nigeria and also serves as a platform for easy identification of genuine insurances by security agencies and other relevant authorities.

The NIID is a good step in the right direction to guard

Effective decision making

Culture of insurance The NIID is a platform of the Nigeria Insurers Association, NIA, aimed at getting more Nigerians into the insurance net and boosting the culture of insurance among citizens of the country.

Unfortunately, over 11.5 million vehicles ply Nigeria roads, however, only about 3 million of these vehicles carry genuine insurance certificates.

Know that the NIID provides protection to Nigerians against the dangerous activities of insurance fraudsters, particularly the third party

against forgeries and frauds in the insurance industry, hence, with your genuine insurance certificate, any of your claims will be speedily settled by the insurance company.

According to insurance experts, the NIID is an information technology-based system that would facilitate easy collation and dissemination of statistical and other information relating to insurance on one hand, and also serves as a vehicle for easy identification of genuine insurance documents by relevant authorised persons.

Unfortunately, over 11.5 million vehicles ply Nigeria roads, however, only about 3 million of these vehicles carry genuine insurance certificates

Other benefits of the NIID include monitoring and authenticating insurance transaction documents; reducing red tape and corruption by integrating with the vehicle registration system of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), police and other relevant government agencies; ensuring easy access to statistical data for effective decision making.

With the NIID, a motorist can send SMS to 33125 with policy number or vehicle plate number or visit the NIID website to verify genuineness of his or her vehicle insurance papers.

COMPETITION: From left, Brand Manager, Wheat Meal, Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, Mrs. Bola Ogunyinka; Trade Marketing and Sustainability Manager, Mr. Adedayo Adeniyi; and Project Director, Vision of The Child, Mrs. Foluke George, during the launch of Honeywell in Sisi Eko's Kitchen competition, in Lagos.

VOL. 1 NO 62 Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARYWEDNESDAY, 20, 2016 Vanguard, APRIL 6, 2016

The farmers, after their release from detention.

Their bail conditions were perfected at about 4.47pm, prompting them to erupt in jubilation in the court premises thankful for breathing the air of freedom after two weeks of imprisonment.

The matter was adjourned to April 29, 2016 for trial.

Reacting to the development, the traditional ruler of the Community, Igwe Godwin Nwobi expressed happiness that his people have been granted bail, saying “at least I can now sleep”. The monarch has been in Umuahia for three days running, trying to effect the release of the people.

Also the law maker representing them in the Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr. Nelson Ogunji said he was happy that his constituents have been granted bail, just as he lamented their arrest in the first place.

According to him, Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has promised to make sure that such incident never happens again, as they were working towards finding a lasting solution to it. Their lawyer, Damain Uche Ajah, also expressed joy that the Court granted his clients bail and said that they were ready for the trial proper.

ENUGU 76: How they ended up in prison while searching for their women

By Anayo Okoli

U

MUAHIA—FOR the 76 Ugwuleshi indigenes in Awgu Community, Enugu State, they would ever hate that faithful day they gathered to organize a search party for two of their women allegedly abducted by Fulani herdsmen who have been having a running battle with them over destruction of their farm lands.

They woke up to realize that two of their women were allegedly abducted by the Fulani herdsmen and they decided to organize a search party to look for them.

While they gathered to commence the search, they ran into some soldiers on patrol who seeing the large number of men confronted them. They were said to have satisfactorily explained themselves to the soldiers who it was said wanted to leave them.

But suddenly, it was alleged, one Alhaji came out and met them and allegedly placed a call after which some more army vans arrived and bundled them to Umuahia where they were clamped into prisons.

That was how their ordeal drew public outcry. Their arrest created fear and tension in the community. Following public outcry and condemnation, they were arraigned in court last Friday in two Magistrate Courts on a five count arson and illegal possession of dangerous weapons charge as well as burning down 90 houses at Obinwanne Fulani Community Settlement in Umunneochi.

When the charges were read to them, C M Y K

they pleaded not guilty. The presiding Magistrate granted bail in the sum of N200, 000 each with five sureties who must be resident in Umuahia or Umunneochi.

Alternatively, the traditional ruler of the community would sign with two other prominent persons he nominated and who are resident in Umuahia or Umunneochi.

Cultists kill deaf/dumb, 10 others

By Chidi Nkwopara

T

O say that Ohaji axis of the Ohaji/ Egbema local government area of Imo State, has periodically been in news and for very bad reasons, is stating the obvious. From Awarra, Assa, Obile, Mgbuishii, Obitti, Umuapu and a host of other communities, the story has been that of killing, maiming, armed robbery, raping, looting and burning of houses.

Human life appears to be meaningless and worthless in these areas and from the look of things, anybody or group can suddenly rake up an issue that would ultimately snowball into a lifethreatening crisis.

The lists of these gory tales are endless, as they are debilitating. Indeed, strange and bizarre things are happening in Ohaji/Egbema. Not too long ago, the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, His Grace, Dr. Anthony Obinna, played host to some aggrieved women from Mgbuishii, a sleepy rural community in the local government which is a border town between Imo and Rivers States. Their sordid story sounded like tales from fantasy land but real.

The middle-aged mothers complained bitterly that they had been under siege

for many years. Apart from what they described as “palpable government neglect of their community,” they equally cried out over the criminal activities of their own sons and daughters! The leader of the women, who addressed the Archbishop (name withheld) bared her mind to Archbishop Obinna. “We are raped and molested by our own children! You cannot come to Mgbuishii and return home safely because of the level of crime in the community, he said. Umuapu, another community in Ohaji, has not known peace for some time, following the alleged gruesome murder of one Joseph Ihueze, who was himself accused of poisoning another villager, Mr. Robert Ihueze.

The Police naturally waded into the issue and invited the traditional ruler of the community, Eze Boniface U. Ihueze. Having waited in vain for his eventual return to his palace, scores of angry youths recently barricaded the ever busy OwerriPort Harcourt dual carriage way at Umuapu, to register their annoyance.

Speaking to newsmen at the scene of the protest, one of the community’s youth leaders, Evangelist Ethelbert Ajoku, said they were protesting the arrest and detention of their innocent royal father.

The Chairman of the Eze’s Cabinet, Chief Silas Amadi, and a member of

Umuapu Elders’ Forum, Elder Solomon Chukwukere, however described the killing of Ihueze as “a mob action” and called for the release of their traditional ruler.

“We hear that the Eze went to Owerri and from there to Abuja. It appears that his return is now difficult. This is why the elders joined in the current protest,” the elders said. Meanwhile, two rival cult groups, Deewell and Deegbam, have equally enacted their war of supremacy in the Awarra/Assa axis of the same Ohaji, as the Imo State Police Command confirmed that 10 people died in the fresh crisis. Among the dead included a deaf and dumb man who was killed onhis farm.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Andrew Enwerem, who confirmed the number of casualties in a telephone interview, also said that two suspects have been nabbed for questioning over the incident.

“The police have arrested two persons in connection with the ugly incident, while the bodies of the victims have been deposited in a hospital morgue, preparatory for post mortem examination,” the PPRO said. Giving an insight to what happened, Enwerem said that a gang of hoodlums, who were dressed in army uniform attacked the community, killing and maiming innocent people.

24—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016—25

C M Y K

26— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State (lef) and former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo during a courtesy to the governor in Enugu.

Regional General Manager, National Insurance Corporation of Nigeria, NICON, in-charge of South-East zone, Mrs. Edith Ogbuagu (right), handing over a cheque to the Principal, Federal Government Girls College, FGGC, Onitsha, Anambra State, Mrs. Margaret Enonuya, on behalf of the three students, Miss Blessing Anuligwo, SS 3; Patience Ugochi Udogu, SS2 and Blessing Chisom Udogu, SS2G, who lost their fathers, and who received N500,000 each as insurance welfare package from the management of NICON. Governor Ugwuanyi (left) and Chairman, Governing Council, and Pro-Chancellor, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Professor Godfrey Igwebuike Onah, during a visit to the Governor in Enugu.

The beneficiaries, their mothers, NICON staff and school officials.

NICON officials, school heads and the widows.

From left—Provost, Chijioke Akubue; Chief Provost, Azubuike Onyechi; Social/Publicity Secretary, Emmanuel Udodinma; Asst- Financial Secretary, Toochukwu Uzochukwu; Treasurer, Chibuike Nwaoye; Asst. Secretary, Marcus Mbaekwe; Secretary General, Damiona Nwaogbo; Vice Chairman, Chijoke Uzokwe, Chairman, Emmanuel Ojukwu, all members of the newly-elected Alor Development Union, ADU, executives, Lagos.

Member representing Ikwo/Ezza South federal constituency of Ebonyi State, Mr. Lazarus Ogbee, empowering constituents with motorcycles, sewing machines, generators, grinding machines and other tools of trade.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

,

CE & YOU

If your vehicle is not on NIID, then you have a fake insurance certificate

— 27

,

Over 100 brokers operate with illegal licences — Kari

A

WORKSHOP: From left, Chairman, Northern Area Committee, Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, (NCRIB), Mr. Olalekan Olaniran; President, NCRIB, Mr. Kayode Okunoren presenting a plaque of honour to a past President of the council and an ace insurance practitioner, Alhaji M. Koguna, at a workshop organised by the Northern Area Committee, in Kano.

LTHOUGH over 400 insurance brokers are operating in the insurance industry, only about 300 firms have valid licences to operate.

According to information made available by the National Insurance Commission, NAICOM, the others are operating illegally.

Recall that NAICOM in December 2015, published the names of 108 insurance brokers for their failure to meet the regulatory requirements, especially, failure to renew their licenses.

It was learnt that majority of the erring firms were sanctioned for violating certain provisions of the insurance law, such as;

‘Rising cost of goods could lead to inflated claims costs’

A

MIDST the rising cost of goods in the economy, the higher cost of importing spare parts places insurers at risk from inflated claims costs, particularly within their motor accounts, according to a report by A.M Best.

A.M Best also noted that insurers that maintain foreigncurrency denominated obligations and utilise a weak asset liability matching framework, the decline in the naira relative to the U.S. dollar will increase liquidity constraints, owing to the need to increase domestic-denominated assets to meet their foreign-currency denominated liabilities.

The rating agency said that it would in turn have negative implications for the capitalisation levels of these insurers and hence

their financial strength.

The report said, “Without introducing innovative products and appropriate distribution methods to attract the various segments of Nigeria’s demographics, insurance will continue to be viewed as a luxury product only available and necessary to the well off.

“In spite of the headwinds overshadowing the economic landscape, the low penetration rates, good growth prospects, a relatively stable political climate and an improving regulatory landscape, means that Nigeria is fast becoming a country of interest for foreign investors seeking to capitalise on untapped insurance demand.

“In the past two years, the

industry has witnessed the entrance of a number of foreign players into the market.

Meanwhile, the number of insurers in the industry has shrunk over the past 20 years, much of which was a result of NAICOM’s increase in minimum capital requirements in 2007 that saw participant numbers reduce to 49 from 97 in 2005.

“A.M. Best believes that consolidation is likely to continue, abetted by the entrance of foreign investors seeking global expansion to diversify their business. For domestic insurers, this enables them to utilise international practices and technical expertise, further aligning the Nigerian market with that of the global operating

TOP INSURANCE GAINERS & LOSERS

environment.

However, international investors targeting Nigeria will need to remain mindful of the inherent challenges overshadowing the insurance market, including the uncertain economic environment. While the existing retail portfolios of domestic players may be considered attractive as these lines of business are relatively untapped, significant investment is required to establish strong distribution channels to enable insurers to build sufficient scale.

Transparency in the market This will require investors to have a long-term view of their positions in the market.

Furthermore, the low, albeit improving, level of transparency in the market is likely to be a hurdle in undertaking sufficient due diligence on potential acquisition targets.

“The young and growing population of Nigeria continues to present a huge potential for the growth of the underpenetrated insurance industry, with annual nominal growth rates of up to 10% expected for the coming five years.

However, the economy remains subject to fiscal and structural weaknesses, including the country’s dependence on oil revenues, the high levels of corruption and subsequent distrust in the financial system.

late submission of their returns to the regulatory body, while some did not even submit returns for several years, nonrenewal of operating licence, among other offenses.

NAICOM, through a circular, said, an insurance broker whose licence has lapsed and wishes to re-register under the same name should submit a Letter of Appeal giving reasons why the last licence lapsed and payment of non-refundable fee of N250,000 for processing of the appeal.

Moreover, it charged the intending broker to equally submit application for reregistration if appeal is sustained by NAICOM, adding that such interested broker must pay a payment of application fee of N250,000, submit Certified True Copy of CAC’s Forms C02 and C07, Evidence of payments of the fee and payment of all outstanding ISS levies due before the license lapsed.

Re-registration inspection Other requirements listed in the circular include, nomination of qualified CEO and executive management for NAICOM’s approval; submission of a management account/statement of account as at the last day of last month of the period since the last approved account and apply for NAICOM’s approval of the members of the board of directors.

NAICOM pointed out that there would be re-registration inspection of broker to determine non-violation of the Insurance Act and payment of penalties for identified violations/non-compliance, while the interested broker is to attend and be successful at the re-registration interview.

According to NAICOM, interested brokers are requested to submit professional indemnity, sworn declarations, other declarations, tax clearance for the expired period of license, certificate on oath from the external auditors and payment of license fee of N2,250,000 after which the licence would be issued to those that fulfill all the listed requirements.

Send comments & enquiries to insuranceandyou@yahoo.com

28 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

Arsenal reward Iwobi with new deal A

lex Iwobi has been handed a new longterm deal by Arsenal following his impressive performance in the past days. According to reports in England, the 19year-old has agreed a new contract that will see him stay at the Emirates Stadium until 2021.

The new deal for the Nigerian international will see him earn three times his previous wages. Iwobi is now set to net £30,000 per week from the five-year contract.

The teenager has formed a seamless partnership with Arsenal senior players, and it was evident in the Barclays Premier League games at Everton and against Watford in which he combined well with Chilean forward, Alexis Sanchez. The youngster, who can play as a wideman or a midfielder, had only signed an improved deal last October worth around £10,000 a week until 2019.

Iwobi has made 15 appearances for the Gunners this season in all competitions. He has scored twice, in the Premier League, and helped with an assist in the FA Cup.

Enyimba, Abia Warriors for Abia FA Cup semis

P

remier League sides, Enyimba International of Aba and Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia have qualified for the semi-finals of this year’s Abia FA Cup competition after dispatching their respective opponents at the quarter finals at the weekend.

They have been joined at the last four by Warriors City rivals, Abia Comets and surprise package, FC Abonta of Aba. To make it to the semi-finals, Enyimba ended the dreams of Flying Birds of Aba 6-0. Flying Birds had beaten solo Wanderers 1-0 and eliminated Diamond FC of Umuahia 2-1 but found Enyimba a hard nut to crack as the Peoples Elephant made a mincemeat of them to end their aspirations.

For Abia Warriors, they beat KAMBU FC of Aba 2-0 at the Umuahia Township Stadium to advance to the last four. Youngsters, Shedrack Asiegbu and Michael Olaha scored the goals for the Warriors as the Aba team, which had earlier eliminated Enyimba Feeders and Chidex FC both of Aba, had to go home empty handed.

On their own, Abia Comets crushed local side, Ibeku United of Umuahia 4-0 to qualify for the last four while FC Abonta, who would be Enyimba’s semi-final opponents, had earlier eliminated City rivals, Ben FC and Abia Warriors feeders Team to advance to the last four.

Umuahia would definitely be on fire when city rivals, Abia Warriorsand Abia Comets clash in the other semi-final encounter. Comets had lost to the Warriors at the same stage two years ago but did not register for the competition last year.

Winners of the semi-final encounters will represent Abia State in the Federation Cup scheduled across the nation later in the year.

Ra on sil R

ang Eze Flying A base in as they league in Lago The j visitors FC stan week fo Enugu assure conclud

•Abia Warriors

Gambo, Murtala return boost Pillars K

ano Pillars have been boosted for today’s league game at Giwa FC with the return from injury of skipper Gambo Mohammed and defender Adamu Murtala.

“Gambo has fully recovered from an ankle injury and Murtala is now set for his first league game this season after he was certified fit following a long-term foot injury,” Pillars spokesman Idris Maliawa said.

Gambo suffered his injury during a recent league game at Giwa and has missed his team’s last two matches as a result.

In the meantime, new signing Omo Johnson has begun training after he fractured his foot in the opening game of the season against Enugu Rangers.

•Sc

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016 — 29 UEFA C/League Matches today PSG Wolfsburg

Man City R/ Madrid

7:45pm 7:45pm

Blanc: Man City tie will not be easy

L •Rangers

angers count n fans to lence MFM

gers of Enugu manager, Amobi eaku, has stated that the Antelopes will rely on their fan Lagos to cheer them to victory battle MFM FC in a midweek game at the Agege Stadium os today. juicy fixture between the s, Enugu Rangers and MFM nds out as the match of the or Match day 10.“Our fans from won’t be in Lagos but I can you that plans have been ded to make available buses at

churrle

v v

strategic locations in Lagos for our fans to come cheer us to victory,” Amobi told Goal.

The Flying Antelopes, who currently sit at the top of the log, still showed some respect to their host.

“We respect MFM FC for what they’ve achieved so far this season, but we have also shown quality and hope to keep the momentum even as we meet with MFM FC on Wednesday,” Amobi added. The NPFL week ten has been scheduled for this afternoon at the Agege Stadium by 4pm.

aurent Blanc has warned his Paris Saint-Germain players against taking Manchester City lightly in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

PSG host City in the first leg today at Parc des Princes, with a fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title already in the bag.

By contrast, Manuel Pellegrini’s men lie a distant fourth in the Premier League, having displayed frustratingly inconsistent form throughout the season.

However, their best performances this term have arguably come on the road in Europe – 3-1 wins at Sevilla and Dynamo Kiev – and Blanc, a former Manchester United player, expects a keenly contested tie.

“I have great memories of Manchester, but I was in red and here we encounter the sky blue team,” he told a prematch news conference.

“Everyone says the draw is

easy but it certainly is not and this is what I told the players yesterday.

“What I see is that when there was the draw everyone was happy to avoid Bayern and Barca. “We are prepared for two very difficult and sensitive confrontations that will be very tight. Both teams will have their chances.”

Blanc offered encouraging news on Angel Di Maria’s fitness, with the Argentina international having recovered from a blow to the shin that meant he was not risked for Saturday’s 4-1 win over Nice.

Schurrle: Wolfsburg have a chance against Real Madrid W

olfsburg attacker, Andre Schurrle is optimistic about his side’s chances in their Champions League quarter-final tie with Real Madrid.

The Bundesliga outfit will start today’s first leg as the underdogs against a Madrid team that came from behind to beat Barcelona with 10 men last weekend.

But Schurrle believes Wolfsburg have every chance of getting a positive result at the Volkswagen Arena.

“We are not without a chance. We should not be written off,” the Germany international told Sport Bild.

“We should not be overwhelmed by the occasion.

Maybe Madrid’s style of play could even suit us.

“We will not enjoy a whole lot of possession.

It is not up to us to dominate play. We can play on the counterattack. But we have to improve on the break.”

Wolfsburg have impressed in the Champions League, but are eighth in the Bundesliga after three league games without a win.“We have been struggling to reach a consistently high level in the Bundesliga,” Schurrle added. “We need to improve and reach a high level consistently. We have a lot of potential, but we are not always able to get the best out of ourselves.”

•Blanc

Casemiro Wolfsburg must be respected

F

resh from the El Clasico victory over Barcelona, Real Madrid head into the Champions League quarter final first leg against Wolfsburg in good spirits.

Speaking to realmadrid.com prior to •Casemiro the squad heading out to Germany for this evening’s clash at the VfL Wolfsburg Arena, Real Madrid’s 24 year old midfielder, Casemiro said that the opposition had to be respected because at this stage of the competition sides are certainly there on merit.‘In this round there are no easy teams.

We know that it will be a difficult game there.

Wolfsburg defend well, they’ve got fast players in attack and we must respect them. But we will respect them playing our football, playing well and being Real Madrid.’

City have fantastic players •Hart

Hart ready for clash against PSG

J

oe Hart is ready for today ’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain after he trained with the Manchester City squad yesterday. Hart missed Saturday’s 4-0 win over Bournemouth after sustaining a calf injury in the 1-0 derby defeat to Manchester United on March 20.

The England number one appears to be on track to play against PSG after participating in the squad’s final training session in Manchester before jetting to Paris for today’s game.

However, Yaya Toure did not participate in the session and remains a serious doubt with the knee injury that forced him to miss the win over Bournemouth.

Midfielder Fabian Delph, who last featured in the defeat to Leicester in early February, trained with the squad after recovering from an Achilles injury.

City are bidding to progress to the last four of the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history against PSG.

– Ibrahimovic

A

s Premiership side, Manchester city hit Paris for the Champions League last eight clash against homers Paris Saint-Germain, PSG’s

•Ibrahimovic

pivot, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has spoken of his admiration for City as a team and picked out some of the individuals PSG will be watching out for.

Ibrahimovic also revealed that he is coming into the clash in a relaxed mood as he looks to take another step towards winning PSG’s first-ever UEFA Champions League title.the 34-year old told UEFA.com.

“They have had a lot of success in the years since the project began and they have fantastic individual players.

“I played with Yaya Touré [at Barcelona]. I like him, I like him a lot. And then you have [David] Silva, [Sergio] Agüero – the whole team is strong.

You don’t watch out for one [particular player], you need to watch out for the team.

30—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, 6, 2016

Nigeria's new status as West Africa’s IXP hub •The benefits •The growth propects

By Prince Osuagwu NIGERIA still proved why it is often regarded as the leading light of Africa’s technology business when Last week it was elevated to the status of hub to West Africa’s internet exchange point.

This is not totally strange considering the progress the country is making in internet penetration. For instance, out of the country’s estimated over 186 million population, internet users in the country grew to 82,094,998 in 2015, representing 45.1 percent penetration of the population.

However, that number has also moved up in 2016 to 86,219,965, representing 46.1 percentage of the population.

Again, for a country that connects 2.5 percent of the world’s internet users, leading the West African regional internet exchange point fits like second skin.

Core network infrastructure Achieving this milestone, was under the supervision of the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) which primarily focuses on localizing internet traffic in Nigeria by interconnecting Nigerian networks. IXPN, a core network infrastructure provider company deliberately allows several Internet Service Providers, ISPs, Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s companies, Carriers, and Content Providers to exchange traffic among their networks locally.

Dexterity: MD/CEO of IXPN, Muhammed Rudman, in reaction to the new development, described it as the country ’s dexterity in successfully vying in the Africa Union Commission’s, AUC, African Internet Exchange System, AXIS project for a Regional Internet Exchange Point, RIXP for West Africa.

Rudman said that the new development has moved IXPN from national to a regional level. Its infrastructure shall be upgraded, in consonance to its new rules to ensure a more resilient operation in the function of connecting all other Internet Exchange Points in the region and to accentuate its

capacity to handle the traffic coming thereby.

According to Rudman, “the fact that the regional IXP for West Africa is domiciled in Nigeria should leap frog the nation to the information hub in the West African sub-region.

It will,invariably,boost patronage of complementary and ancillary services in Nigeria from telecom companies, content providers and other IP-centric organisations in the region”.

“Becoming the regional IXP

holds great prospects for the Nigeria economy. Typically, if the big telcos and ISPs across the region connect to us, it will make the country the main hub for information communication exchange within the region, which would eventually attract

regional and global content providers into the country, and thus translating to more patronage for our data centers” he explained.

Multiplier effect: He reiterated that if Nigeria becomes the hub in the region,

its multiplier effect would mean submarine cables in the country will sell more capacity, Data Centre in the country will have more patronage from the West Africa region, as major ICT companies within the region will begin to host their information in Nigeria locally, with more interconnection of the service provider. What this also means in extension is that Banks, Universities and Research Institutions in West Africa would be attracted to host their information in Nigeria because of the shorter physical distance between t h e s e countries to N i g e r i a compared to Europe and the US where they currently host their data.

Even so, Over The Top, OTT service providers and global content providers like Google, Yahoo and Microsoft would have their task of network integration made much easier because they thrive at a place where several service providers are interconnected.

Meanwhile, the present status according to Rudman, would not take IXPN away from its commitment to providing a core national Internet infrastructure that facilitates Internet operation in Nigeria, and to localizing traffic as well as reducing the routing cost of local Internet.

Financial inclusion:

Ericsson's report reveals how mobile data analytics can help businesses secure loan

By Emeka Aginam

L

ATEST Ericsson report has revealed how mobile data analytics could bring microfinance to hundreds of millions of individuals and businesses, particularly in Nigeria, that need shortterm credit.

The provision of small, short-term loans, according to the report is a laborintensive business that has traditionally been reliant on personal relationships between lenders and clients.

“As a result, it has tended to be a local, small-scale activity, with its growth hampered by a dearth of reliable credit information about applicants”, the Ericsson report added.

But the growing use of mobile phones, digital services and mobile money accounts, the report said, is beginning to fill that vacuum.

According to the report titled ‘disrupting the Microfinance market’’ , Mobile operators are teaming up with banks, financial tech companies, and

data analytics specialists to use the data they have on customers to gauge their credit risk and offer microfinance products to some who would otherwise lack any proof of their ability to repay a loan.

The future of microfinance This latest mobile financial services insight brief explores how new digital technologies and services are enabling microfinance to scale in a way that wasn’t possible using the sector’s traditional distribution model.

It also discusses the steps a microfinance provider should take in order to gain a competitive edge and win market share while also enjoying economies of scale.

Based on the report, new digital technologies and services are enabling microfinance to scale in a way that wasn’t possible using the sector’s traditional distribution model.

This opportunity, the report said is attracting a host of new entrants, armed with innovative data analytics models designed to match lenders and borrowers

as efficiently as possible.

The providers with the best risk management algorithms, the report indicated will be able to offer the most competitive rates, enabling them to win market share and gain economies of scale.

The players with the largest loan portfolios, Ericsson report said will accumulate data and experience, giving them the means to hone their algorithms, reduce their risks, lower their interest rates and win more business.

“In the year prior to March 31, 2015, MShwari reduced the ratio of non-performing loans from 2.7% to 2% , a significant improvement in a short period of time.

“If they work together, mobile operators and banks should have a competitive edge because mobile operators have access to a rich stream of behavioural data, underpinned by robust authentication mechanisms, while banks have the expertise and the trust required to win regulators’ confidence.

“But they need to move quickly: data analytics will soon change the microfinance industry beyond recognition”, the report further explained.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016—31

Web Foundation, A4AI partner UN Women adopt web as empowerment tool for women

By Emmanuel Elebeke

A

s part of efforts to mark the International Women’s Day, the World Wide Web Foundation and the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI), have announced a new partnership with UN Women to drive policy commitments towards closing the gender gap in ICT and achieving universal and affordable access to the Internet. The partnership follows from its work with UN Women as an A4AI Advisory Council member.

The recently agreed Sustainable Development Goals include pledges to achieve gender equity in access to basic

services, including technology, by 2030; and provide universal and affordable internet access in least developed countries by 2020. Moreover, the gender Goal specifies the use of ICTs as a key means of realising gender equality and women’s empowerment. These build on commitments on gender and ICT in other frameworks such as the Beijing Platform for Action.

These experts say are ambitious goals given that today almost 60 per cent of the world’s population is still not connected, and the majority of the unconnected are women.

In a Women’s Rights Online survey conducted last year, in which 7,500 women from poor

urban areas in 10 c o u n t r i e s interviewed, the results showed that 50 per cent o women are less likely than men to access the Internet at all, but only a small minority of women who are online are experiencing empowerment gains.

It also showed that women are 25 per cent less likely to use the Internet for jobseeking than men, and half as likely as men to express controversial views online.

Further findings indicated that online barriers such as women’s self-perceived lack of digital know-how – arise in part from offline discrimination facing women in education, employment, domestic life, and participation in civic affairs.

To unlock technology ’s potential to empower women, the study recommended that efforts must be stepped up to end these fundamental inequalities.

At the same time, national ICT plans and donor aid strategies must include ambitious targets and programmes specifically designed to close gender and poverty gaps in Internet access, use and empowerment.

The Web Foundation, A4AI and UN Women are working together to ensure such steps are taken as soon as possible, and to monitor progress through onthe-ground research and through the integration of gender advocates and perspectives in national ICT policy coalitions.

Security: Fastanet launches new telematics solution software

I

By Prisca Sam-Duru

N a bid to assist various security agencies in the country tackle issues of insecurity in the country, Fastanet Ltd, an NCC licenced GPS tracking service provider has launched a new high-end tracking device known as Fastanet 1.

The new cyber software which took the company two years to assemble, is a robust and versatile server platform essentially for telematics solutions which involves human and vehicle tracking, fleet management and other machine to machine communications.

The server project secures not only vehicles, but tracks a whole rang of phones and tablets including Androids, Phones, iPhones, Blackberry, windows as well as pets, humans, goods on transit, objects that are not mobile such as billboards, containers in the high sea and trains. And to beat the negative effect of inadequate power supply, the software depends on solar system to locate items being tracked across the globe.

Fastanet Chief Executive Officer, Olisa Anele, explained that the urge to support the government in our own little way to end cases of kidnapping, insecurity in general, informed launch of the software which is already helping police to carry out rescue of kidnapped victims, adding that “The company is collaborating with the police, Federal Road Safety, Standard Organisation etc to ensure safety of lives and properties of the people.

Security challenges In other words, Fastanet 1 is an affordable and advance cyber platform added to the tracking business to ensure Nigerians enjoy value for their investment and also stay safe or be rescued when in troubled.” “Fastanet 1 does more than simply tracking vehicles, it is launched in response to the teeming security challenges faced by Nigerians and law enforcement agencies on a daily basis. The telematics solutions inform the police of the whereabouts of kidnapped victims and the kidnappers.

The new method now used by kidnappers is to use their victims cell phones to reach out for ransom so as not to be tracked but with Fastanet 1, in the victims device, the police are able to arrest them.

Also, telematics solutions inform users about drivers’ behaviours, time to service the vehicle, the temperature of engine, gives accurate fuel consumption with the price of fuel bought or used etc. At the moment, Fastanet is providing Abuja railway line with tracking devices to avoid accident with the use of hybrid devices,” he said.

What’s new in latest Samsung Galaxy S7, S7edge?

By Prince Osuagwu & Emeka Aginam

A

T first sight one begins to wonder why Samsung will bring back earlier models of its Galaxy series with a new name. Even during the launch, there were a few murmurs among the teeming guests who thronged the Cafe Victoria Island venue. A guest sitting close to this reporter said something like “is this a reintroduction of S6 Edge and S6Edge Plus, because nothing, to me, seems different in these phones?.

However, that was before the Director mobile Business, Mr Emmanouil Revmatas, came to the podium with a bit of razzmatazz, to show the functionalities of the new gadgets.

To disabuse the minds of those who feel the S6 series are same as the S7 series because of the striking similarities, Revmatas explained that “the similarity in this series and our S6 series is an attempt to maintain the distinctive Galaxy design, which is a fusion of metal and glass.

Besides that, he also reeled out other features of the smartphones: Display: The

Galaxy S7 has a 5.1-inch display screen, while the Galaxy S7 edge has a 5.5-inch screen. They both feature Super AMOLED screen, allowing for clearer videos and images with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 (Quad HD). The devices are imbued with an ingenious Always-on •GalaxyS7 feature, which gives access to •Galaxy S7 EDGE c e r t a i n information on the screen while the Smartphone rating of IP68, meaning that the isn’t completely turned on. This smartphones can survive being feature takes up only one percent submerged in water for 30 of the battery every hour . There minutes at a depth of 1.5 metres. is a proximity sensor with its only Battery power: Another function being to shut the display interesting feature is the battery off when the phone is in your capacity. Galaxy S7 edge and S7 pocket and to switch it off at night come fortified with 3,600mAh and too.

3,000mAh batteries, respectively.

Water and Dust Resistant: A This means users can watch or distinct, unique feature of the S7 stream their favourite videos series is the fact that they are non-stop for 10 hours without completely dust and water- proof. having to hook up to a charger.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 This is also as the devices have edge both carry a resistance in- built wireless charging

feature.

Storage: Yes, both the S7 and the S7 Edge Smartphone come with in-built 32GB storage. The devices also support expandable memory using microSD cards of an additional 200GB – a fantastic amount of space for your music, videos, photos and other documents. Users can have all their stuff right in the palm of their hands.

Clearer images The Galaxy S7 series bring pictures to life like never before on a Smartphone with a simple hand gesture. The S7 is loaded with a ‘Dual Pixel’ rear camera with large F1.7 aperture with Smart Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) feature. The dual pixel technology means that the autofocus on the Samsung Galaxy S7 series is quicker, thereby producing sharper and brighter images – even in dimly-lit settings. The S7 and S7 Edge include a new feature called

Personalised Automatic Brightness Control. What this feature does is that it remembers your preferences at various levels of ambient light, ties those settings to the current reading from its ambient light sensor and produce clearer images.

For the Techies in the House!

One particularly exciting feature is that both devices run on the latest version of Android operating system – Marshmallow 6.0, with 4GB RAM for improved multitasking and a more powerful processor with “thermal spreader” watercooling technology. This technology comprises of a heatconducting copper tube “containing a liquid that vaporizes at high temperatures and then condenses at low temperatures, thus preventing the phones from overheating no matter the number of apps the user opens at the same time.

Security: The Galaxy S7 edge and S7 both have fingerprint sensors shielding the device from unwanted scrutiny. This is in addition to Marshmallow’s app-permission protocol that lets users customise individual application settings and privileges.

32 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016 YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

LIBRA; This is not the right time to rely on promises made by others. Continue to take matters-ofthe-heart seriously. Reason with your reliable associates.

SCORPIO; Tension within the domestic scene will start to ease off. Yet you will need to watch what you do within your base till after 10.15pm tonight.

SAGITTARIUS; Both yourself and other important personalities to you are beginning to see things from same point of view making it easy for you to eliminate unnecessary rift.

CAPRICORN; Venus moves into a positive angle to your Star and encourages peaceful settlement.

Exhibition of maturity on your part will favour you better.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

I

T is never too late for you to be what you want to be.The truth is that life is like a bag full of assorted and varied goods.What you get depends on

It’s never too late —2 what you pick from the bag.In life, there is nothing like too late.Some people are born into wealth, some achieve it personally.It does

TERROR MUDA

not matter when you achieve success so long as you put in honest effort.It is never too late to think of what to do,it is never too late to

in “Never say goodbye”

start doing something,it is never too late to write that book, it is never too late to compose that song, it is never too late to start that business.IT IS NEVER NEVER TOO LATE...

By Lanre Kehinde

AQUARIUS; Gradually you are dropping aggressive approach you have adopted in the last few days to the betterment of your cause. Remain practical till after 10.15pm PISCES; Better than yesterday; however that is not to say you should throw caution to the wind.

Improvement on your love life indicated. Try to comport yourself.

ARIES; After a few days of fun you may need to settle down to serious business. Those of you working till very late evening will need to be more careful till after 10.15pm. Reason with your tried and trusted old hands(friends) TAURUS; Venus moves into a positive angle and boost your sparkling personality to the betterment of your cause. Could be a nice day for the-youngat-heart

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Pretty Lunatic’

By Andy Akman

GEMINI; It is important you don’t allow your mind to wander unnecessarily so that minor but costly mistakes would be averted. Avoid late evening confusion.

CANCER; Recent tension generated by controversy over money will start to ease off. Be more vigilant if you are working late in the evening.

LEO;. Other people will continue to have their says and if you try to indoctrinate them tensed atmosphere will be aggravated. Be patient VIRGO; Entrance of romantic Venus into your Star Sign will enhance your prospects. Both financial and love related success are possible.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat th ttoo the As tr ological datee and place of bir birth Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

What’s my financial stancding?

Dear Joshua, I want to know about my future, especially what I should expect from my love life both in the immediate and far future. However that is not to say I am not interested in good financial standing.

Okoli, Jos. Dear Okoli, The challenge here is inability to hold on to your gains (profits) partially, by the contact made between your natal Saturn and Venus as stated under your career and some other times by your love of easy life. Although the Saturn influence can be mitigated as I said under your career, the love of luxury comes from your stallion Taurus which must not be totally discouraged but should not be allowed to go beyond your control. Yes envy and jealousy can creep in as indicated by the oppositions between your natal Venus/Saturn in Taurus and Jupiter in Scorpio, but that is not enough excuse for either failure or manipulation of occult powers against you.

Whatever anybody says and/or does GREAT FINANCIAL SUCCESS is your portion.

The most influential planet during your birth hour is Venus-the planet of MONEY and LOVE. You are the romantic type whose magnetic personality and open handedness are sources of big trap to his members of opposite sex. As handsome as you are you truly crave stability in your love life/home. The happiness you desired will be yours.

HOME & ABROAD

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016—33

I'll industrialise Edo if elected —Edebiri A

N Edo State governorship aspirant on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the September 10 poll, Dr Solomon Edebiri, has promised to transform the state from a tax reliant civil service state to an industrial and commercial hub in West Africa if elected governor of the state.

Chief Edebiri, at a meeting with some members of Edo community in Europe, said that one of the causes of poverty and unemployment in Nigeria was over reliance on tax and federal allocations.

The PDP governorship aspirant said his first step towards making the state an industrialized and commercial hub was to establish an export base in the state.

He said: “I have perfected my strategy of a one-localgovernment, one-cropprogramme. This will serve as a base for the much desired industrialisation and commercialisation bid.

“I have also perfected plans to ensure that there is constant electricity power supply in the

state just as we intend to stimulate independent investors and industrialists by putting in place government owned cottage factories to serve basic purposes.

“Our state is endowed with

various natural and vibrant human resources. All the government needs to do is to have the right will and intent to ensure the execution of policies that will translate these to progress.

“My government will focus on reducing unemployment as a way of reducing crime and violence and make the state one of the most developed and peaceful states in the country.”

VISIT: Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State (left), presenting a souvenir to the South Korean Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E. Noah Kyu-Duk, during a courtesy call on the governor at Government House, Calabar. yesterday.

Don't subvert outcome of Rivers re-run polls, Tam-George warns INEC

R

IVERS State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr Austin TamGeorge, has asked officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to act within the law, and respect the free choices made by Rivers people in the recent re-run elections in the state.

Dr Tam-George, in a statement in Port Harcourt, yesterday, particularly warned Mrs Amina Zakari, an official of INEC, and Mr Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister for Transport, to desist from subverting the electoral outcomes in Tai-Eleme federal constituency, Ikwere Local Government and other constituencies in Rivers State,

whose results were still being withheld by INEC in collusion with the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State.

He condemned, “the desperation of the APC in wanting to impose its candidates on Rivers people,

even when those candidates have been resoundingly defeated at the polls.”

Dr Tam-George urged Rivers people to continue to resist by any legal means necessary, the attempt being made by the APC and INEC to subvert democracy in Rivers

A-Ibom Speaker swears in four re-elected lawmakers

By Chioma Onuegbu

U

YO—THE Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr. Onofiok Luke, at yesterday's plenary, swore in the four

members of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who were re-elected after the rerun election held last month in their various constituencies.

The lawmakers were

Otuaro lauds Pondi on empowerment of constituents

D

ELTA State Deputy Governor, Mr Kingsley Otuaro, has commended the efforts of the member representing Burutu federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr Julius Pondi, for providing dividends of democracy through his empowerment programmme for his constituents.

Otuaro, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant, Political Matters, Mr. Alfred Totor, stated this at Tuomo town in Burutu Local Government Area of the state, during the

C M Y K

State.

The Information Commissioner praised the governor of the state, Mr Nyesom Wike, for his inspirational and courageous leadership in saving Rivers State from the APC’s politics of plunder and extremism.

lawmaker ’s empowerment programme and commissioning of his constituency office. He said that the lawmaker was living up to his electoral promises to the people.

Otuaro said it was worthy of note that in less than one year after his election into the House of Representatives, Pondi has embarked on two different empowerment programmes despite the economic crunch in the country, positing that it will upgrade the economic status

of the beneficiaries and urged them not to sell the items but to make good use of them.

Pondi, on his part, said that the empowerment programme was in fulfilment of his electoral promises to the people.

Listing the empowerment items which include 30 motorcycles,11 tricycles,100 machines,100 sewing machines and 200 solar powered lights, he stressed that it was his second empowerment programme after being elected.

presented with their certificates of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on, Monday.

The lawmakers are the member representing Ibesikpo Asutan state constituency, Mr. Aniekan Uko (immediate past Speaker), Aniefiok Dennis of Etinan state constituency, Idongesit Ntekpre and Effiong Bassey, members representing Ikot Ekpene/ Obot Akara and Oron/Udung Uko state constituencies respectively.

The Speaker thanked God for making the return of their colleagues possible.

He said that he was happy that their colleagues had returned to join other members of the House in their committed efforts to ensure that dividends of democracy were delivered to the people.

Delta council impeaches leader, suspends six members

By Ochuko Akuopha

O

LEH—CRISIS is brewing in Ndokwa West Local Government Area, Delta State legislative arm, following the impeachment of its leader, Mr. Emmanuel Ejechi, for alleged incompetence.

Also, six members of the legislative arm have been slammed with indefinite suspension for alleged insurbordination and acting against the leadership of the House.

But Ejechi, in his reaction, said that his purported impeachment was untrue, describing the actions of 14 of the councillors as an exercise in futility.

Ejechi was also accused of violating section 46, paragraphs 1 and 3 of the Delta State Local Government Law 2013 as amended and failing to convene meetings of the legislative arm for a period of over three months.

Adagogo-Nelson for burial

E

NGR. Mordeciah Adagogo-Nelson of Iko-Nta, in Eastern Obolo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State is dead.

He died on November 16, 2015 in Abuja after a brief illness.

He was until his death, Chief Technical Officer, Federal Road Maintenance Agency, FEMA, Abuja.

A statement by the family said that funeral rites started with a service of songs at his residence, Zone 5 Lugbe, in Abuja on March 29.

Christian wake-keep holds April 8, at the family compound in Iko-Nta, while requiem church service comes up April 9, 2016, at St Agnes Anglican Church, Iko-Nta. Interment follows immediately .

He is survived by a widow, children, grandchildren and other relations.

Late Adagogo-Nelson

34—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

Ex-Gov Nwodo laments non-payment of pension to Enugu ex-govs

Life breweries increases enterpreneurship empowerment to N50m

By Emeka Mamah

E

NUGU—THE former governor of old Enugu State, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo has lamented what he described as non-payment of pensions to former governors in the state unlike other parts of the country.

Nwodo spoke at an Easter lunch with the Bishop of Nsukka Catholic Diocese, Most Rev. Godfrey Igwebuike Onah and other leaders in the zone at St Theresa’s Secondary School, Nsukka.

Among those who graced the occasion were Governor Ifeanyi Ugwanyi of Enugu State, former Deputy Governor of the state, Dr Okechukwu Itanyi, Senator Chuka Utazi, the former Information Minister, Chief Nnia John Nwodo, former Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Eugene

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

O

NITSHA— AUTHORITIES of Life Continental Lager beer have reiterated their determination to enlarge the scope of their radio show empowerment programme targeted at assisting local enterpreneurs from 52 to 200 with business grants increased from N12.5 million to N50 million.

This increase, according to the management, is designed as part of the second edition of the radio show tagged: “Progress Booster” which kicked off on April 1, this year at Ofala Plaza, Nnewi, Anambra State.

Life Continental Brand Manager, Funso Ayeni who disclosed this during the kick off ceremony, said the enterpreneurs would be empowered with sound and workable business proposals, adding that the new edition of the show would reward 200 enterpreneurs with cash prizes of N250,000 each.

He said the show was equally designed to reward the beer brand’s consumers in the South East.

M

Enugu: Probe soldiers' arrest of 76 farmers —Igbo Youths

By Clifford Ndujihe

I

GBO YOUTHS on the banner of the Igbo Youths Movement, IYM, have urged the Federal Government to probe the recent arrest of 76 farmers in Ugwuleshi community in Awgu Local Council of Enugu State over plans to protest the menace of Fulani herdsmen in the community.

Noting that the men should

A

GAINST THE backdrop of prevailing economic challenges in the country, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has commenced the process of awarding contracts for more road projects and other infrastructure across the state.

This is in line with his determination to advance good governance in the state.

The governor, through the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, has called for expressions of interest from interested civil, water engineering and building contractors with proven experience

ANTHONIA

Afolabi, a retired staff of Nigerian Railway Corporation is dead, aged 66.

Wake-keep will be on April 14, 2016 at St. Leo’s Catholic Church, Toyin Street, Ikeja, Lagos, and lying-in-state, April 15, 2016 at 14, Eleruwa Street,

former governors of the state and their deputies were not paid pensions like their counterparts in the country and pledged to contribute N2 million towards the completion of the cathedral which was started during his administration.

have been arrested by the police, the IYM in a statement by its Founder, Evangelist Elliot Uko, wondered why the 76 farmers had to be arrested by soldiers from a military base in Abia State.

Worried that the development if not properly addressed would set a very bad precedent in Nigeria, IYM said: ‘’The army should not be easily drawn into policing, especially when emotions are high over the

Enugu Gov set to award contracts for roads, infrastructure and competence in road, water and building

Mrs. Anthonia Afolabi is dead RS.

Odo, Chief Maduka Ugwu, Prof Charles Attah, Prof Simon Asogwa, Chief Sam Onyishi, Chief Vita Abbah, Dr Pat Asadu, Ambassador Kingsley Ebenyi, Chief Charles Nwodo, Steve Okolo and James Ajibo.

However, Nwodo said that

Late Mrs. Afolabi

Although, he did not explain further, it was learnt for example that the former governors received about N200, 000 while their deputies received about N174,000 which represented their monthly salaries while in office.

They are not provided with

WEMABOD Estate, Off Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja.

Funeral Mass will be on April 15, 2016 at St. Leo’s Catholic Church, followed by interment at Atan Cemetery, Yaba, Lagos.

She is survived by children and grand children including Oluwaseyi Adedamola.

constructions to bid for the construction of 14 new roads, five boreholes, two hospitals and five schools.

Reacting, a cross section of Enugu State indigenes who spoke on the development, described the governor’s grassroots development initiatives as a welcome development that came at a time most states were battling to pay workers’ salaries due to financial constraints.

They commended Governor Ugwuanyi for his vision, innovations and commitment to the well being of people of the state who voted him into office.

notorious impunity of the Fulani herdsmen. The decision to use soldiers instead of the police, was a wrong choice. Did the governors of both Abia and Enugu, specifically ask for soldiers t o cart away the farmers? Who gave the order authorizing the military to wade in? Why did the military deny that they were involved at the onset? Nobody believes the funny narrative of fake soldiers in military uniform and military trucks; we think someone is trying to cover up the obvious use of the Army to settle ethnic scores. ‘’We demand a thorough investigation to the use of the Army to round up and cart away all the able bodied young men in Ugwuleshi village, over incessant attacks from Fulani herdsmen.

Only a thorough probe of the incident and punishment meted out to whoever ordered soldiers to invade the community, would assuage the feeling of unjust intimidation and persecution, pervading Ugwuleshi and environs at the moment."

Graceville men’s convention 2016

G

RACEVILLE CHAPEL, a church of the Living Word, will flag off its men’s annual convention for 2016 on April 7.

The theme of this year’s conference is 'The Man of Glory' (Ps 8:4-9).

The four-day convention,

holding in the church auditorium at No. 123, Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja, Lagos, will be rounded off on Sunday, 10 April with a thanksgiving service.

Highlights of the Sunday thanksgiving service include double portion of

grace on Health Talk and Money Dialogue to be delivered by experts in the fields. Dr. Seyi Temowo, a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, who is to handle the Health Talk, is expected to guide the conference into the secrets of divine health.

By Bartholomew Madukwe (08102479985) nwamad@yahoo.com

PEOPLE SPEAK

On Super Eagles ffailure ailure tto oq ualify again ffor or AFCON qualify

T

he fact is that we don’t have the players to make us proud. Let us assume that we manage to qualify, who in the Super Eagles now can you rely on to deliver? We have players both in our domestic leagues playing regularly.

-Mr. Femi Igwe, Sound Engineer

T

he failure to qualify is not about the current team, but failure of the NFF boss to do the needful at the right time. Nigerians should not blame anyone except the NFF boss because you can't blend players in two weeks. -Miss Temmy Adeife, Self Employed

I

just feel sorry for the innocent young men who were subjected to humiliation and disgrace for no fault of theirs. Alex Iwobi, I know you are being patriotic by choosing Nigeria over England, but there is no redemption. -Mrs. Ifeoma Ayambuba, Businesswoman

W

e keep complaining of the same thing year in, year out. For how long will we be doing this? We make wrong decision and put the wrong people in right positions and expect to achieve success. -Mr. Enyinna Okpani, Communicator

W

e have some young players in the team that can still carry the flag of Nigeria high. Pinnick should be commended and not condemned. He provided the best enabling environment for the players, but they could not go far. Miss Okoye Precious, Graduate

I

wish the NFF can wake up and start making arrangement for a substantive crew. Also, I have observed that most of the players playing in clubs outside Nigeria are more committed to their clubs than Nigeria. Mrs Florence Jaiyeola, Teacher

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016 — 35

NASARAWA ASSEMBLY CRISIS: Six lawmakers suspended indefinitely

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

By Wole Mosadomi

T

HE crisis in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly deepened yesterday after six of the legislators were put on indefinite suspension for their alleged role in the free for all on the floor of the House on Monday.

Remarkably, yesterday ’s session was despite Monday’s resolution that put off proceedings of the House indefinitely.

The six legislators that were suspended were Abubakar Kana, APC- Kokona West; Kassim Kassim, APC-Akwanga South; Mohammed Okpoku, APC- Udega/Loko; Makpa Malla, APC-Wamba; Musa Ali, APC-Keffi East; and Murtala Sodangi, APC-Nasarawa Central.

All six belonging to the All Progressives Congress, APC the ruling party in the state were allegedly in the forefront of the campaign to stop the governor’s unilateral appointment of sole administrators for the 11 local councils in the state.

Their opposition first formally expressed during a closed door

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AWARD: From left: Mr. Oyeleye Adebayo, Registar, Institute of Strategic Customer Service and Trade Management of Nigeria (ICSTM); Mr. Seyi Folaranmi, Head, Contact Centre, Konga.com; Mr. Babatunde Akinsanya, President, Institute of Strategic Customer Service and Trade Management of Nigeria and Mr. Aigbogun Clemon Iziengbe, Council Member, Institute of Strategic Customer Service and Trade Management of Nigeria at the Induction/Award Ceremony of the institute held in Abuja

session of the House flowed into plenary on Monday when the six physically opposed moves to suspend them on account of their opposition to the governor’s action. Their opposition resulted in the free for all that culminated in the indefinite suspension of House proceedings on Monday.

However, yesterday following

the invitation to the six legislators by the Department of State Services, DSS, over the Monday fracas, the remaining legislators met and took the decision to indefinitely suspend the six legislators.

They were suspended at the session presided over by the deputy speaker, Godiya

Akwashiki for “misconduct and for bringing the House to disrepute” following a motion moved by the Majority Leader, Tanko Tunga, who accused them of bringing dishonour to the House on account of the fracas.

He was supported by the Minority Leader, Muhammed Alkali and 14 others present.

Faleke cries out over arrest of supporters by police

By Boluwaji Obahopo

L

OKOJA—THE political crisis in Kogi State, has taken a new twist as All Progressives Congress, Ddputy governorship candidate in the November 21, 2016 Governorship election in the state, James Faleke, has raised over increasing arrests and harassment of his supporters by police the state.

Faleke’s alarm came at the

heels of Sunday arrest of a House Assembly candidate in last year election, Cornelius Olowo, at his residence in Ekinrin/Adde, (Faleke’s home town).

But Governor Yahaya Bello denied a hand in the arrest of Faleke’s loyalists.

Faleke, in a statement from the Director, Media and Publicity of his campaign organisation, Duro Meseko, said Olowo was arrested

by Policemen from Iyara Division of the Nigerian Police and

whisked to the State Command, Lokoja.

He said: “Once again, am compelled to state my total condemnation against this growing spate of harassment and intimidation of my supporters by men of the Nigerian Police acting on the orders of Alhaji Yahaya Bello. I wish to state categorically that our political organisation would use all lawful means to resist this continued act of aggression against us. It is sad

BOKO HARAM: Gaidam charges UNIMAID on research

D

A M AT U R U — GOVERNOR Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe, yesterday, challenged the University of Maiduguri to conduct research on the phenomenon of Boko Haram extremism to guard against future occurrences.

Gaidam gave the challenge when a fund raising committee for the university’s convocation ceremony visited him in Damaturu.

The governor, who announced a donation of N30 million to the institution, said “we expect the university to think in terms of mounting academic programmes to reduce or prevent violent extremism”.

He urged the university to expand the research to cover “socio-economic and psycho social intervention projects in response to the humanitarian crisis”.

Gaidam also challenged Islamic scholars within and

NECO upgrades for better services

outside the university to face the “misguided and misleading presentation of Islam to the younger generation as propagated by the insurgents”.

The governor said his administration had invested much in the state-owned university and education generally.

“This investment has yielded

dividends because the university scored 100 per cent in its first accreditation exercise. A total of 29 academic programmes were presented for accreditation, 27 programmes were granted full accreditation, with interim accreditation granted to the other two,” he said.

Gaidam also said government

that the governor who should rather be very contrite in his handling of state matters has continued to behave like an emperor superintending over a conquered territory. ''We wish to set the record straight here that the role of protecting lives and properties is the task of security agencies. They have the constitutional right to protect the citizens of the country.

The puerile attempt at parrying the ignominy of anti-development agents through blame shifting will not hold waters under the present administration in the state. Politics is over. It is high time we embraced development.”

However, denying involvement in the arrest, the governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kingsley Fanwo said, “We wish to set the record straight here that the role of protecting lives and properties is the task of security agencies.''

Tsav raps Ortom over belated visit to Agatu communities

By Peter Duru

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AKURDI—FORMER Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav has described yesterday’s decision of Governor Samuel Ortom of Benu State to visit the sacked communities of Agatu eight weeks after the herdsmen’s invasion that claimed over 500 lives in the area as belated.

Tsav, who spoke to Vanguard, expressed disappoint that the

Governor as the Chief Security Officer of the state failed to visit the area after the killings.

According to him: “that was responsible for his inability to paint a true picture of the situation in the crisis zone. ''The Governor is always lagging behind like a tail, it is not a good development for our state, the people expected better than what they are seeing presently.

He should rise up to the occasion as the Chief Security Officer of the state and stop playing politics

with the lives of people. I am disappointed his security adviser is not helping him at all.”

On his part, social critic, Dr. Smart Ichor, also decried what he termed the Governor ’s lackadaisical attitude to the crisis.

He said, “I think the Governor should have visited the area long time ago as the Chief Security Officer of the state. I’m sure he was prompted by the United Nation’s visit during which they described the killings as a ‘genocide’.

INNA—THE management of the National Examinations Council, NECO, has approved the of the council, creating eight zonal offices and divisions for better service delivery and productivity.

The zonal offices are situated in Ibadan, Enugu, Port Harcourt and Makurdi, Bauchi, Kano, Abuja and Lagos.

Similarly, three new divisions have been created in the Department of Examination Development and are Senior School Certificate Examination, SSCE, (external), Trade/ Entrepreneurial Subjects and Evaluation and Item Banking.

In the Department of Quality Assurance, the new divisions created are Psychometrics, Examination Malpractice and Investigation, and Policy Matters (external).

The three new divisions in the Department of Human Resource Management are Maintenance, Sanitation and Staff Records/Nominal Roll; while Validation and 3rd Year Continuous Assessment, and Operations are the two new Divisions created in the Department of Examination Administration.

Bizman tasks Nigerians on giving

By Onozure Dania

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A G O S — T H E managing Director of Shodex Gargen and Nature Protection and Environmental Improvement Initiative (Napeiin), Mr Olusola Adekoya, has urged Nigerians to give back to the society rather than expect from it.

He said the Nature Protection and Environmental Improvement Initiative (Napeiin), plans to campaign, raise awareness, and also mobilize people to work with the government and other stakeholders.

“I am of the opinion that we should always give back to the society at every given opportunity instead of waiting for what the society can give to us “ Adekoya who spoke during the celebration of his birthday, also stated that they are interested in aligning people with the idea of changing the world by being environmentally conscious.

36—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

FIDAU: From left— Senator Oluremi Tinubu; Alhaji Mutiu Lawal-Are; Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Idiat Oluranti-Adebule; Alhaji Bashir Lawal-Are and Lagos State Commissioner for Works, Mr. Ganiu Johnson, at the 8th day Fidau for late Alhaji Yunusa Olatunde Lawal-Are in Ikeja, Lagos.

MTN INITIATIVE: Executive Director, Niger State Science and Technical School Board, Hajiya Kaltun Dauda-Rufai (middle) cutting the tape during the donation of school furniture by MTN Foundation to Government Technical College, Eyagi, as part of its What Can We Do Together initiative.

AGM: From left— Executive Director & Chief Investment Officer, Oliver Andrews; President & CEO, Andrew Alli; Chair, Sarah Alade; Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel, Dr. Adesegun Akin-Olugbade, and Executive Director, Financial Services, Sanjeev Gupta, all of Africa Finance Corporation, during their annual general meeting.

DONATION: Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Civic Engagement, Mr. Kehinde Joseph (2nd right), presenting gift items to the President, Compassionate Orphanage, Rev. Gabriel Oyediji (left); Behind is the Personal Assistant to Senator Solomon Adeola and the President, Ibigiga Support Association, during a visit to the orphange Isheri-Olofin, Alimosho, Lagos.

Mr. Godwin Obaseki (middle); Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Henry Idahagbon (behind the cup), and others at the presentation of trophy to winner of Edo FA Cup, Inneh FC, in Benin, Edo State.

GREEN-ME FESTIVAL: From left— Consul-General, Federal Republic of Germany in Lagos, Mr. Ingo Herbert; CEO, and Festival President, Green-Me Film Festival, Mr. Nicolai Niemann; and Chief Excutive Officer and official representaive of the Commerzbank in Nigeri, Mr. Olaf Schmuser, at the unveiling of Green-Me Film-Festival 2016. PHOTO: Emeka Aginam.

JCI 16TH ANNIVERSARY: From left— Past Executive Secretary, Junior Chamber International, JCI, Nigeria, Senator Steve Akadiri; Executive Vice President, South-West, JCI, Amb Henry Adedokun; host President, JCI Eko, Ola-Balogun Oluwatosin; National President, JCI Nigeria, Amb Tunji Oyeyemi, and JCI Vice President, Seun Osikalu, at JCI' Ekos 16th anniversary.

TREM'S REHOBOTH: From left— Chairman, Planning Committee, Deacon Titi Oshin; Resident Pastor, Pastor Tony Samson, and Coordinator, Talent Hunt, Deacon Nene Rasheed Olaoluwa, all of Trem Victory and Integrity Centre, Lekki, at a briefing on its Rehoboth 2016 conference on From Victory to Victory, in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: Biodun Ogunleye.

FA CUP: Edo State All Progressives Congress, APC's governorship aspirant,

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VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016 — 37

38—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

By Henry Umoru

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URRENTLY, the FCT has become a behemoth of sorts as PDP, APC and other political parties have intensified campaigns in the six area councils to woo or cajole the electorate in favour of their candidates. The tenure of the incumbent chairmen will end on May 17, 2016.

Poster war: There is a poster war as posters of the candidates are pasted on available spaces like trees, street light poles, road sides and broken vehicles, among others.

Other parties with candidates are Accord (A), Action Alliance (AA), Advanced Congress Of Democrats (ACD), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Citizens Popular Party (CPP), Democratic Peoples Congress (DPC), Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), Mega Progressive Peoples Party (MPPP), Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and United Progressive Party (UPP).

BATTLE FOR FCT:

PDP, APC in battle of wits FOR the April 9 Area Council polls, the battle line has been drawn between the All Progressives Congress, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja. Already, both parties are perfecting strategies to outwit each other at the polls.

The six area councils The six area councils are Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali.

Apart from the headquarters of these councils, political activities are also high in villages and towns like Yaba, Agyana, Shadad, Soitan, Takpeshi, Talpa, Tanaga, Wapa, Yelwa, Yelwa Gawu, Orozo, Zuwa, Ushafa, Dutse Alhaji, Dobi, Doni, Yagoji, Karu, Jikoyi, Gwagwalada, Kabusa, Gosa, Katampe, Gida Doni, Zuba and Wuye among others.

30 candidates, 13 parties locked in a rat race As parties and residents prepare for the election, the FCT Electoral Commission had disclosed that 30 candidates are jostling for the six chairmanship seats and according to a document by the Secretary to the Commission, Mrs. Augusta C.

Ogakwu, 13 political parties are taking part in the polls.

People, factors that will shape the polls In Abaji, major stakeholders like Senator Sidi Ali, the Sokodobos and Anguss are backing the candidate of the APC while the PDP has the likes of General Abdullahi Bagundu Mamman, among others.

In Abaji, the fight is expected to be tight because candidate of the APC comes from the main town, Abaji which is believed to be favoured by the unwritten arrangement that after Gawu, it

should go to the central.

In AMAC, a keen contest is also expected between the PDP and the APC because the PDP has been in control of the council since 1999. The efforts of the serving Senator and Senate Minority Whip, Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda; member, House of Representatives representing AMAC/ Bwari, Zephaniah Jisalo; Ambassadors Jacob Ayuba Ngbako and Esther Audu among others may still give the PDP an upper hand in the council.

Since 1999 when the PDP

According to FCT INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Jacob S. Jatau, the contestants and their parties are as follows: Abaji Abdulrahaman Ajiya—APC Yahaya Garba—PDP

Musa Dikko—APC Kenneth Igbekele Olabamiji—CPP Andrew Samuel Gwani Igu—PDP

AMAC Yusuf Abdulkarim S—Accord Vernimbe Gloria—AA Augustine Ezechukwu—ACD Abdullahi Adamu—APC Joseph Mekwunye—APGA Francis Udoka Okpor—CPP Comfort B. Effiom—DPC Gold Aimuamwenrha—DPP Iber Stephen Shimakaha—MPPP Kura Bitrus Tanko—PDP Uzeh Taiye Sarah Odion—PPA Barry Avotu Johnson—SDP Nwosu Ozoemelom Kenneth—UPP

Gwagwalada Abubakar Jibrin Giri—APC Danze Mustapha Adams—APGA Sarwuan Fater Ephraim—DPC Abdullahi Yunusa Umar—PDP

Bwari Wada Abdul—AA

Kuje Abdullahi D. Galadima—APC Haruna Etsu Iliya—APGA Oyekan Abdulazeez—DPC Ishaku Tete Shaban—PDP Kwali Sani Amako Yewuli—Accord Hon. Joseph K. Shazin—APC Daniel Ibrahim—PDP

controlled the administration for 16 years, it had always won the area with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA always championing the course.

With the APC in power now, it was, therefore, not surprising that penultimate week, the Minister of the FCT, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, took the campaign himself to the nooks and crannies of the FCT and asked members to embark on what he described as vigorous campaign if they must win the six area councils.

The FCTA minister had said:“I believe that 12 months ago, none of you here was allowed to enter this hall. And I am telling all of you here that this house you are seeing here is the fruit of your labour. So, we must work hard now, day and night, to ensure that the APC captures all the six area councils.”

The Minister held a stakeholders meeting with Senator Usman Jibrin Wowo, FCT senatorial aspirant, Hajiya Ireti Kingibe, APC chieftain, Alhaji Musa Tanko Abari, and

Since 1999 when the PDP controlled the administration for 16 years, it had always won the area with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA always championing the course POPULATION OF AREA COUNCILS

Abaji — 93,360 Kuje — 154,800 Abuja — 1, 235,880 Gwagwalda — 252,520 Bwari — 365,010 Kwali — 137,190

AMAC chairmanship aspirant, Mrs. Amanda Pam among others in attendance.

In Gwagwalada, it is a contest between the incumbent chairman, Alhaji Jibrin Giri of the APC, popularly known as ‘Two Terms’ and candidate of APGA known as ‘Obama’. Abdullahi Yunusa Umar of the PDP is expected to fight hard but the Council had always been controlled by the opposition even when PDP was in government.

However, the reverse is now the case, APC is now the ruling party.

One interesting aspect of the election is the fact that around the territory, candidates of the APC have stopped using the picture of President Muhammadu Buhari along side their own may be owing to the harsh economic situation in the country which has reduced the hitherto popularity of the party prior to 2015 presidential election.

INEC, Police battle-ready To ensure eligible voters are not disenfranchised, the INEC held a seven -day exercise, which ended on March 16, 2016, to enable all who had registered in the last Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) to collect their PVCs.

Electoral umpire The electoral umpire said it will deploy 9,933 permanent and adhoc staff for the elections.

With a total of 1,020,799 registered voters, the election staff are made up of 9,375 Presiding Officers, 62 Supervising Presiding Officers (SPOs), 62 Collation Officers (CO), and six Returning Officers (RO) with 428 Reserves.

Mrs Ndidi Okafor, the INEC Deputy Director of Publicity in FCT, who spoke on behalf of the commission said that INEC had recruited 9,374 ad hoc staff for the exercise, adding that the commission had also recruited and trained extra personnel in addition to the 9,374 ad hoc staff to address likely shortage on Election Day. The ad hoc staff are employed from the serving National Youth Serving Corps (NYSC) members, students of the University of Abuja and ex-NYSC corps members from our data bank.’’

Speaking on the readiness of the INEC, Prof. Jacob Jatau said: “I can confirm to you that the commission is fully ready for the April 9 election. We have been able to recruit the additional ad hoc staff to meet the shortfall that made us to postpone the elections. The commission has also trained the additional adhoc staff recruited for the exercise. All is now set for the conduct of free, fair and credible election in the FCT.” In the area of security, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Wilson Inalegwu, has given assurances of adequate security during the election.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016— 39

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40 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

New Kuchigoro: An IDP’s camp of pain, sadness and squalor It is one of the four camps for the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in Abuja. The inmates number about 2000, minus children. Just like others, life in New Kuchigoro camp, a poor suburb of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, is better imagined than experienced. When Vanguard Features visited last Easter and met Mrs. Esther Emmanuel, one of the inmates, the encounter was one that revealed the mixed feeling of sadness and joy that pervades the entire camp.

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

*Inside the camp

Y

OU struggle with a strong desire to beat a retreat as you made your way through the winding and crooked road to the place which is defined by bushes and uncompleted buildings, conjuring a scene that is at once eerie and frightening.

Eventually you arrive at some clusters of makeshift structures and you’re shocked to find out there is no electricity, no water, no good houses.

Next, you are besieged by several unkempt, malnourished children who stare hungrily at you, expecting you to dangle anything that will pass as food and ready to pounce on you to grab it. Yet, they are no beggars but children of those who had either been killed, maimed or forced to leave their villages for places of refuge by rampaging terrorists.

Boko Haram insurgency Welcome to the New Kuchigoro, a vulnerable suburb of the Federal Capital Territory which had become a home for some Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, most of whom escaped death by the whiskers in their different communities in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states at the height of the Boko Haram insurgency in 2014. Some of them had been there for two years.

One of them was Mrs. Esther Emmanuel, a native of Gwoza, Borno State who became a sojourner with her husband late last year.

Like any other IDPs camp in Abuja, New Kuchigoro lacked every form of comfort. The makeshift houses are only slightly better than a chicken coop or goat and sheep shed.

Even though some of the houses were partitioned to create inner rooms and sitting rooms, they still cannot be considered a habitat suitable for decent living.

Not even for lunatics.

*Inside the Emmanuels ‘apartment’ at the camp The doors, nay the entrances, were hardly wide enough to let you in. ( I doubt if there were doors). There were no windows.

No lights. The structure itself was made up of used cement bags and wooden planks that appear quite shaky. Such was the condition we met Esther and her husband, James Emmanuel, that Easter Sunday. Their own abode was no better as it lacked any form of ventilation. Hanging on the wall were all manners of cloths and on the floor was a mattress, apparently the couple's bed.

I had followed Ambassador Ozuem E. Onyebolise, the Country Director of Soccer for

Love was to unite them as they got married on a foreign soil while in the camp; but there was still this strong urge to return to their home land by all means

Peace Foundation, a nongovernmental organisation to the place to donate a baby net to Esther, a victim of insurgency in the North East, who first sought refuge in Cameroun.

But as fate would have it, Esther met James, a 30-year-old farmer and fellow villager from Gwoza. Love was to unite them as they got married on a foreign soil while in the camp. But there was still this strong urge to return to their home land by all means.

Luck smiled on them when they were assisted by some Canerounian soldiers to cross the border to Nigeria, destination: Abuja.

Onyebolise's encounter with Mrs. Emmanuel The day was March 20, 2016.

The mission was to distribute delivery kits he had bought for the pregnant women in the camp. The day was also meant to hold a novelty match between his team at the Foundation and the IDPs, an exercise meant to give the IDPs a sense of belonging.

During his earlier visit to the camp, he had been told by the chairman of the camp, Mr. Philemon Emmanuel, the number of pregnant women there and saw at first hand the poor living condition of the inmates.

*Haruna But hardly had Onyebolise settled for the business of the day than a yell and cry for help attracted his attention. And then, he was beckoned to lend a helping hand to a pregnant woman who was in labour. It was co-incidence of a sort as he was there to provide a form of lifeline through the donation of delivery kits. Though he was willing to assist, but he also realised that this will require some medical competence. And not being a doctor, he quickly reached out for one of the kits but didn't know how to get started.

Desperate condition Meanwhile, the woman was in desperate condition, writhing in excruciating pains. The situation was more than he could stand, especially as the woman was already bleeding, with blood and water trickling down her legs.

But the women present rose to the occasion. Led by the women leader of the camp, Mrs. Ladi Mathias, they gathered around the woman and tried to assist with her delivery.

But with the situation proving increasingly difficult and dangerous, Onyebolise had

intervened by quickly arranging for a cab to rush the woman to the nearest hospital. And that was how Mrs. Emmanuel was later delivered of a bouncing baby boy.

Later that evening after the novelty match, he went back to see the woman who had also returned home after the delivery.

She was full of smiles of gratitude just as she shyly requested for a mosquito net to protect her baby. It was to oblige her that took Onyebolise back to the camp.

Mrs. Emmanuel's reaction to the kind gesture Her smiles were broad as she giggled in extended salutation.

On sighting him, she had quickly left her cooking at the fire place to greet her unexpected but welcome guest.

Her excitement was humongous.

She may have anticipated Onyebolise's return with the gift of a baby mosquito net.

So, she stood there amid the spiral smoke fumes from the fire, trying to speak. But words failed her as she could not communicate in the language he could understand. She bent low to demonstrate her appreciation.

He understood perfectly what those demonstrations meant.

Continues on page 41

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016 — 41

Continues from page 40 And collecting her gifts from him, she impulsively, and in torrents too, let out the words in her mother tongue: “Na gode, mu gode so sai", which in Hausa language means: "Thank you very much".

How sweet to hold a new born baby: Back in the hut, this reporter could not help but ask to carry the baby boy. I could say it felt so sweet to hold him.

But my immediate worry was the rashes on his skin. I remembered it's been a sunny weather for months now. I remembered the scorching sun. I remembered the heat waves. Then, I was persuaded to look up and around the rooms again to behold the squalor and feel the suffocating heat. Indeed I came close to tears. Just then my mind did a quick race and I remembered a song for the baby.

A song whose author I couldn't readily remember but I knew that it is number 526 in the Seventh Day Adventist Hymnal with the title "Because He Lives".

And as I held the baby, I solemnly sang the song, especially stanza two which said: “How sweet to hold a newborn baby, And feel the pride and joy he gives. But greater still the calm assurance, This child can face uncertain days because He lives." As I sang, I couldn’t help but feel emotional quakes. But it wasn't a thing I could let my hosts know.

Enter Musa Haruna, the interpreter VF was fortunate to have an interpreter, Musa Haruna, a 30year-old native of the Gwoza. He made conversation with the Emmanuels easy. His own story was also pathetic. He lived with his wife, children and mother.

For them, his father was considered dead because no one had seen or heard from him since December 2014 they parted ways in the bush.

Successful taxi driver Haruna, a "successful" taxi driver in Abuja had had a close shave with members of the Boko Haram. He had happily left Abuja for Gwoza to spend the 2014 Christmas with his family only to be jolted awake by a hail of bullets fired by insurgents.

Time was 1 am. To survive the attack, he, like everyone else, headed for the bush, leaving the house, his taxi and every other thing which the attackers promptly burnt. From the bush, Abuja became his next destination.

"I was a taxi driver in Abuja living with my brother. Then I travelled home for Christmas in 2014. I saw them (Boko Haram members) myself as they entered our village on December 22 at about 1am. My wife gave birth in the bush. We stayed there for three weeks. As a result, she and the baby have been ill. We ran out the same time. We have not seen our father since then and

*The new born baby

*Esther and Vanguard’s Levinus Nwabughiogu cuddling the new born baby

*Entrance to Emmanuels’ apartment *Onyebolise donating mosquito net to the couple

The abandoned medical centre the camp do not know whether he is alive or dead," he said.

When I asked him if he would want to go back home, Haruna retorted: “Who wouldn't want to go back home? Even it is today, we are ready to leave. What are we doing here? We don't have money. We are doing nothing here.”

Haruna had seen fellow inmates die. Young men, children had died for lack of medical attention at the camp.

When I asked him about a container-cabin-structure I saw standing out amongst other structures, Haruna said it was meant to be a medical centre for the camp. But the personnel had not been sighted by any body since it was erected.

When I also asked him of water, he showed me a solarpowered bore-hole graciously dug by the wife of the immediate past FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed. But the the facility has been functioning well. And as a result, the adult inmates, especially boys, now take their

shower in the nearby stream. I requested to be taken to the place and Haruna gladly took me through a long footpath that led to the stream. There the boys were, indeed, taking their bath.

Hunger was yet another big challenge in the camp. It was always their ever-present companion.

Public spirited individuals Haruna told me that government does not provide food save for public spirited individuals, NGOs and churches. He specifically acknowledged the proxy visit of Pastor TB Joshua of the Synagogue Church of all Nations, Lagos who provided funds at a time. According to Haruna, the funds were shared by the respective chairmen and leaders of the IDPs according to the ranking of their states.

But such kind gestures do not come everyday and so Haruna

is currently searching for any good Nigerian who would avail him a taxi fare to visit his family.

What of security? Haruna excitedly informed that the camp was well secure. Soldiers and other security operatives were regularly deployed to patrol the area, especially at nights.

Churches/mosques: We visited the place on Easter Sunday, so religious activities were on. There was the Evangelical Church of West Africa, ECWA. There was also a Pentecostal church named "Realm of Glory" and others.

Further enquiries revealed that there was also a mosque at the northern end of the camp.

Passion moved me to helpOnyebolise Speaking on his experience and what motivated him to get involved, Onyebolise had this to say: “I actually knew about insurgency issues in the Northern part of the country and I was thinking of where the people could have gone to.

Haruna had seen fellow inmates die; young men, children had died for lack medical attention at the camp

When I did my research, I came to understand they were camping somewhere around the FCT. They actually have about three or four camps here in Abuja. So, I decided to go to New Kuchigiro.

On getting there, I saw the chairman. We interacted. He told me they have over 400 kids. I then decided to buy some ice cream for some of them. But before I knew it, I saw about 50 to 100 kids between the ages of two to five years, queuing up for the ice cream.

Shelter and clothing To tell you the truth, I was so surprised and moved. By the Grace of God, I was able to buy all of them ice cream. And I went back. But I said these people needed more than ice cream. I think they needed shelter and clothing. I saw some pregnant women. I actually came back with my team to mobilise, to see how we can provide some basic things for them to actually take care of them.

What government needs to do “When I think about the situation and the people there, I think that the government really needs to do so much more for these people. And I also do think that the military has to do more to bring peace back. These people are not comfortable living here. They want to go back home but there is no peace. So, I am calling on the government, the international community to do all they can to restore peace in their village, Gwoza, as soon as possible."

42—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

He weeps after sex Dear Bunmi, Y BOYFRIEND is the same age as me - 26 and I’m worried about him. Our sex life is great, but once it’s over, he suddenly changes and becomes depressed. He even cried a couple of times and then left a sad man. I’m used to men turning over and going to sleep after sex, but his behaviour is weird, to say the least. Do you think he has hormone problems?

Linda, by e-mail.

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Should I make the first move?

Dear Bunmi, INCE MY divorce eight years ago, I haven’t had another relationship. My three children are now in their teens and I feel it is time for me to get a life of my own. Recently I met a man I like, but I’m not sure he’s interested in me. He’s quite flirty but I can’t tell if that’s just his manner or if he genuinely fmds me attractive.

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It’s been so long since I’ve dated anyone and I’m not sure what to do now. Do you think that I should ask him out, or do I sit back and wait for him to make the first move?

Louise, by e-mail.

Dear Louise, You might be waiting around for him for months for him to take the hint if you do nothing. You’re

both matured adults, not teenagers. Make it clear you’re interested in him and let him take the lead. Remember, this is a leap year where women are emboldened to not only make the first move but propose to a man they fancy! So if you like this man, then tell him. Even if he turns you down, at least you’ll know where you stand!

Children against re-marrying Dear Bunmi, AM a 60-year-old widower of six years with four wonderful children, the last of which is 26. I have tried hard to be a good father before and after their mum’s death and they are quite appreciative of my efforts. I hasten to add that we ‘bond’ so well, even though they all, except one, live abroad. I had not given any thought to remarrying until lately and that’s the genesis of the problem I’m now encountering. Though my children are in favour of me getting married again, they are fiercely against any woman of child bearing age, or to put it more succinctly,

I

against me having more children.

My other siblings take the same stand, saying at my age, I shouldn’t be thinking of pampers and the like. I met and dated a young woman about a year ago and we had discussed marriage at one point, even though I haven’t met her family. I had hoped my children would go along but I was wrong.

I have asked my girlfriend to let’s terminate the relationship as nicely as I possibly can, but she will hear nothing of such. I do understand that, at her age (she is 38) she is rather in a hurry to settle down, but I’m not and won’t sacrifice the

He’s jealous of my mum Dear Bunmi, Y MOTHER fell and broke her leg and has to stay indoors until she gets better and I currently look after her. She is in her late 70's and I am 38. 1 have a boyfriend who says I must spend less time with my sick mum. I am an only child and my boyfriend accepted my commitment to my mum at first but now, he’s saying enough is enough and I must spend more time with him. He spends time with his children from a previous relationship; and goes out with his friends as often as he wants to. I love him but my love for my mum is infinite. I have a good job and live in a flat with my son.

I know I should tell him to get lost, but he seems to have a

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hold on me.

Kaddish,by e-mail.

Dear Kadijat, You don’t need pressure from your boyfriend right now. If you cut down the support you give your mother, you will end up feeling bad. If it’s because of his ultimatum, the relationship would suffer even more.

Agree on one evening a week when you’ll be together and let him know this won’t go on for ever.

Remind him you accept it when he needs to put his family first and that he has his own social life just like you have yours. If he won’t compromise, he isn’t right for you.

Agree on one evening a week when you’ll be together and let him know this won’t go on for ever.

Remind him you accept it when he needs to put his family first and that he has his own social life just like you have yours. If he won’t compromise, he isn’t right for you C M Y K

very cordial relationship I have with my children nor risk enmity between her and them. Should we get married without their support, even if subtle?

ICe by e-mail.

Dear Ife, It looks to me you’re more interested in pleasing people close to you with no thought to your happiness. Your children don’t want you to have more children at age 60 - and you seem to agree with them. Your siblings too don’t want you to be an older dad.

But what exactly do you want?

In spite of the fact that you tend to agree to no more children, you started a relationship with a 38-yearold woman whom you’d agreed to have a permanent relationship with but as soon as your children disapproved, you wanted out.

Your children except one, are out of the country living their own lives. You’re more or less on your own and believe me at 60, there’s a lot of mileage in you yet - and you need a companion. You alone can decide if you could cope with one or two more children as long as you can afford to bring them up on your own. Whatever you decide to do, you need to make whoever you end up with realize how much commitment you are willing to make. After both of you have agreed as to what you want, then go ahead with your plan. Let your children know you’d done your duty by them, you love and respect them but you wish to go on with your life. If the fear of raising half siblings after you’ve gone is their problem, then you need to address this fear before you plunge them into paying for your ‘pleasure’.

Seriously though, you sound like a caring responsible man and a lot of widowers have found lasting love the second time around.

Dear Linda, Orgasms often produce

immediate after-effects in men and women. Hormones are partly to blame, although emotions including love, as well as fears about sex are important too. Most people feel relaxed, and you’re not alone in finding men rolling over and dozing off after sex.

But your boyfriend’s reaction is extreme, and it sounds as if sex makes him feel guilty and anxious. The problem might improve as he becomes more confident with you, if not, then, encourage him to have a word with his doctor unfailingly.

Most people feel relaxed, and you’re not alone in finding men rolling over and dozing off after sex.

But your boyfriend’s reaction is extreme, and it sounds as if sex makes him feel guilty and anxious. The problem might improve as he becomes more confident with you

His love for porn disgusts me Dear Bunmi, HY ARE men so fixated on watching porn? In spite of the fact that my boyfriend of nine months knows how I feel about porn, he still insists it’s not as smutty as I said it was. He keeps on urging me to watch before I make up my mind, but I still believe it’s disgusting and a pervert way of having fun.

What do you think?

Denike, by e-mail.

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Dear Denike, These days, young women may feel pressured to like porn, as if it’s a pre-requisite for being sexually confident.

But while some women find porn arousing and

educational, others think it is demeaning or just plain unsexy. More than one woman has written that when her partner looks at porn, it makes her feel like he’s not satisfied with their sex life. In the vast majority of cases, that’s not true - for most men I’ve talked to, porn is just fantasy, not a reflection of how he feels about his partner.

Whatever the reason for your dislike of porn, you need to let your man know your fears. If after discussing it with him you want to experiment, start with mild porn. If you’re still turned off by porn, you have every right to ask him to watch it on his own and keep it out of sight.

I need a stiff drink to have sex Dear Bunmi, HIS MAY sound weird, especially as I’m a mother of four, but I’ve never had sex while sober. And, I’ve never “made love” - only had sex. I don’t reach orgasm and I always need a stiff-drink before hand.

I’m currently separated from my husband and have been on my own for over a year. Although I’ve had a few short-term relationships, I back off when men start to get serious. I’m scared I’ll never have a longterm relationship again. What should I do?

Fatia,by e-mail.

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Dear Fatia, It sounds as though there is

something about sex that terrifies you. As a result, what should be a loving experience is something so bad that you need a stiff drink to face it.

But why? Did you have a bad experience when you were young? Or could it be the men you’ve slept with weren’t right for you - you don’t fancy or even like them? Do you have enough time for foreplay before you have sex?

You need to get together with trusted friends you can talk these problem over with and your doctor should be involved too, so you can really understand what’s going on and try and correct such. It takes time to get over frigidity, but you owe it to yourself to try.

Share your problems and release your burden. Write now to Dear Bunmi, Vanguard Newspapers, P.M.B 1007, Apapa, Lagos, or bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016—43

Imo Police arrest three suspected kidnappers in Military uniforms •There is no hiding place for them — CP Lekanu

By Evelyn Usman

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HERE was jubilation in several parts of Imo State two months ago, following the arrest of five suspected kidnappers said to be on the wanted list of the Police.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the dreaded gang coordinated their operations with the help of some of their members in Owerri prison.

Luck ran against members of the suspected gang after one of its leaders, Ugochukwu Gabriel Mbah, (33 ) was arrested by operatives of the InspectorGeneral of Police Special Intelligence Response Team and policemen of the Imo state Police command.

During the arrest, the teams of policemen uncovered the kidnappers den in Mbaise and Egbu areas of Owerri North, with their armory traced to Umuakpala village in Abia state.

Mbah's arrest led to those of four other suspects from Anambra, Abia and Imo states, with the recovery of two AK 47 riffles, two magazines with 52 rounds of live amm8unition , one Beretta pistol and one pump action gun in the gangs armory.

Series of abductions Before the arrest, one of the series of abductions in the state included that of the traditional ruler of Nguru Nwe-Afor Ajala, Eze Oswald Anyanwu. The royal father, who lives in New Owerri, was reportedly on his way to pick his wife from a hair dressing salon , when the uninvited abductors struck . They (hoodlums) shot at the monarch's car tyre, puncturing it in the process before forcing him into their vehicle and sped away, leaving a haze of uncertainty.

Several others have reportedly suffered the same fate but were later released after being compelled to pay ransom which ran into several hundreds of thousands of naira.

Determined to checkmate this worrisome menace, the Imo state Police Commissioner, Mr Taiwo Lakanu launched an aggressive attack, which led to the arrest of the five suspected most wanted gang.

While the citizens were rejoicing over their arrest, other recalcitrant kidnappers who saw the means as a lucrative C M Y K

business, d e v i s e d a n o t h e r method to beat security operatives.

This time around, they clad in Military uniforms, stand in the middle on the road and flag cars of their choice down, only to whisked their victims into t h e i r operational vehicle, for o n w a r d Suspects transfer to their hideouts in thick forests and abandoned buildings, from where they contact distraught families on ransom.

The kidnappers in a brazen display of disregard to security operatives were said to have been seen with walkies talkies which they used to communicate with their members who are strategically positioned.

For instance, Crime Alert gathered that right from the point where their unsuspecting victim leaves his location to the designated point of operation, information would be passed via the walkie talkie.

Again, this new device took the Imo state police command under the leadership of Lakanu back to its operational drawing board.

Luckily , the strategic measures

Exhibits recovered from them included two jack knives, one walkie talkie, three rings which they claimed to be charms.

It is worthy to note that the hoodlums dressed in Military uniforms have been terrorising the state in recent times

CP Lakanu

put in place have paid off following the arrest of three suspected kidnappers, Monday.

The suspects who were clad in full Military uniform, were arrested along Nwaorieubi road in Mbaitoli local government area of the state .

The suspect according to spokesman of the command, Mr Andrew Enwerem, a D e p u t y Superintendent of Police, DSP “were arrested following a tip off by good spirited individuals who quickly alerted the Police.

The suspects identities are M o s e s Ezekiel (27) from Aro ndizuogu Ideato North l o c a l government of imo state; Odinakachi Uzowuru (23) , of isiala Mbano local government and Uchena Joseph (27) of I k w o

community , Eboyi State.

“Exhibits recovered from them

included two jack knives, one walkie talkie, three rings which they claimed to be charms.

It is worthy to note that the hoodlums dressed in Military uniforms have been terrorising the state in recent times. Though investigation is being carried out with a view of unraveling the nefarious activities of the suspects and possible prosecution”.

Also speaking on the arrest, the CP, Taiwo Lekanu boasted that the command had put an end to kidnapping in the state. He said that all their hideouts were known to the Police , hence no hiding place for them. “ We know all their tricks and we are being very proactive . We know them and we have been going after them . Those arrested are already talking”.

44—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

Bala Ka’Oje kicks against scrapping of NSC F ORMER Minister of Sports Bala Ka’Oje has urged the Federal Government to reconsider the scrapping of the National Sports Commission (NSC) considering the role it has played in sports development.

Ka’Oje was speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) against the backdrop of the merger of NSC with Youth to form the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, as recommended by a ministerial committee set up by the government.

NAN quotes the Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, as saying on Wednesday that “by its merger with the Ministry of Youth, the commission and the office of the DirectorGeneral were equally annulled by the pronouncements of the President.”

Ka’Oje, however, explained that the commission was meant to build and develop sports at the grassroots through its board by identifying problems and devising a way of solving them.

The former minister noted that the blueprint for sports development in the country was strongly attached to the NSC. Ka’Oje said that if the National Assembly had passed the law establishing the commission, scrapping it would have been difficult.

“I think the administration has made a big mistake because

continued from B/P after a meeting with the board members of the NFF and members of the technical committee of the federation, Dalung also stated that the NFF and the technical committee should also meet to know the viability or otherwise of the idea.

According to him, there is no way the NFF will go ahead to engage a foreign coach without first looking at the technical report of what actually led to the failure of the national team in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.

“The technical team of

H

EAD Coach of the Super Falcons, Florence Omagbemi has picked eighteen players out of the lot in camp for the battle against the Terenga Lioness of Senegal slated for Friday, 8th April in Dakar.

Omagbemi, while speaking after Tuesday’s training session said: “It is not easy for me to drop anyone for this game. I wish I could go to Dakar with all the players but I cannot. We have to keep working together to achieve our common goal, which is winning. We are going to Senegal to win.”

She told the players who

Omagbemi picks 18 as Falcons fly to Dakar were dropped: “Not going to Senegal does not mean that you are not part of the team. You may not be part of the team going to Dakar now but you will still have the opportunity of fighting for a place in the team for the return leg next week.

“Keep working hard till we return from Dakar, and support your team mates going to Senegal with prayers for the team to be successful. The team’s success means everyone’s success,” Omagbemi concluded.

•Omagbemi

4th Okpekpe Road Race: Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Israel, Uganda, Morocco, Bahrain ready •Ka’Oje sport is a very serious business and that is why we thought sports should occupy a very sensitive position whereby government consideration on sports development is paramount.

“That was the reason that necessitated the formation of the National Sports Commission; unfortunately the National Assembly seem not to care about that important bill if not, this scrapping wouldn’t have happened.

“If they had passed that law that created the NSC the present administration will not have scrapped it just like that.

“They would have to gone back to the National Assembly to achieve that, besides they would not even have had any reason to scrap it.”

NAN recalls that

Obinna Ogba, had on assumption of duties as Senate Committee Chairman on Sports assured that the National Assembly would revisit the bill to give it the necessary backing.

S many as eight countries will participate in next month’s fourth Okpekpe international 10km road race in Okpekpe, Auchi in Edo state.

In a statement by the spokesman for the race, Dare Esan, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Israel,

Uganda, Morocco, Bahrain and of course Nigeria will participate in the IAAF Bronze label race scheduled for the seventh of next month.

‘Our international elite athletes manager,Walter Abmayr has confirmed the participation of athletes from seven countries abroad for

the May 7,2016 race,’ said Esan. ‘This is in fulfilment of the IAAF conditions for a label race. The rules state that all label races, from gold to bronze must have a certain number of international elite field spread across four or five countries depending on the class of the label,’ explains Esan.

NNL congress holds today in Abuja T

•Akinwunmi

Dalung the NFF must be prepared to discharge its responsibilities. They must go back and maintain a strong cohesion in fashioning the way forward. Internal wrangling and lack of cohesion were some of the reasons why we failed to qualify.

“The issue of foreign coach was debated extensively but it was still referred to the technical committee alongside the NFF to show cause why we have to hire a foreign coach, if it is viable or not and where we will get the funds to pay him.

They are expected to submit that report to the honourable minister in four weeks.”

A

Dalung also identified in-fighting among the board members and late release of funds as some of the other factors that made the Super Eagles to again fail to book a place for the AFCON c h a m p i o n s h i p scheduled to take place in Gabon.

The minister further revealed that the obnoxious decision of the last Congress of the NFF which had excluded non state FA chairmen from participating in the elections into the NFF board may not hold water as the board said it had taken a second look at it and will redress it before the next congress in September.

HE Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi –led Adhoc Committee set up by the Nigeria Football Federation for the Nigeria National League has disclosed that the Annual Congress of the NNL will now hold today, Wednesday, 6th April 2016 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The Congress will serve as precursor to the kick – off of the League.

The Committee was put in place on February 16, 2016 by the country ’s football ruling body to study and compose governance structures for Nigeria’s second –tier League.

Also on the committee

Etoile

continued from B/P Champions League.

Togolese referee Kokou Fagla will be in charge of the first leg, while Morocco’s Noureddine Jaafari will make the calls.

Etoile eliminated Olympique Khourigba of Morocco, while Enyimba saw off Vital’O from Burundi.

Both teams clashed in the final of the 2004 tournament with Enyimba winning on penalties after they were tied on 3-3 aggregate.

are Alloy Chukwuemeka and Dodo Isah as members, with Lawrence Katken as secretary. The Adhoc team will conduct the Congress and are expected to announce a new date for the commencement of the NNL season after the

Iwobi continued from B/P eventually committed his future to Nigeria when he made his competitive international debut in the disappointing defeat to Egypt in last week’s Afcon qualifiers.

“It was a massive disappointment for the team that we did not qualify for the forthcoming Africa Cup Nations,” Iwobi said.

“The coaches and players worked so hard to gain the ticket but it’s a shame we didn’t get through. We conceded a late goal in Kaduna and unfortunately we were unable to convert our chances in the second leg in Egypt.”

The player who has been described as ‘special’ by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has turned his attention to Rio. “I am looking forward to the forthcoming Olympics and if I am invited, I will do my best to make a meaningful

draws have been made.

The kick off of the League has severally been postponed as a result of the decision of the NFF to set up the Adhoc Committee, which followed the expiration of the tenure of the former Board led by High Chief Emeka Inyama.

contribution,” he said.

“I believe that Nigeria has a crop of excellent players who are capable of doing great things at the Olympics. Coach Samson Siasia deserves a lot of praise for securing a place for the nation at the Olympics.

“I do not have any regrets whatsoever in opting to play for Nigeria and will always do my best whenever I put on the green white green colours of Nigeria. I hope to be involved in the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers too.

“I am very grateful to my team mates, the Nigeria Football Federation, coaches, the press and fans for the warm welcome I received following my decision to come home.

“Nigeria is a great footballing nation and deserves to assume her rightful place in Africa and world football and I am keen to be part of a team that achieves this goal,” Iwobi concluded.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016 — 45

46 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

Nigeria, Egypt rivalry in T/tennis continues in Algeria T HE rivalry at the se nior level between Nigeria and Egypt will again be ignited at the 2016 ITTF African Junior and Cadet Championship holding in Algiers from today to April 12.

As the two best playing nations in the continent, Nigeria and Egypt have always been at loggerhead over supremacy and this will come to fore when the team events of the competition begin today.

In the draw conducted yesterday, Nigeria was drawn against Egypt in the boys and girls events while host – Algeria will battle against Congo Brazzaville and South Africa in the second group.

In the boys’ draws, Nigeria will clash against Egypt in Group A alongside Libya while Algeria will confront South Africa and Morocco in Group C. Congo Brazzaville is in Group B alongside Tunisia and Cote d’Ivoire.

For the girls’ grouping,

Nigeria will again battle Egypt as well as Tunisia in Group A while Algeria will take on Congo Brazzaville, South Africa and Angola.

Matches will commence on Wednesday with Nigeria facing Egypt in the boys and girls event on the first day, while Algeria will be relying on home support when they take on Morocco and South Africa.

The team event serves as qualifiers for the 2016 ITTF World Junior Championship holding in Pretoria, South Africa come November.

According to the President of the Algerian Table Tennis Federation, Kamel Zitouni, the stage is set for the commencement of the tournament after the successful hosting of the ITTF Junior Circuit.

“Algeria is ready now to organize this tournament; we are ready for the adventure, it is going to be

very exciting. We are looking forward to having a successful tournament and to present the best image of table tennis in Algeria and across Africa”, he added.

“We must also acknowledge the support from the International Table Tennis Federation and the African Table Tennis Federation; also we have received tables from Butterfly, this helps to have a good organisation,” Zitouni said.

Aruna Quadri

Ineh Stars win Edo FA/FROT Cup I

NEH Stars have emerged new kings of the FROT Group/Edo FA Cup courtesy of a deserved 3-0 victory over Dynamite Force at the packed Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City.

The winners made their intent known early on when they grabbed the opener under 45

seconds before they sealed an emphatic victory with two late goals to send their fans into rapturous celebrations.

In the women’s final, Edo Queens triumphed over Martin White Doves 2-0, while Fortress Princess came third. Buffalo FC defeated last year ’s winners BJ Foundation

in the men’s third-place game.

The winners will represent the state at the Champion of Champions Cup for FA Cup winners from the South-South zone. It would be sponsored by FROT Group and hosted

by Edo State.

The first, second and third place teams in the

men’s category received N500,000, N300,000 and N200,000 respectively.

Edo Queens received N50,000 for their effort while the women’s second and third place teams got N30,000 and N20,000 respectively, courtesy of Osarodion Ogie, the Edo State Commissioner for Works and Housing.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016—47

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

Champions League:

Showdown in Paris—p.29

Iwobi wants Rio action with Dream Team A

RSENAL forward Alex Iwobi wants to be part of the Nigeria squad to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro after failing to see the Super Eagles reach the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

Coach Samson Siasia

was the first person to invite Iwobi to the U-23 collective ahead of qualifying for Rio 2016 but he could not take part due to his past with the English youth teams.

The 19-year-old Continues on pg 44

•Aguero (l), Ibrahimovic set for Champions League showdown in Paris tonight.

Dalung aborts Pinnick’s 2-week plan to employ foreign coach

By Jude Opara, Abuja

•Iwobi

Omagbemi picks 18 as Falcons fly to Dakar —P.45

Etoile storm Nigeria for Enyimba

T

HE intention of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to hire a foreign coach for the Super Eagles suffered a set back yesterday as the Minister of Youth and Sports, Barr. Solomon Dalung insisted that the NFF must submit to him within one month the roadmap for the payment of the coach’s salary.

Briefing journalists

Nigeria, Egypt rivalry continues in Algeria—p.46

T

Continues on pg 44 •Siasia

T OD AY'S PUZZLE ODA

•Pinnick

UNISIA’S Etoile du Sahel will arrive Nigeria on Friday ahead of this weekend’s CAF Champions League tie against Nigeria champions Enyimba.

The match will be played on Sunday in Port Harcourt with the overall winners over two legs

advancing to the moneyspinning stage of the Continues on pg 44

TODAY’S MATCHES Champions League PSG v Man. City 7.45 pm ...................................

Wolfsburg v Real Madrid 7:45 pm

QUICK CROSSWORD

YESTERDAY'S ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Abrade (6) 5 Circle (4) 8 Pulled (5) 9 Point (3) 10 Appear (4) 11 Mislaid (4) 12 Horrify (5) 13 Slumbering (6) 16 Genuine (4) 18 Revise (4) 20 Individual (3) 22 Nothing (3) 23 Obscure (3) 24 Symbol (4) 25 Paradise (4) 28 Pollute (6) 30 Miscarry (5) 32 Mask (4) 33 Cunning (4) 34 Newt (3) 35 God (5) 36 Expired (4) 37 Author (6)

DOWN 1 Sailor (6) 2 Strolling (8) 3 Plague (6) 4 Forced (9) 5 Told (7) 6 Image (4) 7 Entrance (4) 8 Beverage (3) 14 Pierce (9) 15 Vigour (3) 17 Help (3) 19 Hard-working (8) 20 Lubricate (3) 21 Empowered (7) 26 Lower (6) 27 Improved (6) 29 Greedy (4) 30 Assistant (4) 31 Attempt (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Romp 2, Spam 7, Gun 8, Mail 9, Din 10, Eta 12, Spy 14, Incisor 15, Ape 16, Rod 18, Eat 19, Mound 21, Oaf 22, Duel 23, Star.

DOWN: 1, Rogue 2, Mundane 4, Pea 5, Milky.

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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