Benin palace takes on Alake of Egbaland

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 62689

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Budget 2016: FG to cut borrowing with N2.2trn daily TSA funds — Finance Minister >P.9 SUPREMACY RATING:

Benin palace takes on Alake of Egbaland

By Simon Ebegbulem, Gbenga Olarinoye, Dapo Akinrefon, Charles Kumolu & Gbenga Oke

•Oba of Benin greater than any Yoruba monarch — Esogban •Says Ooni of Ife hails from Benin; Yoruba Obas keep mum •South West leaders split

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ENIN CITY—THE Palace of the Oba of Benin has stoked controversy over the supremacy of Obas in the South West, saying it was not true that the Benin monarch was the third in the ranking of kings in the region as declared by the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo.

The Esogban of Benin and Odionwere of the Kingdom (traditional head), Chief David Continues on Page 5

Amaechi challenges Wike to prove $150m allegation PROTESTING ELECTRICITY TARIFF HIKE: —Protest over increase in electricity tariff in Abuja (top left); Lagos (top right) and Kaduna (below left) and other parts of the nation, yesterday. Below right, from left: President of Trade Union Congress, TUC, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama; factional president of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, presenting petitions on Electricity Tariff Increase to Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki at the National Assembly, Abuja, yesterday. Photos: Gbemiga Olamikan, Olu Ajayi & Bunmi Azeez. More photos/story on Page 16.

My battles with ex-President Jonathan, Tompolo —Ayiri Emami See Inside C M Y K

COLUMNISTS:

We can't identify true owners of oil blocs, assets —NEITI P.20

YINKA ODUMAKIN

As Arewa governors migrate to Saudi... •P.20

P.17

FEMI ARIBISALA

The greed and rascality of the APC •P.17

•P.9

CBN gives banks 6 months to comply with FTZ $10m minimum capital base 8

12

Mr & Mrs

2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBURARY 9, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBURARY 9, 2016— —3

C M Y K

4 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBURARY 9, 2016

C M Y K

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POCKET CARTOON

ANNIVERSARY—From Left: Former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku; National President, Bible Society of Nigeria, Dr Aaron Nuhu; former President Olusegun Obasanjo; Charman, Fidson Healthcare, Elder Felix Ohiwerei and former Head of State, Dr Yakubu Gowon, at the 50th Anniversary of the Bible Society of Nigeria in Lagos,yesterday

Controversy trails Obas' supremacy rating by Alake Continues from Page 1

Edebiri, yesterday, said the Alake of Egbaland, goofed when he said the Oba of Benin was third in the hierarchy of Obas.

He explained that the Ooni of Ife was a son of the Oba of Benin, adding that the stool of the Oba of Benin could not be compared with that of any Yoruba King.

Esogban, third in command in the palace of the Oba of Benin, said: “We wanted to discard this report as something that was not necessary at all. We do not see how the Alake of Egbaland

suddenly woke up to think that the Oba of Benin is also a Yoruba Oba. "There is no basis for such classification; Oba of Benin has nothing to do with the Yoruba Obas. It is simply unnecessary, unless they simply want to stir up an unnecessary controversy.

"We are not in Yorubaland. To be frank, it is because many of them are not willing to come up with the truth, the word Oba is alien to Yoruba monarchy; it is not part of their title from time immemorial.

"For instance, the one they call the Oba of Lagos,

IT'S UP TO YOU

BY AYO ADIO

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T is always easy to blame someone else for the failures in our lives, but if we would ever make considerable progress and leave legacies, then we must take absolute responsibility for our lives. It's up to you.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

We dig into our own resources knowing that the solution to every problem is hidden within the problem itself — Harold Klemp

D

ON’T waste your life dreaming about someday when you can be building your life now. No matter what path you choose in life, don’t go around half conscious or unconscious. You owe it to yourself to give this life a good whirl, to put everything into it, and to make it worth living, you owe it to yourself as a spiritual being to enjoy the goodness and richness of your life.

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE A stubborn fly goes into the grave with the corpse

these are recent adaptations. In the 50s, there was no Oba of Lagos, what we had was the Eleko of Eko. That is the title of the King there.

In Ibadan, you have the Olu Ibadan. You come to Abeokuta, you have the Alake of Egba land. You come to Oyo, you have the Alaafin of Oyo. In Ilesha, you have the OwaObokun of IIesha. So no Yoruba monarch had as part of his titles the word Oba except the Oba of Benin.

“That word Oba is indigenous to Benin. It is only in recent times you find everybody bearing Oba. When the Western Regional conference of traditional rulers took place in Benin City in 1942, go and check the attendance, there was no other monarch in the whole of the Western Region then that bore the title of Oba, except the Oba of Benin.

"So it is an unnecessary excursion, an unnecessary attempt to turn history upside down by the Alake by classifying the Oba of Benin as third in the hierarchy of kings.

“Our own traditional history says that the Ooni of Ife was a Benin Prince who wandered from here to Ife, settled there and became the ruler there.

That is the position, if they don’t know, they should send people here; we will teach them.

"We will show them landmarks. So this is u n n e c e s s a r y misrepresentation of history. Maybe the Alake wanted to mention a different place and not Benin.

"The monarchical rulership in this part of the world started from Benin during the era of the Ogisos. It was the son of the last Ogiso, Owodo, that wandered from here to Ife and he became a ruler there, carrying everything about the Benin monarchical system to that place.

There is no basis for such classification.

“The Ooni of Ife by historical facts, is a son of the Oba of Benin, so they are not in the same class.

The Oba of Benin is the only one that answers Oba, the rest don’t. But today, we hear Oba here and there, they are all recent adaptations. I am saying categorically that the word Oba is indigenous to Benin and not to Yoruba nation.”

Yoruba Obas keep mum Most traditional rulers in Yorubaland who were contacted for their reactions on the issue declined making any remark, saying since the Alake had spoken on the issue, they would not want to be drawn into any controversy.

Specifically, one of the monarchs who occupied a prominent office of a national forum who does not want his name in print, said the 1903 gazette spoke extensively on the issue.

But the Olowu of OwuKuta, Oba Adekunle Oyetunde, said the ranking by the Alake was not new.

“Even the colonial masters have done the ranking. Spiritually, Ooni occupies the territory of Oduduwa. So, he is the landlord of Oduduwa House. I don’t think there is any controversy," he said.

He advised all Yoruba sons and daughters to support the incumbent Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, in his on-going efforts at uniting the Yoruba race.

South west leaders divided

However, mixed reactions trailed the remarks made by the Alake of Egbaland over the supremacy of the Ooni of Ife over the Alaafin of Oyo and the Oba of Benin.

Let’s ignore issues capable of causing disharmony —Adebanjo In his remarks, a chieftain of Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, said: "The Obas should make peace although the Benin Kingdom has never accepted superiority. That is a historical fact. The world is very dynamic and as such, issues that are capable of causing disharmony among the ethnic groups in Nigeria should be deemphasised. The Obas should talk among themselves. As far as I am concerned, that is not an issue because the country is currently facing economic crisis that requires the concern of every Nigerian.”

Alake stated the obvious —Odumakin On his part, Afenifere spokesperson, Mr Yinka Odumakin said Alake of Egbaland stated the obvious fact.

Odumakin said: "The supremacy of the Ooni of

Ife among the Yoruba by all account is not contestable and I think the Alake of Egbaland stated the obvious. I think what the present Ooni of Ife is demonstrating at the moment is unity among the monarchs by the way he has been going to meet the Alaafin and other Yoruba monarchs.

"The history is not contestable but what is important at this stage is for all hands to be on deck for co-operation, for unity so that the vision for development can take place but you cannot lose sight of history as a guide," he said.

The controversy is not healthy — Babatope

In his reaction to the controversy, former Minister of Transport, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, said he would not like to dabble into the controversy among the kings.

His words: “Honestly, I feel this kind of controversy is not healthy at this time and I won’t like to comment on it.”

What the Alake said

It would be recalled that the Alake and paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, Sunday, declared that the Ooni of Ife remained the highest in the ranking of Yoruba obas.

Oba Gbadebo who stated this while receiving the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi in his Ake, Abeokuta, Ogun State palace, said the Ife monarch is the highest of the five principal Obas in Yorubaland.

The Alake, who said there were five principal obas in Yorubaland, listed the other Obas below the Ooni to include the Alaafin of Oyo and the Oba of Benin in second and third positions, respectively, in the order of ranking. He listed his own title, the Alake of Egbaland as the fourth while the Awujale of Ijebuland occupies the fifth.

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Bauchi Police arrest 2 over killing 22-yr-old man

By Suzan Edeh

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AUCHI—THE Bauchi State Police have said that it arrested two suspects for killing a 22-year-old man over allegation of theft.

The state Police Public Relation Officer, DSP Haruna Mohammed, who disclosed this to newsmen yesterday in Bauchi, said that on February 5, at about 4p.m., police detectives attached to Township Division arrested one Nasiru Ahmed, 22, and Mohammed Abubakar , 27, all of Kofar Idi in Bauchi, for murder.

He said the suspects took the law into their hands and tortured one 22-year-old, Nasiru Jibrin of Unguwan Bauchi to death over an allegation of theft of which no exhibit was recovered.

Suspected car thief impersonates Army lieutenant

By Ugochukwu Alaribe

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BA—A suspected fake soldier, who specialised in stealing exotic cars from car stands, has been arrested by the Abia State Police command.

Vanguard gathered that the suspect, Ahanna Ogwezi, aged 24, who dresses in full military uniform with the rank of a lieutenant, also operates with the names L. T. Danjuma Aliyu, when in Abia State and L. T. Thompson Adedeji when he visits Imo State.

A Lincoln Navigator, Toyota Avalon and Toyota Camry were recovered from him.

According to him, he is a graduate of Nigeria Military School and studied Medicine and Surgery at Madonna University, Okija, Anambra State.

Abia State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ezekiel Onyeke, told Vanguard that on November 12, 2015, the suspect deceived his victim at Umuahia into believing that he wants to test drive a Toyota Camry 2011 car, which he was interested in, but drove off with the car and never returned.

Lagos residents lament demolition of houses

By Ebun Sessou

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ESIDENTS of Mosafejo village in Oshodi area of Lagos State have cried out over the demolition of their houses

by Lagos State government.

The protesters, chanting solidarity songs, had placards with inscriptions such as “We are now homeless,” “This is not the change we voted for,” and

“Please save our community” among others.

Calling on the Speaker of the state assembly, Mr. Mudashiru Obasa, the Mosafejo residents lamented that the agents of the Ministry of Physical and Urban Planning invaded and demolished their properties before the expiration of the seven-day notice given them to vacate their houses.

The community also called on Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, senator and lawmakers representing the area to come to their aid and restore their properties.

In a protest letter dated February 8, entitled Invasion/ Demolition of Mosafejo Village, Oshodi by Lagos State Government: A Call for Justice, the community called on the

state government to give attention to the internallydisplaced people.

The letter, addressed to the Speaker, was signed by Mr. Buna Olaitan of Human Rights Monitoring Agenda, HURMA. Olaitan called on Ambode and the Assembly to give immediate attention to the residents and compensate the affected people.

Task force official stabbed, fingers chopped off by hoodlums in Oshodi

By Evelyn Usman & Bose Adelaja

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AGOS—RAMPAGING commercial bus drivers and motor park touts, yesterday, attacked officials of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Task Force, who stormed Oshodi market to impound buses obstructing other motorists plying the route.

In the process, one of the officials identified as Mr. Uzan Rildwan, was stabbed in the head, with two of his fingers chopped off with a knife.

When Vanguard arrived the scene at about 1p.m., it was gathered that official of the task force, accompanied by policemen, stormed Oshodi Under Bridge earlier, where six commercial buses said to have been parked at the middle of the road to pick passengers were impounded.

An eyewitness, who gave his name as Ismaila Shamsudeen, said: “The drivers parked in the middle of the road, while their conductors called out to passengers.

“The smart ones among them sped off on sighting the task force, while others fled, abandoning their vehicles to avoid being arrested. But they did not expect that their vehicles would be impounded.

“Before we knew it, the whole place was thrown into chaos, as hoodlums capitalised on the opportunity and started attacking anyone in sight. One of the task force officials was stabbed while another sustained minor injury. At a point, the policemen fired some shots into the air to scare the hoodlums.”

When contacted, the Lagos State Task Force Public Affairs Officer, Mr. Adebayo Taofeek, confirmed the attack, stating that the injured official was still receiving treatment at the Ikeja General Hospital.

He disclosed that earlier, 24 commercial and private vehicles drivers who contravened traffic laws were arrested and made to pay fines, with 297 motorcycles

INJURED: A blood-soaked official. impounded.

He said: “While impounding

vehicles that obstructed the free flow of traffic this morning

(yesterday), commercial bus drivers and market touts under the Oshodi bridge came out and attacked police and paramilitary officers with broken bottles, cutlasses, wood and other dangerous weapons.

“The injured paramilitary officer was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment before he was transferred to General Hospital, Ikeja, for further diagnosis on his head.”

Of the 390 miscreants arrested during raids, Taofiq said 43 were screened while 347 were charged to court.

APGA chieftain’s home set ablaze in Abia

By Ugochukwu Alaribe

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BA—SUSPECTED hoodlums have set ablaze the country home of a chieftain of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in Abia State, Mr. Chigozie Ubani, at Obete Umuoha Village, Obingwa council area.

The hoodlums, who were said to have struck at 5.30a.m., Sunday, threw inflammable substances through the back

door which consumed two rooms and a part of the roof of the building.

The children’s bedroom, visitors’ and rest rooms, two television sets, three mattresses, clothes and furniture were affected.

Ubani, who is a younger brother to the late human rights activist, Chima Ubani, described the incident as an assassination attempt on his life, stressing that he escaped

death only through the grace of God as the inferno started in his bedroom.

Ubani disclosed that the hoodlums left a note at the back of the building and insisted that he will not reveal the contents in order not to jeopardise police investigations.

When contacted, Abia Police spokesman, DSP Ezekiel Onyeke, said the incident was yet to be reported.

Five arrested for kidnapping in Imo State

By Ifeanyi Okolie

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WERRI—FIVE suspects, including a serving official of the Nigeria Prisons Service, have been arrested by men of the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team, IRT, in Owerri, Imo State, for kidnapping.

The suspects, who were identified as Agim Chukwuma, Chukwudi Uzudima, Kelechi Andrew, Chaward Joseph and Alozie Chinonso, were said to have been apprehended at World Bank Roundabout, Owerri, while waiting to kidnap a prominent citizen of the state.

Police sources, yesterday, disclosed that the suspects

The arrested suspects. were rounded up following an intelligence report received by IRT operative on the gang’s activities.

It was gathered that the gang, which operated within Imo and other south-eastern

states, were said to have been behind the recent kidnapping of a middle-aged woman identified as Anthonia Ajoku, who was abducted in Owerri and a ransom of N3 million paid before she was released.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBURARY 9, 2016— —7

8—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Nigerian refineries receive 9.5m barrels of crude in 2015 Process 907.853m litres of petrol

By Clara Nwachukwu

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AGOS — AT a period refining operations averaged 26 per cent, three of Nigeria’s five refineries received about 9.5 million barrels of crude oil in 2015, but processed about 7.2 million barrels, data from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources have shown.

This leaves a shortfall of about 2.3 million barrels that were not processed, which the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, said were “sold” but did not give details about who bought them.

The data, which was exclusively obtained by Vanguard, revealed that the processed volumes were used in producing four types of petroleum products. These included premium motor spirit, PMS or petrol; automotive gas oil, AGO, also called diesel; dual purpose kerosene, DPK, used for both domestic and aviation fuel; and low pour fuel oil, LPFL, otherwise called black oil.

Based on the output from the refineries, the operations data revealed that about 907.853 million litres of petrol were produced between January and December last year, a far cry from the14.60 billion litres required for domestic consumption, based on the national daily estimate of 40 million litres.

Refineries

Nigeria has five refineries with combined capacity of 446,000 barrels per day, bpd; four of them operated by the NNPC with daily combined capacity of 445,000 bpd, and the 5th, Niger Delta Petroleum Refinery, NDPR, with a capacity of 1,000bpd. The NDPR is privately owned and devoted to only producing diesel.

The dedicated daily crude allocations to the NNPC refineries have often come under criticism, even more so when the refineries were almost comatose in 2015, and Nigeria relied mainly on imported products to meet daily national demand estimated at 40 million litres daily for PMS alone.

At 445,000 bpd, the NNPC refineries can only produce a little above 28 million litres daily, but operating at about a quarter of their combined capacity, critics questioned the continued allocation of the same volume of crude to the refineries.

Crude allocations

Broken further, the refinery operations data revealed that between January and December 2015, the New PPRC Refinery with a capacity of 150,000bpd received the highest allocation of over 4.52 million barrels.

However, the refinery could only process about 2.91 million barrels or 55.27 per cent of the total crude allocated to it during the period.

Similarly, the WRPC with a template of 125,000 bpd received over 3.48 million barrels and

processed 3.08 million barrels (13 per cent), while the 110,000bpd capacity KRPC received about 1.48 million barrels and processed a little above 1.20 million barrels (22 per cent).

With regard to the quantity shortfalls, NNPC, in an email response to Vanguard enquiry said: “Whatever shortfall as you may call it or rather surplus that arises between what was

received and what was actually processed in terms of crude oil, is usually sold and the proceeds remitted to the Federation Account.”

The corporation’s spokesman, Mr Ohi Alegbe, added: “Remember that the NNPC is allocated 445, 000 barrels every day at prevailing international market price, thus this means that every molecule of crude received, and utilised or unutilised as the case maybe, is

captured.”

Against this backdrop, NNPC in defence of the continued allocation of the dedicated daily volumes to the refineries at a period of high downturn in operations, said:”The volumes of crude oil allocated to the refineries are usually based on projections generated after detailed realistic production simulations.”

VISIT: From left, Chairman, Senate Commitee on Trade and Investment, Senator Sam Egwu; Vice President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, Michael OlawaleCole; President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki; President, LCCI, Nike Akande and Deputy President, LCCI, Ruwase Babatunde, during a courtesy call on the President of the Senate, in Abuja, yesterday.

CCT vs Saraki: Ignore rantings of failed senators, Senate tells Nigerians Says case against Saraki is political vendetta

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

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BUJA — THE Senate, yesterday, raised an alarm that some senators were now launching media campaign against its leadership to destabilise the President, Senator Bukola Saraki, urging Nigerians to ignore what it described as rantings of a few failed senators.

The Senate in a statement, yesterday, by Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the upper chambers was strongly behind the Senate President in his case with the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, over alleged false declaration of assets.

It said the ‘ war’ with the number three citizen was not about the present government’s fight against corruption but politically motivated.

According to the Senate, the fact that the Supreme Court had on Friday said Senate President Saraki has a case to answer is not enough to call for his resignation by any senator and that the case against him was

simply that of political vendetta.

The statement, entilted: “Our Stand Remains The Same,” read: “Following a meeting held in Abuja, yesterday (Sunday), by some senators and the wide consultations with our colleagues in which we reviewed last Friday’s decision of the Supreme Court in the appeal on the preliminary matters filed by the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on the charges filed against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, we, hereby, resolve that from the beginning of the trial last September, we have declared that this case is not about any fight against corruption. It is simply a case of political vendetta.

Our position remains the same

“Our position remains the same. We still believe that the case is politically motivated. We also noted that the decision of the Supreme Court on the case last Friday was on preliminary matters arising from the commencement of the trial.

"The trial proper is yet to begin.

And since the fundamental principle in our legal system is that a defendant is deemed innocent until proven guilty, we have decided to patiently observe the proceedings until the case runs its full circle in the nation’s final judicial forum.

"It is on this ground that we want to state categorically that there is no basis for the call on the Senate President to resign until after the matter is decided in that final judicial forum.

Such a call at this time is premature, mischievous and unwarranted.

“We, therefore, reiterate our support for Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki as the President of the Senate. We stand by him as he goes through the trial at the CCT where we believe he will be able to prove his innocence.

“We also call on members of the public to ignore the rantings of a few senators who, having failed to get the wish of their sponsors done on the floor of the Senate, are now launching media campaign against the leadership of the Senate."

CBN gives banks 6 months to comply with FTZ $10m minimum capital base

By Omoh Gabriel, Business Editor

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AGOS—BANKS planning to set up or already operating subsidiary units in any of Nigeria’s Free Trade Zones, FTZs, must now have a minimum capital base of $10 million, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, approved guideline for setting up a bank in a free trade zone in Nigeria has said.

It said banks currently operating in the FTZ before the issuance of these guidelines shall, from the commencement of these guidelines, regularize and comply with the provisions for establishing presence in the FTZ. This should be done within six months of the issuance of the guidelines.

The guideline states: “The required minimum paid-up capital to operate in a FTZ of Nigeria shall be $10 million or such other amount as the CBN may from time to time prescribe. In addition, a bank in the FTZ shall meet all 'the prudential' requirements as may be specified from time to time by the CBN." According to the approved guideline, “banks in FTZs shall appoint fit and proper persons to key management positions, as prescribed by the CBN. It said that a bank in the FTZs shall disclose to the CBN, the equity interests of its directors and key officers in any enterprise in the zones within fourteen days of acquisition of such interest.

“It shall be the duty of a director of a bank in a FTZ who is in anyway, interested in the grant of an advance, loan or credit facility with the bank in the FTZ to declare the nature of his interest to a meeting of the Board of Directors of the bank.

“As from the commencement of these guidelines, only banks or financial holding companies licensed under BOFIA or licensed foreign banks shall qualify to apply to the authority for approval to establish presence to carry on banking business in Nigeria’s FTZs. “Without prejudice to the powers of NEPZA to grant licences, no enterprise shall carry on banking business in any FTZ in Nigeria without: a prior approval granted to the parent bank by the authority, after meeting the requirements to establish the subsidiary in the FTZ and; a banking licence granted to the subsidiary by the CBN, after meeting the requirements to carry on banking business."

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016—9

Budget 2016: FG to cut borrowing with N2.2trn daily TSA funds —Finance Minister

By Omoh Gabriel, Business Editor

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AGOS — THE Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, yesterday, in Abuja disclosed that the Federal Government had a balance of N2.2 trillion in the Single Treasury Account on a daily basis.

Delivering a keynote address at a one-day Treasury Single Account workshop for accountants-general of the states in Abuja, the minister disclosed that “the balance, which changes daily as MDAs remit revenues and make payments, according to the latest reports from CBN exceeds N2.2 trillion.

"I can report that work is now ongoing within the treasury to determine how much of these funds can potentially be utilised to part-fund the 2016 budget and how much relates to pending commitments. This, of course, will reduce the amount to be borrowed.

“TSA at federal level has allowed, for the first time, visibility of the total quantity of government funds at any point in time” and that it “has provided us with financial information on the revenues of agencies funded by government and has reduced revenue suppression.

“This information is being used to drive our programme to enforce compliance with the Fiscal Responsibility Act and ensure that revenue generating agencies generate expected surpluses and remit to the federal purse.

"TSA has eliminated opportunities for brokerage and other corrupt practices that previously encouraged agencies to accumulate funds with commercial banks rather than apply them to their intended uses.

"We believe that this will reduce payment delays to contractors, minimise late payment penalties and will consequently improve project completion times and service delivery.

“TSA has corrected the practice of government borrowing short term funds at high rates of interest, whilst simultaneously having idle funds in various bank accounts. By reducing the number of accounts in operation, monitoring and control have significantly improved.

“This workshop is expected to dwell further on current issues and challenges surrounding cash flow management with a view to ensure that scarce resources at the disposal of federal, state and local governments are prudently and efficiently managed.

"The organisation of this workshop is, therefore, apt and timely especially at a time when the global economic downturn is creating challenges that demand efficient and effective management of cash resources.

Global economic challenges

“The global economic challenges which are affecting our nation demand optimum efficiency in the management of

public funds. These objectives require an overhaul of the financial management approaches adopted to meet financial obligations on time and ensure that cost effective financial support is provided to public institutions.

Merits of TSA

“Much has been reported and debated about the merits of TSA and the impact on the financial autonomy of the various arms of government and on the profitability of commercial banks.

"In practice, TSA is an essential reform for any government wishing to pursue fiscal sustainability and prudent management of its resources. It increases accountability and transparency, improves the processing of payments and collections and reduces borrowing costs, "It is worth reiterating some of the key benefits of TSA that we have recorded to date.

“I, therefore, urge the participants for this workshop to also discuss and brainstorm on ways and means of improving the revenue base of the country through full implementation of TSA and blocking of all leakages and improving the efficiency of revenue administration.

Revenue base

"The revenue base of the country is still low and its administration still leaves room for improvement. This is bedevilled with a range of problems such as poor computerization, lack of skilled and dedicated employees, corruption, lack of awareness and of course unpatriotic conduct by some of the operators.

"This clearly indicates that the underlying assumptions underpinning the 2016 budget may only be realised with serious efforts put in place towards revenue efficiencies and expenditure discipline such as implementation of the TSA and cash management concepts by all tiers of government.

“I commend the efforts of the OAGF and organisers for hosting this very important workshop aimed at sensitizing the states accountants-general on the need to key into the Treasury Single Account scheme of the Federal Government. I also wish to thank IMF (FAD Mission) for partnering with Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) in this noble initiative.

"I may also emphasis that timing of this workshop cannot be more auspicious than now when the present administration of Muhammadu Buhari is vigorously pursuing the war against corruption.

“As professionals in charge of Public Financial Management of your respective states, the ball is in your court and l hope you will take advantage of this

workshop to clarify issues that have agitated your minds regarding the implementation of TSA. TSA will no doubt enable you to block all financial leakages and conserve more funds needed for development in your various states.

"I am also aware that some states are already implementing TSA. I urge those states to kindly share their experiences with the rest of you so as to encourage those who are yet to decide to take their first step in this direction.

“At the federal level, l can

assure you that our experience has been worthwhile. TSA has provided complete and timely information on government cash resources, improved operational control on budget execution, enabled efficient cash management, reduced bank fees and transaction costs, facilitated efficient payment mechanisms and it has also reduced the Federal Government ways and means requirement to bridge the budget funding gap.”

We can’t identify true owners of oil blocs, assets — NEITI

By Michael Eboh & Grace Udofia

A

BUJA — THE Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, yesterday, lamented that the true owners of some oil blocs and other oil and gas assets in Nigeria cannot be identified from the records of the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC. It also accused owners of some of the assets of suppressing certain information and manipulating their records in the CAC, making it impossible to link them with the assets.

Acting Executive Secretary of NEITI, Mr. Ogbonnaya Orji, disclosed this in Abuja during a meeting with delegates from the g l o b a l Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, EITI, led by the incoming chair, Mr. Fredrik Reinfeldt, and civil society organizations.

According to Orji, the issue of beneficial ownership as contained in E I T I ’ s standards, requires the identity of the true owners of oil blocs, adding that records of the companies in the CAC are shrouded in secrecy and do not provide c o r r e c t information about the true owners.

He stated that this had been a challenge in implementing this specific requirement of EITI, while he appealed to EITI to understand t h e peculiarities in the Nigerian

environment.

He said: “Beneficial ownership requires us to explain or provide information on the owners of certain oil blocs. But Nigeria is one kind of country; that is why I say nobody is going to suspend us; when you think we are going down, we tend to rise up and surpass expectations.

“One challenge is that we try to reflect this issue of beneficial ownership in our report, but the CAC is where you register legitimate companies doing business in Nigeria. If you go to CAC, the information that you find have no relationship with what you know. That is, those you know are the owners of this oil blocs.

Reinfeldt lauds NEITI

In his remark, Reinfeldt, the incoming chair of EITI commended NEITI for its efforts at entrenching transparency in the extractive industry, adding that with some of its policy recommendations to the Federal Government, NEITI had been able to go further in its activities.

Speaking in the same vein, Deputy Head and Regional Director for Africa and Middle East of EITI, Mr. Eddie Rich, stated that the global body understood the challenges confronting NEITI, with regards to the reports.

10 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9 , 2016

FG insists MTN must pay N1.04trn fine

By Prince Osuagwu & Emeka Aginam

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HE Minister of Communications Technology, Adebayo Shittu yesterday said that government’s position on the out of court settlement sought

by MTN on the N1.04 trillion fine over non-disconnection of improperly registered subscribers, is that the operators should pay the fine first.

Shittu, while addressing newsmen in Lagos yesterday said the MTN violated extant laws, accepted responsibility and also wrote a letter of apology promising to be a responsible corporate citizen.

He expressed shock that the telco turned back to go to court after government had listened to its plea and reduced the fine.

According to him, “MTN begged for a revision of the sanction which Mr President graciously acceded to, but the telco turned around to say it had no money to pay.

“The government wrote back asking MTN to write a letter stating why it will go down after paying the fine and attaching statement of its account so that the government will realise the dangers the payment will constitute to its financial health”.

Shittu said he was later to receive a call from the telco informing him that it was going to court.

He said since the matter is now before the court, the government will wait for the court’s decision.

NAMA boosts flights safety with radar control upgrade

By Lawani Mikairu & Daniel Eteghe

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AGOS—THE Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA has started the provision of 24 hours en-route radar service to airspace users at both the Kano and Lagos Area Control Centres ACCs. This is part of the agency's efforts to completely digitalise its operation towards boosting safety at the airports.

The area radar service which hitherto was only available between Mondays and Fridays from 7am to 7pm has now been extended to 24hrs daily and seven days a week.

Court okays Synagogue engineers for trial

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Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja yesterday dismissed two applications seeking to stop the prosecution of the two engineers who constructed the collapsed six-storey building at the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, in Ikotun area of Lagos.

The building collapsed on September 12, 2014, killing

116 persons.

The two engineers and their companies had filed separate applications challenging the competence of the manner with which the criminal charge was served on them.

The defendants through their lawyers - Chief E.L. Akpofure (SAN) and Mrs. Titi Akinlawon (SAN), had contended that the order

permitting the criminal charge to be served on them by substituted means was wrongfully granted by Justice Lawal Akapo.

Justice Akapo, it would be recalled, had on December 11, 2015 granted an application by the prosecution to serve the engineers through substituted means by pasting the court processes on the front doors of

SWEARING-IN: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (right), congratulating Mr. Olumide Abayomi Lawal after being sworn in as Permanent Secretary into the State Public Service, while Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello (left), watches, during the swearing-in ceremony, at the EXCO Chambers, Lagos House, Ikeja, yesterday.

their residential houses in the Alagbado and Ikeja areas of Lagos.

Their lawyers had argued that in the absence of a valid service everything done by the court would amount to a nullity.

However, in his ruling, Justice Akapo said that the law made provision for substituted service in processes of criminal proceeding, hence the service is legal.

On the prayer by the engineers asking for an order restraining the Lagos State Attorney General or any officer under his authority from initiating or commencing criminal proceedings against them, Justice Akapo held that the Constitution of Nigeria made provision for the Attorney General to prosecute without his power being curtained, except for abuse of process.

The court ruled that there was no evidence of any abuse of process before the court in the case and that there was nothing to suggest that the applicants were being prosecuted before another court in relation to same matter.

“I therefore find no merit in the two applications and they are accordingly dismissed,” Justice Akapo ruled.

The court adjourned till February 18, 2016 for arraignment of the defendants.

6 die, 13 injured in Ibadan - Oyo road crash

By Ola Ajayi

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BADAN—NOT fewer than six people, including students of the Polytechnic, Ibadan were said to have died in a fatal motor accident that occurred on Ibadan-Oyo road yesterday.

Thirteen others were said to be seriously injured.

The accident, as Vanguard gathered, happened at Omotunde Village, Oyo. Further details showed that the accident happened around 6.00 pm when a Hummer Bus of the Quantity Surveying Department of the institution which was conveying some burst and somersaulted many times before flinging some of the passengers out.

When the dust settled, four died on the spot while two others with severe injuries died later.

Men of the Federal Road Safety Corps were there through the directive of the Sector Commander, Mr Yusuff Salami.

The Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr Yusuff Salami said “We are still making compilation”.

The Public Relations Officer, The Polytechnic Ibadan, Mr Soladoye Adewole, said “I just got the news not quite long. We have not been able to ascertain the number of deaths, but we have actually recorded some deaths.

Our Director of Medical Services and Registrar, Mr Ezekiel

Fehintola has gone to the scene. We have not been given full details of the incident”.

However, confirming the accident, the State Public

Relations Officer, DSP Adekunle Ajisebutu said it happened this evening (yesterday).

According to him, six

passengers died, while thirteen others were seriously injured.

He added that the corpses had been taken to a private hospital in the area.

N6.5BN ALLOCATION: Lagos begins biometric verification of pensioners ...As Ambode swears in Perm Secs

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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AGOS—GOVERNOR Akinwunmi Ambode led administration in Lagos State has commenced the process that will lead to the disbursement of N6.5 billion 2016 budgetary allocation for the payment of all entitlements as well as arrears of its pensioners.

To this end, the state government, yesterday, flagged off a week biometric verification exercise for its pensioners going on simultaneously in 16 centres across the state.

The state Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pension, Dr, Akintola Benson, speaking at the flag-off ceremony at Somolu Local Government Area, said the exercise is aimed at ascertaining those qualified for pension who are alive to receive the payment under the new scheme, tagged, “I’M Alive” as well as eliminate impersonation.

According to him, “IM Alive, is an initiative of the state Civil Service Pensions Office directed at enrolling their bio data and

finger prints of pensioners under the old scheme of “Pay As You Go” in order to ascertain those entitled to receive payments under the scheme.”

Ambode swears in Perm Secs In another development, the governor, yesterday, swore-in two newly appointed Permanent

Secretaries into the state Civil Service with a charge that the appointees s hit the ground running and be champions of his administration’s continuity with improvement mantra.

The new Permanent Secretaries are Dr. Olayiwole Shakirudeen Onasanya and Mr. Olumide Abayomi Lawal.

Lawmakers summon Ambode’s aides, LASWA boss over boat mishaps

By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Ebun Sessou

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AGOS—WORRIED by the recent boat mishaps in the state, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, yesterday, summoned the State Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Dayo Mobereola, Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Prince Anofi Elogushi and the Managing Director, Lagos State Waterways Agency. LASWA, Mrs.

Abisola Kamson to appear before the house next week Tuesday to give clarifications on the persistent incidence of boat mishaps across the state.

The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, issued the summon after the submissions of members in response to a motion moved by Fatai Mojeed, representing Ibeju Lekki Constituency I, who incidentally, is also the Chairman House Committee on Transportation.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016 — 11

Buhari laments delay in extraditing indicted Nigerians in UK

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has expressed reservations over the delay in bringing to Nigeria officials of former President Goodluck Jonathan and its collaborators indicted in corrupt deals taking refuge in Britain.

Buhari, in an interview with Britain’s The Telegraph also expressed regrets that the Jonathan

administration had to mobilise South African mercenaries to fight the Boko Haram insurgents instead of properly equipping the armed forces.

Full details of the interview first revealed last week also saw Buhari confirm that Nigerians Islamic radicals were increasingly taking sides in the conflicts in Libya and Syria.

Buhari in the interview nevertheless welcomed

No palliative work at Barlett Bus stop

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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A G O S — CONTRARY to earlier report of the commencement of palliative work on the deplorable portion of Berlett Bus stop, Ilasa by Lagos State Government, investigation has shown that no such work is ongoing in the area.

It was however gathered that the road is one of the roads listed by Lagos State Public Works Corporation, LSPWC for repairs this year.

After years of total neglect, residents and motorists had lodged several complaints over the continued poor state of the road which results in loss of lives and properties on the axis.

The road, which connect Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, and Nigeria foremost seaport, Nigeria Port Authority, Apapa Sea Ports, if fixed would afford motorists seamless

Ekiti primary school teachers begin strike

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DO-EKITI— PRIMARY school teachers in Ekiti State yesterday began a two-day warning strike over unpaid salaries and entitlements.

The warning strike, which was on non-payment of the 2014 leave bonus and the outstanding September, 2014 salary, a carry-over from ex-governor Kayode Fayemi’s administration.

The primary school teachers were believed in many quarters to be the most trusted support base for Governor Ayodele Fayose.

movement pending proper reconstruction by agents of the Federal Government.

However, one of the motorists who spoke with Vanguard, Mr. Adebayo Oloyede, appealed to the state government to come to the aid of suffering masses by fixing the road without further delay.

the assistance of Britain and some other western countries in restoring normalcy to the country’s troubled Northeast which he said had been almost eradicated of insurgency.

Noting his frustration in bringing those indicted of corruption to justice, he said: “One of the biggest suspects is in Britain now, although I am not going to name that person. But Britain has earned our respect in the way it deals with these matters.

“Our only problem is that it seems to be too thorough and it takes too much time.

If there are obvious cases, like bank accounts, infrastructure houses and hotels, I would hope they could do it quicker, so that we can claim these things back promptly.”

As military head of state 31 years ago, Buhari brought himself to international reckoning when his government allegedly employed Israeli agents to help smuggle the wanted official of the

preceding regime, Umaru Dikko out of Britain.

Also expressing his disapproval of the use of mercenaries against Boko Haram by the Jonathan administration, Buhari

said: “I personally was very disappointed that the previous government resorted to mercenaries. I was also disappointed by the recent revelations of how military allocations

were also misappropriated.

How is it that Nigeria’s military, which has a good record across West Africa, cannot claim back to 14 out of 774 local governorates from Boko Haram? They have to ask for mercenaries from South Africa? How the mighty has fallen!”

EFCC, Ricky Tarfa take battle to court

By Soni Daniel & Onozure Dania

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HE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has filled a two-count charge of obstruction of justice and attempting to pervert the course of justice against, Mr. Ricky Tarfa, SAN. In the EFCC charge, Tarfa is accused of willfully obstructing two authorised officers of the EFCC, Moses Awolusi and Sanusi Mohammed from arresting Gnanhooue Sourou and Nazaire Odeste, who were suspected to have committed economic and financial crimes in contravention of Section 38(2) (a) of the EFCC Establishment Act of 2004.

In count two, he was

accused of engaging in improper communication with Justice M. Yunusa of the Federal High Court Lagos between May 11 and June 25, 2015 while the case between the EFCC and two others was ongoing.

Meanwhile, Tarfar, yesterday approached a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, to compel the EFCC and his acting chairman, Ibrahim Mustapha Magu to pay him N2.5billion compensation less than 24 hours after he was granted an administrative bail from his incarceration at the EFCC office.

Tarfar was accompanied by 32 Senior Advocates of Nigeria led by the former President, Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Chief

Wole Olanipekun.

The Senior Advocate, is also asking the court to compel the defendants which included Moses Awolusi, the operatives that arrested him and the Deputy Director Operations, EFCC, Lagos office, Iliyasu Kwarbai, to release his two mobile handsets deceitfully collected from him on Friday, February, 5 2016 at their Ikoyi office in Lagos to the court for the purpose of destructing all information, data and other retrievable materials stored in the two handsets.

He also urged the court to direct the defendants to release his Mercedes Benz SUV with registration No. KJA 700CG which was unlawfully seized from him.

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Alleged N32bn fraud: Dasuki fails to stop trial

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

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B U J A — T H E embattled former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki, (retd), yesterday, failed to persuade an Abuja High Court sitting at Maitama, to quash the 19-count money laundering charge that was preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Dasuki, who was accused of diverting over N32 billion from accounts the office of the NSA operated with both the Central Bank of Nigeria and other financial institutions, had in an application he filed on January 12, prayed the court to invoke its powers under section 6(6) of the 1999 constitution, as amended, and discharge him from the case.

He based the application on refusal by the Federal Government to release him from detention, despite the fact that he had perfected all the conditions upon which the court granted him bail on December 18, 2015.

Dasuki, through his team of lawyers led by a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Joseph Daudu, SAN, urged the court to not only discharge him, but to also prohibit

the EFCC from further prosecuting him on the instant case or any other charge, or even approaching any court in the country to seek any relief against him.

Alternatively, he prayed the high court to stay further

proceeding on the matter pending his release from detention, contending that the action of the Federal Government against him was in contempt of a subsisting court order.

Daudu argued that the

EFCC vs Tompolo: Judge orders security agencies to produce Tompolo

By Innocent Anaba

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USTICE Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, directed security agencies in the country to compel the attendance in court of ex-Niger Delta militant, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), charged with N13 billion theft by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Meanwhile, Vanguard gathered that Tompolo may head to the Appeal Court to challenge the court’s ruling.

EFCC had filed a 40-count charge against Tompolo and nine others.

Those charged alongside

Tompolo are Patrick Akpobolokemi, Global West Vessel, Odimiri Electrical Ltd, Kime Engozu, Boloboere Ltd, Rex Elem, Destre Ltd, Gregory Mbonu and Captain Warrendi Enisuoh.

At yesterday's hearing in the matter, Tompolo, through his counsel, Mr Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, informed the court of an application filed on January 27, challenging service of the charge based on a defect in the address of service.

He said that the charge was served on Agbanu St, instead of Agbamu St, Warri, Delta State.

Oyetibo added that the residence of the accused in

Amaechi faults Wike on $150m allegation

By Jimitota Onoyume & Gbenga Oke ORMER governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has described the statement credited to Governor Nyesom Wike that he spent $150 million during the general election as an imaginary tale, a bogus and fallacious concoction.

Amaechi also said that all efforts by Wike and his cohorts to denigrate his name in the media will fail.

In a statement by the media office of the minister, Amaechi said that it was worrisome and sad that Governor Wike picked a church, a sacred temple of God, to tell his tales.

He said, ‘’It continues to baffle us, like most rightthinking Nigerians, that Governor Wike will stand in a church, a solemn place of worship, and carelessly, brusquely tell such a profound lie.

He condescendingly descended to falsely and indecorously shout corruption against Amaechi without providing a single shred of evidence to back his claims. ‘’The ‘story-story’ this time is about another phantom $150 million that Amaechi purportedly stole

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continued incarceration of his client has greatly affected his chance to prepare a formidable defence against all the criminal charges pending against him before different courts.

Ruling on the matter yesterday, trial judge, Justice Hussein

Yusuf, dismissed the application which he said was bereft of merit.

Justice Yusuf disagreed with Dasuki that his continued detention was in contempt of the order he made on December 18, stressing that the DSS, which currently has the former NSA in its custody, was not a party to the case before the court.

from Rivers State Government coffers and siphoned to his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, within 18 days, from December 1 to 18 of 2014.

This new scurrilous fabrication by Governor Wike is in sync with the one-point agenda of the Wike administration, which is to throw as much mud as possible at former governor Amaechi, hoping that some may at least stick. All sorts of spurious stories about alleged corruption and stealing of state funds against the Amaechi administration, have been bandied in the media with no attempt to substantiate or prove these distorted false claims that completely make nonsense of common sense. ‘’Even, when Amaechi challenged the Wike administration and its agents to use any constitutionally available legal process or procedure to prove their jaundiced, deceitful allegations against him and his administration, they have rather elected to do their own corruption probe, trial and conviction in the media, and now, even inside our solemn places of worship.

"Why would a government be so determined to desecrate and destroy every

institution all in the name of playing politics?’’

He challenged Governor Wike to explain to Nigerians how the money transfer was done and where it was transffered from. ‘’Governor Wike should tell Nigerians who collected the $150 million on behalf of APC. From which state government account(s) was the $150 million taken? How was the $150 million taken and given to APC? Was it by wired transfer from Rivers State Government account(s) to APC account(s)? ‘’Rivers people and Nigerians are indeed sick and tired of this old wornout trick of Governor Wike to hoodwink and distract Rivers people from the real issues. Making a new spurious allegation of corruption against Amaechi every day will not make Rivers people forget that most of the beautiful, working institutions built by the Amaechi administration are now being allowed to rot away despite of the billions of naira that had accrued to the state and the billions of naira borrowed

by Wike. Rivers people want to know why weeds and grasses have taken over the beautiful schools built by Amaechi?"

Warri has a black gate but that service was effected on a residence with see-through gate.

The prosecutor, however, opposed the application on the grounds that by the provisions of section 96 (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, such an application cannot be adjourned for hearing.

Ruling on the application, Justice Buba dismissed the application and ordered Tompolo's attendance in court.

The court said, “The entire gamut of this application is for the court to set aside the order granting substituted service of the charge. The first defendant missed the point completely. The law is that any body like the EFCC has the power to arrest anyone if it has reasonable belief

that such person has committed an offence.

“On January 12 when the application for substituted service was moved, one of the averment was that the applicant was invited by the EFCC to answer to some allegations, but up till today he has not deemed it fit to honour the invitation.

“It is very clear that the order for substituted service is more than justified against a man who has refused to honour lawful invitation by the EFCC. “The order for arrest still subsists. All authorities in Nigeria are hereby further ordered to ensure that the order of this court for the arrest of Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) is carried out to the latter.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016—13

Ogboru, Emerhor lambast Okowa over alleged provocative comment

By Emma Amaize, Egufe Yafugborhi & Brisibe Perez

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SABA—GOVERNORSHIP candidates of Labour Party, LP and All Progressives Congress, APC, in last year’s governorship election in Delta State, Chief Great Ogboru and Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, yesterday, tongue-lashed the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, for saying that they did not campaign for the election.

Okowa had at an interactive session with journalists in Asaba, last week, said that Ogboru and Emerhor did not prepare for the election and therefore, should apologize to Deltans for distracting them with several litigations from the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

Peeved by the governor ’s utterance, Emerhor said, “Okowa's statement is, to say the least, not only dishonest but also disingenuous. Granted that he is entitled to congratulate himself for the victories awarded him by a judiciary that is now swamped in controversy, does he truly believe that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, court victories in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and other states were also because no one else but the PDP did all the campaigning in those states?

“Okowa should know better and

enjoy his awarded victory soberly. He ought to, not only show remorse but also, seek forgiveness and cooperation. He should not be rubbing salt on injury. More importantly, he should know that Nigeria is on a new path and the days of might is right are over.”

Also reacting, Chief Ogboru, speaking through Efe Duku of the party’s Media and Strategy Committee, said, “Okowa took a rather infantile advantage of his recent unhealthy release from

election petition hooks by the Supreme Court to make incendiary, reckless and out rightly irresponsible comments about our 2015 governorship campaign.

“In an apparently naive and opportunistic answer to a question on why he thinks a man of Olorogun Ogboru's towering standing should apologize to him for taking the civilized option of challenging his bogus and senseless votes in the 2015 election in the

tribunal, rather than answer the question, disrespectfully, he said Chief Ogboru did not campaign to be governor of Delta State.

What an insult from a man whom many believe did not win the election and therefore they do not recognize as a governor.

“Okowa must be told that the Supreme Court may have cleared him on technicalities but to people who believe in substantial justice, he is a usurper of the ‘senseless rigging’ specie.”

THANKSGIVING: From left: Mrs Patience Jonathan; Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State; Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, during a thanksgiving service organised by Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, to mark his victory at the Supreme Court, at St. Peters Anglican Church, Rumueprikom Deanery, Port Harcourt.

Oil magnate faults NNPC’s plan for more mega stations

By Elizabeth Uwandu

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N oil magnate and a chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta State, Olorogun Okiemute Okwagbe, has faulted the plan by the Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation, NNPC, to build more mega stations across the country.

Speaking in Warri, Okwagbe lamented that NNPC has not been able to meet the supply needs of the existing mega stations, yet it plans to build new ones.

Noting that the problem of inadequate distribution of petroleum products lied with the depots, (both independent and major marketers), he said that the distribution of petroleum products was fraught with challenges of shortage of the products.

He advised NNPC to maintain the existing mega stations and their affiliates so that the purpose for which they were built can be achieved.

He said: “The NNPC has not recorded any success in managing its existing mega stations and the affiliates across the country. Apart from the stations in some major cities, most of these stations are often non-operational for reasons traceable to the inadequacies of

NNPC in the supply of petroleum products.”

According to him, NNPC was placing the cart before the horse, adding that the major problem

with fuel distribution was not the inadequate spread of retail outlets in the country, but nonavailability of petroleum products.

He noted that every village in the country has at least one station or within 20 minutes drive to the nearest one.

We can’t admit additional beneficiaries —Amnesty Office times. was laid to rest by the previous

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By Tare Youdeowei

HE Presidential Amnesty Office has said that it has no mandate to admit additional beneficiaries into the Presidential Amnesty Programme designed for exmilitants in the Niger Delta.

It said that it has to cater for the 30,000 amnesty beneficiaries documented during the disarmament exercise, and has no power to bring in new ones.

The Office pointed out that only the Presidency has the prerogative to grant amnesty or make any addition.

In a statement by the office of its Media and Communication consultant, it said that its attention had been drawn to some youths protesting in Calabar, Cross River State, claiming to have been excluded from the Presidential Amnesty Programme, adding that a similar demand had been made by some other youths in recent

It said: “It has also come to our notice that some of the protesting youths are displaying identity cards from the Obubra Orientation Camp as proof that they are part of the Amnesty Programme. This matter of Obubra Camp identity

administration, which after detecting non-qualified people infiltrating the Camp, replaced the Obubra documentation with that done at the point of disarmament based on the various camps the beneficiaries came from.”

Arms Procurement: EFCC confronts Badeh with details of expenditure

By Soni Daniel,

Northern Region Editor MMEDIATE past Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, spent most part of yesterday with operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in Abuja, telling all that he knew about arms purchase during this tenure as Chief of Air Staff and later as the CDS. He was summoned to appear before a special team of interrogators raised by the EFCC to look into the report of the Presidential Committee on

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Arms Purchase between 2007 and 2015.

The panel, which was raised

by President Muhammadu Buhari in the twilight of his inauguration, turned in its report early this year, naming many top military officers, including Badeh as those to give explanations on what transpired during their tenure.

Vanguard learnt from competent sources that Badeh, who arrived the EFCC headquarters in Abuja early yesterday, was still with the operatives of the agency at the time of filing the report last night.

‘Artificial’ forex rate hurts Nigeria’s Buhari

— Sanusi

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ORMER Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has said President Muhammadu Buhari’s foreign exchange policy was hurting the Naira and risked exacerbating the country’s economic woes and undermining his government’s achievements on security and corruption.

Sanusi told the Financial Times in an interview that he was disappointed to see President Buhari’s strong security and anti-corruption efforts overshadowed by a monetary policy regime with “very obvious drawbacks that far outweigh its dubious benefits”.

“Unfortunately, because the exchange rate is right out there in front now, monetary policy is being seen as the barometer for broader economic thinking.

“It is sad that on this one policy you get it so wrong that you risk taking away attention from everything else you are doing,” he said.

Noting that the President had been dealt an extraordinarily difficult hand, Sanusi added: “There are no easy options and devaluation is a bitter pill.” During his own tenure as governor he had also resisted it. “But I had reserves of over $40bn and an oil price at over $110.’’

Oil prices have nearly halved since Buhari took office eight months ago.

At the time the treasury was heavily depleted, following the failure of the state oil company to remit billions of dollars in oil revenues under his predecessor, who enjoyed a sustained boom in prices.

Avuru urges firms to explore growth opportunities in Stock Exchange

By Elizabeth Uwandu

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HE Chief Executive Officer, Seplat Petroleum, Nigeria’s leading indigenous oil and gas company, Mr Austin Avuru, has advised companies to pursue good corporate governance and institutional framework as a means of accessing funds for growth and development.

Avuru spoke at the 10th edition of the US-Africa Business Summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last week. He noted that there were various sources of funding for companies which present a good governance structure in the country.

14 —Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016

CONDOLENCE VISITS TO FORMER GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE, BRIG-GEN MOBOLAJI JOHNSON OVER THE DEATH OF HIS WIFE, FUNMILAYO, YESTERDAY. PHOTOS: SHOLA OYELESE & LAMIDI BAMIDELE.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (middle)and his wife, Bolanle, during a condolence visit to the 1st Military Governor of Lagos State, Brig. Gen. Mobolaji Johnson (retd) over his wife’s demise, at his residence in Lagos yesterday.

Mr George Marks, MD, Julius Berger (right) during his condolence visit to Gen Mobolaji Johnson.

Professor Grace Alele-Williams, former Vice Chancellor, University of Benin (right) exchanging pleasantries with Chief Lateef Ajose, The Opeluwa Onido of Lagos.

Justice Ayo Phillips, former Chief Judge of Lagos Portrait of the Late Mrs Obafunmilayo Johnson. State (right) with General Mobolaji Johnson.

MOBOLAJI JOHNSON’S WIFE’S DEATH: Ambode, Fashola, Akiolu, others mourn

By Monsuru Olowoopejo

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AGOS—GOVERNOR Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State and his wife, Bolanle yesterday led a retinue of dignitaries to the home of the former military governor of Lagos state, Brig. General Mobolaji Johnson to console him over the death of his wife, Funmilayo.

Mrs Johnson died last Saturday at the age of 76 after a brief illness.

Other dignitaries, who also stormed the Ilupeju home of the first military governor of the state, were: Oba of Lagos, Oba Riliwanu Akiolu 1, immediate past first lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola, former chief Justice of Lagos State, Justice Ayotunde Phillips, first female vice chancellor in Nigeria, Prof. Grace Alele-Williams and Senator Ganiyu Solomon.

The first executive governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande and his wife have not left the home of the Johnson since madam Funmilayo died.

Funmilayo, who was born on December 6th, 1939 died Saturday C M Y K

night at a Hospital in Lagos Island at age 76 after brief illness.

Ambode and his wife arrived the home of the Johnson at Ilupeju, Mushin Local Government about 8:30a.m and were received by the widower, Mobolaji. He expressed his grief over the death of the first lady of the state.

We have lost a selfless supporter of Lagos — Ambode

The governor in his message on the condolence register, described the late Funmilayo as a pillar and a selfless supporter of Lagos, as the State clocks 50 this year.

He said “The first lady of all ladies in Lagos State. She is the pioneer and selfless supporter of the growth of Lagos State. We love you. Rest in Peace.” The wife added “Mama (Funmilayo) rest in perfect peace.”

Before his visit the governor described the late Mrs. Funmi Johnson, wife of the first Military Governor of Lagos State, Brigadier-General Brigader Mobolaji Johnson (retd) as an

epitome of humility, uprightness and one who had passion for teaching.

Ambode who was one of the early callers to the residence of the bereaved family, made the remarks in a condolence message released yesterday, by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna.

The governor, who expressed sadness over the death, recalled her time as first lady of the state, saying she did not let the position her husband occupied to get into her, instead choosing to maintain her simple way of life.

“She was a virtuous woman. As wife of the military Governor, she still went about her normal duties.

She was seen in the market, she related with her colleagues at the Yaba College of Technology and the Federal Training Centre as well as her friends as she used to before her husband became Governor. That for me is the height of humility.”

Ambode said.

While praying for the peaceful repose of her soul, he urged her husband, Johnson, to take solace in the fact that she has gone to a better place and draw strength from

the fruitful years they shared together.

Ambode, at the home of the Johnsons in company of his wife, Bolanle and the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, said: “On behalf of the good people of Lagos, I want to express our heartfelt condolence to the family of Brigadier-General Mobolaji Johnson (rtd) on this great and irreparable loss”, he said.

I cannot believe Funmilayo is dead — Akiolu

The Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu 1 in an interview with newsmen described the death of the former first lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Funmilayo Johnson as shocking, saying “I cannot believe she is dead.”

Akiolu, who was represented by a delegation of white cap chiefs led by the Opeoluwa of Lagos, Chief Lateef Aderibigbe Ajose, said that he was yet to get over her death, saying “May

Almighty GOD in his mercies grant her eternal rest.”

I have lost a mentor — Fashola

The former first lady, Abimbola Fashola described the deseased as a caring woman and a mentor to every first lady after her.

Her words, “All through my tenure as the first lady of Lagos, she often counselled me on how to behave and how I could better assist my husband in becoming a successful governor in the state.

“Part of the counsel was that I should often walk within residents of the state to know what they feel about my husband and his policies.

Through that, I was able to advice my husband on what the public feels about his policies and how he could best go about the policies without inflicting pains on the residents. ''Also, she counselled me on the need to cater for the less privileged in the society because they need care to contribute their quota to the development of the state,” she added.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9 , 2016—15

ELECTRICITY TARIFF INCREMENT: NLC, TUC shut EEDC offices in S-East •Say tariff is illegal, unfair and unjustifiable

By Anayo Okoli, Chidi Nkwopara, Peter Okutu & Chinonso Alozie

A

BAKALIKI—THE S’East states chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, TUC, yesterday, described the planned increment in electricity tariff by the National Electricity Regulation Commission, NERC as illegal, unfair and unjustifiable.

This came as members of both unions staged a peaceful protest at different spots at Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, in Abakaliki, Owerri ,Umuahia and Aba. Addressing newsmen in Abakaliki, the state Chairman of NLC, Comrade Ikechukwu Nwafor who stressed that the Federal Government hadn’t the right to increase electricity tariff considering the economic situation in the country called on the Federal Government to reverse the planned increment.

According to him, "Nigerians are not slaves to anybody and should not be relegated to the background on issues of national interest."

In a statement read by the State TUC Chairman, Chief Elias Uduma, the union condemned the insignificant improvement of service delivery in the power sector.

The statement read in part: “The increment compounds the present economic recession as there is no significant improvement in service delivery.

“Due process in the extant law for such increment was not followed in consonance with Section 78 of the power reform.

“Most consumers are not metered in line with the signed Privatization Memorandum of Understanding, MOU of November 1, 2013 which stipulates that within 18 months gestation period, all consumers are to be metered.”

No dialogue with IMSG

In Owerri, the Imo State branch of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, joined its counterparts in other states of the federation, to call on the Federal Government to reverse the hike in the electricity tariff, even as it warned that labour will not enter into any dialogue with Imo State Government over the sacked workers.

The state NLC Chairman, Comrade Austin Chilakpu, who made the call yesterday, when he led scores of electricity consumers to the Owerri office of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, also called on Governor Rochas Okorocha to recall the sacked C M Y K

workers unconditionally.

“The current increase in electricity tariff by 43 per cent, would sadly escalate the hardship being experienced by Nigerians,” Chilakpu said.

The Imo NLC boss, however, suggested that pre-paid meters be provided to electricity consumers, instead of forcing them into the present untold hardship.

“The organized labour is against the hike on electricity tariff. What we are asking for is for pre-paid meters. The current policy is exploitative and dehumanizing to Nigerian citizens and should be

reversed,” Chilakpu said.

The Imo NLC Chairman also used the opportunity, to call on the Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha to rescind his decision to sack over 3,000 workers without due process.

Total compliance in Abia

Similarly, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Abia State Council yesterday fully complied with the directive of its national leadership to picket offices of Enugu Electric Distribution Company, EEDC. In Aba, labour locked up the company’s office on Ikot Ekpene road and forced the workers to

vacate their offices.

Also in Umuahia, labour led by the state Chairman, Comrade Uchenna Obigwe picketed the Umuahia headquarters of the company.

Addressing the workers, Obigwe said that Labour was against the increase in tariff because the company did not follow due process.

According to him," there was an agreement that before any increase in tariff is effected, the company must provide prepaid meters and that of Umuahia, Aba and other parts of the state do not have a single prepaid meter."

PROTEST: Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Civil Society Groups and Trade Union Congress, TUC, protesting the recent increase in electricity tariff by the Federal Government in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

‘Leave Ekweremadu out of Bruce, Amaechi Twitter exchanges'

A

By Anozie Egole

BUJA—THE office of the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has dismissed allegations of a supposed tweet by him in the Twitter exchanges between Senator Ben Bruce and Hon. Chibuike Amaechi as reported by a national daily.

A release signed by his Special Assistant on Media debunked the tweets, saying the twitter handle does not belong to the person or office of the Deputy President of the Senate.

“For the umpteenth time, Senator Ekweremadu does not own a twitter handle and his other social media accounts were dismantled several years ago as explained in previous statements by the office.

"Such fake twitter and other social media handles have been duly reported to the respective platforms severally and were taken down.

“While the Deputy President of the Senate does not shirk from

airing his views on issues as he deems fit, he will not accept to be attributed comments he never made. Therefore, the office, once again, calls on members of the public to discountenance such fictitious social media handles and comments, as they have absolutely

nothing to do with his person or office.

“Theoffice,onceagain,wishestoappeal to media houses, to always crosscheck with it, before going ahead to attribute comments on Social Media platforms to either the person of Senator Ike Ekweremadu or the office of the Deputy President of the Senate.”

We're still in PDP, says Enugu chairmanship aspirant

E

By Emma Nnadozie

NUGU—A State Chairmanship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Enugu State, Deacon Okey Ogbodo, has reacted to the exit of Senator Ken Nnamani from PDP, saying that majority of the people in Enugu State still belong to the PDP. He noted that the exit of Senators Jim Nwobodo and Ken Nnamani from the PDP, has in no way diminished the popularity of the party in the Coal City State.

He was also quick to point out that PDP remains the most

popular brand and political institution in the state.

Ogbodo said that those who came through the back door to the PDP are taking bows, maintaining that he remains the “anointed” state party chairman to put Enugu State in the PDP camp which he said remains “a great party.”

Ogbodo who is related to Nwobodo and Nnamani regretted that Nwobodo as a founding member of the PDP left the party but noted that he is a factor in reuniting parties and affiliates in the state. He stated that Enugu East Senatorial zone where Nnamani and Nwobodo came from is still great in the party.

APC denies plan for one party state

E

By Emeka Mamah

NUGU—THE All Progressives Congress, APC, has said that it had no plans to turn Nigeria into a oneparty state, saying however that the party would become stronger to win future elections in the country.

The National Deputy Chairman of the party and former governor of Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni, made this known Monday evening at Akpugoeze in Oji River Local Government of Enugu State, while receiving the former governorship candidate of the defunct All Peoples Party, APP, Chief Gbazuagu Nweke Gbazuagu into the party at a colourful ceremony in the area.

Oni described Gbazuagu as a grassroots politician and a veritable asset to any party he belongs to and then asked progressives outside the party circle to come back home by joining the APC. The sleepy town of Akpugoeze had come alive Monday when Oni, led other national officers of the party to receive Gbazuagu popularly known as GNG just as a large crowd of party supporters from all parts of the South East gathered to welcome him back into politics after nearly 15 years of absence.

Enugu IPAC raises alarm over alleged impersonation

E

NUGU—THE leadership of the Enugu State chapter of Inter Party Advisory Council, IPAC, has raised alarm over what it described as “mischievous acts of impersonation and fraud by some disgruntled elements within its rank” who allegedly laid false claim to its leadership to cast unjustifiable aspersions on the people-oriented administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.

Reacting to a purported resolution signed by Messers Adonys Igwe, Festus Ogbonna, Charles Arukwe, Sunday Onyishi and Gerald Abonyi purporting to be the executives of the IPAC in Enugu State, the State Chairman of IPAC, Hon. Afam Ani said that none of those persons is a member of the executives of the organization in the state.

He called on the law enforcement agencies to as a matter of urgency arrest and prosecute the impostors for fraud and impersonation.

16 —Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016

NATIONWIDE PROTESTS AGAINST ELECTRICITY TARIFF HIKE, YESTERDAY. PHOTOS: Olu Ajayi, Gbemiga Olamikan, Bunmi Azeez & Barnabas Uzosike.

Activities at the Benin branch of Benin Electricity Distribution, BEDC, Plc were paralysed as NLC, TUC and others protest in Benin.

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, civil society groups and Trade Union Congress, TUC, led by Mr. Amaechi Asugwuni, Vice President of NLC, protesting at Ikeja, along Obafemi Awolowo Way to the Ikeja Electricity Company Headquarters in Alausa, Ikeja.

From left— Chairman, NLC, Kaduna State, Mr. Ango Adamu; General Secretary, NUTGTWN, Mr. Issa Aremu, and Chairman, TUC, Kaduna State, Mr. Shehu Umar, at the picketing of the office of Electricity Distribution Companies, DISCOS, by labour and civil society allies in Kaduna.

Security men clash with members of NLC/TUC and civil society groups during the protest at the National Assembly, Abuja.

ELECTRICITY TARIFF INCREASE: NASS’ll oppose anti-masses policies, says Saraki

By Victor Ahiuma-Young, Emma Ovuakporie, Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Chris Ochayi

A

BUJA—THE nationwide protest by organised labour and its civil society allies yesterday, against the hike in electricity tariff, got the backing of the SenatePresident, Bukola Saraki, and other members, saying the 8th National Assembly would not support any anti-people policy.

This came as factional President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, issued a twoweek ultimatum to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, to reverse the increase or its office would be taken over by organised labour.

Reacting, NERC justified the new tariff regime, claiming it made wide consultations before the increase.

A statement by Dr. Usman Abba Arabi, NERC’s Head, Public Affairs Department, explained that NERC acted in the best interest of customers and stakeholders in the development of the industry.

The statement read: “The existing electricity tariff which became operational on February 1, 2016 (MYTO 2015) was carried out after

C M Y K

... as labour threatens to take over NERC office in two weeks wide consultation with different shades of opinion, and in strict compliance with extant rules and judicial pronouncements.

“The clarification is coming on the heels of a media statement credited to Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, alleging certain infractions against the commission.

“While the commission will restrain itself from delving into a matter already before the court, NERC, however, has taken note of the ongoing protest by NLC. “In this regard, the Commission hereby states that it is committed to act in the best interest of electricity customers and all stakeholders in the development of the electricity industry.

The Reform Act “In addition, the Electricity Power Sector Reform, EPSR, Act 2005, empowers any party aggrieved or dissatisfied by the decision of the Commission to appeal to it within 60 days from the date of the decision.

“Therefore, the Commission is still open to further consultation.”

Meanwhile, addressing the protesters the Senate President appealed to the labour leaders to give the National Assembly time to wade into the matter.

Saraki said: “This place (National Assembly) belongs to you. We are only tenants here for four years. I want to assure you that the 8th National Assembly is for the people.

“Even before now, we too have observed that this issue of tariff and some of the policies are not palatable and we summoned the NERC leadership even before now for a review. We will stand with you and ensure that no policy that is not palatable to the masses and the people stands.”

Melaye

Also speaking, Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory, Dino Melaye, said: “I want to assure you that the Senate is about the people and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is clear where it stipulated that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary occupation of government. I want to assure you that it will not change.”

Senator Dino Melaye, who was with the Senate President to receive the leaders of organised labour alongside the Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, assured the workers that the National Assembly would not allow the greedy few to hold the nation to ransom.

Wabba

Earlier, Wabba described the

increase in tariff as another form of corruption that should be fought by the present administration, noting that the most worrisome aspect of the development was that Nigerians were paying for darkness instead of light.

According to him, if there was improved power generation and distribution, Nigerians were ready to pay for the service, lamenting that apart from the epileptic power supply, Nigerians were subjected to outrageous estimated billing system.

He said: “For us at this very hard economic time, we think this increase is not only outrageous, NERC has not been able to convince us that this increase is actually desirable because of the challenge in the economy.

“Most people are still being billed on estimation which means majority of consumers have not been able to get meters.

“We have made the point clearly that policy is about the good and warfare of the people and therefore there should be proper consultations before such decisions are taken, especially where it will affect the poor and the less-

privileged.”

Bobboi Kaigama, Fashina

President of TUC, Bobboi Kaigama, said: “We are here to express our disdain, our displeasure, our bitterness to an organisation that says it is working for the good of this country only to wake up one day and said we have increased electricity tariff from N14 to about N26.

“We are happy when we had them in an engagement last night. They confessed that they never consulted us and we wonder whether they have consulted the leadership of the National Assembly before the tariff was increased.”

Also speaking, Chairman of Labour and Civil Society Coalition, LASCO, and a former President of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities, ASUU, Dipo Fashina, said that what they were doing was to defend the interest of the workers and the oppressed people in Nigeria.

He said an attempt not to reverse the new regime would draw out workers and all people affected by this policy.

Meanwhile, the antielectricity tariff hike protest held in all 36 states of the federation, with protesters demanding for reversal and, in some states, locked out staff of DISCOS.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBUARY 9, 2016 — 17

T

HERE are so many things wrong with the PDP. It is an understatement to insist it is a very imperfect political party. But for everything that is wrong with the PDP, the APC is worse. It is ludicrous to pretend the APC is squeakyclean while the PDP is corrupt when a large chunk of APC members were formerly in the PDP. Today, both the Senate president and the Speaker, for example, are former PDP members. These turncoats did not become new creations when they crossed over to the APC. When queried as to why APC’s so-called anti-corruption campaign is mostly directed at PDP opposition members, the APC party chairman John Odigie-Oyegun insists the PDP has been the party in power for the last 16 years. This is disingenuous because the APC and its legacy parties have also been in power for the last 16 years. ACN/APC has ruled Lagos for the last 16 years. Let EFCC beam its anti-corruption searchlight on that state and let us see if it will not throw up a cesspool of corruption.

If EFCC can probe Sule Lamido who was governor of Jigawa for eight years; what prevents it from probing Rotimi Amaechi who was governor of Rivers State also for eight years? Even if we were to accept the ridiculous APC treatise that there is a corruptible seed in the PDP which immediately disappears when a PDP member becomes an APC member, then it becomes necessary to probe Amaechi in the years he was still a PDP governor, before he became a new creation of the APC. The same would apply, for example, to Rabiu Kwankwaso as PDP governor of Kano before he switched to the APC, Jonathan’s statesmanship To win the last presidential election, APC had to match the political rigmaroles of the PDP. Indeed, APC prevailed because it was ultimately more unscrupulous.

APC successfully exaggerated the vote in its areas of strength in the North-West far more than the PDP did in the South-South and the South-East. In the process, twice the number of people were alleged to have voted in old Kano (Kano and Jigawa) than did in Lagos. So meticulous were Kano voters, they did not void a single ballot out of over 2 million votes cast.

If you believe that, you can believe anything.

In the final analysis, APC won the election because of the humanity and political maturity of one man: Goodluck Jonathan. Presidents don’t lose elections in Nigeria. The Nigerian president possesses the power and resources to manipulate any and every election to his advantage.

Make no mistake about it, Goodluck Jonathan wanted to win the last election. However, he did not want to win at all

Manipulating 2019

The greed and rascality of the APC costs. He lost the election because, from the get-go, he was prepared to lose for the sake of advancing the democratic process in Nigeria.

The evidence is there for all to see. Out of five elections conducted between 2011 and 2015, the PDP lost four, in spite of being the party in power at the centre. It lost in Ondo. It lost in Edo. It lost in Anambra.

It lost in Osun. It only won in Ekiti. In effect, the presidential election was paradoxically the icing on the cake. The PDP not only lost that election, Jonathan accepted defeat even before the final results were tallied, in spite of all the rigmarole that attended it. He did not ask for dogs and baboons to be soaked in blood.

APC winner-take-all It should be clear to Nigerians today that we are now in the grip of a very different captivity in the APC. During the campaign for the last elections, APC members were lavish with threats of fire and brimstone should their party lose. They told Nigerians in no uncertain terms that if they lost, they would not accept defeat but would even form their own kangaroo government. Now that the APC has captured power at the centre, they are hell-bent on prosecuting the principle of winner-takes-all.

Today, the APC not only controls the presidency, it prevails in 22 of the 36 states in Nigeria. The PDP, on the other hand, controls only 13

states; with the remaining solitary state held by APGA. However, the APC is not satisfied with this supremacy.

It is determined to contest the verdict of the election virtually everywhere it lost. While it claims the 2015 election was free and fair where it won, it insists the election was crooked where it lost. In short, the APC is determined to have its cake and eat it too.

Immediately President Buhari was elected, he started preparing the grounds for 2019. This involves releasing EFCC dogs against 2019 presidential hopefuls. During the congratulatory visit of a delegation from Benue, he said jokingly: “I beg Senator Akume and the governor-elect not to make my 2019 attempt too difficult.” Jokes often reveal true intentions.

Otega Emerhor, APC governorship candidate in Delta State, spoke the mind of the APC during a congratulatory visit to newlyelected Buhari. He told the president: “As you are aware, Delta State, along with Akwa Ibom and Rivers, are rich in oil resources and PDP is determined to hold on to these states at all cost to utilize the huge revenue base of these states to re-launch itself to national reckoning. It is, therefore, strategic for APC and your administration to pay particular attention and to assist us put in place modalities to break the stronghold of PDP in Delta and the other states.”

Cash-cow states

In view of the milestone achieved in 2015 as a result of Jonathan’s gentlemanly departure, APC represents the worst thing that has happened to Nigerian democracy in recent times

This agenda has been executed with single-minded APC rascality. APC challenged the outcome of elections in the oil-rich Southern states. It then embarked on an onslaught of intimidatory attacks on the judiciary to make it fall in line with its agenda. To ensure it prevailed, some tribunal chairmen were summarily dismissed, replaced with more maleable choices. Some cases were even transferred to APC’s presidential stronghold in Abuja on spurious grounds. So doing, APC secured the verdicts it wanted. The tribunals cancelled the elections in Rivers, Abia and Akwa Ibom, requiring them to be rerun.

However, APC met a firewall in the Supreme Court. The apex court refused to be intimidated, in spite of President Buhari’s loaded statement in far-away Ethiopia that the Nigerian judiciary is his major “headache” in the fight against corruption.

It overturned the doctored verdicts of the appeal courts in Rivers, Abia and Akwa Ibom, restoring the mandate of their PDP governors. So doing, the “Supremes” immediately became public enemy number one of the APC. APC Chairman, John OdigieOyegun, put his foot in his mouth when he could not hide his displeasure that big fish Rivers State slipped away from APC’s greedy clutches. He said: “I still find the judgment on the Rivers State governorship election totally astonishing.

There is something fundamentally wrong in the judiciary. We have lost very important resource-rich states to the PDP. No matter how crude oil prices have fallen, it is still the most important revenue earner for the country.”

There was nothing wrong with the judiciary when it ruled in favour of the APC in Yobe, Ogun, Lagos and Benue. But when it ruled against the APC in Rivers, Abia and Akwa Ibom, something became fundamentally wrong with it.

The truth is that the issue of the legality of the usage of the card reader as opposed to the manual register had been established in the case of Agbaje versus Ambode in Lagos. To that extent, the tribunals in the South-South erred in law by not using the same principle in subsequent cases. Instead they agreed to kowtow to APC pressure.

For a party that insists it is anti-corruption and claims to be prosecuting the PDP for using public funds to fight elections, Oyegun revealed APC interest in the SouthSouth states is because they are resource-rich. This is the same language we heard from APC legislators when they were fighting themselves silly over “juicy” chairmanship positions in the National Assembly. If APC were not a past-master at using public funds to finance elections, why would it be so determined to control the resource-rich South-South oilstates by hook or crook?

The APC is not only determined to winner-take-all today. It is equally determined to winner-take-all the 2019 election at all costs. Jonathan is from the South-South; a minority region.

Nevertheless, he chose a Northerner, Attahiru Jega, to be INEC chairman. Many will tell you that was a major blunder that cost him reelection.

Compare that scenario to what we have now.

Buhari is from the North-West; a majority region.

Nevertheless, he has chosen another Northerner to be INEC chairman.

When Jonathan chose Jega, he chose him to great national approbation. But when Buhari chose Amina Zakari as Acting INEC chairman, he chose her to widespread public uproar.

The Nigerian Constitution does not make any provision for the appointment of an Acting Chairman of INEC. Buhari is from the North-west: Zakari is from the North-west; violating the convention that the president and the INEC chairman should come from different geopolitical zones.

Moreover, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai revealed that Zakari’s late father, the former Emir of Kazaure, was married to Buhari’s elder sister. Yakassai further disclosed that Buhari spent a significant part of his formative years in the home of Zakari’s father. This makes Zakari’s choice as INEC Acting Chairman totally inappropriate. Certainly, her appointment could not have arisen out of the president’s commitment to INEC impartiality.

This inclination continued with the appointment of substantive INEC chairman.

Again, President Buhari chose Mahmud Yakubu, another Northerner from Bauchi in the North-east. In the few months Yakubu has been INEC chairman, the organisation has become infamous for conducting inconclusive elections at the promptings of the APC. APC’s strong-arm political tactics are deleterious to Nigerian democracy. Its contempt for the rule of law and its blatant violation of judicial verdicts are antidemocratic. Its witch-hunt of the PDP ensures it will not agree to lose in 2019, for fear of being paid back in its own coin. It also ensures that another Jonathan will think twice before agreeing to accept defeat in the future, learning from the fate of the PDP at the hands of the APC. The evidence suggest the APC is far more interested in securing its political future than in promoting the growth and development of democracy in Nigeria. In view of the milestone achieved in 2015 as a result of Jonathan’s gentlemanly departure, APC represents the worst thing that has happened to Nigerian democracy in recent times.

C M Y K

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016 NIGERIANS have often wondered why, just when it seems our gallant military forces are about to snuff out the Boko Haram insurgents, they make daring resurgences.

One of such bloody comebacks was the sacking of Dalori town on the outskirts of Maiduguri, Borno State on Sunday, January 31, 2016. Dalori, which is one of the areas often refer red to as “liberated and safe”, witnessed a dusk invasion by the terrorists, who killed nearly one hundred people and razed the community, to the groud Other targets within Maiduguri and parts of Adamawa State were similarly hit within the same period.

In spite of the recent claims and counter-claims by former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, of providing the equipment for the recent successes against the terrorists,

Give the Army modern weapons the military high command has told the Senate that they are still poorly equipped to contain Boko Haram. This is contrary to the recent claim by the Minister, who, after accusing the “past administration” of buying substandard weapons and expired ammunitions, said that the Buhari regime has provided the required equipment.

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had invited the Military Chiefs led by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lt General Abayomi Olonishakin, for a parley after the Dalori massacre. The CDS also

disclosed that the 29 billion Naira, which the National Assembly hurriedly approved as supplementary budget in November last year for military equipment has not been released.

We are surprised and disappointed that, almost nine months into the life of the Buhari regime, the issues of poor equipment and delay in the release of funds for the military still subsist. Coming from an administration that had promised during the campaigns to eliminate Boko Haram within three months,

we are surprised that the insurgents are still able to invade communities.

It would seem that little lesson has been learned from the initial shoddy handling of the war on ter ror by the Jonathan administration, which enabled Boko Haram to grow from a ragtag band of anarchists to one of the world’s deadliest terror groups.

It is surprising that the Federal Government has continued to allow the war on terror to remain an issue for political brickbats between it and the expired Jonathan administration. We condemn this, and call for immediate release of approved funds and procurement of appropriate weapons for the early defeat of Boko Haram.

We commend the Senate for wading into the matter, which exposed the seeming laxity on the part of the Executive, thus justifying the principle of checks and balances in our democracy.

OPINION Januar as no Januaryy 15, 1966 w was nott an Igbo coup

By Chuks Iloegbunam

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EUBEN ABATI earned a PhD in Dramatic Arts over two decades ago. He was chairman of the Editorial Board of The Guardian for nine solid years. And he was spokesman for President Goodluck Jonathan for another four years. In terms of education and exposure, therefore, he ranks with the best,not just in Africa, but globally. Yet, in Armed Forces Day: January 15, Remembering Where We Came From, an article recently published extensively in both the orthodox and social media, he made many false and unwarranted statements, only two of which must be debunked in the space available here.

Abati claimed that in January 1966, “An Igbo man, Nwafor Orizu, the acting President, handed over power to another Igbo man, General Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi.”He also claimed that, Ironsi”had been instrumental to making the coup fail.”

Kaneng Daze, the daughter of Lieutenant Colonel James Yakubu Pam, a victim of the January 15, 1966 coup,granted an interview, which The Punch published in its edition of January 17, 2016 and which is also circulating in the social media.At the time of the coup, Mrs. Daze was only eight years old. The following is a part of what she recalled: “So, my father dressed up and got out of the room and started following them (the coup makers) down the stairs. Before then, he made some few calls while he was with our mother… The first was to (Brigadier Zakariya) Maimalari… I think it was that call that alerted Maimalari that made him to escape. The second call was to General (Aguiyi) Ironsi. Ironsi appeared not

to have shown any surprise as he kept saying, ‘I see! I see!! Okay!!!’ He dropped the phone and went down the first stairs.”

Dr. Abati and Mrs. Daze represent two broad types that straddle Nigeria’s contemporary history. Abati is of the class of Nigerians fully knowledgeable about the minutest details of Nigeria’s history but are crippled by a curious inability to live the truth. Mrs. Daze belongs to the class unwilling or unable to reach beyond fairy tales and determine for themselves the truths of their country’s stories.

Let’s quickly dispense with the Daze problem.

Any eight-year old child roused from sleep in the dead of the night by her screaming mother who woke up to the sight of gun-totting soldiers abducting the father would be hysterical. It is implausible that she would have distinctly heard the telephone conversation between her father and General Aguiyi-Ironsi, let alone form the judgment that “Ironsi appeared not to have shown any surprise” at the astonishing information he was receiving. At nearly 60 years today, this blessed lady should have separated fantasy from fact and she could have done that by dispassionate research. For not doing so, her guilt is one of deliberate prejudice.

Abati’s problem is far more sinister.

Lieutenant Colonel Hilary Njoku, Commander of the 2nd Battalion in Lagos wrote in his book, A Tragedy Without Heroes: The Nigeria-Biafra War [Fourth Dimension, Enugu; 1987, page 15], that a conference of senior military officers had

Abati knows, and evidence abounds,that Aguiyi-Ironsi had crushed that coup

urged General Aguiyi-Ironsi to seek a handover of power from the politicians following the bloody Nzeogwu coup. According to Njoku, the officers at that crucial meeting were “Major-General J. T. U. Aguiyi-Ironsi (GOC), Lt-Col. Francis Fajuyi, Lt. Col. Victor Banjo, Lt.Col. Jack (Yakubu) Gowon, Lt.Col. George Kurubo, Major Patrick Anwunah, Commodore Wey of the Navy and (Lt. Col. Njoku).”

General Gowon and Colonel Anwunah are still alive. Neither has ever denied Njoku’s assertion.

Equally, it is a historical certainty that the politicians agreed a handover of political power to the military. The minutes of the conference in which the rump of the federal cabinet handed over power to the military was recorded by Alhaji Abdul Rasaq (SAN). He was at the time the legal adviser of the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC). Alhaji Abdul Rasaq told me in his Ikeja home many years ago that he still had in his possession the hand-written, original minutes of the meeting, which included the signatures of all those present.

Indeed, Gowon confirmed this story when he told the London-based West Africa magazine of August 24, 1968 that, “Before I was ready to serve General Aguiyi-Ironsi’s regime, I made every effort to be sure that the civilians really asked him to step in. Then I served him loyally.”

In the light of the above,it is shameful, pathetic and preposterousfor Abati to claim that “An Igbo man, NwaforOrizu, the acting President, handed over power to another Igbo man, General Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi.” He was guilty of purposeful deceit. Between his deceit and Mrs. Daze’s prejudice lies a chasm in which has lain buried every hope of a Nigeria marching to nationhood. It explains the massacre of 50,000 Ndigbo in the pogrom of 1966. It was what led to the civil war. It is the

reason Ndigbo are still being shot and killed across the length and breadth of Nigeria like game – even for indulging in celebrations.

The story that January 15, 1966 was an Igbo coup will forever remain a fallacy. On that morning, there were six Igbo Lieutenant Colonels. None participated in the coup. On that morning, there were 45 Majors in the Nigerian Army. About 24 of them were Igbo.

This means that, at the very least, 18 Igbo Majors had nothing to do with the coup. On that morning, the General Officer Commanding was Igbo.The Commander of the 2nd Battalion in Lagos was Igbo. His 2ic was Igbo. The Brigade Major was Igbo.

The Federal Guards Commander was Igbo.

The Staff Officer “A” Branch at Army Headquarters was Igbo. If all these had fixed the coup, could it have failed?

According to published and authenticated statements by Majors Adewale Ademoyega, Emmanuel Ifeajuna and Patrick Nzeogwu, the inner trio of the coup plot, their intention was to install Chief ObafemiAwolowo as President.

How incongruous that an Igbo coup’s primary objective would be the installation of a Yoruba politician as Nigeria’s Head of State?

Abati wrote that that, Ironsi was”instrumental” to making the coup fail!

Instrumental! How very convenient!And how very generous of him! Abati knows, and evidence abounds, which clearly show that Aguiyi-Ironsi had crushed that coup. Not YakubuGowon who had no command on that morning, and not anyone else. But Abati dared not acknowledge this fact, which would have knocked the bottom off the falsehood of the Igbo coup! *Mr. Iloegbunam, an author, wrote from Lagos.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBURARY 9, 2016— —19

Time to change strategy

By Sunny Ikhioya

S

TRATEGY is the path, course or way we choose to attain our goals. There are many strategies. What succeeds in one clime may not in another. We have not been adopting the right strategies to the challenges facing this country and that is why we are still adrift. What are the goals and vision of Nigeria as a nation?

It is a united, peaceful, strong and prosperous nation. How close are we to attaining these goals?

Very far, the reason is that we keep applying the same remedy to the same problem without success and successive regimes have been guilty of this. The present government is threading the same path and will get the same result unless it re-directs its course.

Not a few of us are agreed of the fact that Muhammadu Buhari represents the best hope for the stabilization of this country, at this point in our history. This is why his coming was greeted with general acceptance from every part of the country. Even President Goodluck Jonathan’s trouble shooter, Chief E K Clark did a u-turn and welcome his coming. There was relative peace in the land from the south to the north in the first two months after the elections, even the dreaded Boko Haram was silent.

Nine months into the government, disillusionment is

beginning to set in and pockets of resistance are beginning to spring up here and there. How did the regime squander the goodwill it received then? Will it continue to hold the past government responsible for its inactions? Don’t we know already that the past government performed woefully? Is that not why they were voted out? Were we not promised change and no less?

The principal thing in the movement forward for this country is peace and tranquility, we can only get that if we are united with a common purpose, every time this country has moved forward in terms of development, there has been almost unanimity of purpose by all. Before the coming of the military, the regions were run autonomously and each progressed accordingly. The Yakubu Gowon years, backed by oil money also witnessed a period of happiness for Nigerians, even the devastation caused by the civil war was ameliorated to a great extent but outside these two regimes, what have we seen?

The enthronement of mediocrity by successive rulers; ethnicity, cronyism, sectional interests, religious acrimonies and glaring inequitable distribution of our common wealth, through shameless manipulations and rationalisations. Let us not deceive ourselves, until we

address the challenge of ‘oneness’ in this country, we will make no progress. No economic miracle can address that, even if you bring in the best brains, the people must be willing to be led.

Nine months after, why are the pockets of resistance on the rise?

The government must avoid situations where dissidents manifest. It is always better to talk than to allow them to go underground. Ben Ezeamalu writing in the February 1 edition of Sahara Reporters quoted Max Abrahms thus; “History shows that terrorist groups are extra ordinarily difficult to snuff out once they have reached a critical mass. The truth is that terrorism is very easy to perpetrate.” The solution to checking insurgency is openness, equity and proper rule of law. When you allow the law to take its course naturally, without any interference, the people will be open to your intentions but when the law courts have made pronouncements and you use wisdom and logic to do otherwise, then it is obvious that you are only adding fuel to the already ignited fire.

Do we have the wherewithal to contain the Boko Haram, Niger Delta militants and Biafran separatists simultaneously

Terrorism: Sustaining military action

By Sampson Ikemitang

A

S the Boko-Haram insurgency which began about a decade ago rages, and proving almost intractable, the Nigerian military can be seen to remain steadfast in its determination to bring the insurgents to their knees.

Even as unconventional a war as the war against insurgency is, the Military has shown great courage and resilience and this has been rewarded with the recapturing of 19 Local government areas out of the 20 Local government councils in the North-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe which were hitherto in the firm control of the insurgents.

Recent reports have it that the Military is indeed on top of the situation. That explains why only one Local government council area, Abadam located at the border of Niger Republic in Borno State that is yet to be liberated from the clutches of the Boko Haram insurgents. This clearly underpins the unflinching determination of the extremist group to destabilise the North-east region in particular and the nation at large. It will be recalled that since 2009, the group has been fighting to create an Islamic State in the country’s mainly Muslim northern part and to institute the Sharia law in Nigeria.

The Boko Haram terrorists in their frantic resolve to dismember Nigeria and make nonsense of its sovereignty had resorted to guerrilla tactics of hitting at their targets and fleeing. They are also aware that time may not be on their side, especially with the intensification of military actions against them with the marching orders which President Buhari gave to the Military to end insurgency in the country.

It will be recalled also that soon after President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in 29 May, 2015, he ordered for the immediate relocation of the Military Command and Control Centre (MCCC) to C M Y K

Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. The essence was to ensure that the Military had firsthand information about the insurgents’ mode of operations in the North-east. Also, the relocation was intended to expose the Military to the realities on ground, to enable them re appraise, re-strategise and re-direct their counter-insurgency plans at the terrorists’ activities.

Indeed, it is incontrovertible to posit that President Buhari has absolute confidence in the ability of the Nigerian Military to bring an end to the insurgency of the Boko Haram sect. To this end, his administration has remained committed to completely eradicating the Boko Haram menace at the shortest possible time. For instance, in a statement recently released by Mr. President’s media aide, Garba Shehu: “The Buhari’s administration was already taking concrete action to build a more efficient and effective coalition of Nigeria and neighbouring Countries against the terrorist group.’’

Similarly, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed recently led a group of 33 journalists, working with Nigerian media organisations and their international counterparts to the hotbed of the insurgency - Maiduguri, Kondugua, Kaoure and Bama. This was aimed at exposing themto the realities in the region, for them to see and write their stories from the standpoint of knowledge, rather than sensationalism, hearsay and conjecture.

According to the Minister, “Today, I can report to you that the entire 70 plus

Even the non-release of the Chibok girls does not vitiate the fact that terrorism is indeed being defeated in the country

President Muhammadu Buhari is still suffused with the military culture. Unfortunately, with what the world has come to realise, extreme force does not give you results. We must begin to apply very effective means of communication between the government and various interest groups. Government decisions must not be seen to be biased or favoring particular interests.

Speaking in Addis Ababa as reported in the Vanguard of February 1, 2016, President Muhammadu Buhari said; “The theft of the oil market by some Nigerians who happen to live there who feel that the oil belongs to them and not the country is an irritating thing for those of us who participated in the civil war for 30 months in which at least 2million Nigerians were killed”. Such a statement is inappropriate at this point in our history, where various ethnic groups are clamouring for their freedom to determine how their God given resources are managed. Is Buhari telling us that the north participated in the civil war because of the oil in the Niger Delta? Before then, what was the formula for revenue sharing accruing to the nation? With the sacrifices of the Niger Delta to the development of this country, they surely deserve a better treatment, instead of spiteful and disdainful comments that will further incite the people. Why are the oil wells ceded to people from other parts of the country

kilometres stretch from Maiduguri to Bama and all the way to Banki which leads to Cameroun and the Central African Republic are in the hands of our gallant troops. They have so degraded the capacity of Boko Haram that the terrorists can no longer hold on to any territory just as they can no longer carry out any spectacular attack.’’

As part of the Government’s effort to sustain the ongoing military success in the war against terror, the Information and Culture Minister in a forum with political editors in Lagos, disclosed that a national security awareness campaign will soon commence across the country to raise awareness among Nigerians about the war, the sacrifices of our troops, and how to stamp out the remnants of the war. He said: “Jingles are being played on national radio and television as part of the campaign in order to keep the media better informed about the war, so that they can also better inform Nigerians.’’

Following from what he said of the military campaigns against the insurgents, Lai Mohammed enjoined Nigerians to support the Military in the fight against terrorism in the Country.

In his words: “It is our turn as civilians to give them our support; to realise that the war they are fighting is not their war alone, but our war, hence we must own the war.’’

In the same vein, the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Enoch Adeboye said, “The success achieved by the Military in tackling insurgency in parts of the country is commendable and can be sustained through intelligence gathering mechanism put in place by security operatives.” He spoke at the ‘Let’s Go a fishing’ programme organised by the RCCG, Region One, held at the CMD field, Magodo, Lagos Mainland.

According to the Church Leader, “Boko Haram insurgency was an internal insecurity problem that can be curtailed through a transparent partnership arrangement between the local people and the security operatives.

Let us do our best to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies by volunteering vital information that would be investigated and crime and

and not indigenes of the place?

Why can't the people enjoy the fruits of their sufferings, that is fruits from the environmental degradation of their land, severe health risks and pillaging by international oil companies and the federal and state governments? Such are the causes of insurgency in the land.

The solution to Nigeria’s problem lies in a total restructuring of the system.

First do away with the over bloated and wasteful central government and allow the states and regions to determine their resources. They will then be free to collaborate with whoever and whatever neighbouring states that they deem fit.

We should not take the issue of insurgency lightly, at least the Boko Haram has shown us enough of that. You can only look at Iraq, Syria and Libya to see a vivid picture of what happens when insurgents are allowed to thrive.

As I was rounding up this piece, news just came that a foreign vessel has been hijacked in the Nigerian waters, this has not happened for some years now.

Are we going back to the dark days in the south south waters?

Do we have the wherewithal to contain the Boko Haram, Niger Delta militants and Biafran separatists simultaneously, if push turns to shove? *Mr. Ikhioya, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Lagos.

any form of criminality will be reduced in our society.’’

There is no denying the fact that since President Buhari came into office, the morale of the Nigerian military has been heightened. No doubt, reclaiming territories from the insurgents appears to have been Mr. President’s priority, and the insurgents have now abandoned conventional warfare tactics and strategies owing to the losses they have suffered while trying to defend territory.

The President has also made series of diplomatic moves - signing of regional and bilateral anti-insurgency agreements and the immediate payment of $20 million of Nigeria’s share of the logistics to the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) is illustrative of this point.

Nigerian security forces have also killed several kingpins of the Boko Haram sect, coupled with substantial disruption of the media coordination between Boko Haram and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which Shekau had officially pledged loyalty to its leader, Abubakr AlBaghadadi in March 2015. The inability of the Boko Haram sect in recent times to release scary videos and stage spectacular attacks as it were, is a confirmation of the fact that their strengths is beginning to fail them, and in no time, they may be forced to take flight.

It should be remembered that before now, Maiduguri, the major city of the North-east was under incessant attacks and harassment by the Boko Haram terrorists. Today, the situation is slightly different as Maiduguri is a bit secure from Boko Haram’s daring raids. This is evidenced by the fact that attacks of the terrorists have been restricted to the outskirts of Maiduguri as they flee. It is pertinent, therefore, to note that Boko Haram threats to Nigeria’s territorial integrity has to a very large extent, been curtailed by the intensified campaigns of the Military.

One of the sore points in the anti-terror campaigns by the Military is the nonrelease of the abducted Chibok school girls.

Even the non-release of the Chibok girls does not vitiate the fact that terrorism is indeed being defeated in the country. *Mr. Ikemitang, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Abuja.

20—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBUARY 9 9, 2016

As Arewa governors migrate to Saudi...

Kurfi, some technical resource consultants and facilitators engaged by the NSGF." It is interesting how "one nation, one destiny" has given way to regional initiative based on civilisation with the crash of the oil economy.

Now that the North has gone to Saudi to start its rebuild, where should the south go?

One would have thought that the northern governors should have remembered those who were waiving the broom with them from the south eight months ago-after all, many of them also face the same direction pray!

A country within a country “In the long run, if we are not careful, this conference will flop. God forbid. If it flops, the resultant effect will not be imaginable. If anything happens and the country disintegrates, God forbid, many of us who are shouting their heads off may not have anywhere to go. “My people and the people of Adamawa have got somewhere to go. I am the Lamido Adamawa and my kingdom extends to Cameroun. The larger part of my kingdom is in Cameroun.

Part of that kingdom is today called Adamawa State in Cameroun. You see, if I run to that place, I will easily assimilate.” Lamido Adamawa on the floor of the National Conference, 25th March, 2014.

I

AM still at loss as to why many delegates at the 2014 National Conference were shocked when Alhaji Barkindo Mustapha, the Lamido of Adamawa made these obvious and truthful confessions, though in anger, on the floor of that assembly.

Maybe those who were scandalised by the remarks did not know of the truism that the 'drunkén' voice, what was hidden in his spirt that he would not have been said without intoxication.

Worse still,it may be that they do not understand the history of their own country or they are trying to build a tent in the village of denial.They do not want to accept the fact that the various nationalities within Nigeria were brought together by circumstances and that we have made no conscious effort to make a salad bowl out of our lettuce, carrot, tomato, egg and other distinct ingredients.

I still don't know till date what is that strong link between I and the Lamido and a Yoruba man in Benin Republic than that Lord Lugard found a "northern suitor" for the "southern lady of means" and decided to amalgamate North and South into the geographical expression called Nigeria.

While I can trace my genealogy to hundreds of years within this space, the C M Y K

likes of Lamido may already be out of the Nigerian space by the time they are giving a description of their grandfathers.

This is at the root of the clash of civilisations in Nigeria which we have pretended to overlook for as long as we were sharing oil money .We kept on shouting a deception called "One Nigeria" for as long as the party was on but relieving who we truly are in moments of stress. The collapse of the oil economy has however brought the damn lie to a cold end.

Cold end to a damn lie And nothing typifies that reality than a report in The Nation Newspaper of January,31 2016 under the caption :"Rebuilding: Northern Governors Begin Talks With Saudi Bank". The Saudi meeting coming up weeks after the crackdown on Shi'ites Muslims is quite instructive. I reproduce the story below: "A fresh initiative by northern governors to

The South South seems to have harmonised just as well as the South East, it is only my Yorubaland that is still presently confused playing useless politics while others are playing region in spite of "Kogi harvest"

address the turbulent developmental challenges in the region gets underway today in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where the governors are commencing talks with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB).

Leading the governors’ delegation at the three -day talks is Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State who doubles as Chairman of the Northern States Governors ‘ Forum (NSGF).

The decision to seek critical development partnership with the IDB was taken at the governors’ meeting last September in Kaduna.

Governor Shettima’s spokesman, Malam Isa Gusau, confirmed that the Nigerian delegation arrived Jeddah yesterday.

He said they will hold discussion with the IDB President, Ahmad Mohamed Ali and the bank’s Vice President, Operations on a wide range of possible areas of collaboration.

They are also scheduled to meet with the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD); International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC); Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment & Export Credit (ICIEC); Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI), Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD).

Focus will be on agriculture, poverty eradication, education, maternal mortality and other problems most prevalent in the north.

Also on the delegation are Governors Tanko Almakura of Nassarawa; Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna State and Mohammed Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State.

Others are top officials of the New Nigerian Development Company owned by the 19 northern States, selected Commissioners of Agriculture, Education, Post Insurgency Reconstructions, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, Home Affairs, Economic Planning, former Presidential Chief Economic Adviser Dr. Tanimu Yakubu

It is not the first time the governors of the North are telling the rest of us they are a country within the country.

The White House website had a report on March 19,2014 with the caption "Susan Rice Meets Governors from Nigeria" "Yesterday, National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice welcomed 12 governors and one deputy-governor from Nigeria to the White House to discuss areas of strategic importance to both the United States and Nigeria.

Ambassador Rice and the governors discussed the need to bring an end to the violence and insurgency in northern Nigeria; create broad-based economic opportunity in the north and throughout Nigeria; protect and respect human rights; strengthen democratic governance; and ensure that the 2015 elections in Nigeria are free and fair. The meeting was an important opportunity to underscore the U.S. partnership with the government — at both the federal and state levels — and people of Nigeria.

The visiting officials represented Nigeria’s north and middle belt, which face numerous security, development, and socioeconomic challenges. The leaders shared their concerns about the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency that has indiscriminately killed hundreds of innocent Nigerians this year. She and the governors agreed on the need for comprehensive approaches to counterinsurgency that couple security measures with deepened investment to promote opportunity and development across the country. Ambassador Rice drew special attention to the importance of Nigeria’s 2015 elections; the role that governors can play in countering corruption; and how the United States remains committed to partnering with Nigeria to address shared challenges."

Of all the items discussed at this meeting it was only Boko Haram that was partially a

northern Nigeria affair.I pray for the day the southern governors will have testicular fortitude to step out of this country as a group to hold this kind of meeting.

Meanwhile, I want to see if the Northern governors will come back from Saudi and say whatever they bring should go to the Federation account for us to handle it the way we have done with oil proceeds from Niger Delta and the VAT from Lagos and other southern states.

Now that the North is brazenly showing that it is falling back on its civilisation to rebuild is the time to push for autonomy for the different regions of Nigeria.

The South -South seems to have harmonised just as well as the South East, it is only my Yorubaland that is still presently confused playing useless politics while others are playing region in spite of "Kogi harvest."

If the South will apply itself, only oil has become useless but you have 1001 other things to develop that you don't have to take a bowl outside this country. Nations will come trooping here to ask for these stuff.

The lie called Nigeria The founding fathers of Nigeria said it in different ways and they have not been countermanded till date: “Since 1914 the British Government has been trying to make Nigeria into one country, but the Nigerian people themselves are historically different in their backgrounds, in their religious beliefs and customs and do not show themselves any signs of willingness to unite … Nigerian unity is only a British invention” – Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, 1948.

“Nigeria is not a nation. It is a mere geographical expression. There are no ‘Nigerians’ in the same sense as there are ‘English,’ ‘Welsh,’ or ‘French,’ The word ‘Nigeria’ is a mere distinctive appellation to distinguish those who live within the boundaries of Nigeria and those who do not” - Chief Obafemi Awolowo, 1947.

“It is better for us and many admirers abroad that we should disintegrate in peace and not in pieces. Should the politicians fail to heed the warning, then I will venture the prediction that the experience of the Democratic Republic of Congo will be a child’s play if it ever comes to our turn to play such a tragic role” - Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, 1964.

The Nigerian idea still remains a lie. It is either we make a conscious effort to let it be true by constructing a "salad bowl" country or let each group migrate into its own civilisation.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016

— 21

CBN earmarks over N1trn to fund real sector

By Emma Ujah & Babajide Komolafe

T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has set aside over N1 trillion to promote lending to the real sector of the economy with a view to stimulating economic activities in the country. The Governor of the CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, disclosed this at the 21st Seminar for Finance Correspondents and Business Editors in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, yesterday.

Mr. Emefiele who spoke through the Deputy Governor, Corporate Services, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, justified the massive interventions of the apex bank in financing the real sector of the economy, saying that the current trend in global central banking has gone beyond the core functions of monetary policy management.

Infrastructure interventions His said, “At the CBN, our approach to real sector development is three-pronged. Our interventions centre around agriculture, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs and Infrastructure interventions.

“The interventions included the N300 billion Real Sector Support Facility RSSF; the N220 billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund, MSMEDF; the N213 billion Nigeria Electricity Market Stabilisation Fund; N500 billion NonOil Export Stimulation Facility; and the N75 billion Nigeria Incentive Based Risk Sharing for Agricultural Lending, NIRSAL.” According to him, the principle

behind the various interventions were to provide operators in the real sector single-interests loans of between 6-9 per cent at longer tenors, with alternative collaterals, which were the major hindrances to Deposit Money Banks’ lending to the sectors.

He said, “The major complaints of the real sector operators were categorized into three: double –digit interest rates; shortness of the tenors of the loans from the Deposit money Banks; and non-availability of collaterals.

“Based on that, the CBN’s interventions have been designed with a view to addressing all of these. That is why the interests rates of the interventions range between 6-9 per cent. Our funding in each case provides for long terms, with some as much as 10-15 years; and we have designed alternative securities especially for the loans to the Micro, Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs and small holders in the agricultural chain”.

On the current roles of central banks, the CBN boss explained that even the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of England, among

the engines of every economy.

Central banking’s responsibilities , now transcends the orthodox responsibilities of monetary activities to developmental activities.

“Through these interventions the bank creates more opportu-

nities for the realization of the potentials of the real sectors of the economy which will lead to significant job creation, increased Gross Domestic Product , GDP, growth and by extension, with more export, we will increase our foreign reserve,” he said.

BRIEFING: From left: President, Mr. Seun Olatunji; General Secretary, Mrs Kemi AyoOgunkeye and Financial Secretary, Mr. Adegbola Ilori, all of Association of Metal Exporters of Nigeria during a press briefing on the activities of the association and how to develop solid minerals sector, in Lagos.

Nigeria can generate N5trn annually from solid minerals — METAL EXPORTERS

By Peter Egwuatu

E

XPORTERS under the aegis of Association of Metal Exporters of Nigeria, AMEN have called on the Federal Government to intervene in the solid minerals sector and tap the abundant benefits as the sector has opportunity of generating N5 trillion annually.

The President of AMEN, Mr. Seun $117.80 -2.60 Olatunji said that Nigeria can generate at least $2,805.00 3300 N5 trillion annually from mining and exporting of $13.24 -0.03 its vast solid mineral deposits, with several multiplier effects on job creation , state development $33.41 -0.65 and social infrastructure that could make the solid $30.02 -0.87 minerals sector as the main catalyst for the naCURRENCY BUYING SELLING tional development.

US DOLLAR 196 196.5 197 At a press briefing at 284.886 285. 6128 286. 3395 POUNDS the weekend in Lagos, 219.422 219.9818 220.5415 EURO the metal exporters 197. 4612 197. 9649 198.4687 FRANC called on the Federal 1.6771 1.6814 1.6856 YEN 0.3157 0.3257 0. 3357 CFA Government to provide 273. 1933 273.8902 274.5871 WAUA the enabling environ29.7977 29.8741 29.9506 RENMINBI ment for the develop52. 2402 52.3735 52. 5067 RIYAL ment of the Nigerian 29.3937 29.4687 29.5436 KRONA solid minerals sector.

273.8904 274.5891 275.2878 SDR “Metallic solid minerals CBN Exchange rate as at 8/02/2016 are the most exported

C M Y K

others, had intervened in the economies of those countries, with a view to stimulating productive activities, at very critical times. “The Fed and the Bank of England have done these over the years. It is the trend all over the world. The real sectors are

solid minerals from Nigeria” he added.

The Association, which comprises of various companies in the business of metal export, commended the focus of the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals, Mr. Kayode Fayemi, and expressed its readiness to partner with the government in the development of the Nigerian solid minerals sector.

According to Olatunji, “There is need for synergy between government agencies and private operators to unlock the values in solid

Government should come up with policies that will enable Nigerians to benefit optimally from the country natural resources

minerals sector. With not less than 38 viable solid mineral deposits in sustainable export quantity in Nigeria, the solid minerals sector has the potential to generate not less than N5 trillion annually once the government put in place necessary frameworks.

He stated that the solid minerals industry could serve the muchneeded solution to unemployment as the development of the value chain from mining to export can create more than five million jobs.

Diversification of the economy “We are glad that the current government is serious about solid minerals and diversification of the economy. Government should come up with policies that will enable Nigerians to benefit optimally from the country‘s natural resources,” Olatunji said.

According to him, there is need for government regulatory agencies such as Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to work with established private sector companies under the auspices of Association of Metal Exporters of Nigeria to develop globally acceptable regulatory standards for Nigerian metallic exports.

Vice president, Association of Metal Exporters of Nigeria, Mr. Bamidele Ayemibo, underscored the need for government to consider viable public private partnership (PPP) option to develop basic infrastructure such as crushing plant and standardized weighing bay among others.

According to him, with a crushing plant, government should put in place a general policy that ensures that all metal exports are crushed and SON and other regulatory agencies should see to the enforcement of standards in the solid minerals exports in order to ensure that Nigerian exports are competitive in the global market.

General Secretary, Association of Metal Exporters of Nigeria, Mrs Kemi Ayo-Ogunkeye, added that standard-setting will bring values to Nigerian businesses and Nigeria as this will not only enhance the volume of transactions but also the reliability of the business.

In his remarks, financial secretary, Association of Metal Exporters of Nigeria, Mr. Adegbola Ilori, said the association would also interface with the National Assembly to seek review of existing laws andtopromotenewlawsthatcould help the development of the solid minerals industry.

22 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Regardless of the challenging macroeconomic environment, management is committed to achieving positive results for the year and remains optimistic about the long term potential of the business

INVESTOR'S ,

,

Nestle Nig Plc: Good company in tight economy •Challenged by high forex costs, stiff competition

By Emeka Anaeto, Economy Editor

N

ESTLE Nigeria Plc is one of the most respected multinational corporations in Nigeria and especially in the stock market over the years. This may have accounted for its enviable position as the most priced stock in the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, and the first to hit the N1000 market price.

As at date the stock still remains the only one with that record and still commands the highest price at N703 per share.

But the economy seems to have moved against its stellar performance since third quarter of 2014 and with its full year 2014 results showing a six per cent decline in profitability.

While its board of directors indicated it would overcome the emerging turbulence with its impeccable business pedigree, actual performance in the three consecutive interim results in 2015 put a bold question mark on this stance.

Investment analysts Against the backdrop of this emerging trend some investment analysts had maintained a BUY advise even while the market price was still going down, though some others recommend otherwise.

For instance, following the release of the third quarter result which showed a sustained decline in key performance indicators, FSDH Securities Ltd, a leading investment banking outfit, recommended a ‘BUY’ decision after a rigorous analysis while Meristem Securities Ltd recommended a ‘HOLD’ on expected good returns.

It is remarkable that Meristem’s recommendation was a retention of its earlier position before the weak result was announced.

Also about same time Afrinvest Group recommended a ‘SELL’ . But as at last week, the same Afrinvest recommendation on Nestle was reading ‘UNDER REVIEW’ indicating that it is no longer certain what investors’ position on Nestle should be while it undergoes valuation updating.

As the company begins rounding up its audited full

year results for public announcement later this month many investors are not sure what to expect exactly especially at the backdrop of analysts’ uncertainties.

Vanguard Investor’s Forum had examined the scenarios and prospects of its top 50 stocks, which includes Nestle, for year end 2015 and the forethoughts so far based on the macro-economic and market fundamentals, are turning out true, the most recent being PZ Cussons.

Looking from the interim 2015 mirror Key issues which have emerged as major drivers of negative performance in Nestle’s 2015 financials are increasing costs, sluggish sales growth and stiffer competition.

There is also a serious foreign exchange headache, both supply and rate, which escalated in 2015 financial year. The impact of these were huge on the interim results and are expected to equally resonate in the upcoming full year result.

The negative signs began to

The company recorded a revenue growth of 5.2% for the 9-month period ended 30 September 2015 despite a challenging business environment and continued weak consumer sentiment

emerge as far back as the third quarter of 2014 with its ninemonth ended September 30, 2014, unaudited results recording a 1.38 per cent slide in profit after tax, but with a 7.6 per cent growth in its gross revenue.

By first quarter 2015 things got seriously negative with 50.6 per cent decrease in profitability for the first quarter ended March 31, 2015. This trend continued in the half year but moderated with a posting of 23.86 per cent decrease in profit before tax though revenue also dropped marginally by1.89 per cent.

The last interim result, third quarter 2015, gave a clearer picture of the challenges.

Nestle had resiliently increased its turnover by 5.18 per cent and about 3.25 per cent in Profit Before Tax, but administrative, selling and distribution expenses also increased by 5.10 per cent while cost of sales went up by 2.77 per cent.

In addition the company’s profit margins dropped in Q3 2015 compared with Q3 2014, reflecting a more difficult macroeconomic environment.

Very critically, finance cost rose by 92.16 per cent to N4.24 billion in Q3 2015 from N2.21 billion in Q3 2014. This, analysts believed, could be linked to the impact of the devaluation of Naira and the rising interest rate in the financial sector.

2015 year-end, 2016 outlook Market sentiment has been adverse on Nestle stocks as investors forecast adverse full year results.

But some analysts are positive though largely on long-term prospects of the company.

The working capital grew substantially to N1.02 billion while the current

ratio stood at 1.02x. This indicates that the company can meet its short-term obligations as and when due.

FSDH Securities estimates a Profit After Tax of N22.55 billion for the full year 2015.

According to them this will generate an Earning Per Share (EPS) of N28.45 and a final Dividend Per Share (DPS) of N25.02 based on a dividend pay-out of 87.95 per cent.

However, analysts at FBN Capital Ltd said a substantial rise in financial charges was primarily responsible for the decline in profitability. They noted that the short term outlook was not promising, given stiffer competition and a weaker macroeconomic environment.

Consequently, they have cut the year-end 2015 and 2016 EPS forecasts by around 25 per cent. Looking into 2015 full year results expected to be out soon, FBN Capital stated that though fourth quarter is seasonally strong, it must be stressed that this time around the results were uncharacteristically soft.

The analysts at FBN Capital estimate an average interest cost of debt of around 18 per cent in 2015 similar to 2014.

However, given that a third of Nestle’s foreign exchange loan exposure is to be fully repaid in 2015 the analysts see foreign exchange risk reducing and therefore interest costs declining to around 10 per cent from 2016 onwards.

Further into 2016 they

forecast a 10 per cent year-onyear sales growth, helped primarily by base effects given Nestle’s soft outlook in the 2015, adding that the reality of stiffer competition within the food and beverage segment is likely to remain a major headwind, given Nestle’s premium product market bias.

Feeling Nestle’s executive pulse With the Q3, 2015 results announcement last year Nestle in a statement signed by Bode Ayeku, company secretary/ legal adviser, said “The company recorded a revenue growth of 5.2% for the 9-month period ended 30 September 2015 despite ,a challenging business environment and continued weak consumer sentiment.

With the challenge of growing volume and managing costs, the company remained focused on investing more behind key brands to drive value for consumers while also refocusing efforts around sales and distribution activities. The inclusion of Wyeth Nutrition products in Nestlé portfolio in 2015 has also contributed to the revenue growth.

“Regardless of the challenging macroeconomic environment, management is committed to achieving positive results for the year and remains optimistic about the long term potential of the business.”

Nestle’s Figures Sept. 2015 Revenue 107.99bn Result from Operating Activities 24.68 bn Profit Before Ta x 20.81 bn Inventories 12.60 bn Prepayments 0.831bn Cash & Cash Equivalent 10.48 bn Total Current Asset 51.73 bn Total Asset 121.38 bn

Nestle Plc: Quarterly Result Trend (N'bn)

Sept. 2014 102.67 bn 22.10 bn 20.16 bn 10.96 bn 0.398 bn 3.704 bn 37.39 bn 106. 06 bn

CUDA: The agency behind Calabar’s immaculate appearance

POWER VS TRADITION: Edo

community accuses commissioner of imposing Enogie, chair

PAGE 2

VOL. 1: No. 80

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan

Chief Government Ekpemupolo, aliasTompolo

My battles with exPresident Jonathan, Tompolo —Ayiri Emami * I don’t want another Ijaw/Itsekiri war * They‘ve threatened to bomb my Tank farm, but I’m unmoved *We want to build Refinery, Gas Plant to create jobs for 3000 Deltans

Chief Ayiri Emami

W

ARRI—THE Ajuwaoyiboyami of Warri Kingdom, Delta State and business tycoon, Chief Ayiri Emami, aka Akulagba, has opened up on the reason for his disagreement with ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and former General Officer Commanding, GOC, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta, MEND, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.

Chief Ayiri, past chair of the Delta Waterways Security Committee, DWSC, Warri and stalwart of the All Progressive Congress, APC, in the state, alleged that ex-President Jonathan declined to create the much-needed opportunity for Niger-Deltans to acquire Oil Mining Licenses, OMLs to develop the area, whereas outsiders were empowered, while Tompolo’s idea of activism was purportedly violence-inclined.

The Itsekiri leader, who spoke to Niger Delta Voice in Warri, asserted that he does not believe in using pipeline vandalization and kidnapping to draw attention to the problem of the region, but it is unquestionable that government has wickedly neglected the region.

He, however, observed that few misguided Gbaramatu-Ijaw persons and his Itsekiri tribesmen were blackmailing him because he was against their bunkering and kidnapping activities and prepared at all times to expose their criminal acts.

Excerpt.

A

S chair of the erstwhile Delta Waterways Security Committee, DWSC, Warri, Delta State, you battled kidnappers, sea pirates and oil thieves to submission, but some people still count you as C M Y K

one of them, why?

Before the former governor of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, appointed me to that position, he must have done a lot of study. He knew that I am an activist but my

activism is within the boundaries of the law.

Whatever affects the people of the Niger Delta affects me and our major problem is underdevelopment, be you Ijaw, Itsekiri, Ilaje, Ogoni and

whoever.

We are suffering the same thing, but while agitation, I do not support kidnapping and I do not have to vandalize pipelines to tell somebody that I am angry. For instance,

PAGE 3

Chevron Nigeria Limited is working in my area, if I feel that the company is employing people from Lagos and leaving my people, there are legitimate ways of challenging the action.

Therefore, my own orientation right from time is not taking up arms against the government.

This was the reason that Uduaghan chose me as chair of that body. When I got to the office, it was a big task because illegal bunkering was very rampant in this area and it happened to be people of my age group, some of them, my friends were involved in it.

However, I stood boldly against them, I fought them day and night with soldiers without payment, but government provided logistics.

If I found out that anybody was cooking diesel, I call the Navy; I call the Army and ensure that they go to the place. One of my primary responsibilities then was kidnapping. It was becoming something else, so we were essentially doing is to get information from our informants and we go to the security agencies.

So, how do you see the latest bombing of pipelines in the state?

I think the present governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, who was part of the Uduaghan administration before he went to the Senate, knows the effectiveness of the Delta Waterways Security Committee and that is why he expanded and appointed my then deputy as the new chair since I had defected from Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Coming to your question, the man in question, I do not care whether you are my brother or not, I fought Itsekiri people, who were doing bunkering too, but the man in charge now might feel very reluctant now because the person in question is an Ijaw person. Maybe he does not want to go into it, but I do not care, whether you are Itsekiri or Ijaw, once something is wrong, it is wrong when you come to bunkering and kidnapping.

You joined the Joint Task Force, JTF, to inspect a bombed pipeline at Egwa community, last month, but Ijaw people interpreted your mission to mean that you led soldiers to their area to show them where to attack. Did the task force invite you?

First, I do not need the military to call me to join them before I give them information when I know that what they are doing is for the good of all of us. If something is happening in my area, local government and state, which all will suffer, if we do not assist the security agencies, it will be wrong. I volunteered myself without anybody asking me and nobody will come out

Continues on page 24

24 —

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016

My battles with ex-President Jonathan, Tompolo Continues from page 23 and tell me that he has the best knowledge of the riverine terrain than some of us.

That is where we stay, we grew up and we go there every day. And we know the ins and outs of the creeks and we all know what is going on, whether in Ijaw and Itsekiri communities, we know ourselves, we are all friends, we are brothers and we interact.

However, many have nonchalant attitude toward what happens and if you look at it, some of us have billions of investment around and if this happens and continues to happen, at the end of the day, it will happen up to my tank farm.

Threats

I have received several threats that they would come and blast my tank farm, so if they were willing to do the job, I would not have volunteered myself.

Even I made calls to people that they need to assist the military to stop the blowing up of pipelines, but as I said, many are reluctant.

Ijaws’re my best friends

do not harbour hatred towards the Ijaw with regards to what I did; some of my best friends today are the Ijaw people. We relate together but for me what is wrong is wrong, what they did at that time was wrong, but it is not the entire Ijaw, not the entire Gbaramatu, those things that they were doing was a particular person that was doing it, who we all know.

Nevertheless, people do not want to talk.

Rip off

However, there is antecedent that I fought the people extorting money from those passing the waterways to Escravos. How did it stop, it was when some of us came out and said we cannot pay them money when we were going to our

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

place.

However, some Itsekiri people were already paying them security money, the military had to intervene and I told them one man said I should be paying before I go to my place. Is that possible, the military looked at it and said no and Chevron saw it too. They came to the negotiating table and said all of us should use convoys and that was why all contractors going to Chevron and Shell began to use convoy at that time.

After sometime, everybody was now free to move and that

DELTA… FINGER OF GOD

was how we stopped it. If not, at a time in this River, you can attest that you must pay security money before they would allow your boat to pass. Therefore, we are living in a lawless country, you understand.

New lease under Buhari

I think the first development in life is for you to have adequate security and that is why I have confidence in this government. I believe that they are ready to protect life and property. For instance, when former President Goodluck Jonathan said he

wanted to come and commission the Export Processing Zone, EPZ, project and a person just directed that they should get boats into the river and the President called off his visit. Can that happen in any part of this world, it cannot, but can such a thing happen under this dispensation.

If it was before that the court said somebody should come and he said to hell, nothing will happen, but today, it is not so, he had sent lawyers to the court to vacate the warrant, which is the right thing to do. However, in the past, police invited us and we went to the police station to clear ourselves. Therefore, we have not put ourselves above the law, we are submissive to the law and we pay our tax.

Is it true that you want to foment another war between Ijaw and Itsekiri?

There is one thing I do not like, former National Security Adviser, NSA, Dasuki was arrested, does that mean that the Arewa want

war, who do they want war with, Igbo or Yoruba. In addition, they arrested Nnamdi Kanu of the Indigenous People of Biafra, is that another war between Igbo and Hausa or Hausa and Yoruba.

Therefore, if somebody is invited and he refuses to go, does that mean that I want war between Itsekiri and Ijaw. Those saying these things are blackmailers trying to cover the issue on ground.

To me, I do not see any war and I know that the government today will not condone anybody that takes up arms against anybody.

The government has shown capacity to deal with anybody no matter whom you are. Therefore, there is never a time that I will want Ijaw and Itsekiri to fight, we all know what we suffered at that time. I can tell you that with the way things are going, that can never happen again.

You have your issue; you go to court and address it. When I have

Continues on page 25

Fresh tr ouble brew ADEC trouble brewss in DESOP DESOPADEC

* Urhobo commissioners fume over payment of salaries on ethnic basis * Oil communities demand review of outmoded 2007production quantum formula *Leaders ask Okowa to wade in to avert crisis WARRI—COMMISSIONERS representing oil-bearing communities of Urhobo ethnic in the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Warri, have risen against the bizarre payment of staff salaries on tribal basis, use of out-of-date production quantum formula and alleged marginalization of the nationality by the commission.

Already, leaders of oil communities in the area, who claim that the nationality currently produces more oil than Itsekiri, Ijaw and other ethnic groups have asked the interventionist agency to discontinue forthwith the use of the 2007 production quantum formula in further sharing allocations.

We’ll fight this battle — Hon. Amitaye

Speaking at separate town hall meetings at Orerokpe, Oghara and Sapele, the commissioner representing Sapele, Okpe and Ethiope West Local Government Areas on DESOPADEC board, Hon. Jonathan Amitaye, said and his colleagues were determined to fight injustice.

“I have never seen any government establishment where salaries are paid on tribal basis, so we have decided that everybody’s salaries should be paid on first line charge,” he said.

Urhobo ethnic group alone reportedly constitutes 70 per cent of the commission’s workforce and paying staff from the allocation to the ethnic group translates that there would be nothing left for capital projects.

Amitaye asserted that it was unacceptable for anybody to say that Urhobo with eight local government councils, including natives in Warri South and Patani produce less oil and gas Giving a little breakdown of the commission’s 2016 budget, he said that Itsekiri were allocated N2.5 billion, Ijaw -N2.7 billion, Isoko- N1.1 billion, Ndokwa N636 million, while Urhobo has the least with N489 million.

He faulted the 2007 production quantum sharing formula, saying the law establishing the

commission stipulates in annual review of the quantum allocation formula.

The commissioner stated that contrarily, it has not been reviewed in the past eight years, adding, “Urhobo commissioners are not fighting anybody or ethnic group, we are all brothers but we believe Urhobo produce more oil and gas. So we want the production quantum sharing formula to be reviewed based on the law establishing the commission, which says it should be reviewed on an annual basis because for the past eight years, it has not been reviewed.”

He, therefore, solicited the support and understanding of the people of Sapele, Okpe and Ethiope West on the challenges, saying that in the face of falling oil price and economic downturn,

it might be difficult for the commission to meet all of its obligations regarding projects execution in the Urhobo oilbearing communities, We won’t accept this discrimination—Oil communities Urhobo leaders, who were livid at the purported marginalization, urged the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa to wade in, saying the people would take their destiny in their hands if they fail to act.

In a unanimous decision, chairs of Host Communities of Nigeria, HOSTCOM, Ethiope West, Sapele and Okpe, Chief Femi Agbokoko, Chief Ekarekor and Comrade Anthony Adams respectively, declared: “It is unacceptable and wicked to pay

salaries on ethnic basis and it must stop.”

They said that if the commission continues to shortchange the ethnic group, the people would storm the House of Assembly.

Other HOSTCOM leaders, including Chief Vincent Atuma, Chief Lizzy Iroroakpo and Anthony Adams also threw their weight behind the declaration.

Adams maintained the oil wells that Ijaws and Itsekiri lay claim to are offshore, arguing that the Supreme Court had since ruled that all oil, 200 nautical miles offshore belong to the Federal Government.

His words: “Therefore, the riverine people whose oil is in the offshore cannot shortchange Urhobos, I suggest that a committee comprisinghostcommunitiesofNigeria (HOSTCOM)andthecommissionersbe setup to look into the issue.”

CUDA: The agency behind Calabar’s CROSS-RIVER… THE PEOPLE’S PARADISE immaculate appearance *Our officials never poured excreta on hawker’s wares- Mr. Ekeng, Scribe

C

ALABAR—WHAT nearly all visitors to Calabar notice as they come into the “Canaan City” is a dirt free and green environment with wellkept lawns, which give the metropolis a convivial and enthralling outlook.

What, however, they do not glimpse is the dimensions of work and resources invested in keeping the place sparkling and bottle green all day and all year round.

Niger Delta Voice can authoritatively reveal that groups of women daily sweep the streets, water the lawn, and weed unwanted grasses from the streets and parks, young men driving in trucks move round the city to evacuate the debris to designated dumps at the outskirts of the city.

This coordination rests on the Calabar Urban Development Authority, CUDA, which engages the women and young men and supervises them to ensure

Calabar street sweeper that they evacuate garbage from the streets daily.

Besides, the authority makes sure hawkers and street traders do not venture certain designated areas of the city to avoid messing up such areas and clogging traffic.

CUDA Secretary, Mr Joe Ekeng, told Niger Delta Voice that Calabar has a special place in the heart of the state governor, Senator Ben Ayade, who has given the Authority mandate to ensure that the city must at all times remain clean.

By EMMANUEL UNA

“We are a tourism destination and to this end we have to ensure that all day round, the city remains clean and we have the support of the governor and that is the task we must accomplish in spite of the meager resources at our disposal.”

He said allegations that the Authority ’s staff were highhanded was not true and that he personally supervises them to ensure that they are civil and well behaved.

On the claim that workers of the agency poured faeces on the wares of a hawker recently, he said: “It is not true that workers of the agency poured faeces on fruits and food sold by a vendor operating near an Oando Petrol Station by the U.J Esuene Stadium as reported in the media.”

According to him, reports that sanitation workers physically assaulted a food vendor, Mrs. Grace Francis and splashed garbage on her fruits and food before carting away the cooler where the items were stored to the agency’s office was false.

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016 — 25 Commissioner gave them a duplicate of the Community HEART BEAT OF THE NATION Development Association, CDA certificate because our own had expired and he community leaders.

“They are not telling you denied us the opportunity to people the truth, we are not have a new one”. issuing new certificate to anybody. All we are doing is Troublemakers Adodo, who also reacted to renewal. Let them show you the certificate issued to them the allegation, said, “If they in the first place to indicate that were given an old one for they are the authentic leaders instance, they should bring it of that community. Let them so we can see. They are just come forward with proof and I usurpers trying to cause crisis will renew it for them. I have in that community and that never been to the community, was why we reported the not to talk of invading it with matter to the AIG office so that security agents will deal with thugs as they claimed.

“As l speak to you, the matter those fomenting trouble. They is before the Assistant Inspector have no certificate to show for General of Police. They anything, that is the truth.” encroached on government land and they wanted to sell Community raises fresh it, they have been selling alarm government land. Anybody Meanwhile, the community selling government land will be elders through their solicitors, arrested,” adding, “I have Udochi & Udochi, in a petition personally reported the matter dated 5th December, 2016, have to the Commissioner for Lands called for an urgent resolution and Survey,” he said. of the crisis to avoid bloodshed.

They alleged a fresh plan to Govt officials trouble us invade the community with thugs with a view to unleashing every day—Friday mayhem on the people. The Odigie petition alleged that the plot was Chair, Utagban Community to install Olaye and Aghayere Development Association, as Enogie and chair of the Friday Odigie, who regretted community. that the looming crisis would He said: “Utagban community divert the attention of the development association is public from the developmental governed by a constitution, needs of the community, urged which makes membership of its the warring factions to allow executives mandatorily subject peace reign to attract to the democratic process of government attention to their voting by members of the needs. association. The community has He said: “Today government not held any election in respect agents harass us on a daily of membership to occasion basis, we want them to come inauguration of a new and demarcate their boundary executive.'' for peace to return. For the “The installation of an Enogie leadership crisis, I am happy in any Bini community is the to say that the leaders have put prerogative of the Oba of Benin their feet on the ground to fight and the purport to install an the illegality by these same Enogie is a direct challenge and persons.” rebuff of the institution of the “We are surprised that the Oba of Benin.”

EDO…

Edo community accuses commissioner of imposing Enogie, chair POWER VS TRADITION:

*It’s not true- Didi Adodo, Commissioner for Special Duties and Establishment

By SIMON EBEGBULEM

U

TAGBAN—ELDERS of Utagban, a sleepy community in Oredo Local Government Area, Edo State and the Commissioner for Establishment and Special Duties in the state, Comrade Didi Adodo, are at daggers drawn over an alleged attempt by the commissioner to forcing Osahon Richard Olaye, alias Churchil and Johnson Aghayere on them as Enogie and chair respectively of the community.

The Odionwere of Utagban, Pa Roland Aghimien, traced the brewing crisis to the alleged installation of some persons as community heads, alleging that the commissioner supervised the act in company of some hired thugs.

Chair, Utagban Community

Development Association, Comrade Didi Adodo, Edo Commissioner for Establishment. Friday Odigie.

Complaints to Oshimhole allegedly disregarded

He said they had written several letters to the governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to draw his attention to the impunity, but to no avail.

According to him, “Somebody who is not elected is using the commissioner and they invaded Utagban on the 19th of November to impose somebody on us. They came to carry out an illegal installation but they were resisted, so they went and wrote petition against me that I am a cultist.”

Utagban community.

“Sadly, the money we are supposed to use to develop our community is now channeled to litigation; they are bent on destroying our community, because of their selfish interest.”

They ‘re selling govt land —Adodo

However, in a swift reaction, Commissioner Adodo, who debunked the allegation that he invaded the community with thugs, challenged the complainants to show evidence that they had the mandate of the people to parade themselves as

My battles with ex-President Jonathan, Tompolo Continues from page 24 issue over the Deep Sea Port, I went to court over it. So, if you have an issue, there are means of addressing issues, it is not by blowing pipelines or by killing Itsekiri people. Gone are those days that one will do that, nobody will condone it now, many people involved in that got amnesty and if you do it again, that amnesty has expired.

So how do you see the demand that the Olu of Warri should call you to order?

Yes, I think it is because they know that I am a very loyal Itsekiri person and the best way of blackmailing me now is to go and tell the monarch to call Ayiri to order. However, I think the monarch knows my character.

They know I will not disregard him, we are the ones that go out, we see what is happening, and so we should be able to speak out to let the world know what is going on.

You see, I do not want to get the monarch involved in these matters because these issues have been on ground before he ascended the throne. When the late Ogiame Atuwatse was alive, that was how they were asking him too to call me to order, saying that I was writing against Jonathan. But once I know that C M Y K

what they are doing is not right, I will speak out, I am a politician and a businessman and we need a conducive atmosphere to do politics and attracts investors to our area.

You and Tompolo almost fought when Jonathan came to Delta last year, what really happened?

These are some of the things that are still playing out now, even before the matter came up for discussion, some Itsekiris had already given up. They agreed that they should name the Deep Sea Port after Gbaramatu. Some Gbaramatu people even suggested that they take the project to Oporoza area and I said they could not name the Deep Sea Port after Gbaramatu because the EPZ project is on Itsekiri land.

You see the project had been going on for over one year but because they want to have a strategic agenda to control the project, that is why they came up with certain things. It is like having a government within a government. Moreover, what that means is that before one can even come to the EPZ project proper in Ogidgiben, you would have to pay homage to one person and some of my brothers unfortunately had even surrendered their sovereignty to

him.

I said no and I will not. If this project is in Oporoza and I need to go and work in Oporoza, I will go through the appropriate channel, so he should follow the law. If you are coming to Ugborodo to work, nobody will stop you. He (Tompolo) equally worked in Chevron that is in Ugborodo, he worked there during the construction of EPZ, we gave Ijaws their quota, nobody stopped them, why this one, you want to come and dictate because you had the President.

My problem was not even mainly with them, but some of my brothers from Ugborodo, who were actually with them in the scheme, drumming from behind that they should go after Ayiri because he is the one that said they should not name it after Gbaramatu. However, I still stand until today to say that government should not name that place Gbaramatu Deep Sea Port.

I learned that the altercation between you and Tompolo almost degenerated to fisticuff, how correct is this?

Yes, it almost become a physical fight before we met former President Jonathan. We met the President, instead of him hearing from both sides, he said he was going to do the groundbreaking and when he said that, I said if

you do it, well, you are the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, I would go to court, which I did. As I said in a previous interview, I do not have any personal scores to settle with Tompolo, it is just that the way I see the means of prosecuting the Niger Delta agitation is not the way he sees it.

I proceeded to the court and there was an order of restraint by the court on naming that land after Gbaramatu people. My own case is that if investors are coming, since the Federal Government had acquired the land, they should come and do their business quietly and nobody should take laws into their hands. There should be no blackmail and nobody should say that because of Ayiri, that is why investors do not want to come.

Where Jonathan failed us

One of my fights with Jonathan was about the OML because if they had given those of us from this area the first Right of Refusal, this place would not have turned a junkyard when Shell deserted Warri. Those were my fights, it was not personal, if you are divesting, first, think about the people that stay here. When you sell to somebody that stays in Lagos, automatically, you are killing the entire state.

With the opportunity the present government is providing, we are in the process of building a gas plant and refinery to create jobs for Deltans. I am looking at providing 2000 to 3000 for people in all my outlets. My plan is to establish mega floating petrol stations in the riverine communities, which I want to discuss with the Minister of Petroleum.

Presently, we are building a tank farm and I had the opportunity of meeting the Minister of State for Petroleum, he said those that have the capacity should go ahead and put themselves together to stop bunkering so that investors can come in. I want to work with those type of people because if they give us opportunity, we will be able to create jobs in our place.

If we are going to stop bunkering, we need to take the refined products to the doorsteps of the villagers, which is why I will continue to fight anybody that wants to kill our dream for his personal interest. However, we are in the process of building a Refinery and Gas Plant.

Ultimately, if there is one reason why I must give my 100 percent support to President Buhari, it is because of the way he is handling the security of the nation...nobody is now above the law.

26 — Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016

AKWA IBOM… LAND OF PROMISE

By TOM MOSES

O

KOROETE—CONTRARY to the suggestion that the killing of two police officers (Inspector and Corporal) and invasion of Okoroete Police Station at Eastern Obolo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, last week, was a reprisal by embattled Ikot Akpan Udo community villagers, investigation has showed that alleged incessant seizure of outboard engines by the Police triggered the vicious attack.

Niger Delta Voice learned that youth from Andoni, Ijaw in Rivers and Bayelsa states, angry that the police action was to stifle economic activities in the area, which is marine-centered, stormed the police station and caused havoc.

Okoroete community leader, Elder Frank Nte, told Niger Delta Voice, “The attack on the Okorete Police Station was carried out behind us and we could not immediately ascertain what triggered it. But from our findings, I discovered that it was provoked by the police regular seizure of their outboard engines thereby not allowing them to operate their businesses freely on the suspicion that the boats were used in carrying out illegal marine activities.

“I think the youths who are mostly our Andoni and Ijaw brothers from Rivers and Bayelsa States over-reacted because it is not the best thing to have attacked the police station and kill the innocent police officers”.

He, however, said the

RIVERS…

THE TREASURE BASE OF THE NA TION NATION

By DAVIES IHEMNACHOR

E

M O H U A — UNIDENTIFIED gunmen have commandeered four communities in Rivers State, killing at least five persons razing eight houses.

The besieged communities are Emohua in Emohua local government, Ogbo in Ahoada East, Isiokpo Kingdom in Ikwerre and Kula community in AkukuToru. Investigation by Niger Delta Voice showed that the fear of the gangsters among the young and old is the beginning of wisdom in the communities.

They strike with impunity and act if they are unaware of the existence of security agents in the state. On Sunday, January 24, the cult group terrorizing Emohua clan in Emohua local government invaded Mbueto community and killed a young man, who hails from Okogbule dynasty.

The killing unsettled the community causing some opinion leaders to take flight. Last week, another cult gang, Icelanders, visited Ogbo community in Ahoada East local government, chased away 12 C M Y K

police would have apprehended perpetrators of the heinous crime if they had taken the community in confidence.

His words: “Our youths would have gone after those people but just as they were ready to move, they saw SARS patrol team, so, they repatriated so that the police would not arrest them thinking they were the ones who attacked the police station and killed the two officers.”

Speaking with the NDV on the matter, the Akwa-Ibom State Police Public Relations Officer PPRO, ASP, Delia Nwawe, said, “ we are carrying out very massive investigation into that incident. So far, one of the suspects is in our custody. I am not going to tell you the suspect’s name so as not to jeopardize investigations. It might help others who perpetrated the crime to have knowledge of what we are doing.

“Ultimately, what we are interested in is justice. If we cannot get 100 percent clue or information into the matter, at least, we should be able to get 95 percent and then, make sure, peace reigns in that place.

“When investigations are concluded, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Murtala Mani should be able to tell you very clearly why the hoodlums did what they did, but of course, whatever malice anybody had, because it was malicious, it was instigated, we are not going to stay back and at the appropriate time, the Police Commissioner will speak.

Confirming the killing of two police officers, the PPRO

Governor-Udom-Emmanuel.

Why irate youths killed 2 police officers — NDV investigation asserted: “We are committed 100 percent to our jobs. We have to ensure that we safeguard the people in that community at all times.

Therefore, the police station is fully functional to provide security.

“Our Anti-kidnapping team is there, so also the Anti-

Gunmen seize 4 Rivers communities, kill 5 persons *Hoodlums dig gully on highway to trap motorists chiefs and razed four houses. The community is still in panic.

Penultimate Friday, at about 2am, the Deygbam cult, which is in-charge of Isiokpo kingdom in an operation that lasted over four hours slaughtered three persons and set four houses ablaze.

Embattled paramount ruler of Isiokpo Kingdom, HRM, Eze Blessing Wagor, however, called on the fleeing residents to return, saying that peace has returned.

The Nye-Nwe Ali Isiokpo dismissed comments that the crisis was politically motivated, noting that it was cult invasion.

Entrance to hideout .

He expressed concern that cult violence has spread round the state and called on the perpetrators to sheathe their swords and embrace peace in all parts of Ikwerre and Rivers State at large.

This happened as gunmen, Saturday, January 23, around 8.00 p.m, took over Kula community in Akuku-Toru local government killing one person. They also invaded the Port Harcourt residence of the Care-Taker Committee Chairman of the area, Mr. Roland Sekibo, shooting sporadically and causing tension

Robbery squad. Patrol is on 24 hours in all the jurisdictions to be able to keep the tide of peace and safety in that area.

“It must be stated very clearly that the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Murtala Mani will not allow people irrespective of their positions to carry out illegal

activities in that community. Police make seizure when the activities of the people are illegal and may sabotage the nation’s economy.

“If that is why they decided to attack us, we have no regrets because we are committed to doing our job to ensure the safety of lives and property of the citizens.”

in the entire neighborhood.

The gunmen reportedly emerged from the creeks and ruptured the peace of the community. Community leader, Mr. Sukubo Sara-Igbe, who disclosed the name of the victim as Prophet Ibim Fenibo, alias Abasi, called on the state government and the security agencies to intervene in the failing security system in the area. He said that the people were presently living in fear.

abducted Barr. Ogbonna, who went to the area to carry out a land transaction. His abduction triggered a police raid on the areas.

Ada-George Road turns flash-point

Meanwhile, kidnappers have converted the Ada-George Road through Obiri- Ikwerre to Port Harcourt Airport into a dangerous axis. Their activities on the road lately have heightened tension as numerous crime cases ranging from kidnapping to armed robbery occur there.

A heart-rending abduction took place there with the kidnap of a seven- month pregnant woman, whom the police said they rescued later. Last week, kidnappers

Caravan used as hideaway

Police bust kidnapper’s den, rescue 3 kidnap victims

Men of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Rivers State Police Command stormed a kidnappers’ den, located along the new Port Harcourt Airport Road in Aluu community, Ikwerre local government, rescued three victims and apprehended two suspects.

The den is a caravan reportedly abandoned by a company in a thick bush in the area.

Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in the state, DSP Ahmad Muhammad, disclosed that the police discovered the criminal hideout from intelligence gathering. Muhammad said the two suspects arrested were members of the gang that operated along the lonely and bad Ada-George road, which leads to Port Harcourt International Airport.

Bullet hole on the wall of the home of Akuku-Toru CTC chair

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016 — 27

,

S FORUM

Once you’ve decided what to buy, and when to buy it, the next step is for you to decide when to cash out. Some investors believe they can “time” the market, accurately predicting when it will rise and fall

,

What Investors need to know about FCMB’s financials F

IRST City Monument Bank Plc, FCMB, has been aggressive and upfront in investor relations and communication recently.

Braving the odds to issue profit warning two weeks ago and followed with announcing a significantly declined performance results, the bank’s Managing Director , Ladi Balogun, last week Thursday, held a conference call with the investor and briefed them on the future of their investments in FCMB. Below are some facts surrounding FCMB’s nine months interim results 2015 as given in the Conference Call by Balogun: FCMB is currently exposed to the oil and gas industry to the tune of N98.8 billion They are also exposed to the power sector with about N22.8 billion The TSA policy initiated by the Federal Government accounted for the decline in

deposit volume and then led to drop in deposit rates further leading to depositors pulling out their funds. 37% of all credits are still issued to individuals & SMEs (i.e. Retail). 4.2% growth in loan book Year-on-Year is skewed towards Retail (N28.3bn

growth) The spike in overall loan loss charges came from the “Oil & Gas- Downstream” book, and was due to one customer (Capital Oil) The bank also said it had it had restructured loans to the oil and gas industry totalling $252

million at the end of September and is in the process of restructuring two more loans with a combined value of $132 million. FCMB says there has been a write back on consumer loans in the final three months of last year after delayed salaries of

most government workers were at last paid. Finally, FCMB says it does not see any need to raise new equity, however it is unlikely that they will pay dividends.

The bank earlier in the year issued a profit warning indicating that results are likely to be bad in 2015. By the time it released its 2015 9 months results, pre-tax profits had dropped 85% to N2.5 billion.

‘How to secure wealth across generations’

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By Peter Egwuatu

HE strategy to secure wealth across generations is to invest in stable assets of low volatility and risks that attract appreciation and sustainable cash flow as well as to instill financial literacy in the younger generations among other factors,an investment banker and Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Morgan Capitals Limited, Ade Buraimo has said.

He added that it is worrisome that many wealthy Nigerian families were unable to secure wealth

across generations as their counterparts in more developed economies because of lack of knowledge on how to do so.

“One of the ways to secure wealth across generations is to invest in stable assets of low volatility and risks that attract regular appreciation and sustainable cash flows. Alpha Morgan Capitals Limited decided to launch a radio campaign to bridge that gap and help wealthy families secure their wealth across generations.

‘Securing Wealth Across Generations’ is reflective of Alpha Morgan Capital’s unflinching

Nestle Plc: Income Forecast 2015-2019 by FSDH Securities

commitment to customers and its resolve to help them sustain generational growth in wealth so they can have peace of mind to devote attention to other things that matter in life. The campaign demonstrates market presence and establishes Alpha Morgan’s capabilities in wealth management, mutual funds, investment banking, advisory and alternative assets,” Buraimo who is a former Managing Director of GTBank Sierra Leone explained.

Unique opportunity He spoke with Vanguard at the weekend in Lagos during the launch of a campaign, ‘Securing Wealth Across Generations.’ He noted that the Rockefeller family is a prominent example of a successful multi-generational family. He disclosed that Alpha Morgan Capital’s ‘Securing Wealth Across Generation’ campaign is aired week days, in the morning and evening belts on popular radio stations.

Buraimo also stated that the new campaign “expresses our institution’s resolve to provide customers with a unique opportunity to put their funds in a reputable investment bank run by a mix of highly experienced investment bankers driven by professionalism,” he stated.

Speaking further at the campaign launch, the commercial and investment banker of over 25 years industry experience disclosed that Alpha Morgan has shareholders’ funds of over N300 million and currently working on floating funds totaling $125 million, adding that the funds are a hybrid of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) focusing on the real estate and education sector.

According to him, “Alpha Morgan has shareholders’ fund of N300 million and currently working on floating funds totaling $125 million.

The funds are a hybrid of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) focusing on the real estate and education sector.

Stock Market Outlook (Feb. 9 — Feb. 15)

I

N light of the investor’s an ticipation of earning releases, expect to see activity level increase across all sectors especially the Banking Index, which could drive some level of positive momentum in the broader market. ·Overall short to medium term outlook remains neutral as prices seem to have corrected for anticipated weaker Full Year 2015 corporate earnings, while macroeconomic concerns and foreign

exchange uncertainties will continue to limit upsides.

Hence, investment houses such as Afrinvest Group recommend long term investment case on Nigerian equities.

Investors with short holding period and greater risk appetite could take advantage of irregular price cycles as high volatility in the market in reaction to earnings releases, policy and regulatory changes should be expected.

COMPLAINTS & INVESTIGATIONS Send complaints or enquiries about any quoted company, issues, products and services of any capital market operator or agency to vanguardinvestorsforum@gmail.com.

We investigate and publish with feedback

28—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Global oil operations decline as rig count dips

Nigerians criticise discriminatory electricity charges

By Sebastine Obasi & Prince Okafor DISCRIMINATORY electricity charges approved for the 11 distribution companies, DISCOs, by the regulator, National Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, effective from February 1, have continued to draw protests from concerned consumers.

Under the new tariff regime, electricity consumers under the R2 Class (residential) will pay N24.30 per kilowatt in Abuja; BeninN24.08; Enugu-N27.13; Ibadan N23.09; Jos N26.93; Kaduna N29.27; Kano N20.26 and N26.41; Ikeja N21.30 and N21.80; Port Harcourt N24.91; Eko N24.00 and 25.79; Yola N23.25 and N24.75 accordingly.

Going by the approved tariff, Kaduna DISCO is to charge the highest tariff of N29.27 in 2016, with reduction of N27.04 in 2017 and another increase of N28.75 in 2018. This is followed by the Enugu DISCO which is to charge N27.13 in 2016, with a progressive increase of N30.93 in 2017 and N31 in 2018.

However, Ikeja DISCO, which has one of the highest concentrations of urban areas in the country, has the lowest tariff of N21.3 in 2016, N21.1 in 2017 and N18.94 in 2018.

The tariff is said to cover a 10year period with expectations that the prices will start reducing from 2018 to 2024, when the sector must have advanced to an operational system that guarantees regular supply.

Discriminatory tariff regime However, NERC did not explain the criteria for approving such discriminatory tariff regime.

When contacted, Head of Media Department, NERC, Mr. Michael Faloseyi, did not answer the numerous calls put to him, neither did he respond to the text message sent to him to that effect.

Expectedly, the high tariff being charged by Enugu DISCO did not go down well with the state branch of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, who confronted the Chief Executive Officer, CEO of the DISCO, Mr. Robert Dickerman on the issue.

In his response, the CEO said that tariffs are set based on each DISCO’s cost of service. “Cost of service, includes CAPEX, OPEX and Losses. Losses include energy taken by customers but not paid for. “Our cost of service is unfortunately the highest in the nation. I would love to have the competitive advantage other DISCOs have of a lower cost structure. I also appreciate the points that your group made in C M Y K

AGREEMENT: From left: Chairman of Cummins Cogeneration Ltd,Deepak Khilnani, Odjegba Onoriode, Aditya Khilnani and Chairman of Sapele Power Plc Anthony Onoh at the PPA signing. our meeting that you are competing with other companies who have lower energy costs as a result of their location. Again, that is the nature and structure of this industry. Neither of us, nor any lawsuit, can change that fact.

“You and the other MAN members have my promise that EEDC will do everything in our power to give you excellent service while we strive to reduce our costs, meter all customers, improve reliability and improve our distribution network.

Eventually, our tariffs will come down substantially. We thank you for your understanding and appreciate the open dialogue that we have begun,” he added.

Already, commercial and resi-

dential consumers are groaning under huge estimated bills, incessant outages, lack of prepaid

You and the other MAN members have my promise that EEDC will do everything in our power to give you excellent service while we strive to reduce our costs

meters and ageing equipment among others which the 11 DISCOs have been linked to the long years of neglect of the electricity sector.

In Ebonyi State, quarry operators have expressed dissatisfaction over exorbitant tariffs charged by Enugu DISCO despite the irregular electricity supply.

In Okposi Umuoghara quarry site in Ezza North Local Council of the state, the Chairman, Ebonyi State Stone Crushers Association, Mr. Stanley Ugonweze, said he had written to both the federal and state governments as well as the DISCO to register their unhappiness.

Foreign investment inflow in oil dips N36bn

By Michael Eboh URBULENCE in the international oil market pushes investment in Nigeria’s petroleum further away, as year on year capital inflow dips by 85.7 per cent.

Data obtained from the National Bureau Statistics, NBS, revealed that foreign investment inflow into the oil sector dropped further by $178.42 million, about N35.684 billion in one year, from December 2014 to December 2015.

Specifically, the NBS in its Capital Importation Report for the Third and Fourth Quarters, Q3 & Q4 2015, pointed out that foreign investment inflow into the sector crashed to $29.78 million, about N5.95 billion as at the end of 2015, compared to $208.18 billion in 2014, representing a decline of 85.7 per cent.

“Further analysis revealed that in Q1 2015, foreign investment inflow into the petroleum industry stood at $9.47 million,

T

compared to $201.14 million in Q1 2014.”

In the second, third and fourth quarters of 2015, capital imported into the oil and gas sector stood at $4.86 million, $2.21 million and $13.22 million respectively, against $3.83 million, $3.16 million and N0.05 million recorded in the corresponding periods of 2014.

Quarterly decline In its analysis of capital importation in Q4 2015, NBS noted that in the last few years, a high proportion of the capital imported originated from the United Kingdom, UK, but that this had changed markedly since Q2 2014 when 68.46 per cent of imported capital was from the UK. Thereafter, the NBS said capital imported from the UK has recorded a quarterly decline, adding that in Q3 & Q4 2015, the quarterly decline was 47.64 per cent and 23.70 per cent

respectively.

It further stated that compared to the periods of the previous year, capital imported from the UK had declined by 80.42 per cent in Q3 and 77.85 per cent in Q4.

The NBS said: “As a result of these changes, the UK only accounted for 27.69 per cent of total capital imported in the final quarter of 2015, slightly less than the 27.96 per cent accounted for by the Netherlands.

“In total, between 2014 and 2015, the value of capital imported from the UK fell from $10.938 billion to $3.834 billion, a drop of 64.95 per cent. This fall accounted for 63.96 per cent of the total fall in capital importation between these years.”

It added that despite these trends, the UK and the United States, US, remained the first and second largest providers of capital investment for Nigeria, as they have been each year since 2007.

By Sebastine Obasi

T

HE continuous slide in the price of oil has taken its toll on the number of rigs operating in Nigeria, and other oil producing countries of the world, as many rigs have been made redundant.

In the latest Baker Hughes Incorporated report on oil rigs announced weekend, the international rig count for January 2016 was 1,045, down 50 from the 1,095 counted in December 2015, and down 213 from the 1,258 counted in January 2015.

The international offshore rig count for January 2016 was 242, down 8 from the 250 counted in December 2015, and down 72 from the 314 counted in January 2015.

The average U.S. rig count for January 2016 was 654, down 60 from the 714 counted in December 2015, and down 1,029 from the 1,683 counted in January 2015.

The average Canadian rig count for January 2016 was 192, up 32 from the 160 counted in December 2015, and down 176 from the 368 counted in January 2015.

Operations in the oil sector Going by regional count, Africa had 94 rigs against 132 in January 2015, while Asia Pacific had 193 compared to 232 in the corresponding year.

The Middle East had 407, down from 415, while Europe had 108 down from 128. Rig count for the Latin American region stood at 243 as against 351. The North American region experienced the worst decline from 2,051 in 2015 to 846 in January, this year.

Commenting on the issue, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Tecon Oil Services Group, Mr. Casmir Maduafokwa, noted that operations in the oil sector is usually measured by the rig count.

According to him, “The vital measurement of the level of activity in the oil sector is the level of rig activity. The rig count has been shrinking. In the period 1990 to 1991, the rig count was close to 50. The current rig count is below 30 as at 2016.

“We have a lot of stacked rigs. We too have two stacked rigs;we also have four work over units stashed. No income, but you have to maintain them. There are lots of idle rigs in the market. The rig activity normally drives a lot of other activities. If you pull a rig out of the system, all these services basically dry up. The oil companies are even smart, they have call-off provisions.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016—29

Oil firms flared N163bn gas in 2015

By Michael Eboh

N

IGERIA lost $831 million, about N162.6 billion, as oil and gas firms in the country flared 271.38 billion Standard Cubic Feet, SCF, gas in 2015. The amount of gas flared, according to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in its Monthly Financial and Operations Report for December 2015, represented 9.5 per cent of total gas production of 2.858 trillion SCF recorded in 2015.

Particularly, the report put total domestic gas supply at 380.45 billion SCF, with 254.44 billion SCF for domestic gas to power, and 126.01 billion SCF for industries.

In addition, total gas export was put at 1.242 trillion SCF, broken down into 21.62 billion SCF for the West African Gas Pipeline, while Escravos Gas to Liquid, EGTL; Natural Gas Liquid/Liquefied Petroleum Gas, NGL/LPG; and the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, recorded 62.43 billion SCF, 87.63 billion SCF and 1.07 trillion SCF respectively.

On the other hand, 1.236 trillion SCF of gas was not commercialised, as 818.83 billion SCF was re-injected; 146.14 billion SCF was used as fuel gas, while 271.38 billion SCF was flared.

Using the average gas price of $3 per 1,000 SCF as stipulated by the Nigerian Gas Company, NGC, the 271.38 billion SCF of gas flared by the oil companies in 2015 translated to a loss of $831

million, and equivalent of N162.6 billion using an average exchange rate of N200 to a dollar.

Further breakdown of gas flared by oil companies in 2015 on a month-by-month basis showed that in January, February, March, April, May and June, oil and gas companies flared 26.68 billion SCF, 26.20 billion SCF, 28.49 billion SCF, 22.66 billion SCF, 19.07 billion and 18.66 billion SCF respectively.

While from July to December, they flared 18.80 billion SCF, 21.28 billion SCF, 21.89 billion

SCF, 21.81 billion SCF, 23.25 billion SCF and 22.59 billion SCF respectively.

Giving an analysis of natural gas off-take, commercialisation and utilisation, the report said out of the 228.55 billion SCF of gas produced in December 2015, a total of 126.23 billion SCF of gas was commercialised comprising 34.17 billion and 92.05 billion SCF for the domestic and export market respectively.

This, according to the report, translates to an average daily supply of 1.102 billion SCF per

day to the domestic market and 2.969 billion SCF per day supplied to the export market.

It said: “This implies that 55.23 per cent of the total gas produced was commercialised while the balance of 44.77 per cent was either re-injected, used as upstream fuel gas or flared.

Gas flare rate was 9.88 per cent for the month of December 2015, that is, 728.65 million SCF per day, compared with the 2015 year-to-date average flare rate of 9.51 per cent, that is, 744.80 million SCF per day.

VISIT: From left, members, Senate Committee on Gas Resources, Senator Hope Uzodinma (Imo West); and Senator Foster Ogola (Bayelsa West); with President, Nigeria Gas Association and CEO Oando Gas & Power, Mr. Bolaji Osunsanya, during a recent presentation by the NGA Executive Council to the National Assembly on achieving Nigeria’s power generation target and stimulating economic growth by unlocking Nigeria’s natural resources.

Total blames oil crash for harsh environment

By Prince Okafor

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OTAL Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, has said the oil price fall is responsible for the challenging economic environment in Nigeria, while identifying three critical factors for sustainability of the petroleum industry The Managing Director, Total E & P, Mr. Nicholas Terraz, who spoke at the just-concluded 20th Offshore West Africa Conference, OWA, in Lagos, said: “Throughout 2015, we faced a challenging economic environment, due to the sharp fall in the price of oil. This environment requires us to adapt and quickly take actions, whilst at the same time preparing for the future when the market situation will improve again.

“Oil and gas companies have to adapt and generate sufficient cash flow for capital investments.

Governments are facing gross revenue shortages and sometimes experiencing difficulties meeting their joint venture funding obligations,” he said.

Elaborating on the three critical

factors that will be key for future development in the industry, he said: “Safety, irrespective of all issues, the high safety standards achieved to date by the industry must not be compromised. Cost constraints must in any case not affect the safety of our people; we are committed to ensuring that all our staff and contractors’ staff go back home to their families every day.

“Cost efficiency with the fall in oil price and investment decisions

If we are able to achieve these conditions and put in place laws that create a win-win situation for all stakeholders, our countries would have laid a solid foundation for a sustainable future

come under further scrutiny by all stakeholders, who focus increasingly on value and profitability while maintaining the capacity to accommodate the future recovery. “Efficient management of costs is, as a consequence, a critical element.

As operators, we have to demonstrate our ability to reduce costs and be more efficient in delivering the production and the new projects. Operators also need to work hand in hand with public authorities to be more efficient, for instance by decreasing contract approval cycles.

Petroleum laws and regulations “Regulation, in the current environment, petroleum laws and regulations in the oil and gas countries of West Africa should seek to encourage investment and prepare the future.

Regulations need to provide a robust framework that is conducive to investment and flexible enough for the varied economic climates linked to the price of oil,” he added.

Terrez, further hinted that, “If we are able to achieve these

conditions and put in place laws that create a win-win situation for all stakeholders, our countries would have laid a solid foundation for a sustainable future.”

“This will also stabilise investors’ confidence, ensures attractiveness and respect of the contractual and fiscal terms, cost efficiency is critical in the current context. Irrespective of all these issues, high safety standards must not be compromised.

“These are indeed trying times for the global oil and gas industry, but the current context also presents a great opportunity for change. Opportunity to take a whole new look at the way we are doing things, with a view to being more efficient and innovative.”

He further noted that West African is a prolific long term oil and gas region, adding that it has “a well-developed industry, good infrastructure, a skilled industry workforce and extensive local capacities.

The hydrocarbon basins around West Africa are amongst the richest in the world, with large untapped resources.

Cummins signs 300MW power deal

C

ummins Cogeneration Ltd. has signed a 300megawatt, MW, Power Purchase Agreement, PPA, with Sapele Power Plc, as part of plans to build one of Africa’s largest gas-fired power plants.

The partnership is coming just weeks after the company announced the signing of a 300MW investment in neighbouring Beyin, Ghana.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Chairman, Cummins Cogeneration, Mr. Deepak Khilnani, said: “We are excited about our partnership with Sapele Power Plc, because we believe this synergy will birth strength and capabilities that will deliver a clean and sustainable long-term energy solution for Nigerians.

“This project will be operated using Cummins Combined Heat and Power, CHP, lean burn gas generator sets which emit up to five times less nitrogen oxide than comparable diesel generator sets and nearzero particulate matter.

“Adding to this, it offers a 48 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions compared to traditional steam turbine engines, which makes this a highly efficient and environmentally sustainable project.”

Currently, Sapele Power operates Nigeria’s second largest power plant with an installed capacity of about 1,020MW, capable of meeting the energy needs of around 750,000 homes at full capacity.

Under the partnership, the plant will distribute electricity generated from the plant directly to the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, NBET, supplying millions of homes and businesses with clean power.

Expressing delight on the signing of the agreement, the Chairman, Sapele Power, Mr. Anthony Onoh, said: “We know that Nigerians have high expectations from the privatised power sector.

This is why the company has a strong focus on sustainable power generation focused on capacity recovery from its existing asset, as well as expansion from a mix of projects which would double the plant installed capacity within the next three years.”

30—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016

another person to them. This may not be unconnected to the role played by the by Obaseki’s grandfather, Agho Obaseki, during the invasion of Benin by the British in 1897.

Remarkably, Odubu’s muscles and moves which have been largely not disturbed in the past years, are apparently now being checkmated by the Oshiomhole camp.

Last year the governor sacked two commissioners, who were reportedly working behind the scene for Odubu. The affected commissioners were the former commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, Lucky James and former Commissioner for Basic Education, Mr. Patrick Aguinede.

The two are now working with Odubu with James coordinating political activities for him in the Edo North district and Aguinede doing the same in Edo Central Indeed, it appeared Odubu covered so much ground while Oshiomhole was busy with governance. This is the advantage Odubu has and perhaps the reason he is proving to be a hard nut to crack.

•Oshiomhole: Loyalists say he should have a say

EDO 2016:

The curse on deputies THE no love lost relationship between outgoing governors and their deputies has been the hallmark of transitions at the state level in Nigeria. That is the tinge of the unfolding developments in Edo State.

By Gabriel Enogholase

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HE political history of the nation clearly shows that governors usually have strong dislike to their deputies succeeding them. Since the return of democracy in 1999, examples abound of how governors refused their deputies to succeed them, despite being the closest to them in terms of political ascendancy.

Where the deputy governors insisted on contesting against their bosses’ wishes, they did so at their own peril. Only the deputy governor of Kano State, Alhaji Umar Ganduje succeeded his principal in the 2015 general elections. Before then, Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi the then deputy governor of Zamfara State was the only one of 36 deputies who

succeeded his principal in the 2007 transition.

That is the odd that is now playing out against the outgoing deputy governor of Edo State, Dr. Pius Odubu who has apparently put his political life on the line in a make or mar attempt to succeed Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

Though the governor has not come out to make a public pronouncement, it is generally believed that his body language is tilting towards the head of the Edo State Economic team, Mr. Godwin Obaseki as his successor. This has inevitably pitched him against his deputy.

While Odubu appears to enjoy the support of a good number of the party leaders, who can reach the hearts of the delegates, who will determine the party ’s candidate, it, however, appears

Anti-party activities

•Odubu: Feeling the heat?

Oshiomhole, as governor, knows how to get the same party leaders to his side.

Odubu it is alleged had long known that Oshiomhole would not support him for whatever reasons. That is despite his famed loyalty to the governor.

So given his insight, Odubu it is alleged used the last few years building a political network that could challenge the governor’s plans. Remarkably, that network came in handily for Oshiomhole when both men combined energies to prevent the former South- South vice chairman of the defunct ACN, Pastor Osagie

Ize-Iyamu, from controlling the grass roots structure of the APC when the inaugural ward and local government congresses of the party was held in 2014.

In preparation for the battle ahead, Odubu was able to put some of his men in charge of the wards and local government’s executives of the APC during the 2014 ward and local government congresses of the party.

It appeared things became easier for him after Ize-Iyamu defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, where he is now a governorship aspirant.

Odubu was largely successful in taking control of the APC in Orhiomwon Local Government Area, while some key ward and local government positions in other councils, especially in the Edo South region still fell to his political network.

Political network

Odubu may also be banking on some support from the Benin palace to realize his ambition especially given the belief that Oshiomhole’s man may not be enjoying the support of the majority in the palace

He also got himself busy using associates to build bridges in the Edo Central and North districts.

Odubu may also be banking on some support from the Benin palace to realize his ambition especially given the belief that Oshiomhole’s man may not be enjoying the support of the majority in the palace despite having some of his relatives there as Palace chiefs.

While not particularly expressing their preference for Odubu, it was learnt that decision makers in the palace had informed Oshiomhole to drop his support for Obaseki and bring

A signal that Odubu could pose a serious challenge for Oshiomhole’s plan was the attempt last month to depose the Edo State vice chairman (South) of the APC, Barrister Gentleman Amegor, by some party members led by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Henry Idahagbon, who is perceived as one of the arrowheads of the Obaseki project. Amegor’s crime was antiparty activities committed during the general election of March 2015 and failure to convene regular party meetings in the district.

The move, however, collapsed despite claims that five out of the seven APC local government chairmen in the Edo South endorsed it. Amegor fired back by saying that those, who suspended him such as Hon Henry Okhuarobo, Pa Ogbomo, Vincent Uwadiae did not have the statutory power in the party to carry out the action.

It got messier after the Edo State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Godwin Erahon, also poured cold water on the alleged suspension declaring it null and void. Nothing has been heard of the suspension since then.

However, nothing recently could be done to save from sack, Mr. Osaretin Edoma, the commissioner representing Orhionmwon Local government area in the Oil and Gas Producing Area Commission.

Edoma who is alleged to be a strong ally of the deputy governor who is also from Orhionmwon was sacked on the grounds of incompetence.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBURARY 9, 2016— —31

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32—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Opuoru, Enekorogha, SDP others hail S-Court judgment on Okowa

By Daniel Gumm, Festus Ahon & Elizabeth Uwandu

S

PECIAL Assistant to Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, on Political Affairs, Mr. Matthew Opuoru, has described the recent Supreme Court victory of the governor as vital to Deltans in the administration's quest to divest the economy of the state through its SMART agenda.

Also, Director General of Delta State Direct Labour Agency, DLA, Mr Frank Enekorogha, has described the judgment as victory for democracy.

Enekorogha said: "The Supreme Court verdict is in tune with what happened in Delta State during the 2015 governorship election, when Deltans came out in their numbers to speak with one voice by voting for Senator Okowa.”

He commended the Justices of the Supreme Court for proving that the Judiciary was still the hope of the common man, observing that taking the governor through the long walk of legal processes was unnecessary as his opponents were aware that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, campaigned vigorously despite the fact that the state was the party’s stronghold.

Similarly, Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties to Delta State Governor, Prince Sani Usman, described the court victory as a momentum for the governor to further concentrate on the task of creating prosperity for the indigenes of the state.

He urged the opposition in the state to also use the opportunity presented by the victory to support

Okowa’s developmental strides, noting that the victory belongs to all Deltans.

Also, member of the state House of Assembly, representing Okpe constituency, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, said, “I rejoice with Okowa and the entire people of the state. The judgment is a victory for the consolidation of the SMART agenda of the state government.”

He added that Okowa was God-chosen and could not be threatened by opposition.

Continuing, Opuoru, who is also Leader of Okere Urhobo Grassroots Political Forum, OUGPF, at a gathering he organised for PDP leaders and faithful in celebration of Okowa’s

court victory, said the judgment has put paid to all forms of distraction in Okowa’s determination to tackle the downward slide in the price of crude oil through his “strategic wealth creation projects and provision of jobs for all Deltans.”

He stressed that the milestone the Okowa administration recently achieved through the Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurs Programme, YAGEP and the Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme, STEP, which saw the first batch of trainees graduate after successful completion of the programmes, with the second batch of both

schemes soon to commence, “attest to the governor ’s visionary leadership.”

Also, the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in state has lauded the Supreme Court judgement that validated the election of Okowa, saying that the verdict will bring goodwill to the people of the state.

In a statement by its state chairman, Dr Oke Idawene, the party commended the judiciary for what it described as a judgement that reflects the mind and true feelings of Deltans.

He appealed to the people of the state, both at home and abroad, to support the administration of the governor “for a greater Delta State.”

AWARD: From left: Mr Austin Emuan, Edo State APC 2016 governorship aspirant receiving African Leadership Heritage Gold Awards (ALPHA Awards 2015) from Chief Obasogie, at the recently held ALPHA Awards in Benin City, Edo State.

We'll work together to strengthen PDP in S-South, —Dickson

By Samuel Oyadongha

Y

E N AG OA — B AY E L S A State governor, Mr Seriake Dickson, has said that he will work closely with other governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, towards ensuring victory in the re-scheduled State and National Assembly elections in their states.

Dickson, in statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, gave the assurance, Sunday, at a reception which followed a thanksgiving service held in honour of the Rivers State governor, Chief Nyesome Wike, in Port Harcourt, over his recent victory at the Supreme Court.

He said that as the oldest PDP governor in the South-South geopolitical zone, it was incumbent on him to play a pivotal role in efforts geared towards strengthening the party’s existing structures at both regional and national levels.

Congratulating Wike and his

deputy, Dr. Ipalibo HarryBanigo, on their victory, Dickson said that whatever affects Rivers State has a ripple effect on Bayelsa State because both states share common history and cultural affinity.

He, therefore, urged the people not to allow any issue to divide them, but remain united and work for the peace, progress and stability of the region.

Dickson, who extended a hand of fellowship to the Rivers

people, advised them to rally round their governor to enable him focus on delivering the dividends of democracy, particularly as the country was grappling with dire economic challenges.

OML30: Community leaders flay NPDC’s take-over

By Tare Youdeowei

L

EADERS and people from oil and gas producing communities in OML30, in Delta State, have expressed concern that the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NDPC, lacks the capacity to operate the assets, which it said, the company was operating below the standard of former operators, Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, to the

detriment of the host communities.

Speaking in Ughelli, Delta State, the people, led by Chris Eriyamremu, said: “Though we had hoped and thought that NPDC could operate the assets, but unfolding events indicate that NPDC lacks the capacity, administrative structure and experience to manage them.

“The host communities and our people are now complaining that since NPDC took over operations, things

have changed for the worse.

In fact, recently, we learnt that SPDC divested its shares in OML30 assets including the transfer of operations to Shoreline Natural Resources Limited, to maintain the SPDC standard of operations, but unfortunately, the immediate past Federal Government armtwisted Shoreline Natural Resources Limited, and directed NPDC to operate the assets, which has not yielded any meaningful results.”

Ijaw youths to Buhari: Speak out on NMU

By Tare Youdeowei

T

HE Delta Ijaw Youth Assembly, DIYA, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to keep mum but say something over the pronouncement by the Minister of Transport and Aviation, Mr Chibuike Amaechi, that the Federal Government has scrapped the Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State.

The group expressed worry over the Presidency's posture in view of the posture of well meaning Nigerians who have given reasons for the Federal Government not to scrap the university, saying that tempers were rising as the people were already getting impatient.

DIYA, in a statement by its President, Ebimobowei Oguma, said that the silent posture of President Buhari on the issue was seen as a deliberate action to deny the Niger Delta development.

Pipeline vandalism: CLO accuses oil firms, security personnel of complicity

By Samuel Oyadongha

Y

ENAGOA—THE Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, has accused officials of multinational oil companies and security operatives deployed in the Niger Delta of alleged complicity in the rising cases of oil and gas pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft.

It said that though the security personnel deployed in the region claimed to have deployed gunboats and opened check points along the creeks and waterways of the region, the cases of kidnapping, sea piracy, oil pipeline vandalism and others have persisted in the region.

Chairman of CLO in Bayelsa State, Chief Nengi James, speaking in Yenagoa on the findings of the organisation on issues of violent crimes, said it had become suspicious and a known fact that despite increased military presence, oil and gas pipeline vandalism, kidnapping and sea piracy have become a daily occurrence on the waterways of the region.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9 , 2016—33

\\

L-r:Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, COSMOSAfrica, Tunji Olaniyi, Lagos businessman, Michael Abiodun Ponnle, Chairman of Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, LIRS, Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Ogun State, Akin Osinbajo, Chief Executive Officer and Group Managing Director of UAC of Nigeria Plc, Larry Ettah, at a dinner by Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) old students for Ogunsanwo on his appointment as the chairman of LIRS at Mr. Ponnle’s residence in Lagos, weekend.

Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade, (2nd R) in a chat with the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Paul Arkwright, (2nd L)at the site of the state garment factory under construction in Calabar

UK to train Cross River garment factory workers

A

HEAD of its March date commissioning, the British government has expressed its readiness to train the needed manpower for the take off of the Calabar garment factory.

British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Paul Arkwright disclosed this while on an inspection of ongoing work at the project site. The envoy lauded the effort of Governor Ben Ayade in initiating the project, maintaining that he would be willing to bring in expatriates from Britain to train its workforce in some critical areas of textile making to build the needed capacity and create the desired jobs.

The High Commissioner said the factory holds huge employment opportunities that could be translated into enormous wealth creation amongst youths. In his words: “Like I told the governor, we are working on details of how to move in as quickly as possible to kickstart the training, by bringing in expertise.”

Responding, Cross River State Governor, Prof.

Ayade, informed Arkwright of his administration’s signature projects, with an urgent focus on the garment factory. He noted that the United Kingdom was renowned for its embroidery, stressing, “The partnership with the UK is one we are going for excellent and first class expertise. This is a strong partnership and we are hopeful that with strong commitments on training and guaranteed technical competence, Nigeria can maximise her potential on the garment sub sector of the economy.

C M Y K

34—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9 , 2016

Labour urges Imo residents to stockpile foodstuff

Nwokedi challenges FG on devt of S-East

SACK OF 3,000 WORKERS:

•Moves to paralyse economic activities in the state

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

L

AGOS—AS the 14-day ultimatum given to the Imo State Government to recall 3000 sacked workers and clear months of salary arrears among others, expires, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has urged the residents of the state to stock-pile food stuff and prepare for a long battle to force the government to yield to labour demands.

Congress called on civil society allies, market women, elders and community leaders including students to join forces with in order to restore sanity to the state.

A statement by Mr. Igwe Achese, President of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and a member of the six-man action committee on Imo set up by leaders of the two factions of NLC, insisted that the planned industrial action would not only cripple the government in Imo State, but would help it to understand and appreciate the principles of respect for the moral and legal rights of her workers and citizens.

According to the statement, “It is important to inform the Governor that the movement is united on this if he is consoling himself with current events in the Congress.

His disappointment should also increase if he knows that the Congress has set up a Joint Action Committee, JAC, to oversee our engagement with his government. We hope that this will send a clear message of our determination to get him to align with the sovereign will of the people and workers in Imo State.

“We know the capacity for chicanery which the government possesses. Perhaps that is what

has emboldened the unlawful actions he is bent on foisting on the workers in the state but we assure the government that we are fully prepared. We have seen all manners of wicked behaviour directed against Nigerian workers in the past and

fortunately, we have withered all of them and are still standing unbent. We assure the government that after this struggle, we shall remain standing as this has always been the historical truth. The Police are also advised not to collude with

the government to continue suppressing the people because it will only add to the battered image of the force and will not stop the people from expressing their desire for equity, justice and fairness.

Enugu govt approves domestication of Criminal Justice Administration Act

E

By Francis Igata

NUGU—ENUGU State Executive Council has approved the domestication of the administration of Criminal Justice Act earlier passed by the national assembly.

This was disclosed by the State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Godwin Udeuhele in a press briefing at the end of the council’s 17th meeting presided over by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of the state at the Government House, Enugu.

According to the commissioner, the bill if passed into law by the

State House of Assembly will ensure that any person wrongly arrested may sue the police or police officer personally.

Mr. Udeuhele while briefing the press with his Ministry of Water Resource counterpart, Mr. Charles Egumgbe noted that the council has mandated the State Commissioner of Police to send quarterly report of all police arrests in its register to the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice who will keep the manual and electronic data base on information of arrests from the police.

He equally added that the council approved the draft bill for a law to provide for the regulation of outdoor structures for the display of signages, hording and advertisement in the state and has forwarded it to the State House of Assembly for consideration.

He observed that if the bill is passed into law, it will serve as revenue generating channel for the state and local governments.

He informed that it would also generate employment and provide a total environmental beauty and harmony and enhance the image of the state.

Don't victimize our opponents, Ikpeazu tells supporters

U

By Anayo Okoli

MUAHIA—ABIA State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has urged PDP members and his supporters not to victimize members of the opposition who did not support him, saying that they should be magnanimous in victory.

According to him, the Supreme Court judgment marked the end of all electoral and legal disputes relating to his election as the Governor of Abia State.

Ikpeazu, however, accused the APGA governorship candidate in the April 2015 elections who also had a fierce legal battle with him, Dr. Alex Otti of “obtaining a strange judgment” at the Court of Appeal.

He said that he was never in doubt that he would win at the Supreme Court and commended Abia people “for the enormous confidence you reposed in me by electing me to be your Governor” and promised to “make all of you

proud to have voted me as your Governor.”

In a broadcast to the people, Ikpeazu said: “I urge you all not to engage in any acts that will victimize our political opponents for the choices that they made. I am the governor of all Abia State and I wholeheartedly embraced everyone irrespective of the candidate that they supported. If you truly support me, then you will not victimize anyone in my name."

By Bashir Adefaka

A

WKA— F O R M E R Press Secretary to the Head of State during the military regime of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Utokoneze of Achalla Kingdom, Anambra State, Igwe Alex Nwokedi, has challenged the Federal Government to fix public utilities in the South East of the country and see if it would not get the best of Igbo people.

He made this challenge during an exclusive interview with Vanguard, shortly after landing in Lagos, yesterday. He said those who said the marginalisation of Igbo land was not a fact were only pretending, adding that Igbo people would think well of Nigeria and as Nigerians the moment they begin to see that they are given equal share of development.

The monarch, who is also a former Chairman, Anambra State Council of Traditional Rulers, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to, as a move toward bringing development to the South East, intervene by ensuring that local government elections are held in Anambra and other states of the South East because, according to him, the best way to develop any nation is to start development from the grassroots.

“We want to say that infrastructure in South East is very poor. Enugu-AwkaOnitsha road is now a death trap," he said.

By Bartholomew Madukwe (08102479985) nwamad@yahoo.com

PEOPLE SPEAK

On Supreme Court asks Saraki to face CCT trial

N

igerians should rejoice over this development.

Our politicians and office holders should not see themselves as above the law. The honourable thing is that he stands aside until the trial is concluded in the interest of fair play. Mr Eze Onwukwe, Worker C M Y K

W

ell, the change that this government promised Nigerians has to start from somewhere. It seems Saraki, as our third citizen, happens to be in the first phase. Can we say it is a good start or part of the politicking? Mr Muhammad Isa, Businessman

L

et him face the law.

Now his eyes has opened let him drop his egoism. He got to senate seat through the back door so he must face the law. Mr Adeosun Oluwasanjo, Management Consultant

S

araki has murdered the innocent sleep by insulting the party, making them look incompetent, insulting the party chairman. If he is found guilty, he must face the music. Mrs Mercy Ojeniyi, Businesswoman

T

his truly reflects that the fight against corruption is at its peak.

At least, nobody will say this is a witch-hunt because Saraki is an APC man and he is going to face the law on corruption charges.

Mrs Ifeoma Ayambuba, Trader

M

y view on the Saraki’s trial as approved by the Supreme Court is that he is just a baby in corruption; we still have grandfathers in the game.

It is quite unfortunate that such is what we are seeing today in this country.

Miss Okereke Afor, Worker

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016 — 35

Boko Haram not occupying any local govt in Borno — GOV SHETTIMA

By Ndahi Marama

Ahmed orders state FIRS to raise N5bn monthly

M

AIDUGURI— GOVERNOR Kashim Shettima of Borno State, yesterday dismissed media report credited to Senator Kaka Bashir Garbai that three local government areas of Abadam, Mobbar and Kala Balge, were fully under the control of Boko Haram insurgents, insisting that none of the councils in the state was being occupied by the insurgents.

Shettima said the military and other security operatives on the platform of ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’, had been doing their best in the last six months as the terrorists' capacity had been whittled down leaving only pockets of them remaining in the Sambisa Forest.

Recall that the Senator representing Borno Central, Garbai, who visited Dalori, Alomari and other villages surrounding Maiduguri attacked by insurgents who killed over 100 residents, had informed newsmen that: “The military are not doing their best to end the war against terrorists, as only Maiduguri, Bayo and Kwaya Kusar council areas were safe and free of insurgents, while 21 of the council areas are partially controlled by terrorists with other three fully still under boko haram caliphate.''

But Governor Shettima, who just

By Demola Akinyemi

I

OBSEQUIES: From left; Publisher of The Abuja Inquirer newspaper, Dan Akpovwa; Chairman/CEO of ITEX Furniture, Tony Ezekiel and Chairman of Skye Bank, Mr Olatunde Ayeni, during the funeral ceremony for Mrs Emily Ezekiel, mother of Tony Ezekiel, in Eme-Ora, Sabongida Ora, Edo State, weekend. returned from a trip to Saudi Arabia where he led some other northern governors for a meeting with officials of Islamic Development Bank and Saudi authorities on rebuilding the north, particularly north east, said, as the Chief Security Officer of the state, all the 27 local government areas had been liberated by the military.

He said: “As Chief Security Officer of Borno State, I am telling you authoritatively that our military deserves commendation, because all my local government areas have been liberated. Only few insurgents that remain in the Sambisa Forest desperate to launch some pockets of attacks are what we are now witnessing as a

Adamawa APC chieftains in free-for-all at Atiku’s house

By Umar Yusuf

Y

OLA—THE residence of the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was weekend allegedly turned into a boxing ring as two top chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, engaged in fisticuff.

In the centre of the scuffle were the Chief of Staff to Government House, Yola, Alhaji Abdurrahman

Abba, and the Chairman of the Yola North Local Government chapter of the party, Alhaji Salihu Ahmed.

Eyewitness account claimed that a group of party loyalists had converged at the residence of the former Vice President to discuss issues of common interest.

According to the source, midway into the meeting, an argument erupted between the Chief of Staff and the APC local chairman, and

Union seeks review of DISCOs, GENCOs' privatisation contracts

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

K

ADUNA—NATIONAL Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, yesterday in Kaduna, called on the Federal Government to urgently review the privatisation contracts with Generation Companies, GENCOs and Distribution Companies, DISCOs, making it compulsory for them to ensure steady power supply before contemplating any tariff increase.

The union condemned the recent hike in electricity tariff, lamenting that erratic power supply had worsened the crisis in the textile sector.

In a statement by Issa Aremu, General Secretary of NUTGTWN and Chairman, IndustriALL Global Union, Sub Sahara Africa, the C M Y K

union called on President Muhammed Buhari, to urgently revisit the report of the 2014 national conference and implement the wholistic recommendations for the power sector instead of allowing the same unhelpful posting of high tariff by underperforming generating and distribution companies.

The statement read: “The point cannot be overstated; Power/Energy is so strategic to the industrialization and the well-being of the people.

Therefore the Federal Government must urgently review the privatisation contracts between the it and Generation Companies, and Distribution Companies, and give a two year time-frame to firms in the Electric Power Sector to allow them stabilize and provide efficient power supply to Nigerians before they can contemplate any tariff increase.''

within the twinkle of an eye, they were at each other’s jugular.

The source said the duel lasted for about five minutes before security operatives were drafted in to maintain peace.

According to the source, the quick intervention of security operatives saved the situation from degenerating into a full blown fight as supporters of the Chief of Staff and the APC Chairman flexed muscles outside the building itching for a showdown.

Moments after the scuffle, the APC chairman hurriedly went on air in local radio station to announce the suspension of the Chief of Staff from the Yola North chapter of the party.

result of the bombardment that is going on in their hideouts.

“Maybe, the statement Senator Garbai gave to the media was done out of his emotions when he visited the affected areas or he was misquoted. I have been trying to get contact with the Senator on this unfortunate statement.”

The governor later drove straight to Dalori and other surrounding villages that were destroyed by insurgents last week where he condoled with the victims and prayed for quick recovery of the injured.

The governor told the people of the affected communities that government had already liaised with the military to provide them with adequate security and urged them not to flee as his administration would spend N100 million to rebuild their destroyed houses.

He immediately set up a committee headed by his deputy, Usman Durkwa to ensure that all the houses destroyed by the insurgents were rebuilt promptly.

Governor Shettima also commended President

LABOUR, GOVT FACE-OFF: Gov Bello backtracks, begins payment of salary

By Boluwaji Obahopo

L

OKOJA—KOGI State Governor, Yahaya Bello has given the go-ahead for the immediate payment of workers’ salaries, contrary to his earlier directive that the workers should be screened before payment of October 2015 salary arrears.

Bello, who made this known in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kingsley Fanwo, said the directive for the immediate payment of workers’ salaries in the state was in line with the

governor’s desire to put smiles on the workers faces and encourage productivity.

Bello, in the statement, reiterated his desire and determination to work harmoniously with public servants in the state.

The state core civil servants are owned four months salaries, primary school teachers are owned nine months salaries, while local government workers have been on percentage payment since 2013.

L O R I N — GOVERNOR Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State has commissioned, Kwara State Internal Revenue Service, mandating it to generate not less than N5 billion monthly as against the paltry N100 million being generated.

The governor said this became necessary to meet the state financial challenges in the midst of the dwindling federal monthly allocation that has fallen from N3.5 bilion to N1.4 billion.

Present were captains of industries in the state, traditional rulers, artisans, various transport unions, owners of various private schools and tertiary institutions, bankers and other stakeholders being targeted for tax payments.

Speaking at the commissioning of the edifice for the staff, the governor noted that the aim “is to ensure that Kwara state is economically viable and selfsufficient, rising from our current position to achieve the second highest IGR per capita in Nigeria by 2019.”

Stop gas flaring to save 95,300 women's lives — MINISTER

By Funmi Olasupo

A

B U J A — MINISTER of Women Affairs and Social Development, Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan, has called on the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to accelerate plans to stop gas flaring for it to be conserved for domestic use.

She lamented that statistics provided by donor parties had shown that about 95,300 women die from smoke alone, while others suffer from related health complications annually in Nigeria.

Speaking during a oneday consultative forum on gender issues in renewable energy management and options, Aisha Alhassan noted that energy professionals should embrace gender analysis as a tool to understanding energy needs of the entire population.

36 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBURARY 9, 2016

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VANGUARD, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016—37

JLR research'll help autonomous vehicles drive like humans, not robots J

AGUAR Land Rover is investing in a research project that will help future autonomous vehicles drive naturally like human drivers, rather than like robots.

A fleet of Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles will be driven daily by employees of the London Borough of Greenwich, to establish how a range of different drivers react to realworld driving situations, including heavy traffic, busy junctions, road works and bad weather.

Data from sensors in these cars will reveal the natural driving behaviours and decision-making that drivers make whilst driving, including complex and stressful scenarios. These include giving way at roundabouts and intersections, how drivers ease forward at junctions to enter a flow of traffic, or how they react to an emergency vehicle coming up behind their car whilst in a traffic jam.

Insurance policies The three-year, £5.5m ‘MOVEUK’ project will also use this data to help develop insurance policies for future autonomous cars.

Insurance experts will provide their expertise on the liability of certain scenarios using the realworld driving data supplied by the fleet of test cars.

Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills announced the UK Government’s support for the MOVEUK research with a £2.75 million grant from the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK. This funding for collaborative research is part of the Government’s £100m Connected and Autonomous Vehicles fund.

“To successfully introduce autonomous cars, we actually need to focus more on the driver than ever before,” said Dr Wolfgang Epple, Director of Research

and Technology, Jaguar Land Rover. “Understanding how drivers react to a range of very dynamic and random situations in the real world is essential if we want drivers to embrace autonomous cars in the future.”

Drivers will need to complete-

ly trust the vehicle before they opt in and engage automated systems. If an autonomous car can be programmed to have a very similar reaction to a real driver, then the autonomous experience will be more natural,

Weststar set for AfricaBuild Lagos exhibition A

S the launch of Nigeria’s international trade show; AfricaBuild Lagos’ draws closer, Weststar Associates Limited has announced full support and active participation at the upcoming event both as an exhibitor and as the Platinum Sponsor.

AfricaBuild Lagos’ will bring together key construction professionals in Nigeria alongside suppliers from around the world. It is the premier international construction event in West Africa and an ideal entry

point to Nigeria, being the largest economy in Africa and the 7th most populous country in the world.

Sold-out already at its premiere, Weststar is in top gear with plans to showcase its product lines especially in the Commercial Vehicles segment together with the over 90 other exhibitors expected from 16 countries who will display all of the latest in building /construction machinery and technology at the event scheduled to take place from 16th to 18th

Hyundai to sell 5.01m vehicle in 2016 H YUNDAI Motor Company, South Korea’s largest automaker, has announced its 2015 full-year business results. Sales volume and sales revenue increased while operating profit declined from the same period last year, mainly due to weak cross currencies, increased promotional activities due to heightened competition

and the driver more likely to allow the car to take control.

“Customers are much more likely to accept highly-automated and fully autonomous vehicles if the car reacts in the same way as the driver. By understanding

and measuring positive driving behaviours we can ensure that an autonomous Jaguar or Land Rover of the future will not simply perform a robotic function,” said Dr Epple.

“Ultimately we want to be able to give drivers the choice of an engaged or autonomous drive. If drivers have confidence in the automation they will seamlessly flick from one mode to the other.

Autonomous mode will help with any challenging, or less stimulating activities on the journey, like parking or driving in heavy traffic. If this automated experience feels natural and safe, the driver will be able to genuinely relax and will be happy to let the car take control.”

The MOVE-UK consortium is led by Bosch and includes Jaguar Land Rover, Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), Direct Line, the London Borough of Greenwich and The Floow.

amongst automakers and profit decline from nonauto business.

Hyundai Motor forecasts that an unfavorable business environment is likely to continue in 2016.

Emerging markets including China will continue posting slower growths. Also growing geopolitical risks and low oil price will lengthen economic stagnation, leading to steeper competition

amongst automakers.

Nevertheless, Hyundai Motor will continue its efforts in establishing sustainable growth with Research and Development investment to strengthen state-of-the-art technology development and securing eco-friendly technology leadership. Hyundai Motor aims to sell 5.01 million vehicles globally (Korea: 693,000 /

February 2016 at the Landmark Centre in Lagos.

Speaking recently on the forth coming event, Darryl Pawsey, Regional Industry Director, ITE Build & Interiors Division, stated that Nigeria’s booming economy and its ever growing construction market are major attractions for international suppliers and the 2016 launch of AfricaBuild Lagos is intended to stimulate international investment into Nigerian construction industry and capitalize on the lack of international

overseas: 4,317,000) in 2016. It plans to achieve its goal with new model launches like All-new Elantra, Brand-new IONIQ offered in three ecofriendly powertrain (HEV, PHEV, Full-EV) and Hyundai Motor’s luxury brand Genesis G90 (EQ900 in Korea) large luxury sedan in 2016 to major global markets.

players in its unsaturated, growing market’.

Africabuild Lagos’ is an international Building & Construction Exhibition put together by fairtrade Messe und Ausstellungs GmbH & Co. KG, - an international body that ranks among the leading organisers of professional international trade fairs in emerging markets, and in dedication to Nigeria’s Vibrant construction industry, we are delighted to consolidate effort with the team in building Nigeria tough an strong – Mirko Plath - MD, CEO, Weststar Nigeria.

•Rugged Mercedes-Benz truck for the exhibition.

38 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBURARY 9, 2016

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBURARY 9, 2016— —39

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40— Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2016

is to create a climate that diminishes the sanctity of contracts, negatively affecting the ease of doing business,” the former Lagos State Governor opined.

“I am not saying that government must not terminate nonperforming contracts. Indeed these are rights that are standardly provided in all well drawn contracts. This I think will enhance the reputation of the state or country or continent for honouring contracts and it is music to the ears of investors.

Even then , I say, it must be sparingly resorted to, once the contract has been signed and is performing,” he posited.

Productive activities

•Ongoing reconstruction of Lagos-Ibadan expressway … FG promises not to revoke such contracts.

FG'll renegotiate, not revoke inherited contracts —Fashola

By Favour Nnabugwu

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HE Federal Government has pledged not to revoke any inherited contracts “ in the interest of Nigerians”.

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola who made the pledge on behalf of the government at the opening ceremony of a 3-day Nigerian Pension Industry Strategy Implementation Roadmap Retreat, said that the norms of reversing projects of previous government was wrong and not n the best interest of Nigerians.

Fashola stated that it is always not in the best interest of the Nigerian citizenry to revoke contracts inherited.

Contracts cancellation “Newly formed governments begin a review of all contracts signed by their predecessors, cancel or frustrate them even when they are performing. What I am saying is that contracts cannot be terminated or frustrated on trumped up reasons simply because a new government does not like the affiliation of the holder of the contract,” he stated.

On the effect of contracts cancellation or revocation, the Minister declared that “it weakens the economy, it frustrates enterprise and leads to poverty and unemployment through job losses, loans taken from banks are endangered and the knock on effect is more than we often can see on the horizon, because the bad word spreads around the global investment community very quickly like wildfire”.

“The previous government has done something wrong, they did C M Y K

not adequately protect the interest of the people and so on. Yes it may be the case sometimes, that the past government did not act in good faith, or even compromised or was even negligent.

The answer is not cancellation, if the contract is performing. The answer is renegotiation,” the Minister said.

According to him, the best a new government can do rather than expose a number of people

What I am saying is that contracts cannot be terminated or frustrated on trumped up reasons simply because a new government does not like the affiliation of the holder of the contract,” he stated

tied to those contracts to the labour market by cancellation of contracts, “is to invite the holder of the contract, confront him with evidence of compromise, bad faith or recklessness, and this is easy to get if there is diligence, and you propose new terms”.

“It is a practice that is particularly prevalent on the African continent and I argue that in some part contributes to our continental deficiency of infrastructure. What they do inadvertently,

Continuing, the Minister said, “For over three decades, we have mouthed the need to diversify our economy in order to open up more sectors for productive activities, income, economic growth and jobs. But we failed to follow through because of oil resources. It was quick and bountiful income even though there were boom and burst cycles. But today’s reality is that we are in another cycle of burst. Oil prices have crashed from over $100 per barrel and is now hovering around $30 per barrel and there is a real chance that it will fall lower. Every time the cycle burst, we scampered, and promised to diversify, we take tentative steps, we feel pain. We do not endure, and it is easy to escape because not too far on the horizon is a boom in oil prices and we go back to an old life,” Fashola lamented.

BCPG expresses concern over quality of reinforcement steel bars

By Kingsley Adegboye

B

UILDING Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) has expressed worry over the stability of the price of concrete reinforcement steel bars known as iron rods despite the persistent depreciation of the naira, hinting that the development arouses safety concern.

According to the president of the Guild, Kunle Awobodu, a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) in a statement, “There are two popular grades of locally manufactured high tensile reinforcement steel bars in the Nigerian building materials’ market. The price of the high grade H.T. steel rebar has remained N140,000 per tonne for the past four years while that of the low grade H.T. steel rebar has been hovering around N100,000 per tonne for the same period. However, exchange rate of Naira to one US Dollar was around N156 in 2012 while it is fluctuating around N300 to one US Dollar today.

He said imported billet or locally recycled scraps are the raw materials being melted to manufacture the reinforcement steel bars used for construction in Nigeria, pointing out that if the cost of production has remained static in the 26 functioning out of the 36 steel rolling mills in Nigeria, there is no cause for

alarm. BCPG boss however noted that, but if the cost of production has increased during this period, then it is interpreted that the steel manufacturing companies either have very wide, flexible profit margin or the steel quality has been compromised.

He disclosed that both chemical and mechanical tests would be required to ascertain the quality of the steel rebar. carbon, manganese, sulphur, phosphorus, copper, silicon, aluminum and nitrogen contents at percentages that meet the specifications of the Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS) would make the rebar acceptable for construction work.

Construction industry “However, such steel rebar when subjected to tensile test must meet the specified yield strength and percentage elongation after fracture. Though the essence of establishing a business is to make profit, if the steel manufacturing companies have really sacrificed profit interest in order to maintain standard, they need to be commended for their magnanimous love for the Nigerian construction industry. “While we are not trying to encourage the steel manufacturers to start ex-

ploiting clients through price increase, the public should be wary of a situation where quality does not commensurate with price. Succinctly, the ball is in the court of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to ensure consistent compliance to standards through quality control or monitoring mechanism that should start right from the steel production process rather than relying on random test of steel rebar samples culled from several untested bars in a gambling fashion. Safety of buildings constructed with these steel rebar remains our main concern.

“Once the local rolling mills can discard production of low quality steel bars and focus solely on quality steel bars that would be certified regularly by Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), then there should be no need for imported reinforcement steel bars that sometimes, record non-satisfactory quality. Moreover, Nigeria could become exporters of reinforcement steel bars if the quality meets international standards. This development, of course, will reduce the pressure on the foreign currency to the benefit of the nation’s economy.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016 — 41

Developer unveils Show House at Lekki Pearl Estate

By Kingsley Adegboye

I

N fulfilment of its promise to deliver 10,000 units of affordable and quality homes for middle-income Nigerians by 2020, Alpha Mead Development Company (AMDC), last week, unveiled the completed Show House at its 112-unit Lekki Pearl Estate.

The unveiling which had in attendance all stakeholders on the ongoing housing project such as subscribers, financial partners and development contractors held at the site along Lekki-Epe Expressway.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the real estate firm, Mr. Femi Akintunde, expressed delight that with the completion of the Show House, his company is now able to show to the Nigerian built environment that technology can play a significant role in the development of affordable and quality housing.

According to Akintunde, “Usually, one of the issues is the thinking that affordability impacts negatively on quality. But by embracing technology, housing development can be cheaper while quality and precision can still be achieved to give home owners comfort,

From right: Adeniyi Akinlusi, Chief Executive of Trust Bond Mortgage Bank Plc; Femi Akintunde, Managing Director/CEO, Alpha Mead Facilities & Management Services Ltd (AMFacilities); Wale Odufalu, Deputy Managing Director, AMFacilities; and Damola Akindolire, Executive Director, Real Estate, Alpha Mead Development Company (AMDC) at the unveiling of the Show House at Lekki Pearl Estate.

making the situation a win-win for both customers and the environment.

“For example, embracing technology like we have done on this project has reduced material wastages to near zero level, saving the environment from de-

forestation as our technology does not use wood in construction, and ultimately saving our customers time because moving forward, our goal is to efficiently maximize the technology to deliver the houses in an average of 10 days, after foundation”, he said.

The managing director further stated that his firm has focused its development strategies on the middle income class because they are the drivers of the economy, and currently in their productive stages, adding that out of the reported 17 million housing deficit, an estimated four million gap exists in the middle income class, insisting that these are bankable individuals who should be able to have decent and quality homes. He pointed out however, that the current high entry level of the market has made this dream impossible.

“With an entry level of N6 million equity requirement in today’s housing market, only few of this class of Nigerians will be able to exit the rent market in their productive years.

Self-building is also not an option because of the level of stress, wastage and time required to build a home for oneself in Nigeria today. So what we have done is to structure a payment plan that suites the lifestyle and income level of these Nigerians such that in addition to a world-class building technology, we are currently building homes for middle income Nigerians for as low as N250,000 monthly”, he explained.

Akintunde also lamented the current housing situation in the country, noting that with technologies like the form works, government at various levels is expected to start putting serious thoughts into social housing delivery because a substantial part of the housing deficit falls within the social housing

Why Nigeria must invest heavily in the forest sector — Stakeholders

S

By Ikenna Asomba

TAKEHOLDERS in the forest sector, have urged governments at all levels to invest heavily in the sector because of its huge potential in addressing the nation’s emerging environmental, social and economic challenges.

They made the appeal last week at the 14th Annual Chief Shafi Lawal Edu Memorial Lecture,organised by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, NCF in collaboration with Chevron Nigeria Limited in Lagos The stakeholders expressed dismay that Nigeria is blessed with a large expanse of land and different vegetation types that are not sustainably used or managed, with the attendant impact of climate change.

Impact of climate change Those who spoke at the lecture which had Valuing Nigeria’s Forests: Issues and Context as its theme were the Chairman, National Executive Committee, NCF, Chief Ede Dafinone; Director-General, NCF, Adeniyi Karunwi and the President, Board of Trustees, NCF, Izoma Asiodu among others.

The guest lecturer and President, Forestry Association of Nigeria, FAN, Prof. Labode Popoola said Nigeria with a total land area of 923, 678km square has a forest area that has been on a continuC M Y K

•Logs of wood …aftermath of logging ous decline owing to its increasing population among other factors. According to Prof Popoola, heavy demand for construction, wood and other purposes by the wood-based industry encouraged

logging which led to large scale deforestation of Nigeria’s forest.

He noted that non-forest policies, particularly, energy policies, continue to pose grievous threats to the forest sector.

The don however noted that in Nigeria, forest statistics are appallingly unreliable, even when available. “The last major forest resources assessment in Nigeria took place between 1996 and 1998 through a $4m grant provided by the African Development Bank.

The database established from that assessment was expected to be updated frequently through a Forest Information System, FIS in each of the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, with a terminal at the Federal Department of Forestry.

The gains of the Forest Resources Assessment of 1996-1998 have been completely lost. As of today, there is nothing on ground in this regard. Also, there has not been any updating since then.

Forest cover remains under pressure as a result of human activities such as agricultural development where vast lands are cleared without conservation considera-

tions, large-scale per-urban housing project development, fuelwood generation, uncontrolled forest harvesting, including poaching for logs and poles and urbanization,” he said.

Prof. Popoola who highlighted the environmental, socio-economic, socio-cultural services forests provide, however, lamented that the deforestation rate in Nigeria is about 3.5 annually, adding that this translates to a loss of about 350,000-400,000 hectares of forest land annually.

Citing paucity or lack of data/ information, obsolete forest laws, poor funding, governance issues, education and research, corruption, among others as factors militating against valuation of Nigeria’s forest, Popoola said: “Moving forward, Nigeria will need to invest heavily in the forest sector because of its continuing topicality in the global discourse for sustainable development.

Segmentation, research, credibility keys to driving sales in these times — Oguniran

By Tare Youdeowei

R

EAL estate tycoon and Managing Director UPDC, Hakeem Oguniran, has highlighted segmentation , research, credibility, among others, as essential requisites for driving sales in the real estate sector in this difficult economy.

He made this known at Poise Group’s free Real Estate Seminar themed; “Business Skills Needed in a Difficult Economy,” where he

spoke as Guest Speaker on the topic; “Selling Real Estate in a Difficult Economy,” held at Poise Alcove, Pinnock Beach Estate, Lagos, last week.

His words;”Selling real estate in a difficult economy speaks for itself. Lack of title is a major challenge realtors in Nigeria face.

Court judgements are passed and people find themselves rebuying land they have already bought. “Regardless of these, real estate entrepreneurs need to

know basic sale drivers. You need to find the right customer by segmenting based on social class, life styles. Sell what people want to buy it helps set the price of the building or estate, thus raising value. Do not ever assume want customers want, do proper research. Know why the customer is buying and market intensively.

Basically, there is need to meet new people, make personal connection, follow up every lead no matter how trivial it seems and

understand the personality of the buyer.”

Stating the aim of the seminar, Group Chief Executive Officer, Poise Group Nigeria, Mrs. Mavi Isibor, said; “This gathering is because of the bad predictions of hardship in the economy. We are here to rub minds with industry professionals on how to go through this year together, to wade through the storm successfully.”

42—Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016

fat. Why are they fat? Is it because they are taking a lot of fatty foods? When we do such research, we will be able to now tell the people, that it is better to reduce the oil intake and go for soya oil. Then, we can sound more convincing.

Noting that kidney disease is not a death sentence, he said the Centre is yet to begin kidney transplant, but the government has signed an MoU to establish a transplant unit.

Urination

KIDNEY CARE CENTRE: The high incidence of diabetes, obesity and High Blood Pressure among adults in Ondo State prompted the setting up of a state-of-the-art dialysis unit by the state government.

How Ondo is tackling high incidence of kidney disease

By Chioma Obinna

I

N 2014, the Ondo state government established a Kidney Care Centre as part of its medical village as part of moves to urgently nip in the bud, the rising incidences of Non Communicable Diseases in the state.

During a tour of the Centre, Good Health Weekly gathered from the Chief Medical Director, Dr. Akin Bodewa Akinwunmi, that from a study carried out in Akure South and Ondo West in 2014/2015, High Blood Pressure had a prevalence of about 75 percent while obesity among women was more than 90 percent.

The study also showed that about 90 percent of the participants were diabetic while 15 percent had abnormal levels of protein in their urine.

Dialysis

The scary statistics shows that many people in the state could be going about with the potential risk of developing kidney diseases.

In recognition of this, the state government began a state-wide screening for HBP, diabetes, HIV and kidney diseases.

The Centre, established as a stand-alone hospital has dialysed over 3,000 people with various kidney disorders.

Currently, an average of 7-10 patients are seen daily or 210 patients every month.

The Centre is averagely staffed and Akinwunmi said urgent intervention is required to prevent alarming rise in prevalence of kidney disorders in the state.

He said the results of the study conducted by the state had prompted the government to offer counselling, screening and education about kidney disease prevention and the development of chronic kidney disease.

“As a primary care centre, we have visited so many villages in Ondo State, we found out now that many of the people who have HIV infection also suffer kidney disease which tends to kill faster. We are also working with Ondo State Agency for the Control of AIDS, We now know that HIV is one of the causes of kidney disease and once a person has kidney

disease, survival is reduced.

“Our work here is more of prevention. The Kidney Care Centre was put in place to res-

The Centre is working on a study to ascertain why many women in Ondo are obese and why many people are diabetic, hypertensive or kidney diseases

cue patients who have kidney disease whether acute or chronic.”

Akinwunmi said currently, the research team of the centre is working on a study to ascertain why many Ondo women are obese and why many of the people are having diabetes, hypertension and kidney diseases.

“There is an ongoing study looking at our diet. In Nigeria we take a lot of palm oil that has a lot of fat. We are doing this to find out if our food is really safe. We have gone out to look at our children and our parents. Our women are now

“As an adult, when you go to sleep, you are not expected to wake up more than once to urinate no matter how much water you have taken. If you wake up once, it is okay but if it is more than that, it could be that there is a problem with the kidney, the heart, and prostate gland.

“From this centre, we see more of the causes as diabetes and some are already placed on dialysis. There is need for people that are hypertensive to go for regular screening because it can lead to kidney disease. Hypertension, diabetes, and obesity are silent killers of the kidney,” he explained.

He said most people with kidney diseases do not know until about 50 percent of the kidney function is destroyed.

“Suddenly you just find that the person will begin to vomit and have swollen face and legs in the morning. Performance level will reduce. She would be weak and tired, her periods will begin to fail, and she would assume she is pregnant.

“The symptoms look like pregnancy but it is not. Before these signs, the complications are already almost irreversible. He urged hypertensive, diabetic and obese patients to seek medical attention promptly and to avoid self medication.

Survivorship, key to cancer management, control — GRALOW

By Gabriel Olawale

A

PROFESSOR of Medi cal Oncology, Prof. Julie Gralow, has said that for Nigeria to reduce incidence of cancer, the country must bring survivorship to the center stage.

Speaking at the 2nd Omolara Jolaoso Memorial Lecture to commemorate the 2016 World Cancer Day, Gralow, of the Department of Medicine, University of Washington and Director of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance in the US, said presently the US has over 14 million cancer survivors while the cancer death rate dropped 20 percent since 1990. She added that the five years survivor rate for cancer patients exceeded 90 per-

cent.

“To achieve success in cancer management, survivorship needs to take center stage. Prevention, screening and early detection are key but do no good if we don’t have treatment because the person may eventually die. After treatment hopefully we get them cured, but we need to focus on survivorship and how to make them comfortable for as long as they live.

“So survivorship is a critical component to a comprehensive cancer control programme and why we are having decrease in death rate is a combination of early detection and better treatment.”

Further, Gralow said the establishment of the office of survivorship by the National Cancer Institute in 1996 helped in enhancing the link and quality of life of survivors, and also improved research.

She however, called on stakeholders to create more awareness which remained a distinctive face of cancer treatment.

“Each patient should be given survivorship care plan and this should be reimbursed by insurance and care must be accessible to all patients.

“Health professional education, patient and family education, psychosocial report, long term treatment complica-

tion, women health, lifestyle modification, monitoring and documentation need to be encouraged.

“We can do a lot to help cancer survivorship, by encourage survivor to live a healthy lifestyle, and this can help to improve physical and emotional life. Exercise is also encouraging because studies have proved it may help decrease the chances of dying after diagnosis of breast cancer.

Earlier, the President, Lander 88, Mr. Soji Adekogbe noted that the memorial lecture was to immortalise the late Omolara Jolaoso who passed on Decem-

Continued on page 43

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016—43

No crisis at LUTH, says Management

By Sola Ogundipe

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HE management of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi Araba, Lagos has refuted reports of alleged crisis at the health institution.

It said the allegations of delayed December 2015 and January 2016 salaries, non payment of Skipping Allowance, among other issues, was an attempt by some minority groups of the Lagos State Branch of the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, to give the impression of impending crisis at the institution.

An open letter to the Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, LUTH branch, made available to Good Health Weekly, stated that LUTH, along with the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan; University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, Benin; Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, OAUTHC, Ile-Ife, and some other Federal hospitals experienced a delay in payment of December salaries due to a shortfall in personnel emoluments in 2015.

Shortfalls

“Shortfalls were experienced from the central pool from where government platforms pay some medical workers (GIFMIS) and not because of what any hospital did or failed to do.

“The situation has been going on for the past few months and are part of the nationwide financial difficulties the new Government is trying hard to ameliorate,” the management noted.

It said the Chief Medical Director, Prof Chris Bode, met three times with the LUTH ARD President and Secretary in

Chief Medical Director, LUTH, Prof.

Chris Bode the last three weeks where each time the team was updated on several attempts made to help fast-track the payment of the outstanding salaries owed all doctors.

According to the statement, a letter dated 1st February 2016, the CMD pointed out the shortfall in the approved Personnel Emoluments in 2015 noticed from the beginning of the year, and was duly communicated to Government since July, 2015.

“Lots of efforts were made to get funds to pay but the shortfall could not be resolved before the year ran out. This also affected several big institutions such as UCH, OAUTH, UPTH and LUTH. “The Accountant General's Office and Budget Office are working hard to obtain money to pay us and all other af-

fected hospitals” the statement read.

Good Health Weekly also gathered that the LUTH CMD had confirmed payment of staff January salary through a letter dated 5th February, 2016, while thanking the doctors for their patience and expressing government assurance to settle the December, 2015 payments as soon as possible.

The letter noted: “Thus, for the ARD President to stand in front of the press on Friday 5th February 2016 and tell Nigerians that his Association was owed two months’ salaries was a blatant lie as his Association members had received their salaries from the Federal Government on the night of Thursday 4th February, 2016. We should praise this government for its gallant efforts in these trying times.”

Call for patience

Urging the doctors to be patient, the mangement said appeals have been made to the authorities to prevent the recurrent shortfalls in personnel emoluments to our institutions and efforts are being made to convince Government to return doctors to the IPPIS payment platform from which we doctors fought hard to be removed from only two years ago.

“If we had been patient for the initial hiccups experienced on the then newlyintroduced IPPIS system to be rectified, we might not be in the situation we now find ourselves.

“It is advised that the NMA leadership should make haste slowly and exercise purposeful leadership and maturity over our trainee doctors,” the LUTH management said.

Survivorship Continues on page 42 ber 2014 and to create awareness about cancer prevention.

Executive Director, Breast Cancer Initiative, East Africa Inc., Ms. Phillipa Kibugu-Decuir who was diagnosed of breast cancer in 1994 regretted that while she was able to make it till today, her sister earlier diagnosed of the same illness was unable to survive it.

"I was diagnosed early and I was undergoing treatment in USA, I had more than seven doctors, I had support, I had medicine and insurance which keep me alive till today and I believe every cancer patient deserves that.”

Recounting her own experience, President Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria, Mrs. Betty Anyanwu -Akeredolu, said: "I accepted mastectomy (total removal of the affected breast) without hesitation and I am now living a healthy life style."

Giving account of his 34 years in cancer management at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Prof. Remi Ajekigbe, who is currently the Head of Department, Oncology & Radiotherapy, said that despite the fact that breast is an external organ, organ that people see and touch, many breast cancer patients still present late.

"Cancer is a very frightful word, not a word everybody wants to hear, but the most important thing in cancer management is early detection, and to achieve early detection, everybody has to be aware. Cancer of the breast is the commonest cancer in Nigeria.

"What is wrong in checking our breast every day? When you discover anything unusual you give a shout. Let your doctor know,” he said.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

H

ELLO sir. Please I am very worried about this Zika Virus I am hearing about. The latest news is that it can be transmitted sexually and that is why I am writing you. How can someone avoid this and what else do you know about it? Thank you – Simon The Zika virus is not new. It has been around since 1947 and was first discovered in Uganda. Zika only just became globally popular last year because of the adverse effects it is having in newborn babies whose mothers had the virus before or during pregnancy. So far, around 4,000 babies have been affected and while this is big news in Brazil and South America, Zika virus has spread to 29 countries so far. The trend suggests that like AIDS, Zika will eventually spread to all parts of the world. So here is what you need to know about it: 1.Transmission: Zika can be transmitted through mosquito bites, blood transfusion and sexual intercourse.

Specifically, the mosquito that has so far been transmitting this virus is the Aedes Aegypti mosquito but there is no telling that other mosquitoes cannot transmit is since mosquitoes in general draw blood from their victims and can easily transmit this by biting other people after first biting a person with Zika.

2.Symptoms: Most people who have this Zika virus don’t even manifest it and don’t necessarily get sick from the virus but they can still transmit it. The symptoms are a bit similar to that of Dengue fever and Yellow fever and manifest through rashes, fever, muscle and joint pains, redness of the eyes and vomiting. So far the virus does not kill.

3.Effects: Apart from the above symptoms, the two major consequences of this virus are Microcephaly (babies with small heads and brains) and Guillain –Barre Syndrome which can cause paralysis.

4.Prevention: There are no vaccines to prevent this viral infection at the moment and there are no documented cases in Nigeria as of yet but that does not mean that the Zika virus may not already be here in Nigeria. Afterall people travel from country to country and we have a lot of mosquitoes here in Nigeria. Preventive measures

include avoiding mosquito bites, screening blood packs properly before using them for transfusion and the use of condoms during intercourse. The prevention of mosquito bites is the hardest part but people must do their best through constant fumigation of their homes, the use of mosquito repellent creams, mosquito nettings and wearing clothing that cover most parts of the body.

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Thank you – Moses You are welcome – Uche Good day sir. I have started using the Gladiator Delay Cream that I bought for premature ejaculation.

Sometimes I last really long before climaxing and at other times not so long. But thank you. My sex life has improved – Frank You are welcome. To last even longer, wear a condom or penis sleeve after applying the cream – Uche My woman said she has used your product before and liked it. She wants another Orgasm gel and wants to know the best – Yinka We have many good orgasm ointments for women. I will say take the Liquid Sex Orgasm Gel because the bottle is the biggest so it lasts longest – Uche That is all for today. Adults in need of these treatments/ novelties can call us on 08171912551, 08027901621 or 07086754515 for help or visit www.zeevirtualmedia.com to place their orders. Zee Virtual Media delivers all over Nigeria.

For enquiries email us at custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com- Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

44 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Leicester return with £23m bid for Musa L

•Ahmed Musa... Wanted at Leicester City

EICESTER City are preparing a £23million bid for Nigerian attacker Ahmed Musa in the European summer reports in England claimed.

Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri tried to lure Musa to the King Power Stadium in the recent January transfer window, but the player’s Russian club CSKA Moscow refused to sell.

CSKA are currently top of the Russian Premier League and face Dynamo Kiev in the last 16 round of the UEFA Champions League – they believe that allowing Musa to leave would hurt their ambitions for the remainder of the season.

Musa, who has scored 10 goals across all competitions this season, reminded CSKA of his worth with a goal to help beat Valarenga in a friendly last Wednesday.

The Russian club is trying to persuade

UPER Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh Monday sent a letter of apology to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) after his recent attacks on the federation as well as his perceived critics.

Nigeria failed to reach the knock-out stage of CHAN 2016 leading to speculations over the future of Oliseh as Eagles coach.

Oliseh in turn fired back, saying his team were not motivated to go farther in the competition in Rwanda.

He also took time-out to fire salvos at “insane” critics, particularly his former international

teammates, who he claimed have been most unfair to him with their attacks in the media.

“Oliseh sent an apology letter and we are looking into it, “ a reliable source at the NFF disclosed.

In the letter, Oliseh said he is sorry, that he never wanted to attack the NFF or embarrass them, but rather he wanted the whole world to know they have not been given money.

Oliseh’s seven months in charge of the Eagles have been marked by controversies.

He fell out with former captain Vincent Enyeama with striker Emmanuel Emenike also quitting international football

during that time.

He has also gone public with the money problems affecting his team at

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ANCHESTER United will try to sign Odion Ighalo from Watford during the summer. Watford have already slammed a £40m prize tag on their star player.

The Nigerian international has been in stunning form for the Hornets so far this

O R L D ’ S athletics governing body, IAAF and the African body, the Confederation of African Athletics, CAA are to collaborate with the Federal Government in establishing a High Altitude Athletics Training Center in Jos, Plateau State.

This is contained in an agreement signed in

GOtv begins search for new pro boxers

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HE stage is set for the discovery of talented new profes-sional boxers through a programme tagged Gotv Boxing NextGen Search by the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control, NBB of C. Towards this end, registration forms for the GOtv Boxing Night are now available at the secretariat of the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C), under whose auspices the event is being organized.

According to Mr. Remi Aboderin, General Secretary, NBB of C, interested boxers can pick of the forms at the secretariat within the National Stadium C M Y K

Complex in Lagos.

“The forms are available and at no cost. The search is open to boxers from all parts of the country. This is an opportunity for young boxers to get into the professional category,” Aboderin said.

GOtv Boxing NextGen Search, billed to hold in Lagos between February 17 and 18, 2016. is being organized to raise a new crop of professional boxers, especially by facilitating entry into the professional ranks by amateurs.

The event, in partnership with the Lagos Boxing Hall of Fame, is billed for the Lagos Boxing Hall of Fame Gym, Olatilewa Street, off Lawanson Road, Surulere, Lagos.

CHAN to the embarrassment of his employers.

IAAF, CAA plan high altitude training centre in Jos

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•Malboum

has been assured that Ranieri is impressed enough by him to continue his pursuit.

Leicester had bids of £15million and £18.7million turned down for Musa last month. Stoke and Southampton are also reportedly interested in the Nigerian.

Man. United keen to sign Ighalo

Oliseh apologises to NFF over 'insanity' comments

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Musa, who signed a new four-year deal last year, that he should remain with them for the duration of his contract and even beyond.

But the player is understood to have his heart set on a move to the Premier League and

Lagos at the weekend by the Federal government represented by the Minister for Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung and the President of the CAA Hamad Kalkaba Malboum as well as the Athletics Federation of Nigeria’s President, Dr Solomon Ogba.

On the occasion, the CAA President, Malboum stressed the need for Africans to develop their own athletes by setting up structures and facilities that will enhance and develop athletes on their own continent. they want their own to win. So, this is why we need to set up our own facility for long and middle distance runners in Africa to develop our own athletes” Malboum explained.

season, netting an impressive 14 goals in 24 appearances in his debut campaign in the top flight. United are reported to have held talks with the 26-year-

old over a move on January ’s transfer deadline day, but though the move failed to come off, United remain keen on snapping up his signature.

Guardiola took Bayern for a ride - Hamann

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ORMER Bayern Munich midfielder Dietmar Hamann has hit out at Pep Guardiola over his decision not to inform the Bundesliga champions of his intention to leave the club until December 2015 after months of speculation over his future.

The former Barcelona coach will leave Bayern for Manchester City at the end of the 2015-16 campaign after three years in charge of the Bavarians, despite Bayern’s desire to hold on to Guardiola.

The Spaniard opted to snub the Allianz Arena side in favour of a move

•Pep Guardiola

to the Premier League, though, and Hamann feels he should have told Bayern of his plans to move on at a much earlier stage.

“Guardiola took Bayern for a ride in my opinion,” Hamann told Sky. “The whole situation was not what you normally see at Bayern.

I was surprised to see Bayern let this happen.

I think Bayern lost a bit of respect for Guardiola, because he did not always show his cards.

Bayern will have a different view than about six weeks ago.

“Bayern gave their coach more power than even before over the past two years, perhaps without even realising it themselves. It was almost considered blasphemy if you criticised Pep. He was regarded as a saint.

“I will not go as far as to say the backed the wrong horse, but the Champions League will be the ultimate test. If they crash out again like in the last two years, Pep’s era at the club will have been good, but not great.”

NPA Lagos Int’l Polo tournament gallops off

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LL is now set for the 2016 NPA Lagos International Polo tournament which commences tomorrow at the refurbished turf of the Lagos Polo Club, Ikoyi.

The tournament winds to a close on February 21.

In a pre-event media briefing Monday, Tournament Manager, Bode Makanjuola said

BY Jacob Ajom

hostilities will begin Wednesday with teams competing in the Open Cup. “Apart from the Open Cup, the first week will also see action in the Dansa Cup, which is a lowgoal competition,” he said. He added that the final of the Lagos Oba

Cup will also be played on Saturday and in his own words, “the Oba himself will be present at the final.”

The tournament which enters week two – after a day ’s rest – on Tuesday, February 16, will parade teams from Kano, Ibadan and Lagos and players to feature in the two-week

event will come from far and near. “Apart from having an assemblage of the best Polo players in the country, some international players expected at the tournament will come from England, Argentina, Lebanon, Syria and South Africa,” the organisers said.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBURARY 9, 2016— —45

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46 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016

FIFA election

Continues from BP Football, CAF, Alhaji Issa Hayatou.

Chief Odegbami that the Camerounian who currently serves as the acting president of FIFA following the ban on its president, Sepp Blatter over corruption allegations, has stayed too long in CAF and now manipulates the system to his own personal advantage.

The former Chairman of the Governing Council of

the National Institute for Sports who was reacting on the endorsement of Bahrain’s candidate for the FIFA top position Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa by CAF on a Channels television sports programme, Sports on Sunday, condemned the decision by CAF stressing that it was a mark of authoritarianism.

“It is ridiculous that CAF will endorse a candidate and force it on federations which are independent. When did

we as stakeholders state that our federation, the NFF should vote for an Asian when Africa has a candidate,”he queried.

Describing the endorsement by CAF as “a clear agenda of Hayatou”, Chief Odegbami stressed that “federations are independent of CAF control and should not be coerced into voting any candidate.

This is a clear case of authoritarianism and Hayatou must be stopped now. His logevity as CAF president has not helped Africa in any way.”

His days‘re numbered Continues from BP perceived enemies among some of his former colleagues and fans in war of words.

The recent being a video recorded message which he posted on his blog calling his critics “insane” people who have been giving him conditions to either write positive stories about him or even giving him names of players to invite to the national team so they

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can make a deal together.

The NFF top shot however said that “whether we like it or not, Oliseh will go at the end of the day. (Stephen) Keshi didn’t say as much as Oliseh has said so far.

We must start to have standards in our system.

If Keshi could be asked to go for saying less, what stops Oliseh from going too.”

The official shockingly revealed that Oliseh was not a collective choice of the NFF, adding that the Delta-born

gaffer was imposed on the NFF president, Amaju Pinnick by another influential member of the board.

He stressed that other indigenous coach have come and gone but that none of them have given the NFF much headache like Oliseh who recently indicted the NFF, claiming that the CHAN Eagles were neglected during camping for the Rwanda championship and that he had to spend $4,000 of his personal funds to feed the players.

Oliseh knows fate Continues from BP mouse game with the coach unleashing many salvos on his employers after Eagles crashed out from CHAN in Rwanda.

Oliseh’s latest uppercut was his “insanity and madness”

jabs at his critics.

Reacting yesterday, Pinnick who watched DR Congo lift the CHAN trophy live in Kigali said that the relevant Committees of NFF were looking into Oliseh’s comments.

“We work through various Committees and the relevant Committee is looking into his outbursts, I have an important meeting with the Sports Minister tomorrow (today) on these matters”, Pinnick noted.

Chukwu Continues from BP mediocre outing at the just concluded CHAN tourney in Rwanda where they were bundled out after the preliminary rounds.

Chukwu said that Oliseh’s outburst was u n g u a r d e d , unprofessional and insulting.

“My brother I was shocked to read the insults.

That is unprofessional and pathetic. It shows that Oliseh needs help.

Coaching is not only on the field, it is more also on your conduct outside.

All coaches take the bashing when they lose and also take the glory

when they win or do well. Even players get criticized. It is a healthy thing in football which helps the coaches to work harder. Look at Mourinho, Van Gaal.

They are reputable coaches but they are always on the firing line.

What fans and owners know is victory.

Honestly, I think that Oliseh needs the services of a crack PR person to guard him on how to talk”.

Chukwu also took exceptions to Oliseh’s description of CHAN as the least important in CAF. “Trivializing CHAN is an insult on African football and his

employers. Didn’t he know before he went for the competition? He should have allowed his assistants to tinker the team since it was not worth playing or winning. If he had won will he be saying it was not important? When he beat Niger 4 - 1, I didn’t hear him call people celebrating as insane or mad. He should grow up”.

Chukwu also frowned at his work ethics of coaching the Super Eagles from Belgium.

“Is coaching the Super Eagles from Belgium part of his contract?”, Chukwu asked.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBURARY 9, 2016— —47

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Oliseh knows fate today as NFF President confers with Minister

BY TONY UBANI

N

Aftermath of outburst:

FF President, Amaju Pinnick would be guest of Sports Minister Solomon Dalung today in Abuja to discuss on issues that

Chukwu blasts Oliseh for calling Nigerians ‘insane’ ORMER Super

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UPER Eagles Chief Coach, Sunday Ogochukwu Oliseh’s days with the senior national team may be numbered if the words of an enraged top shot of

Eagles coach, Chairman Christian Chukwu lost his cool yesterday and lashed out at Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh over his unguarded utterances by dubbing Nigerian critics “insane and mad”.

Oliseh had on a U-tube clip poured venom on Nigerian critics dubbing them insane and mad for criticising his team’s Continues on page 46

•Chukwu

•Dalung

••• His days ’re numbered — NFF top shot

BY PATRICK OMORODION

BY TONY UBANI

F

affect the football house especially the no love lost relationship between the Federation and Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh.

What appeared to be a Romeo and Juliet relationship between them has gradually slipped into a cat-andContinues on page 46

the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF are anything to go by.

Oliseh who took over from his former team mate, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi last year has been engaging his employers and

Continues on page 46

FIFA election: Africa must stop Hayatou now - Odegbami •Condemns endorsement of Asian candidate

BY PATRICK OMORODION

F

LOVE GONE SOUR: NFF boss, Amaju Pinnick (l) with Sunday Oliseh at the latter’s unveiling.

ORMER Green Eagles Captain, Chief Segun Odegbami (MON) has called on African football stakeholders to put an end to the long tenure of the president of the Confederation of African

Continues on page 46

•Hayatou

QUICK CR OSS WORD CROSS OSSWORD

T OD AY'S PUZZLE ODA

FRI DAY'S ANS WERS FRID ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Scheme (4) 4 Edge (3) 6 Block (4) 9 Friend (3 10 Bewildered (8) 11 Revise (4) 14 Serpent (3) 16 Command (5) 19 Lively (8) 21 Dissuade (5) 23 Harmful (8) 24 Taut (5) 27 Loiter (3) 31 Remedy (4) 33 Diligence (8) 34 Rabbit (3) 35 Intense (4) 36 Mournful (3) 37 Incline (4)

DOWN 2 Seem (4) 3 Argument (4) 4 Opposed (8) 5 Manufactured (4) 6 Javelin (5) 7 Youth (3) 8 Living (5) 12 Island (5) 13 Temptress (5) 14 Help (3) 15 Leaf (5) 17 Sewer (5) 18 Scope 5) 20 Claimed (8) 22 Tease (3) 25 Escape (5) 26 Slumber (5) 28 Overlook (4) 29 Employer (4) 30 Stuff (4) 32 Fish-eggs (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Scream 5, Demean 8, Frighten 9, Drip 10, Wig 12, Coped 15, Sum 17, Lea 18, Rip 19, Spa 20, Rogue 21, Ilk 22, Dog 23, Art 24, Eye 26, Owned 29, Err 33, Safe 34, Narrator 35, United 36, Treaty.

DOWN: 2, Corgi 3, Edge 4, Motto 5, Dense 6, Mode 7, Adieu 10, Waste 11, Glade 12, Cargo 13, Pagan 14, Dread 15, Spite 16, Maker 25, Yearn 27, Waned 28, Egret 30, Roost 31, Deft 32, Wade.

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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