10122017 - PDP NATIONAL CHAIRMAN Secondus is first

PAGE 2—VANGUARD, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2017

Tinubu to TY Danjuma: Your Life Personifies Nigeria’s History pursuit of that love”, he said.

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L:R- Public Relations Consultant, Ada Onwuka; Director Monitoring, Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs, Oguntoye Akintunde; Beneficiary, Simiat Lawal and Nigerian Actress/Producer, Chioma Chukwuka at the Press Conference announcing the THISAbility campaign in Lagos.

ll Progressives Congress (APC) National Stalwart, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, says the life of General T.Y. Danjuma, who clocked 80, yesterday, personified the history of Nigeria in many ways.

“All those who know you know that you have always acted with the interests and the well-being of our beloved nation in heart and mind.

Duty to nation and the preservation of this nation and its progress have been your lodestar,” Tinubu said.

In a tribute to Danjuma released by his Media Office, the APC leader described the retired general as a model

soldier and a hero.

“All those who know you know that you have always acted with the interests and the wellbeing of our beloved nation in heart and mind.

Duty to nation and the preservation of this nation and its progress have been your lodestar. Even those who may have disagreed with you, know that your love of Nigeria is unassailable and that you have always acted in

Fuel scarcity ahead of Christmas is act of cruelty—NLC

By Ahiuma-Young and Johnbosco Agbakwuru

CBN unveils new measures to create jobs T *To revive N500bn non-oil export fund with P.A.V.E

By Babajide Komolafe

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entral Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has unveiled two-policy measures designed to accelerate the growth of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), boost non-oil export revenue and facilitate job creation.

These include a new framework for reviving and disbursing the N500 billion non-oil export stimulation fund tagged, Produce, Add Value, Export (PAVE); and a new financial ecosystem aimed at adding $88 billion to the nation’s GDP and generate $36 billion new bank deposits by 2025.

Meanwhile, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has chided the banking industry for the slow growth and adoption of mobile money in

Nigeria, calling for a lowcost, well functioning financial services in the country.

PAVE to revive N500bn non-oil export fund Addressing journalists at the end of a meeting with stakeholders in the non-oil export sector in Lagos, Friday night, CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, disclosed that the apex bank and non-oil exporters had agreed on a programme called, Produce, Add Value, Export (PAVE) that would be used to revive and disburse the N500 billion non-oil export stimulation fund with aim of boosting non-oil export revenues and create jobs.

Emefiele also disclosed that the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) will be extended to exporters and

cash crop farmers.

He said: “We have decided to bring back the N500 billion Export Stimulation Facility that we had proposed two years ago, as well as the N50 billion Direct Intervention Fund from the Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM)”.

Meanwhile, speaking at the opening session of the annual Bankers Committee retreat yesterday in Lagos, Emefiele said that in order to capture the benefits of improving access to financial access, CBN will create a framework that will lead to the emergence of a new financial ecosystem that will add $88 billion to the nation’s GDP by 2025 and generate $36 billion worth of new bank deposits.

Ambode calls for low-cost, well functioning financial system Also speaking at the retreat, Ambode called for the creation of a low-cost, well functioning financial system that will impact employment and bring more people into the formal financial system.

Chiding the banking industry for the poor level of mobile money penetration in Nigeria, especially when compared with what Kenya achieved with MPesa, Ambode said: “One reason for this is there are too many competing systems and regulations. While we generally don’t like monopolies, the reality is that the system is much more valuable if everyone uses it and that is what MPesa has managed to achieve elsewhere on the continent.”

Customs intercept goods worth N1.595bn in November

By Godfrey Bivbere, Joshua Yousouph & Mabel Uyebi

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he Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, yesterday disclosed that it has intercepted goods smuggled and concealed valued at N1.595 billion in November.

The seized items include, 64 assorted exotic luxury cars, 13,333 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice (about 22 trailers), 1390 cartons of frozen poultry products, 835 jerry cans of vegetable oil, 15 parcel of Indian hemp and 1,101 pieces of used tyres, 205 bales of used clothes amongst others.

Making this known in Lagos, the Customs Area Controller, CAC, of the unit, Comptroller Mohammed Garba Uba, said among the detained vehicles are two Lexus Jeep (Bullet Proof), one Toyoya Land Cruiser (bullet Proof), nine Toyota Hilux, eight Toyota Hiace Bus, 26 Toyota Corolla, nine Land Cruiser Jeep, five Toyota Camry, one Land Rover, one Nissan Sentra, one Pajero Jeep, all 2017 models and one Sienna 2015 model and one Lexus RX 350 among others. These 64 assorted vehicles alone have a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N1.3 billion.

Mohammed added that among the vehicles intercepted, 57 were evacuated based

on intelligence at Omole Estate, Ojodu and Olayiwola Close Lekki Phase 1, while the remaining seven were intercepted based on information to our patrol team along Ijebu Ode expressway and Olorunda. He stated that nobody has showed up to claim ownership of the vehicles yet. “We doubt if they have any Customs paper on this vehicle, not to talk of the End-User Certificate for the bullet proof.

The Customs boss later said that the legal unit of the Service has already been mandated to investigate the vehicles and as soon as they make any head way about the owners or the agents of the vehicles, they will let the public know.

Speaking further, the Customs boss said a total of 17 20 feet containers loaded with wood were said to be under detention on the suspicion that they have not met the required guidelines for export.

Also a 1x20 feet container carrying 385 cartons of Tiffany Crunch n’ Cream biscuit, 2,300 cartons of Tiffany chocolate and Toffee Sweet as engine block declared in Single Goods Declaration, SGD were seized due to false declaration.

According to the Customs boss, “five suspects have been arrested in connection with these 185 seizures and are currently in our custody.”

He commended the Comp-

troller General of Customs, Col Hameed Ali (rtd) and his management team for their support to the Command which helped them to achieve

the unprecedented seizures as well as the officers and men of the Command for being forthright and dedicated to their duty.

he organised labour has described the current fuel scarcity in the country as an act of cruelty that could not be justified.

National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, in a statement in Abuja, yesterday, said the timing of the scarcity was not lost on the people as it was intended to maximise pain and profit at Christmas season because of the biggest movement of people, goods and services.

Wabba said, “The Nigeria Labour Congress condemns the prevailing scarcity of

HE Ijaw in Okomu, Ovia South West Local T Government Area of Edo

State, yesterday, declared that. contrary to the claim by the Binis that they own all the land occupied by the Ijaw in the state, the Binis are actually the settlers in their land, vowing that they will use all they have to protect their territory.

They accused Edo State government and the palace of the Oba of Benin of an at-

tempt to deny them of their ancestral rights and ownership of Okomu land. The Ijaw then admonished Binis to read the historical background of the entire Ijaw land in Edo State as written by a Bini son, Dr Egharevba, adding that they will find out that the land belongs to the Ijaw.

Chief Sunday Ajele, the Fiyewei of Okomu Kingdom, explained the position of the Ijaw while speaking to journalists in Okomu. He listed the moves to deny them their rights to include their denial of a permanent seat on the

King Sunny Ade, Omawumi light up Ikoyi Club

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ing Sunny Ade and songstress, Omawumi, were special acts at the International Night 2017 at Ikoyi Club 1938.

The annual event, which usually features King Sunny Ade, was given a fillip this year with the addition of Omawumi. Dressed in a shimmering gold coloured off-the-shoulder gown, Omawumi thrilled the audi-

ence with new and old songs taken from her debut and sophomore albums.

Speaking in the intermission between Omawumi’s performance and King Sunny Ade’s arrival on stage, the Chairman of Ikoyi Club 1938, Mr. Babatunde Akinleye, thanked members for turning out in large numbers and wishing them the best of the season.

petroleum products across the country leading to avoidable pain and suffering.

“Diverse reasons have been given for this scarcity but no reason is good enough for the present wave of suffering inflicted on the citizenry via scarcity of petroleum products.

“We at the Nigeria Labour Congress consider this scarcity as an act of cruelty and sabotage from which a few privileged are benefitting.

“The timing of this artificial scarcity is not lost on us as it is intended to maximise pain and profit since it is a wellknown fact that the Christmas season witnesses the biggest movement of people, goods and services”.

Community Day: Ambode celebrates with rural dwellers

By Fredrick Okopie

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agos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has commended community leaders in the 57 Local Government and Local Council Development Areas of the state for their support.

Ambode, in his address on the occasionofthe2017Community Dayceremony,whichtookplace simultaneously at 57 centres in theLagosState,saidthestruggle for development had not been easy.

According to him, the Community Day had been set aside to take stock of the journey the state had traveled so far in its

Binis are settlers in our land, we will defend our territory with our blood — Ijaw leaders

By Simon Ebegbulem, Benin-City

“This is why you command so much respect and admiration among the people. The name TY Danjuma is synonymous with love of country and with insuperable patriotism. In word and in deed, you have carved out a unique place for yourself in the history of Nigeria. You have been a model soldier and have served your country in profound ways”.

Board of Directors of Okomu Oil and Rubber Plc, reportedly approved by the Presidency for Okomu Kingdom, the discriminatory employment policy against indigenes of Okomu in the last 40 years by the state government and the refusal of Osse Rubber Company, located in their land, to visit their host community because of pressure from the Edo government on the firm to recognise Udo, a neighbouring Benin settlement.

He said: “The administrative headquarters of Ovia South West Local Government Area, which controls Okomu and Benin area of the council, is nothing but an outpost of the Benin Empire; it has been the viceroy of the Benin monarch and that of Edo State government in carrying out repugnant policies against the people of Okomu Kingdom by using the staff of the local government, who are of Benin descent, to indulge in illegal and immoral act of change of company names located in Okomu Kingdom to reflect Benin ownership by adding the Benin settlement of Udo.

determination to bring development to its various neighbourhoods.

The governor, represented by the state Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Dr. Akintola Oke, said It is a titanic effort to achieve gigantic dreams; it is becoming conscious of the need to liberate our communities from an oppressive problem keeping us from achieving our well-being. ‘’For the people living on the island of Itu-agan, it was discovered that we lost school children to boat mishap and taking a decision to put an end to it by building a school on the island for our children.

“Thus companies formally incorporated with only Okomu as host community now carry the affix, Okomu Oil Plc - Okomu-Udo; Osse Rubber Estate Osse-Udo; and Okomu National Park Araukhan-Udo”.

Ajele, flanked by other chiefs and indigenes of the area, asserted that provocation by Edo State government and the Benin monarch led to the conflagration of July 30, 2015 between the Okomu community and Okomu Oil PLC, which necessitated the intervention of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) after the state Peace and Conflict Committee failed to remedy the situated.

In a reaction, however, the Oba of Benin, through his Chief Press Secretary, Comrade Desmond Agbama, said it is wrong for the Ijaw whether from Gelegele of Okomu, to claim that the forest reserves and the land accommodating various companies in the area belong to them.

He said the entire Okomu area is part of Benin Kingdom with one paramount ruler, the Oba of Benin, adding that, by so doing, it is natural that any royalty accruing from such must go to the state government and whoever is the traditional ruler overseeing the entire place.

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 10, 2017, PAGE 3

PAGE 4 —SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 10, 2017

VANGUARD, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2017, PAGE 5

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (middle); with Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar (left) and Chairman, Bankers’ Committee and Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr, Godwin Emefiele (right), during the 9th Annual Bankers’ Committee Retreat in Lagos

L-R: Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, celebrant and Chairman, Ogun State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Chief (Mrs.) Olabosipo Ogunsan, her son, Mr. Niyi Salami, former senior special assistant to Obasanjo and Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Barr.

Taiwo Adeoluwa at a service to mark Ogunsan's 75th birthday, at the All Souls' Church, Ibara, Abeokuta...yesterday.

US/UK TERROR ATTACK WARNING

Boko Haram escapees flood Abuja •Informant confirms suicide bombing plot •Mass raids yield over 250 arrests (Chadians, Nigeriens included) •Concerns over withdrawal of anti-bomb, anti-IEDs’ tracking devices from entry points By: Kingsley Omonobi-Abuja.

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uthorities of the Nigerian Police Force, the Directorate of State Services, DSS, the Military and sister security agencies have hit the ground running following confirmation of the security alert issued by the United States and United Kingdom Missions in Nigeria, of plots by terrorist group, the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, which, in English, means, “People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad”, and otherwise known as Boko Haram, to carry out suicide bombing attacks on strategic government assets, as well as crowded places like markets and motor parks in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, and six other states.

Security sources made Sunday Vanguard understand, at the weekend, that the discovery that hundreds of degraded Boko Haram terrorists’ from Sambisa Forests, Bama, Konduga, Gwoza and other parts of the North East, have escaped to the FCT and were currently disguising their identities, but meeting secretly to launch deadly attacks on the city.

Raids Consequently, Sunday Vanguard gathered that a joint security team of 500 personnel with counterterrorism experience and training, drawn from the Police, DSS, Army, Navy, Airforce, NSCDC, Immigration and Customs, as well as other para-military agencies, have been activated to carry out pre-emptive raids and strikes on suspected hideouts and meeting places of suspects.

Already, in some raids on suspected hideouts as exposed by very reliable informants with inside contacts within the terrorists group, the security team stormed meeting points in the Nyanya-Maraba axis in the ‘dead of the night’, and

apprehended over 195 suspects with dangerous weapons and devices recovered.

A source privy to the raids disclosed that after the operation, officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, and Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, who are part of the team weeded out close to 40 foreign nationals made up of Chadians, Nigeriens and other nationals with questionable intentions.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on its part weeded out another 60 others, suspected to be involved in drug peddling and usage.

Continuing, the source

disclosed that throughout the Yuletide period, the joint security outfit will work round the clock, noting that its next target after NyanyaMararaba, would be the Kubwa-Suleija axis, where a large concentration of Boko Haram escapees are believed to be hibernating.

In furtherance of its strategic operations, Sunday Vanguard also gathered that the team would move into some suspected black spots in the Gwagwalada, KwaliYangoji and Abaji axis.

This would be with a view to ensuring that terrorists’ sympathizers and runaway members don’t get a foothold in the FCT. Whereas these raids may be

yielding results, there are other concerns.

Fresh Concerns A top security commander has raised the alarm concerning what he disclosed as “the withdrawal of antibomb tracking and detection vehicles from some spots.

They were purchased by the Jonathan administration and were deployed to all exit and entry points in Abuja as well as very important national assets like the Central Bank, the NNPC headquarters, the National Assembly etc.

“This technological equipment gotten from Germany went a long way in preventing several suicide

bombing attacks in the FCT after the Nyanya bombing which claimed over 80 lives.

They have the capacity to track and detect bombs and other dangerous explosives within a radius of 500 to 1,000 meters.

“Once any vehicle or occupant or whoever, carrying an IED enters and approaches a radius mentioned above, the equipment starts sending a beep and tracks the movement of the explosive thereby preparing the security operatives for counter measures”.

As to why such important security equipment were withdrawn, the senior officer claimed ignorance but added

that a situation where these same equipment are deployed only for the security of high profile Nigerians and events like the PDP National Convention, APC events and presidential occasions, and kept away when it concerns security of the generality of Nigerians, calls for questions.

“No matter the number of officers and men you deploy to man the checkpoints at entry and exit points, without technological support, there could be a loophole. So, there is need for this important equipment to be redeployed especially now that it is an emergency situation” the source said.

Emphasizing that residents of the FCT should be extra vigilant and avoid crowded places like motor parks and markets, another top security source said, “to know these persons (terrorist’s), look out for strange faces. In most cases, such people look very aggressive. They don’t look friendly. They keep to themselves, they don’t mix with people. Such persons should be reported to security agencies”.

FG raises the alarm over alleged smear campaign against leadership of the military •Insists degrading of B/Haram is real

By Kingsley Omonobi-Abuja

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he Federal Government claimed, on Saturday, that it has come across credible information on sponsored campaign of calumny against the Nigerian military leadership by those it described as ‘unscrupulous’ members of the Nigerian society.

A statement by the office of the Minister of Defence, Mansur Muhammad Dan Ali said, “The orchestrated campaign of calumny is aimed at smearing the name and rubbishing the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria at fighting the menace of Boko Haram in our country although they intend to create the impression that they were fighting corruption and to instill good governance.

“However, from all indications their motive is far from noble.

“According to their plan, the campaign will be centered around but not limited to the following line of thoughts;

that the Boko Haram terrorists still exist in numbers in several camps within Nigerian territory and that the terrorists are only being disturbed by the effort of the Nigerian Air Force who were able to disperse them, while the Nigerian Army does nothing other than telling stories”.

“They want to buttress this through the recent isolated attacks on soft targets by fleeing remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists.

“They want to create and impression that the Nigerian military and indeed the government are not doing anything even when told of pending attacks on communities.

“The campaigners want to disparage the achievements recorded especially as regards the ongoing clearance operations and establishment of the various Forward Operations Bases (FOBs) by the Armed Forces of Nigeria and to describe them as scams to conceal the huge expenditure on the

operations against Boko Haram terrorists.

“The unscrupulous elements want to posit that troops morale in the front lines is low due to poor management of resources and administration and they intend to do that by stage managing and sponsor interviews with some front line soldiers calculated to tarnish the image of not only military leadership but the entire nation, which will be released through some select media houses.

“They also plan to use photographs of old Boko Haram terrorists’ camps to collaborate their active existence with nothing being done as claimed by the Nigerian military.

Continuing the statement said, “The group of persons wants to portray the recent change of key commanders of Operation Lafiya Dole by the military as an attempt to use his key loyalists to cover up.

“Already they have started scouting for willing collaborators and

disgruntled officers and soldiers to use in executing this smearing campaign.

“We have it on good authority that they would commence their nefarious campaign any moment from now.

“Consequently, the Federal Government of Nigeria wishes to inform the public that such campaigns by these highly unpatriotic elements would not deter it from its focused and determined efforts of defending the territorial integrity of our country.

“The public should continue to have trust and confidence in the Nigerian Armed Forces as they

continue to carry out their duties, diligently, responsibly and professionally.

“The government would like to further reiterate its total commitment to the welfare of troops, accountability and probity and no amount of mischief would derail it from its determined effort of taking the Nigeria to greater heights.

“We would like to enjoin officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Armed Forces to continue to be law abiding and dedicated to their duties as anyone that allowed himself to be used by these unscrupulous elements would have himself to blame” the statement concluded.

PAGE 6 — SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 10, 2017,

Wedding ceremony between former Miss Oluwamayowa Omolola Fagbola and Mr Oritseweyinmi Aboyowa Ayutsede

L-R:Mr Abimbola Adeseye, Trustee; Mrs Isioma Gogo-Anazodo, Trustee;Mr Raheem Owodeyi, Planning Committee Chairman, and Pattison Boleigha, President, all of Compliance Institute, Nigeria, during an occasion to announce the 1st investiture and induction ceremony of the Compliance Institute Nigeria, in Lagos. PHOTO: AKEEM SALAU

•The couple Mr and Mrs Oritseweyinmi Ayutsede.

Eight die, nine injured in Sagamu/ Benin rroad oad cr ash crash

BY BOSE ADEAJA ight persons were feared E dead while nine others were injured, yesterday, on

Sagamu/Benin Expressway when an articulated truck collided with a commercial bus.

The incident occurred at about 4am at Olorunpodo junction, inbound J4.

The accident was blamed on reckless driving of the truck driver who was alleged to be driving against traffic and rammed into the bus carrying 23 passengers.

•Scene of the accident, yesterday.

Six males, including the bus driver, and two females were feared dead while nine others were injured and taken to a hospital at J4 for medical attention.

The bodies of the victims were reportedly deposited at Ijebu Ode General Hospital morgue after a rescue operation jointly carried out by men of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, and the police.

TRACE image maker, Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the accident.

The Corps Commander/CE, Seni Ogunyemi, speaking on the mishap, warned drivers of articulated vehicles to desist from driving in a direction prohibited by traffic law and give consideration to other road users especially during the ‘Ember Months’ with the attendant increase in human and vehicular movement..

From left:Mrs Stella Ogunje, representing groom's mother, Mrs Abosede Fagbola, bride's mother; the couple, Mr and Mrs Oritseweyinmi Ayutsede; Mr Joseph Ayutsede, groom's father; and Eng Kayode Fagbola, bride's father

Nigerian Breweries honour vice wor honourss 65 long ser service workker erss

By Dennis Agbo ENUGU- NIGERIAN Breweries has honoured 65 of its long service workers, who diligently gave long period of service to the beverage company.

The company said the long service award was to celebrate qualified employees of various categories and appreciate their dedication and loyalty.

Brewery Manager, Engr.

Peter Ani who led performance of the 2017 honour award at Ama plant in Enugu State, said it was a ritual for the company to celebrate its deserving management and non employees as a confirmation of its commitment to performance, dedication and excellence.

Ani noted that the most important resource in any organization is the employees.

He said that the 65 deserving employees have served the company for 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years, and

overnor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has cautioned council chairmen against using their positions as platform for gratification or for engagement in conspicuous consumption to the detriment of the people they were elected to serve.

The governor, who made the appeal while administering oath of office on the 31 local government council

contributions of the distinguished recipients to the larger success for which the company is well •The couple, Mr and Mrs Oritseweyinmi Ayutsede, flanked by the bridal train and groom's men identified.”

N-Delta group trains 120 Ondo youths

By Dayo Johnson, Akure

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bout 120 youths from oil rich communities in Ondo State have been trained in poultry farming by the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) in collaboration with Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

The two-week training programme, which was executed by the Perfect Works

Gov Emmanuel cautions LG chairmen

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have collectively contributed a total of 905 service years to the progress of the company.

Ani said “the long service award ceremony is a demonstration of our company’s appreciation for the individual and collective

chairmen elected in the December 2 polls in the state, reminded them of the need to meet the people’s obligations.

He stressed that by voting them into office, the people had affirmed their confidence in them and were expecting that, as leaders, they would interpret the visions of the administration to the people at the grassroots.

Integrated Services Limited (PWISL), took place in Okitipupa.

The NCDMB Manager, Capacity Building, Engineer Frank lbeh, said the training was designed to reduce unemployment and restiveness among the youths in the region and Nigeria at large.

“We are training them because of the quality of chicken we are expecting from them because after the processing, we package and sell for the catering companies in the oil

and gas industry”, Omagbemi said.

“Out growers/GAET Training on Broiler Production was divided into two pilot phases of 60 trainees each, adding that each of the youths would be given birds, vaccines and pens to start their business.

“We are expecting over 180,000 birds from this exercise because of the capacity of our chicken processing plant. So, if we give every farmer 800 to 1,000 birds, we will get the 180, 000 birds in seven weeks”.

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 10, 2017, Page 7

PDP National Convention People’s Democratic Party (PDP) National Convention was held yesterday at the Eagle Square, Abuja.

Photos: Abayomi Adeshida

From left: A former governor of Abia State, Chief Theodore Orji; a for mer Sports Minister, Mallam Samaila Sambawa, and Chairman of the PDP Electoral Committee, Hon. Gabriel Suswam

Members of the Security Committee

The Chairman, Convention Planning Committee, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, (right), discussing with a former Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Chief Dubem Onyia.

National chairmanship aspirant, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi addressing journalists.

The police trying to ensure security

A member of the Electoral Committee reading Vanguard

Sen Chris Anyanwu (left) with the Chairman, Electoral Committee, Hon. Gabriel Suswam and other members of the Committee

*Police keeping vigil on ballot boxes

PDP National Convention: Roll Call

BY HENRY UMORU Senator Ahmed Makarfi 1. Former President Goodluck Jonathan 2. Former Vice President Namadi Sambo 3. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar 4. Depute Senate President Ike Ekweremadu 5. Former Senate President President David Mark 6. Former governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa 7. Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti 8. Nyesom Wike of Rivers 9. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta 10. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom 11. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia 12. Darius Ishaku of Taraba 13. Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe 14. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa 15. Dave Umahi of Ebonyi 16. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu 17. Ben Ayade of Cross River 18. Pastor Osagie Ize- Iyamu 19. Chief Dan Orbih 20. Chief Mike Onolememen 21. Senator Matthew Urhoghide 22. Senator Clifford Ordia 23. Chief Pascal Ugbome 24. Chief Ozeto 25. Honourable Tunde Akogun 26. Senator James Manager 27. Senator Peter Nwaoboshi 28. Senator Bassey Akpan 29. Senator Godswill Akpabio 30. Senator Aniete Okon

31. Senator Rose Oko 32. Speaker Onofiok Luke 33. Senator Stella Oduah 34. Oseloka Obaze 35. Raymond Dokpesi 36. Chief Olisa Metuh 37. Chief Chris Uba 38. Iyom Josephine Anenih 39. Senator Theordore Orji 40. Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe 41. Senator Mao Ohuabunwa 42. Senator Joshua Lidani 43. Senator Walid Jibrin 44. Senator Folashade Bent 45. Senator Samuel Anyanwu 46. Senator Joshua Lidani 47. Professor Ahmed Alkali 48. Senator Chukwuuka Utazi 49. Chief Kema Chikwe 50. Former governor Ibrahim Idris 51. Former governor Idris Wada 52. Chief Olusola Akanmode 53. Hon. Esther Audu 54. Senator Tunde Ogbeha 55. Senator Bode Olajumoje 56. Senator Biodun Olujimi 57. Former gov Ramallan Yero of Kaduna state 58. Former Acting National Chairman, Dr. Bello Haliru 59. Former Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Maina 60. Senator Jeremiah Useni 61. Senator Jonah Jang

62. Senator Suleiman Adokwe 63. Former governor Peter Odili of Rivers 64. Former National Financial Secretary, Ambassador Tukur Mani 65. Former National Financial Secretary, Elder Bolaji Akpan Anani 66. Awwal Bamanga Tukur 67. Former National Sec. Prof. Wale Oladipo 68. Senator Emmanuel Paulker 69. Senator Ben Murray- Bruce 70. Senator Iyola Omisore 71. Gbenga Daniel 72. Senator Duro Faseyi 73. Senator Odion Ugbesia 74. Honourable Ndidi Elumelu 75. Senator Buruji Kashamu 76. Senator Jackson Adeleke, Osun West 77. Emeka Ihedioha 78. Austin Okpara 79. Senator Joy Emodi 80. Senator Ben Obi 81. Honourable Timothy Golu, Plateau 82. John Odey 83. Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo 84. Chief Jimmy Agbaje

PAGE 8—VANGUARD, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2017

*Cross section of delegates at the PDP Convention held in Abuja yesterday.

PDP NATIONAL CHAIRMAN

Secondus is first! *Dokpesi, Adeniran protest result

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor, Henry Umoru and Dirisu Yakubu

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arring any last-minute miracle, Prince Uche Secondus was set to emerge as the winner in the contest for the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last night.

The development left two other candidates for the post, Chief Raymond Dokpesi and Prof. Tunde Adeniran, protesting.

Secondus was expected to emerge officially as the PDP National Chairman at the party’s national convention held at the Eagle Square, Abuja, after sorting and counting of votes.

The two separately declared their rejection on the basis of the circulation of a Unity List among the delegates.

They made their submissions just as delegates finished voting but before the votes were collated.

Dokpesi told newsmen that the process of voting had been rigged, following the distribution of a Unity List containing names of the candidates believed to have won elections into various national leadership positions in the party.

He said complaints were lodged with the chairman of the PDP Electoral Committee Chairman Gabriel Suswan who confirmed that he had seen the list with some delegates but that he was overwhelmed.

Similarly, Adeniran called for the cancellation of the entire exercise, saying Governors Nyesom Wike and Ayo Fayose foisted the Unity List on delegates.

“We reject the entire electoral process. The election has been grossly compromised to achieve a predetermined end.

The illegal Unity List is prepared by Governors Wike and Ayodele Fayose to foist on the entire delegates” Mr. Taiwo Akeju, Director, Media and Publicity of the Adeniran Campaign said last night.

Meanwhile, the assertion by officials of the PDP about restoration of internal democracy ahead of the 2019 round of elections were interpreted to be derailing as the former ruling party lapsed into the old way of forging a

consensus in the enthronement of its leadership.

Before the convention opened yesterday morning, a Unity List of delegates, forged between the party’s 11 governors and power brokers, was circulated with Secondus, a former Acting National Chairman, prevailing as the consensus candidate for National Chairman. His emergence followed the disunity in the ranks of the South-West Caucus which despite the support and

entreaties from northern elders on the party, were unable to produce a consensus candidate from their ranks until the voting commenced.

Before the election, three of the seven South-West candidates, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Senator Rasheed Ladoja and Mr. Jimi Agbaje, announced they were pulling out of the contest. The pulling out of the trio, with the earlier unceremonious exit of Chief Bode George, meant that only Adeniran, who had the

*Delegates from Bayelsa at the PDP Convention backing of many Northern delegates, could compete.

However, by the time the announcements were made, the deals to push Secondus had been sealed and many of the northern delegates supportive of a South-West Chairman had given up on the region.

The only other main challenger to Secondus was Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, from the South-South, like Secondus, who, again, even before the convention started, reiterated that he would take the battle to the convention ground as “it was up to the delegates to decide on who would be the Chairman”.

There was, however, despair among some party chieftains that the decision to push through the Unity List could puncture the boisterousness that was seen among party chieftains hungry to forge unity to prosecute the 2019

presidential election.

The conspicuous absence of some party chieftains raised issues. Among those absent were some of the leading promoters of Adeniran, notably Senator Ibrahim Mantu.

However, expectations of rancour among the Anambra delegations were put aside as PDP chieftains, who allegedly worked at cross purposes, sat comfortably indeed excitedly with the party’s defeated candidate in the Anambra State governorship election, Mr. Oseloka Obaze. Sitting with Obaze were Chief Chris Uba, Chief Olisa Metuh among others.

The convention provided an opportunity for delegates to chide ‘internal enemies’ like Senator Buruji Kashamu who, following his one month suspension by the just dissolved National Working

Committee, NWC, was chased away from the Ogun State pavilion. His efforts to find succour at the Osun and Ondo pavilions were of little effort as he was forced to drive out of the convention ground.

Kashamu has, however, declared his suspension illegal and of no effect.

Despite claims that the convention ground would not be turned into a campaign ground for 2019 presidential aspirants, there were events to the contrary as supporters of many of the party’s contenders used the opportunity to market their principals. A big banner proclaiming Governor Ayo Fayose was laid on the floor in front of the Ekiti pavilion, while drummers canvassing the aspiration of contenders, including Alhaji Sule Lamido, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, moved around the convention ground.

... Jonathan, Atiku attack APC, say Nigeria is sinking

By Dirisu Yakubu

F

ormer President Goodluck Jonathan and erstwhile Vice President Atiku Abubakar, among others, yesterday, attacked the All Progressives Congress (APC) government of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying it has failed to deliver on the promises it made to Nigerians during the campaigns ahead of the 2015 presidential election.

They spoke at Eagle Square, Abuja, venue of the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Atiku, who was the first to speak at the occasion, noted that his love for Nigeria inspired him to fight tirelessly to enthrone unity and constitutionality in the country.

“We must unite as a party to secure the trust of the Nigerian people again because, under the APC, Nigeria is not working and our people are not working”, he said.

“Let us consider what the APC has achieved versus what they promised at election time: The APC promised us three million new jobs a year. In government, the APC has lost three million jobs a year.

“The APC promised us peace and unity; under the APC, Nigeria is now more divided and acrimonious than at any time since the civil war. The APC promised us restructuring; in office, the APC denied

restructuring.

“The APC promised a war on corruption but all they have delivered is war on the opposition, with handouts for their cronies and handcuffs for their opponents.”

While admitting that the PDP made mistakes while in government, the former VP added that the party’s record of achievements are undeniable in critical sectors of the economy.

“We, the PDP, achieved a 10-year increase in the life expectancy of our people,”Atiku said.

“We, the PDP, enabled 99 million more of our people to have a mobile phones.

“We, the PDP, helped Nigeria become the largest economy in Africa. As members of the PDP, we all have a lot to be proud of. In the 16 years that we governed this nation, we kept it united, peaceful and prosperous.

“We made mistakes, but we put our nation first. We did not favour only states that voted for us and punish those that did not. We favoured all. And we also know that 5% and 97% do not add up to 100%.”

“We now have an APC government, which continues to blame previous governments and scapegoat people rather than solve problems it was elected to solve.”

Jonathan, while thanking the leadership of the PDP for their services to the party, urged those that lost out in yesterday’s election to work

still for the progress of the PDP family.

“We plead with those who will win the elections today to carry everybody along. I charge all those that are contesting one position or the other to imbibe the PDP spirit,”the former President said.

“Politics is grassroots business. Party leaders must go to the grassroots to tell the people that the PDP will reclaim lost grounds; Let me tell all those being persecuted today to know that the persecution will expire one day.”

He called on party members to be proud of the PDP, stressing that “PDP is a party that doesn’t change its name at every election cycle.”

On the part of the outgoing National Caretaker Chairman of the party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, the convention offered a platform to render a little account of the pains and gains of his stewardship.

“The acute financial position of the party did not help matters, as all but one of the bank accounts we inherited had been garnished by various court judgements on account of debts”, Makarfi said.

“The only bank account we have had access to these past 18 months is one that had less than two million naira.

We virtually lived from hand to mouth.

“All that we have succeeded in doing, including the payments of

staff salaries, office needs, maintenance and operational expenses have been from party leaders and our personal sacrifices.

“Those odds notwithstanding, we applied ourselves as best as we could to measure up to your confidence. It is with gratitude to God that I report to you that we succeeded in bringing about substantial reconciliation among PDP members across the country, especially in those states where we inherited serious leadership problems with several factions staking claims to it.

States like Adamawa, Anambra, Borno, Kebbi, Kwara, Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Oyo were all in this category.

“I am happy to inform you dear delegates, that in all of these states but Osun, we have engendered the emergence, through democratic means, of new leaderships.”

That said, Makarfi literally tore the APC-led government to shreds as he berated the social malaise prevalent in the country under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“It is with a high sense of responsibility that I seize this opportunity to draw the attention of the government, for, it seems unaware to the fact that Nigerians are hungry as poverty is ravaging the land”, the outgoing party leader said.

“The relative ease with which foodstuff and other essentials were available and affordable to the average Nigerian under PDP governments is now history.

“Insecurity in the North East which was thought to be receding is creeping back with greater ferocity, particularly against soft targets.

“Kidnap for ransom has taken a life of its own, and so are the incessant farmers/ herdsmen clashes and criminalities so camouflaged. Government must up the ante in its efforts to confront these menaces.”

Present at the convention were the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Ayodele Fayose, and governor of Ekiti State, and his colleagues: Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe) and Emmanuel Udom (Akwa Ibom).

Others in attendance are former Vice President Namadi Sambo; immediate past President of the Senate, Senator David Mark; Chairman, Board of Trustees of the party, Senator Walid Jibrin; former governors, Achike Udenwa (Imo), Peter Odili (Rivers), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Babangida Aliyu (Niger) and Liyel Imoke among others.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 10, 2017, PAGE 9

How we spent Abia’s N30 billion bailout, Paris Club loan refunds, by Gov. Ikpeazu

BY LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

E

additional N600m to the payment of workers’ salaries and wages. Thus a total of N5.9b was spent therein.

“The second tranche of the Paris refund received by Abia state was 100% spent on workers’ salaries and pensions. This has greatly curtailed the salary arrears and responsibilities of the government.

“Overall, Abia received a total sum of N16.3B from the Paris Club refund and deployed N11.6B to service workers/pensioners wage bill. This translates to a commitment of more than 71% of total receipt to service workers’ salaries and pension”.

ven with his persistent employment drive and the deafening campaigns on the patronage of Made-In-Aba goods and services, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has had to face criticisms for not paying Abia State workers’ salaries.

The tongue-lashing climaxed after the receipt of the bailout funds and the Paris Club loan refunds from the Federal Government. But the governor appears not to have lost his cool. He rather waited for an opportunity to give explanation on the disbursement of the funds. Such an occasion presented itself in Abuja recently where he gave an update of his stewardship.

Apparently, two main reasons kept him going even in the midst of unusual provocation: his pact with the people for good governance upon assumption of office on May 29, 2015 and the recognition that transparency is a virtue and not a political tool in circular administration.

Recall that he had come under heavy criticisms for delaying payment of salaries yet he believed that an analysis of the application of the monetary receipts from the federal government was an effective way of accounting for his prudence and skills in resource management.

From every indication, what he waited for was an opportunity to showcase that the virtue of transparency and accountability was not rarity after all. And recently, such occasion offered itself and he grabbed it with both hands.

And so, he stood at a function, reeling out the details of the receipts and expenditures of the federal government bailout funds and the first and second traches of the Paris Clubs refunds as they affected to his state.

The event was the Media Conference for the Commissioners of Information and the Chief Press Secretaries, CPS, of the 36 States of the Federation organized by the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, in Abuja.

To this end, the Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu subtly rendered an account of his stewardship to Abians, Nigerians and the global citizens.

Areas of concentration were chiefly on the bailout fund from the federal government which he said was N14.2b, the first and second tranches of Paris refund which stood for N10.6b and N5.7b respectively.

The elucidation ebulliently made by his deputy, Sir Udo Oko Chukwu who represented him at the conference animated the hall of the conference with thunderous applauses as many participants were excited to hear that the money was virtually dedicated for payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities.

“He said: “The essence of this presentation is to highlight the utilization of Intervention funds since the inception of the present administration. These include; The Federal Government bailout fund; The first tranche of Paris Club refund and the second tranche of Paris Club refund.

“The receipt of the intervention funds has become a source of concern

*Ikpeazu to some analysts, pundits, social critics and political commentators. Some comments have been made in the print and social media which were half truths and sometimes outright lies. May I use this opportunity to briefly state the facts.

“Interestingly, Abia State government received the following intervention funds from FG: Bailout fund N14.2b; Paris refund (tranche 1) N10.6b and Paris refund (tranche 2) N5.7b “In line with the transparency approach to governance of the current administration, after the receipt of the first intervention (Bailout) fund, the Abia state government constituted a committee made up of the different labour Union leaders; namely NLC, TUC, NULGE, NUP, NUT and Joint Negotiating Council.

The committee took charge of the disbursement of the funds to various areas of greater needs and exigencies.

“Indeed, the exercise was conducted devoid of government intervention as 100% of funds received were expended in the services of workers’ payments.

This exercise was (by all known standards) transparent and applauded by ICPC, who singled out Abia and two other States for their transparency in the disbursement and utilization of the fund.

“There was also an express advice from the Federal Ministry of Finance for 50% of the first tranche of the Paris Refund to be dedicated to the payment of workers’ salaries and wages. In addition to committing 50% as advised, the present administration disbursed an

Pension To address the perennial problem of pension in the state, the governor said that some special mechanism had been introduced to flush out ghost pensioners.

He said: “Hitherto there were 19 Sub-treasuries through which Pensioners were paid. These subtreasuries determined when and how to pay the pensioners. This brought about sharp practices in the system.

The government therefore decided to abolish the sub-treasuries system.

“To address this issue the State embanked on Pensioners Verification Exercise (PVE). This has helped the State to identify non-retirees in the system. Thereafter, the e-payment system was adopted. This led to the simultaneous payment of all pensioners through their banks. Today, pensioners receive their pay at the comfort of their respective homes.

“Through the verifications, about 131

Areas of concentration were chiefly on the bailout fund from the federal government which he said was N14.2b, the first and second tranches of Paris refund which stood for N10.6b and N5.7b respectively teachers who were supposed to have retired were identified. From the original date of their retirement till the date of the discovery, the government had paid them a total sum of N496m. The government is determined to convert the monies paid them as either pension or gratuity due them in future.

Other fundamental issues “With the introduction of the verification and biometric exercises some issues such as ‘ghost worker ’

salaries, padding of salaries, multiplicity of people receiving salaries from various units of the government has been addressed. This has assisted the State greatly, as the monthly wage bill has been reduced from an average of N2.8b to N2.1b. Thus from this alone a savings of about N600m monthly has been achieved. When extrapolated in 34 months this amounts to about N16b that would have ordinarily gone into some individuals’accounts.”

Challenges However despite the achievements recorded, the governor said that the state was still bedeviled with a series of other financial challenges.

“The challenge has remained that while trying to clear the backlog of salaries, they keep piling as most of us can testify. This is as a result of the fact that allocations from the center and the IGR have not been enough to carry the monthly wage bill and other responsibilities”, he said.

Where is Abia at the moment?

“The State Government has brought about transparency and decency in the system. We have built more confidence on the relationship between the labour unions and the government. This can be attested to by the trade unions leaders and their members in the State. Currently Abia State government is up to date with MDAs salaries.

“In essence, these are the painstaking reforms we have carried out since the inception of this administration.

“This analysis does not (in anyway) suggests that Abia is not owing some outstanding salaries. The State has some challenges among the parastatals. Whereas some parastatals are up to date as a result of prudence and transparency, others are not. For example ABSU today is a role model and the benchmark used to monitor other parastatals. ABIAPOLY has followed suit. We are also working hard to cover the gap with the backlog of teachers’salaries.

“Above all, while the State continues with these detailed and painstaking efforts to revamp and revitalize every aspect of the State socio-economic status as well as put smiles on the faces of the people once again, we encourage every citizen to remain steadfast and supportive of this visionar y, virile and vibrant administration so that all the above stated gains can further be consolidated”, the Governor said.

Meanwhile, noting earlier that the present administration was heralded with volatility and instability in the international crude oil market that saw the price of Oil nosedived to an all time low of about $28 per barrel, Governor Ikpeazu who applauded President Buhari for the bailout funds essentially called for the stimulation of the economy.

“The need to stimulate the economy cannot be overemphasized, as it is most important to relieve Nigerians from the harsh effects of the recession”, he said.

PAGE 10 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 10, 2017

No retired military officer who knows what he is doing should be poor

•Rear Admiral Onah

—Rear Admiral Onah (ret.)

•Says Okowa close to achieving the ‘Delta without oil’ agenda

R

ear Admiral Mike Onah retired as Chief of Naval Accounts and Chairman of Military Pension Board. Since his retirement, Onah has joined forces with people of like-minds to move Nigeria forward. The National President of Ndokwa Leaders Political Forum, in this interview, speaks on issues concerning his native state of Delta and Nigeria.

BY WALE AKINOLA How has Anioma people fared under the present political dispensation, or let’s even say since 1999?

Anioma people are not faring badly.

When you want to discuss Anioma people in relation to other groups in Delta State, you cannot treat Anioma in isolation of what is going on generally. In Delta, it is an Anioma man that is in the saddle now as the state governor. But in the past, we’ve had governors from other ethnic groups. In the last two and a half years, we now have our own man as governor in the person of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.

But he took over at a time when federal allocation has gone down. So, the state is not as buoyant as it used to be.

However, I must give kudos to Okowa for living up to expectation. He is doing his very best for the state within the limits of the resources. A lot of roads are being rehabilitated while new other ones are under construction. Same goes for schools and health institutions. I hope he get a second term in order to consolidate on his current achievements.

Which areas would you like him to accord top priority?

Power sector should get a special attention. One of the greatest challenges facing the country today is poor power supply. No nation can develop without power. People are crying ‘no work, no money ’ just because there are no factories, no industries. But even if you have to set up factories or industries that generate mass employment, the environment must be conducive. With steady power supply, prices of commodities will be cheap and our industries will operate at maximum capacity. Even if you have the idea of running a small scale industry, the fact that there is no steady power supply will kill the idea. So I will like Okowa and the Federal Government to give special attention to power sector.

What is your take on the book about prominent Anioma indigenes and their achievements, which the author claimed is to inspire and motivate Anioma youths?

Most of the things happening today to our youths are due to circumstances beyond their control. There are a lot of bad influences on youths not only in Delta State or Nigeria but indeed everywhere you go. Some of all these negative influences are from the Internet. So you see that children are not totally under the control of their parents, because when they go to school they associate with their peers including the corrupted ones. What parents can do, given this state of affairs is to stand firm and straight. They should try as much as they can to ensure that they monitor the influences on their children. Second, you talked about their will and

Most of the efforts of the Okowa government are actually geared towards self-sufficiency in agriculture. This strategy, if sustained over time, will make Anioma to lead the way to make Delta actualise its “beyond oil” agenda

determination. I am sure they have the will and determination, provided we the elders play the role of weaning them off bad influences and that is by paying closer attention to their welfare.

Children need close guidance, because no parent will like to see his or her children become social outcasts or miscreants. The book is a good one. It is a project that has my support.

Do you think the book will have the desired impact on Anioma youths?

No doubt, it will create a very good influence on the youths. You hear young people say they want to be like J.J. Okocha (prominent footballer). They want to be like Kanu Nwankwo (another prominent footballer). This means that older ones who have shown successes in their disciplines or professions have become role models for young people.

So this book will go a long way to influence the young ones. When we talk about development, we are not only speaking of physical development; we are also talking about mind development. There is also spiritual development. No careless man; no undisciplined man can really amount to much in life. So this collective biography will help to mould the character of our young people.

Are Anioma indigenes who are successful and already have breakthroughs giving back to the people, that is, helping others?

I cannot say they are doing enough.

Some of them are very selfish.

Unfortunately not everyone is disposed to being of help. But that has to do with

individuals. There are some people who have everything but are unfriendly, unsociable. They hardly interact. But there are others, who have made themselves open and accessible to members of their communities.

To what extent did your training and career in the military prepare you for life’s challenges?

In the military, you pass through physical and mental challenges. Some of the courses you attend when you are in the military prepare you for different forms of life challenges. Some of the courses put you under very heavy pressure to see if you can be bent and broken. Some like the ones in the Command and Staff College, the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) prepare you for leadership.

Overall, the military is a very sound platform and any person who follows the principles which the military imbues one with will somehow end up living, at the very least, a comfortable life.

As a leader and an elder of the Ndokwa nation, what do you think should be the role of traditional institutions in shaping the younger generation?

Today, all of us revere Jesus Christ, but we forget that our reverence for him is not because he was wealthy or because he had billions of pounds in his bank account.

Rather, the world reverences and worships him for his sacrifice. He lived and epitomised the ideal of a sacrificial life.

Those people who had wealth, property, etc during the life time of Christ, who know them today? When they died, their names died with them. So, greed is a problem.

Many young people are anxious to become billionaires in a hurry. Some of the traditional rulers are also very anxious to make money. Today, you see traditional rulers giving chieftaincy titles to people with questionable sources of wealth. They beg people to come and take chieftaincy titles especially when they have money. But our children are watching and copying these things. We are feeding them with the idea that it is money that the traditional institution in their community respects and recognises. When you call unworthy characters and give them titles because they have made money, without ascertaining whether their sources of wealth, this encourages others to take to crime. You are encouraging kidnapping for ransom. So, my advice to the traditional institution is that before you give people chieftaincy titles, know the genuineness of their sources of wealth. These days, you find armed robbers, once they hammer, as they say, you see them returning to their communities to make noise. They go to hotels to waste the money.

And then people will go to town saying ‘these people have arrived’. So, our traditional rulers must learn to despise members of their communities who come to show off ill-gotten wealth. They must also

not be corupt. A situation where you see the truth but because somebody has cornered you behind the curtain and given you money, tghen you go to the public and you pervert the cause of justice, is really bad.

Young people are watching; they are learning; and such things are influencing their characters.

The campaign for true federalism has refused to go because of the inherent benefits for the nation. Meanwhile some people are afraid of it because they benefit from the current status quo.

People are afraid of true federalism because they think that, without federal allocation, some of the states cannot survive, which is not true. It has made many states not to look inwards. Delta State government is not like them as it has done a lot in regard to diversification. The state is paying a lot attention to agriculture. Now, in every local government, the state government has established farms. They are giving loans to farmers and training farmers in latest techniques in modern farming. Money is being invested in providing training centres, infrastructure, equipment like tractors and other things which farmers can readily access, all in the bid to diversify the state’s economy. There is no alternative to agriculture, because that is what can quickly change both the personal economy of the average Deltan and that of the state as a whole. Indeed Okowa administration has concentrated on agriculture to the delight of all wellmeaning indigenes of the state. For example, in my part of Delta State, Anioma or Delta North, the governor has established large farmlands for large-scale farming of rice.

Most of the efforts of the Okowa government are actually geared towards self-sufficiency in agriculture. This strategy, if sustained over time, will make Anioma to lead the way to make Delta actualise its “beyond oil” agenda.

Delta State is envied for having produced many accomplished persons in business, banking, academics among others. What factors can you identify as accounting for this salutary trend?

Naturally, Anioma people are very industrious. We are highly focused people.

But the problem we have is the lack of a conducive environment for us to showcase our potentialities in terms of professionalim, otherwise, by nature, we have the skills and determination to succeed. Schools like Saint Thomas’ College Ibusa helped a lot in contributing to the success of Anioma people. In those days it was one of the best. People that passed through that school were seen as ambitious to become something in life. I passed through the school too. That is one of the propelling factors that had produced a number of prominent Anioma personages.

Every house in Anioma is so invested in seeing his son or daughter become something.

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 10, 2017, PAGE 11

Viewpoint

By Tony Nwankwo VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

EZE ATUM AKWARA: Choices before Abia govt

Call for action on Governor Okezie Ikpeazu

T is strange that Eze Atum Akwara, the Onyerubi I of Abam, a man with Ipowerful friends across Nigeria, died

over five years ago, yet Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State is allowing the remains of the first class King, a man, who at a stage was the 4th highest ranking traditional ruler in the state to waste at the Madona Catholic Hospital mortuary, located along Old Aba Road, Umuahia.

To add insult to injury, miscreants from the deceased’s home town of Idima Abam, Arochukwu LGA, determined to rubbish the King’s legacy in death, late last year, using forged affidavit, went to the hospital and successfully collected the king’s remains, which they paraded within the Abam area, preparatory to burying the king’s remains in the dead of night, before family members, alerted hospital authorities of the fraud, until a Madona mortuary vehicle was despatched to Idima to retrieve the corpse.

The miscreants had erected canopies and even printed mourning vests. The impostors had succeeded in selling the king’s prime farmlands, popularly called Wor Wor, so to clear themselvesoftheburdenofguilt,chose to will the proceeds to the king’s burial arrangements. An abominable act in

By Steve Orji TRIBUTE IN BRIEF Fitting lessons

I

T was hard knock on the spine to wake up and find in the news that Governor Rochas Okorocha had erected a life-size statue of President Jacob Zuma of South Africa in Imo State among other yet-to-beunveiled statues in what seems to be a new gallery of spectacular unknown heroes.

What could have galvanised this governor into such an honour-spree, extravaganza?

Okorocha may have dug deep into the moral anatomy of Nigeria and have found it an easy haven for misplaced, mischievous honours.

And it was so cheap! Nigeria made!

To make certain that Okorocha was not alone in this enterprise, the APC-led administration acknowledged his feat for honouring a serving president

By kehinde olaosebikan TRIBUTE IN BRIEF

The essential First Lady

T

HE First Lady of Oyo State, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, is complementing the 3- Point Agenda of Restoration, Transformation and Repositioning of her husband, Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

Starting with the Ajumose Food Basket, a program that gives food items to a number of people across the 33 local government areas of the state on monthly basis; Access to Basic Medical Care (ABC Foundation), recently adjudged as the Most Outstanding NGO in the South West by the House of Representatives; ICT Corner for Women in Public Service and Educate a Rural Child Project that provides educational materials for the indigent students amongst others, Mrs Ajimobi is concretely connecting with the Oyo people in all facets of life and in all the nooks and crannies, making living, easier and more meaningful.

The way it is, the insult is not only on the body of the dead king, but on the community where he was king throughout his adult life. It is also an insult to the government

Abam,asanywhereinIgboland,were it not that corrupt elders want to profit therefrom.

Alive, the king was known for his wisdom. His love for people went beyond Abam. His achievements are legendary, until he collided with a local politician, who used government resources to destroy the man’s image at home, razing his palace to the ground and finally, sending the king on forced exile. Eze Atum Akwara with his family, spent 12 years in forced exile at the palace of Eze Aro, Eze Ogbonnaya Okoro.

According to Eze Atum Akwara, Eze Aro gave him sanctuary following the intervention of then Governor Orji

Uzor Kalu, following the destruction of his palace. Still in exile, Eze Atum Akwara, went to court and triumphed over his adversaries who, eventually, were ordered by the presiding justice at Umuahia to run round the court premises as punishment and thereafter beg for forgiveness for their wrongs against the king. This they did. The king later returned home to his native Idima Abam, where he tried to pick up the pieces of his life before succumbingtothecoldhandsofdeath.

Yet, the enemies of the king have tried to bring his name to odium. The state government, expected to play a pivot role in his burial arrangements seems unconcerned. Meanwhile, some elders of the community, part of the clique responsible for the man’s exile in the first place, are trying to profit from his demise. According to sources, during his days in exile, some palace servants masquerading as family members, tried to dispossess the king’s family, most of whom were in exile too, of their lands. Egged on by the politician, these touts tried to sell off prime lands belonging to the family.

So, on his return and as customs demanded, the king approached the community elders, soliciting that community government hold his lands in trust until the determination of the cases he filed against trespassers in court. He never asked them to

release his estate to his enemies, or dispossesshisfamilyathisdeath. Now thatheisdead,theeldersareconniving with these touts to sell his lands to the same politician who was instrumental to sending the king on forced exile in the first place.

This is exactly what the elders have done. They allegedly connived with the politician to approve sales of the lands even while the matter is still pending at a High Court in Umuahia.

Members of the king’s family who tried to protest were banished and are themselves currently in another exile, including the crown prince, Rev. Ngozi Atum Akwara. It is the same clique that went to the mortuary to steal the corpse of the king, an abomination, if not that it happened while the state government looks elsewhere.

The way it is, the insult is not only on the body of the dead king, but on the community where he was king throughout his adult life. It is also an insult to the government of Abia State, the Arochukwu Local Government, and the entire Abam clan.

How can the Abia State government sit idly by, while the remains of its first class traditional ruler,theOnyerubi1ofOhaekeAbam, a man who was king before Abia State was carved out of Imo State, a man who was king, during the regime of Governor Amadi Ikwecheghi, is

berated and scorned by his enemies.

If the truth be told, the remains of the late Onyerubi I, does not deserve to be treated with such ignominy. The king was sent on forced exile on trumped up and unfounded charges which had been vacated by a court of competent jurisdiction at Umuahia.

So, why could the state government be punishing the remains of the king by not stepping in and giving him a befitting burial. Is it lawful for Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to claim that the king did not reign during his term as governor, afterall governance is a continuum.

One understands there are Idima sons serving in the cabinet of this governor, are they not telling him that their king had died? Or is their interest only in acquiring the man’s property, instigating criminals to illegally smuggle the man’s remains and burying the king in the dead of night as they planned to do late last year before the intervention of legitimate family members. Sure, in Abia State, there must be laws against swearing false affidavits.

This is appealing to the government of Abia State, to intervene to ensure that the remains of a man who served his community and his state with such candour is laid to rest in dignity.

This cannot be asking for too much.

•Nwankwo is a staff of Vanguard Newspapers, Lagos.

CHINUA ACHEBE: Four years on, how and what do we honour?

battling with allegations of corruption in his own country.

And Nigeria thus endorsed it.

The late Chinua Achebe remains unassailable in the Nigerian context of honouring. Twice he could deconstruct the narrative box of Nigeria’s honours.

The first from for President Olusegun Obasanjo and the next from ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

For those were suborn honours.

Achebe’s refusals were to be a sober moral reincarnation for Nigeria, a hard kick on the jurisdiction of honours and honouring.

This year is four years since Achebe’s death, and what he stood for, still a strong stare in the face of a nation that is heading down the precipice.

I thought Achebe was teaching us how to honour and the substance of what we should honour in these

Even when Nigeria has not deemed it fit to bestow on Achebe a fitting national honour due his life and significance, at the moment, his moral essence continues to offer a redeeming backdrop on the nation he gave his honest best

refusals? He was! We didn’t wish to learn!

Almost everyone in Nigeria has one title or the other. Those who don’t have soon get indoctrinated on why and how to get one. People

seek after titles or its tokens, as either social instruments or psycho tools, required to coerce themselves or others into some form of social acceptance or endearments or to provide facelifts for themselves in an attempt to sublimate a severely damaged self-reputation.

For whatever reason, Nigeria and Nigerians falls for it. The danger, again, that accompanies this kind of frivolities, is the death of the society. Death doesn’t entirely connote cessation of physical life. It is the accompanying numbness and loss of sensation in the inner core of the human conscience. Nigeria has attained that inglorious threshold of moral anarchy.

This is the kind of social and ethical doctrine Okorocha has further enshrined in the annals of our honouring history as society.

This is the same thread of narrative that reinstated Maina, ex-pension administrator who allegedly duped

Nigeria to humungous sums of money. He was not only reabsorbed into the mainstream of Nigeria’s public workforce, he was also honoured with a perk of promotion.

Some ministers in Buhari’’ administration with corruption charges are not merely in office, they have gone further to become the poster child of a government that vowed to fight corruption.

Achebe even in death interrogates Nigeria. His last conversation with Nigeria may have ended abruptly.

But as we dig into the repertoire of his legacies, we would find fitting lessons enough to renounce the current moral apathy and shambolic display of statesmanship.

Even when Nigeria has not deemed it fit to bestow on Achebe a fitting national honour due his life and significance, at the moment, his moral essence continues to offer a redeeming backdrop on the nation he gave his honest best.

Florence Ajimobi: The new face of the Oyo woman In addition to all the aforementioned programs, this paragon of beauty and brain triggered off the unusual with the introduction of intellectualism into the office of the First Lady. When she came up with the idea of bringing the wives of public office holders in Oyo State under the aegis of Oyo State Officials’ Wives Association (OYSOWA), many had thought the group was for the usual women’s stuff, partying and other frivolities. But Mrs. Ajimobi toed the line of intellectualism by introducing a yearly conference of women of note to discuss and further the course of development of not just the women in Oyo or Nigeria but also in Africa and across the globe.

For three years running, the program has become a huge success. She has, in an unprecedented manner, mobilized fellow First Ladies all over Nigeria and beyond our

shores to chart new courses for progress and development.

This year’s edition, that came to a close on Friday, was attended by over, 1,000 delegates including world acclaimed women leaders like the former Zimbabwean Vice President, Dr. Joice Mujuru, former First Lady of Liberia, Senator Jewel Howard Tailor, four state governors, 21 First Ladies. The conference has become a toast to all, eliciting affirmative comments and commendations in public places and social media.

For this beautiful woman to have successfully turned a supposedly frivolous association in Ibadan to an intellectual hub, recognized across the continent, it is established that Mrs. Ajimobi has truly changed the face of the Ibadan woman from that of a cloth or pepper seller to that of a beauty and a thinker.

I must quickly add here that Oyo has been particularly blessed with exceptional First Ladies

since the beginning of our nascent democracy. From the motherly and benign Alhaja

• Mrs. Ajumobi Sarat Adeola Adesina, wife of the late Great Lam who came in with her well packaged Health is Wealth Program, it has been positives all through. The Health

is Wealth Program of Alhaja Adesina exists till date in the Office of the First Lady.

The elegant black beauty, Alhaja Mutiat Ladoja also initiated Idera De Foundation with headquarters in Ido for the disabled and under privileged while the gorgeous, vivacious well built wife of Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao Akala, Oluwakemi came up with Community Link Advancement Program (CLAP) for the uplift of the less privileged urban and rural women. They all served their purposes well.

However with the intellectualism and passionate execution of her projects, it is certain that Mrs. Ajimobis’s projects have not only come to stay, they have individually become a challenge to the future First Ladies.

•Olaosebikan is Chief Consultant, Midas Communications Limited

PAGE 12 — SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 10, 2017,

Viewpoint

By Ikechukwu Bismarch Oji

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

Addressing the problem of technical manpower

O

N Saturday, November 25, 2017, the Learn & Work European Vocational Institute was launched in Enugu by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.

The institute, which the senator is promoting in Nigeria, is designed to train young people in different skills including web design, plumbing, tailoring/dress making and home nursing among others. As the name implies, Learn & Work European Vocational Institute emphasizes functionality. As such, contrary to the current trend in Nigeria where people go to school just to obtain certificates, products of this novel institute are trained to be employers of labour, not to roam the streets as applicants searching for non-existent white collar jobs.

Today, the Nigerian educational system is experiencing serious crisis owing to undue emphasis on certification rather than functionality.

There is a wide gap between theory and practice. This is more glaring and critical in the aspect of engineering and technology. The economic prosperity of every nation is directly proportional to its technological capacity and

By Tunde Rahman

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF Hazarding a guess private discussion

into a

I

T was quite gratifying seeing President Muhammadu Buhari display rare strength and character recently in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire’s capital. Strength because without betraying any sign of tiredness or weakness,hewasengagedinonebilateral meeting after another, lasting well past midnight for the duration of the conference. And character as evident in thecurrencyanddepthofissues-someof them African-themed - he reportedly canvassed at the talks.

President Buhari wasinCoted’Ivoire for the just ended 5th African UnionEuropean Union Summit which took placefromTuesday,the28thtoThursday 30th November. Buhari had entered the Sofitel Hotelvenueoftheconference fromaround9.00amWednesday,theday the conference officially opened. And about midnight, precisely 12.26am, that is Thursday morning, the president was stillonhisfeet.Thiswritersawhimcoming out of a dinner hosted by the Ivorian President Alassane Quattara and his wife in honour of visiting heads of state and government and other heads of delegation, and entering into another round of meeting for multilateral talks withsomeheadsofstateatpastmidnight.

The talks were on the sidelines of the conference and the All Progressives

By Olu Odebiyi

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

Learn & Work European Vocational Institute: Ekweremadu’s smart move productivity. As such, no nation can be self reliant unless it has a productive real sector. Engineering and technology is the language of the real (industrial) sector, all other professions, including medicine, law, accountancy, etc. deal with services. This led to former US President Barack Obama’s quote, “How I wish all Americans were engineers”. Yet, the US is light years ahead of Nigeria technologically.

However, engineering and technology cannot be practised without the technicians and artisans who shoulder the responsibility of effective implementation of engineering designs as well as maintenance of enginerring systems.

According to the engineering family tree, you have the engineer at the apex, then the technologists, followed by the technicians and lastly the artisans.

Most often, the technicians and artisans are overlooked because of their position on the lower rungs of the industry. However, they are as important as the engineers, in practical terms.

It is this vital but forgotten component of the Nigerian economy that the Learn & Work European Institute has come to salvage. Today, our technical colleges, polytechnics

O

Inhisspeech,Ekweremadunotedthat the four youth centres he attracted to Enugu West Senatorial District could not work because of the incompetence of the system since “those teaching others are not competent” However, with the Learn & Work model, being a technician or an artisan can now be trendy. Also, with

arrangements on ground to help graduands in securing soft loans, they can now become employers of labour and earn huge incomes. Most importantly, it gives the youths an opportunity to directly contribute to the economic wellbeing of the country.

This adresses the genuine concerns raised by Ekweremadu that only about 10% of youths and other Nigerians who participate in elections benefit directly once the Government is sworn in. Senator Ekweremadu has always had a passion for the upliftment of the youths and the womenfolk who constitute over 70% of the country’s population, but are often remembered only during elections as thugs, mobilisers, and entertainers. This, he has been doing for about two decades through the Ikeoha Foundation.

It is instructive to note that the expansive location of the institute was once Citipark hotel, Enugu. However, owing to his unflinching commitment to the betterment of the Nigerian youth, the Deputy Senate President converted it to the vocational school. According to him, “ This used to be Citipark, providing entertainment and accomodation, but now it will provide skills as European vocational school”

The institute is being managed by the CEPU Education Group, Italy, with its training packaged to last for six months or 320 hours after which graduates are presented with graduation certificates. This implies that rather than spend six years in the university (minus strikes and other interruptions) to obtain a certificate, one can acquire technical skills within six months and go on to employ the university graduates when they eventually graduate.

The President of the Institute, Dr. Francheto Politori, rightly identified avocational education as a driving force that would assist nations in their bid for socio-economic development.

The Federal Government needs to forego partisanship and partner with Senator Ekweremadu to ensure the replication of the Learn & Work European Institute across the 36 states of Nigeria so as to ensure that the issue of lack of skilled technical manpower is adressed comprehensively. *Oji is Executive Director, Centre for the Advancement of Literacy& Leadership (CALL) and a former National Chairman, Ohaneze Youth Wing.

What piece of information did Tinubu gift President Buhari in Cote d’Ivoire?

Congress’ National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who was part of his entourage to the summit, was with him at some of these meetings. Also on the entourage were Bauchi State Governor Muhammed Abubakar and his Akwa Ibom State counterpart Emmanuel Udom who attended a few of such talks. President Buhari heldback-to-backbilateraltalks with Quattara, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo and the Vice President of Gambia Fatoumata Tambajang, with barely any little time betweeneachmeeting.Helaterattended the summit proper.

Those round-the-clock meetings underscored two things. One, having such awholedaynon-stopengagements showedthatthepresidentwastrulyback to full health. He is fit, mentally alert, active and agile. As he moved from one meeting venue to another, he carried himself sprightly with the agility of a 50year-old. President Buhari has his sightsontheproblemsafflictingNigeria and Africa. The raging issues plaguing NigeriaandAfricawerethefocalpoints, and rightly so, at his meetings. When he met the German Chancellor, the illegal migration of some Nigerians to Europe insearchofelusivegreenerpasturesand thenewslaverytheyarebeingsubjected to, particularly in Libya dominated

discussion. President Buhari was quite emphatic at the talks: this trend must be checked. The two leaders made a passionate commitment to expand discussionsonhowtostemthetideofsuch illegal migration. They agreed to strengthen legal migration. At the talks, Buhari also spoke of his government’s commitmenttosecuringlivesandproperty in Nigeria which, according to him, remains paramount.

He said prompt attention was being given to gainful employment of youths in Nigeria through education and the acquisition of skills and vocational training, adding that Nigeria and Germany could draw from their experiences to cooperate effectively in the areaofinvestinginyouthsforasustainable future.Onherpart,theGermanChancellor commended Buhari for the giant strides recorded by his administration in revamping the economy, promising to increasesupportforNigeriaindealingwith terrorism. Merkel disclosed that 58 German companies are at present operating in Nigeria. More companies haveindicated interestininvestinginthe energy, manufacturing, agriculture and constructionsectors,sheadded.

The political instability in Togo also seized a part of Buhari’s attention. In his bilateral meeting with President Quattara, Buhari expressedtheviewthat if the instability was not averted, the Togo

problem could have dire consequences for the region. He told the Ivorian president: “We must have a solution in Togo. The friends of the opposition and authorities must talk to them on the steps to jointly take to achieve stability. They must work towards gaining the trust of each other. There will be regional consequences for instability in Togo and this will surely come at a cost to development”.

These bilateral talks were held behind closeddoors,withthepresidentsupported by just one or two other personalities in some cases. In one instance, at the president’sbehest,ForeignAffairsMinister Geoffrey Onyeama had to vacate his seat to allow Asiwaju Tinubu take the loneseatatoneofthemeetingsinorderto be with Buhari.

It was instructive that President Buhari and Tinubu had graced most of the meetings together. Asiwaju was by the president’s side as he met with the Nigerian community in Cote d’Ivoire at the Nigerian Ambassador’s residence, barely two hours after they arrived in that country. At the meeting, President Buhari enjoined Nigerians in Cote d’Ivoiretobegoodambassadors.Hesaid he brought the two governors in his entouragealongbecausehemightneed theirvotesinfuture,hintingathispresumed second term ambition. At that interaction, Tinubu urged the

Thoughts on Ogun 2018 budget

Projecting into the future GUN State was in the news recently for all the right reasons.

It’s been about two weeks since the 2018 Budget of the State was presented to the State House of Assembly by H.E Sen Ibikunle Amosun in a ceremony that was both poignant and significant.

In many western democracies, the presentation of the Budget purports an eloquent restatement of the obligations of the state to the citizens and is often conducted in colour and sobriety.Anannualeventrequiredbylaw, it encapsulates the deliverables of the GovernmenttotheGovernedinallareas of economic interactions and in furtherance of the tenets of the ‘Social Contract’.

On the morning of 21 November, the GovernorofOgunState,HisExcellency Senator Ibikunle Amosun con, fca, in his characteristic enthusiasm for and faith in a brilliant future, presented to the representatives of the people, the vision

and universities churn out unskilled engineers, technologists, technicians, and artisans at an alarming rate. Today, the youths are not interested in trade apprenticeship because being a technician or an artisan is viewed with condescension, moreso since it does not bring “mega bucks”. Most youths want quick money popularly called “ego mbute”. As such, they no longer have the patience to be engaged in apprenticeship. This dearth of skilled craftsmen affects all subsectors of the technical industry; from the automobile industry to the tailoring industry, from the building construction industry to carpentry & joinery. Today, Togolese and other foreign nationals have taken over the tile laying trade in the building construction industry.

An important aspect of the institute should be to train the trainers since the master tradesmen who are to train the younger ones are also poorly skilled.

of his Government for the Acceleration of Development in all spheres of life in OgunState,overthe12monthsending 31 December 2018.

A budget footing of N345Billion, approximately One Billion US Dollars, is clearly challenging, unprecedented in size and prospects, certain to attract interestandcynicism,opentoaccolade and criticism. A closer assessment however, will invariably show that the budget is actually realistic, achievable, doable and could even be pushedfurther.

Ogun State has undoubtedly been achieving appreciable development in the past half-decade so why present a budget focused on the acceleration of development?

Theanswerliesintheimmediatepast.

The Government has set itself on a Missiontoeducateitsyoungpopulation, keepitspeopleingoodhealth,utiliseits abundantagriculturalresourcestofeed its people and propel industrialisation, enhance environmental quality, renew

its urban centers through massive infrastructural investments and ensure security of livelihoods and property amongst our other goals. All these were predicated on a diminishing reliance on oil driven federal allocations and an increasing anchorage on the resources availablewithinthestateandtheindustry of its people. Unfortunately, a global glut in oil supplies leading to a cataclysmic fall in prices in the course of 2015 led the Nigerian economy into slower growth.

Needlesstosay,therecessionimpacted growth in the Ogun State economy, slowing down many programmes in Education, HealthCare, Infrastructure, HousingandAgriculturalproductionand so on. It is plausible therefore that the nascent national economic recovery and growth will be sustained hence the imperative for a budget of accelerated development to catch up with the timelines and milestones of the Mission To Rebuild.

It is important to note that the 2018 Budget is more far reaching than any

previous budgets of this Government or any other past administrations, not just in size or in scope or in ambition but also in its potential to impact the people as wellasthearrayoftopqualityPartnerships like The World Bank, Samsung Heavy Industries,theGIZ,theCBNandsomany others that have committed to support its implementation.

For the first time in its history, the Government of Ogun State is attracting many international funding organizations with lower interest rates I.e 1-2% with long term tenures coupled with attractive moratoriums. We are committing almost a quarter of a Trillion Naira to Capital projects( imagine the impact on our state economy and youth employment).

Conceivably, the Government will sustain its budget performance rate of about 72%. That translates into effective investmentofN150billion–N175billion into Capital stock in 2018 alone, reflecting in the rehabilitation of over 200 kilometres of Urban Roads, various

Nigerians to help in preserving the country’sgoodnameinCoted’Ivoire.He spoke about President Buhari’s achievements in office thus far and his goodplansforthecountrygoingforward.

It emerged also that the bulk of the Nigerian population in Cote d’Ivoire are mostly of Osun State origin in the South-west.

But perhaps the most interesting bit of news for many Nigerians was Buhari’s comment about Tinubu.

Speaking about Asiwaju at that meeting, the president said the APC national leader brought him “a beautiful piece of information” of which he had beenoblivious. Tinubu hadhandedthat piece of information to the Nigerian leader right inside the Nigerian Airforceplane taking them to Abidjan.

Buhari did not disclose the nature of the information Asiwaju gifted him. “I also thank our leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He has brought me a verybeautifulpieceofinformation,which I was not aware of until I sat down and readitthisevening(penultimate Tuesday night).Thankyouverymuchforyourhard work and I will discuss that paper with you,”hesaid.

But what precisely is that piece of information all about? Well, only President Buhari and Asiwaju Tinubu can answer the question.

•Rahman is Special Adviser, Media to Asiwaju Tinubu.

FlyOvers and Bridges, over 250kilometres of Rural and Semi Urban Roads,Schools,Hospitals,Marketsand Shopping Malls, Sporting Arena etc.

The 2018 Ogun State Budget commends itself to the unequivocal supportofeverycitizenofOgunState.In the words of His Excellency the Governor,“OgunStatehasanimportant role to play in the unfolding story of Nigeria’s economic diversification and we (Ogun State) must not be found wanting”.

In all areas and in all endeavours that promote growth, development and prosperity, we (Ogun State) must be numberone.

Thefuturelooksbrightandpromising for our dear state and H.E Sen Ibikunle Amosun must be commended for his audacityofhope.Itisthereforeimportant that we maintain the momentum, remain focused, lessen all the noise and distractions (Ariwo ko ni music) with an abiding faith that nothing is impossible ifwebelieve‘Yeswecan’.

After all we are Ogun state.

•Odebiyi is Chief of Staff to Ogun State Governor & governorship aspirant for APC 2019.

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 10, 2017, PAGE 13

PA GE 14—SUND AY 14—SUNDA

Vanguard , DECEMBER 10, 2017

healthy living

MISDIAGNOSIS

Trouble as almost everybody ‘tests positive to typhoid, malaria’ •Experts speak on the way out

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

A

fter malaria, typhoid is next on the lips of many ill Nigerians.

Typhoid fever and malaria are estimated to constitute about 50 per cent of all hospitalisation in tropical countries like Nigeria. Sadly, misdiagnosis associated with laboratory tests has contributed immensely to over-diagnosis of the disease. Hospital findings have shown that wrong widal tests contribute to the misdiagnosis as well as poor management of typhoid fever in the country. Although, there is dearth of data regarding the infectious disease, a World Health Organisation, WHO, report shows that typhoid fever killed over 222,000 people out of 21 million cases recorded in 2014. Also a report

by The Lancet revealed that typhoid is a major contributor to disease burden in Africa, particularly in children.

However, investigations have shown that the kind of test commonly used to diagnose the disease, especially when done repeatedly, exposes people to misdiagnosis and wrong treatments.

While some experts agree that the disease is over-diagnosed in Nigeria, others say there is need for improved diagnosis for better outcomes. Sadly, millions of people in Nigeria and SubSaharan Africa are losing their lives every day to typhoid. For instance, most recent estimates by WHO showed that typhoid, a serious enteric fever caused by ingesting contaminated food or water, killed more than 128,000 people in 2016 and affected nearly 12 million. Specifically, in a report carried out by HealthGroove on the overall Impact and Specific Effect on Demographic Groups in Nigeria, it was found that annual mortality rate per 100,000 people from typhoid fever increased by 7.0 per cent since 1990, resulting to an average of 0.3 per cent a year. For men, according to the report, the deadliness of typhoid fever in Nigeria peaks at age 1-4. It kills men at C M Y K

Experts say vaccine remains a gamechanger in preventing typhoid and saving lives of millions of children and adults in endemic countries the lowest rate at age 50-54. Women are killed at the highest rate from typhoid fever in Nigeria at age 1-4. It was least deadly to women at age 4044. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the mortality rate, according to statistics from HealthGroove, showed that in Wester n Sub-Saharan Africa, the mortality rate was 2.9 per 100,000 while, in Nigeria alone, it is 2.6 per 100,000 people. In the world, the mortality is put at 2.3 per 100,000 people. Sadly, the report showed that Nigeria has the highest burden of mortality in West Sub- Saharan Africa.

Also, studies showed that the three most deadly intestinal infectious diseases that occurred in Nigeria in 2013 include typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever.

Burden on children Typhoid fever imposes a big burden on children. Although the disease has long been eliminated from most industrialised nations, it is still a serious threat in developing countries like Nigeria where majority of deaths occur. This became evident when the Board Chair man, G AVI, Vaccine Alliance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,

openly declared that she lost her cousin and nearly lost her son to typhoid.

Typhoid fever is caused by the bacterium, Salmonella typhi.

Characterized by prolonged fever, headache, nausea, loss of appetite and constipation or sometimes diarrhoea, the acute illness occurs predominantly in association with poor sanitation and lack of clean drinking water. Clinical severity varies and severe cases may lead to serious complications or even death. Findings by experts showed that symptoms are often non-specific and clinically non-distinguishable from other febrile illnesses.

Despite these revealing statistics, typhoid diagnosis has remained a challenge in Nigeria. A section in the medical circle believes that typhoid is over-diagnosed in the country, no thanks to lack of qualified laboratory personnel and poor results generated from laboratory facilities across the country.

Today, many misdiagnosed cases of typhoid turn out to be malaria.

According to Professor Wellington Oyibo of the Dept. of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Lagos, “typhoid is over-diagnosed and usually confused for malaria and vice versa”. Oyibo added, “Quality of testing is important as well as the knowledge of the principle of the tests as well. We are likely to have antibodies to typhoid or paratyphi antigens due to exposure that may not really be a current injection”. However, the readily available test for typhoid in Nigeria remains widal test. Although some laboratory scientists, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard, maintained it was handy at all times, several criticisms are on-going about its use. However, some physicians, in a report, expressed fears that widal test does not qualify as a valid test for typhoid. They maintained that it is no longer valid for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Hospital record show that 70 per cent of typhoid cases treated in Nigeria is as a result of misdiagnosis.

In an interview with Sunday Vanguard, the Director, Fort Medical Diagnosis, Lagos , Dr. Seyi Odeyemi, who noted that typhoid is over – diagnosed, confirmed that widal test does not give accurate results after all.

Odeyemi, who is also a former Public Relations Officer of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria, stressed that physicians must have a good knowledge of results to be able to apply the right tool of treatment.

“Widal reaction test is a rapid test that you can get the result immediately. It is a handy and good diagnostic tool if a qualified medical laboratory scientist is the one handling it. It is what is in use in 90 to 95 per cent of the cases but, unfortunately, most laboratories do not have qualified manpower ”, he said.

“It is not enough to say this is typhoid because diagnosis of the disease involves a lot of clinical parameters and tests, including a culture of the patients stool, the presentation of the patient; continuation of the reaction of that pattern of that test. There is need for a confirmatory test which is the stool culture. Those are the things you need to do before you can say this patient has typhoid including the clinical decision of the physician.”

He said stool culture is more accurate to diagnose typhoid because it is a disease of the guts and bacterial infection. “You can easily find it in the stool of an infected person. When you culture the stool, if it is there you can find it in pure isolate”, the former PRO said.

Noting that stool culture also has its limitation, he said it takes three to five days to produce result. “If a patient is dying, will you wait for three to five days when the patient must have died before treating?”, Odeyemi said On his part, Dr. Olawale Olajudu of Lagos General Hospital, who agreed to some extent that typhoid is overdiagnosed in Nigeria, stressed that to accurately diagnose typhoid, with other clinical evaluations, patients must have their faecal and sometimes blood culture tests done and physicians must have skills to interpret results. Olajudu said the problem with widal test lies more with the interpretation, regretting that Nigeria has no baseline for typhoid test as every laboratory result ought to be in conformity with clinical manifestation of the patient, clinical feature and the laboratory analysis. He stressed the need for laboratory facilities to be manned by qualified laboratory scientists “Clinicians should also have the ability to interprete results correctly.

Also, economic power of patients should be improved to enable them do all the tests they require. Widal test may suggest infection with Salmonella typhi.

But they are not diagnostic because of the number of false-positive and falsenegative. Isolation of Salmonella bacteria (that causes typhoid) from cultures of stool, blood, urine or bone marrow is necessary to confirm the diagnosis of typhoid fever. ” Vaccine to the rescue Experts say vaccine remains a gamechanger in preventing typhoid and saving lives of millions of children and adults in endemic countries. WHO has recommended the use of the Vi-PS and Ty21 vaccines to control the disease.

WHO further recommends that all typhoid fever vaccination programmes should be implemented in the context of other efforts to control the disease, including health education, water quality and sanitation improvements, and training of health professionals in diagnosis and treatment. Typhoid vaccine is not new in Nigeria as a former Director General of the National Agency For Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, in 2015, launched the vaccine. At the launch, he regretted that almost every laboratory test reads positive to typhoid fever alongside malaria. Meanwhile, if the recent approval of $85 million in funding to support the introduction of typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) in poor countries is anything to go by, millions of children are set to be protected against typhoid. The Gavi Board Chair, Vaccine Alliance, Okonjo -Iweala,

Continues on page 15

SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard , DECEMBER 10, 2017, PAGE 15

saving lives

MISDIAGNOSIS

We need more diagnostic centres across the country - Jetawo-Winters •‘Our HADC mandate’

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI

T

he outwardly looking and often deserted expansive compound of Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre (HADC), situated along Asa Dam Road, Ilorin, Kwara State capital, actually belies the boisterous life-saving activities going on right inside the complex when Sunday Vanguard visited.

The state-of-the-art machines, courteous staff and organized system of operations speak volumes of a dream come true.

Patients from far and near who came for diagnoses filled the expansive reception to capacity.

The multi-billion naira diagnostic centre envisioned by Dr Bukola Saraki, the current Senate President while he was serving his second term as governor of Kwara State, is in two major departments: Imaging and Laboratory Services.

The current administration of Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, which rode on the crest of Legacy Continue to take over from his predecessor, saw to the completion of Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre which was commissioned by the immediate past Vice President Namadi Sambo in 2013. The centre commenced operations in 2014.

Amongst several others, the Imaging Department provides CT and MRI scans, fluoroscopy, mammography and other x-ray and scanning services with the most up-to-date equipment, including 3D magnetic resonance, image module, ultrasound scan, ECG, mammography, fluoroscopes, 16-slide and 64-slide CT scan, powered by dedicated uninterrupted power supply units.

There is also a specialized room of power banks where several sophisticated batteries are neatly arranged and electrically fitted to the machines to provide an immediate alternative power supply for the

machines whose nature of operations abhor power outage at any time, particularly while on operation.

The Laboratory Services Department does not fare less in terms of quality equipment, which include Haematology analyzer, automated coagulation analyzer, the COBAS 4000 Analyzer used for serum chemistry and immunoassay in the immunology laboratory amongst others with the ability to deliver world class services.

Automation The centre is automated and customers can register for service online, receive their results in zero down time, while the microbiology unit has the automated culture system. It has partners across the world with which it collaborates and confirms the results of tests and diagnoses with a view to reducing human error. It boasts of expatriates and Nigerians with expertise in various fields of medical diagnosis.

Speaking in an interview with Sunday Vanguard, the Acting Managing Director of the centre, Dr Bunmi Jetawo-Winters, a pharmacist, said the facility was set to

What we are talking about here is that you can’t see anything that is inside of human beings except with the aid of machines. And when an ailment is detected in time, it can be easily managed; early detection is key to early treatment

Troubleasalmosteverybody‘tests positivetotyphoid,malaria’ Continued from page 15 believes “vaccine will be a life-saver for millions of children, especially those living without access to clean water or sanitation.”

Okonjo-Iweala, who openly narrated her encounter with the disease, said: “Typhoid fever imposes a dramatic burden on children in the poorest nations affecting countries, communities and families.

“This disease has long been eliminated from most industrialised nations, but it is still a serious threat in developing countries where the vast majority of deaths occur.

“I lost my cousin and nearly lost my son because of typhoid. This vaccine will be a life C M Y K

saver for millions of children, especially those living without access to clean water or sanitation.”

The Chief Executive Officer, Gavi, Dr Seth Berkley, said drug-resistant typhoid cases had increased and spread across Asia and Africa, posing a serious threat to public health.

“This vaccine is safe, effective and can provide lasting protection. The growing spread of drug resistant strains of typhoid is a major threat, not just to individuals but also to our efforts to control the disease. And this requires us to prioritise prevention strategies”, Berkley said.

“Strong coverage through routine immunisation together with efforts to improve access to clean water and hygiene

Dr Bunmi Jetawo-Winters, be a diagnostic centre of excellence in the North-Central. “Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre has positioned itself as one of the leading diagnostic centres in Kwara, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Oyo, Kogi, Benue and Niger states”, she stressed.

Jetawo-Winters added, “HADC’s mission statement is ‘to ensure the consistent provision of comprehensive diagnostic and allied healthcare services, and to remain a centre of excellence’”.

She, however, said that despite the centre’s sophistication in terms of equipment and personnel, Nigeria still lags behind in medical diagnosis.

“We do not have enough diagnostic centres in Nigeria. We also have few laboratories that carry out expansive tests in the country. Considering Nigeria’s population, that is not good.”

Jetawo-Winters, who doubles as the Director General, Kwara State Hospitals Management Board, said the centre is not out to carry out empirical treatment on

will play a key role in dramatically reducing the disease.”

Typhoid Fever At A Glance

Typhoid fever is caused by Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi bacteria.

Typhoid fever is contracted by the ingestion of contaminated food or water.

Diagnosis of typhoid fever is made when Salmonella bacteria are detected with stool, urine, or blood cultures.

Typhoid fever is treated with antibiotics.

Typhoid fever symptoms are poor appetite, headaches, generalized aches and pains, fever, and lethargy.

Approximately 3%-5% of patients become carriers of the bacteria after the acute illness.

How you can avoid typhoid fever According to experts, two basic actions can protect you from typhoid fever: •?????????Avoid risky foods and drinks.

•?????????Get vaccinated against typhoid fever.

•?????????It may surprise you, but watching what you eat and drink when you travel is as important as being vaccinated.

patients, but is designed to do investigations on patients to get to the source of the problems.

She pointed out that HADC was interfacing with teaching hospitals in the state and those of neighbouring states, saying, “We have highly sophisticated equipment not readily available in many other states of the federation.”

Meanwhile, HADC is not without challenges.

“We have multi-faceted problems. Just like in any other part of the country, power supply is one of the problems. We do have enough biomedical engineers. And we need a lot more training for available biomedical engineers. Universities should be encouraged to bridge the gap,” the Acting MD said.

Jetawo-Winters said the centre is work in progress, putting the performance of the four-year-old facility at 75 per cent.

“We are expanding our services so that we can be a centre of excellence in the nation. We want to partner local and international partners”, she stated.

The HADC boss used the moment to dismiss the insinuation that Senate President Saraki and Governor Ahmed have shares in the centre.

The centre, according to her, is 100 per cent owned by Kwara State government but is being run like a private concern.”

Jetawo-Winters hailed the Federal Government for setting aside 22 per cent for the health sector in the 2018 budget.

“It is a major improvement from the past. It is a step in the right direction,” she added, advocating, however, for between 35 and 40 per cent for the sector in subsequent budgets.

The Acting MD enjoined government at all levels to promote the health sector for the wellness and well-being of the society, stressing that health is wealth.

“If one is not in good health, there is nothing you can do in life, everything will be meaningless”, she stressed.

Conducting Sunday Vanguard round the Laboratory Department, the Manager, Chukwukelu Jason, said the state government had invested huge funds in the centre.

Jason encouraged Nigerians to do annual general medical check-ups.

“What we are talking about here is that you can’t see anything that is inside of human beings except with the aid of machines. And when an ailment is detected in time, it can be easily managed; early detection is key to early treatment.”

His counterpart at the Imaging Department, Dr Oyinloye Gregory, said that most of the equipment in his section were unique and rarely in use in many parts of the country.

This is because the vaccines are not completely effective. Avoiding risky foods will also help protect you from other illnesses, including travellers’ diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, and hepatitis A. If you drink water, buy it bottled or bring it to a rolling boil for 1 minute before you drink it. Bottled carbonated water is safer than uncarbonated water.

Ask for drinks without ice unless the ice is made from bottled or boiled water. Avoid popsicles and flavored ices that may have been made with contaminated water.

Eat foods that have been thoroughly cooked and that are still hot and steaming.

Avoid raw vegetables and fruits that cannot be peeled. Vegetables like lettuce are easily contaminated and are very hard to wash well.

When you eat raw fruit or vegetables that can be peeled, peel them yourself. (Wash your hands with soap first.) Do not eat the peelings.

Avoid foods and beverages from street vendors. It is difficult for food to be kept clean on the street, and many travellers get sick from food bought from street vendors.

PAGE 16 —SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 10, 2017

What Buhari must do to help himself “He, who speaks without modesty, will find it difficult to make his words good.”

Confucius, 551-479BC, Chinese philosopher. .... He also runs the risk of making a mockery of himself. He was, and selfadvertised, as a man who would come into office to fight corruption and deal with anyone found to be corrupt without fear or favour. On that promise, millions of Nigerians campaigned and voted for him. I did in 2011, when Lai Mohammed, his current Minister of Information was still a spokesman for a defunct political party called ACN. In the months leading to the 2011 elections, Lai was the arrowhead of Buhari’s adversaries who told us that the man was “too old” (among other deficiencies they alleged) to lead Nigerians. Four years after, the same Lai, the spokesman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, had the same Buhari to promote as Presidential candidate. Then, a man four years older was suddenly not too old to rule.

“Liars ought to have good memories.”

Algernon Sidney, 1622-1683.

The same Lai Mohammed was loudest in pronouncing to the whole world when Buhari went to London for treatment that

the President was “hale and hearty ”. Then Buhari returned and proclaimed that “I have never been so sick in my life.” That should tell you who Lai Mohammed is anytime he stands up to speak.

Our readers globally must be reminded of that little bit of information about one of the men around Buhari because the Minister, again, recently when at a forum in late November he criticized the media for mocking President Buhari. He was ably supported on that mission by the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu.

Mohammed and Magu (M and M) don’t add up to much as far as I am concerned. They would ordinarily have been ignored except that they presumed on this occasion to talk down to people morally superior to them and to want to teach the media their jobs. They chose a forum Mohammed controlled. This is a forum I control and from here their boss will receive the rejoinder to what his servants pronounced.

First, let us examine two examples of what M and M considered mockery of Buhari. The first said, “Arewa Youths knock Buhari over failing

Man up, Maina!

'Karma comes after everyone eventually. You can't get away with screwing people over your whole life, I don't care who you are. What goes around comes around. That's how it works.

Sooner or later the universe will serve you the revenge that you deserve'-Jessica Brody

E

arly this week, I received an email from a reader regarding Maina saga.

Unfortunately, cases such as Maina are no longer unique, at least, not by Nigerian standards. We have became so numb to grand theft that it is commonplace. It should not be and it is not normal. This is very serious, and sadly, it leaves multiple victims in its wake, who like my reader below, have lost thousands and millions of Naira in this Ponzi scheme. See below the email: “Dear Denrele, I am one of your followers in the Sunday Vanguard ever since you took over from your revered father. Both of you [father and daughter] have

fought for social justice in Nigeria for which I commend you. To say that you brought out almost all the fault lines of the last administration is understatement; how clueless the then president was if not still is in your estimation. One cannot also forget how you vouched for this administration from inception and sang its praise for several months now one Mr Maina has been in the news. As enlightened columnist must have known de story even more than me.

One would like to hear your views. You are being mute about Mainagate since it brokeout is not inspiring for those of us who take interest in your column. For your information I am a retiree of The Nigeria Police whose money was part of the money embezzled. Regards”.

I responded to the reader but I also believe that this case should follow the due process.

If anyone is in doubt of anything less, it is imperative that interested bodies and the civil society should continue

corruption war ” and the second reported that “Buhari’s anti-corruption war is failing”. The two were among reports which Lai called “sheer mockery, not reporting.” Lai as everybody knows is a lawyer by profession and a propagandist by choice. He is not a journalist, and can never be, so how does he know what qualifies as “reporting”. He certainly is wet when it comes to lexicography. But, he has a boss to please. So, he feels everybody should be polishing the apple for the President. He has, perhaps forgotten that Buhari is his boss and our servant.

Buhari begged for our votes making promises which have been largely unfulfilled. He assembled his own servants, Lai among them, who remain in their posts at his pleasure.

To please Buhari, most of them would do and say anything. Nigerians and the members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm, the free media, are not obligated to dissemble to please Buhari.

We operate within our rights in a democracy to judge him, to praise him, and to mock him – if that is what he deserves. Lai and Magu are in for a shock if they think they will change public and media attitude to their boss by what they said at the forum. No such thing will happen. In a free society, such as we want to create in Nigeria, anyone who deserves to be mocked will be laughed at – whether pauper or President. What M and M should be asking is: “ why are people mocking a leader who was overwhelmingly endorsed just two and a half years ago? Why are many people turning their backs on him?”

“A leader is …. Worst when they [the people] despise him” according to Lao -tsy, 6th Century Chinese philosopher. to highlight this miscarriages of justice, until justice is truly served and people that affected get some closure and restitution.

They say, the evil that men do, live long after them and Maina's alleged crimes has left thousands of victims out of pocket and denied them of their hard earned pension

In Nigeria, we jail the petty thief and the poli-looters, well, it seems they get promoted and given license to siphon some more fund. So roll on 2017, the same former head of Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, who had been on self-imposed exile, while he was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the Interpol for an alleged N100bn pension scam, appointed to a post only to be

One of the cardinal reasons why millions of Nigerians who trooped to the polls in 2015 now mutter unprintable expletives is because Buhari has surrounded himself with the worst set of top officials that the nation has seen since 1960. Few people believe the Minister when he speaks and the EFCC Chairman has used the media to engage in publicity. The damning security report on Magu by the Directorate of State Services, DSS, the failure to engage the Interpol to locate and apprehend

Buhari has two choices. He could improve his performance and stop the mockery; or he can go home and the mockery will also stop Maina and now the possibility that Buhari might have been involved in the contact with the man and his reinstatement and promotion call not only for mockery but disdain. How can the President be telling us and the world that his administration is fighting corruption when several of his top officials were aware of the man’s location; later planned his clandestine return to Nigeria and even planned his exit again from the country this year?

What can be more hilarious than the fact that, having been “told” about given his marching orders by the President on Monday when it became common knowledge that he had returned to the country and resumed work at the ministry as a director. Only in Nigeria!

Someone somewhere must have taken Nigerians for mugs or how else was he absolved of his former crime without following the due process or the government recouping the stolen funds and where were authorities when this supposedly fugitive was able come and go, then given a top job in spite of his questionable past?

It is unfathomable that Maina remains free and has not faced the consequences after all these years. I understand that justice could be slow but this is cannot be explained away.

This alleged scam was uncovered in 2013 to a tune of $2.1 billion and still Maina remains a source of discussion and frustration up on till now.

So what gives? How can a wanted man be rumoured to be handed a ministerial position, this is like getting a cat to guard meat.

And his family are banging the drum so loudly and they absolve him of any wrong doing, isn’t that surprising!

Of course, they are convinced he did his old job so well that the government have invited him to head a service. Really, what alternative universe do they live on?

The facts are that: Abdul Rasheed Maina is wanted for corruption that happened on his

Maina’s presence in office, Buhari did not order his arrest but instructed that he should be sacked – giving the man the chance to make his escape again with the help of the same officials?

M and M should read the various reports coming out of the National Assembly on “Mainagate”.

One report is very interesting because it points to the duplicity of the EFCC with regard to the Maina issue.

According to the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Mr. Mohammed Babandede, “On September 2, 2013, Maina was prevented from traveling through the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, because he was on the wanted list of the EFCC.” However, the EFCC later wrote the Immigration Service on December 1, 2015 removing his name from the list. So, on the day Maina resumed duty this year, the EFCC had removed Maina’s name from the list. Although Magu denied knowledge of the letter and promised to investigate the matter.

We wait.

That was the same Magu, who at Lai Mohammed’s show pronounced that “the media practitioners that are supposed to help fight corruption have unfortunately been sucked into the cesspool of malfeasance.” Magu and Mohammed have either never heard that “Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones”.

They are lobbing pebbles now. Their boss will receive boulders in return.

Buhari, on the other hand, is not helping matters by still keeping in office all the tarnished

individuals occupying the highest offices in his government. The Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, disclaims several letters attributed to him; failed to investigate who forged them until now; accuses without proof other top officials of sharing or buying assets recovered and he has no clue how Maina returned to Nigeria after meeting with him in the presence of the current National Security Adviser, NSA. If that is not a mockery of governance, what then is, Alhaji Lai Mohammed? Tell us.

Among the more comical aspects of “Mainagate”, was the “sacking” of the former pension boss when the story broke last month.

Buhari directed through one of his spokesmen, a former Editor of a national daily, that Maina should be sacked. A few days after, the spokesman was asked if Buhari had done enough by merely asking for the man’s appointment to be terminated. Our former Editor asked angrily what else the reporter wanted Buhari to do.

On November 30, 2017, House of Representative investigation committee was told by the Minister for Finance that “From our records, Maina received his last salary in February 2013. In March 2013, he was removed from the payroll…. I don’t know from where he received the salary.” Ummh!!!

Apparently, Buhari, in a manner reminding one of Don Quixote, the comic figure, fired a guy who was not even his staff!! This is high grade comedy with highly placed Nigerians in Aso Rock all suffering from the Aso Rock disease.

Buhari has two choices.

He could improve his performance and stop the mockery; or he can go home and the mockery will also stop.

watch as the chairman of the former chairman of the presidential task force on pension reform, he is complicit and he failed to appear at the behest of the Senate to answer to question of the missing funds. With warrant for his arrest, the police fail to arrest him. This man is like Houdini, an escapologist, leaving the country by the back door and returning when the dust settles.

Me: Mummy, you are so funny My Mum: Why did you say your mummy is so funny. It is true now because if they don't bring back power then we are going to put the gen on. Your Dad spends 50k on petrol monthly.

See, the trouble with Nigeria? We have some people who have not experienced uninterrupted power supply and those who have, it has been so long, and it seems like a distant memory. It is a disgrace and that the lack of regular power supply means people have developed ways of forward planning; preparing and planning their day or days, not buying perishable foodstuff because the fridge may not work for days on end. Many years ago, my sister visited me in the UK, and I found her ironing so many clothes well into the night. I kept on watching her because, I could not understand why she had to do all this ironing. So I had mentioned the elephant in the room. I said, Sis, why are you doing so much ironing at this time of the night? My Sister answered in a matter of fact, I have to do all my ironing because...NEPA may go off...immediately she said NEPA, she realised that she is no longer in Nigeria and it is no longer an issue. My sister told me never to recount the story because she will totally deny it!

Nigeria deserves better and Nigerians deserve better.

In Nigeria, we jail the petty thief and the poli-looters, well, it seems they get promoted and given license to siphon some more.

‘It's being here now that's important. There's no past and there's no future. Time is a very misleading thing.

All there is ever, is the now.

We can gain experience from the past, but we can't relive it; and we can hope for the future, but we don't know if there is one’.-George Harrison Bloody NEPA My 77- year old mother and I were having a texting conversation.

The connection was not that good and at one point, the line was disconnected. So I called back and my mother texted me back: My Mum: I don't know what is wrong with it. Very busy in the laundry, am seizing the opportunity of the bloody N. E. P. A., to wash clothes.

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 10, 2017, PAGE 17

Policing W arri with CCT V cameras Warri CCTV

By Egufe Yafugborhi

I

nside the Warri ‘B’ Division of the Nigeria Police, officers and men, working in concert with the civil populace under the jurisdiction, are redefining policing. At a point police subventions do not improve the piteous work conditions of officers and men, particularly in the area of infrastructure, stakeholders are amazed that the Warri ‘B’ Division, perhaps the youngest in Warri metropolis, has been turned into a construction site since the coming of CSP Aniete Eyo as Divisional Police Officer, DPO. The Warri ‘B’ Division was created in November 2005 from the exigency of arresting increased ethnic violence in the volatile oil city. Between 2005 and May 2015, over nine DPOs passed through the Warri Division operating in the bungalow donated by the host Okere Urhobo as office for the men and officers alongside a small palliative provided by the Police Community Relations Committee, PCRC, much later. Christopher Otumu, Chairman, Warri ‘B’ Division PCRC, recalled, “It was terrible in those past years. Officers and men were cramped in the few office rooms, sharing the limited space with cell inmates. More pathetically for newly posted rank and file, the morale to discharge their policing duty was just not there as most of them slept in the open, bitten by mosquitoes for weeks before they were able to secure private accommodation”.

When Sunday Vanguard visited the Division, recently, however, the take-off building and every ramshackle attachment had been demolished. A wall now separates the once open police station from its immediate civil populace. A storey quarter-guard (sentry-box) adorns the gates. Two massive structures, an Officers Mess and an expansive staff office, nearing completion and already partly in use, have sprouted firmly from the ruins of the demolished old structures. Inside the new ‘B’ Division cell, already housing inmates in the yet to be completed office building, inmates have the pleasure of own toilet and shower, a convenience missing in most Nigerian prisons where inmates

T

answer the call of nature in a bowl with the risk of contracting diseases. Funding for the infrastructures under DPO Eyo, who assumed office in May 2015, is coming from donations from the civil populace in the jurisdiction. Otumu added, “The magic wand really has been Eyo’s selfless service. He tells prospective donors, ‘ we don’t need cash; give us cement, sand, fitting or any other essentials we need to have a befitting office’. This selfless disposition has eased the PCRC work in assisting the drive for material support in building thus far. The result has been a rare show of support from corporate bodies and individuals.” Only last week, Lee Engineering, a key oil and gas player, while presenting a 30KVA power generator to the ultra-modern Warri ‘B’ Division Station, noted that the organization always felt moved to assist the divisional office because of the unusual qualities of the DPO. Olusina David, Group

*DPO Eyo Human Resources Manager of the firm, said, “We have chosen the ‘B’ Division, first and foremost, because of CSP Eyo. Our first point of interaction with him showed he very much deserved to be supported. He embraces virtues that Lee Engineering identifies with; integrity, ability to

make the difference for positive change in the environment.

“Our Executive Chairman, Dr Leemon Ikpea, personally made donations to the Officers’ Mess you see there. When we came here less than two years ago, everything we saw here were very derelict buildings, everything in tatters.

“The first bold step we saw the DPO take then, quite unusual in the Niger Delta, was to set up CCTV cameras for community policing. That caught our attention that he was ready to embrace technology and do the unusual positively. Our CEO responsively supported him and he’s delivered. For the protagonist of the infrastructures revolution in hitherto decrepit Warri ‘B’ Divisional Police Office, the real credit goes to the people and his bosses. The real credit goes to the Commissioner of Police to whom I will always convey the donations and support and inform him accordingly”.

DPO Eyo, responding, said, “I plead with the people to sustain the support. The promise I can give is that we have the zeal, determination, focus and will to reciprocate the gesture by putting in our best to chase criminals away from the ‘B Division’ to give reasonable sense of security to the people”.

Mrs. Betty Aghogho Mrakpor bagged M.Sc honors in chemical pathology from University of Benin. On hand to celebrate with her were, from left, Chief Charles Utuama, Chief Kaki Mrakpor, Chief Felicia Udu, Betty (the graduand), Emmanuel Mrakpor, Abraham Mrakpor (the graduandt's husband) and Chief Matthew Ofioguma.

3,000 benefit from Ugbajo Itsekiri US free eye care

O

VER 3,000 persons have benefited from free eye care in commemoration of the second coronation anniversary of the Olu of Warri, His Majesty, Ogiame Ikenwoli.

The gesture, at the instance of Ugbajo Itsekiri USA Incorporated, began at Ode-Itsekiri, the Itsekiri

ancestral home and moved to the Aghofen Palace of the Olu in Warri.

Kingsley Onuwaje, President of Ugbajo Itsekiri USA, speaking on the exercise, said, “We are partnering an organisation headed

by Dr. Okorodudu whose philosophy is ‘no one is turned away ’. “Eyesight gives the

individual a window into the world.

We are going partnerships in other projects to improve lives in our kingdom”. Beneficiaries from far and near expressed gratitude to the organisers and the Olu on his coronation anniversary which gave the opportunity to benefit from the exercise.

Kingship tussle rocks Delta community

HERE is tension in Ologbo, Irri kingdom, Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State, following the installation of Pa. Joshua Edowafe F. Aghagba as Odion Ologbo of Irri kingdom by the Delta State government.

Speaking to newsmen at Irri in Isoko South, the claimant, Odion Eloho Jacko said the High Court at Oleh had restrained the Delta State government from installing/ crowning Pa. Jashua Edowafe F. Aghagba as Odion Ologbo of Irri kingdom or be presented with a Staff of Office.

Jacko said the court also restrained Pa. Joshua Edowafe F. Aghagba from presenting or allowing himself to be crowned, parading himself or carry on the function as Odion Ologbo of Irri kingdom pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

He said he was surprise that despite the court order at the High Court of Justice, Oleh not to go ahead pending the hearing, the state government

went ahead and crowned Pa Edowafe Aghagba as Odion Ologbo of Irri kingdom.

The Odion Eloho Jacko had expressed displeasure over

the manner the state government, her servants, agents ignored the court order and went ahead to install Pa. Aghagba. He said by going

contrary to the court order to install Pa. Aghagba,it is a mark of disrespecting the Nigeria constitution and a slap on the judiciary..

Don proposes university degrees in shoe-making, fashion designing Dayo Johnson, Akure rof. Toyin Falola of the University of Texas has charged Nigerian universities to explore alternative degree formats by including skills into vocationally oriented degree courses.

Falola gave the charge while delivering the 7th convocation lecture at the Adekunle Ajasin University (AAU), AkungbaAkoko, Ondo State.

The lecture was entitled, ‘Nigerian Universities and Youth Empowerment’.

“In many advanced countries in the world, skills like photography, fashion designing, shoemaking, graphic design and printing, among others, are already being taught as vocationally oriented degree courses”, he said.

The university don, who is also the Jacob Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities, said, “Moreover, it is high time some of these skills are designed into degree courses. This is one viable way of exploring alternative degree formats. It is therefore a good idea if this is replicated in Nigerian universities.

“Graduates cannot only become gainfully self-employed through these skills, they can also become employers of labour.

“An updated and strategically laid out curricular, proper and appropriate choice of faculty members, positive, resultorientated drilling(mentoring), adoption of digital technology into teaching and research and introduction of entrepreneurial skills/vocational courses that were derived from a long analysis and reflections are measures for preparing graduates for the workplace”.

In his remarks, the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, appreciated Falola, saying the task of involving universities in delivering the right knowledge that will emplace and empowerment is the collective responsibility of the nation’s universities.

P

CAC Patron passes on

D

avid Makanjuola, an

Arch-elder in the Christ Apostolic Church, Latona, Osogbo, Osun State, is dead. Makanjuola passed on in the early hours of Monday, November 27, 2017.

Ordained as Elder in 1956, he became the Patron, Baba Ijo of the church from 1987 until his transition, and Treasurer of CAC Men Association (CACMA) from 1960 to 1994.

He served on the CAC General Executive Council from 1956 until he was tempered by age. His reported active diverse involvements in the CAC affairs aptly captured his unwavered fidelity to the rich heritage of the CAC 4-fold mission, such that he consistently wished that the corporate church had better returned to the grandiosity of its enviable pedigree as a single, unified body.

Baba Ijo, aged 93, is survived by children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Itire School AGM.

L-R: Former Lagos Deputy Governor, Mrs Sarah Sosan; Book presenter, Mrs Folorunso Alakija; Chairman Elizade Group, Chief Michael Adeojo; Author, “Loud Whispers”, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi; former Ekiti State First Lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo; first Civilian Governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and former Deputy Governor of Ekiti State , Prof Modupe Adelabu; at the presentation/ reading of Loud Whispers in Lagos…on Sunday.

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he Annual General Meeting/ re-union party of Itire Community Secondary School Class of 95 holds on Saturday, December 16.

Venue, according to the group’s spokesman, is the Chalon Suites, Okota, Isolo, Lagos. Time is 9am

PAGE 18, SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 10, 2017

I am multitalented

Mafikizolo, Davido lead 30 artistes to perform at Calabar Carnival S

– Woli Arole, comedian

BY TOLULOPE ABEREOJE

P

outh African Hip Hop artist, Mafikizolo, is among the 30 artistes expected to headline this year’s “Calabar Carnival and festivals.”

Others on the bill include Davido, Flavor, Patoranking, Runtown, Timaya, Venessa Mdee of Tanzania, Neza of Rwanda, Inyanya, Style Plus, MC Galaxy, Naeto C, DJ Humility, Tekno and DJ Jimmy Jait, among others. Special Adviser to the Cross River State governor on Events Management, Mr. Ken Aklah, disclosed this to newsmen, Wednesday, at the Ernest Etim Bassey Press Centre, Calabar, while unveiling the timetable for the event.

“Despite the difficult times, the Prof Ben Ayade’s administration in the state will continue to ensure that this noble venture that has brought Cross River to global prominence is not truncated,” says Aklah, adding that “it was to this end that December salaries were paid in November, pot holes are currently being filled in the three senatorial districts of the state with improved electricity supply.”

He also intimated that about 25 countries were being expected, even as government has introduced new offerings into the event as a deliberate measure to boost the excitement for visitors and others who will be in Calabar for the globally recognised event.

He disclosed that the last dry run before the Carnival proper will hold on December 17. This he pointed out “will be flagged off by the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, to ensure that Cross River remains relevant as the flagship of tourism.”

Other additions into the Carnival, Aklah disclosed, is the introduction of Power Week which starts from December 26 with cultural carnival where 22 states and the 18 local government areas in the state will be participating.

•Mafikizolo

DJ Cuppy brings ‘Cactus on the roof’ party to Lagos ‘

•DJ Cuppy

C

actus on the roof ’, London’s most talked about Afrobeats summer party is set to breeze into Lagos with all its allure and enchantments. And it is being piloted by none other than DJ cum singer, DJ Cuppy, daughter of oil magnate, Femi Otedola.

After an astonishing debut single with ‘Green light’ featuring Tekno, DJ Cuppy takes centre stage with a host of celebrity DJs and friends.

Guests will be thrilled with an eclectic mix of neo-afrobeats in signature Cuppy style, funky house, hip-hop, house and the very latest and chart topping Afrobeats.

Cactus on the Roof Lagos, takes residency every Sunday this December, beginning from December 10, to December 31, at the avant-garde rooftop of Maison Fahrenheit Hotel, Victoria Island with breathtaking views of the Atlantic ocean setting the backdrop.

After a successful summer series and a tropical Halloween zombie apocalypse, ‘Cactus on the Roof ’ berths in Lagos with theatrical entertainment and over the top champagne indulgence.

opular Nigerian c o m e d i a n Oluwatoyin Bayegun better known as Woli Arole is going a step higher with his first ever feature length movie ‘The Call’ which will be hitting the cinemas in 2018.

The comedian who has successfully carved a niche for himself in the comedy zone, with his distinctive style of comic delivery doesn’t seem to be satisfied with the creativity he has displayed on the entertainment scene.

In an exclusive chat with Potpourri, he gave reasons he is going into movie production: “I’ve been into movies for a while but I just decided to up my game and evolve, I’m beyond what people see.

I could be serious, a businessman and have the mind of an entrepreneur but if I keep doing things the way I do them, I’ll just be a jester. So I felt I need to do something more serious. I want people to see this part of me that is value channeled. I am multitalented and multi-faceted,” he said.

Continuing, he said “What really inspired ‘The Call’ is that I realized a man cannot just be created for creation sake, there has to be a reason.

I decided to use a tricky title ‘Call’.

What is the purpose of being alive?

Who called you? Who is the caller?

Who is the receiver? How do you know you are called? So these are the questions the movie will answer and I’ve had this dream for years, I didn’t just come up with it all of a sudden,” he emphasized.

The movie which has commenced shooting in Ibadan will feature an array of Nollywood stars such as Yinka Quadri, Hafeez Oyetoro ‘Saka’, S a m u e l Ajibola, K a y o d e ‘Ader upoko’ Olaiya, Segun Arinze, Asiri, Ebiye and comedienne, E t i n o s a Idemudia among others.

Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Wande Coal, others set for ‘Wiz on the Beach’

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oday, Sunday December 10, 2017, music superstar Wizkid will be leading a rich cast of artistes for the first ever ‘On the Beach Fest’ tagged ‘Wiz on the beach’ expected to hold at Hard Rock Beach, Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Mavin Records Queen Tiwa Savage, as well as Wande Coal and Mr. Eazi will be joining the rave of the moment with exceptional performances anticipated to thrill guests at the event. The event will feature DJ Big N, legendary DJ Jimmy Jatt and DJ Exclusive.

In order to showcase the very essence of pop culture, Fela Oke, founder and director at FLU3NT – M.E.S.L, has partnered with Hard Rock Cafe and Chuma X of Xmedia Nigeria towards an annual ‘On the Beach Fest’.

“We are working towards an annual ‘On the Beach Fest’, with major music headliners. It was only natural that our very own Wizkid headlines the first edition. We believe that people want a new experience, a different experience, where they get value for their money beyond just watching their favourite artist perform.

We want to create an atmosphere that imbibes great music and a great atmosphere, within a beach setting and backdrop. There is no other stage where you will see, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Mr Eazi, Wande Coal giving live performances with a full band. Our aim is to change the perception of what’s possible. ‘Wiz on the Beach’ gives you value for money and we want people to really let their head down and have a blast!” Fela said.

•Wizkid •Tiwa Savage

•Woli Arole

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 10, 2017, PAGE 19

Why some Yoruba actors attend Celestial churches – Adediwura Adesegha N

ot many people know that provocative dark-skinned Nollywood beauty, Adediwura Adesegha, nicknamed ‘Blarkgold’ started her acting career with a religious group known as the Evangelical Filmmakers Dramatic Association of Nigeria (EFDAN). She used to move around with them, acting from one church to another but proximity made her leave the group.

“I had to withdraw from the group when I changed my environment and couldn’t meet up with their meetings.

Yes, I was criticized when I left because some thought I backslid by leaving them. As a Christian actor you are not supposed to wear earrings and all those stuff. I am here today and they are appreciating me for what I do because they haven’t seen signs of a Christian who has backslided in me,” she once told Potpourri in an interview.

Speaking further about spirituality and religion, the mother of one, shed light on why many Yoruba actors, especially the females, prefer attending Celestial churches.

“You know people love it when they tell them visions about themselves. I think that may be the reason they attend Celestial churches. I might be wrong though. You know the Yorubas believe in the power of the spiritual. Some actresses were born into the Celestial church while some joined,” she said.

Talking about her own level of spirituality, given the kind of background she came from and the lifestyle she has chosen for herself , she said she would score herself fifty percent “Spirituality has nothing to do with your mode of dressing. It has to do with your heart. When you talk about being spiritual, let me just score myself fifty percent. My morning devotion is on zero level. I will rather sing. I find it difficult to pray and keep saying “Lord do this or that for me”.Singing is the way I pour my heart to God. Everybody doesn’t have to kneel down and pray. I might sit down and just look on a spot for a while and keep my thoughts connected to God. It depends on one’s way of connecting and your relationship with God.

Some men are dogs when it comes to women – Titilayo Osubu D •Adediwura Blarkgold

ark-skinned, beautiful, on-the-rise Yoruba actress, Titlayo Osubu is one of the women who believe there’s no way a woman can change or curtail a philandering man. She’s of the opinion that the infidelity gene is like a virus in the heart of every man, so, to her, a man cheating, is something his woman must come to terms with at one point or other. “ All men cheat,” was her brusque reply when she was asked, in a question and answer session with Potpourri, on how to stop a man from cheating in a relationship.

“It is a fact I know very well but I don’t care as long as he keeps it away from me. If I don’t know about it, it doesn’t hurt me but bringing it to my door is asking for trouble. But if one must truly try to stop him the best way is not to give him space. But some men are dogs, they will still cheat, no matter what the lady does.

Titilayo Osubu began her acting journey in 2010 under the Sola Akintunde aka Lagata group. She has since featured in many films and produced a couple of her own.

2face, Flavour, Kiss Daniel, others set to shutdown Hi-Impact Planet park eading fun parks in Nigeria, Hi-Impact Planet is at it again as it has L lined up top Nigerian acts and gospel singers for music extravaganza tagged, “ Shutdown Hi-Impact concert and “Praise Blast”

to give fun seekers another experience of a lifetime this Yuletide.

Addressing the press during the week, the Chief Executive Officer of Solution Media, Prince Adeyanju Lipede, said Hi-Impact Planet has a fantastic programme lined up for Nigerians to enjoy the best of Christmas.

According to Prince Lipede, “We have lined up some programmes from December 22 through January 6, to •2Face make every evening at Hi-Impact Planet, a memorable experience for our guests.”

“Hi-Impact Planet will come alive from December 22, with a night of fun tagged, “ Happy Hour” after which we have an African night where everything reflects and celebrates the rich African cultural value. Everything will reflect Africa, from the dress, music, food and ambiance where you will drink from calabash, eat foods wrapped in leaves. “ Christmas Eve Night Ride will take place on December 24, where our guests will experience the beauty of the park at night. Also, there will the Santa Claus at the park on Christmas Day. “On December 26, we are going to hold our Praise Blast concert where we thank God in a special way. Last year, we had about 19 performances, but this year, we are hoping to have more performances. We are having Tope Alabi, Timi Godfrey, Mama Bola Are, Daystar choir, TREM Choir, Kola Bekas. Also, Bishop Mike Okonkwo will be gracing the event. It is all about giving God praise in a spectacular way for what He has done in the outgoing year. The Hi-Impact Praise Blast is free. There will no dull moment at the park this season,”he said.

Speaking further, Prince Lipede said the Shutdown 2017 concert comes up on December 30, and it will be featuring the like of 2face, Flavour, Kiss Daniel, Adekunle Gold and Vector. There will also be an intense firework.

Attendance to the concert which will showcase the best of Nigerian music acts at the newly constructed state of the art multimedia outdoor stage with a capacity of over 50,000 people.

•Titilayo Osubu

Only gospel music can keep Nigeria united — Music Evangelist, Marvel Jokes

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•Marvel Jokes

hat gospel music should be rated and celebrated alongside secular music has been a recurring argument among music pundits over the years, but in recent times it has become a responsibility for gospel musicians themselves because secular music seems to be taking the upper hand.

However, music evangelist, Marvel Joks, has taken a bold swipe at the Nigerian government, condemning it for its failure to acknowledge and celebrate gospel music.

According to Marvel, gospel music is what Nigeria needs to keep the nation together, especially at a time when it is bedevilled by a series of problems.

“It is so pathetic that the Nigerian government doesn’t celebrate gospel music; and gospel music is the kind of music we need in trying times like this to keep the nation together. Imagine if government officials were to attend gospel concerts and see the way people throw themselves before God, they will then come to the realization that gospel music must be celebrated.”

Marvel Jokes spoke at the Worship Without Limits concert tagged ‘Joyful Noise’, convened by a gospel artiste Douglas Danor, with line up of other artistes like, Melody 4 Comedy, Esther Adeola, Marvel Joke, Success Tella, Eddie Chiazor and many others.

PAGE 20 — SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 10, 2017

bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk 08056180152, SMS only

Wives Who Admit They Use Sex To Get Their Own Way!

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HE average wife has her secret of getting her own way with her husband.

Making his favourite local delicacy, fetching the remote control or perhaps giving him the occasional massage. But there is, of course, another trick women can deploy to win over recalcitrant spouses - one as old as time, but rarely admitted to in polite company. And that is sex!

In the marital arsenal, there are few more powerful weapons - especially when couples are years into a relationship, when the fires of passion are fading, eroded by child care, work and familiarity. Only, using sex as a bargaining chip to get wht you want remains one of the last taboos in these sexually liberated times, a great unspoken truth, despite the fact that it’s a dynamic which lies at the heart of most marriages.

But there are some women brave enough to lift the lid on this most controversial form of bartering. And they confess that they either use sex by offering it up like a particularly tantalising prize, or withholding it until their man accedes to their demands. They happily testify that such a practice can get you everything from exotic cars to designer spending sprees. What’s more, these women see little shame in their behaviour, instead saying their exploitation of their husband’s weakness is just another part of marital politics.

Juliet is a 37-year-old mother of three and runs a successful bakery and would be the first to admit that using sex as a weapon has strengthened her marriage to Zeb, her husband of eleven years. “The truth is Zeb will do anything for sex,” she says. “That’s why I use this fact mercilessly to negotiate what I want for me, for the home and our future. During the course of our marriage, I have dangled the promise of an ‘early night’ to secure astonishing number of purchases - washing machine, impressive furniture for the house and for myself, I splurge on regular visit to the spa and expensive hair extensions. Not to talk of countless pairs of shoes and a Rolex wristwatch.

“My husband has made tremendous strides in his business and I’ve helped in my own way, bagging one or two marketing courses abroad in the

up relationship.”

process. The first time I used my feminine wiles in the bedroom as a tactic was for a bit of joke a couple of years into our marriage. I wanted a complete make-over of the living room using a professional interior decorator. Zeb thought I was being too extravagant. In an off the cuff remark, I jokingly promised himm a night he wouldn’t forget if he agreed. I got my way – he got the sex. It was that easy! Since then, I’ve used it whenever I’ve needed to.

“Our bedroom is out of bounds to our three children. They know it’s where Mum and Dad sleep together. They each have their own rooms. Zeb and I have a rule that we always go to bed together.

Once we’re snuggled in, it’s then we’ll talk. We’re a very tactile couple and Zeb adores a back rub and it helps that he’s at his most pliable then. I’l1 only pick my moment if I sense he’s sufficiently relaxed. Call it feminine intuition, but then if I whisper in his ears about going

on holiday, for example, he’ll say yes. He’s never said no.

“I’m not what you’ll call a sex bomb. I have a very low sex drive. Only about 30 per cent of our love-making is for pleasure. The rest of the time, I use sex for negotiating. While I do make myself get into the swing of it, there are times I lie there and, for example, think of my next shopping spree! Giving my husband what he wants means I get what I want. We’re both happy.

It doesn’t mean I don’t fancy my husband, I do, and I love him to bits. But our sex drive are so different. It’s human nature to put more of an effort into lovemaking when I know there’s something for me at the end of it.

“I believe my method is normal even in my social circle and I swap tactics with my girlfriends. Every wife, deep down, is keen to ensure that she gets what she wants out of her marriage. My husband is

not a fool, he’s perfectly aware of what’s going on. We both have different needs. I love shopping, he loves sex. This way, both our passions can be met. Some may accuse me of behaving like a prostitute. But I disagree. I believe that what you put into a relationship, you get out. And I have no doubt our marriage would last ... “ Therapist Lizzie Falcorner has serious misgivings about such sexual bartering - and believes that women who use these techniques in the bedroom are degrading themselves. “Offering sexual favour is deeply troubling,” she said. “What happens when you lose your libido while going through the menopause or longterm illness? What do you fall back on? I have huge misgivings over someone using the sex part of a relationship as a bargaining chip rather than a loving act which brings you closer together. These type of tactics aren’t part of a grown-

If you are obsessed with her

Y

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

If she is weighing you down with her load of excuses and you are getting obsessed with her behaviour, it is up to you to believe that things will get better for you. My friend, go on with your life and try to develop the full assurance that you will get a new love if the current one fails. You have to thank God that this happened and her excuses are pointing factors to show she does not have affection for you.

Michael Adedotun Oke maof2020|@gmail.com

Want To Get Pregnant? So What’s Stowing You? Here is a compilation of what the medics believe might work against you when trying in vain to get pregnant: Age: The younger you are, the easier it is to get pregnant. After 35, your chances get slimmer, and it increases the risk of your baby having a genetic disorder.

Period: Regular periods? The best time to conceive is days between 13 to 16 than 31, see your doctor to check your hormone levels. Painful periods can be a sign of endometriosis) which affects fertility. Taking painkillers can lower your chances too. Excessive bleeding might indicate that you have fibroids which can make it hard for an egg to be implanted in the womb.

Weight: If you’re obese, planning a baby is the perfect incentive to lose a few pounds.

Too much body fat affects hor mones and infertility.

Getting regular exercise will boost your immune system and improve circulation as well.

Booze and fags: Drinking over five units of alcohol a week greatly decreases your chance of getting pregnant. Cigarettes contain at least 30 chemicals that decrease fertility.

Additives: Avoid artificial sweeteners in most diet drinks and sugar-free foods, and try not to use air fresheners or perfumes that contain artificial musk. They can affect your hormones. On the other hand, a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement may help boost your fertility.

Him: Swap your man for a younger man! Men over 35 are less likely to get their partners pregnant in a year than they were at 25. A healthy weight and diet are important for him too.

Steam rooms can decrease sperm count, as tight synthetic pants and smoking. Drinking too much can also cause impotence and sterility.

Worry: Most of all, don’t get stressed about not getting pregnant! It will cripple your libido, interfere with your menstrual cycle and deprive your body of vitally needed nutrients. If you’ve done all the right things and still haven’t conceived in 18 months, visit your doctor for tests.

08027142077

The Lonely Lady

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

Percy Vwes. romanticblack13@outlook.com 07054349513

SUNDAY VANGUARD,DECEMBER 10, 2017, PAGE 21

and then an onward flight to Europe.

But increasingly the trafficking trade is flowing through the lawlessness of Libya and across the Mediterranean where, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), over the past three years there has been a 600 per cent rise in the number of potential sex trafficking victims arriving into Italy by sea.

The IOM estimates 80 per cent are from Nigeria. The majority are from Benin=City.

“When the Europeans started their search and rescue operations, many people in Benin said, ‘the road has opened, once you get on the boats you will be rescued,” says Nwoha.

But just last month, the bodies of 26 Nigerian women were recovered from the Mediterranean in a single day, bringing this year’s total number of migrant deaths in that sea to at least 3,000.

Often, the journey ends in tragedy. More often, the tragedy happens in Libya.

The

sex trafficking trail from Nigeria to Europe

•Sandra alleges: My pastor aided my sale for sex in Moscow •Trafficker is our member but not a pastor - Church

S

andra knew there was always a chance that her clients would kill

her.

For three years, she was forced to work as a prostitute on the streets of Moscow, repaying a $45,000 debt to the trafficker who brought her from Nigeria.

“There were five of them,” she recalls of one occasion. “They were brutal, they beat me up; they brought out a knife and tried to stab me.”

Instead, they pushed her out of the twostory window for not submitting.

Oftentimes, there were more men — 10, 15, 20 per call.

“They might even kill you if you try to defend yourself,” she says. “That’s the reason why it is very horrible. And in that process most Nigerian girls lose their lives, because not every girl can withstand the pressure of 10 men.”

Sandra, not her real name, is one of tens of thousands of Nigerian women who have been trafficked into Europe for sexual exploitation. And many of those women come from a single city.

For decades, Benin-City, the capital of Edo State in southern Nigeria, has been tied to trafficking to Europe. Here, a potent

mix of poverty and spiritualism drives thousands of young women to make the dangerous journey.

Along its often unpaved, mud-ridden streets there are houses with wide gates and high walls. These belong to the families with a relation who has “made it,” says Roland Nwoha, a local NGO worker who has devoted his career to stopping the trade.

“Almost every family has a contact in Europe.” Organizations like Nwoha’s help educate people about the risks. But he says these few stories of success continue to be a powerful motivator in a city where so many live in desperate conditions.

And in Benin City, the push to leave comes from every direction.

Trapped by fear Sandra says she was convinced to go by a man she met at church, who said he was an assistant pastor.

She says he told her he had a vision from God that she travelled overseas, that his sister in Russia could get a job in a hair salon. For added insurance, the man had given the items she left behind to a traditional priest.

“We always have had this belief that your

future lies in the hand of God,” says Nwoha.

“Religious leaders, both the traditional and the Christian, are capitalizing on this.”

Like so many, Sandra feared the juju — traditional witchcraft — as much as she trusted her friend.

Her trafficker took much more than just her passport. “My pants, my bra, the hair from my head, the armpit and my private parts,” she says.

The items were for a juju oath, so powerful, a local priest said, that no one dares break it.

For Sandra, it bound her to her home thousands of miles away in Benin-City, and the assistant pastor that convinced her to go.

“I saw it with my own eyes. It’s like a danger to weak girls, especially when it has to do with sensitive parts of your body.”

She believed that her passage to Europe would cost her no more than $2,000. She ended up owing her trafficker $45,000.

The average debt for girls trafficked from Nigeria is around $25,000, but it can be as much as $60,000. None of them have any idea that they will owe these extortionate amounts.

The debt, and the fear of juju, keeps them trapped.

Sea of misery Sandra’s journey took her through Lagos

Ede’s story Physically, 28-year-old Ede is finally free, but the pain of what she endured is still raw.

“He used to hurt me, apart from work,” she says of the man who purchased her. She was sold into sexual slavery in Libya as she tried to make her way to Europe.

“That is how they do there,” says Ede, “When you finish paying your money [to your captor], if you are staying with a wicked somebody, they will sell you to another people so you start all over again.”

She was freed after a police raid and eventually deported to Nigeria.

Now, back in Benin City, she sits next to 18year-old Jennifer, who is too traumatized to talk. They are recent rescues, kept in a safe house run by the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

“Especially they hate us, we Nigerians ... they don’t even want to hear anything concerning Nigerians,” Ede remembers. “They treated us like a slave, as if we are nothing. So we went through a lot there.”

Outside, the house is a non-descript, high walled compound, just like the others in the neighborhood.

Inside, the young women sit in a dark living room, where the hum of an overhead fan, and the Nigerian soap opera on TV are the few comforts in this temporary home as they wait for their cases to be investigated and to be reunited with their families.

Reducing demand But few cases end up in court. Fewer still end in convictions.

According the US State Department’s latest Trafficking In Persons report, last year NAPTIP reported 654 investigations, with 23 convictions for trafficking offenses.

“We’re prosecuting the small fries in Nigeria,” says Julie Okah-Donli, director general of NAPTIP. “Absolutely the number one problem is the inability of destination countries to clamp down on their own criminal networks.

“We’ve looked at the root causes in Nigeria without addressing the root causes in the destination countries,” she says. “What is being done to reduce the demand for this crime?” Sandra’s case is one of the rare prosecutions. Her trafficker was arrested, as was his sister, who was Sandra’s “madam” in Russia, pimping her out to clients. They are both awaiting trial.

“When I was in Russia I said to myself, if I get back to Nigeria alive I will expose her,” says Sandra. “She is not going to go unpunished. The wicked don’t have any place here; they have to face the law.”

Her former church admits her trafficker was a member of the congregation but denies that he was an assistant pastor.

Pastor Etinosa Osiomwanhi interacts with his congregation during a Sunday service. He denies that Sandra’s trafficker was an assistant pastor at his church. “You know pastors do certain things,” he said. “I don’t call them pastors. I call them herbalists or native doctors in suits who would do such.”

The betrayal that stretched across two continents is now even closer to Sandra.

“Even my own father said I am not his daughter,” she says.

The trafficking is not Nigeria’s problem to solve alone, says Okah-Donli, but it is Nigeria’s tragedy.

“It’s our young boys and girls who are trafficked. Many are not making it back alive and the ones that do are battered and bruised.”

• Source: cnn.com

PAGE 22—SUNDAY VANGUARD,DECEMBER 10, 2017

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

How boat owners kill Nigerians, throw them into Mediterranean,

by Newton Jibunoh, an explorer who crossed Sahara twice

•Says cartel’ s headquarters is Benin, recruitment centres in Aba, Asaba, Onitsha, Lagos • Inside slave camps in North Africa where desperate Nigerians say ‘no going back home’

C

hief Newton Jibunoh is widely known as the explorer who crossed the world’s largest desert twice. He undertook his first Sahara crossing as a youthful adventurer and his second journey as an environmental crusader.

He chose the rare and daring challenge of a solo expenditure of driving across the Sahara Desert in 1996. This became a life-changing experience and the inspiration for his now internationallyremarkable achievements in expedition and greening Earth.

In 1999, Jibunoh decided on his second Sahara expedition; this time travelling in the reverse direction from Nigeria to Europe. The motivation behind this second desert expedition was to bring to the world’s attention the plight of the millions of people in Africa affected by the fastencroaching Sahara Desert.

After his second Sahara expedition, he founded FADE -Fight Against Desert Encroachment – an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) accredited to the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development. In this interview, the activist shares his experience on human trafficking. Excerpts: President Muhammadu Buhari says he will get Nigerians stranded in Libya back home.

But those who know say a cartel runs this show.

Why haven’t we been able to dismantle the cartel?

We can but it will take lives. It is a very powerful cartel and it is an investment in millions of dollars and they are all over the place. They are in North Africa, they are in Europe and they have centres here in Nigeria - Benin, Aba, Asaba, Onitsha and Lagos. In fact, I think Benin is their headquarters.

When I started tracking the whole process some 30years ago, one of the migrants that had made four attempts to cross the Sahara, to cross the Mediterranean and was trying the fifth attempt before he was introduced to me, when we got talking and after I was able to win his confidence, pleaded with me and said, “I fear for your life”.

He said, “If they find out that you are doing this, they will come after you”. So, it’s a major cartel but, like I said, there is no other way but to try to stop them. Even the mafia, people are going after them. In our own case, people are not doing anything because these men and women go through this cartel and pay huge sums of money.

They swear to an oath. They pay quite a lot of money.

How much does it cost to engage the services of cartel members for those who want to be trafficked?

When it started at that time, it was about N250, 000 - some 15/20/30years ago. Now, I hear, it is about one million Naira that each of these people pay to the cartel for documentation, to cross Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean into Europe. And when they run into trouble - and that is why you have them in these detention

camps - they abandon them. So, to follow that process to get to the cartel is going to take quite a lot.

Why is it that in spite of the dangers, more people still want to go?

I’ll tell you a personal experience; it was during my second expedition. I had all my papers and documentation intact and people had known about me and what I was doing because CNN reported it.

I had my car in the hole of the boat to move it across the Mediterranean. I also paid for a cabin because it was going to be an overnight crossing and it was going to take about 12 hours.

Unfortunately and unknown to me, I was going to share the cabin with somebody who was smoking continuously and, at some point, I couldn’t take it anymore; so I had to go to the deck of the boat where there were a lot of migrants - 90% of them were Nigerians because I could hear their discussions in our languages. I listened to their conversations. Then about half way through the Mediterranean, a security agent walked up to me and asked to see my documentation. He went through the papers and said, “Please go back to your cabin because the boat was going to be raided” and that if that happens, they were going to push everybody on the deck into the Mediterranean.

Did you say ‘push’?

Yes, push!

Why? The reason is that any boat carrying illegal migrants would be seized and the boat owners do not want that. Rather than have their boats seized by the Libyan or Moroccan authorities, they would get rid of the illegal migrants, so I went back to my cabin.

So, just before we docked at Alicante, Spain, I went to the hole to prepare my vehicle and, alas, all those migrants were gone. So, I asked the security guy what happened to all the people. He said just before security agents came, they pushed everybody into the sea. That’s how it happens. I told this story before; I’ve given lectures; I’ve written about these things in a book. I talked about Fulani herdsmen in the book; I talked about migration; I talked about food security in the country. This book is now being translated into French and it is doing well in most of the French -speaking West African countries. Our ambassador in Morocco took me to meet the Mayor of Rabat for the presentation of the book and the Mayor said, “Thank God that Nigeria has woken up at last”. This was in 2002. And we are just waking up.

It has taken the collapse of Libya to bring

The cartel gets you the documentation to take you across the Sahara into Europe. And they know everything about your family and they threaten you that if you squeal, they will come after your family. They also force them to swear to voodoo in the shrine this issue to the fore. It’s not just Libya; you have these camps in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.

The reason is that once they arrest them and they find out that they don’t have the papers to proceed to Europe, they keep them there.

And I’m sorry to say, even those people you say you’re bringing back to Nigeria, if you don’t monitor them, they are going to attempt to go back.

Why would they want to go back?

The reason is because they have their contract with the cartel and they owe something to the cartel. The cartel gets you the documentation to take you across the Sahara into Europe. And they know everything about your family and they threaten you that if you squeal, they will come after your family. They also force them to swear to voodoo in the shrine. This thing did not just start yesterday or something that we should just look at as an ordinary thing. I have tried for over 30years to effect a change.

What do these migrants claim is the motivation in your conversations with them?

Better life. Loss of confidence in their country.

In the 70s and 80s, Nigeria was the best destination. Europeans came here to work, these same Europeans that don’t want us anymore; West Africans came to Nigeria because it was very attractive. We didn’t have the skilled men and people came from all over the world to work here. We were industrialising at that time. Six steel mills in the country in six geo-political zones; six paper mills; six assembly plants; the country even panicked when the influx of Europeans

•Newton Jibunoh

started and that was why we built colleges of technology and polytechnics in Nigeria and now that we have hundreds of thousands of graduates, what has happened to those industries? What happened to Nigeria Airways? What happened to Nigeria Railway? What happened to NITEL? These were the big employers of labour.

There’s a relationship between desertification and food security.

There are 11 states in our country bordering the Sahara. Most of the farming land has been encroached on by the desert and the desert keeps moving southwards. Most of these areas are grazing fields, stretching thousands of miles.

The grazing lands are gone because of degradation and that affects food security and once that continues, the issue of migration comes in. When I started my expedition, the Sahara was known as a forbidden land. But there are some people who just want to leave Nigeria because there’s no hope, in their view. What are they doing in Italy, Germany and Holland?

Most of them have been sold many years ago as far back as 20 years ago. Then it wasn’t called slavery. It was described as cheap labour. They leave them in camps but, again, it is so expensive for the countries to maintain them in those camps; so owners of farmlands and plantations come and pick them in 20s or 30s to work in their farms.

Most of the detention camps are outsourced to private companies and they give them a subvention to maintain the camps. So, instead of keeping so many people in the camp, they sell some off because they’ve come into these countries without the requisite documentation.

I addressed them in one of the camps I visited.

I told them that “out of all of you in this camp, maybe only 20% will make it”. You know what they started saying? They started singing to God that, at least, they would be among the 20%.

Meanwhile, they had forgotten the squalor, their condition. For them to use the toilet, they would have to pay; to get a bucket of water to shower, they would have to pay and I tried to explain to them that “you can never be subjected to this kind of treatment in your home country, especially with our extended family system, somebody must help you out”. But they just want to go to Europe.

You know, out of the few that are able to succeed, those who are able to build a small house for their parents, they make it appear as if it is that easy or simple so others want to join. You know, if one Angelina somewhere sends money quarterly to the mother to start a trade, it continues like a vicious cycle. In my visits to the camps, I went with the Nigerian embassies’ staff and the embassies are inundated with these stories. The ambassador in Morocco once told me that for his first two years there, all he had to deal with were issues of illegal migrants and prostitution, 419 and drugs and that, with my project, it was something positive.

• THIS INTERVIEW WAS FIRST AIRED ON CHANNELS TV

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 10, 2017, PAGE 23

Connect with His throne of mercy and get a relief

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rothers and sisters, congratulations.

Gradually, we are moving to the end of 2017, by the grace of the Almighty God, you will see the end of the year.

It will also mean an end to all your troubles.

Those issues that have been making you to soak your pillow with tears secretly will soon become issues that will make you shed tears of joy publicly in Jesus name.

We are still in the season of His Mercy.

What exactly is His mercy or who deserves mercy?

A simple dictionary defines mercy as “ Leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice”.

It goes further to describe the “ throne of mercy “ as the “ seat of God”.

But let’s pause for a second and ask who deserves mercy.

From my point of view, the one who needs to ask for mercy is someone that has first admitted he or she is guilty of something. Such a person is conscious that judgement is either imminent or the challenge he or she is going through may be a result of some generational sin

committed in the family.

What exactly do I mean? For instance, a young lady who before she became born again had series of relationships that resulted in pregnancy, because she wasn’t ready for babies at that time, aborted the pregnancy.

Now, she is married and wants to have children but children aren’t coming. Her past may be unknown to her husband but it is not unknown to her. Or is it the case of a young man who had carnal knowledge of a lady, the relationship turned sour and the lady placed a curse on him that no woman will ever bear him children.

Brethren, these cases are real and there are several other cases. For others, it could be none of these, but perhaps in family where idols have been worshipped and there was a covenant that at least a lady must be dedicated to the idol as a wife. Such a lady will never get married neither will she have children but she would continue to have dreams of having sexual intercourse.

The common denominator here is that something has gone wrong somewhere. Or why do you think doctors will declare a couple fit to have

children and conception will not take place even for one day. Even after they had prayed and fasted.

There is also the case of a man who got jilted by his lover. He became so disturbed that his mother sought the assistance of an herbalist to help her son forget the lady.

In the process, the herbalist did something that made the man unable to take interest in any lady. The result of which is his inability to get married though he has all it takes to be called somebody ’s husband.

Brethren, let’s be true to ourselves. Many of us have done some things that have become obstacles to our blessings.

Once, we admit this, either we are conscious of the sin or not, what we need to do is to ask for the mercy of God because our God does not want the sinner to perish but to have eternal life.

Our God is merciful but His mercy is not to be thrown at people who do not ask for it.

His word in Romans 9 vs. 15 confirms this. “ For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion”.

If an accused person appears before a judge and does not plead for leniency, he should not expect the judge to be merciful. It means he wants the law to take it full course and the judge will ensure this is done.

When dealing with God, it is similar. The difference is that whereas the human judge can only act within the provisions of the law, our God’s mercy is unlimited.

Psalm 103 v. 8 is our

fasting but yet to receive a favourable answer.

Verse 5 of the same Psalm 86 is more explicit. It states, “ For thou Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee”.

Take note of two word here forgive and plenteous.

Without asking for forgiveness, it may be difficult to receive His mercy yet we need His mercy to fulfilled in marriage, career, business, and other aspects of life. His mercy is the surest guarantee for all round fruitfulness. By the grace of God the season of an end to your unrewarding labour is here. Tap into it.

Psalm 102 vs. 13 gives us

that confidence. “ Thou shall arise, and have mercy on Zion :(use your name instead of Zion), for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come”.

This is if you believe that your time has come. Once you believe your time has come, it is also a belief that it is time to be relieved of those challenges.

The word of the Lord continues in Psalm 86 verses 15-17. It states: “ But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant and save the son of thine handmaid “.

Verse 17 “ Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast hoplen me and comforted me”.

Very soon, the Almighty God will comfort you. His mercy will give you comfort in a diamension that is beyond your imagination in the name of Jesus.

You don’t believe it? Better believe. When Lady F. heard the cry of Samuel at his birth, after over 20 years of waiting, she screamed, God, finally, I am a mother! The waiting has ended. It dawned on her that finally; the enemy has lost the battle. Jesus has proved himself.

This season, the Lord will prove himself in every aspect of your life and your testimony will inspire others in Jesus name.

The word of the Lord in Habakkuk 1 verse 5 “ Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a

work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you”.

Brothers and Sisters, I don’t know what you are waiting on Jesus for but very soon, you will soon be soliloquizing saying, “ Is this me, is it true?

Keep faith alive and be expectant. Before this year ends, the Lord will grant your heart’s desires in Jesus name.

Let’s round up today’s edition of Joyful homes with a testimony.

A lady in a popular Pentecostal church who had been waiting on the Lord took in. As expected she and her husband were elated. During one of her antenatal clinic visits to her doctor, she was told that the baby was lifeless and she should get ready to have the baby evacuated.

She politely told the doctor that she needed to inform her husband. She hurriedly called her Pastor who said to her that the baby would live.

She too began to place her hands on her stomach with a declaration, “ Baby, I shall not loose you, receive life. I will carry you in my own hands”.

After a few days of prayer, she went to another hospital for a scan and it was confirmed that the baby has life. With confidence, she returned to her regular doctor and insisted on having another scan. The result confirmed that the baby is alive.

At the appointed time, to the Glory of God, she put to bed a beautiful baby girl.

Brethren, trust God, ask for his mercy and the result for you is a testimony that will surprise not only your friends and other friends but also yourself.

Compliments of the season!

Do you know how to navigate the tools of the table?

As a professional in the course of your career and as you climb up the corporate ladderyou may have many opportunities to experience fine dining. This is an important area where you exhibit your executive presence, your interpersonal skills and your ability to engage in good networking skills, maintain rapport with those around you and tap into building acquaintances and future partners.

Navigating the tools of the table is a skill that is learnt overtime if you are willing. It

is not to be taken for granted when it matters most, because at this point any form of breach of etiquette can easily tarnish your image.Once again imagine an executive dunking bread in his soup at a formal gathering, instantly that executive sabotages his image negatively and leaves an impression of being unpolished, unprofessional and unprepared. The easy way to get around these scenarios is to actively and stylishly watch how others conduct themselves, If it looks sensible follow suit.

Today many organizations are realizing the need and importance of the fine dining experience, it is used to measure your judge of character and managerial decision abilities. The whole idea is to see how you conduct yourself accordingly among a group of people. How do you create an impression that is acceptable among the people you are with? Do you present yourself in an approachable manner enough for others to genuinely want to do business or engage in a relationship with you?

Simply put once you are seated you will see an army of cutlery on the table from knives, forks to spoon.Do you

know the correct tool to use from start to finish? A few quick tips for you.

TIPS ON HOW TO EAT AWKWARD FOODS 1. Mango - Cut in half, eat out of the skin with a spoon 2. Spaghetti - Use fork against plate 3. Lobster - Both knife and fork 4. Shrimp - Cocktail fork 5. Salad - Knife and fork 6. Pizza - Thin crust: Use your fingers Thick crust: knife and fork 7. Crepes - Secure with fork, eat with spoon 8. Buffalo wings Finger food eat with fingers 9. Canapes - Finger foodeat with fingers 10. Bread Roll - Broken & eaten with Fingers Whether you decide to use your fork or your hand every moment is important. The few minutes you spend dining can make or break a positive impression that others have of you. Dine with ease, dine with confidence, and exude your Panache Advantage.

Merry Christmas & Seasons Greetings!

authority. “ The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy”.

Therefore, we all can benefit from his mercy. As you ask for the mercy of God this season you will enter into your season of fruitfulness in Jesus name.

Let’s briefly study Psalm 86 vs.3 “ Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily”. This is for someone who has been praying and

Once you believe your time has come, it is also a belief that it is time to be relieved of those challenges

My Fork or my Hands?

It’s the festive season! e all love the opportunity to dine out whether it is in a restaurant or at an event. It is so much fun eating in the right ambience, with the right people, in the right mood; this sets the tone for a great time out. We are now in the festive season with numerous Christmas weddings, parties and dinners. This is the time where you will likely indulge yourself in eating all sorts of assorted to meals as you come across them taking advantage of the holidays while putting your dining skills to test. Some people like to play safe and eat only what they are familiar with. No matter the event many people tend to go for their favorite or the very same dish all the time, but I wonder truthfully.

As much as that sounds sensible, where is the fun and

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what experience would you have had if you are not adventurous enough to try something new?

How safe do you play when you are out dining?

How do you fair at the dining table?

Can you work around your cutlery comfortably or would you rather use your hand regardless?

Imagine you have just been served your favourite traditional delicacy. To enjoy the meal to its fullest, instinctively you want to ask to wash your hands and get right into the meal. Are you right to use your hands or would you request for a knife and fork?

Using etiquette to your advantage would mean don’t think twice, you ought to use your fork of course. Some others may argue that no matter where, they are going

to divulge that meal the way they know best; with their hands. The real challenge is not in the method of how you complete that meal but the desire not to embarrass yourself from dripping oils and other unforeseen circumstances when you start eating. The truth really is in order to have a competitive advantage; it is a case of assessing your environment, the people you are with, others in your vicinity and the occasion of the day.

Thankfully more often than not we are seeing more fork usage than hands in today’s business and social events, image is indeed everything.

Udoyo faults Emiforniye's appointment as deputy Unuovwodo of Edjeba

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he immediate past O g h w u v w i e (Chairman) of Edjeba in Agbarha Kingdom, Warri South, Hon. Marcus Udoyo, has faulted the appointment of Chief Isaac Emiforniye as deputy Unuovwodo (deputy representative of the Ovie of Agbarha Kingdom Warri) in the community.

Udoyo, who is the immediate past councillor rep-

resenting Edjeba Ward in Warri South Local Government, in a statement titled: ‘Why Emiforniye cannot be deputy Unuovwodo of Edjeba Community ”, alleged that Emiforniye’s election as deputy Unuovwodo of Edjeba in the residence of a high chief was wrong, saying the position could only be attained by selection and not by election.

The consideration, ac-

cording to him, is that the candidate must be from any of the three quarters making up the community just as he pointed out that it is unjust for a quarter to produce both the Unuovwodo and the deputy .

Udoyo, who alleged that Emiforniye’s choice as deputy Unuovwodo had earlier been rejected by HRM Ememoh II, the Ovie of Agbarha

Kingdom, Warri, frowned at the use of the private residence of a high chief for meetings o f c h i e f s and Elders Council of the community.

Efforts to reach the high chief to react to the allegations as of the time of going to press proved a b o r t i v e . H o w e v e r, a so urc e expla i ned that due process was followed in the selection of the deputy Unuovwo-

do, as he alleged that Udoyo even voted and hinted that the names of Emiforniye and Hon. Richard Okoro, who was the first runner up in the said election, were submitted to the high chief and the Elders Council of the community for further presentation to the monarch of Agbarha Kingdom, who he said is the only one that has the authority to announce a

new deputy Unuovwodo.

The source explained that the choice of the residence of a high chief as venue for the council’s meeting was as a result of the uncompleted town hall project of the community.

In his reaction, Emiforniye alleged that Udoyo had been antagonizing him for his (Emiforniye) refusal to support his (Udoyo) second council l orsh ip bid..

PAGE 24—SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 10, 2017

CAPTIVATING STORY OF BOY OVERRAN BY BOKO HARAM

I stood up for Ali to walk – Alamson, man with spinal cord injury who took child’s case to limelight

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

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he story of Ali Ahmadu, child victim of Boko Haram, is captivating. Ali Ahmadu is one of the survivors of insurgency in the North-East. Caught in one of the militants’ raids on November 13, 2014, the pregnant mother was too frightened to wait not to talk of safeguarding the life of her son in the chaos, and the unexpected happened! Ali was run over by three Boko Haram members riding on motorcycle (Okada). When the dust settled, he had lost his spinal cord among other injuries. He was just three years old. But the story of how Ali got to Global Initiative for Peace, Love and Care (GIPLC) was almost buried. An adage says only those who experience poverty can define it better. This was the case of Ayuba Alamson, 41, and a native of Chibok, Borno State. He was passing by three years ago when he overheard three women discussing Ali’s pathetic situation. He took it upon himself to trace the boy ’s parents and then linked the family up with GIPLC. The charity organization took up the case for the restoration of Ali. But there was little or no mention of Alamson’s efforts after the boy left for Dubai for corrective surgery and returned. The surgery was successful. The boy, who was wheeled onto the plane on September 10, 2017 en route to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, for the lifechanging surgery, walked out of an Ethiopian Airline flight at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja

on Monday, December 4, 2017 unaided.

Ali, who was dressed in a grey blazer, a white shirt and a pair of blue jeans, thrilled the crowd at the airport by walking briskly. Basking in the euphoria of the new lease of life, he said in Hausa, “Lafiya lao” (I am fine.

Thank you). When asked what he would like to become in future, he replied: “I want to be a policeman.

I want to save people from harm.”

Ali was accompanied on the return journey by his aunt, Hannatu Madu; the Coordinator of GIPLC, Mr Nuhu Kwajafa, and representatives of Dickens Sanomi Foundation, sponsors of the medical trip.

‘From journey of pain to journey of hope’ The Chairman of Dickens Sanomi Foundation, who doubles as Chairman of Taleveras Group, Mr. Igho Sanomi, said, “What started as a painful journey for little Ali after his Boko Haram attack in Chibok, four years ago that confined him to a wheel chair, has transformed into a journey of hope, love and care. Dickens Sanomi Foundation will be working with Ali’s family, through GIPLC, and will be supporting Ali’s post-surgery life as we help him settle into Abuja to grow as a child with love and care.

“I am authorised to announce that an educational scholarship will be provided for Ali, until he gets to

'The story touched me' A

yuba Alamson, the man who brought Ali’s case to GIPLC’s attention, in this interview, says he had once approached the body to look into his own case but the organization replied that they only deal with children. Excerpts:

I learnt that you are the person who brought Ali Ahmadu’s case to the limelight. How did the story start?

I have been suffering from visual impairment and spinal cord injury for the past 12 years. One day I was returning home after an outing when I overheard three women discussing about the two-year-old son of their relation who had spinal cord injury. I immediately remembered what I was passing through. The following morning I went to the compound to ask the women to tell me what really happened to the boy they were discussing the previous day. One of them explained to me that her twin sister’s son was injured when Boko Haram raided Chibok on November 13, 2014. I asked how

the incident happened, she said everybody were fleeing, so the mother and her children were also running and the militants followed them and hit the boy with a motorcycle and drove it over his back. According to her, the motorcycle broke the boy’s spinal cord. The story touched me knowing what I am passing through.

I cannot sit well. I cannot walk well and I couldn’t imagine how a twoyear- old boy would suffer similar ailment. I told the women I wanted to talk to the parents of the boy because my own issue had opened my eyes to many things about spinal cord injury. I asked them to give me the mother’s numbers so that I could speak with her but they said the boy would not survive, so there was no need to waste money calling her. But I insisted that “as far as somebody is alive, God has a means of doing something”.

Maybe they were thinking too that you could not have helped the boy because you couldn’t help yourself.

They were sympathetic to my own situation as they said “you are not well and you don’t have the means of helping yourself, how would you help others?” I said God has many ways of doing things. For over three years I followed them but they wouldn’t give me the boy’s mother’s number. I then called somebody in Chibok to link me up with the parents and the person succeeded in doing that. I spoke with the mother. I then demand to speak to the grandfather who is mature enough and somebody who is learned in the family. The grandfather said, “If there is anything you can do for his story to be spread around to the world so that he can get help, we would be grateful. If you like come and take him.” After the discussion, I called somebody who is familiar with the people who sponsored the boy’s treatment treatment, Global Initiative for Peace, Love and Care.

I had approached the organization concerning my case before. When I contacted them, they said they only

•Ali Ahmadu

university, by the Taleveras Foundation.”

Recalling his passion for Ali’ situation, the Coordinator of GIPLC, Kwajafa, said: “About four years ago, in a small village at Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, a toddler, named Ali Ahmadu Chibok, fell victim to one of Boko Haram’s murderous invasions.

“That fateful night, he suffered excruciating pains all over his body brought upon him by the senseless marauders. They crushed everything/everyone in their path, severely damaging his still forming vertebral column in the process, but the hand of God preserved Ali. “He was immobile and fast deteriorating, physically and mentally, from that period till the first quarter of this year, 2017, when Global Initiative for Peace, Love and Care made contact with him.

The organisation facilitated the relevant examinations and digital/lab tests for assessment and proper medical attention. The results revealed that he couldn’t access the quality care required, hence the decision to make arrangements to fly him abroad.

“After duly assessing the options open to us from all over the world, we resolved to take him to the UAE. He was treated in Zulekha Hospital at Sharjah, Dubai. The medical bill was initially $48,000 but after the surgery, there were some complications and there was an additional $15,000 bill.

“We left Nigeria on September 10 and landed in Dubai on the 11th. He was wheeled into the hospital on the 12th and, after proper diagnosis, it was agreed that Ali needed to go for surgery as soon as possible. Fortunately, today happens to be Ali’s 6th year birthday which the Initiative is celebrating with over 2, 000 orphans in Abuja.

“We have been running a charity organisation for the past 11 years where we reach out to kids who can’t pay medical bills and we have so far been able to raise over $4 million for children”.

On her part, Ali’s Aunt, Hannatu Madu, expressed her joy in an emotion-laden voice, saying she could not have believed that Ali could survive his travails not to talk of walking again.

“We never believed he was going to survive not to talk of walking. This came to us as a miracle and we are grateful to the NGO and Nigerians for their prayers”, she said.

assist children, so I still had them in mind that there are angels that help.

After I got all the information concerning the boy, I discussed with them and they told me they will call me back as they were in a meeting. After four days they called me back to say since they could not help me, they would help the young boy.

I had applied for the US visa concerning my situation but I was not granted the visa because l had to money for medical bill. I was still at the embassy’s gate when l got a call from the charity organization asking where l was. I told them and they sent a driver to pick me up.

Limelight After we deliberated, they taped my statement and said they would they see the boy. From there I left Abuja en route to Chibok. When I reached Chibok, I was very tired because of the long journey and considering my condition but I saw the boy with my own eyes.

We took pictures and videos which we sent to the Global Initiative for Peace, Love and Care email address.

•Alamson

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 10, 2017, PAGE 25

Not A Good Example of Keeping It In The Family!

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OPO was already an undergraduate when her dad remarried.

“We’d lost mum to breast cancer a few years before then,” she recalled, “and after a few ‘samplings’ of the available hopefuls, dad finally settled for Gladys! A very sophisticated mother-oftwo, she was a funky stepmum we all took to. She was certainly different from your average housewife. Instead of slaving in the kitchen, she came with her trusted cook and made no effort to hide her high-flying lifestyle.

“Simply put, she was gorgeous and dad was putty in her hands. She regularly downed wine and loved dancing at parties\with her jetset friends. ‘Don’t you mind her having so much fun?’ I’d asked dad. But he assured me he didn’t. ‘She might be a flirt, but that’s as far as it goes.’ Yet with her stunning figure, expensive weaves and wellmade up face, she attracted male attention wherever we went. We were somehow close and she dragged me to some of these ‘exclusive’ parties she attended whenever I had time to go with her.

“I was in my last year at the university when dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He died a couple of years later but, Gladys, our step- mum was a rock. I’d already started dating Yemi, a promising lawyer, by this time and between both of them, they made the loss of dad ‘bearable.

Gladys became my confidant

as my romance progressed. The more I got closer to her, the more my younger sister regarded me a traitor. As far as she was concerned, I had no right fraternising with mum’s replacement. I told her she was just being silly. Mum was dead and life had to go on.

“Then a couple of years after we lost dad, 1 had a niggling feeling all wasn’t right with my love-life. Yemi was constantly blowing hot and cold. I couldn’t deal with his mood swings and I had these feelings he was seeing someone else. I was so worried I eventually confided in my step-mum. ‘He couldn’t be right for you if he’s giving

you so much stress and heartache,’ she fumed. ‘I think you should give him his marching orders. There are plenty more fish in the sea’. In the past, she’d always given me good advice, but this time, I couldn’t follow it. “I can’t just end it with him,’ I told her, ‘I really love him and want to make things work.’

“Not long after our talk, my aunty, mum’s younger sister, arranged a family gathering in her house. It had been a while since we’d all got together and I was looking forward to it her parties are usually smashing. It also looked like a good chance to get things

back on track with Yemi, so I dolled myself up to impress him. Yet, despite my efforts to look attractive, he was even more distant with me than usual and kept disappearing into the kitchen. What’s your problem,’ I snapped at him. ‘Why do you keep sneaking off?’ “I don’t’, he snapped back. ‘I’m just being sociable.’

“I stormed off and complained bitterly to Gladys.

‘I think Yemi is having an affair/ I told her. ‘He’s blatantly creeping off to call some mystery woman.’ `You can do so much better than that creep,’ she said, irritated.

‘I think you should end it.’

Before I could say a thing, she stood up. ‘I’ll go and tell him to leave,’ she said firmly. She left me talking to my aunt, and my siblings while she went to look for Yemi. Half an hour later, she still hadn’t returned, so my aunt and I went to find her. I went to the kitchen door but I couldn’t open it, ‘looks as if it’s jammed,’ I complained to my auntie. I tried to force it but a chair was in the way. My aunt helped me push, then suddenly the ehair loosened and we burst into her spacious kitchen.

“What I saw will stay with me for the rest of my life. I froze to the spot and felt all the blood drain from my body.

I could hardly believe my eyes. Gladys was wriggling around on top of Yemi, stark naked! His trousers were round his ankles and he had a big triumphant grin on his

face ... Oh my God! My stepmum was bonking my boyfriend! ‘What the hell are you doing?’ I screamed at them. This is disgusting!’

“I started wailing loudly.

Seeing me, Gladys rolled offYemi. They both stared at us, horrified to have been caught in the act. ‘Get out!’ my auntie yelled.

I was really heartbroken. Yemi pulled up his trousers and stumbled towards the door as I wacked him on the head with a cooking spoon. ‘I don’t ever want to see either of you again,’ my aunty seethed, hugging me protectively. By now Gladys was so embarrassed she looked ugly. She scrambled around, gathering up her lacy briefs.

If only dad could see the tramp he married, I thought. ‘How could you have sex with your step-daughter ’s boyfriend?” I yelled. ‘You’ve got something seriously wrong with you!’ Her humiliation was complete as we watched her get dressed in shame.

“I haven’t seen my so-called step-mother or my boyfriend since that incident over a year ago. I refused to visit the family house. I still can’t believe what they did. I don’t know if it was a one-off or if it had been going on for a while - and to be honest, I don’t really want to know. Yemi must have had some kind of fetish for older women. And my gut feeling was right - his mind was on another woman I just couldn’t believe that woman was my step-mother!”

08052201867(Text Only)

The Bridge and Mountain Postures

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he body is totally at a handicap if it does not get exercise.

The extra oxygen you get into the system, the small rise in heart rate by working the muscles improves the body, the immune system gets a boost and the body’s healing system can be easily shifted to over-drive.

Yes, if you exercise regularly, you undoubtedly develop quick recovery powers. Even wounds heal faster when we stay in good shape.

It may sound too simple by suggest to someone that their redemption could depend on learning to breathe deeper.

But that could be the gospel truth.

Below are some yoga postures and how they benefit the body.

The Bridge

Technique: Lie flat on your back with the arms by your sides then bend the knees with

C M Y K

* The Bridge Pose

the feet flat down near to the buttocks. Raising the hips bring the hands to support the back. And then if you can, straighten the knees.

Stay at the pose between 15 to 30 seconds.

The mountain

pose

Sit on your heels or crosslegged. Raise the hand over head and interlacing the fingers turn the palms up hold the trunk very erect with elbows straight and do deep breathing.

First, distend the lower ab-

•The Mountain Pose domen then expanding the ribs without missing the shoulders - all that with the inhalation. Then breathe out slowly but thoroughly. First squashing the abdominal region then contract the ribs expelling as much stale

breath as you can.

A more difficult vitiation is to assume the lotus posture and get up on the knee with the hands stretched above the head without interlocking the fingers otherwise with palms joined.

PAGE 26—SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 10, 2017

Delta: The gains of OkowaPlus

DELTA: The gains of OkowaPlus

BY FESTUS AHON

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REPARATIONS are in top gear for the first-ever Products Exhibition and Business Fair by beneficiaries of the Delta State Government’s Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP) and Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurs Programme (YAGEP).

The showpiece event takes place on Wednesday, December 13 and Thursday, December 14 at the Cenotaph, Asaba.

Branded as STEPreneurs and YAGEpreneurs, over 450 of these young business owners are set to showcase their products and services. They were selected from the 2, 324 of previously unemployed graduates and school leavers that were trained and established in various enterprises of their choice by the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa administration.

The journey of these STEPreneurs and YAGEPreneurs began a little over two years ago when the Okowa administration braved the odds to launch a Job Creation Scheme (a.k.a OkowaPlus) with STEP and YAGEP as the two flagship programmes. It was a move that was greeted with huge dose of scepticism as similar programmes in the past in Delta and other States to redress youth unemployment and stimulate the growth of micro, small and medium scale enterprises often fizzled out in a matter of months after they were announced with fanfare. During the inauguration of the STEP and YAGEP, Governor Okowa addressed the public cynicism by confidently assuring Deltans that the new programmes would not go the way of previous interventions.

“I am aware,” Okowa began, “that there have been similar interventions in the recent history of our State.

Unfortunately, these interventions did not deliver on their promises and, therefore, failed to meet the yearnings and aspirations of our people.

Not surprisingly, some people have wondered if we are not just reinventing the wheel or going through the same motions without movement. My answer to that is a resounding NO! We carried out a thorough post-mortem of past initiatives in this regard and designed the Job Creation Scheme to avoid their shortcomings.”

According to the Governor, “the underlying difference is the desired end result. While previous programmes sought to prepare people for employment, the job creation scheme seeks to produce wealth creators and job creators. Critical differences also exist in the selection and screening process, training approach, management system, and collaboration with the organised private sector. In addition, this Scheme is not your typical empowerment programme that is often cash based; it is a job and wealth creation scheme. It is not just about skills acquisition; it is about building a knowledge economy. ” The STEP and YAGEP programmes are basically targeted at unemployed graduates and school leavers aged between 18 and 35. After a rigorous selection and screening process, successful applicants are taken through a three-phase training regimen comprising an orientation course, vocational skills training and business management training. The orientation course focuses on the development of life skills and personal effectiveness while during the second phase participants serve in apprenticeship in an existing business accredited as a training centre.

The last phase of the training involves a business and management module to complement the personal effectiveness training.

Beneficiaries under STEP were trained in aluminium works, audio-visual services, barbering, bead and hat making, block moulding, interlocking, PoP, tiling, catering and confectionary, cosmetology, craft/home care products, decoration and event management, electrical installation and repairs, fashion design and tailoring, hair dressing and makeover, ICTs, plumbing, shoe making, upholstery welding and

The Chief Job Creation Officer in the Governor’s Office, Professor Eric Eboh credits the success of the Job Creation Scheme to Governor Okowa’s vision backed by sound planning, credible selection process and all round design of the training model fabrication and auto-mechanic. The Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurs Programme covered aquaculture, poultry, crop production, agro-processing and piggery.

Participants who successfully passed through the three-phase training programme were given various starter packs to start their

businesses. In addition they were paced on a monthly stipend for three months, assumed to be the gestation period of the enterprises. During the distribution of starter packs, there were complaints from some of the beneficiaries about the quality of the starter packs. For instance, Mr Believe Onyeido, a STEPreneur in Electrical Installation and Repairs from Ughelli received a Drilling Machine, a 2900 Sumec Firman Generator, one Adjustable Aluminium Ladder, an Electrical Tool Box, a #50,000.00 Start-up Allowance and a #10,000.00 monthly allowance for three months.

“The only thing I did not like about my starter pack,” he said “is the manual drilling machine. I would have preferred the electrical drilling machine. Nevertheless, I am grateful.”

Overall, the State Government can afford to beat its chest with various testimonies pouring in from the beneficiaries of the Job Creation Scheme. One of them is Cynthia Oma Ehire who established her enterprise in Sapele after she received her starter pack. “Though it is called Starter Pack, I call it ‘life changer’ because immediately I

collected the Starter Pack, my life changed.” In the same vein, Aghogho Oghenekevwde, a YAGEPreneur in fishery has become a success story.

“During my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC),” she narrated, “I was involved in an accident through which I sustained a spinal cord injury. I thought all hope was lost, but the Delta State Government through this programme helped me to get out of it.”

The Chief Job Creation Officer in the Governor’s Office, Professor Eric Eboh credits the success of the Job Creation Scheme to Governor Okowa’s vision backed by sound planning, credible selection process and all round design of the training model. “Two years after the launch of the scheme,” he enthused “the State is already harvesting its fruits.

A total of 2,324 unemployed youths have been transformed into owners of business enterprises, self-employed individuals and employers of labour.

This total includes 1,687 STEPreneurs, 618 YAGEPreneurs and 19 beneficiaries of the newly-introduced Graduate Employment Enhancement Programme (GEEP). In line with the Governor’s principle of inclusiveness, STEP and YAGEP beneficiaries comprise males 64% and females 36% and include fifty one (51) Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).”

As the State prepares to host the STEP and YAGEP Product Exhibition and Business Fair, the question on the minds of many is how far and how long the Government can sustain these programmes. Virtually all the beneficiaries Vanguard spoke to were unanimous in calling for the sustenance of the job creation programmes. They added that the State Government should incorporate a strong monitoring mechanism to check abuses and fraud in the system. For Henry Onogide, a STEPreneur in Welding and Fabrication, “my passionate appeal goes to our youths. They should acquire skills and stop begging and depending on others. They can become independent in order to assist their families and contribute to the development of Delta State in particular and Nigeria in general.”

PUBLIC COMPLAINTS COMMISSIONER WARNS

We can jail you for six months if you refuse to honour our summons

By Gabriel Enogolase THE Public Complaints Commission (PCC), established in 1975, was envisioned to restore the dignity of man through the enforcement of the rule of law and protection of the individual, organization against administrative injustice. In this interview, the commissioner in charge of the commission in Edo State, Felix Alari, speaks on the mandate of the PCC.

T

his is your third year in the saddle. How has it been?

It has been very challenging. We have a lot of people coming in here, but we don’t have enough resources to adequately address them.

The commission is in great need of funding.

Of a truth, the commission is not well funded and yet we are saddled with enormous responsibilities. The extent to which we can address our mandate without adequate funding is the problem. For example, in the Edo State office, we have only one vehicle- a pick-up van. The van is used for investigation and serves as my official use. If we want to go to Auchi, Igara, Iguobazuwa and Okada and other places in the state on official engagement, that is the only vehicle we use. As the only vehicle we use for investigation, it is constantly under pressure. More often than not, it breaks down.

Does the Act establishing the commission permit you to seek partnership with individuals and corporate bodies for funding?

That shouldn’t be, it is not even in the interest of the commission. The Ombudsman is an international institution. There is a minimum requirement or standard that is required of the

Ombudsman to function. And one of these basic requirements is that it has to be adequately funded to ensure its independence. By the time you make people to partner with you, compromise will set in. The commission has to be well funded and the commissioner well paid. In fact, the standard is that of the High Court judge. If you look at the Act, we are not subjected to control by anybody. Once appointed, no one should control you on how you do your job.

What is the level of public awareness on the existence and importance of the commission?

For a commission that has been in existence for the past 40 years, you will think that everybody is aware of its existence. I think the reason many people are not aware of its existence is because people who are majorly our complainants are the downtrodden. Those who are aware come here. There is still need for publicity.

We have done a lot of engagements here – I mean engagement with

•Felix Alari persons who come in here to seek justice.

Statistically speaking, would you say you have done enough in addressing complaints since your assumption of office?

Within the limits of our available resources, I think we have done well.

For example, between 2015 and 2016, the commission received a total of 2,526 complaints out of which 1,200 were successfully resolved; the rest are still pending. That figure is just from Edo alone. If you take the statistics from

•Continues on Page 27

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 10, 2017, PAGE 27

13TH MONTH SALARY: Delta: The gains of Gov. Ugwuanyi’s Christmas OkowaPlus bonus for workers

BY LOUIS AMOKE

A

few days ago, the administration of Gov. th Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi approved the 13 month salary for civil servants in Enugu State as Christmas bonus.

The good news about the package is that the state workers will receive their basic salary, double, this month, a feat that beats the imagination of many, who wonder how the governor does the magic, considering the severe economic challenges in a country, where many states are unable to pay workers’ salaries, not to talk of executing capital projects.

In Enugu, Ugwuanyi is paying workers’ salaries regularly; executing capital projects across the state; awarding multiple contracts for more development projects, and, in his magnanimity, still th deemed it necessary to pay workers the 13 month salary as Christmas bonus.

Also worthy of note is the fact that the bonus, which has the approval of the State Executive Council, was freely given to the workers without them asking or agitating for it.

Kudos must, therefore, go to “The Most Labour-friendly Governor in the History of Enugu State”, for such a timely gesture, which has received a lot of applause from not only the workers themselves but also from all segments of the society.

In spite of the nation’s harsh economic climate and the fact that Enugu State is third from the bottom of the federal allocation chart, Gov. Ugwuanyi has remained undaunted and upto-date in the payment of workers’ salaries and retirees’ pensions, which is one of the cardinal objectives of his administration.

Interestingly, the 13th month salary bonus reaffirms and re-echoes the recent verdict by the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), which listed Enugu as one of the few states in the country that is “upto-date in payment of workers’ salaries and pensions”.

A recent media report stated that “according to the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), 23 states of the federation currently owed workers arrears of salaries ranging from one to 24 months, adding that “only states like Lagos, Anambra, Enugu, Bauchi, among others are said to be up-to-date in payment of salaries and pensions.”

The verdict, no doubt, demonstrated Gov. Ugwuanyi’s commitment to workers’ welfare and his ingenuity as well as passion for the common good of the people of the state.

The governor as an economist and a financial expert strongly believes that the economy of Enugu as a civil service state can only be reactivated to alleviate the sufferings of the people of the state, when workers’ salaries are paid regularly.

This captivating vision has remained one of the guiding principles of his administration to “deploy government services to create fair and equal opportunity for every willing citizen to make a living and create wealth, educate our children, and enjoy life in a peaceful and secure environment”.

It would be recalled that Gov. Ugwuanyi in his inaugural address, promised to lead a lean government to free up resources and channel them to the real development issues. He stated that his administration will look inwards and harness those potentials which free oil money has blinded the country from exploiting.

The governor promised to reward the electorate “who defied rain and sunshine to ensure that their votes counted” and indeed the entire people of the state (who he describes as “the true heroes of democracy), with good governance. He also pledged that his administration “must match our faith with the right decisions and good work”.

Ugwuanyi declared his firm belief in the miracle of five loaves and two fish to feed the people of Enugu State, believing that God will give his administration the wisdom and courage to successfully navigate the state

•Ugwuanyi through the current economic crunch, among others.

Today, one is delighted to note that in less than three years into his administration, these promises centered on the wellbeing of the people are been realized persistently.

Reacting to the Christmas bonus, an elated state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Virginus Nwobodo, described the gesture as a surprise package and unprecedented in the history of the state, especially in the light of the nation’s economic

downturn that has made it impossible for many states to pay workers’ salaries.

While commending Gov. Ugwuanyi for the offer borne out of his magnanimity and an incentive to the workers to motivate them to discharge their duties efficiently, the Labour leader urged the state workers to reciprocate the gesture by putting in their best to increase productivity.

Also speaking, the state chairman of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Igbokwe Chukwuma Igbokwe, who equally appreciated the state government’s gesture, noted that the beauty of the offer was that the workers never asked or agitated for it.

He said: “It was freely given to us and because of that it is another milestone in this administration of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. and Comrade Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who is always passionate about workers’ welfare” Comrade Igbokwe who stated that the workers are part of the Enugu project, maintained that the leadership of the union and the workers will continue to appreciate the gesture and reciprocate by discharging their responsibilities for the growth and development of the state.

In a separate reaction, the National Association of Nigerian Students

(NANS) joined in commending Gov. Ugwuanyi for his uncommon gesture, saying that “Enugu State has proved to the Nigerian nation that she remains the trail blazer and the standard for good governance and workers’ welfare”.

The students through a statement by the state chairman of the association, Comrade Chidi Ilogebe, said that “in a time when some state governments cannot pay workers and pensioners, with some owing up to 14 months arrears, the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is miraculously paying up to the 13thmonth”.

Describing the bonus as a surprise gift, the students said: “Your Excellency, you left everybody deep in thought, thinking if Enugu is now a miracle ground where 5 loaves and 2 fish were being used to feed thousands”, adding: “The entire students populace of Enugu State numbering over one million have given their voices in commendation of your giant strides in the state”.

In a similar development, the teachers of the state totaling over 21,000 recently staged a mass solidarity rally for Gov. Ugwuanyi in appreciation of his good works and the remarkable achievements in the education sector.

The rally, which commenced with a road-walk in Enugu, saw the enthusiastic teachers dancing and singing solidarity songs in appreciation of the governor and his good works.

The teachers, who declared their firm support for the governor in 2019, conferred on him the title of “Odozi Obodo I” of Enugu State, meaning the Reformer of Society.

As Gov. Ugwuanyi continues to spread good governance in all strata of the economy, it is the responsibility of the public to encourage and support his peace and good governance initiatives, aimed at impacting positively on the lives of the people of the state, for truly; Enugu State is in the hands of God.

Amoke is resident in Enugu.

We can jail you for six months if you refuse to honour our summons •Continued from Page 26 the 36 states in the country, you will appreciate the number of cases the PCC is resolving. This is more than what EFCC and ICPC can generate and resolve in a year. Last Monday, our premises were a beehive of activities. Market women from Ogida came with complaints that could have resulted in serious problem if not meticulously addressed. At the end of the day, the complainants and respondents were smiling. One of them called me few days after and told me they had settled the matter. We do this without cost to the complainant and the respondent. When you came to Public Complaints Commission, you are not expected to pay a dime.

It is a case of ‘no victor, no vanquished’ Exactly! And that again is part of the reasons people don’t get to know about our activities. For example, if we are able to resolve a matter, there will be no point for any information to go out to the public; it has to be on the instruction of the commissioner.

Imagine you are a complainant or respondent and you come here and tell us ‘please, let this thing be,’ you will not be happy if you now hear that it has gone to the public domain.

Can you let us into the naturre of the complaints you receive?

The commissioner is enjoined to look into cases of administrative injustice arising from acts of federal, states, local government and their agents and the officials of these agencies of government. We are also enjoined to look at acts done by the companies incorporated under the Companies and Allied Matters Act. For example, wrongful termination of appointment, delay in promotion, failure to allot shares when they have been fully paid for, nonpayment of gratuity and pension are some of the issues we deal with.

Do you have coercive power to enforce your decisions?

That is a very big problem. The PCC Act is one of the five Acts listed in the Constitution. The idea was to ensure its independence and security. The reason for setting it up was to provide a platform for people to have access to justice without necessarily paying for it. The reason for protecting it in the Constitution is to ensure that the commission is sufficiently safeguarded. When you refuse to honour the commissioner’s summon, the fine is N500 or six

months imprisonment. That has not changed since 1975. To amend it has become a problem. In other climes, the Ombudsman has coercive power; every attempt to give the Ombudsman in Nigeria coercive powers has ended in failure because of the tedious process of amending the Constitution which involves the National Assembly and all the 36 state Houses of Assembly. So at the end of the day, we rely on security agencies to do the enforcement. So the Act needs amendment. And quite recently, the National Assembly attempted to do it; some Acts were deleted from the Constitution-The PCC, NYSC. The reason was that they wanted to amend it. But some of us were scared because there is no guarantee that they would return it to the Constitution. And by international standards, every Ombudsman must be protected by the Constitution. So we tried to engage the lawmakers and gave them the Oliver Thambo Declaration standards of the Ombudsman. We really have the problem of enforceability. But we have our way round of doing things. If we give a verdict and you don’t honour it, we will engage you.

You must be responsible to somebody. So we can take you up to that extent. The problem is that in Nigeria, we are not able to pursue issues to logical conclusion.

For example, a verdict is given that this man has been wrongfully terminated, reinstate him.

Instead of complying, we leave it like that. The man then goes to court. Maybe after ten years he is reinstated by the court and his money paid. You must go back to the same person that caused that

mistake. If the state now spends millions for negligence, is it not expected that they would go after the man that made them not to implement the report of the Ombudsman. But we are not doing that in Nigeria.

How regularly do the 36 state commissioners meet?

We meet once a month. There could be an exception or an emergency one. The meetings of the commissioner are called plenary.

How do you see the future of PCC? With adequate funding and right personnel, preferably lawyers engaged as commissioners or very astute administrators, the future is bright. As a quasi-judicial body, you need somebody with the knowledge of law or that has a legal background because you have to be conversant with the Act. The PCC is the first anti-corruption agency and the first whistle blowing agency in Nigeria. So I am calling for adequate funding.

Nobody thinks you’re doing anything whereas we are doing a great work. If the complaints we handle here are allowed to explode into the society, they will cause considerable crisis. Let me emphasis again the need to implement the Oliver Thambo Declaration which spells out the minimum standards for an effective Ombudsman, to include independence and proper funding for the Ombudsman to be effective in its contribution to strengthening good governance through investigating and redressing maladministration, complaints, injustice and excesses in the society.

It must truly be independent and well-funded.

PAGE 28—SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 10, 2017

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

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COMMON SEXU AL PR OBLEMS AND THEIR NO VEL T Y BASED SOL UTION (AD VER TORIAL) SEXUAL PROBLEMS NOVEL VELT SOLUTION (ADVER VERT Hello everyone and welcome to the month of December!

Christmas is in the air already and it is with so much excitement that we bring you new product arrivals and a promise of exciting sales, raffle draws and gifts in the second week of December. But first, I want to quickly weigh in on the subject of sexual harassment that seems to be growing bigger and bigger and destroying the careers of many accomplished men all around the world.

This is a message to all men, both rich and poor. No matter how highly you think of yourself, whether it be because of your good looks, money, power or connections, women are not like all the other things you are used to getting instantly. If you want them, you must still play by the rules like all other men. If you see a woman you like, be patient and respectful. Let the first words that come out of your mouth not be about sex. That can be offensive. And please keep your hands to yourself, no matter how much you feel like touching her.

Make friends with her first to help get her approval. And then she will let you touch her all you want. Women want to be touched too but in their own time and with their approval.

And also remember. If you are rich and powerful, getting women is even easier for you because women are naturally drawn to powerful and wealthy people. It is human nature. Women are

physically weaker and less aggressive than men so subconsciously, they gravitate towards a promise of security. So don’t screw up the advantage you already have by losing your patience. That is what leads to sexual harassment. Lack of patience. Please take note.

Now to the exciting products we have for this holiday season.

First on the list are lingerie for women. The right lingerie makes women feel good and sexy in bed and we have got some really good ones. We are talking about exotic panties such as the Butterfly Thong, Rear Access Black Lacy Panty with Bow, Purple Lace and String Panty and the Black and White Sheers Crotchless Thong to name a few.

There are many others and they are oh so beautiful. View these and more on www.zeevirtualmedia.com.

Next on the list are lubricants for both men and women that solve a variety of problems. For men we have the Rock Hard Delay Cream designed to enable men last longer and avoid premature ejaculation. For women as well are three special lubricants that help solve a variety of problems.

The Love Kiss Strawberry Gel helps with basic lubrication that combats vaginal dryness and sexual pain. It is also edible and therefore great for oral sex. And then there is the Private Nursing Vagina Tightening Gel. Just as the name suggests, it tightens the vaginal orifice for more pleasurable intercourse. And last

but not the list is the Dual Intoxicated Orgasm Gel. Again, as the name suggests, this arousal lubricant for women aids sexual enjoyment through arousal and orgasmic endings.

And for men, some of your favourite performance enhancers are back and they include FX 3000 and Stiff Nights.

With FX 3000, you have a top of the range male performance enhancer that does everything from strengthening weak erections to prolonging your performance before ejaculation, enlarging the penis and increasing stamina and recovery time between sexual sessions. Stiff Nights is very good as well particularly for hard erections and stamina.

Last but not the least is a new vibrator for women called Lilo Rechargeable Massager. It is big, black, sleek and powerful with guaranteed orgasm and sexual enjoyment.

Next week we will talk about more new products as our end of year sales and raffle draw kicks into gear. There are a lot of prizes to be won too. Adults in need of the above novelties and treatments can call us on 07086754515 or 08171912551 or any other number here to order or they can order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com. We deliver to you wherever you are in Nigeria.For enquiries email us at custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

VANGUARD, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2017, PAGE 29

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

Slave Trade: The 21st Century menace

N

early half a decade ago, the funeral of a promising young man who died in the desert was held somewhere in the southeast. Obumneme, that was his name, was travelling to Europe in search of greener pasture after an HND in Civil Engineering and five years of unemployment in Nigeria. He was the only child of his parents and his death quickly claimed the life of his father. The old man died of a broken heart.

Obumneme had joined legions of Nigerians heading to Europe through the Sahara Desert but he was not as lucky as they made him believe. The challenges were not as surmountable as they made him believe. So, he died.

He was not the only victim.

Stories abound of Nigerians who died in the desert everyday and those who died across the Mediterranean sea.

Many of these victims were violated and deliberately killed.

In Nigeria today, many secondary school graduates and University graduates who are frustrated due to inability to either get a job or a good paying job, often, believe that it is better out there. Some do not

seek the necessary information before getting out of the country. So, they fall victims to push and pull factors.

Nigerian governments have failed Nigerians and for many, there is very little hope of things improving. This push factor has sent many into their early graves.

It is often believed that reducing public corruption and providing efficient social services will go a long way in reducing the exodus of young Nigerians. A major ‘pull factor’ for many Nigerians leaving the country, especially the financially capable is the efficient infrastructure, governance and orderliness they may enjoy abroad that is lacking in Nigeria. Nigeria has the human and material resources to reproduce this state of affairs but capable and good leadership is required.

Everyday , we hear stories of the suffering of young African migrants seeking better opportunities in Europe through illegal routes. The ordeal that many go through either in the transit countries such as Niger and Libya or during the perilous journeys on rickety boats across the Mediterranean is heart-

wrenching.

Only this year, the International Organization for Migration reported that more than 2,500 migrants perished in the Mediterranean. Many more are believed to have died travelling across the Sahara Desert or in the transit countries.

Almost on weekly basis, Nigeria is belaboured with bringing home many of its citizens trapped in Libya. The stories initially were not as horrible as returnees mainly complained of unemployment, hunger and poverty while the women lamented sexual abuse and violation.

But the stories have changed for the worse.

Now, there is the return of slave trade. Who would believe that after several centuries of the abolition of slave trade, it would crop up again and typically, Nigeria is a major beneficiary of such evil.

The International Organization for Migration reported that in Libya, many migrants seeking employment or trapped in transit are exposed to hash living conditions and widespread human rights abuses. Some are traded as slaves for ransom, labour or sex by gangs of human-traffickers and many die in the appalling conditions of detention facilities run by criminals and militias.

But the trading of migrants as slaves appeared under-reported. Now, the issue has exploded from videos posted in the internet and accounts of those who managed to escape and return home.

International organizations have also published credible reports, documenting regular and severe hu-

Aside Libya, about 12,000 Nigerians are reportedly awaiting deportation in Germany as their asylum claims have been rejected because Nigeria is not considered a country where there is political persecution at the moment man rights violations of refugees and migrants in official Detention Centres.

From all indications, the truth which those aspiring to travel to Europe by all means haven't known is that the illegal route to Europe is littered with hardship and death.

Libya is the main transit point for refugees and migrants trying to reach Europe by sea. In each of the last three years, 150,000 people have reportedly made the dangerous crossing across the Mediterranean Sea from Libya.

For four years in a row, over 3,000 refugees have died while attempting the journey, according to figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the U.N.’s migration agency.

The Libyan Coast Guard , supported with funds and resources from the E.U. and more specifically, Italy has cracked down on boats smuggling refugees and migrants to Europe. With estimates of 400,000 to almost one million people now bottled up Libya, detention centers are

overrun and there are mounting reports of robbery, rape, and murder among migrants. Conditions in the centers have been described as “horrific,” and among other abuses, migrants are vulnerable to being sold off as labourers in slave auctions.

Aside Libya, about 12,000 Nigerians are reportedly awaiting deportation in Germany as their asylum claims have been rejected because Nigeria is not considered a country where there is political persecution at the moment.

What in God's name would bring up the issue of slave trade in the 21st Century?

Nigerians, among other Africans are being auctioned for $400 per person and many would rather pass through this ordeal of being sold as slaves than return home. A video of men being sold at auction in Libya for $400 has shocked the world and focused international attention on the exploitation of migrants and refugees the north African country.

As observed, the aching and terrible paradox of globalization, with its associated technological advancement, has created much wealth for some but has enabled the enslavement of others. Rapid increases in science, technology, industry, commerce and trade, considered by many to be signs of progress leading toward a more peaceful future among nations have done nothing to halt, and have rather helped, this horrible crime against humanity.

Recently, the United Nations Security Council condemned reports of the human

slave trade in Libya saying the acts amount to "heinous abuses of human rights" and called upon all relevant authorities to investigate such activities without delay to bring the perpetrators to justice and hold those responsible to account.

Libyan authorities has also promised an investigation into the practice, and a number of political leaders offered calls for action to stop the practice. The UN Secretary General Antonio Gutterres said he was horrified by the reports and said they may amount to crimes against humanity.

The security council further underlines the need for coordination of efforts to tackle the root causes of large movements of people, including forced displacement, unmanaged migration and trafficking in persons, in a comprehensive and holistic manner, to prevent exploitation of refugees and migrants by smugglers and human traffickers, as well as for implementation of the 2030 agenda.

The UN also urged all countries to do everything they can to end this barbaric practice.

But will that be enough?

Those committing these unspeakable crimes must be brought to justice, and the victims must be treated with the respect and dignity that they deserve.

Nigeria should sit up and do something about youth and graduate unemployment in a bid to stem this tide.

Un point à temps en vaut neuf. ( A stitch in time saves nine)

2019: Nigerians will re-elect Buhari for second term — Hon. Okiemute

By Lucky Oji Former member, Delta State House of Assembly, Chief Essien Benjamin Okiemute, is a prominent leader and founding member of the All Progressives Congress APC in the state. In this interview with Sunday Vanguard, the APC chieftain, reveals that President Muhammadu Buhari is enjoying the support of Nigerians who would re-elect him for second term in 2019 and other issues in Delta politics,

S

ir, it is exactly two and half years since Pres ident Muhammadu Buhari assumed office, how would you assess the president’s performance so far?

President Muhammadu Buhari, has performed credibly well, personally I will score him excellent. Within the two and half years, the President has achieved a lot, particularly, the reshaping of Nigeria’s image and integrity in the international community.

Virtually, every Nigerian is very much aware that President Buhari practically inherited a collapsed economy, a very rotten and corrupt system. Resources of the country were looted and mismanaged without considering the poor masses and the future of the country. It got to a point where few corrupt individuals were becoming richer than Nigeria as a country.

Budgeted funds meant for projects and other purposes of national importance were diverted into the pockets of individuals. Buhari inherited a huge debt owed marketers who supplied petroleum

products not paid by the immediate past administration, the President has paid these monies.

For the past two and half years, President has done everything humanly possible to restore the dignity of Nigeria as a country by initiating a clean spirit into the system.

Another major area the President has done well is the fight against corruption.

When President Buhari promised to fight corruption, many never believed what he was saying, but from what we are seeing today, the various shocking revelations how government officials in the last administration looted the resources of this country, Nigerians have developed strong confidence in President Buhari, and trust whatever the president is doing to transform the country.

He is determined and genuinely fighting corruption as he promised, and that is why you can see that the President is getting the full supports of majority of Nigerians.

Some Nigerians and the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are criticizing Buhari for non performance?

It is not a surprise that the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party PDP is always criticizing President Buhari, what would you expect from them when their members were actually the main beneficiaries from the corrupt system of the last administration. Apart from the PDP, some other Nigerians still criticizing Buhari, it could be that the President may have blocked their source of milking the country; certainly, they must fight

• Chief

Okiemute

back and criticize the President.

More so, the only Nigerians that I think would criticize Buhari are those who were benefiting from the corrupt system of the last administration.Nigerians who are doing legitimate businesses and earning legally from the last administration till now would not criticize Buahri. The only “Sin” Buahri has committed is blocking leakages and stopping the looting of Nigeria’s resources by those criticizing him now on pages of newspaper.

You will agree with me that President Buhari has not done anything wrong to attract such unnecessary criticisms. Evidently, President Buhari is enjoying the support of Nigerians because of his good intentions toward the country. He is repositioning the country to greatness.

Nobody can instigate Nigerians against the present government of Buhari, such attempts would definitely fail.

Buhari has ensured that the

By the end of 2018, when Buahri’s achievement must have been unveiled, most of the persons criticizing him now would turn around to praise him country is gradually moving to the right direction, people are now doing things properly, even public office holders are more careful not to fall under his hammer.

The President’s objective is clear on why things must be done properly, funds judiciously used for assigned purposes. That is the only way this country can move forward. Buhari is rebuilding a Nigeria where whatever you are asked to do as a public officer, or even as a Nigerian, you are expected to do it rightly and diligently which will eventually produce good results.

I can assure you that by the end of 2018, when Buahri’s achievement must have been unveiled, most of the persons criticizing him now would turn around to praise him’ Sir, you are from Niger Delta, but the people of the

region think Buhari is not fair to the region?

It will shock you to know that Isoko South local government is the only local government won by President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC in the entire Delta State, South South and South East geo-political zone in 2015 presidential election.

In my local government, Isoko South, Buhari and APC won with 10,000 votes, but despite my efforts I have not been given appointment.

I am a founding member of APC in Delta State, including the late Senator Okpozo, Akamukali and Senator Ewherido. Also, Olorogun Ortega Emerhor, Hon. Rufus Akpodiete and Hon. Okpoko.

Remember, the immediate past President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, was from the Niger Delta region, he was president of Nigeria for six years, if we the people of Niger Delta are sincere and fair to ourselves, we should invite him to a Niger Delta conference to tell the people what he did for the region, when he was in office as President.

However, that does not stop President Buhari from developing the region. For the six years Jonathan was President, the Niger Delta Affairs Ministry and the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC, got their annual budget funds released, but we can’t find projects executed by the two agencies.

But today, under President Buhari, transparency and accountability have been restored in Niger Delta Affairs Ministry and the NDDC. The Minister of ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, the Board of the

NDDC and the coordinator of Presidential Amnesty programme, have been warned by President Buhari to ensure that the funds for these agencies were not mismanaged to enable the people of the region feel the impacts and see the physical development from the funds allocated to the agencies by the federal government.

Also, the East West road is ongoing, Federal Maritime University, Okerenkoko, is about resuming academic session, the Bill establishing the Federal University Petroleum Resources, Ugbomro, passed into law, and several other efforts being made by the President to develop the region.

What is your advice to the Niger Delta youths The youths of Niger Delta should embrace peace and should not get themselves involved in criminal acts and economic sabotage. It is affecting the Economy of the country and the economic activities in the region.

Do you think APC will win the governorship election in Delta State come 2019?

Yes, the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta State, is very ready and will win the governorship election in Delta come 2019. We have the structure, devoted and reliable followers and supporters; we have competent people for the governorship race who are more qualified than the outgoing Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, the APC is becoming stronger and acceptable by Deltans by the day, so, in a single word “ APC is taking over Delta State from PDP and Okowa in 2019”.

PAGE 30— SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 10, 2017 president’s performance so far. So, if the president and his personal aides on media and information are quiet on the subject, what is the locus of those who are purporting to speak for him or on his behalf?

Interestingly, many of those

Is Buhari contesting the 2019 election?

T

he inability of Nigeria to develop is traceable to several factors. One of them which people often overlook is the army of political interlopers that often distract government from its articulated focus. Their role is to keep the nation permanently on an electioneering mood. Once a president or governor is elected, they start organizing how such an elected person would re-contest to secure a second tenure. They generate so many stories around the subject that the general public becomes sensitized not on the performance of the officeholder; but on his chances of re-election. The incumbent himself begins to imagine that if he remains quiet and steadfast on his job, it might erroneously imply his lack of interest in more than one term. Meanwhile, the rationale for the premature campaign is always so pedestrian that an analyst might think that too many people are becoming mental.

One politician said the other day that he would support a second term for the governor of his state just because most past governors served two terms.

These days, the only thing that appears to be in the news is the determination by different people that President Buhari is set for re-election in 2019. But because Buhari is aware that it is morally and legally improper to use the period of governance for electioneering, people can only interpret his body language on the subject without any formal statement.

Hence, he poetically acknowledged that the massive crowd that welcomed him on a visit to Kano last week was a source of political inspiration. Evidence that Buhari will not be dragged into inappropriate electioneering can also be deduced from the posture of his two spokes persons who use every available opportunity to only clear any misgivings about the PhD,Department of Philosophy, University of Lagos 08116759758 opuruiche2000@yahoo.com

Femi Adesina and the Acquired Aso Rock Syndrome (3)

T

he I-don’t-care attitude of President Muhammadu Buhari to the concerns of Ndigbo is not new; it was the stock-intrade of military dictatorships headed by northerners from August 1, 1966 to 1979, and from 1984 to 1999. The issue now is that Buhari has not learnt the important lesson that marginalisation of Igboland is detrimental to national development and integration. Additionally, his nepotic approach to governance is a negation of constitutional provisions put in place to promote national unity, because it is beneficial to few members of his ethnic group, religion, and political party, thereby consolidating mediocrity, ineptitude, banality and corruption.

Femi Adesina’s list of “wise men from the east making a difference,” the so-called “voices of reason from the region,” is dominated by individuals with sagging political influence seeking political redemption and relevance in the APC. His bizarre criterion of wisdom and reasonableness is uncritical or unquestioning support for President Buhari, not the possession of appropriate mental attributes and dignified practice of life traditionally associated with wisdom. For instance, Orji Uzor Kalu, judged by his mediocre performance as governor of Abia state for eight years and self-serving survivalist campaign for Buhari’s re-election in 2019, is definitely, in my view, not a wise man; neither is garrulous Fr. Ejike Mbaka, who oftentimes speak before thinking.

Adesina

hyperbolised the negative aspect of Ndigbo voting for former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. In his view, that “mistake” consigned the Igbo “to perpetual opposition politics, playing in the periphery. For such an illustrious and enterprising people, that was unfortunate, if not tragic. If they continued that way, there was no silver lining in the sky for the future… The Igbo should naturally produce the President one day, that is what fairness demands. But how would that ever happen, if they continued to play poor politics?… But now, things are changing. The wise men are making a difference.” These are inaccurate and patronizing hasty claims about Ndigbo, their political future and how they voted in the last presidential election.

Adesina erred in arguing that voting for Jonathan was a mistake, the result of poor politics, simply because the latter lost to Buhari. By Adesina’s logic, all the northerners that voted for Buhari on three previous occasions when he was defeated played “at the periphery,” and if Buhari had lost in 2015, it would have meant that northerners and the Yoruba that voted for him played poor politics! I was one of the millions of Nigerians nationwide who believed (and I still do, anyway) that Jonathan, despite his weaknesses, was a better presidential material than Buhari. After over two and half years in office, that belief has been vindicated notwithstanding the spirited efforts of Buhari and Buharimaniacs to use

Whether Buhari should ignore the interlopers or not depends on many issues. First, most of them can only stain him because they are mere attention seekers targeting materialism and clients of anticorruption agencies

canvassing for support for a person who is yet to declare interest in the race are leaders in their own right. The list is endless. The Happiness governor of Imo is not talking to ordinary people; he is more concerned with converting all governors into the Buhari support group. The popular one time Lagos state military administrator Buba, Marwa has had his say; so has former Abia governor Orji Uzor kalu done several times. Indeed, at a point the latter revealed the date the president would return Jonathan as a scapegoat for the failure of this administration to fulfill its campaign promises to Nigerians. Therefore, Ndigbo did not play poor politics in 2015. Like other Nigerians they exercised their constitutional right to vote for a candidate of their choice.

Given the worsening existential condition of average Nigerians since Buhari took over, it is clear that APC’s change shibboleth was largely a placebo for Machiavellian revanchist politics by the north and south-west against the southeast, south-south political coalition. Even some sincere supporters of the President now acknowledge that his performance is below average: no amount of encomium by Adesina can convert Buhari’s uninspiring D score into a B, let alone an A. His claim that the mistake of 2015 consigns the Igbo to perpetual opposition politics has no basis in Nigeria’s political history. From 1960 to 1966, 1979 to 1983, and when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in power for sixteen years, the Yoruba played opposition politics.

However, it does not follow that they would do so perpetually, as is evident from what is happening right now.

Consequently, Adesina committed the fallacy of hasty generalisation by suggesting that voting for Jonathan has consigned the south-east perpetually to opposition politics. And what is wrong with opposition politics anyway, especially if it is based on sound principles that can deepen democratic culture in Nigeria? Besides, the implicit acceptance by Adesina that it is only by voting for a victorious presidential candidate or producing such a person that any section of the country can benefit from the system signposts what is seriously wrong with our politics – primitive nepotism.

Granted that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan should have done more for the south-south and

from his medical vacation-a prediction which was at par with those of Nigerian soothsayers. Even amiable Governor Ortom of Benue has done a comparative study with a finding that there is no one like Buhari. He could be right; we only hope his study was not disturbed by the herds of cattle that now inhabit his proposed Benue Cargo airport.

Much noise is also coming from self styled indispensable political professionals but are they more experienced than Buhari in the game of presidential elections which he has contested more than anyone else in this country?

Of course, the man knows what to do and when and how to do it as well as that no Nigerian politician is reliable. As Buhari himself once testified, while he was at the election tribunals between 2003 and 2009, to reclaim his votes as the flag bearer of his former party-the All Nigeria’s People’s Party ANPP, the party officials betrayed him by withdrawing from the case and joining the ruling party to form government of national unity GNU. Whether Buhari should ignore the interlopers or not depends on many issues. First, most of them can only stain him because they are mere attention seekers targeting materialism and clients of anti-corruption agencies.

Second, bearing in mind that

premature electioneering campaigns are not allowed by law, the president who is the number one defender of the law cannot be passive about its breach. Our president should thus not condone any premature campaign, let alone those that are allegedly being done in his favour. Third, to ignore any such infraction is to unwittingly declare open, electoral irregularities. By the time the proponents become entrenched in the lawless posture, it would have become too late to stop them from stage 2 which consists of hate speeches and violence Political sycophancy is commonplace in Nigeria. We saw it even under the military, when the Association for Better Nigeria ABN kick-started the failure of the famous June 12; it was also discernible when all the registered 5 political parties during the Abacha administration nominated the late Head of State as the presidential flag bearer of each of them. Not too long ago, we saw it when the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria TAN collected millions of signatures to beg former President Goodluck Jonathan to reluctantly agree to seek re-election two years before the contest. We heard then that Jonathan pleaded passionately to his admirers not to distract governance, but as it turned out, TAN overwhelmed government on the subject. The strategy turned out to be ineffectual.

Two APC leaders have made instructive comments. They are Senator Shehu Sani representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District who argues that the president should ignore the distractions by focusing on delivering the promises made to Nigerians and disallowing the diversion of public resources to political campaigns at the expense of governance. The other, Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation has moved one step forward. Amaechi wants the APC to grow beyond the blame game scope of what the former administration did or didn’t do and leave its impact in the hearts of Nigerians.

So, is President Buhari contesting in 2019? He has wisely chosen not to formally say so; otherwise he would be in breach of Section 90 of our electoral law which prohibits premature electioneering.

What then should he do?

More work, because people who are now saved from accidents and abductions on the Abuja-Kaduna road because of the rail transportation on that route can easily become supporters of this government. What this suggests is that the more such dividends of democracy evolve; the more the crowd of supporters. Thus, this is the time to improve the living conditions of Nigerians and not time for premature electioneering and fake public expression of loyalty.

south-east in terms of infrastructural and industrial projects, his achievements in the north demonstrate that a section of Nigeria does not need to produce the President before it would enjoy “the dividends of democracy.”

This is one area where Jonathan can justifiably claim to have outperformed Buhari.

Adesina’s patronising remark that fairness demands that Ndigbo should produce the President one day at first sight seems innocuous and reasonable, but it cleverly sidesteps the critical question: why have the “illustrious and

An Igbo President might have a positive integrative effect on a broad section of Ndigbo by giving them a sense of belonging. Nevertheless, massive federal investment in infrastructure, agriculture and manufacturing across the south-east is more important than having an Igbo as President, because there is no guarantee that such a President would not be prevented by caliphate surrogates from working for the south-east, whereas massive federal investment will open up the economy, create more jobs and make south-east the economic and manufacturing nerve centre of Nigeria. So, my chairman, not every Igbo is obsessed with the Igbo presidency project. What reasonable Ndigbo expect from President Buhari is fairness, justice and equity, important values he seems to neglect in dealing with matters concerning Igboland.

Adesina celebrates the reception his boss received in Ebonyi and Anambra states, and continued the mistake of over eulogising governors, politicians, and traditional rulers who conferred on the President chieftaincy titles that, in my considered opinion, he did not deserve. Those “eye service” traditional rulers that gave Buhari the titles of Enyioma 1 of Ebonyi and Ochioha Ndigbo did so without considering how Buhari has treated Igboland and its people, first as a soldier and military head of state and, second, as someone who had occupied important positions of authority. They never asked themselves relevant important questions such as: What was Buhari’s role during the coup of July 29, 1966? What did Igboland benefit when he was federal commissioner for petroleum resources, chairman of PTF, military head of state and, now, the President? Moreover, the connotations of the titles do not fit the man. Maybe, they should have conferred on him the title Onye Obia Nnukwu 1 (Important Visitor) or Ochiagha 1 (War Leader),

because President Buhari has not really shown himself to be a good friend (Enyioma) of Ebonyi state or a loving leader (Ochioha) of Igbo people.

That said, he has collected his titles. Time will tell whether he would treat Igboland according to the significance of the titles he received or continue with his indifferent condescending attitude towards the east.

Adseina was misled into thinking that the crowd that attended what essentially was a campaign stop by the President to garner support for Tony Nwoye’s failed governorship aspiration in Anambra state is a reliable index for measuring genuine sentiments of the people towards Buhari. Crowds can be rented; people attend rallies for several reasons unconnected with the politicians slated to address the crowd. Poor and hungry Nigerians go to campaign rallies and political gatherings in public spaces out of curiosity, with the hope of free food and drinks, whereas petty thieves see it as an opportunity to steal from unsuspecting onlookers. So, unless President Buhari begins to expeditiously implement programmes dear to the people of south-east, his electoral fortunes will not improve significantly in 2019 if he decides to go for a second term. It is interesting to note that Adesina did not mention a single federal project Buhari started or commissioned in the two states he visited because there was none.

Enyioma 1 indeed!

In closing, Femi Adesina, as a good human being, an omoluabi, should avoid the errors of Paul Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler ’s minister of propaganda. He needs to be more circumspect in praising the President, especially when it involves exaggerations and misleading information. To paraphrase Socrates, the iconic ancient Greek philosopher, an unexamined life in public office is not worth living. Concluded

Poor and hungry Nigerians go to campaign rallies and political gatherings in public spaces out of curiosity, with the hope of free food and drinks enterprising Igbo” not produced a Nigerian leader since 1970? The answer is that, having defeated Biafra caliphate colonialists and their cohorts in the south, especially prominent military officers and their civilian counterparts, tacitly reached a consensus that the Igbo should be kept away from the highest political office for as long as possible. Perhaps, that was why the coup which brought Buhari to power on December 31, 1983 was staged to prevent the possibility of late Dr. Alex Ekwueme succeeding Alhaji Shehu Shagari as President in 1987, and again in 1999 and 2003 when caliphate hegemonists manipulated PDP presidential primaries to ensure that a compliant southerner, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, became President.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 10, 2017, PAGE 31

rexmarinus@hotmail.com

Okorocha: A Ministry For Happiness M

r. Anayo Okorocha, governor of Imo state, known to many as “Rochas” is a man of theatre.

I guess all politicians are actors. But Okorocha takes the marble! His particular gift is for histrionics- the goofy, the melodramatic, and the outlandish. I think he would do well after his political career, in a new career in Nollywood.

He would make a killing in the market for stock characters. I am confirmed in this view after last week’s reshuffling of his cabinet in Owerri, and his creation, without legislative guidance or vote, of a Ministry for Happiness in Imo state.

First is that we do not need 28 commissioners to administer Imo state! And then also, a ministry for Happiness! It sounds like something straight out of the Orwellian satire, Animal Farm. This is quite serious! I am still not quite certain how my man, Sam Onwuemedo, the Governor’s Chief of Communications, is able to explain all these to the media, and the rest of the conscious world, with a straight face. Good old Sam himself must be quite amused by all these, I feel certain, and frankly, there is much to be amused about. It is impossible to be angry with Okorocha once you come to understand the simpleness of his mind and his past. He reminds me of the character in Frank Mccourt’s Angela’s Ashes, his mother Angela Sheehan’s brother, and

Frank’s uncle Pat, “the Abott” Sheehan, who was dropped on his head as a child, and who went through life as a result, with the simplest of minds. Thus Okorocha’s solution to solving the problem of discontent in Imo state is to create a “Ministry of Happiness.”

Imo State has now joined the ranks of the absurd, and Okorocha is now, like the one-time governor of Kano, the late Barkin Zuwo, who legend conferred the plaque for political silliness in the second republic, for when he was asked why he stacked Kano state’s money under his bed, allegedly gave the piquant answer that as governor, he wanted it for easy reach given his distrust of banks.

But beyond the hilarity of Okorocha’s amusing act of the simpleton, is the less amusing part: it is that Imo is the victim of a divine irony: how could a state with perhaps the most educated population of people in Nigeria be governed by a man like Okorocha? The last six years of his leadership of the government in Owerri has thrown up profound and startling contradictions. The first is the very sorry state of civic organizing. Okorocha has proved that Imo people are cowards, and have been reduced to infants by a single man with hardly the capacity to muster anything but a few policemen and a handful of soldiers from Obirinze! The failure of the Imo people to mobilize

Diaspora Matters, with Morak Babajide-Alabi http://www.babajidealabi.com

For Ma as Mayy, The Brexit Deal W Was A PPer er sonal Ac hie vement ersonal Achie hievement O n Friday, the BREXIT negotiations took a step forward as the EU and the United Kingdom officials made a breakthrough pact in Brussels, the capital city of Belgium and headquarters of the European Union. While the final deal is months away, the announcement has signified the commencement of the second phase of negotiations for UK’s exit from the union.

Although the celebrations for the “feat” achieved on Friday has been very sombre, the importance of the conclusion of this first phase cannot be overemphasised. Theresa May, the UK Prime Minister might not have indulged herself in any political song and dance about the events, she knew deep in her mind that it was a "personal achievement", as confirmed by the European Council President Donald Tusk.

To the other EU member countries represented by the President of the European Commission Jean ClaudeJuncker and other bureaucrats, the success achieved on Friday was commendable.

Mr Juncker said: "I believe

we have now made the breakthrough we need." No one should blame them for allowing a little celebration, after what Mrs May said was made possible by little "give and take" on both sides. This might be insignificant in the journey towards the final divorce, but I have a feeling the other 27 member countries seem to know that they have Britain’s balls in their palms.

Going by the details of the agreement, the majority of citizens who voted to leave during June 23, 2016, referendum are biting their fingernails and wondering if they did not make a mistake.

Let’s be honest here, most Leave voters did so to protest EU’s liberal hold on immigration and movement within the union. And by extension the UK's annual huge bill to the union.

Disappointment is a mild word to describe how they felt on learning about the concessions that were made before the Friday deal. Apart from the huge divorce bill, the status quo is maintained as per immigration. EU citizens would still be allowed to re-

parliamentary committees have approved, or even in many cases, tweaked it, and then passed it under the financial Act for the year. If therefore by the middle of the year, the governor returns for extra-budgetary approval, a special session of the House is held, with a Ways and Means committee investigating and raising questions about the performance of the approved budget. If the state for instance fails to pay its public servants either their emolument of their pensions, in spite of approvals made by the Assembly, the governor must account for this failure,

or resign, or be impeached. It is the highest example that a government has failed when it is unable to meet with its payroll obligations.

The governor cannot create any new department or ministry under the laws of establishment until a reform proposal is placed before the Assembly, and such an office created by Law, because it would require funding from the public purse, and moneys approved for services in the year cannot by law be diverted to other purposes without coverage. As it is, the Ministry of Happiness now created

by Okorocha is an unfunded mandate because it has no basis in law, and it has not been approved under the establishment Act of Imo state. This is where the Imo state Assembly, and the State High court should step in. But, in Imo state, we have long had a state Assembly in induced coma, and a judiciary that operates worse than a kangaroo court.

No spine or backbone. No capacity even to enforce its own judgement. Okorocha has appropriated the purse of the local governments, dismantled the Judicial authority of Imo state, and yet the elected Assembly of the state, which is created to establish oversight on government, has not deemed it within its mandate to initiate impeachment queries on this governor, who has basically appropriated the powers of the state Assembly, and unified it in his office, while elected legislators dishonor their mandate and go before Emperor Rochas to kiss his rings! Shame! This is shameful and dishonorable dereliction of duty, and a crime against the people whose sacred mandates they hold in trust, and against God, through whom the people speak in a democracy. They will rot in hell who cause the oppression of the people for power is not a personal but a sacred mandate. Speaker Ihim should bow his head in

shame for leading a spineless, rubber stamp Assembly and living in fear of Okorocha who has manipulated that Assembly, and made appropriations, and established extra-legal mandates. He and his colleagues must rise now to their role as the heart and soul of the peoples mandate or resign. If they choose not to hear the cry and the anguish of Imo people whom it pleases providence to make them serve, the same providence has a way of striking back. Okorocha must be held to account.

I hear that finally there is a rustle in the Imo state House of Assembly, and that it had finally found some courage to ask the governor to account for the last three years of his stewardship. This is an important first step, and the best news yet to come out of this cowardly Assembly. The next move is to compel him to sign the electoral act necessary to conduct local elections, failing which override him, and initiate the conduct of the elections. There is also talk that a faction within the Assembly is intent on frustrating these moves. Here then is where the people of Imo state must come in – men, women, and the youth – they must rise and compel their elected representatives to act in the public’s interest, failing which begin a massive recall movement against those who fail them. There is of course, an object lesson: parliament is a highly strategic and cerebral place; Imo people must never again send village idiots to represent them, who have very little idea the dimensions of their parliamentary duties.

We must send the brightest of the land to the State Assembly in future, otherwise, the executive, as Okorocha has proved, will grow fangs and eat us all. This ministry of Happiness is a sick joke and a profound distraction, and should never be funded by the Imo state Assembly.

“Confidence and Supply” partners – Democratic Union Party (DUP) - to sort out the wordings of the “agreement” she presented to Brussels. She could not afford to miss it this time around. The DUP has kept May in Downing Street so far by aligning with her minority government.

May’s heart would definitely have been in her mouth as the aircraft taxied to a halt in the pre-dawn dash to Brussels.

Wondering if the visit would be a flop as that of Monday, May would be more terrified by the unpredictability of the EU negotiators. They are like hawks and there is tendency they would overlook the fact that she had bent backwards to honour the demands of her DUP partners. May also knew she leads a very hard to please political class, a very demanding opposition and the highly sceptical public.

By May’s demeanour, you cannot call her a pushover.

Not by any standard. Her utterances and pronouncements while serving as the Home Office Secretary are legendary. She was notorious for talking tough on immigration and police budget cuts in the two-terms of David Cameron’s administration. Unfortunately, since becoming the Prime Minister there have been less of these tough talks.

The task of negotiating a good deal for the UK seems very tasking than her stay at the Home Office. Every time there seemed to be a light at the end of the tunnel for her and the negotiating team, a spanner is thrown at the wheel.

The confidence May exuded

last week Monday when she boarded the plane to Brussel was efficacious than her trip on Friday. She was a little uncertain in her steps.

May and her team realised how much this deal meant to the progress of the BREXIT negotiations, but they failed to sample the opinion of the “kingmakers” in Belfast before the Monday meeting.

This mistake, which eventually put May in a very difficult situation, prompted the second visit to Brussels on Friday.

When May arrived at the press conference on Friday, you could, by her body language, conclude that her sacrifice and all-night negotiations with the “kingmakers” had paid off. The main contention for stalling the negotiations on Monday, among others, had been the Irish border issue. The DUP leaders wanted an assurance that Northern Ireland would get the same treatment as the rest of the country. And in getting this, there won’t be a hard border between Ireland and Great Britain.

This is a very understandable request from the Irish front because a hard BREXIT would have driven a wedge between the two Irelands in terms of a physical border.

This would have negated the terms of the popular Good Friday/Belfast peace agreement in 1999. This was a momentous agreement in terms of relationships between the Irish and the UK government.

The Irish border issue has become contentious as the BREXIT negotiations progressed. There were fears of

the return to the days when there were physical borders and immigration controls.

While the deal has now somewhat put to rest the border issue, it has also highlighted the weakening of the terms of Britain’s exit.

Reacting to May and Juncker’s announcement, Foster, the DUP leader said she was happy her party was able to make six substantial changes to the earlier deal that was presented on Monday. She said: “There is no red line down the Irish sea and clear confirmation that the entirety of the UK is leaving the European Union, leaving the single market and leaving the customs union.”

These events have once again reiterated the fact that the BREXIT vote was a gargantuan mistake on the part of UK. Watching Michael Gove, UK's Environment Secretary and one of the leading Leave supporters praising the deal was very uncomfortable. Justifying the divorce bill, he said, it would allow Britain to invest more in the NHS. I just could not get his point. So is Nigel Farage.

This same Gove that one year ago said UK was paying too much into EU. Politicians will always be politicians, standing on the side of populism, no matter how wrong it may be. The losers are the voters who still have the Polish decorators to “contend” with as neighbours and colleagues for quite some time. And to think this is the basis of BREXIT in the first place is mind-boggling.

against Rochas Okorocha’s serial lawlessness makes them complicit in their own misfortune, because everywhere in the world, people who feel themselves oppressed rise up to confront their oppressors. It is either the people love what Anayo Okorocha is doing in Imo state and support him, or they have been silenced by fear and self-doubt, and that is a terrible condition for any individual endowed with liberty and autonomy to exist in!

I have a theory of this of course: my sense is that the political culture of the people, steeped in a tradition of dialogue and negotiations, and open Assemblies historically offered people democratic outlets to air their passions and convictions. Because of the republican ethos, Igbo have no history of the use of mobs in mobilizing – yes indeed – in creating cadres of the disgruntled public to rise for public action except in extreme circumstances, and unless it is agreed upon. But the means for convergence and for public discourse and action – the “Okpu Oha” - has been dismantled with the creation of fragmented communities, and the institution of the “Ezes,” through which these governments now address and master the people.

This is the contradiction of Nigeria’s democracy and claims to republican status.

In a republic, we do not need middle men, for all men are endowed with equal citizenship. We create Legislative Assemblies, and elect the servants of the public to represent their collective interests in these Assemblies: they make the laws that would govern these interests, and use this Assembly to create the laws that should regulate, and prevent the potential for the misuse of power granted the elected executives who govern. That is why the most powerful arm of government

in a democracy is the Parliament – a well-established Legislative Assembly. They hold the yam, and they hold the knife. They control the purse of government, not the governor.

The governor only spends the money approved for public spending by a law of the Assembly, and is held accountable by that Assembly, which must constantly demand, and oversee how the approved expenditure is spent. Every year during a budget session, the Executive office brings a budget proposal before the elected Assembly. It is only a proposal until it is debated, and the various

side in the UK “within the specified date”. This was not part of the pre-referendum campaign promises.

The deal would guarantee the rights of EU citizens in the UK and UK citizens in the rest of the EU have the right to stay. It also affirms the rights of their children and those of partners in existing “durable relationships”. While UK courts will preside over enforcing rights over EU citizens in Britain they can still refer unclear cases to the Eu-

Going by the details of the agreement, the majority of citizens who voted to leave during June 23, 2016, referendum are biting their fingernails and wondering if they did not make a mistake ropean court of justice for eight years after withdrawal.

When May rose from her bed in London on Friday morning, the minus zero temperature that descended on the UK overnight was not on her mind. Making her way to Brussels to rouse the European bureaucrats out of their beds was the priority. It was not her first visit, but on this occasion, she knows that her Premiership and the future of her country were at stake.

Through the night, May had been in meetings with her

We must send the brightest of the land to the State Assembly in future, otherwise, the executive, as Okorocha has proved, will grow fangs and eat us all.

This ministry of Happiness is a sick joke and a profound distraction, and should never be funded by the Imo State Assembly

PAGE 32 — SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 10, 2017,

People BISI ADELEYE – FAYEMI IN ‘LOUD WHISPERS’

Two days after our wedding, my husband and I were almost homeless •Says ‘a woman can choose to marry, divorce, remarry or be single’

BY WALE AKINOLA

I

“

, Olabisi, I do not want to remembered as someone who never spoke above a whisper”.

This was a vow Erelu Bisi Adeleye – Fayemi, the wife of the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, and a former governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, made sometime in 1998. She had just had an encounter with a friend who was bereaved. She narrated the story: “One evening in 1998, during one of our AWLI programs, I sat with a colleague to comfort her over the loss of her aunt; she had just received the news from home. As I sat with her, she told me, between sobs, how wonderful her aunt had been. ‘She was such a sweet woman, generous, kind.

She never spoke above a whisper’. Later on, when I was on my own, I reflected on what my friend had said about her deceased aunt. “She never spoke above a whisper?” I thought to myself, ‘I, Olabisi, I do not want to be remembered as someone who never spoke above a whisper’. And since 1998, Adeleye – Fayemi has kept to the vow, speaking “above whispers” in defending the rights of women. First, with the support of The Ford Foundation, she launched a radio program, Above Whispers on Air, in collaboration with WFM91.7, Nigeria’s first radio for women and their families. Second, she put together a visual story-telling project featuring community leaders from five states in Nigeria. Third, she started a weekly column titled, Loud Whispers, a platform primarily (but not exclusively) for middle-aged women who want to have a “more mature engagement online”. Expectedly, her decision to speak ‘above whispers’ has put her at odds with some people who misunderstand her position on several issues concerning womanhood.

Undeterred, Adeleye – Fayemi has, since February 2016, forcefully, spoken in Loud Whispers about women’s rights, using the column. She went a step further to put the collection of essays, from February 2016 to September 2017, into a book titled, Loud Whispers. At the presentation of the book, last Sunday, Adeleye – Fayemi engaged in a conversation with Kunle Ajibade and Hafsat Abiola – Costello on her life as a gender specialist, social entrepreneur and a writer. There were also poetry performances and readings from Loud Whispers as follows: Our girls now wear Spanx to school, by Wana Wana Udobang; Revenge of the older woman, by Betty Irabor; and The week our girls came back, by Ayeola Mabioku . Joke Silva and Kate Henshaw were on hand for the strategy session. In attendance at the occasion were Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Mrs Folorunso Alakija, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Dame Abimbola Fashola, Mrs Funso Amosun, Chief

(Mrs) Nike Akande, Mrs Ajimobi (wife of the governor of Oyo State), Senator Daisy Danjuma, Chief (Mrs) Alaba Lawson, Dr (Mrs) Tokunbo Awolowo – Dosumu and Chief Ade – Ojo, among others. The book is divided into nine parts. The introductory part is titled, Everyone has a story. And her own story is that she has chosen to speak “above whispers”.

The second part titled, Feminist theory and activism, features 12 essays. In one of the essays titled, Feminism 101, Adeleye – Fayemi lists ten myths about feminists.

According to her, contrary to the myth that feminists hate men, feminists only engage “in a global struggle against all forms of patriarchal oppression”. She describes as a myth another claim that feminists do not marry or cannot stay married, saying, “They however will not stay married to men who are afraid of powerful, ambitious women, men who are threatened by a woman’s success and men who need to establish their manhood through physical and emotional abuse. When feminists marry, they seek relationships grounded in love, mutual respect and shared values. We want every woman to be respected for the choices she makes. A woman can choose to marry, divorce if she has to, remarry if she wants to, or be single. There should be no judgement for the choices that women make, even if sometimes the choices might be considered poor ones. The operative word here is ‘choice’”. Other myths she disclaims include that feminism is alien to Africa, feminists are antireligion, feminists are elite, educated women fighting for themselves, feminists want to control the world like men do, feminists are against culture and tradition, and feminists are a bunch of crazy, confused women. Writing another essay titled, Let’s talk about sex, Adeleye –Fayemi joins issues with those who are part of “a global, ultra conservative network that is ideologically opposed to any discussion about sexuality”. She continues: “As far as they are concerned, any mention of ‘sexuality’ is about homosexuality, and ‘family planning’ means abortion. Whether we like it or not, our children are exposed to situations or people who will take advantage of their innocence if they do not have the tools to understand what is happening to them and around them. When someone tells a young girl who does not know any better that she cannot get pregnant if she does not have an orgasm, you

•Bisi Adeleye – Fayemi

There should be no judgement for the choices that women make, even if sometimes the choices might be considered poor ones can imagine the fate of millions of girls who have fallen victim due to ignorance and misinformation”. In another essay titled, The March 8th bandwagon, the writer says when she thinks about the fuss being made about International Women’s Day (IWD), it reminds me her of those “who were blissfully unaware that there are women working hard to build a movement for social justice”.

She narrates how she was asked to name challenges African women faced in the UK when she was being interviewed for her job at Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwa). “They found it surprising that a young Nigerian – British woman, who did not have to worry about her immigration status and who had already received a decent education, was better equipped for the job than older, more experienced women who had been living in the UK for much longer. I told them that being Black-British was not without its challenges.

Two days after our wedding, my husband and I were almost homeless

because the flat we were paying rent on was repossessed by the local council.

Our landlord, the legal occupant of the flat who had moved to Nigeria, had sublet to us and was collecting our rent but not paying back to the council. We had to hurriedly pack our things, our wedding gifts unopened, to stay with a friend till we could make other arrangements. In addition, at the Department of Health where I worked as an Administrative Officer, I got to know what personal and institutional racism was like”. The third segment of Loud Whispers is wholly devoted to politics, religion and society. There are 12 essays in the segment. One of the essays titled, Pythons do not dance, warns that everyone loses when there is violent conflict. It adds: “Let those beating the drum of war beware.

Sometimes only the skeletons are left to dance”. The fourth segment is on social justice and one of the 10 essays it features, titled, A tray of locust beans, talks about a small girl who was taken advantage of and sexually abused, but through the help of an activist triumphed.

The fifth segment addresses intergenerational issues and has eight essays. One of the essays is on Queen College sexual harassment allegations.

The sixth segment dwells on relationships. One of the six essays here lists ten ways to improve in-law relationships; another itemises how to be a good husband. The seventh segment is all about self-awareness while the eighth speaks of other observations.

Under ‘Other Observations’, there are six essays one of which deals with dress codes. In the last segment, Adeleye – Fayemi pays tributes to some legendary women including Bisi Olateru-Olagbegi, Chief (Mrs) HID Awolowo and Silochina Foster.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 10, 2017—PAGE 33

Benin people ‘owned’ Lagos, Aworis paid royalties to them —Erelu Abiola Dosunmu

BY CHARLES KUMOLU er Royal Highness, Erelu Kuti IV of Lagos, Erelu Abiola Dosunmu, in this interview, shares her perspective on the controversy over the ‘ownership’ of Lagos and declares that the former federal capital was an extension of Benin Kingdom. She explains that there are no ambiguities regarding the ancestry of the aborigines of Lagos, saying they are predominantly Benin. Abiola Dosumu maintains that the Awori ,after settling in Lagos, paid royalties to Benin people. Excerpts:

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RE you not concerned about the controversy over the true aborigines of Lagos?

I would not say I am concerned because I know the truth. The history of Lagos is not obscure, it is very clear. If people are going to say the truth, we all know what the truth is. A friend was saying to me if I was not sure there is no third party trying to take the rights of Lagos through this raging controversy. We all know the story of Lagos from childhood.

Even a play was staged about the beginning of Lagos last year. I just know that the truth will surface after this raging controversy because a lot of the gladiators are being miserly in some of their discussions.

Can you give clarity on some of the things you consider not to be factual among those that have been said so far?

The territory of Lagos has always been an extension of the Benin Kingdom in the sense that they used it as a passage to the port for their trading and interaction with foreigners. We all know that foreigners visited the Benin Empire long before colonialism and signing of the treaty of Lagos. This is their passageway and hunting ground. As soon as strangers came to settle down, they would pounce on them and make them pay royalties. Like all human beings, when you settle in a place for a long time, it is expected that you will have the right of ownership. And the foreigners were not ready to be subservient and refused to pay Isakole (royalty) and the Benin king did not take kindly to that. He sent an expedition and subjugated the foreigners and set up his own administration in form of a kingdom. Therefore, when I say that we are purely and predominantly Benin, it is the truth. The royalty of Lagos is predominantly Benin. But we have all intermingled and have since inter-married with people from Yoruba land and people from other places. And we are enjoying the two cultures. We are even enjoying more because we now have Igbo, Hausa and other tribes settling in Lagos. We are not enjoying the Yoruba influence alone, we are also enjoying other influences.

Prior to the institution of the royalty with Oba Ado as the first king, who were the people that the Benin met on the ground?

The Benin has always known about Lagos because they considered it as part of their territory and they used it for many purposes. And when the Awori came from Ife to settle in the areas of Lagos, the Benin quickly got them to pay royalties. Benin was landlocked but, as Benin Empire, they were interacting with people from other parts of the world. It was Benin Empire and, when the Portuguese and others came, they also had to pass through the Kuramo waters to get there. They had already laid claim to the land called

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Lagos. Whether they gave it a name or not, it was an extension of their playground. And when another group of people came to settle there, the Benin said they already had authority over the palace. That was what informed their decision to make the Awori pay royalties. And after paying the Isakole for a while, they (Awori) decided not to pay anymore. That made the Benin to decide not to leave a vacuum anymore and set up an administration. That is why I am saying that there is no ambiguity in the history of Lagos if we are going to tell the truth. All these people, who have been talking, never mentioned that they paid Isakole but we all know that. It is written in books that they paid Isakole. That was the main reason the Benin came and took Olofin away. He refused to be subservient to them. The Benin came here because it is their territory.

There is evidence that an expedition was sent from Benin, there is evidence that they were conquered because there was an obaship in place. Even if they did not have anything and just sent an expedition to conquer, when someone

All these people, who have been talking, never mentioned that they paid Isakole but we all know that. It is written in books that they paid Isakole. That was the main reason the Benin came and took Olofin away conquers, he takes over the land and property of the conquered territory.

Now, we want to unify our views and have a consensus so that those people, who are trying to take our rights away, can be confronted to see if we can get some kind of compensation for our children.

This is not the first time such controversy is raging, what do you think is responsible for its recurrence?

What I did at NIIA was to state that Oba Dosumu was an unsung hero.

It was to state that the treaty for which he was being castigated was a masterstroke. He was a forwardlooking king who had the interest of his people at heart. He did not allow his position to go into his head by allowing his subjects to be destroyed in a meaningless battle. He found a way to a roundtable discussion and was able to retain integrity for his kingdom, while still retaining the friendship of the colonial people.

There are many countries in Africa where people don’t remember their culture but he found a way to get a concession by which he was allowed

to remain a king and sustain the culture and pride of his people as independent human begins. And the people actually enjoyed the benefits because they were able to carry British passports and get scholarships to study abroad. That is why a lot of early educated people were the indigenous people of Lagos. For example, people like the late Justice Elias, Justice Junaidu, and Prince Ajose were among the early educated people. Our fathers and grandfathers were all products of King’s College, they were either great bankers, doctors, pharmacists, etc. It is wrong to think that Lagos people are lazy. It is not the indigenous people of Lagos, who are lazy, it is those who come from other places.

This kind of controversy happened before and it is here again. In the light of that, how can the issue be resolved because oral history is easily distorted and told to suit individual and group interests?

If you don’t talk about issues, solutions may not be found. I think it is appropriate that we should discuss it. There should be this kind of conversation going on but, at the end of the day, a superior argument will carry the day. It is okay to take a story from wherever, but it is right to take it from the beginning and analyse it in a sensible way based on what our ancestors told us, what other people have written and what we learnt from our researches. That is the best instead of the jaundiced way it is being done now. We will get there. It is healthy that conversations will be going on, at the end of the day we will sit at a roundtable and harmonise our views. And whatever that is not clear, we will address it and come up with a consensus. We have had this kind of issue before on the story of the Eyo. The story is so clear but when the conversation started, people were attributing it to a princess from Badagry, but, at the end of the day, it was confirmed that the fetish came from the palace of the father of Queen Olugbani, wife of King Ado of Lagos. But the colourful Aga is a creation of Oba Akisemoye of Lagos, the fetish was to protect them from the curious gaze of the people of Lagos. Strong young men in the neigbourhood were clad in white and given a stick to ward off anybody that wanted to interfere and they were called the Laba. That is why the Laba will always say that they are the head of the Eyo because they were the ones guarding the fetish until the early 1950s when the fetish felt they were not guarded properly by the Laba.

Otherwise, Eyo, in the past, instead of the yellow Aga, was always red.

They were protecting the fetish but when the fetish felt the Laba was not protecting them anymore, they started having their own people to protect them with different colours of Aga. From there it expanded to the palaces of the white chiefs who

•Erelu Abiola Dosunmu started having their groups. It also expanded to groups formed by the Eyo Omo Oloku because, whenever there is an Eyo, it is always to honour departed obas. The Eyo Omo Oloku can also come out in subsequent Eyos. So it kept getting bigger and definitely more colourful but it was a creation of the Oba of Lagos. The fetish was what was brought and the first Eyo was performed at the funeral of Queen Olugbani from where the fetish came from. But before we settled that matter, people told different stories.

I believe this one will be resolved.

The problem is even not with the indigenous people of Lagos, it is being caused by people who want to claim ownership by default. They are the ones who are actually fueling the controversy.

The Benin Kingdom is always a central factor in the history of Lagos and Oba Akiolu even acknowledged the place of the kingdom recently. Are there still some cultural activities that take place between the Lagos royalty and Benin royalty?

There is nothing stringent but there are still some courtesies that are exchanged between the palaces. For instance, at the coronation of a new king in Lagos, the Oba of Benin will, at some point, come over to welcome the new king into the fold of royalty and remind the king that he has a father in him. That means that we still have those social courtesies that are exchanged between the two kingdoms. And if a new king is being crowned in Benin, the Oba of Lagos will have a vantage position as a son of the soil within the context of the ceremony. Apart from that, everybody is independent in his own right but we enjoy a lot of goodwill.

Whatever is between us now is ceremonial and more of courtesies.

Since all these started, have you reached out to the dramatis personae?

I decided to talk because many people have called that, as the person who seems like a custodian of history and culture of Lagos for over 40 years, I should make a statement and reach out to everybody. I am talking because I want us to speak with one voice and not allow other people to take advantage of the situation. I am reaching out and hope that my views wil throw more light on the issues. We are going to reach out to more people and iron these out behind closed doors rather than on the pages of newspapers.

On oral history When people talk about oral history, they also have to think of logic because if people rely on what they hear, they can never have a consensus. But logic must prevail.

Time must also prevail because things are time bound. If, for instance, they are saying that a certain people were paying royalties to the Benin Kingdom and others said they had been there centuries before the Benin came, but the same person who was said to have landed first was the same person that the Benin captured, how many centuries can that be? How long do human beings live? If they are saying the same person who came the first time was captured by the Benin and then returned, how long can it be? A lifetime! Okay, he came as a young man and was captured as an old man? How many years are we talking about? I have read stories where they said some had been here for centuries and they are talking about the same original settlers.

Therefore, common sense and time factor should also come into play when saying things based on oral history.

PAGE 34 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 10, 2017

AWKA: One kingdom, two kings •Recognise Ndigwe, faction tells Obiano

By Vincent Ujumadu and Olalekan Bilesanmi

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WKA Kingdom, hosting the capital city of Anambra State, is one of the communities in the state with rich culture. The community’s Ozo title-taking process is adjudged to be one of the richest in Igbo land and those who belong to the elite Ozo group are revered. The same goes for its Ezeship such that the previous and the present traditional rulers were carefully selected in such a manner that whoever emerged after the usually democratic election process was supported by the entire community.

The incumbent traditional ruler, Eze Uzu II, Obi Gibson Nwosu, who has been on the throne for the past 21 years, was seen as a good choice.

Nwosu, a retired air force officer and pilot, has had a smooth stay on the throne until recently when a group of Ozo titled men in the town began to fault his position on issues concerning the town.

The issues include the controversial dust- to- dust ceremony performed by widows at the burial of their deceased spouses and the election of the President General of Awka Development Union Nigeria, ADUN. On the dust-to-dust ceremony, Obi Nwosu, who is an ardent catholic and a Knight of the Church, after consultations with various segments in Awka Kingdom, decided that the ceremony should be a matter of choice for those concerned. This decision did not go down well with some people in the community, especially nonCatholics, who never wanted any widow to put dust into the grave of her late husband, as doing so, they argued, meant that she is still bonded with her deceased spouse.

In fact, at many burial ceremonies, priests were beaten up for insisting that widows perform the dust –to –dust ceremony until the traditional ruler decided that it should be the decision of the widows concerned. For being on the side of the church, so to speak, a section of Awka felt that he was undermining their culture and, therefore, started campaigning for his dethronement.

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In the case of the leadership of ADUN, a section of the community also felt that the Eze Uzu II was supporting the continued stay in office of the incumbent President General whose tenure, they argued, had expired. Because of the tension the issue generated, Anambra State government decided that the incumbent PG should remain in office until there was a conducive atmosphere for election to hold, a decision the traditional ruler also supported. It was, therefore, not surprising that those opposed to the stand of the monarch on these issues ganged up to nominate another person as traditional ruler, while the reigning one is still alive.

The issue took a new dimension when those opposed to Obi Nwosu crowned one Austin Ndigwe as Awka traditional ruler, even when the state government had insisted that the status quo should remain.

Ndigwe was in fact one-time traditional prime minister to the Awka royal father until they fell out and he became part of the group wanting to dethrone the Ezeuzu 11.His alleged enthronement came as the chief priest of Awka, Chief Chukwurah Ikegbune, who allegedly gave the spiritual approval for the dethronement of Obi Nwosu, reportedly died under mysterious circumstances.

Hundreds of youths from both camps staged protests in the state capital on Thursday.

Their action paralyzed vehicular movement in the town for several hours as they marched through major streets.

While some chanted songs saying Obi Nwosu remained the traditional ruler of Awka, the other group said he was no longer their monarch and that Ndigwe was the new traditional ruler.

Placards carried by Nwosu’s supporters read: “Awka people are tired of Austin Ndigwe’s antics”, “Austin Ndigwe will never be king in Awka”, “We stand with Governor Obiano to stop this impunity”, “Awka is in safe hands” and “Obi Gibson Nwosu remains the king of Awka”.

A member of the Awka ruling cabinet and a high

*Photos: Protesting supporters of the contenders for the Awka throne chief, Chief Benjamin Muorah, in an interview, warned against the spiritual consequences of illegally crowning a traditional ruler in the town. He said: “What happened in our town is a taboo and an abomination.

You cannot crown a new king, while the old one is on the throne and the incumbent king has not done anything wrong for that to happen. The consequences are grave and highly spiritual and due to this abominable act, the chief priest of Imo-Awka deity died mysteriously.”

Another executive member of the Ozo title holders from Ifite clan of Awka, Ozo Emmanuel Muodozie, alleged that some people tried to bring him into the crisis, saying he resisted.

“There is nothing they did not tell me in order to make me

A member of the Awka ruling cabinet and a high chief, Chief Benjamin Muorah, in an interview, warned against the spiritual consequences of illegally crowning a traditional ruler in the town

join the gang of conspirators against our traditional institution, but I cannot be part of this abomination. As far as I am concerned, people are trying to attract a deadly plague to this town and God

•Protesting supporters will not allow that to happen”, Muodozie said.

“Obi Gibson Nwosu is the Eze Uzu II of Awka and anybody pretending or claiming to be the king would certainly face the wrath of the land.”

Commenting on the issue, the Anambra Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr. Greg Obi, said there was no going back on the position of the state government, which was that Obi Nwosu remained the traditional ruler of Awka.

He said: “There cannot be two monarchs in a town. Eze Uzu II, Obi Gibson Nwosu is the king of Awka town. He has our staff of office and certificate of recognition since twenty one years. We do not know who Austin Ndigwe is and government wishes to warn that it would not take kindly to any act of illegality and impersonation by anyone.”

The commissioner later issued a statement which read: “The state government notes that for some time , Awka community has been restive on account of the antics of some citizens of the town masquerading as members of this group in concert with few misguided elements within the Ozo Awka Society, giving rise to a situation in which government had to intervene in the management of the

Awka Development Union Nigeria on the side of the rule of law.

“The state government therefore affirms the status of H.R.M. Obi Gibson Nwosu as the traditional ruler of Awka community. In view of the foregoing, the state government hereby advises all security agencies in the state to be on the alert to forestall any attempts to cause a breach of public peace.”

Meanwhile, Obiano has been asked to recognise Ndigwe as the Eze Uzu III of Awka.

A delegation from the town, led by the spiritual head and Otochalu-Awka, Ichie Ozo Nwibe Nwosu, stated this in a letter to the governor. The letter, titled, ‘Appeal for Government Recognition of Obi Eze Uzu 3rd of Awka Kingdom’, was delivered during a visit to the governor.

The letter, dated December 7, 2017, noted that the emergence and crowning of Ndigwe on November 15,2017 was sequel to a long drawn constitutional process of selection, screening and confirmation of the new traditional ruler in the last one year.

Nwosu therefore urged the governor to certify Ndigwe having duly passed all the rigorous process of security screening that culminated in being provided the community’s staff of office.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 10, 2017 — PAGE 35

Offshore institutional investors have demonstrated their confidence in Nigeria’s economy – Hon. Pally Iriase, Reps Chief Whip

•Says APC, PDP lawmakers will jettison partisanship to pass 2018 Budget

SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN-CITY on. Pally Iriase is the Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives and member representing Owan Federal Constituency of Edo State in the House. In this interview, Iriase speaks on the 2018 Budget submitted to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He also speaks on the defection of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

H

W

E are surprised that shortly after President Buhari submitted the 2018 Budget to the National Assembly, there was this criticism concerning the implementation of the 2017 Budget by you, APC lawmakers, and your PDP counterparts. Why? It might look as if it is something that is not good for my party. But if you look closely at the root cause of the challenges bedevilling the 2017 Budget, it was a carryover of the mismanagement of resources in this country.

Because the moment the price of oil plummeted, Nigeria could not find its feet anymore. The reason is that when oil price was at all-time high, that is, over one hundred dollars per barrel, the administration then did not save anything. Now, the 2017 Budget is suffering because of lack of funds. A situation whereby the capital portion of that budget was projected to be funded totally by loans was certainly not a healthy way to go about it. The physical deficit in that budget compared very favourably with the total allocation to the capital expenditure. In other words, one hundred per cent of the capital portion of the 2017 Budget was to the funded by borrowing.

And you know that a loan was only recently sourced through Euro bond and that has left the budget unimplemented in terms of capital expenditure. Now the essence of politics is to fight for the voiceless people; it has nothing to do with the party. We feel that Mr President has been quite honest with the situation we found ourselves in and he assured that so long as the Eurobond is approved by the National Assembly and it is gotten, the 2017 Budget must perform 50 per cent before the budget is closed, and the capital expenditure that could not be completed because of paucity of funds would be rolled over. The members of the National Assembly are there for the people. We cannot because we are in APC tell a lie that a budget that is not performing is performing. That is the issue; we are not being partisan. We are calling the attention of the executive to the fact that “you cannot pass a budget and put it away and start a new one”. Mr President actually told us that the MDAs have done their best to roll over.

But if you look at the 2017 Budget, the roll over is not properly done as Mr President thought it is. We now have the figures and we said we need to roll over.

Not a matter of APC vs PDP So if this budget is being criticized, we are not criticizing the President because he did not cause this in the first instance. And happily for Nigeria, things are getting better here. And the outside world is very happy with what is going on in Nigeria in terms of the seriousness of taming corruption and ensuring that leakages are plugged as much as possible while focusing expenditure on critical infrastructure that will ensure the payment of whatever borrowings and that has led to the over-subscription of the Eurobond. We won’t fold our hands and say what Mr President said was mere political rhetoric, that this budget will at least perform 60 per cent in terms of capital expenditure. We have to encourage them. So it is not a question of APC VS PDP in the National Assembly, it is a question of the interest of the people. And in this matter we are not being antagonistic to the executive, nobody says the budget should not be passed but the right thing must be done.

We won’t allow a situation where you put the

entire capital portion of the 2017 Budget aside; you are talking about N450billion out of N2.3trillion that was earmarked for capital. If you are not spending on capital, how are we sure that we are not going back to recession? They got it right by going for Eurobond because the cost of borrowing locally has become terribly high. The interest rate has shot through the roof top.

But there is this fear that going for Eurobond is like submitting Nigeria to the dictates of World Bank and IMF policies?

Those who think that way are not informed. Going to the market directly, not through IMF or World Bank, is a bold step to preserve the sovereignty of Nigeria.

Because as they went out there, they did what we call book-building in financial terms, going for institutional investors.

The investors believe in you, they put their money down; by the time our people collated, they found that the bond was oversubscribed which showed the level of the confidence the offshore institutional investors has in the Nigerian economy.

This Eurobond has nothing to do with IMF; if it is an IMF facility, you would have been hearing all sorts of conditions.

It is not correct that we are mortgaging the sovereignty of Nigeria by going for Euro bond, rather what it is set to do is that the highest rate is in the region of a little above seven per cent. Much of it is even much less than that. But if you compare that with rates as high as over 16 per cent for bonds in the Nigerian market or even as high as more than 18 per cent in case of treasury bill, you can begin to see why it makes sense.

It is being rumoured that Atiku’[ defection to the PDP will herald the movement of some aggrieved APC lawmakers to the PDP? All my life, I try not to work on rumours, but I can assure you that this government of APC, let’s put politics aside, is actually taking Nigeria on the right path. It is just that the rot that you need to clean up to start seeing light at the end of the tunnel is so humongous.

We as human beings by nature want quick fix but it is not possible to do quick fix. Even as of now, you are talking about predicating your budget on 45 dollars bench mark. Throughout the last administration, we were talking about 90 dollars to 98 dollars per barrel. Can we talk about that kind of money now? No. So people have to be reasonable. You had a wonderful opportunity, you filtered it away; somebody had the ill-luck to take over when the damage has been done and he is trying his best to correct the ills and put you on a path of sustainable development but ironically those who led Nigeria to where we are today are the ones making noise. I don’t want to start playing politics yet and that is why I am reserving my comment about defectors but I can say out rightly that there is no Atiku factor in Edo politics.

But Atiku accused the APC led

government of deviating from its promises to Nigerians Nobody has deviated from those promises.

The rate of achieving those promises depends on factors that are beyond the control of individuals. You took over government at a time when oil price fell to as low as 27 or 30 dollars per barrel. It is just like going to where you work and they tell you that due to hardship they don’t want to down size but they will cut your salary; that will surely affect your family.

That is where we are going. But we politicians, we tell lies a lot. It does not make sense to me when people see a spade they call it by another name. Look at all these billions that are being traced, they are in the hands of Nigerians and you could see the battle the President is fighting to recover those funds. Mr President cited it the other day we met him. He said when he was in the military, once you were known to be a thief, he will bundle you into the prison; from

The members of the National Assembly are there for the people. We cannot because we are in APC tell a lie that a budget that is not performing is performing there, you will prove whether you are clean or not. But this time, when you see a thief looting and going away with your money, they will tell you he is innocent until proven guilty by the court. He said “ you can see my dilemma”.

How is the National Assembly investigating Mainagate?

Corruption is a hydra-headed monster.

Maina was yet an answer to it. Once a matter involves too much money, people are easily compromised. But the National Assembly is always ready to expose these issues to the

•Pally Iriase

understanding of the average Nigerian. If you have been following the House of Reps committee that is probing the Maina issue, you will marvel when you hear the revelations coming out. We now know who did the reinstatement. Initially serious effort was made to put it in the head of the hardworking Head of the Civil Service of the Federation but the truth is out. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior has owned up that he did it. If the House did not wade into it we would not have known. We have several of such expository investigations that are helping the nation, now we know that Maina is not a ghost. More revelations will come, lies are being unravelled.

Another issue is the Intel VS NPA. The House has constituted a committee of which I am the Chairman. We are working behind the scenes. Is it true that this nation is gradually becoming unfriendly to investors? Is it true that all that was done was dirty politics in action, was it a vendetta? These are things that will be exposed.

We obser ved the constr uction of Ikhin,Otuo/Afuze Road in your constituency. How was this achieved and what is the state of the General Hospital in Otuo, your community?

When Nigerians hear about constituency projects, which we call zonal intervention projects, it is easy to denigrate National Assembly members and sweep us all into the garbage heap of corrupt people who do nothing with the funds earmarked for the projects. The seed money that eventually saw to it that the road came into place was sourced from my zonal intervention funds because you have to be able to show your love for your constituents to draw forth the attention of the requisite ministry, department or agency. But happily when they saw what that meant, they came to my aid and mobilized the contractors. The Ministry of Niger Delta know things that cause restiveness in this area are bad roads, poor infrastructural facilities; so, they came to my aid and featured it in that budget. I am happy that my intervention gave rise to that road and people are better for it.

Second, you talked about the hospital.

I also used my zonal intervention to assist the state government by ensuring that a large chunk of the equipment needed in that hospital are supplied through those funds. I love to involve myself in capital intensive projects that will impact maximally on the lives of the people. And the result is what you are seeing in those areas you have mentioned.

Mine can be used as an example of the helpfulness of zonal intervention funds.

On the standard of the road, the Ministry of Niger Delta has ensured that it is designed to last.

PAGE 36—SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 10, 2017

Ikpeazu sends Aba garment makers to Turkey, Vietnam, Brazil and China

By Victoria Ojeme

A

frica is home to endless opportunities. The few who understand this take advantage of its limitless potentials, while others simply complain about the economic situations that have ridiculed the continent and have in one way or the other affected their lives.

Visionaries pay less attention to what their countries can do for them and more to what they can do for their countries. To achieve this, they identify opportunities, take them head-on and, when they succeed, they create jobs for thousands of people. A few billionaires walk the earth. But it gets exciting whenever the world hears of African billionaires because majority of the world’s view about Africa is one filled with small huts, farmers, and every man getting married to multiple women at childhood. While the world’s perception about Africa is mostly wrong, the continent is disproving these misguided

*Abia traders ... promoting made-in-Nigeria goods. Inset: Ikpeazu thoughts by even further producing more dollar billionaires every year. Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, in his inaugural speech in 2015, said one of his priorities would be the importance of road infrastructure

to drive investment and ease the doing of business in Abia State.

Ikpeazu, in making good that promise, not only made sure that security in Abia is guaranteed for investors, he also recently played host to 30 investors from China

hoping to key into his investment drive through the setting up of a one-stop-shop where entrepreneurs can showcase their wares and investors can have access to them. The governor, who prides himself as “Nwaba” (Aba

BOI drives manufacturing industry with Easy Loan access T

he Bank of Industry, BOI, is boosting the Nations’ Manufacturing Sector with N235 Billion Intervention fund set aside as efforts to refinance, restructure, provide and improve access to credits and loans needed by manufacturers in other to fast track visible development in the economy.

This statement was made recently by the Managing Director of the Bank, Mr. Kayode Pitan at the Association’s 10th CEO’s/MD’s Business Luncheon tagged, “Business Financing In Nigeria: The Bank of Industry Option” in Ogun State.

The Managing Director was represented by the State Manager, Mr. Babatunde Ajala who said that various statistics and global assessment on Nigeria’s economy reveals that the country currently made a rebound by 0.55% recovery from recession.

While being optimistic that the country would experience aggressive developments in the forth coming year, Ajala identified, high interest rate, rise in unemployment, systematic corruption, mismanagement of the national resources, religious tensions, political instability, faulty government policies among others as being some

potent reasons that led the country to recession.

“Due to the various bottle necks to access funds, stiff policies designed by financial institutions to loans and credits, dart of cash flow in the economy, coupled with the negative effects of recession among others, Nigerian Manufacturers are faced with harsh economic policies and constraints of fund sourcing thereby discouraging production”.

To foster a deepened development across the state, Mr. Ajala said that the State Government have massively invested billions of dollars in gray areas like education, agriculture, solid minerals, manufacturing among others envisaged as potential areas that would improve production quality later in the future, he said.

Going the Bank of Industry, BOI, way, a stress free platform different from other financial institutions like commercial banks that attracts a 2digit on interests, Ajala assured manufacturers that they can access loans and credits from BOI within the shortest period of time as their colleagues have accessed some credits, provided they meet the basic requirement which includes a good

realizable business proposal, functional bank statement among others.

Mr. Wale Adegbite, Chairman of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Ogun State, said that most manufacturing businesses are financed by either credit facilities or by equity raised in the stock market or investments that bear interest or loans obtained from different sources and establishments.

Adegbite said that obtaining loans from commercial banks in Nigeria has not been easy for manufacturers as the banks prefer to lend short term to businesses with high turn over and higher prospect of giving a quick return on their investment rather than to manufacturers whose investments are usually long term and require continued control and supervision to bring forth returns.

The chairman noted that the

boy), is the biggest ambassador of the made-in-Aba brand, promoting ‘buy Naija to grow Naija’ and branding his dresses in the Aba brand. Meanwhile, Ikpeazu just sent garment makers to Turkey, Vietnam and Brazil and another group to China to improve the young entrepreneurs’ crafts and position them to compete in the world fashion market. The governor and his team, in a related development, successfully organised the first Aba Fashion in Abuja and New York to showcase unique designs and create avenues for the funding of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The Director General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria SMEDAN, Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda, spoke in the same vein when he said the agency will continue to support innovation in e-business or digital business in Nigeria as MSMEs are the bedrock of development in any country. Radda spoke during a stakeholders’ forum on MSMEs organized by AKG Global, a company which specializes in multiple internet marketing. He expressed delight with the initiative. “I am elated because today MSMEs can now have a platform for assessing local, regional and global markets for the development of the subsector in Nigeria”, the SMEDAN boss said.

cumbersome administrative procedures and administrative procedures and astronomical high interest rates and charges have contributed immensely to the slow pace of development experienced by the manufacturing industry.

“According to Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, it shows that Nigerian economy is gradually coming out of recession with a 1.4% growth in GDP in the 3rd quarter of 2017.

Google launches app to reduce high mobile data usage

G

oogle has launched a new app known as Datally to help smartphone users understand, control and save mobile data.

The technology giant noted that many smartphone users worry about running out of data, especially the new generation of internet users known as the ‘Next Billion Users.’

Speaking during the launch of the app in Lagos, Google Nigeria, Country Director, Juliet

Ehimuan-Chiazor, explained that Datally will empower smartphone users to manage their data more effectively through four key features: Data saver, Data saver bubble, Personalized alerts and Wi-Fi finder. She said: “In the last few years, our Next Billion Users team has been doing a lot of research on the ground in fast growing Internet countries like Nigeria; we found that data is a major constraint for the next

billion users. Introducing Datally into the Nigerian smartphone market will help users understand how to control their mobile data better.

“Google tested Datally in the Philippines for most of 2017, and the insights from the product tests there shaped the final app. The user research showed that people testing the app saved up to 30% of their mobile data, depending on the way they used Datally.”

BOOK REVIEW

Nigeria's POLITICS OF LAST RESORT

T

he book takes a firm and foundational ac count of the seeming intractable menace of conflicts in Nigeria. Written by Chuba B. Keshi, D.Phil, PhD, Principal Partner, Core Business Konsulting (CBK) Associates, it examines the subject in varied ramifications and draws a parallel between the absence of common trust and the presence of the parochial group and self, in otherwise platforms of commonwealth. It relates a visible culture of silence in the wake of an order of patrimo-

nial patronages to some form of cold conflict that further broadens the social distance among its peoples.

From a historical perspective, the 310-page-work traces the character and content of conflicts in Nigeria to the very faulty colonial fabrics that created the Nigerian state. It concludes that until there is a total restructuring in line with each Nigerian people's precolonial culture antecedents, the country will continue to drift along the lines of underdevelopment and uncertainty.

In its preface, Keshi writes: "What I have attempted to do in this book is to revisit the position of the argument I made in 2003 and to expatiate on it. This is by providing theoretical foundations, historical and empirical evidence; a scientific explanation, for the issues observed in that report, using a political economy approach. I also tried to establish a correlation between the self-seeking character of present

day conflicts and a life style of kleptomania, particularly Prebendalism by office holders in the machinery of state.

It is important to point out that this account holds colonialism not just complicit, but the most culprit in the conspiracy that created the state of Nigeria in its present form, content and character."

This work, he insists, is a contribution toward resolving the political and social melancholies that have severely undermined Nigeria for decades, and have continued to reinforce her underdevelopment

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 10, 2017, PAGE 37

Oritsejafor says ‘tithers’ will not die As RCCG ends Holy Ghost Congress with testimonies

•

By Sam Eyoboka & Olayinka Latona

T

HE 20th Holy Ghost Congress of the Re deemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, ended last night at the Redemption Camp with testimonies.

The Holy Ghost Service of the programme, attended by a crowd of worshippers, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode and the immediate past National President of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, featured prayers for the peace, unity and progress of the nation.

Wife of the General Overseer, Pastor (Mrs) Folu Adeboye, led the congregation to pray for the nations of the world.

Oritsejafor, who spoke briefly on the topic, Power Passes Power, used the opportunity to speak on the current debate on tithing which was flagged off by On Air Personality, Oladayo Olarinde, better known as Daddy Freeze, who contended that tithe is an Old Testament injunction, arguing that many people are under the bondage of Malachi 3:8–10 which is actually about the priests robbing God, not the congregation robbing God. “I know there are some people telling you not to pay tithe. Don’t listen to them. They want to kill you. You go die quick”, he said.

“Your tithe is not about you. It’s about your children. The Bible says when Levi was still in the system, he was already paying tithe. Your tithe is not about you. It’s about your children. It is about your children’s children. Levi was

still in the picture, he was paying tithe. Don’t let anybody deceive you”.

‘I got brand new liver’ Pastor & Mrs Onwudiwe had a baby girl in 2012 but there were no babies after that. They wrote to Daddy G.O. who promptly told them they would testify very soon. This month they gave birth.

Mrs. Ajayi: Her brotherin-law was held by the police for over month on trumped-up- charges.

When she arrived the Redemption Camp for the Congress, she took it as a prayer point and by 10.00 a.m, yesterday morning the brother-in-law was released.

Sister Blessing Afolabi got married in 2010 and had still birth in 2015. In the 2016 Congress on Complete Restoration, Daddy G.O. said God would release another 70,000 babies. Before the end of that month, she conceived and she gave birth during the Halleluyah Convention in August

PIX GOVERNOR SAMUEL ORTOM OF BENUE STATE AND HIS WIFE AT THE REDEEMED CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF GOD HOLY 2017 HOLY GHOST CONGRESS HOLDING AT THE KM 46 LAGOS -IBADAN EXPRESSWAY CAMP OF THE CHURCH. PHOTO LAMIDI BAMIDELE

Pastor Enoch Adeboye during a prayer session at the RCCG 2017 hloy Ghost Congress at the km 46, Lagos-Ibadan expressway camp of the church. Photos by Lamidi Bamidele 2017.

Miss Odunayo Adegoroye, a female wrestler, said she was given a scholarship to train in Finland for one year in preparation

John Damian ADIZIE, OCD Director of Int'l Youth Empowerment

& Rehabilitation Centre (IYERC)

Tel: 08076635886 Email: johndamianocd@yahoo.co.uk

and even Euthanasia are crimes against this fundamental right.

The Right to Dignity of Human Person: Dignity has to do with respect, self-esteem and human reverence.

Every human being is entitled to respect and dignity.

No human person shall be subjected to torture or inhuman treatment. With this, all forms of slavery and even hostage is abolished.

Right to Personal Liberty: Every human being, whether rich or poor; old or young, is entitled to personal liberty.

This right entails the freedom to live as one chooses without much restrictions or constraints from the government or its agencies. It also assures a person of the freedom to stay or move about at his own will, direction and time.

Right to Fair Hearing: Fair hearing is the right to express and defend oneself against all charges. Every human being is entitled to fair hearing.

Do you know that you have a right?

I

“So I came to the Redemption Camp to pray to God and I went to the African Championship and I won a gold medal. And after winning the gold medal, the next was the world championship and I wrote

Cross section of traditional rulers at the 2017 RCCG Holy Ghost congress.

REVEREND FATHER

GNORANCE is a serious disease! Most people are suffering unnecessarily out of ignorance. A Latin adage says, "Ignorantia juris non excusat or ignorantia legis neminem excusat" which means, "Ignorance of the law excuses no one." No wonder the Lord declares through the Prophet Hosea, "My people perish for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). Child of God, as long as this reflection is concerned, you will not perish! This article will expose you to your fundamental human rights.

Incidentally, today, December 10 is Human Rights Day.

for the World Wrestling Competition. “I was there when I got a call that I should return for trials aimed at selecting persons for world championships”she said..

The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Human rights are those rights that are inalienable to the human person. They are those legal entitlements which every human being enjoys. Chapter IV of the Nigerian Constitution upholds the following rights: The Right to Life: Life is sacred. It is a fundamental gift from God. All human beings, including you, are entitled to this precious gift. Nobody has the right to destroy your life.

And you are not permitted to destroy your fellow human being's life. Abortion, murder

Nobody should be detained or imprisoned without fair hearing. Unfortunately, here in Nigeria, majority of those who are in prison are on awaiting trials. Most of them have spent years on Awaiting trial. It's unfair! Recently President Muhammadu Buhari has been advocating for their release.

Right to Private and Family Life: Without privacy people can easily gain access to your phone conversation and they can easily interfere with your family life. Do you know that without search warrant nobody has the right, not even the police, to search your house? Even when you are arrested, you have the right to remain silence, until your lawyer appears.

Right to Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion: As a free citizen, you are entitled to your thought and conscience. You have the right to join any religious group of your choice and you are free to practice your religion the way you want without any interference. Nobody has the right to impose his or her religion. The government

has no right to restrict people from practicing their religion publicly (as is the case in Kaduna State).

Right to Freedom of Expression at the Press: Every human person is entitled to freedom of expression including freedom to hold opinions. This includes the freedom to receive and impart ideas and information without interference. However, freedom of expression does not include slander, rumours, gossip and unverified information.

Right to Peaceful Assembly and Association: Every free citizen is entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons and form or belong to any political party. This right also allows you freedom to join any trade union or any association of your choice for the protection of your interest. Nobody has the right to impose any union or association on you.

Right to Freedom of Movement: You are free to travel to any part of Nigeria and to reside in any part of this country without any hindrance or interference. With this right no Nigerian citizen shall be

Daddy G.O. expressing my desire to be at the tournament.

“He assured me that I will be there and, in the meantime, I went to Wike Wrestling Championship where, to the glory of God, I also won the gold medal”.

Pastor (Mrs.) Olowe from Oyo State: “I came back from Britain rejecting a liver transplant. It was time for convention and I came from the airport. I wanted to see Daddy over the sentence but I could not see him. As I was going back, I saw Mummy Nassarawa who advised me to write a letter to Daddy and Mummy G.O. which I promptly did telling them that I had refused a liver transplant.

“Exactly nine days after, Daddy replied and said: ‘We have prayed. Go back to the UK doctor and you will come back with testimonies.’ Three days after, I went back to the UK and the doctor ran a fresh test and immediately went hysterical not believing what the new test had revealed. He just kept saying, ‘I am sure of what I saw initially.’ To the glory of God, I was given a brand new liver”.

Earlier, the General Overseer of RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, urged Christians across the country to imbibe the culture of cleanliness, stressing that cleanliness is next to Godliness.

Before his brief sermon of the day titled: “Songs of Victory”, the man of God excited the extraordinarily large crowd of worshippers in both Auditoriums, different viewing centers across the world, when he declared that the number children born in the RCCG Maternity within the first five days of the Congress had risen to 40——20 boys and 20 girls.

expelled from Nigeria or refused entry or exit. The Arewa youth's quit notice issued to the Igbos in the Northern part of Nigeria is a direct violation of this fundamental human right.

Right from Freedom from Discrimination: Most people don't even know that discrimination is against the fundamental human right.

This declaration states: Every citizen shall not be subjected to any form of discrimination, disability or deprivation by reason of his/her community, ethnic group, place of origin, circumstances of birth, sex, religion or political opinion.

Right to Acquire and Own Immovable Property anywhere in Nigeria: Every citizen of Nigeria has the right to acquire and own immovable property anywhere in Nigeria.

Child of God, as a law abiding citizen you are a free citizen. Nobody, not even the police or the devil has the right to intimidate you. As you enjoy your right and freedom, I wish you happy Human Rights Day!

PAGE 38— SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 10, 2017

6 Reasons We Face Spiritual Warfare

DR. FRANCIS AKIN-JOHN Church Growth Consultant, 6/8, Mukadaq Close, Off Palace Way, Iyana-Odo, B/Stop, Isheri-LASU Road, Lagos.

08023000714. akingrow@yahoo.com

G

ENESIS 3:15 tells us that, as one component of His judgment on the serpent in the Garden of Eden, God put enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. That is to say, we have spiritual conflict in our lives because God put it into the story. In what ways, then, does a sovereign God use spiritual warfare?

1. It led to the cross. This enmity hit its peak on Calvary, where the demons surely thought they had

won. Not so, though—for God had from eternity planned to disarm the powers through the death of His Son (Col. 2:15).

2. To keep us humble. Paul learned this truth when God allowed the enemy to attack him through an intense “thorn in the flesh.” Whatever the thorn was, it weakened Paul – and God refused to remove it (2 Cor. 12:7-10). In his ongoing spiritual struggle, Paul learned to avoid conceit.

3. To remind us that He is our warrior. That theme echoes throughout scripture (e.g., Exo. 15:3, 1 Sam. 17:47, 2 Chron. 20:15). The battle is His, not ours; even the armor we wear is His (Eph. 6:11). He uses the conflict to show us that we can’t win without Him – and that He is willing to win the battle for us.

4. To push us to pray. Prayer is both a cry for relationship and a confession of dependence. Spiritual conflict forces us to see our need, and God’s gracious care and protection in the battle lead us to love Him more. Prayer is the right response in the battle.

5. To teach us about grace. The enemy sought to destroy Adam and Eve, and he has worked to destroy God’s people since then. The only reason we live in victory, though, is

Let your faith make you a conqueror

By Pastor Oloruntimilehin Joshua Daramola(BOSORO) FAITH is a very important and essential thing in the life of believers and followers of Christ. Faith used to denote trust and reliance in God or fidelity. Faith brings about good things in human life particularly people that have the faith. People require strong faith to overcome enemies and problems for God to provide for them. They do not require any faith. What is needed is for the people to seek for what they want in an ungodly manner. In all my teachings I try to emphasize the good and the bad sides of life. As there is Godly riches also the satanic riches exist. Some forget all the men are not the same and equal.

Some see others wealthy and they do not serve and do for God. One thing is clear and understood is that there is evil and goodness and God made it so (Isaiah 45:7 “I from the light and create darkness, I make peace and calamity, I, the Lord, do all these things. Therefore anybody that is wealthy in a godly manner

•Daramola but refuses to sow for God will dry up. In the same vein the rich man that refused to sow seed for God by extending his riches to the poor when he was alive, had no place in heaven when he die (Luke 17:1931). But Lazarus who was the poor man had nothing but was strong in faith when he was alive found beside Abraham in heavenly kingdom.

God could decided to take away the riches given to a person by Him if the rich person is found to be using the riches in an ungodly manner.

But in the book of Luke 12:13-21, Jesus narrated a parable of a rich fool who had godly riches but was

about to use his riches in an ungodly manner by being arrogant and proud, God took his life immediately. But a person that is blessed with satanic riches can be using the riches in sinful ways to the extend that he or she forgets God until the end of life and fails to inherit the heavenly kingdom like the rich man. Therefore there are two different things the godly and satanic riches. People that are in the two categories are going to different places at the end. Some people do not serve God and some people are being are being advised not to attend church services or go to mosque. These people are being tempted to derail from the ways of God. What is required is for them to have a strong faith to overcome the temptation. Some people serving God diligently but still encounter problems, do not bother continue in the service of God with strong faith that all will soon be well. Do not allow devil to prevail over you. The Bible says in Mark 13:13 “…he who endure till the end shall be saved”.

Do not forsake God whatever situation or condition a person finds him-

not because of us; it’s because His love for sinful people is greater than the power of the enemy. That’s grace.

6. To magnify His name among the nations. When God grants a victory we can achieve only through Him, He alone gets the glory. He leads His people to seas they can’t cross (Exo. 14), calls them to tackle giants they can’t conquer (1 Sam. 17), and sends them into battles with armies reduced from 32,000 to 300 (Judg. 7)—all so that He is glorified among the nations.

The bottom line is this: for most of us, one of our biggest problems in our Christian walk is not that we are too weak; rather, it is that we are too strong. Thus, the God who defeated Satan through death on a cross puts us in spiritual conflict to

reduce us- – and we will ultimately say with Paul, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10). His grace in the battle truly is sufficient.

Don’t forget our conference “Healthy Local Church 3” is Wednesday 14th – Saturday 17th of February 2018. @ Foursquare Int’l Convention Camp, Orisunbare-Idimu, Lagos Contact: 08029744296 or 08023000714 E-Mail: akingrow@yahoo.com

self or herself. In the process of endurance, God could send a help to the person that serves Him but lack things he or she desires for living a good life. God can use any means to satisfy His people that are suffering.

The suffering won’t be permanent in life because the Bible says in Psalms 34:10 “the young lions lack and suffer hunger but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing”. What is the good thing referred to in the passage? God is being referred to as the good thing.

Also the Bible says in Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever”. Jesus was called a good person. He responded that nobody is good except his father in heaven i.e. God. So God is the goodness because He has no blemish, does not fade, an immortal. The good things do not refer to food, drinks, clothing etc. but God. This is where faith emanates into the world.

So if a person has faith, he or she would have good things. Therefore if a person wants to overcome his or her enemies the person must have strong faith. Imagine when Job was in turbulent, his wife told him to deny

and forsake God Job 2:9 “Then his wife send to him. “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die”. But Job refused to heed to his wife advice because he did not want to sin (Job 2:10). The faith of Job was strong so he was able to overcome all his tribulations. After becoming a conqueror all the lost possessions of Job was returned in multiple fold (Job 42:10-17). The lesson from Job’s story is that people that are facing tribulations should endure and not deny God and have strong faith. At the same time they will be conquerors. Similarly those that have strong faith and trust in God but could not see or get God’s favour on earth. Definitely the person will receive the favour in heaven like the poor man Lazarus who was sitting beside Abraham in heaven. Both Job and Lazarus got God’s favour on earth and in heaven respectively. Brethren, I implore you to have faith that will make you a conqueror over all your enemies and tribulations.

*International Church Growth Ministry holds two major conferences a year, one in second week of every February and the other in every first week in September.” akingrow@yahoo.com 08023000714

*For further enquiries call: 08023020108, 08058110288,. w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / pastoroloruntimilehin.

Inter, intra-personal tension in marriage: Inter personal tension

By Pastor Okokon Ating Inter Personal Tension Suggested Ways Of Dealing With Financial Matters In The Home omeone said, ‘over coming financial dif ficulties at home requires a great discipline, self denial and prayer effort’ below are the suggested effort to deal with financial matters in the marriage 1.GREAT DISCIPLINE/ SELF-DENIAL During the courtship period, the issue of who handles what, how to handle those financial issues and what to get and spent the money on should critically be discussed by intended couple before marriage. If at all they did not before marriage, they can go head to discuses and bring to conclusion after welding. This is to enable the couple to have a formidable focus and good administrative set-up which could bring peace at home

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Mr. & Mrs. Okokon Ating and marriage as well. Such discussion as to who provide the bulk financial contribution for the up keep of the family; having a joint bank account when salary is received in case of husband/wife being civil servant, business man/woman; how to spent such money in the account; what to spend on then and how to handle other vital and non-vital issues confronting the family financially should be meticulously agreed upon.

• In all these the couple should remember to love God best who is the owner of the home and the ultimate source in which the family

derives their financial blessing. Whatsoever they do, should be done as on to the Lord whom they will one day stand before to give account of their stewardship.

• The love of the family should reign supreme in the heart of the couple than the love of money • The family monthly budget should jointly be planned in order to avoid mistrust and excessiveness which may result in debt.

Try as much as possible to invest together, because of the future and the coming generation of the family Try to meet the daily need of the family together.

If there is any extra income coming into the family through the husband/wife, there should be a concrete information and cooperate planning on what such income is going to be used for Importantly couple should know that non of them is the sole owner of the money, wealth, etc but it belongs to all of them as people who are

one in every thing The couple should develop the habit of staying away from debt which could possibly bring hardship and quarrelling in the home.The couple should love both in-laws the same, so that when they have anything to offer or give, it will be a thing of common interest. Regards should be giving to both in-laws equally. There shouldn’t be any secret gift sent to the wife or the husband’s side without each other knowing about it. This is to avoid grumbling and fighting at home. Note that the way a wife and husband control money tells a lot about their Christian testimony, their Christian testimony is poor not to themselves alone but also to the community, other Christian folks and the holy spirit that sealed them on the day of their redemption. There is a dire need for the couple to guard+ against the love of money and the things it can buy. This can destroy marriage if it is not harmonious-

GKS celebrates Christian Feast of Tabernacles By

T

Oboh

Agbonkhese

housands of faithful from dif ferent parts of the world will converge on God’s Kingdom Society, GKS, Church of the Living God’s Salem City Warri, Delta State, from Sunday, December 10 to Sunday, December 17, for the observance of the Feast of Taberna-

cles.

The eight-day festival of sermons, special convocations, processions, musical presentations, supplications and special thanksgivings, will be rounded off with an address by the President of GKS, Brother Godwin Ifeacho on the topic “TRUST IN POWER AND WEALTH RATHER THAN IN GOD IS VANITY.”

A statement by GKS on the feats said there is no disputing the fact that the world is plagued by injustices, upheavals and conflicts apart from natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, fires, wind storms, volcanic eruptions, wars and so on, that people also have to contend with.

It read in part: “There is the issue

ly handled 2. PERSONALITY AND NEEDS CONFLICTS ?Factually, the couple that came together in marriage are not from them same womb of one mother. Even if they were, there is still traits that make one differ from the other, hence personality traits between couple is a critical factor they should look into, tension can be imminent within the marriage where the husband has quiet a deferent personality from that of the wife. For instance a husband can be a caring type, while the wife may be the type who conceals things and those not care about others, this difference can create problem. In the area of conflicting needs. It is well known by us that human needs involved food, shelter, clothing, air, love and properly freedom from pain. Others may need security, love and personal contact with one another There are several others who have unique personal needs such as: the need to dominate,

of high cost of living, widespread unemployment, job insecurity, high crime rate, diseases, insurgencies, corruption, among other problems.

“Therefore, all people of goodwill are cordially invited to join members of GKS in this unique festival for their blessings.

“The scripture says ‘And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in

control, possess, achieve, help or to rescue others also if the husband has a need to dominate while the wife accepts to be controlled, then there may be a kind of compatibility in them which can solidify their marriage. But where both of them have any need to dominate, this will definitely create an avenue for conflicts. In a family where there is an idea and needs are conflicting between the couple and they also experienced personalities conflict. That marriage is not far from collapsing.

This can only be tamed when a spouse is ready to let go off he/her needs and personality.

This may not be by compulsion but by love and Christ’s sake. The drift of this idea goes into rating of values too, where the husband rate some aspect of the family while the wife say no to it.

Married people can only avoid personal conflicting needs if they understand Gods principles.

his season; there shall be showers of blessing— Ezekiel 34:26.

“People are becoming more and more insulated from one another due to the quest for material benefits and lack of the fear of God. These have given rise to perplexities and grave forebodings by all people, regardless of age, gender, status, and geographical location. “Consequently, people are desperately in search of refuge and protection".

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 10, 2017, PAGE 39

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othing in recent memory seems to have affected the bank-balances of Nigerian pastors as Daddy Freeze’s exposure of the deception of tithing in the churches. Nigerian tithe-collecting pastors are up in arms, throwing every possible missile at him, including death threats. Jesus says: “Whoever desires to save his life will lose it.” (Matthew 16:25). Since Freeze’s exposure, tithe-collecting pastors have been spouting fire and brimstone, hopelessly trying to save their lives.

Death threats The assault on Freeze brings to mind the assault of Jewish pastors on Jesus when he also exposed their deception and hypocrisy. The upshot of this was the decision to have Jesus killed with extreme prejudice.

Similarly, Daddy Freeze says a pastor, whose church he attended for 11 good tithe-paying years, has placed a death-sentence on him for preaching against tithing. The pastor “prophesied” that Freeze would die within 2 years.

Jesus says: “An evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45).

You can easily tell that this so-called pastor is a charlatan masquerading as a child of God. Not only does he curse his enemies contrary to the way of Christ, even his curses are fake. Otherwise, why wait for two years for Freeze to die? Why not kill him right now?

Apostle Suleiman Perhaps that anonymous pastor learnt a lesson from another endangered tithe-collector: self-styled Apostle Suleiman. The “apostle” exposed himself by prophesying that Nasir El-Rufai, the Governor of Kaduna State, would die within two weeks. Unfortunately for him, the Governor obstinately refused to die.

“Apostle” Suleiman is so riled up over Daddy Freeze’s preachments

bers of the church to Ashimolowo.

The Commission discovered “serious misconduct and mismanagement” in the finances of KICC. It made allegations of financial impropriety against him.

WHO IS AFRAID OF DADDY-FREEZE? against tithing, he announced the decision to raise his tithe from 10% to 30% in retaliation. Clearly, the “apostle” needs to go back to bible school. So doing, he would learn that a tithe is 10% and can never be 30%.

Rather than boast publicly about fictitious increases in his tithes, his eminence the “apostle” should endeavour to listen to Jesus: “Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them.

If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1). “When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.

Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

(Matthew 6:3-4).

Paul Adefarasin On his part, tithe-collecting Paul Adefarasin took the whole debate to stratospheric levels, the better to make tithing unassailable to fastidious bible scholars. He said: “God created the universe, he took a tithe: the Milky Way. God created the Milky Way, he took a tithe: the Galaxy. God created the Galaxy, he took a tithe: our Solar System. God created the Solar System, he took a tithe: Planet Earth. God created the Planet Earth, he took a tithe: Israel.

God created Israel, he took a tithe: Jerusalem.”

At this juncture, I began to wonder if it could equally be postulated that God created Lagos, he took a tithe: Adefarasin’s House on the

WHAT SHALL I DO FOR YOU (Pt 1)

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atthew 20:29-34 says, “And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.

And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.”

Those that would prevail in prayer must be specific in their demands.

Whenever we come to the Lord, it is of importance that we should be definite in whatever we are asking from Him. Some people approach God with multitude of demands without faith and in some cases may not remember exactly what they

have asked, and because they couldn’t remember, they therefore would not know when the Lord has given answer to them. Sometimes, these people may shout, cry, complain and repeatedly make prayers but will not get answer. Those who did same in the Bible days were challenged by the Lord to be specific in their requests. The Lord says you should stop rambling and murmuring during prayer, you should not fill up your prayers with complain, grumbling, shouting and etc but specifically tell Him what you want Him to do for you.

In the context above, the Lord knew that these people were blind, yet He asked them ‘what will ye that I shall do unto you? Which means He wanted to know the definite problem they were asking Him to remove? And it was not until they specified their need that the Lord intervened. The Lord is in the same vein asking you that is reading this message today ‘what shall I do for you now the year is coming to an end? What is it that you want the Lord to do for you, which when it is done you will re-

The fear of Daddy-Freeze is the beginning of mischief in Nigerian churches Rock! Who ever heard of God paying tithes? By the time the erudite pastor waxed lyrical and refashioned Jesus as: “a tithe, holding a tithe, going into a tithe,” his congregation could not bear it any longer.

They burst into wild applause which I took to mean: “This pastor of ours is just too much!”

Matthew Ashimolowo But the response to Freeze that took the cake came from Matthew Ashimolowo of Kingsway International Christian Centre. He felt so threatened by Daddy Freeze, he dropped his mask of holiness and became abusive. He told Daddy Freeze to “Shut up!”

Said Ashimolowo “ex cathedra:” “Some bunch of yoyo somewhere should not determine what we believe. Some guy who beats his wife, throws her out, throws his children out of the house should not determine what we believe. Not only that, he broke his own son’s knees while member and glorify Him. John 4:46-53 says, “So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto him,

Prayers are answered when they have focus and are distinctly directed to needs. We should further understand that in praying we communicate with a superior Being that listens to and answers our prayers

Sir, come down ere my child die.

Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend.

And they said unto him, yesterday

trying to defend his wife. Not only that, he drinks alcohol, sleeps with women and he is trying to preach to preacher?”

But, while we are on the subject, should Ashimolowo himself be telling anybody what to believe? Not according to Jesus.

Jesus says: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.” (Matthew 7:3-5).

Ashimolowo”s hypocrisy is mindboggling. Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

Wealth transfer

Should such a man tell Christians what they should believe and give?

You be the judge.

The Commission maintained Ashimolowo acted as both trustee and paid employee of KICC, in contravention of British charity law. He allegedly approved suspicious payments and benefits to himself and his wife made to his private companies operated illegally from church premises. As a result of these irregularities, KICC was placed in the hands of receivers, new trustee managers were appointed and Ashimolowo was asked to repay £200,000 to the church.

The upshot of this was that Ashimolowo relocated temporarily to Nigeria, where he started preaching about “Sweat-less Wealth,” and “Twenty-Four Hour Miracles.” The latter required the gullible to give their monies, cars, televisions, stereos, cell-phones and even the Certificates of Occupancy of their houses to preachers in order to receive fictitious financial windfalls from heaven within 24 hours. A few of my acquaintances were scammed at these 419 “crusades.”

Deceived-deceivers

Some years back, Ashimolowo advertised a crusade in Port Harcourt, captioned “The Coming Wealth Transfer.” This was based on the notion that God is soon going to transfer the wealth of non-Christians to Christians.

However, officials of the Charity Commission in England, an organisation which routinely polices the affairs of nominally non-profit organisations including churches, detected a more genuine wealth transfer taking place in Ashimolowo’s KICC. That wealth transfer was not from God to the members of Ashimolowo’s church: it was from mem-

God says: “Among my people are found wicked men; they lie in wait as one who sets snares; they set a trap; they catch men.” (Jeremiah 5:26). Daddy Freeze has put these tithe-collecting fraudsters on the warpath, fighting to defend their bank-balances. Surely, he did not expect them to surrender their mealtickets without a fight.

Who is afraid of Daddy Freeze?

Thief- and-robber pastors. The fear of Daddy Freeze is the beginning of mischief in Nigerian churches.

at the seventh hour the fever left him.

So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.”

This is another case of a noble man who did not beat about the bush but was very direct in asking the Lord what should be done for him. Being specific enabled him to remember what he has asked, the time he made the prayer and when the answer was given he did not forget who gave the answer and who would be given the glory, for he knew nothing else could have healed his child except the intervention of the Lord. The child may not know the source of the power that healed him but the father knew there was no coincidence, and it was the prayer he made that was answered by whom he made it to. It could not be pretended that there was any collusion. The father came in deep anxiety to Jesus, made specific request with faith, thus he kept the time the prayer was made.

Many who tend to share the glory of answered prayers to human beings do so because they prayed in multitude of words and knew not when the prayer was made and who answered the prayer. That is why the Lord is telling you today, don’t be like those people rather make definite your prayer and He will answer you.

Prayers are answered when they have focus and are distinctly directed to needs. We should further understand that in praying we communicate with a superior Being that listens to and answers our prayers.

When you pray therefore, pray with faith and know it that you are talking to a Revered Being and not the Pastor or any other human being.

Psalm 50:15 says, “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me” The Lord urges you to make your

prayer in the time of trouble when you will remember vividly what to ask and the specific answer you expected, so that when it comes you will not forget the source and give the glory of the answered prayer to another. God withholds from them that ask not specific things, lest he should give to them that desire not and as a result will not glorify Him. Psalm 86:5-7 says, “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. 6 Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.

7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.”

When we pray it must be that we mean to pray, not because we are so fascinated by it but because we really, indeed, and of a truth, find it to be a practical and effectual means of obtaining help from God in the hour of need. There can be no reason for praying if there be no expectation of the Lord's answering.

Psalm 145:18-19 says, “The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.”

When you make definite prayers, He will answer but when your request is confusing and you are saying many things at a go and never bothering to check that you are not living in sin, God will not answer.

The Lord is saying that you make many prayers without any point or justification, you pray often without repentance, you make many prayers but what matters is the kind of heart or mind with which such prayers are made, the attendant faith and content of such prayers are important.

If you can call upon the Lord and identify the problems when making prayers, the Lord will give answer to your prayers.

Page 40 — SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 10, 2017

Fidelity Bank End of the Year Party

The 2017 Fidelity Bank Plc End of the Year Party took place at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. PHOTOS: AKEEM SALAU

•From left: Mr. Obeahon Ohiwerei, MD/CEO, Keystone Bank; Mr. Tony Elumelu,Chairman of Heirs Holdings; Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo, GMD/CEO Fidelity Bank Plc and Mr Kennedy Uzoka, GMD/CEO,UBA.

•Mr Nduka Obaigbena,Publisher, Thisday Newspapers left, and Pastor Ituah Ighodalo.

•From left: Dr Alex Otti, a former Group Managing Director of Diamond Bank Plc/2015 governorship candidate of APGA in Abia State; AbdulSamad Rabiu,Executive Chair man,BUA Inter national Ltd; Dr Er nest Azudialu,Chairman/Group Managing Director, Nestoil Group, and Elder Ekeoma Ekeoma, Group Chairman, Nepal Oil & Gas Service Limited.

•Engr Ottih John Ottih (left) and Prof. Pat Utomi.

•John Pepper Clark-Bekederemo and his wife

•From left: Mr Ebenezer Onyeagwu, Deputy Managing Director, Zenith Bank Plc; Mrs Uche Okonkwo; Mr Nnamdi Okonkwo, GMD/CEO, Fidelity Bank Plc, and Mr Emeka Ugwu-Oju, President of South-East/South-South Professionals.

•From left: Miannaye Essien, SAN; Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi,Minister of Transportation; Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, former Minister of State, Defence; Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi; and Barrister Tunde Oshinowo

•From left: Chika Mbonu, Mrs. Amaka ChikaMbonu, Mrs. Janet Adetu and Mr. Seni Adetu

•Matthew Willsher, CEO, Etisalat Nigeria (left), and Mrs Leo Nida.

•From left: Mr Agada Apochi,MD/ CEO,Unified Payments; Francis Ogboro,Chairman, SGS Inspection Services Ltd., and Hon Magnus Onyibe,Chairman/ CEO, Inspire Group.

•Mr and Mrs Andy Uwani.

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CHAN: Eagles shape up in Kano with Super Six S

•CHAN BOUND... Rabiu Ali playing for the Eagles at the WAFU tournament in Ghana.

UPER Eagles Team B will kick start their preparations for the CAF African Nations Championship scheduled for Morocco January 13 - February 4, 2018 with their participation in the Nigeria Professional Football League Super Six tournament, which begins on Monday.

The team made up of 30 players together with coach Salisu Yusuf arrived Kano on Saturday. Some of the players include Ikechukwu Ezenwa, defenders Stephen Eze, Osas Okoro and Adeleye Olamilekan, midfielders Afeez Aremu, Rabiu Ali and Ifeanyi Ifeanyi as well as forwards Kingsley Eduwo, Sikiru Olatubosun and Anthony Okpotu.

The glamour Super Six

Onitsha Tennis Club agog with Life Beer placed Ekene bring this tournament tournament third Anunobi with 19 points into fruition.

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

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HE 2017 Life conti nental lager beer tournament at the Ontisha Tennis Club came to a fitting end yesterday with Victor Chukwuemeka, a tennis/football legend clinching first prize. He took a pound of flesh from Paul Areh who edged him to the second place in the 2016 edition.

Chief Chukwuemeka who scored 22 points received a big double-door refrigerator, while Areh with 21 points got a 5.6 KVA generator set as

received a bedside refrigerator. Other participants were given consolation prizes ranging from standing fans to electric irons.

Presenting the prizes to the winners, the Public Affairs Manager of Nigerian Breweries Plc., sponsors of the tournament, Mr. Isaac Nwabuzor who represented the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Breweries Plc., Mr. Johan Doyer, expressed delight that NB Plc had over the years, partnered with the Sports Club to

In his brief remarks, the President of Onitsha Sports Club, Chief Tobechi Ejezie, commended the management of NB Plc. for sponsoring the event annually over the years as he assured them that the cordial relationship existing between the two bodies would remain evergreen.

Ejezie disclosed that the Sports Club was currently embarking on renovation of all the tennis courts, indoor game halls, swimming pool and buildings within the club.

African Wrestling Championship: NWF invites 200 for camping

By Solomon Nwoke

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IGERIA Wrestling Federation (NWF) president, Dr Daniel Igali has expressed satisfaction with the performances of the wrestlers at the Governor Nyesom Wike Wrestling championship, which ended last weekend in Port Harcourt. He also commended the Rivers State governor, for his enormous support to the federation.

Appraising the wrestlers’ performances last weekend, Dr Igali said, “ I am satisfied with the performance of the athletes, there was keen competition amongst them. In my view the Gov Nyesom Wike National Wrestling Championship went extremely well.

“The number of wrestlers that participated was very commendable. Having about 700 wrestlers was almostdouble the number of athletes we normally have in every other championship being that other championships were not full cadet and junior. “ Overall, everybody gave a good account of themselves. And almost all the national athletes moved up except a few ones that their weight classes are

stagnant. Blessing Oborodudu moved from 63kg to 68kg, Aminat Adeniyi moved from 58kg to 62kg, Odunayo Adekuoroye from 55 kg to 57kg virtually all of them and in wrestling, one or two kilograms move could be major for you.”

Dr Igali said the federation hopes to invite about 200 wrestlers to camp (which includes a full squad from the Cadet, Junior, Female wrestling, Greco Roman and Senior) after they have rested for a week.

He however warned that it’s not yet uhuru for the wrestlers who came first in their various weight categories to make the list of athletes to represent Nigeria at the African Championships next February in Port Harcourt.

“We will present nine national teams at the African championships with head coaches and assistant coaches for cadet ( Greco Roman, female and freestyle), junior, Female wrestling and senior in the same events.

We should be looking up to a full team of 90 athletes and hopefully, two training partners. So nothing less than 180 athletes in camp which is a major figure to manage.

Tournament, traditionally organized to set Nigeria’s flag-bearers in continental competitions in battle mood after the lull and inactivity of the post –season break, will this year welcome NPFL reigning champions Plateau United, MFM FC, Akwa United FC, homers Kano Pillars and Enyimba FC, as well as the Super Eagles B.

At the CHAN tournament, coach Yusuf is hopeful of doing much better than winning second place like he did at the West Africa Football Union tournament in Ghana.

Nigeria will tackle 2014 champions Libya, Rwanda and Equatorial Guinea in the group stage at the 5th African Nations Championship. The matches of Group C will be played in Tangier.

Hosts Morocco, Guinea,

Sudan and Mauritania are in Group A, in the event pitting the Atlas Lions against Mauritania in the opening match of the competition, at the Mohamed V Stadium in Casablanca on 13th January. Hosts of the inaugural edition of the competition in 2009, Cote d’Ivoire head Group B that will be based in Marrakech, and have Zambia, Uganda and Namibia as group mates.

Access Bank/Lagos Marathon: 70,000 athletes, keep fit enthusiasts register to run

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S much as 70,000 athletes and keep fit enthusiasts have registered to run in the 2018 Access Bank/Lagos City Marathon billed for February 10, 2018.

The race organisers disclosed yesterday that more registrations are still being expected with roughly two months to the event, which is fast gaining currency in the world map of marathon races.

This is just as more world-class runners like Kenyan Georgina Rono and Ethiopian Azalech Masresha have joined in the list of elite athletes vying for the top prize.

Rono, winner of the Eindhoven Marathon and other elite marathons has a personal best of 2:24:33 hours.

Masresha from Ethiopia has a personal best of 1:09:46 in the half marathon and 2:25:34 in the full marathon. Masresha who has moved to a warmer weather to be able to compete for the top prize in Lagos said: “I am happy that the 2018 race will start by 6.30am, this will give us the

opportunity to finish before the weather becomes too hot but irrespective of the organizers moving the race to 6.30am, I have moved my training to a city that has the same weather with Lagos. That way, the timing will be irrelevant since am already used to the Lagos weather.”

General Manager Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, Yusuf Alli, said

the number of elite runners that would participate in the 2018 edition may double that of the two previous editions.

“In 2016 and 2017, we had over 200 elite runners but from the level of interest being shown in the 2018 edition, we may get double that figure. Elite athletes are writing from America, Mexico, Germany and so many parts of the world”.

*Georgina Jepkirui Rono

Ahead Manchester derby: Mourinho and I are twins –Guardiola P

*Guardiola

ep Guardiola claims that he and Jose Mourinho are twins - in the sense they both want to win trophies at least.

The managerial heavyweights clash today at Old Trafford with Guardiola hoping City will extend their lead of the English Premier League table, while Manchester United want to close the gap in this eagerly-anticipated derby.

Guardiola said: “Definitely. In that, we are twins. They want to win trophies, we want to win trophies.

“I think Antonio Conte is the same as well, and Jurgen (Klopp) and Mauricio (Pochettino), and in all the leagues around the world, the

managers are there.”

City, who are eight points clear at the top of the table, are bidding for a 14th successive Premier League win, an achievement which would be a record for a single season.

Guardiola said: “Until now we cannot complain in terms of results and especially the way we have played.

“When you see in every game the statistics not just the way we play - we are better in terms of potential goals, possession and chances conceded.

“But I think United are fantastic on that. When the statistics are good they win and when they are not good they are able to win 3-1 at the Emirates, one of the most difficult stadiums.”

PAGE 46, SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 10, 2017

Russia 2018 WC Eagles to play Poland March 23, says Rohr B

ARRING any un foreseen circumstances Nigeria’s Super Eagles will play against Poland on March 23, 2018 to tune up for the World Cup. Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr disclosed that arrangements have been made for the match that would be played in the Polish City of Wroclaw. He

added that the idea behind the game is to get the Super Eagles more familier with European oppenents as they face Croatia, Iceland and then Argentina in Group D of the World Cup tournament in Russia. ‘’Croatia is capable of great things with a team of stars playing in the biggest clubs. This is the

Ajunwa-Oparah sad Nigeria has not won another individual Olympic gold

By JUDE OPARA, Abuja

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INNER of Nigeria’s first and only individual Olympic gold medal, Chioma AjunwaOparah has revealed that she is never a happy woman each time she remembers that Nigeria is yet to win another Olympic gold medal since she achieved that feat at the 1996 edition of the Games which took place in Atlanta, USA. Ajunwa’s long jump gold with a 7.12 mark remains an African and Nigerian women record in the event. It is also Nigeria’s only track and field gold in its history of participation in the Olympics.

Speaking at a dinner organized by her Chioma Ajunwa Foundation in Abuja, the former athlete said the dwindling fortunes of the country in sporting events is one of factors that motivated her to set up the foundation which she added is to encourage grassroots development of sports in the country.

“2017 marks the 21st anniversary of the Atlanta Olympics at which I did the long jump that was later described as Nigeria’s golden leap, which earned Nigeria her first Olympic gold

medal in that capacity. I am very sad that 21 years after that historic moment of national pride, Nigeria is yet to produce another Olympic gold medal in that capacity.

“Thus after a thorough analysis of the issues affecting youth and sports development in Nigeria, I identified an alarming absence of adequate training camps and related facilities across the country, making it absolutely difficult for most of our youths access sufficient professional training and mentorship to help them develop and nurture their talents.”

Ajunwa who is now a Deputy Commissioner of Police in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) further revealed that already her foundation is partnering with various levels of government, the private sector, international organizations and other charitable individuals to change the face of youth sports development in Nigeria.

Earlier in his goodwill remarks, the former Director General of the defunct National Sports Commission (NSC), Dr. Patrick Ekeji said the dream of Ajunwa to give back to the society should be supported by all.

most important match, and we hope to prepare for it against opponents similar to Croatia. ‘’So we will play Poland at home on March 23rd.

We are looking for a second opponent in Europe for another FIFA date of the spring.’’ Also Polish Football Association president and former football great, Zbigniew Boniek confirmed the match.

He was quoted as saying by sport.dziennik.pl : ‘’In March, we will probably face Nigeria and South Korea. These teams somehow reflect the mentality and level of the teams we play in the group at the World Cup. ‘’Of course, Nigeria is not Senegal, but somewhere this mentality, the way they move on the pitch, physical strength are similar.‘’

Edo FA holds Awards Nite Dec 22

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HE Edo State Football Association has concluded plans to hold the third edition of its annual Awards Nite which has been fixed for December 22 at the Imaguero College Hall in Benin City, Its Chairman, Mr. Frank Ilaboya disclosed at the weekend.

According to Ilaboya, “the Organising Committee headed by Chief Usman Mahmud has put elaborate plans in place to make the ceremony a glamorous one”, adding that the “President of the Nigeria Football Association, Amaju Pinnick will be leading top football personalities comprising coaches, Administrators and ex-footballers to the event.”

Mr. Ilaboya also disclosed that the Edo FA and the Organising Committee have nominated Sports Vanguard’s Patrick Omorodion for the Media Personality of the Year, 2017.

*Ronaldo displaying his Ballon d’Or awards

Ronaldo shows off Ballon d’Or as Real thrash Sevilla

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RISTIANO Ronaldo showed off his fifth Ballon d’Or award before Real Madrid’s home clash with Sevilla.

The Portuguese ace was presented with his fifth award - the same number as Lionel Messi - after picking it up at the ceremony in Paris on Thursday.

And then on Saturday, Ronaldo struck twice as Real blew away Sevilla with a 5-0 win; all goals were scored in the first half. Nacho Fernandez, Toni Kroos and Achraf Haki were the other scorers for Real.

After winning the award on Thursday, Ronaldo saluted what he sees as his own greatness.

He told France Football: “I’ve never seen anyone better than me. I have always thought that. No footballer can do the things I can.

“There’s no player more complete than me. I play well with both feet, I’m quick, powerful, good with the head, I score goals, I make assists.

There are guys who prefer Neymar or Messi. But I tell you: there’s no one more complete than me.

“No one has won as many individual trophies as me. And I’m not speak-

Pentathlon: South Africa stars speak on qualification making it possible for swimming, shooting, for Youth Olympics him to represent his

By Jacob Ajom

S

*Rhys Poovah

OUTH African Pen tathlon champion, Rhys Poovah is in a dreamland after leading Team South Africa to qualify for the 2018 World Youth Olympics.

Poovah who dusted opposition from the likes of Ghana and Nigeria among others in the Youth Olympic Qualifying tournament in Nigeria, was full of appreciation to his family for

country at the championship.

He said qualifying for the Youth Olympic has posed a lot of challenge to him now because it means going to Argentina to give a good account of himself and defend the image of his country.

“It means a lot to me.

It means more training and more concentration.”

He said he has spent so much time learning all the sports involved in Pentathlon, namely

fencing and running, “It requires a lot of experience to do this. I have been in the sport for two years. I train a lot in swimming, running, shooting and fencing.”

Poovah’s compatriot, 14 year old Alida van der Mcarwe who also came tops in the female category was also optimistic on her chances in Buenos Aires next year. “I improved on my personal time and I feel good qualifying to represent South Africa at the Youth Olympics,” she said..

ing just of the Ballon d’Or. That says something, doesn’t it?

“Legends like Floyd Mayweather and LeBron James don’t get to their

perfect level by chance.

Many factors coincide. To be at the top and to stay there, you have to have more talent than the others.”

It’s over for Chelsea, says Conte

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HELSEA coach, Antonio Conte has admitted that their quest to defend their title might be over after losing to West Ham yesterday at the Olympic Stadium.

West Ham desperate for a win clinched the three points after Marko Arnautovic killed off the Chelsea defence and scored in the sixth minute to hand coach David Moyes his first win as West Ham coach.

The defeat leaves Chelsea 11 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City. And

Conte says the gap is now too big for the Blues to catch Pep Guardiola’s high-flying City.

There are still 23 games left of the campaign, but Conte insists his side are not good enough to close the gap.

The Italian said: “This is the fourth defeat in 16 games. When you have these stats it’s impossible to think you are in the title race.

“If you want to stay in the race for the title in the first part of the season you can only lose once or twice.”

...Moyes wants Hammers to play like Chelsea

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AVID Moyes put a proverbial feather in his cap, then aimed his hopes higher.

West Ham’s an ambitious club, at least from its recent spending, and its new manager is on board with the idea.

“We got a big boost from the performance at Manchester City, that

was something we could talk about positively, and we do have the players to threaten in attack once we get the back end sorted out.

“I would like to play like Chelsea – some of their football was stunning. I hope my team in the future here at West Ham will play like that.”

L-R: Former Super Eagles Midfielder, Mutiu Adepoju; Country Manager, Visa West Africa, Oluwakemi Okusanya; and former super eagles goalkeeper, Peter Rufai at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final Draw Viewing Event hosted by Visa in Lagos

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 10, 2017, PAGE 47

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 10, 2017

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