RANKING OF YORUBA OBAS:Awujale blasts Alake, queries source of rating

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 62802

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

We can only pay N300bn fine, MTN tells FG 40

BUDGET PADDING:

Buhari removes 185 top officials from office 36

RANKING OF YORUBA OBAS:

Awujale blasts Alake, queries source of rating •Dismisses Alake's reliance on 1903 gazette as newspaper publication •Says he's not Alake of Egbaland, he's Alake of Ake

By Clifford Ndujihe, Yinka Kolawole, Amaka Abayomi, Gbenga Oke & Princewill Ekwujuru

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AGOS—THE Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, has tongue-lashed the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, over his recent ranking of Yoruba Obas, which is still generating heat in the polity.

Continues on Page 5

OGONI KILLINGS: Why we struck — ARMY 9

Mr & Mrs INAUGURAL LECTURE—Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, Awujale of Ijebuland (left) and HRH Muhammadu Sanusi 11,Emir of Kano, at the Inaugural Lecture of Oba Adetona held at Oriental Hotel, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor. See more pictures on Page 14

See inside

COLUMNISTS:

Ondo goes tough with herdsmen, bans night grazing

P.19

OWEI

LAKEMFA

If Americans throw Trump at us

Alleged N3.9bn fraud: Court grants ex-CDS, Badeh, N2bn 9 bail

Unbundling of NNPC: Senate backs Kachikwu 8

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POCKET CARTOON vehemently.

"Regrettably, however, when the said statement a few days later was continuously credited to Alake on the pages of newspapers, I expected him to deny it or issue a rebuttal, but he did not do so. Therefore, I consider it necessary to debunk the aforementioned falsehood and misrepresentation of facts from Ake Palace so as to put the records straight.

PRESIDENTIAL AUDIENCE— President Muhammadu Buhari, receiving the 1st Vice President of South Sudan, Dr. Rirk Machar Teny Dhurgon, while the Minister of State Foreign Affairs, Hajia Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim (right) watched during an audience at the State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

RANKING OF OBAS: Awujale blasts Alake, queries source of rating Continues from Page 1 The Alake, in the ranking of the five top Obas, placed the Ooni of Ife as the first, followed by the Alaafin of Oyo, the Oba of Benin, with the Alake coming fourth and the Awujale fifth.

Dismissing the ranking as self-serving, false and misrepresentation of facts, Awujale said the Alake was not higher than him in order of ranking, adding that at best, he was a junior traditional ruler in Yoruba land.

To get the records, the Awujale advised the Alake to meet with former President Olusegun Obasanjo for proper tutelage.

"My advice to Alake, being a young and inexperienced traditional ruler, is that he should contact Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for proper

education so as to save himself and his people from further embarrassment," he said.

Oba Adetona spoke in Lagos at the Inaugural Lecture of the Professorial Chair in Governance he endowed at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye.

The Alake’s ranking of Yoruba sparked off heated debate, with the Benin Kingdom countering that no Yoruba Oba was higher than the Oba of Benin.

The polity had been suffused with series of arguments and counterarguments over the issue since then.

Picking holes in the ranking, the Awujale faulted the 1903 gazette the Alake based his categorisation on.

His words: "Not long ago, after the installation of Oba Alaiyeluwa

IT'S UP TO YOU

BY AYO ADIO T is wonderful to be in pursuit of great goals but, sometimes, you have to slow down and evaluate your life to be sure that you are in pursuit of what you really want. It’s up to you.

I

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

We are each gifted in a unique and important way.

It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light —Mary Dunbar

I

F you look at the bright side of life, your whole life becomes filled with light. This light affects not only you and the way you look at the world, but it also affects your whole environment and the people around you. If this attitude is strong enough, it becomes contagious. You become a beacon of light showing others the path to illumination.

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE It's with maximum caution that the tongue lives among the teeth.

Adeyeye Ogunwusi as the Ooni of Ife, he undertook steps to foster unity and cooperation among leading Yoruba Obas and for which I personally commend him.

"First, he joined the Alaafin at his 77th birthday celebration at Oyo. Thereafter, he visited me at Ijebu-Ode on Friday, January 29, 2016, followed by another visit to Abeokuta on Sunday, February 7, 2016, where he met Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo in his palace at Ake, Abeokuta, with the exception of the Agura of Gbagura, Abeokuta, who was not around then.

"The Alake, while receiving the Ooni at his palace, said the Yoruba Obas (the Big Five so to say) had been categorised with the Ooni in the first position, followed by Alaafin, the Oba of Benin, with Alake coming fourth and the Awujale as the fifth in that order.

"He also went further to quote wrongly from a 1903 Gazette to support all the fallacies in his statement. When I learned of the statement, I made several calls to Alake until I eventually succeeded in finding out from him if those statements were actually made by him, which of course he vehemently denied.

"In a recent discussion between the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, and I, we also touched on the same issue and the Oba of Lagos told me that he too had asked Alake the same question, which he had again denied

The true history — Awujale "First, I would like to make it abundantly clear that the 1903 Gazette referred to by Alake was a Newspaper publication that he, in his selfserving role, is now presenting as an official Government Gazette.

"The first question to Alake is: Who categorised the Yoruba Obas and when? I challenge him to produce the document of the said categorisation. It is a known fact that Alake was a junior traditional ruler under the Alaafin at Orile Egba before he fled to Ibadan for refuge as a result of the war then ravaging Yoruba land.

"Following the defeat of Owu by the Ijebu Army in 1826, the Owus became refugees all over Yorubaland. Some of the Ijebu troops that fought the war proceeded to Ibadan where they met Alake and sacked him, consequently forcing him to seek refuge at Ake in Abeokuta in 1830 where, of course, he met Osile, Olowu and Agura already settled at OkeOna, Owu and Gbagura sections of Abeokuta township respectively.

"Even then, the Olubara, of Oyo origin had always argued that all the aforementioned four rulers met him in Abeokuta and, therefore, claimed to be their landlord.

Alake's real title "To ever refer to Alake as Alake of Abeokuta, let alone of Egbaland is a misnomer as his control since arrival at Ake in 1830 and till today is restricted to Ake section of Abeokuta. The official Government Gazette testifies to this fact.

"In short, the Alake from history and all available records is a very junior traditional ruler in Yorubaland. His peers in Ijebuland are the Dagbuwere of Idowa, Ajalorun of Ijebu Ife, Akija of Ikija-Ijebu, Olowu of Owu-Ijebu, Oloko of Ijebu-Mushin,

Orimolusi of Ijebu-Igbo and Ebumawe of AgoIwoye.

"I wish to recall that there had been an occasion in the past for three of us, the Awujale, the late Alake, Oba Lipede and the late Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the Ooni of Ife, to sit over the issue with former President Olusegun Obasanjo at Aso Rock, Abuja.

"It is important for Alake’s education to appreciate that Ijebu has been in existence for almost 1,000years and that we are the only people that still remain in our original homestead while other Yoruba towns and villages have relocated twice or more.

"If only he cares to obtain a copy of the book: “The Ijebu of Yorubaland (1850-1950”) by the late Prof. E.A Ayandele, that erudite Professor of History, and endeavour to read it, there he will know who the Ijebus are and appreciate that from time immemorial and since our settlement on Ijebu soil, Ijebu was, indeed, a nation until 1892 when we were defeated in the Magbon War by the British colonial forces.

"As to be expected, the British colonial masters left no stone unturned to humiliate us for daring to engage them in a war.

"When Sir Gilbert Carter read intelligence reports on Ijebuland at the Home Office in London, he felt convinced that the Ijebus were a special breed.

Therefore, when he later found himself as Governor of Lagos colony, he prepared a treaty for the Awujale to sign so as to allow the missionaries to educate and evangelize the people as well as surrender their monopoly of trade between the coast and hinterland and for which he offered an annual payment of 800 pounds that was rejected.

"Notwithstanding the conquest, our early contact with the expatriates was quite

significant and rewarding. It was during this period that our Godgiven commercial acumen was brought to play, resulting in enormous prosperity for the Ijebus to the envy of our neighbours.

"In conclusion, I hereby strongly admonish Alake to refrain from making such unsavour y, unguarded and unfounded statements which if not checked, may seriously jeopardize the unity of Yoruba Obas and their people."

The Roll call Prominent Nigerians at the event where over N400 million was realised for the Kayode Adetona Professorial Chair in Governance, included members of the Ijebu Traditional Council, who donated N250 million; Professor Akin Mabogunje, who delivered the guest lecture; Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson; former Governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba; Ogun State Deputy Governor, Mrs Yetunde Onanuga; Managing Director of Sahara Energy, Mr Tonye Cole; General Tunji Olurin, Chief Alex Duduyemi, Mr Jimi Agbaje, Mr Emeka Oparah, Chief Oba Otudeko, former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Niyi Adebayo; and Chairman and Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr Sam Amuka.

There were also Justice George Oguntade, Dr Segun Oshin, ProChancellor, Olabisi Onabanjo University; Professor S.A Adesanya, Vice chancellor, Olabisi Onabanjo University; Mrs Ibukun Awosika, chairman of First Bank; Senator Daisy Danjuma, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora, Chief Chris Ogunbanjo, Mr Jimi Agbaje, Senator Lekan Mustapha, Chief Kola Daisi, Chief Subomi Balogun and Chief Olanihun Ajayi.

6 — Vanguard, FRIDAY MARCH 11 , 2016

Be security conscious, Akiolu tasks residents

By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Evelyn Usman

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A G O S — T H E traditional ruler of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu I, has charged the people on the need to be more security conscious in their own interest.

Akiolu gave the charge yesterday, at the Lagos House in Ikeja, when he led the Lagos State Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs to express their appreciation of the state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and all the security agencies in the state for the successful rescue of the students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School in Ikorodu, who were kidnapped by gunmen at their school on February 29.

In his response, Ambode said the primary purpose of any government is to ensure the security and welfare of the people, assuring that his administration would always keep faith with that role.

Expert hails the rescue, Festac residents lament

Meantime, the President of the Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria, AISSON, Dr. Ona Ekhomu, has commended the Police on the speedy rescue, of the three school girls.

He said it was instructive that “good detective work led to the identification of the authors of the crime and the eventual freedom of the abducted school girls”.

In a statement issued in Lagos, the security expert also urged the National Assembly to pass legislation on minimum security programs that must be put in place in schools.

However, in their reaction, residents of Festac town who also hailed the safe rescue of the students lamented that the force applied by the police in the rescue mission has been lacking in several cases of kidnapping in their area.

LEKKI COLLAPSED BUILDING: Police arrest Lekki Gardens MD •We approved four-storey building, not five — LASG

By Olasunkanmi Akoni, Monsuru Olowoopejo & Esther Onyegbula

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AGOS—FOLLOWING the building collapse in Lekki area of Lagos that claimed the lives of 34 persons, the Lagos state police command has arrested the Richard Nyong, MD Lekki Gardens.

It was gathered that Richard Nyong was arrested yesterday following issues around the collapse.

Governor Akinwumi Ambode on Wednesday during the State’s Executive Council meeting gave a 24-hour ultimatum to all directors of Lekki Worldwide Estate Limited, owners of the collapsed building to submit

themselves to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, for interrogation.

Confirming the arrest, the Lagos state Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police Dolapo Badmus said; ‘’Mr Richard Nyong of 167, Kushenla road Ikate Elegushi, has been arrested. He is in custody and will soon be charged to court.”

Meantime, the Lagos state government, yesterday, said it gave an approval for a four-storey building to Lekki Worldwide Estate, owners of the collapsed five-storey building under construction, which killed 34 and injured 13 construction workers.

The clarification came 24 hours after the completion of the

KETU RIOT: 177 suspects now arraigned as Lagos takes over case

By Abdulwahab Abdulah & Jane Echewodo

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AGOS—A total of 177 persons have so far been arraigned before three different magistrate courts sitting in Ikeja in connection with the March 3, 2016 riot that broke in the popular Mile 12 market, Kosofe local government area of Lagos state.

This was coming as the Lagos State government took over the prosecution of all the suspects arrested.

The Assistant Director, Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mr. Jide Martins, who announced this yesterday before Magistrate Y.O. AjeAfunwa in one of the court said the state government is ready to take over the trial.

Twenty eight new set of suspects were arraigned before Magistrate (Mrs) Y.O. Aje-Afunwa in one of the courts.

Martins made the announcement after Police Prosecutor, Erin Enormous, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), had arraigned the suspects and the court registrar had read out the charges through an interpreter.

As at yesterday, a total of 177 have been arraigned before three magistrate courts sitting in Ikeja, inclusive 89 that were arraigned on Wednesday.

The other two magistrates handling the cases are Mrs. A.O. Layinka and Mrs. B.O. Osunsanmi.

All the defendants had pleaded not guilty to the two count charge of conspiracy “to commit felony to wit: riot and thereby committed offense punishable under Section 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011” preffered against them.

Ruling on the matter, Magistrate (Mrs.) AjeAfunwa said since the offense are bailable, the defendants are entitled to bail.

NIMASA TRIAL: Accused bought N70m property from me – WITNESS Captain Ezekiel Agaba who bought the

By Innocent Anaba

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AGOS—A prosecution witness in ongoing trial of former -Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi and six others, yesterday, told a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, that he collected the sum of N70 million for a plot of land sold to one of the accused.

The witness, Eboigbe Etiosa, a property consultant and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of Eboigbe Etiosa and Associate told the court that it was the second accused person,

property.

“It cost N70 million. My Zenith Bank account domiciled with Eric More Branch, Surulere, was credited twice,” he said.

According to him, he bought the property, “a piece of land” in 2014 at Northern Foreshore, Lekki from one David Anazodo.

The case is before Justice Ibrahim Buba.

Akpobolokemi, is standing trial alongside the agency’s ex-Executive Director, Maritime Safety and Shipping Development, Agaba, his aides Ekene Nwakuche, Governor Juan, Blockz and Stonz Limited, Kenzo Logistics Limited and Al-Kenzo Logistic Limited.

search and rescue operation at the site of the collapsed building which had been marked, a ‘crime scene’ by the state government.

Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture, Mr. Abdul-lateef Abdul-hakeem, who made the clarification during a courtesy visit by members of Nasrul-lahili Fathi Society, NASFAT, to his office, lamented that the owners of the structure erected the buildings against the approval issued by the government.

Families storm morgues, hospitals to claim corpse

Meanwhile, families of the victims, who died at the collapsed five-storey building site, yesterday stormed the Lagos State University Hospital, LASUTH and Mainland Hospital Mortuaries, Yaba to claim their corpses.

Meantime, relatives of the 12 survivors were also at the General Hospital (Odan) Marina, Lagos Island to visit their relatives who survive the collapsed building.

Vanguard gathered that it was mixed feelings for the relatives who stormed the health facilities and the mortuaries at

the early hours of the day.

While families of the deceased were tossed around, some families of the survivors had opportunities of meeting their loved ones.

Efforts to speak to the survivors proved abortive but a medical official at the General Hospital (Odan) Marina, who does not want his name in print told Vanguard that some of the survivors still await their relatives.

He added that the hospital decided to continue with the treatment pending when their relatives would show up.

We have not been able to claim our corpse — relatives In an interview with Vanguard, Mr. Bamgboye Olalekan, a brother to two of the deceased, Sunday and Wasiu, both artisans lamented; “We have not been able to claim our corpses. Infact, I am tired of the process. I led other members of the family to the morgue in Yaba. But it was pathetic that we were asked to visit LASUTH morgue. ''At the LASUTH morgue, we were also redirected to visit the Yaba morgue. That was how we have been tossed around.”

Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016 — 7

Ekiti lawmakers storm Abuja, want arrested members released

By Adeleke Adeseri, South West Regional Editor & Rotimi Ojomoyela

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EMBERS of the Ekiti state House of Assembly yesterday stormed Abuja the federal capital territory and asked President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Department of State Services (DSS) to release four of their members detained by the service since last Friday.

The DSS operatives had reportedly invaded the state House of Assembly complex in Ado Ekiti and whisked away the four members to Abuja and said to be acting on the order from above.

Briefing newsmen at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, the Chairman, Ekiti House Committee on Information, Honourable Gboyega Aribisogan, said the call for the president to direct the release of the detained legislators has become imperative because the DSS would not embark on such action without presidential approval.

According to him, “Like we have maintained plotters of evil against the government of Ayodele Fayose and by extension the people of Ekiti State will not get our support.

Osinbajo, Amosun, others for Olumo 2016

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ICE President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, are among special guests expected at the University of Lagos Law Class, 1980–1983, ninth Reunion event tagged: Olumo 2016, holding in the ancient city of Abeokuta, Ogun State, from March 18 – 20, 2016.

Other dignitaries expected to grace the event which brings together all members of the set include, Ogun State Chief Judge, Hon. Justice, O. O. Olopade, CON, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice Ibrahim Auta, President Unilag Alumni Association Dr. Sunny Kuku, Professor Emeritus Adedokun Adeyemi, Professor Emeritus Isaac Agbede, and Dean of Law, University of Lagos, Professor Akin Ibidapo-Obe. In a statement, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Hon. Justice Mobolaji Ojo, said highlight of the event would be the 8th Annual General Meeting of the group where key decisions affecting the association and issues of assistance to the Law Faculty will be discussed.

Babatope slams DSS, APC Meantime, a Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, has slammed the Department of State Security Service (DSS) over the alleged invasion of the Ekiti State House of Assembly and abduction of four lawmakers, saying they must realise that they are working for Nigerians and not a party or an individual.

This was just as recently released Ekiti State’s Commissioner of Finance and Economic Development, Chief Toyin Ojo, dressed down the DSS for asking him questions that were based on mere rumours and lack merit.

Babatope, who is former Minister of Transport and Director of Organisation for Obafemi Awolowo’s Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), spoke yesterday in Ado-Ekiti when he paid a solidarity visit to Governor Ayo Fayose.

In a related development, Chief

Ojo, who was held by the DSS on Monday, after the alleged Assembly invasion, but was released on Tuesday, March 8, said many of the questions the DSS asked him were irrelevant and baseless.

“They asked me irrelevant questions at the DSS. For instance, they asked what happened to about N1.4 billion that the state received on AdoIfaki Road, and I told them I wasn’t aware that any such money was paid into the Ekiti State Government Account since I came into government.''

*L-R; Chief Judge, Kwara State, Justice Sulaiman Kawu, Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, Deputy Governor, Elder Peter Kisra and Deputy Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Mathew Okedare during the commissioning of Kwara State Internal Revenue Service Office in Ilorin…Monday.

Amosun seeks Assembly’s approval to create 37 LCDAs

By Daud Olatunji

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BEOKUTA—OGUN State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun , yesterday, sought the approval of the State House of Assembly for the creation of 37 Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs in addition to the existing 20 Local Government Areas.

Speaker of the House, Suraju Adekunbi , who read the governor’s letter on the floor of the assembly at the plenary, yesterday, said the request was in furtherance of government’s attempt at meeting the yearnings of the people of the State through the delivery of democratic dividends.

According to the letter, the creation of the Local Council Development Areas would further bring government nearer to the people and engender further development.

Ogun state had 20 Local government areas before the proposed additional 37 local Council Development Areas .

According to the governor; “I forward herewith the list of the existing and new Local Council Development Areas totalling 57 in all for your kind consideration in this regards”, the governor said.

The proposed LCDAs are

Abeokuta North West; Abeokuta North East;Oke-Ogun;Abeokuta South East; Abeokuta South West; Ado-Odo; Agbara/Igbesa;Ota West;Sango/Ijoko; Ewekoro North;Ifo Central; Coker Ibogun;Ifo South; Ijebu East Central; Ijebu North; Ijebu North Central; Ijebu Igbo West; Ago-

Iwoye; Yemoji; Ijebu-Ode South; Remo Central; Imeko; Afon; Ipokia West; Idi-Iroko; Oba; Obafemi; Ofada/Mokoliki; Opeji; Ilugun; Leguru;Ifesowapo; Ogunwaterside East; RemoNorth East; Sagamu-Remo West; Sagamu-Remo South; Iju; Ketu; Yewa South East.

Clash in Ile-Ife as Ooni appoints new Obalufe

By Gbenga Olarinoye

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SOGBO—VIOLENCE clash broke out yesterday in the ancient city of Ile-Ife following the appointment of a new Obalufe of the town, Comrade Idowu Olaniyi Adediwura by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.

It was gathered that the clash took place in the palace of Ooni of Ife when two ruling families, Oga and Jaojo ruling families which both lay claim to the throne clashed over who should produce the Obalufe.

The position of Obalufe, which is the second in command to the Ooni of Ife became vacant when late Oba Folorunso Omisakin died on October 15 2015.

Vanguard gathered that one of the ruling houses in a publication accused Lowa, Obaloran, Obajio

and Jaaran of allegedly accepting ‘bribe’ to favour Adediwura.

Four royal houses are entitled to occupy the position of Obalufe.

They are Ajagbusi, Ado Gbodo, Aga and Jaojo.

The last Obalufe it was gathered, hailed from the Ado Gbodo ruling house.

On his part, President of Obalufe Progressive Youth Club, Prince Arogundade Taiwo, said

interviews w e r e conducted for all the aspirants for the position before an outstanding candidate emerged among them.

Isiaka, others blame Amosun for Ogun workers’ strike

By Daud Olatunji

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B E O K U TA — T H E Ogun State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the last election, Prince Gboyega Isiaka and a group within the party, PDP Action Movement have berated the state government on the indefinite industrial action embarked upon by the civil servants and doctors in the state.

The duo asked the governor to respect the Memorandum of Understanding his government allegedly signed with the workers in the state.

According to Isiaka who expressed concerns about the incessant workers strike in the state, if Amosun had considered workers’ welfare an utmost priority, as promised during his electioneering campaign, hospitals, schools and offices would not have been closed by now, subjecting patients and citizens of the state to untold hardship.

Isiaka, in a statement he personally signed noted that it is wrong for the state government to jettison an agreement it voluntarily entered into with the workers especially on the deductions from their salaries running into four years.

Isiaka said “ with the abundant resources available in the state and with government’s claim of generating over N6b as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) every month, government needs not to tamper with the contributory deductions of workers to finance its white Elephant projects.

8—Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

"We also told him that he ought to have done more consultation with the National Assembly for which he apologized and he said that henceforth, more consultations will be done. We feel that he is working in the best interest of Nigeria.

NNPC makes N30bn loss every month

Stranded commuters at Toll-gate bus stop in Ketu, Lagos State as fuel scarcity continued, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

Unbundling of NNPC: Senate backs Kachikwu Says FG didn't breach law establishing the corporation

NNPC makes N30bn loss every month I was misunderstood—Kachikwu

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

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BUJA— THE Senate, yesterday, threw its weight behind the Federal Government’s unbundling of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, saying the government did not breach the law establishing the corporation.

The lawmakers also asked Nigerians to support the minister to succeed in solving the problems currently affecting Nigeria as a country, adding that the support became imperative because they discovered, after the session with him, that the staff would not be shortchanged or sacked.

According to the Senate, the minister, having apologized for failing to consult with them, decided to sheath their swords and work with him for the interest of the country.

It said from the figure given to them by the NNPC, the organization was making about N30 billion loss every month before the re-organisation, which had now been reduced to only $3 billion.

Senate reprimands Kachikwu

The Senate, however, reprimanded the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, for not consulting with the upper chambers prior to the announcement of government’s proposed plan to restructure the NNPC. It also asked the Petroleum Minister (State) to feel free with the lawmakers when the need arose.

Senate’s position was taken, yesterday when Kachikwu appeared before the Senate Joint Committees on Petroleum Resources, Upstream; Downstream and that of Gas in response to the summon to answer questions on the new policy to unbundle the NNPC. The panel was co-chaired by the Chairman, Petroleum Upstream, Senator Tayo Alasoadura, APC, Ondo Central; Acting Chairman Petroleum Downstream, Senator Barau Jibrin, APC, Kano North and Chairman Committee on Gas, Senator Bassey Albert Akpan, PDP, Akwa Ibom North -East.

Addressing journalists at the end of the closed door session, Chairman, Petroleum Upstream, Senator Tayo Alasoadura, APC, Ondo Central said: “We have a very useful interactive session with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources. We wanted to know how he arrived at what he did at the NNPC, but he clarified the issue that he was not unbundling NNPC because it is an entity that was created by an Act of the National Assembly and nobody can touch it unless he comes back to the National Assembly for amendments.

“But having looked at what he did and the presentation he made to us, and having considered the welfare of staff of NNPC and those working in the subsidiaries that were affected by the reorganization that he has done in the sector, we found out that one, the staff would not be shortchanged, that no staff will be deprived of his employment. ‘’We also found out that he

had not contravened the law because we were worried that he might be acting against the law, but having looked at the law with him, we found that he did not contravene it.

“We want all Nigerians to support him so that we can get out of the mess we have found ourselves in this country today.

One good thing today is that the price of fuel is going up and if we don’t do the reorganization when we are in trouble, it may be difficult for us to do anything when the price goes up.

"What the minister has done is the internal reorganization of NNPC. From the figure given to us by the NNPC, the organization is making about N30 billion losses every month. If we continue like that, there is no time we are going to get out of the whole thing which we have found ourselves.

"With the gradual reorganization that the minister has been doing, the loss of the NNPC as at last month was only N3 billion. He is already assuring us that by July 2016, we would have got to a level that NNPC will not be making losses any longer and the only way to do it is to put all hands on the plough. Let everybody

work for his pay. Let there be no fat cow that will just suck without contributing anything."

I was misunderstood —Kachikwu

Earlier, Kachikwu, who told the senators that he was misunderstood on the issue of unbundling the NNPC, said the existing situation in Nigeria was quite serious and that the oil sector was trying to move at a very fast pace.

Kachikwu, who noted that there were about 17 subsidiaries in the system, said some were active because they were in public space, adding, also, that the pipeline and depot aspect were drowning the business.

He said: “I may have been misunderstood but it won’t be business as usual, we will create new career paths and accountability for people.

“We are going into a threshold where the majors are turning into a major focus. When I first joined, I set up 20 teams that dealt with 20 fixes. I have issued about 10,000 podcasts explaining what we are doing and where we are headed.

We are moving at a very fast pace.

I worked on this issue with the President and we kept it as confidential as we could.”

Kachikwu reiterated that what his ministry did was not unbundling but restructuring and refuted claims by a senator that the exercise was effected without the approval of a board and the Federal Executive Council, as stated elsewhere in the Act.

....NNPC workers suspend strike Promise to support restructuring process As oil marketers decry low stocks, forex scarcity

By Michael Eboh, Ediri Ejoh & Iloaze Blessed-Odidi

A

BUJA — WORKERS of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and its subsidiaries, yesterday, called off their industrial action after a lengthy meeting with officials of the Federal Government and senior executives of the NNPC. The workers, under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), said the deliberations which had the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, ended yesterday morning with positive outcomes.

The workers also expressed their unalloyed support for the restructuring and change process in the NNPC. The NNPC social media account quoted the two unions as saying: “The Group Executive Committees (GEC) of NUPENG and PENGASSAN had a marathon meeting with the GMD/Minister of Petroleum (State) and NNPC top

management for several hours, ending this morning at 4:30am on the on-going industrial action.

“After exhaustive deliberations, a resolution was signed by the two parties. In view of that, the industrial action is hereby suspended.

The GEC salutes your solidarity, understanding and cooperation.”

The two unions commended stakeholders for the cooperation and support extended to them during the struggle.

Also, the NNPC, in a statement by its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, said the two in-house unions reviewed their stance after a decision was reached to set up a committee with representatives from the unions and NNPC management to look into the new NNPC structure, with a view to considering any suggested amendment where necessary.

He added that consensus was reached on other outstanding issues bordering on pension matters, job security as well as staff performance and appraisal.

At the end of the meeting, Alegbe disclosed that the leadership of the two unions expressed strong commitment towards eliminating the prevailing challenges experienced by members of the public in accessing petroleum products across the country.

Normacly returns, fuel queues remain

Meanwhile, normalcy appeared to have returned to the NNPC and its subsidiaries, especially in Abuja, as workers of the corporation resumed at their duty posts.

However, despite the suspension of their industrial action, the fuel crisis, which resurfaced Wednesday, worsened, yesterday, with massive queues of vehicles witnessed at almost all the petrol stations in Abuja.

Some marketers, who spoke to Vanguard decried low stocks at depots and inability to access forex at N197 to the dollar for importation.

A marketer, who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity, said: “For now, no marketer can access forex at N197 for importation. If you are to access money in this regime, you may need to gather such funds for over six months for you to make one importation."

Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016 — 9

Ogoni killings: Why we struck —Army Security informant buried alive —Buratai My subjects now scattered inside bush — Monarch

By Henry Umoru, Emman Obuakporie, Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Joseph Erunke

A

BUJA— The Nigerian Army, yesterday, justified its invasion of Ogoni in Rivers State, saying that its security informant in the state was allegedly buried alive by the leader of a cult group known as Island cult.

The army made the clarification as the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions and House of Representatives Committee on Army, began separate investigations into the invasion of Ogoni land by the military, yesterday.

In his presentation, the traditional ruler of Mene BuaYeghe community in Ogoniland, Chief Barinaada Gbaranee, said “the military occupation of Ogoniland escalated on February 23 to the etent that the army engaged in the brutal killing of men, women and children numbering about 12.”

Also, the Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, defended its petition against the Nigerian Army before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, led by Senator Samuel Anyanwu (PDP, Imo East), as the committee promised to ensure a thorough investigation of the allegations.

According to Gbaranee, the unlawful occupation of his territory and three other communities by soldiers started February 22, adding that military personnel invaded his community, the house of a former Niger Delta militant, Mr. Solomon Ndigbara, and vandalized his cars, buildings without a just cause.

According to him, prior to the invasion and attack, the soldiers had allegedly arrested Ndigara’s wife and siblings.

He said: “The military occupation of Ogoniland escalated on February 23 to the extent that the army engaged themselves in the brutal killing of men, women and children numbering about 12.

My subjects now scattered inside bush — Monarch

“The sporadic shootings against the harmless and defenceless peace-loving people of Ogoniland led to the displacement of natives, of even neighbouring towns as Zaakpon and Wiiyakara communities, in fact, even extending up to Babbe Kingdom.

“Consequent upon this, all economic activities in Ogoniland, especially Bori town and other adjoining villages, have been grounded. Men, women and children have deserted their homes and are taking refuge in the bush and forest due to heavy presence of the military personnel, patrolling in armoured vehicles with sophisticated weapons.”

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Appeal to senators

The traditional ruler, who noted that Ogoniland had remained peaceful before the invasion of the land by the military, however, urged the senators to help stop the tension and killings.

“The continued exposure of vulnerable men, women and children, certainly is beginning to cause hunger, sicknesses and diseases, the resultant effect Is sudden death,” he lamented.

Soldiers still terrorise 4 communities —CLO

Speaking for the CLO, the South-South Zonal Chairman of the group, Mr. Chinedu Uchegbu, who alleged that four communities in two councils in Ogoniland were affected in the military invasion, said the people of Yeghe, Zaakpo, Bori, and Babbe in the Gokhana and Khana councils were the victims.

According to the CLO leader, it is a worrisome situation that a Federal Government agency which ought to guarantee security for everybody in the society and which ought to maintain law and order, was being associated with plots to cause insecurity.

Security informant buried alive—Buratai

Meanwhile, testifying before the House Committee probe of the incident, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, said a security informant in Rivers State was allegedly buried alive by the leader of a cult group known as Island Cult.

Buratai also said about 18 persons had been arrested in connection with the alleged cult clashes in Gokhana and Khana Local Government Areas of the state, adding that several weapons and ammunition

recovered from them.

The House Committee had invited the Chief of Army Staff over the petition by communities in Ogoniland and CLO, following a petition to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, against the Chief of Army Staff and some top army officials over the alleged unlawful demolition and vandalisation of the homes and property of Indigbara.

Presenting its case to the committee, the Chief of Army Staff, represented by the Chief of Civil/Military Affairs, Major General Rogers Nicholas, alleged that Indigbara, who he said was declared wanted by the police and army, had alleged that Solomon was responsible for most killings in the area and also responsible for the destruction at APC office in the area.

VISIT: From left, Institute Secretary, National Judicial Institute (NJI), Mr. Abubakar Maidama; Executive Secretary/CEO, Nigerian Shippers Council, Mr. Hassan Bello; Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, and Administrator, NJI, Justice Rosaline Bozimo, during a courtesy visit by the management of Nigerian Shippers Council to the National Judicial Institute, in Abuja, yesterday.

FG appoints Dakuku Peterside as NIMASA DG

By Godfrey Bivbere & Godwin Oritse

L

AGOS — PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Dr Dakuku Peterside as the Director General/CEO of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA. Peterside was the governorship candidate during the last Rivers State election, were he lost to the PDP candidate, Nyesom Wike. He replaces Haruna Baba Jauro, who until, yesterday, superintended the agency in acting capacity.

A statement signed by Lami Tumaka, Head of Public Relations of NIMASA, said Peterside holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degree in Management Sciences (Organisational Behaviour) from the University of Port Harcourt, with an MBA in Business Administration and Bachelor degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences (B.MLS) in Haematology, both from Rivers State University of Science and Technology.

Peterside was at various times the Chairman, Opobo-Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Rivers State on Works, Executive Director of Development and Leadership Institute (DLI) and Commissioner of Works in Rivers State.

In 2011, Dakuku Peterside was elected to represent Andoni/Opobo-Nkoro Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives where he chaired the Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream).

Alleged N3.9bn fraud: Court grants ex-CDS, Badeh, N2bn bail

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

A

BUJA—The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday, granted bail to the former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh (retd), to the tune of N2 billion.

Badeh, who has been in detention since February 8, is answering to a 10-count criminal charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. He is facing trial over allegation that he fraudulently diverted about N3.9 billion from account of the Nigerian Air Force within 2013.

Trial Justice Okon Abang had on Monday, when the former military chief was docked by the anti-graft agency, ordered that he be remanded in Kuje prison pending the determination of his bail application.

At the resumed sitting, yesterday, Badeh, through his lawyer, Mr. Samuel Zibiri, SAN, begged the court to grant him bail on self recognition or on most liberal terms.

Zibiri anchored the bail request on provisions of Sections 35 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as Sections 156, 162 and 165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

He argued that all the allegations levelled against Badeh were bailable offences.

Despite vehement opposition the EFCC raised against the bail application, trial Justice Abang overruled the agency, saying he was minded to exercise his discretion in favour of the defendant.

The court maintained that under section 36 of the Constitution, the defendant ought to be presumed innocent until his guilt is established.

Justice Abang said fears EFCC expressed regarding the possibility of the defendant escaping out of the country once out of detention, was not enough to persuade the court to deny him bail.

“Th e court is enjoined to err on the side of protecting the liberty of the defendant until contrary is proved”, he held.

He said EFCC’s allegation that Badeh would jump bail was nothing but “mere speculation,” adding that the Federal Government has the capacity to handle such situation.

Consequently, Justice Abang said he would in view of the amount contained in the charge, grant the defendant bail to the tune of N2 billion with two sureties who are to deposit N1 billion each.

The court ordered that the sureties must not only be residents in Abuja, but must own landed property in the Federal Capital Territory with a valid Certificate of Occupancy.

It said the Chief Registrar of the court must authenticate the ownership and value of the property.

Justice Abang directed that upon being put on notice by the defendant, the EFCC should within 24 hours, independently ascertain the residence of the sureties as well as their ownership and value of the landed property.

Besides, the sureties are to provide their three years tax clearance certificates, deposit the original title documents of the property, and also depose to an affidavit of means.

The sureties, according to the court, must also submit their two recent passport photographs, as well as produce a convincing evidence that they have the means to pay the total sum contained in the charge, should the defendant jump bail.

10—Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

Man, 58, jailed for defiling 10-yr-old daughter

By Davies Iheamnachor

P

ORT HARCOURT— FOR defiling his 10 years old daughter, a 58year-old man will spend the next two years behind bars as he was yesterday convicted by Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt.

The suspect, Mr. John Ufoegbu, was convicted of incest for sexually abusing his biological daughter, Miss Ebubechukwu Ufoegbu.

Delivering his judgment, Justice Adolphus Enebeli described the act as a pathetic case of sexual act between father and daughter, stressing that it was not just only a case of sexual harassment.

Describing the act as disgraceful, Enebeli said that the society needs to protect children’s vulnerability to sexual molestation.

The judge, who described evidences from the girl as disturbing, added that the victim was defiled by virtue of father-child relationship.

He regretted that the convict used his position as a father to violate natural law by luring his own little daughter to bed, stressing that the act has exposed the victim to a long term psychological trauma.

Meanwhile, just before the verdict, the convict said: “The girl in question is my daughter. I have never had any sexual experience with her even if I have problem with her mother.

“God is my witness and the greatest judge.”

KETU RIOTS: Boy, 16, hit by stray bullet cries for help

By Esther Onyegbula

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AGOS—DOCTORS are currently battling to save the life of 16-year-old Bolaji Kalejaye, who was hit by a stray bullet during the recent Mile 12 crisis.

It was gathered that Bolaji was on his way home from where he went to write JAMB examination when he was hit by a stray bullet, which led to his intestines coming out.

According to a family member, who spoke to Vanguard, “Bolaji was on his way home after writing JAMB, when the incident happened.

“With the little strength left, he rushed to a police station, where he was chased away by the officers on duty. Can you

By Peter Duru

M Bolaji Kalejaye, in his hspital bed. imagine how insensitive the “Immediately his parents Nigerian police can be? were alerted, they rushed him “He fell along the road. If not to Lagos State University for a neighbour who saw him Teaching Hospital, LASUTH. lying helplessly on the road and “Bolaji, who scored 250 point then informed his parents, only in the exam, had dreams to God knows what would have study medicine. But his dream happened. has temporary come to a halt.”

... as number of suspects rises to 177 Lagos takes over case from police

By Abdulwahab Abdulah & Jane Echewodo

A

total of 177 persons have so far been arraigned before three different magistrate's courts in Ikeja in connection with the March 3 riots that broke out in Mile 12 Market, Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State.

Meanwhile, Lagos State government took over the prosecution of all the suspects.

The Assistant Director, Directorate of Public Prosecution, DPP, Mr. Jide Martins, who announced this yesterday before Magistrate Y. O. Aje-Afunwa in one of the courts, said government was ready to take over the trial.

Twenty-eight new suspects were arraigned before Magistrate Aje-Afunwa.

Martins made the announcement after Police Prosecutor, Erin Enormous, a Chief Superintendent, had arraigned the suspects and the court

registrar had read out the charges through an interpreter.

The other two magistrates handling the cases are Mrs. A. O. Layinka and Mrs. B. O. Osunsanmi.

Charges

All the defendants had pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of conspiracy “to commit felony to wit: riot and thereby committed offence punishable under Section 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011” preferred against them.

According to the second count, the defendants and others at large were accused of “unlawful assembly and acting in a disorderly manner to disturb the public peace and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 45 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.”

Citing Section 211 (1)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, Martins told the court that he has the instruction of the state Attorney General and

3 dead, 10 infected in fresh Bauchi Lassa Fever outbreak

By Suzan Edeh

B

AUCHI—NO fewer than three persons have died from a fresh outbreak of Lassa Fever, while 10 members of a family are currently infected with the virus in Bauchi State.

The Executive Chairman Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Ibrahim Gamawa, who said this yesterday in Bauchi, added that the 10 new cases were recorded in a single family at Jaye village in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of the state.

He said the outbreak started after a 78-year-old man died of the disease without seeking professional medical treatment.

Gamawa said: “Investigations revealed that the deceased contracted the virus from Liman Katagum, where some cases of Lassa Fever were found in November last year.

“The victim was put on traditional treatment from patent medicine stores for a number of days before he died.

10 persons contacted the virus and samples of their blood

7 die in Benue road accident

were taken to Irrua laboratory in Edo State, where they were confirmed positive.”

“They are now on admission at the state isolation centre of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching hospital, Bauchi.”

Meanwhile, Governor Mohammed Abubakar has approved the construction of infectious diseases centre in Bayara Hospital in Bauchi, where cases of infectious diseases will be treated, while Federal Government will assist with equipping the hospital with facilities.

Commissioner for Justice to take over the prosecution of all the suspects from police.

Police prosecutor, CSP Eno Edobor, did not oppose the decision of the state to take over.

Counsel to the first, 12th and 15th defendants, Michael urged the court to grant his clients bail on liberal terms in view of the ‘not guilty plea’ of the defendants.

Counsel to the third, seventh and 28th defendants, Chief S. A. Bello, agreed and assured the court that they would not jump bail.

Martins, however, opposed the bail applications, saying none of them had known connection with the state.

He said: “My Lord, going through their statements, we found out that they do not have places of abode and most of them are from Niger Republic and Republic of Chad.

“The purpose of bail is for them to be able to go home and come back to answer the charges against them. In this case, it would be difficult for the police to trace them and bring them back.”

He added that if they must be granted bail, it should be such that would make it impossible for them to run away.

Ruling on bail

Ruling on the matter, Magistrate Aje-Afunwa said the defendants were entitled to bail since the offences are bailable.

She granted each of them N200,000 bail and two sureties in the like sum.

She said the sureties must present evidence of tax payment, which must be verified with the state Inland Revenue Office and visible place of residence, which address must also be verified.

She, thereafter, adjourned the matter to May 27.

AKURDI—SEVEN persons have been reportedly killed in a motor accident at Akanya village, along Kastina/Ala-Zaki Biam highway, in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State.

Vanguard gathered that the crash involved a Toyota Corolla commercial vehicle conveying passengers to Zaki Biam and a yam-laden Mercedes 911 lorry, heading towards Makurdi.

According to the source, the driver of the Toyota was on speed when he lost a tyre and in a bid to control the car rammed into the oncoming Mercedes 911, killing all seven passengers on board the car.

“The unfortunate incident happened around 4p.m. on Thursday, after the driver of the car lost control of the vehicle at top speed, when a tyre burst.”

When contacted, the Zaki Biam Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Mr. Isa Momoh, who confirmed the story, said the bodies had been deposited at the mortuary of NKST hospital, Zaki Biam.

He attributed the accident to speeding and cautioned road users on the dangers of speed, especially on single carriage roads.

Block maker accused of rape

By Bartholomew Madukwe

A

block moulder, Tajudeen Shoneye, was yesterday, brought before a Lagos High Court in Ikeja for allegedly defiling a teenager by forcefully having sex with her.

The accused was said to have committed the alleged offence at his 21, Badejoko Street, Ketu residence. He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Defence witness, Major Abdulrazaq Adesanya (rtd) told the court that the victim was used as a trap to get at the accused.

According to him, he had known the accused for more than 30 years and at no time was he (defendant) accused of rape.

After listening to the witnesses, the judge adjourned to April 19 for continuation of trial.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016—11

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12—Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

How I was beaten up at Edo Speaker's office —A-Court bailiff

By Gabriel Enogholase

“They refused to collect the court processes. I then proceeded to the office of the Speaker, Mr. Edoror, to serve him the court processes. It was the same thing that I was told there. But arguing with them on the need to do my job, two

B

ENIN—A bailiff of the Court of Appeal sitting in Benin, Edo State, Mr. Abraham Ifijieh, has narrated how he was beaten up at the office of the Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly when he went there to serve him court processes.

The Appeal Court had ordered the serving of Form 48 titled “Notice of consequences of disobedience of Court order” on the Speaker and the Clerk of Edo Assembly, Mr. Lawson Ugiabe following the failure of the Speaker, Mr. Victor Edoror to swear in Mr. Syvanus Eruaga of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the member representing Etsako West constituency 11 in the state House of Assembly.

Mr. Ifijieh, in an interview with Vanguard, said: “When I got to the House of Assembly, I went first to the office of the Clerk of the House to serve the court processes. The Secretary to the Clerk simply told me that they had been instructed not to receive anything from the Court of Appeal after I had introduced myself that I was a bailiff of the court.

security personnel emerged from the inner office to inquire what was going on.

“Before I could state my own side of the story, I was given three slaps by an aide to the Speaker, rough handled, pushed away from the office

and ordered to leave immediately or be killed.”

Attempts to reach the Speaker for his reaction failed as he was not in the office following the adjournment of the sitting of the legislature sine die as a result of its rowdy session during the week.

ROTARACTORS AND INTERACTORS: L-R, District Governor, District 9140, Ijeoma Pearl Okoro; District Governor, District 9110, Otunba Bola Onabadejo; Rotary International President, Ravi Ravindran and Rotary International Zone 20A Director, Safak Alpay, during the Ravindran interaction with the youth (Rotaractors and Interactors) of District 9110, held in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

REC assures on free, fair re-run poll in A-Ibom

U

By Tom Moses

constituencies and one senatorial district (Akwa Ibom North-East) of the state where re-run election was ordered by the appellate court.

Ada, who, in an interview with Vanguard, expressed the readiness of the commission to conduct the rescheduled

YO—THE Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Dr. Gabriel Ada, yesterday, assured that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in the state will conduct free and fair election tomorrow, in the five state

election, said that accreditation and voting would take place simultaneously in all the affected polling units.

He warned that the commission would not hesitate to cancel any election where there were clear cases of violence or any form of

interference with the electoral process.

The REC said that the elections would hold in Etinan, IbesikpoAsutan, Ikot-Ekpene/Obot Akara, Oron/Udung Uko state constituencies including 24 polling units in Itu Local Government Area spread across nine registration areas/wards.

BVN validation: Rivers govt saves N1bn Chief Manufeme for IVERS State the Bank Verification Wike.

Also, the state R Government has Number, BVN, validation burial said that it has saved of civil servants ordered government said it will

C

HIEF Mark Manufeme of Ellu, in Isoko North Local Government Area, Delta State, aged 95, is dead.

A statement by the family said wake keep holds April 7 at his residence, 5 Market Road, Ellu. Funeral Mass comes up April 8, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Ellu at 10 a.m., while interment will follow at his residence at 12.00 noon.

Late Chief Manufeme C M Y K

about N1 billion through

by Governor Nyesom

EFCC recovers $2.33m from suspect

By Soni Daniel

T

HE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is making a headway in its bid to pin down all those who helped themselves to the $2.1 billion cash in the office of the National Security Adviser meant for the procurement of arms.

The commission boasted last night that it had recovered the sum of $2.33 million cash from one of the suspects its operatives had been interrogating over the past weeks.

The commission did not, however, release the

name of the suspect but a source said that the recovery was made possible, following several interactions with the recipient of the arms cash from the ONSA.

embark on a comprehensive biometric confirmation of all civil servants in the state as a further measure to block all other existing revenue leakages in the system.

The resolution was reached at the State Executive Council Meeting held at Government House, Port Harcourt.

Omobude reaches out to less privileged at 70

T

HE National President, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Rev. Felix Omobude, will celebrate his 70th birthday,with the less privileged.

A statement by the birthday organising committee said that the event will include free medical treatment for people, charity visits, donations, lectures, endowment fund launch, thanksgiving and ground breaking, It noted that the General Overseer, Redeemed Christians Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, will also celebrate with the PFN president as he visits the New Covenant Gospel Church, Benin City on March 20, 2016.

Garden of Life holds Easter convention

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ARDEN of Life Assembly's Easter convention, with the theme, I find no fault in this man, kicks-off with power night end of sorrow and resurrection service from March 25 to 27, 2016, at the church auditorium, 7 All Saints Lane, off Ighofose Street, Ugborikoko Effurun, Delta State.

The founder, Bishop Orovwuje Edward and other anointed men of God will minister at the convention.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016 — 13

Gunmen kill one in Buguma, set corpse ablaze in alleged reprisal attack As Rivers govt fires back at APC National Chair

By Jimitota Onoyume & Davies Iheamnachor

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ORT HARCOURT— THERE has been a reprisal killing in Buguma, Asari Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Community sources alleged that supporters of late Ofinijete Amachree, who was murdered on Tuesday, were behind the latest killing on Wednesday.

They gave the name of the person killed as Baine, adding that his remains were also set ablaze at the sand field area of the community.

“It was clearly a reprisal killing.

The persons behind this did exactly what happened to the late All Progressives Congress, APC, member, late Amachree. They set his corpse on fire as well,” the source said.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmad Muhammad, at press time, had not responded to a text message sent to him by our correspondent on the issue.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government has alleged that the military invaded Abonnema community in Akuku Toru council and harassed members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the area.

It has fired back at the acting National Chairman of APC, Mr Segun Oni, describing his allegations that Governor Nyesom Wike was behind recent acts of violence in the state as a ploy to

flood the state with soldiers and use them to hijack ballot boxes in the March 19 re-run elections.

The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr Austin Tam-George, who made the allegation, yesterday, said that the military operation took place in the early hours of yesterday.

He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to call the military to order, saying that they should stop the alleged politically motivated operations in the state.

The spokesman, 2 Brigade, Port Harcourt Army Barracks, Captain Lazarus Eli, however, said that the military operation in the early hours of yesterday in Abonnema had nothing to do with politics.

Also, APC, in a statement, yesterday, by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Chris Finebone, said that it would not play politics with the lives of the people of the state.

Finebone said that his party has been at the receiving end of the violence that has lingered in the state for over six years, adding that supporters of APC were being butchered in the 23 LGAs of the state.

Meanwhile, Governor Wike has urged the people of the state to remain resolute in the protection of their votes during the forthcoming re-run legislative elections.

Commissioning the Phase One of the reconstructed Nkpogu Bridge/Road and ground breaking for Phase 2, Governor Wike said that the people of Rivers State insist on free and fair elections despite the antics of the APC. He charged the people of the state to vote for PDP candidates during the re-run lelections for the sustenance of development in the state.

Wike said: “There is no need to allow the APC to come back to the state. If you allow them to come back, they will scuttle

development projects for our people. We are children of light.

We are in the promised land and we cannot return to the days of darkness represented by the APC. We must protect our votes to reclaim our mandate. This is our opportunity to tell Nigerians once again that this is a PDP state.”

Similarly, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr Austin Tam-George, in a statement yesterday in Port Harcourt accused the APC of taking propaganda to a ridiculous

TOWN HALL MEETING: From left: Alhaja Bintu Tinubu, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, Sen Oluremi Tinubu, HRH Oba Rilwanu Akiolu, Oba of Lagos, Hon Wasiu Sanni Eshinlokun, Alhaja Lateefat Olufunke Gbajabiamila and Prince Murphy Adetoro at the Town Hall Meeting

by Sen Oluremi Tinubu, which took place at the Eko Club in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye.

Sen Tinubu tasks constituents on change agenda T

By Charles Kumolu

HE senator representing Lagos Central senatorial district in the National Assembly, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has urged her constituents to make themselves active components of the Federal Government’s change agenda.

She also urged them to be patient with government at all levels, noting that government can only succeed with the support of the populace.

Tinubu stated this, yesterday, in Lagos at a town hall meeting convened to interface with members of her constituency.

The event which was the 17th in its series also witnessed presentation of tricycles to 16 graduate beneficiaries of Youth Empowerment and Skills Acquisition Scheme, YESAS. Those at the forum included the Oba of Lagos, Rilwanu Akiolu, Deputy Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Wasiu Eshinlokun, former Minister of State for Defence, Chief Demola Seriki, Leader of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos Central senatorial district, Prince Tajudeen Olusi and executive secretaries of local governments, among others.

The gathering entitled From

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Dreams to Reality: A Call to Duty, was also a platform to update constituents on her activities in the Senate since the last town hall meeting and keep them informed about the numerous empowerment schemes instituted in the constituency.

She said: ‘’Elections have come and gone, this is the time for us to roll up our sleeves and get to work because nobody is going to make Nigeria great for us. Therefore, we all have a duty to perform to get Nigeria to its Eldorado. On my own part, I shall strive to do my best so as not to take your votes for granted, thus, my zeal to continue to do the best. ‘’Let us be reminded that our party’s victory has now placed a very big task on us to make sure that the nation is driven safely to its destination. It is on this note that I want to lay emphasis on the current economic situation in the country. The government that was formerly in power recklessly mismanaged our economy.

Therefore, we need to join hands together with the current government’s efforts to enable us get out of the trenches of

height by describing every dead person in the state as a member of the APC. “The attempt by the APC to appropriate every dead person in River State as their member might mean that the APC is in fact the sponsor of these satanic cult clashes, all in an attempt to destabilize the Wike administration.

“The APC’s reckless and false allegations were part of a plan to incite the military and other security forces against the people of Rivers State. It is a crude plan to militarize the state and use the security forces to steal the results of the forthcoming re-run election,” he said.

economic failure. All hands must be on deck to help revamp the economy. We are all expected to contribute our quota towards this.”

She urged recipients of the empowerment scheme not to see the presentation of tricycles as demeaning, noting that it should be embraced as a challenge to make good use of the opportunity it offers. ‘’I feel disheartened by the situation in which we have found ourselves, that our graduates, young men and women, are being given tricycles to get themselves engaged while looking for better opportunities. I see this as challenging. These items would for a while become means of earning decent daily living to keep body and soul together as the government strives to bring back our economy to its feet. ‘’I implore our young ones to use this avenue to be gainfully employed before going into other profitable ventures. My advice to the beneficiaries is for them not to see this as demeaning but to know that there is dignity in labour. I urge our people to be patient and

supportive of the efforts of the government. As a senator, I will continue to initiate and support proposals aimed at promoting the interests of Lagos State,” she added.

In his remarks, Olusi had, while calling on elected representatives to emulate Tinubu’s commitment towards the welfare of her constituency, urged Nigerians to see prospects in APC’s change agenda.

His words: “This event is historic in the sense that it is the 17th of such meeting. It is also historic in the sense that our senator will be empowering

members of our constituency. We are glad to have a senator who is not only devoted to legislative duties but also to the welfare of her constituents. I urge representatives in Lagos State and all elected representatives in Nigeria to follow her footsteps.

Let me urge you to support the state and federal governments. ‘’The programme of our party is predicated on change and that change is for the better. Today we are exposing corruption at the highest level. I want to ask all of you to prepare for a new Nigeria.

I want to plead to our members that the change we want will come despite the harsh economic realities facing our country today.”

Aladja, Ogbe-Ijoh face-off: Delta govt accused of inaction

U

DU—THE Concerned Members for Peace in Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, have cried out to the Federal Government to hold the Delta State Government responsible if there was a renewed clash between Ogbe-Ijoh community and Aladja community in Udu Local Government Area of the state.

Coordinator of the group, Friday Deinghan, yesterday,

accused the state government of intentionally delaying the recommendation of the commission of inquiry it set up on March 3, 2015, to look into the land dispute between both communities.

Warning against a reoccurrence of the 1996 communal clash that claimed hundreds of lives, Deinghan lamented the state government's reluctance to implement the report agreed upon by both communities.

14 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11 , 2016

INAUGURAL LECTURE IN HONOUR OF THE AWUJALE OF IJEBULAND, OBA SIKIRU ADETONA AT ORIENTAL HOTEL IN LAGOS, YESTERDAY. Photos by Joe Akintola, photo editor & Akeem Salau.

From left; Professor Akin Mabogunje, Guest Speaker; HRH Muhammadu (From left; Dr Chris Ogunbanjo; Princess Yetunde Onanuga, Deputy Governor of Ogun Sanusi II, Emir of Kano and Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi State and Oba (Dr) Sikiru Kayode Adetona,the Awujale of Ijebuland.

Chief Adebutu Kessington; Dr Oba Otudeko and Otunba Subomi Balogun

Aremo Segun Osoba and Otunba Gbenga Daniel, former Governors of Ogun State

From left Sir Alex Duduyemi; Alhaji Rasak Okoya, Chairman Eleganza Group and his wife, Sade.

From left Olori Kemi Adetona; Mrs Ibukun Awosika, Chairman, FirstBank Plc and Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State.

From Left;Niyi Adebayo,Former Governor of Ekiti;Senator Daisy Danjuma and Senator Olayinka Omilami

From left; Otunba Bimbola Ashiru, Commissioner of Commerce & Industry, Ogun State; Dr Olumide Ayeni, Attorney General, Ogun State and Tunde Lemo, former Deputy gov, CBN.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016 — 15

BIAFRA: Ekwueme, Anyaoku, Nwabueze not our commanders —IPOB •As Appeal Court fixes April 25 to hear Kanu, others appeal

By Emeka Mamah & Ikechukwu Nnochiri

E

NUGU—THE Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has said that the former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, and the former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku were not commanders of the organisation as erroneously believed.

IPOB, however, said that the elder statesmen could be approached by some US Congressmen now in the country to speak on the ongoing persecution of its members by security agencies in the country.

This was contained in a statement jointly signed by the spokespersons of IPOB, Emma Mmezu and Dr. Clifford Iroanya yesterday.

IPOB had chosen Dr Arthur Nwankwo, Dr Alex Ekwueme, Archbishop Anthony Obinna, Gen. Alex Maduebo, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, as credible elders who would speak the truth about its agitations without being easily compromised.

The statement entitled, “Anyaoku, Ekwueme, Nwabueze and co not IPOB commanders,” read, “It has come to our notice that agents of our oppressors and avowed enemies of peace and justice have deliberately and mischievously twisted our suggestion that the visiting US congressional delegation will meet with Anyaoku, Ekwueme, Nwabueze and co, to mean that these great gentlemen have suddenly become IPOB members. This is not so, hence this clarification.

“Three weeks ago, the US Consular General visited the Southeast on a fact finding mission. Surprisingly, he met only with the All Progressives Congress, APC, Executive Committe in Enugu and predatory elements of moribund Ohanaeze where road construction, second Niger Bridge, appointment for more Ndigbo into Buhari’s cabinet among others were presented to the US delegation as the reason for our agitation for freedom by these pathetic and God forsaken groups.

“Again, two days ago, a delegation of US congressional staff arrived from Washington DC led by a senior staff of US Embassy in Nigeria and met with Ohanaeze at Nike Lake Hotel, Enugu, over our agitation for freedom from the hostile prison called Nigeria.

“Well-meaning and conscientious people all over the world expressed outrage and shock, wondering why in the world the US delegation is desperately avoiding the most C M Y K

CHATHAM HOUSE:

Imo govt slams IPOB members in London

O

BIRTHDAY: Sina Ajiboye, Senior Brand Manager-Lager, Guinness Nigeria Plc (right), presenting birthday card and gifts to Chief Pete Edochie, Dubic Beer Ambassador; Esther Okoro, celebrant's family member (2nd left) and Dennis Ebeye, Divisional Sales Manager, East Division, Guinness Nigeria Plc, during the 69th birthday of the brand ambassador in Enugu. credible names from our political space.

“The world over, fact finding teams usually seek out the most credible names in their search for the truth, not organisations that are well known to all and sundry as political jobbers and government errand boys like Ohanaeze which sole agenda today is only how to establish a self -serving relationship with the present government as they always do and have done with previous governments.

“IPOB maintains its position, that this visiting delegation ought to endeavour to meet and speak with credible names like Anyaoku, Nwabueze, Ekwueme, and co.

“That does not in any way translate to any of them suddenly becoming IPOB commander.

"Convinced that over 90 per cent of our people are standing with IPOB, we dare the Nigerian government to organise a referendum today to

ascertain the authenticity of our demand to freedom. Our assertion that these and future visiting foreign delegations endeavour to meet with Ekwueme, Anyaoku and co, did not make them IPOB commanders.

“We also would wish them to meet with other credible opinion leaders from the clergy, traditional rulers, town union leaders, and even students’ unions.

“Arranging them discreetly (visiting delegations) to meet with Ohanaeze and scurry away the next day is suspicious, more importantly, hiding their visit from IPOB whose agitation led to their visit in the first place.

“This clarification became necessary because we learnt from these great men that some journalists were sending them emails asking them whether it was true that they had been appointed IPOB commanders.

We are aware of the activities of enemies of equity, justice and

Enugu workers back Gov Ugwuanyi's economic Privatization and initiatives Commercialization saddled with

E

NUGU—WORKERS of Enugu State, under the auspices of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, have lent their support to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s economic revolution agenda aimed at job creation and boosting of the state’s revenue.

The Congress through a statement signed by its state Chairman and Secretary, Comrade Igbokwe Chukwuma Igbokwe and Comrade Benneth Asogwa commended Gov. Ugwuanyi for reconstituting the committees on Enugu State Council on Commercialization and Privatization and the Enugu State Technical Committee on

the responsibility of revitalizing ailing state government-owned enterprises, saying that it is a right decision in a right direction.

TUC also noted that the governor’s bold initiative was a demonstration of “his zeal and commitment towards job creation, industrial development and improved revenue for the state”.

The congress equally applauded the forthcoming Enugu International Investment Summit organized by the state government to showcase its rich business potentials to the world, stressingthattheeconomicprogramme was timely and expedient considering the drastic effects of the economic meltdown in the country.

fairness but they will never win.”

Appeal Court ruling

Also yesterday, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, slated April 25 to hear the appeal that was lodged before it by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.

President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa has already constituted a three-man panel of Justices to hear the appeal Kanu entered alongside two other pro-Biafra agitators, David Nwawusi and Benjamin Madubugwu.

‘Address country's economic situation'

L

AGOS—THE former President of National Association of Nigerian Travelling Agents, NANTA, Chief Segun Adewale (a.k.a Aeroland), has urged the Federal Government to do all within its power to address the present hardship facing the nation’s economy.

Adewale who stated this in an interactive session with journalists in his office called on the need for NANTA members to come together and state their views to the Federal Government and for Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to review its forex policy which is affecting its members in particular and the aviation industry at large.

He urged the members to shun politics within the association and come together to present their stand to the government in the interest of the members, their staff and the nation.

He further said that the association, by now should have organised rallies to let government and CBN aware of their grievances for not allowing the foreign airlines remit their monies abroad based on the CBN ROE.”

By Chidi Nkwopara

WERRI—IMO State Government has described as “most unfortunate and grossly embarrassing”, the attempt by members of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, to disrupt Governor Rochas Okorocha’s speech at the world-famous Chatham House, London, which he was invited to deliver.

According to a press statement signed by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, CPS, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, government said it was worrisome that members of IPOB that have always given the impression that they are fighting for the course of Igbo, would decide to storm the Chatham House to cause trouble at an event the Governor honoured to deliver a speech on the way forward for our society.

“Indeed, if IPOB apostles would undertake to embarrass an Igbo leader of Governor Okorocha’s status in London, then, their claim that they are fighting or agitating in the interest of Ndigbo should be taken with a pinch of salt by those who had hitherto, believed them”, Onwuemeodo reasoned.

He further argued that all over the world, groups fighting for one reason or the other presumably for their people, do not loose sight of what certain leaders in the areas represent and accord them the needed respect, no matter what they hold against such leaders.

Madam Lucy Nwasinoke for burial

M

RS. LUCY Eluemuno Mgbafor Nwasinoke, 81, of Isiekwulu village, UkpoDunukofia LGA, Anambra State, is dead. The Christian wakekeep was held at her husband’s compound, yesterday while her body arrives the father’s home, Umuanugwo village, Ifite Dunu today. Burial mass will hold at St. Simon’s Catholic Church Ukpo while interment follows thereafter.

She is survived by many children, and other relations, including Nze Atunalu.

Late Lucy Nwasinoke

16—Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11 , 2016

Where Nigeria went wrong —Mabogunje, Awujale, Sanusi, Osoba •We borrowed the most expensive system of government —Mabogunje •It is time to reduce number of public officers —Sanusi

By Clifford Ndujihe, Yinka Kolawole, Gbenga Oke, Amaka Abayomi & Princewill Ekwujuru

L

AGOS—SOME eminent Nigerians, yesterday, dissected the state of governance in Nigeria and returned a grim verdict: the country is on the path to self implosion.

Pin-pointing where Nigeria started missing the mark, the eminent persons including erudite scholar Professor of Geography, Professor Akin Mabogunje; the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona; the Emir of Kano and former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and former Governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba also proffered solutions they said must be implemented urgently to save the country.

They spoke in Lagos at the Inaugural Lecture of the Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona Professorial Chair in Governance, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye.

While Mabogunje, the guest speaker, traced Nigeria’s current poor state to the abandonment of the parliamentary system and adoption of the presidential system, which he described as the most expensive system as well as mismanagement of oil resources, Osoba fingered faulty electoral system where votes don’t count leading to the inflicting of bad leaders on the citizenry and the attendant squandering of scare resources.

Specifically, Mabogunje identified awuuf culture (access to unearned income and the attendant imprudent management of the income), which was worsened by the oil boom as the bane of the country.

In like manner, Sanusi picked holes in our presidential system, which he also said is very expensive and unsustainable.

“When one thinks of reflecting on the problems of the country, it tends to stand common sense on the head. You sometimes wonder if anyone needs to tell any group of persons you don’t need 36 C M Y K

Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona. governors, 36 deputy governors, each with commissioners, special advisers, a president, his vice, 36 ministers and the likes. Simple arithmetic would tell you that if you have this structure, you are, first of all, doomed to spend 80 per cent to 90 per cent of your earnings in maintaining these public officers. This is really common sense but it is a big problem in Nigeria.

“I remember as the CBN Governor when I raised the point that 80 per cent of government revenue was being used to maintain one million public officers, leaving 20 per cent for over 160 million Nigerians, my state governor reacted by saying the Federal Government was planning to recruit more people.

“The situation we are in isn’t an unforeseen one so we need to go back to the basics and basic common sense by tailoring our political system to the level of development and resources of the country.

We have to ask if the resources are to pay political office holders or provide services to the people? We need to free up the resources and invest them so as to free ourselves from these problems we’re having.’’

In the same vein, the Awujale said: ‘’The governance of the country has been a matter of serious concern for many years now. As most of you are very aware, I ascended the throne some 56 years ago at a time Nigeria was getting ready for self rule that was attained on October 1, 1960. At that time, there were three regions, namely the

western, eastern and Northern regions and the Federal Government, each with its own Constitution.

Later came the Mid-Western Region, with all operating a federation under a federal system of government. ‘’However, with the military coup of 1966, the federal system of government was replaced with a unitary system of government with concentration of powers and resources at the centre a situation that brought about a bitter struggle among the political parties for the control of the centre. The situation became worse during the oil boom years which further fuelled corruption.

"Consequently, it was only those who had direct or unfettered indirect access to government treasury and assets that controlled politics and election and ultimately, the government. The greatest danger of course, was those who otherwise would have genuinely served the country were discouraged as politics became petty, dirty and corrupt. The economy was in shambles coupled with decaying infrastructure, and the steady decline in the quality of education among others, while the private sector became a mere onlooker, having been frustrated by bureaucracy and ineptitude. This has been more or less the story of Nigeria since independence.

'Why I endowed the professorial chair'

‘’Some of us who have observed unfolding events with keen interests over the years have all but given up on Nigeria. But we cannot.

The deep patriotism that flows in our veins will not allow us to give up on Nigeria. That is one of the

reasons for the endowment of this Chair. It is my fervent hope that the discourse, research and innovative thinking that the Professorial Chair will stimulate will help the next generation lift this country out of its seemingly intractable problems. ‘’It is therefore my belief that for a lasting solution to these teeming problems, the youth must actively participate and be positively engaged in bringing about good governance; starting now.’’

Fraudulent election gives rise to awuuf leaders — Osoba

On his part, Osoba said: ‘’When government is elected fraudulently, it is an Awuuf government. When local government elections are being held and it is massively rigged, they will elect Awuuf leaders. ‘’I keep wondering what is the pedigree of those we elect as leaders today? What have they done with their lives before going into any elective positions? What have they managed? These are part of the problems that we have with governors today, in my days, I was elected by open ballot system, I and Adebanjo quarrelled because he said it is not my turn and I told him I will prove to him it is my turn. At that time, people queued and their votes counted, we have to abort the idea of governors elected fraudulently. ‘’I am not a lawyer but I was shocked by the Supreme Court ruling on Akwa-Ibom and Rivers states. Technically, the card reader was not entrenched in the Constitution and as a result of that, they gave judgement.

However, we know that the card reader recorded 200,000 votes in some states and results given in some of the states are 1.4 million votes.

So with such moves, we are electing governors by Awuuf. ‘’I cannot imagine a governor sleeping successfully after cornering allocations belonging to the local governments, it is unfair and unjustifiable. We are denying the local governments funds and when we call for elections, they won’t allow our votes to count. In my time, we used to send money to local governments to pay salary, so when we have governors who are collecting

uncountable security votes and they are not securing anything what type of governor is that?

Such governors have no pedigree and they have nothing to show for the huge amount they collected.

"The National Assembly must legislate on the issue of card reader. I am not impressed with

Professor Attahiru Jega, he introduced the card reader and he should have announced to us that in each of these states, this is the number of accredited voters and not the bogus millions of votes announced in states like Rivers and others. So we have to go back to the card reader and let it be stated in the electoral act.

INEC must announce the number of accredited people at the end of accreditation which is 3pm, each local government and states will know the actual number of accredited voters, anything beyond that should be thrown out."

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016— —17

C M Y K

18 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016 Recently, Senator Suleiman Nazif, who represents Bauchi North in the Senate, gave vent to his concern over the alarming proliferation of abandoned projects in Nigeria. Most of these projects have remained abandoned and outlived the various governments that initiated them.

Indeed the problem is as pronounced at the federal as it is at the state level such that all sections of the country and tiers of government are heavily burdened with abandoned and uncompleted projects. A particular project that has been crying for attention for years is the Ajaokuta Steel Company whose completion has remained in abeyance after many administrations spanning decades. The senator’s worry derives from the fact that abandoned projects have remained a conduit pipe through which Nigeria’s resources are siphoned with criminal abandon at heavy costs to the nation.

Most of these are well-conceived projects which if faithfully execut-

Need to finish abandoned projects ed would be beneficial to the Nigerian economy, especially in the area of creating more job opportunities. The plethora of abandoned projects that dot the country’s landscape has been traced to the unwillingness on the part of incoming governments to complete the projects initiated by their predecessors for reasons often tied to corruption.

Another major cause is the tendency of politicians to want to deny their predecessors the credit for projects they inherited. They feel far more fulfilled to abandon such

projects and use available funds to start theirs which they can claim credit for. This is totally petty, uncalled for and a great disservice to the nation.

And this is a mistake which the present administration at the federal level can ill afford to make. We strongly recommend that the Muhammadu Buhari regime should take stock of all projects it inherited from the previous governments with a view to completing them before embarking on new ones.

For instance, the administration should continue with the revival of

the 117-year old Nigerian rail system which previous regimes have been carrying out considering the importance of rail to Nigeria’s transportation system. Happily the Minister for Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, has pledged to complete all ongoing rail projects and extend rail lines to all parts of the country.

Other projects that should be pursued with vigour include the Second Niger Bridge, the East/West Road , the Abuja/Kaduna Express, the Enugu/Port Harcourt Express, the Lagos/Ibadan Express, the Lokoja/Abuja Express, the Oshodi/ Apapa Express and the completion of the transfer of the power sector to private business.

These and others in their class are not properties of any regime or political party but national assets that will boost the economic and social development of Nigeria.

The interests of the nation must remain paramount and must be pursued at all times irrespective of regime.

OPINION Financing political parties, elections and corruption (3) Continued from yesterday

By Patrick Cole

P

RIME Government real estate was sold or offered to notable supporters of the party – any tour of Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Asaba etc. would see fantastic buildings, high rises, and hotels going up like the proverbial mushrooms.

If Mr. Donald Trump was in Nigeria he would seat comfortably among fellow estate owners, hotel entrepreneurs and golf course owners and so on. His plane would park where the planes of the specially favoured and highly industrious park their planes. Since there is no law against donating huge amounts to political parties, these tycoons would be canvassed for contributions.

Infrastructural concessions, shopping malls, event centres etc. are springing up all over Nigeria. Are the owners of these hotels, estates, high rises contributors to political parties? Do the parties go to bed with companies and individuals whose source of income may be suspect? The only way to avoid embarrassing questions and suspicious is to be transparent and disclose all contributors and their sources

of income.

In the West the laws as to party contributions exist. The Labour party is a child of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and it is largely funded by that Union and others supporters who believe in the ideology of the Trade Union, the creation of a social welfare state.

The Central Office of major political parties in the West are large, complex, well funded and have several departments that study policy, strategy and tactics; they also study the economy, the environment etc. The parties sometimes farm these studies out to research institutions, public affairs institutes, public opinion monitors, researchers, advisors and enumerators – e.g. gallop polls, ugov polls and other special interest groups. Members of the party work in these institutions gradually becoming experts in any chosen field of

We must train and groom a leadership and knowledgeable cadre, we must make political office a lot less attractive financially

polities – international relation, economy, migration etc.

In fact, the last three Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom worked inside the party or in organisations affiliated to the parties – Mr. Tony Blair, Mr. Gordon Brown and Mr. Dave Cameron. Most of their cabinet colleagues did likewise: it was from inside the party that they sought the constituencies that elected them and eventually propelled them to power. This training is almost like a political boot camp – the end of which saw the good ones in parliament and knowledgeable about the issues and portfolios given to them.

Our system has no such apprenticeship, no studies about policies beyond electioneering slogans. Many of our ministers suffer from abysmal ignorance of the subject they are supposed to minister over; the parties are not a reservoir of relevant knowledge. The result has been plain to see. The United States has set up two policy institutes in Nigeria – one for the Democratic Party, the other for the Republican. Their influence on Nigeria political parties have been minimal if not negative ( every now and again members of our national and state legislatives junket round the world to study how democracy and other institutions work). They seem to learn little.

The political parties in Nigeria seem to have little or no dialogue with any interest group. The APC neither as a party or Government engaged the various strata that make up the economy. They sometimes need or read the Press: but how about the businessmen, the professionals, the workers, the youth, the trade unions? Do they dialogue with the International Oil Companies (IOCs), and other members of the gas and oil fraternity? The President needs to know what really is going on. I have a feeling that he does not and that those around him prevent true dialogue between ruler and the ruled.

The result of the shortcomings listed above is plain to see – governments without focus, without planning, learning on the job etc.

We must reduce the cost of running political parties, the cost of conducting elections by INEC and contesting for office by the political parties; we must train and groom a leadership and knowledgeable cadre, we must make political office a lot less attractive financially, we must encourage participation and accountability and transparency at all levels of political life.

Concluded •Dr. Cole, a former ambassador, wrote from Lagos.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016— —19 Send Opinions & Letters to: opinions1234@yahoo.com

If Americans throw Trump at us TOOK Donald Trump for a actor, Ronald Reagan. Reagan I joker when he declared his supported Apartheid in South intention to run for the Africa, illegally sold arms to Iran American Presidency. I assumed the Apprentice was bored making deals, and wanted time out to engage in publicity stunts.

I thought he would spice up the Republican primaries, but that not even he, would take himself serious. In any case if he were to, I assumed the American populace would get tired of his antics, shove him aside and get on with the serious business of looking for a new president.

But I reflected on contemporary American politics; one in which the country sinks to some political or moral low, and then gets somebody to push it up.

President Richard Nixon and his team in burgling the Watergate Offices of the Democratic National Committee and using the CIA, FBI and FIR to harass political opponents, were no different from the Mafia. Nixon had to resign. America needed a rebirth, and found that in Jimmy Carter, a gentleman who restored moral rectitude to the White House. But he was too much of a dove, and was quickly replaced by a war-mongering

and used the money to fund the contra rebels in Nicaragua. He also mined Nicaraguan civilian seaports in acts of brazen terrorism. He saw the end of the Socialist bloc and was replaced

by George Herbert Bush Snr who continued his war mongering.

But Americans got tired and they replaced him with Bill Clinton who went out to win friends for the US. Clinton was replaced by George Walker Bush Jnr who returned America fully to war path and it became risky to carry the American passport abroad. After hitting rock bottom, politically, morally and economically, Barack Obama surfaced to rescue America. So is America not capable of another descent by picking a Trump?

Rather than exit, Trump has seen off candidates like Rand Paul and Carly Fiorina. Ben Carson has thrown in the towel and surebet, Jeb Bush has crashed out of the race. The rampaging Trump has only three aspirants left between him and taking the Republican ticket in Cleveland, Ohio next July. Senator Ted Cruz

of Texas who may lose steam as the big primaries of Florida and Ohio hold on Tuesday March 15, Senator Marc Rubio who has a chance in his native Florida, but not much else, and Ohio Governor John Richard Kasich who talks down on people. The Predictwise polls has Trump at 68%, Cruz at 16%, Kasich at 8% and Rubio at 6%.

It appears that the focus of the Republican Party today, is not about winning the presidential elections, but how to stop Trump becoming its candidate. Even if the remaining Republican aspirants; Cruz, Kasich and Rubio unite, they would be unable to stop Trump; it is like the spider trying to stop the elephant plunging into the river. He can only be stopped if he fails to get the 1,237 delegates mark and subsequently, the open convention does not adopt him.

Even if the remaining Republican aspirants; Cruz, Kasich and Rubio unite, they would be unable to stop Trump; it is like the spider trying to stop the elephant plunging into the river

Will shooting unarmed Igbo protesters solve the problem?

By Clement Udegbe

T

HERE is a lot of trepidation in the nation since July 2015. Those who would normally speak up against wrong moves or decisions by government are more careful for many reasons; Some kept quiet because all it takes is for someone to craft a petition against any one perceived to be anti-government, to either the police, EFCC or the DSS alleging one thing or the other, and the vultures will be released to swoop and make a mess of that victim.

Some look the other way, because they live in glass houses, and will not throw stones, while many are still bemused, and confused, hoping that what we are seeing today is not true. But people don’t stop to drive their vehicles because there was an accident, just like the Igbos say that they won’t reject eating the cocoyam because it causes some discomfort in the buttocks.

The question therefore is; When will this government speak out against shooting at un-armed peaceful protesters? Or better put, Why do they shoot at and kill unarmed protesters or agitators under this government ?

Towards the end of last year, a clash between the Shiite Muslim group and the entourage of the Chief Of Army Staff in Kaduna, left several members of the sect dead, and till date they accuse government or the army of burying many of their members in a mass grave.

Early this year in Aba, some security personnel comprising the police and military shot at unarmed protesters and killed a good number of them, and a civil C M Y K

society group has alleged that some 13 persons were buried in a shallow mass grave along Aba Port Harcourt Road.

The group called on Abia State government to investigate the matter, and do something about those decomposed corpses.

Some may reason that their call is more like giving the head a hard knock, when it was the buttocks that fowled the air.

In other words, why should poor Abia State government clean up the mess of the Federal Government.

The fact remains that these are the bodies of Igbo sons and daughters who were gunned down because they were protesting or agitating for Biafra, and it is the responsibility of Abia State government to look into the matter, obtain the records of these bodies and give them a decent mass burial, after all we say in Igbo land, that what the living owes the dead is to give it a decent burial.

Such a mass grave will likely serve three purposes namely, the government will

We need caution about this country we call Nigeria, because until the rotten tooth is pulled out the mouth must chew with caution. When we change the way we look at Biafra , then we look at proper change

In many instances, I was entertained by Trump. He claimed that his campaign slogan 'Make America great again' was his invention, when in truth, that was the 1980 Reagan campaign slogan. He says of Senator John McCain "He's not a war hero. He's a war hero because he was captured? I like people who weren't captured" He said fellow Republican "Jeb Bush likes illegals because of his wife," referring to Bush's Mexican-American wife. And insulted Democratic front runner: "If Hillary Clinton can't satisfy her husband what makes her think she can satisfy America?"

If Trump had stopped at these childish ranting, I will not be apprehensive; but he threatens to turn both America and the world upside down. He is unapologetically racist threatening to expel 11.4 million undocumented immigrants. He issued fake statistics on crime rates for blacks, and his source?

The ‘Crime Statistics Bureau-San Francisco, a non-existent body!

He said of American neigbour “When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best...

They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists.

And some, I assume, are good people” He has tried to provoke an international religious war by virtually labelling the 1.5 billion Muslims in the world as terrorists: "Until we are able to determine and understand this problem (terrorism) and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life". He proposed a database to track Muslims in the

have the record of those killed, and buried there, the mass grave will serve as a reminder for Igbo youths not to expose themselves to be killed by their haters in the future, and it will provide the relations of such victims the answers they seek, and help their healing processes.

President Mohammadu Buhari announced in Qatar last week, that the Federal Government will not tolerate Biafra, which is a known fact, but who knows tomorrow, these ones may become the heroes of Biafra, if God says so.

The Federal and state governments and their officials are not God, neither are they in the future, thus, Ndigbo must keep records of all atrocities by government forces.

If someone told General Buhari in 1984, that he would be President 31 years after, he would not have believed, but that is God for you. This very Biafra that we are toying with today, may come to pass, because no one knows the mind of God and tomorrow.

If Biafra is indeed an idea, no amount of shooting and killing will be able to stop it.

In Igbo land, we say that when a man shares gift among his people, you will know whom he hates.

Since July 2015, newspapers have reported that over 200 Igbo youths have been mowed down between Onitsha, Aba, and Port Harcourt, by direct bullets from the military and police forces, and from stampedes that followed poor crowd management, that is typical of our forces in Nigeria.

These are people who are trained, clothed, paid and maintained from the tax of Nigerians including those that have been killed, to protect their lives and the territorial integrity of Nigeria. The disheartening aspect is that these governments, depend majorly on money from oil which is found mostly in the South South and South East, Igbo Land, yet they

US and a “total and complete shutdown on Muslims entering the United States until our country ’s representatives can figure out what the hell is going on”. Trump portrays Africans and their leaders as crooks. He singles out Nigerians as a people to be expelled.

When close American ally, Britain winced at the remarks on Muslims, and some 450,000 Britons signed a petition to bar him entering the country, Trump responded, "The United Kingdom is trying hard to disguise their massive Muslim problem. Everybody is wise to what is happening, very sad! Be honest."

United States under Bush Jnr had become notorious for exporting torture. Trump promises that if he were elected, humanity will witness a worse nightmare. "In the Middle East, we have people chopping the heads off Christians, we have people chopping the heads off many other people. -- not since medieval times have people seen what's going on. I would bring back waterboarding and I'd bring back a hell of a lot worse than water boarding." The mouthy Trump who needs the media, proclaims “ The media is amongst the worst people I’ve ever met…They write lies, they write false stories. They know they are false.”

A Trump candidacy should give Hilary Clinton an easy ride to the White House; but the electorate may have a surprise.

Electing him would be like handing over the White House to the Ku Klus Klan. Ordinarily, Trump should be an American reject, but if the US throws him at the world; it must be ready for a reject.

find pleasure in shooting at unarmed youths because they are protesting or agitating.

A protest is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as a strong and formal objection, especially one by a group, or a collective gesture of disapproval. While it described an act of agitation as the excitement of public feeling by discussion, debate etc., and so, whether we call it agitation or protest, the purpose is to elicit public discussion and debate.

If the purpose of the agitations is to elicit discussion and debate on the issue of Biafra, should those youths be shot at and killed, for exercising their constitutional right of freedom of expression?

If in this country, the future lies in the hands of the youth, should our youth be killed in this manner, and nothing is done to prevent such occurrence by punishing the culprits?

If the President, the Military hierarchy and Police, have sworn to uphold the constitution of Nigeria, should the unconstitutional extra judicial killings in Onitsha, Aba and Port Harcourt not be investigated and the culprits brought to book? What message is the Federal Government passing on to Ndigbo by reeling out warnings of how they will deal with agitators without doing anything to stem the rise in the agitation?

Can anyone be taller than one person, and at the same be shorter than the same person?

We need caution about this country we call Nigeria, because until the rotten tooth is pulled out, the mouth must chew with caution. When we change the way we look at Biafra , then we look at proper change.

The fear of being different should not prevent President Buhari from seeking new ways to solve the problems of Biafra.

*Mr Udegbe, a lawyer, can be reached at ceeaai@yahoo.com.

20 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

FIRE DISASTER IN A-IBOM COMMUNITY:

Two clans at daggers-drawn over compensation

By Chioma Onuegbu, Uyo

T

ROUBLE is currently brewing between Efiat and Ukong clans in Mbo local government area of Akwa Ibom State following a fire disaster in the area. At the root of the looming showdown is James Town community in Efiat clan accusing its neighbouring Ibaka community in Ukong clan of misinforming and misleading the state government on the fire incident which they insisted actually occurred in two villages of Efak Okodi and Edak Edat popularly known as ‘James Town’ in Efiat Clan and not Ibaka community as claimed by Ibaka residents and widely reported in both the state electronic and print media.

Vanguard Metro learnt that community leaders from Ibaka had immediately notified relevant national and state government authorities of the incident. The visit of the Deputy Governor, Mr. Moses Ekpo, to the Clan head of Ukong, His Royal Highness Edet Okon Isemin and the subsequent distribution of relief materials and disbursement of funds to the victims in Ibaka days after by the state government appeared to have stoked up the anger of the Efiat residents who have risen to condemn the development.

Matter of urgency Deputy Youth President of Ibaka community, Ini Bassey, who spoke to newsmen few days at the scene of the incident said that the inferno happened in his community. Leaders of James Town community in Efiat clan are insisting that the state government should look into the issue and treat it as a matter of urgency by making sure that the right thing was done.

Etubom Ekpo Bassey Ekpo (v), in a statement by his solicitor, Chief Antigha Williams Andem, dated February 24, 2016, had in Uyo said that it was wrong for the state government to have acknowledged Ibaka instead of James Town where, according to him, the fire incident actually occurred.

He was of the opinion that the Deputy Governor was misled to visit the clan head of Ukong in Ibaka, instead of that of Efiat, HRH Asuquo Okpo in James Town where he claimed that the fire incident actually occurred, a development which he perceived as a well calculated plot to deny the real victims who come

from his own community from getting government assistance.

Etubom Ekpo stressed: “The scene of the fire incident which is James Town was surprisingly manipulated and aired in Akwa Ibom State Radio as Ibaka. Ordinarily the unfortunate incident should not be a subject of politics but we are reliably informed that the people of Ibaka, a neighbouring community, have been acknowledged as the victims of the fire incident and compensated leaving out the real victims who are indigenes of James Town. Regrettably the Deputy Governor was misled to pay a visit over the incident to the head of Ukong Clan in the person of HRH Hon Edet Okon Isemin, instead of HRH Asuquo Okon Okpo of Efiat Clan who is in charge of James Town”.

Serious tension He, therefore, appealed to the Governor to use his good office to correct this anomaly by ensuring that James Town victims were the proper persons entitled to the relief materials and compensation, even as he noted that the anomaly has started generating serious tension in James Town.

Reacting to the allegations the lawmaker representing Mbo constituency, Samuel Ufuo, who had raised the matter on the floor of the house, refuted the claims that the incident occurred in James Town and manipulated in favour of his people of Ibaka.

Ufuo said: “It is not true that the fire incident occurred in Efiat. We went there with the Deputy Governor to the spot, so that

*After the inferno...affected residents bemoaning their losses place is Ibaka and not Efiat. Efiat is when you cross the water to the other side”.

He said that he had, however, never received any complaint from Efiat about their people being affected in the inferno, noting that the state government followed due process in the disbursement of relief materials to the victims. The lawmaker, an indigene of Ibaka, noted that there was actually a dispute over which of the two clans owned the said land where the fire occurred.

“Sometimes ago, that particular area was in dispute between Efiat and Ibaka, so the matter went to court and I believe it was resolved in favour of Ibaka people.

Along the line, it was very difficult for them to cross to the other side to come and have land. So that whole area has been managed and controlled by Ibaka for some years now,” he informed.

On allegations by Efiat people

Where the fire occurred now known as James Town was sold to the people of Efiat Clan by Ibaka people during the colonial era

that the whole thing was a plot to deny victims of the fire incident from their place of compensation, Ufuo said: “The thing is that in that area you have people from Ghana, Yoruba and other places living there; so we did not discriminate against anybody.

“What we did is that we gathered names of those who were affected, and the direct beneficiaries were only those given the relief materials and not to the village. So we touched those who were affected, real victims, irrespective of where they come from”.

Ownership of the land But an aggrieved elder of James Town who did not want his name mentioned was quick to fault the lawmaker on the ownership of the land. He recalled that the land where the fire occurred now known as James Town was sold to the people of Efiat Clan by Ibaka people during the colonial era.

According to him: “Efiat people surveyed the area and documented it. That land was where Ibaka people used to dump their dead bodies”. He added that an indigene of Efiat known as King James who was enlightened and well traveled merchant dealing with the then colonial authorities decided to acquire that portion of land for his business.

“That was how the land got its name James Town. It was when an oil company came and discovered oil in that portion of land

that Ibaka people started agitating that they are the original owners of that land. It was the battle of the ownership of that portion of land that caused the communal crisis between the two communities in 1994. The matter was taken to court and the court is yet to give a ruling on the matter.

The boundary between Efiat and Ibaka is just a walking distance. They forgot that they sold that portion of land to an Efiat man and I want to tell you that it is Efiat people that have been collecting compensation and benefit from the oil company there.

So that is the true story about James Town,” he explained.

Some Government House sources who spoke on the ground of anonymity, however, blamed the James Town people for not bringing the matter to government notice immediately like the Ibaka community did.

“I think that the best thing they can do now is to go through the proper channel of informing government so that they can be included when the bigger relief materials come, instead of going to say all sorts of things in the media,” one of them said.

The Deputy Governor flagged off the state disbursement of relief material and financial packages to the victims of the fire disaster in Ibaka as well as in other communities of Nton in Iwouchang in Ibeno LGAs based on earlier evaluation and verification by officials of State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA.

IDPs day of joy, courtesy of NOWA

By Simon Adewale T was indeed a day of joy for Internal Displaced Persons, IDP, in Uhogua Community, Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, when the Naval Officers Wives Association, NOWA, brought the muchneeded relief materials to them at their camp.

On receiving the relief materials which included bags of rice, cans of groundnut oil, yams, plantains, cartons of noodles, tomato, and many more, the IDPs had responded with dancing and shouts of joy, while profusely thanking God and the donors. The items were received on behalf of the people by their two care-takers, Rev. Solomon Folorunsho and Pastor Evylen Omigie from the wife of the Chief of Naval Staff, Mrs Theresa Ibas and her team. The visit-

I

ing team was originally received at the Benin airport by the Flag Officer Commanding, Naval Logistics Command, Oghara, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ofik, his wife, Pat, some officers and ratings of the command as well as other NOWA members in Oghara, Sapele and Warri.

Both of them conducted Mrs Ibas and her team around the camp, showing them what the people were passing through.

The IDPs used the opportunity to appeal to the relevant authorities to improve their living conditions, especially upgrading facilities at the camp.

The CNS’s wife promised to convey their plight to her husband for onward transmission to appropriate quarters.

NOWA did not stop its activities at the IDP camp. The following day, the wife of the CNS and her team inaugurated the Delta Area Chapter of NOWA and ap-

pointed the wife of the Flag Officer Commanding, Naval Logistics Command, Oghara, Mrs Pat Ofik, as the Area Coordinator. Mrs. Ofik was then given the responsibility of overseeing the activities of NOWA, particularly the NOWA shopping complex in Oghara.

Mrs Ibas also commissioned a threeclassroom block donated by the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, to the Naval Primary School, Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area.

She laid the foundation stone of Chief Williams Makinde Squash Court, as well as the foundation stone of a shopping complex donated by DESOPADEC to NOWA, and the NOWA Hall donated by ASCON Nig. Ltd, measuring 30 by 15 metres. All the projects are located at the Nigeria Naval Barracks, Oghara.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016—21

FDC analysts predict 10.1% inflation rate for February

By Babajide Komolafe

A

NALYSTS at Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) have predicted that prices of goods and services rose at 10.1 per cent for February.

“We are projecting the year-onyear (YoY) headline inflation rate for February 2016 to spike to 10.1 percent. This is the first time the price level has reached double digits since 2012”, they said in the FDC Economic Bulletin issued this week.

The inflation rate represents the rate of increase in prices of goods and services. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the inflation rate was stable at 9.6 percent inflation rate in January and December 2015.

Depreciation of the naira The FDC prediction of 10.1 percent inflation for February is based on the impact of the sharp depreciation of the naira to N405 per dollar during the month on prices of goods and services. The company however expressed optimism that inflation rate would return to normal in March.

The Company said, “We are deviating from the usual practice of a single inflation projection by examining extenuating circumstances that led to such a significant increase in prices, and thereby providing an alternative scenario. February was a unique month because of an aberration in the forex market.

“The month of February can be divided into two parts with respect to the impact of foreign exchange on consumer price levels. The first half (Feb 1 - Feb 13) could be described as the “pre-exchange rate calm” when

prices were not affected by any unusual exchange rate movement fuelled by uncertainty.

The second half (Feb 14 – Feb 29) that can be called the “exchange rate frenzy period” when the naira depreciated to as low N395 per dollar at the parallel market due to heightened uncertainty about forex availability for educational and medical purposes. If not for the extreme volatility of the naira, headline inflation rate would have remained at 9.8 percent.

“Though the factors driving inflation are unchanged, the

The FDC prediction of 10.1 percent inflation for February is based on the impact of the sharp depreciation of the naira to N405 per dollar during the month on prices of goods and services

impact of exchange rate pressures on inflation was accentuated by fear and speculation. Income effect is bearing more significance than cost pressure because a depreciating naira erodes consumer disposable income. In

order to compensate for lost income, producers and retailers are increasing prices of goods.

The resulting effect is that consumers run to substitutes, thereby increasing demand and prices for these substitutes.

“During the first half of the month, when the naira was trading at N307 per dollar, headline inflation is estimated to have spiked to 9.8 percent. This increase was spurred mainly by traditional cost-push factors.

FG, UNIDO to launch first investment, technology promotion office in Nigeria with the Fed INeralpartnership GovernmentofNigeria,the

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) will launch the UNIDO Investment and TechnologyPromotionOffice(ITPO) in Nigeria on Tuesday.

Set up at the request of the Nigerian Government, the ITPO Nigeria will provide a platform for public and pri$121. 15 0.95 vate stakeholders, and especially investors, entrepre$2,994.00 -7.00 neursanddevelopmentpartners,toestablishcollaborative $14. 72 0. 14 links in support of an increasedcompetitivenessand diversification of the Nigerian economy. $40. 45 -0.80 A statement, signed by the $37. 35 0.85 HeadofUNIDOITPOinNigeria, Mrs. Adebisi OluCURRENCY BUYING SELLING modimu, said the launch would allow for several adUS 196 196.5 197 ditionalevents,includingthe DOLLAR 278. 4572 279.1676 280.

ITPO inception workshop, POUNDS 8779 EURO 214.7376 215. 2854 sensitisation workshops on FRANC 215.8332 the Enterprise Development YEN 195. 6283 196. 1274 196. and Investment Promotion CFA 6264 Programme (EDIP); the WAUA 1.7388 1.7433 1.7477 Computer Model for FeasiRENMINBI 0.3104 0.3204 0. 3304 RIYAL 271. 9187 272.6123 273.306 bilityAnalysisandReporting KRONA 29. 9164 29. 9931 30. 0699 (COMFAR) as well as on genderinclusivenessintechCBN Exchange rate as at 10/03/2016 nology promotion.

C M Y K

NSE: From left, Mr. Oscar Onyema, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Dr. Lucy Newman, Managing Director/CEO, FITC; Tinuade Awe, General Counsel/ Head, Legal and Regulation Division, NSE; Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule, Deputy Governor of Lagos State; Ope Wemi Jones, Group Head, Inclusive Banking and Abimbola Ibironke Akeredolu (SAN), immediate past Attorney General of Ogun State at the NSE 2016 International Women’s Day Celebration at the exchange .

It said, “The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment will chair the event, which will also include sensitisation workshops on key UNIDO-ITPO systems to attract investment, identify and deploy technologies, and develop industrial cooperation with relevant international initiatives. The ITPO Nigeria will be the first office in Africa, and will

join the worldwide ITPO network that covers Bahrain, China (Beijing and Shanghai), Italy, Japan, South Korea and the Russian Federation. “Current UNIDO initiatives in Nigeria include new technologies to enhance clusters for the production of industrial goods such as finished leather products,

agricultural value chains to support food and beverage processing, and creative fashion and craft industries in Nigeria. Other upcoming initiatives with State Governments in Nigeria will promote the use of clean technologies for cooking and other domestic uses, and support for sustainable energy supply.”

NSE Council renews executive director’s contract for second term

By Peter Egwuatu

T

HE Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE has announce thatitsNationalCouncilhasapproved the contract renewal of Mr. Ade Bajomo, for another term of five years as ExecutiveDirector,MarketOperations and Technology, pursuant to a new employmentagreementtobeeffective onMay 23, 2016.

Bajomo has been an Executive Director leading the transformational changes in technology, operations, market data, market services, and information security and programme deliveryoftheprimeSub-SaharanAfricaExchangesince2011,andhiscurrent five-year term is set to expire on May 22, 2016.

CommentingontherenewalofMr.

Bajomo’s contract, CEO of NSE, Mr. OscarOnyema,said: “Onbehalfofthe Exchange,Iwouldliketoofferhimour most sincere congratulations on the renewalofhisemploymentcontractas ExecutiveDirector,MarketOperations andTechnology.

“The renewal reflects not only the successhehasachievedsincejoining theExchangeinleveragingtechnologytoscaleupourmarketandbusiness processes efficiently, but also emphasizesourcommitmenttoenhancingand sustainingtheexchange’scompetitiveness and growth. We wish him all the bestinhisnewterm.”

Speakingonhisre-appointment,Mr. Bajomo said “I extend my warmest appreciation to the National Council and CEO for their vote of confidence in my service to the Exchange. It has

beenanexcitingexperiencetoleadthe technology and operational reforms underpinning the growth of the exchange and its market operators.

“Iamprivilegedtoworkwithsome of the most talented people in this space and together with my team, we will continue to drive the application of robust and market aligned solutions to grow our market in a sustainableandprofitablemanner.”

Prior to joining the exchange, Bajomo led several business transformation programmes, product development, and business growth/acquisitions initiatives for the technology and operations integration of acquired entities primarily in the UK financial services sector, and also in the emerging markets region.

22—Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

BRIEFING: From left, Mr Gilbert Agbeyegbe, representative, International Strategic Alliance Committee, Nigeria; Mr Olawale Adenugba, Director, Director, ISAC Events; Gbite Oduneye, CEO, A and O Acquisitions, UK and Agbeti Edundayo, representative, ISAC Nigeria at a press conference in Lagos on the Nigeria Mining and Agriculture summit 2016 coming up in the UK.

Springfield invests N200m in moribund Ikara tomatoes plant

By Jimoh Babatunde

M

ANY before now won der why Nigeria that is the 13th world largest producer of tomato and second in Africa still continue to spend over $300 million yearly on tomato concentrate importation.

Even as the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) says the domestic demand for tomatoes is 2.3 million tons, while it produces only 1.8 million tons annually.

It is said that due to lack of proper agricultural value chain system most of the tomatoes produced in the country are wasted due to post harvest loss, poor handling system, poor distribution channels and lack of easy access to markets.

Tomato concentrate But with the economic reality dawning on Nigeria that we cannot continue to import tomato concentrate, so many investors are now investing in backward integration by building new tomatoes plants that will process the raw tomatoes into paste while some are taking over moribund plants.

One of such moribund plants is the Ikara Food Processing Plant in Kaduna which had been moribund for over two decades.

Today, it has been resuscitated through a Public-Private Partnership between the state government and Springfield Agro Ltd. Springfield Agro has invested over N200 million so far on revamping the moribund Ikara processing plant, just as it sealed a pact with Growth and Employment in states WholeC M Y K

sale and Retail sector (GEMS4) development programme to address production challenges and inefficiencies in the wholesale and retail market system for the commodity.

Growth and Employment in States — Wholesale and Retail Sector (GEMS4) facilitates links between farmers and processing companies. It is a 17 million pound market development project in Nigeria, funded by the World Bank and the U.K’s Department for International Development.

Its mandate is to facilitate market system changes to address identified constraints to encourage economic growth, resulting in the creation of 10,000 new jobs and increased incomes for 500,000 people, especially for the poor rural dwellers and women.

The Managing Director, Springfield Agro Limited, Tarun Das, during an interaction with journalists in Lagos

recently, explained that the pact with GEMS4 will help to reduce post-harvest loss in the community as well as aid the supply chain through the outgrower scheme.

With a production target of 2,500 metric tonnes monthly, Das added that the firm will

The project will work to build upon the local capacities and to change the market incentives so that the sector better meets the long term needs of the poor, including women

unveil its solutions through high yield technology while reducing the movement of tomatoes across the country.

Das added: “The purpose of this MoU is to provide a general framework for cooperation between GEMS4 and Springfield Agro Limited and to define activities of mutual interest that will facilitate the development of tomato value chain in Northern Nigeria to improve quality of tomatoes produced by smallholder farmers to meet standards and requirement of tomato processors.”The project will work to build upon the local capacities and to change the market incentives so that the sector better meets the long term needs of the poor, including women.

“Thus, the parties wish to collaborate in the organisation and implementation of good agricultural practices and good handling practices in the production, transportation and marketing of fresh tomatoes between the supply end of the value chain and the demand side to ascertain the supply chain integrity”.

Perishable products On his part, Director, Springfield Agro, Victor Eburajolo noted that the company having identified the need to improve quality and standards of fresh perishable products decided to partner GEMS4 on the project, adding that the factory, which had been abandoned for almost 20 years had commenced operations in January and would be effectively deployed to add value across the tomato value chain.

He said: “It is believed that with collaboration involving the parties to explore tomato paste production from fresh tomatoes and retail ready produce packaging for the improved market channels in the near future, jobs and incomes can be created with value addition leading to reduction in wastages from production”

ISAC holds summit on agriculture, mining

A

SUMMIT that will pro vide stakeholders and industry experts opportunities of deliberating on Agricultural and mining sectors in Nigeria is being put together by the International Strategic Alliance Committee (ISAC).

The body said it has concluded plans to host a Nigerian Mining and Agriculture summit at the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre in Westminster, London in April.

Speaking to newsmen in Lagos, Gilbert Agbeyegbe, who is in charge of ISAC Operations in Nigeria said “the summit is intended to bring together government officials from Nigeria and top Nigerian businessmen and women.”

Expected at the event, he added, will be those who are interested in farming and mining in Nigeria.

The summit, he said, will enable stakeholders to deliberate on issues and opportunities in the mining and agricultural sectors in Nigeria and make available on the spot opportunity to sign partnership agreements with international investors.

He added that the event will be attended by various international financial institutions with specific interest and mandate to finance projects within such representatives from African Development bank, and investors in both Mining and Agricultural sectors.

Also highlighting details of the conference, Director of ISAC Events, Mr Olawale Adenugba noted that “ISAC is desirous of supporting the current administration in its bid to diversify the economy and develop the mining and agricultural sector.”

Adenugba decried the dwindling revenue of the nation, urging those interested in farming and mining to seize this opportunity to attend the summit.

Council, Research institute working on improved seeds ••calls for review of seed policy in the country

By Jimoh Babatunde

T

HE Director-General, National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) , Dr Philip Olusegun Ojo, has disclosed that the council and the Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI) were working to ensure that improved seeds were made available to farmers.

Speaking during a road show on the effect of fake seeds in Ibadan, Oyo State recently, he said the council is making efforts to improve local cultivation of wheat by making seeds available to farmers.

Ojo said LCRI had produced wheat varieties that could garner more yields per hectare, adding that in line with the plan that a national data base on seed production has been created to support the wheat action plan

in order to enhance research and improve productivity.

He said the target states are Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Borno, Zamfara, Kebbi, Plateau, Sokoto, Gombe, Yobe, Adamawa and Katsina.

So far, he said the council had registered 156 seed companies. In addition, he said the council would ensure seed testing, quality control, and certification processes for classes of seeds.

To this end, he said NASC was supporting research partnerships to develop new varieties of wheat, and other staples required to feed the nation.

In line with the seed sector development policy designed to handle seed needs across the country, Ojo said research institutions and the universities had mobilised to take responsibilities for crop breeding.

According to him, there is effort to achieve food

self-sufficiency and security with the production of adequate quality and quantity of improved certified seeds.

On fake seeds, he said firms that are caught selling illegal seed will be sanctioned.

A major seeds distributor at the Dugbe market, Ibadan, Mr. Adenitan Solomon said seed dealers are supporting the NASC on the war to curtail the problem of seed adulteration.

Farmers, Solomon said, are encouraged to look out for seeds with the tag of NASC as every seed bag must have a tag from the Council.

The President, Southwest Agro Inputs Dealers Association, Alhaji Akinmade Olayinka, attributed the use of poor quality seed by farmers to lack of awareness on availability of better performing crop varieties that are high yielding, disease and drought tolerant.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016—23

VOL. 1: NO. 17

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

Ondo goes tough with herdsmen, bans night grazing

By Dayo Johnson

A

KURE – TO avert a major clash between farmers and herdsmen across Ondo state over the activities of the nomads, the government has finally wielded the big stick .

Vanguard gathered that the state government have been inundated with reports of the hydra-headed problems of nomadic cattle rearing which had ravaged several hectares of farmland across the state.

This is coming even as the harrowing experience the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Chief Olu Falae in the hands of Fulani herdsmen who invaded his farm on several occasions before abducting him is still fresh in the people’s memory.

His abduction resulted in public outcry and condemnation.

The state government reportedly had to dole out millions of Naira to his abductors before he was let go. The criminals however, have been apprehended.

Meanwhile, reports of rape, robbery and burning of economic C M Y K

trees and farmlands by the nomads have again heightened tension in the state.

Consequently, the state government at a stakeholders meeting held in Akure to find lasting solution to the menace of the nomads announced the ban on night grazing , stoppage of the movement of cows in the night across the state and rearing of cattle within Akure and its environs.

The government equally ordered the evacuation of cattle from Government Reservation Areas, GRA, within the Akure metropolis.

It has equally banned grazing in areas such as Barracks, Ondo road, Airport, Oba ile,Adofure, Idanre road, FUTA, Oda road, Ilekun amonsgt other areas in Akure, the state capital.

Other recommendations reached by the stakeholders at the meeting include the registration of cattle owners and herdsmen,tagging of all cattles for identification purposes while all herdsmen have been directed to henceforth carry identity cards.

The meeting which was tagged ‘Cattle Rearing and the Environment” was attended by the leadership of farmers led by the state Chairman of the Agricultural Commodities Association (OSACA) Akin Olotu, Cattle Breeders led by the State Chairman Miyeti Allah, Fulani Cattle rearers Ahaji Bello Garuba, Chairman Cattle Market Association, Musa Hassan and other cattle dealers associations in the state.

Also in attendance were the. head of Environment Department

Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Akure Airport, Mrs C.O Kareem, traditional rulers, and

Consequently, the state government at a stakeholders meeting held in Akure to find lasting solution to the menace of the nomads announced the ban on night grazing , stoppage of the movement of cows in the night across the state and rearing of cattle within Akure and its environs

IN THIS EDITION

Patients groan as Ogun medical workers strike lingers •Page 24

FIVE YEARS AFTER:

Ajimobi vows to democratise councils •Page 26

other community representatives.

The meeting was presided over by the State Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources, Sola Ebiseni.

Vanguard gathered that the meeting was stormy as leaders of the association’s stoutly denied allegations leveled against their members by the farmers.

Another dangerous dimension to the menace of the herdsmen was introduced when the Head of Environment Department, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria in Akure Mrs Kazeem raised alarm that on daily basis no fewer than forty cows strayed to the airport which pose serious treat to flight operation and inimical to the lives of passengers.

Kazeem pleaded with the state government to prevail on the cattle owners and herdsmen to desist from straying to the airport to safeguard the lives of their numerous passengers.

Some of the observations/ reports received, considered and a final decisions taken include that tensions are mounting in the state on the relationship between Continues on page 24 C M Y K

24 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

OGUN STATE

Patients groan as Ogun medical workers strike lingers P

By Daud Olatunji

ATIENTS have continued to groan following the strike action embarked upon by health workers at the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta under the aegis of Joint Health Sector Union.

When Vanguard visited the centre, it was observed that the place had become a ghost of itself as both patients and health workers except few doctors and some management workers of the hospital deserted the place.

Some of the patients who spoke with our correspondent lamented that the strike had caused them a lot of hardships and has worsened their plight.

Some patients, according to the findings have been taken to private hospital as the state hospitals were also affected by the strike action embarked by the state health workers.

The strike action had commenced February 11,2016 was based on some agitations which include immediate enhancement of salaries of members as done for the the doctors; full implementation of the circular affecting members in the medical laboratory profession without singling out any member; the immediate correction of the misnomer of placing health practitioners under nursing services instead of community medicine department; and autonomy of laboratory from the claws of pathologists by restoring the laboratory services department, which has to be headed by a medical laboratory scientist.

Others include the full payment of call duty allowance with associated arrears to scientific officers/technologists in Neuro Diagnostic (EEG) unit of the centre; full payment of shift allowance to affected members; full payment of uniform allowance to members in nursing services; and payment of end of the year package of not less than N30,000 to members.

Consequently, they embarked on a total and indefinite strike.

The chairman, Senior Staff Association of Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Comrade Samuel Idowu said the strike involves all cadres of medical workers in the medical institution except the doctors.

25 days after the strike, scores of health workers at the FMC staged a protest against the management of the institution , vowing to continue with their indefinite strike action.

The protesters led by the chairman, Senior Staff Association of Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Comrade Samuel Idowu said, it is shameful that the government did not wade into the crisis in the institution 25 days after the strike commenced.

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•Striking medical workers during one of their protests The protesters who were armed with placards which have inscriptions such as Dr. Sotiloye is too high handed, he should go, Mr. President, rescue Nigerians from bad management at FMC, Abeokuta, Corruption, FMC Director on two salary scales, no running water, no linen for patients, laboratory, dental,

We are seeing cases where some professionals are enriching themselves at the expense of the government and we are saying enough is enough

xray, consumables not available among others.

They accussed the current Medical Director, Dr . Dapo Sotiloye of mismanagement of the institution, adding that, he was giving few medical doctors preferential treatment to the detriment of other health workers in the institution.

According to him, our grudges are ; that we cannot take a situation where the management continues to enrich a set of professionals at the expense of our members. We live in an egalitarian society, and so the natural principle of fairness, equity, and justice must prevail and until that happens, we do not see an end to this problems.

He said “ we are seeing a case of gross mismanagement, we are seeing repression and oppression, we are seeing favouritism, we are seeing bad management, we are seeing corruption in high places and government and it’s agencies.

The EFCC ,the ICPC and the Code of Conduct and even the police must step in to arrest this situation.

“How will an hospital exist without running water, how will an hospital exist without consumables, how will an hospital exist without the requisite equipment to carry out procedures, how will an hospital exist without energy?. So, it is important to let Nigerians know this struggle is for them but in order to situate matters very well we are seeing cases where some professionals are enriching themselves at the expense of the government and we are saying enough is enough. How will a consultant be earning more than a professor, it is an aberration,and government must do something now?” .

In a swift reaction, the Medical Director of FMC, Abeokuta, Dr. Oladapo Sotiloye described the allegations as propaganda.

He said the strike action and

the claims by the unions were politically motivated, saying, the strike started in a hurry.

According to him, “all their demands are being addressed , they said we needed to pay the uniform allowance, because of non-availability, we are paying the instalment and we actually pay instalment , but, it is still a surprise they go on strike that week. We have different meeting with them which we also involved Paramount rulers, because we know the kind of suffering strike brings about. “ Most of their claim that there is no water and so on are just mere propaganda because when we came on board, we bought KVA power for the first time, something that has not happened for the past 25 years.

When we came on board, the FMC in Abeokuta has only one KVA but, now we have four, that means the issue of power and water is not true but, a mere propaganda.

Ondo goes tough with herdsmen, bans night grazing Continues from page 23 cattle rearers on the one hand and farmers and members of the various communities on the other.

“The Ministry of Environment has received some of these reports bothering on alleged destruction of farmlands, agricultural products, killing of animals, assault, rape and even killing of people.

“The Ministry is particularly concerned and disturbed by the invasion of the cities, the Akure Airport grounds; government offices, banking areas, official

quarters and other residential areas by cattle grazers destroying city ornamental plants, properties of residents, pollution of the environment by wastes from these animals with implications for the security, health, safety, aesthetics of the environment and socioeconomic activities of the residents.

“The cattle dealers acknowledged that the site of the cattle market along Ado Ekiti Road Akure is completely built up and sought to be relocated to a larger area at Uso town along Owo Road.

“The farmers opined that Ondo like other states of the South West is a tree and economic crop zone which take generations to nurture and can thus not accommodate nomadic animal husbandry.

“That in accordance with the Environmental Laws of the state, cattle rearing is prohibited in the cities and residential areas throughout the state and particularly at the capital city of Akure between the city and beyond.

“The State Environmental Task Force will ensure the

enforcement of these decisions and related provisions of the state environmental laws.

Speaking with Vanguard, the state Chairman of Agriculture Commodities association, Akin Olotu lamented the ordeals of farmers across the state in the hands of the nomads who invades their farmlands with impunity.

Olotu said that “ several thousands of hectares of cassava. maize, vegetable farms are either grazed upon or gutted by fire.

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016 —25

OYO STATE

R: FIVE YEARS AFTEto

Ajimobi vows s il c n u o c e is t a r democ

By Ola Ajayi

I

BADAN – Nearly five years f t e r h e assumed office as the Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi has finally announced that his administration will conduct the much-awaited local government election in all the 33 local government areas in the state within four months.

Though he has appointed caretaker chairmen to steer the ship of the councils, he said it unequivocally that election would soon be conducted to usher in democratically elected chairmen.

Before Governor Ajimobi made the announcement, he and the opposition in the state had engaged in tango dance over the conduct of the election.

Throughout the first term of the governor between 2011 and 2015, the opposition parties and the All Progressives Congress ruling government were busy pointing accusing fingers at each other.

While the main opposition parties like the Accord and the Peoples Democratic Party, which thought then that Governor Ajimobi would never surmount the second term hurdles, blamed a

the governor alleging that he was afraid of defeat, the governor kept saying people of the state should hold the opposition responsible because they had created some legal barriers that practically made it impossible for his administration to conduct the election.

As a recurring decimal, the state Independent Electoral Commission has been embroiled in crisis since the controversial impeachment of former Governor Rashidi Ladoja.

His deputy then, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala took the mantle of leadership. Since then, the duo have refused to bury the past behind them.

Akala dissolved the then OYSIEC to allow those loyal to him to replace them apparently to have political advantage.

Angered by the action, the dissolved OYSIEC staff headed for court to seek redress. It was believed that time that the crisis in OYSIEC was the aftermath of deep political gulf between Akala and Ladoja. Since then the case has been lingering in court.

Recently, the issue again came to the front burner when the Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy,

•Newly inaugurated transition committee chairmen of the 33 Local Governments of the state, at the Executive Chambers of the Governor's Office, Ibadan.

Mr. Yomi Layinka was taken up

by Accord Party for allegedly blaming Senator Ladoja for allowing the election to become a subject of litigation .

Senator Ladoja, through his media aide, Alhaji Lanre Latinwo described the comments as laughable and unfortunate.

He said his former deputy, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala should be held responsible wondering why he(Ladoja) should be blamed for the alleged failure of his political opponents.

He explained that members of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission who were aggrieved by the dissolution of the commission before its expiration were the ones who

took the state government to court.

“It was the administration of Alao Akala that dissolved the said OYOSIEC Board and not Senator Ladoja. Alao-Akala conducted local government elections inspite of his illegality in dissolving a properly constituted electoral body.”

He advised Olayinka to pay more attention to the observations made by the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo that governors had turned themselves to emperors and refused to conduct local government elections.

While inaugurating the local government transition committee

chairmen this week, Ajimobi admonished them to shun extravagant lifestyle, insisting that their four-month tenure was not to commit resources to naming, burial and marriage ceremonies at the expense of grassroots development.

Ajimobi said common sense dictates that the lean resources accruable to the state and local governments should be committed to people-oriented and legacy projects.

He said; “Your appointment is an opportunity for you to dare and endure; not for ease and comfort. I enjoin you to be guided by the oath of office you just took; have the fear of God in whatever you do. If you fear God, you will not commit atrocities.

The unresolved murder of Sunday Abudioke in Ekiti

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

T

HE people of Odo Community, in Ado-Ekiti Local Government Area of Ekiti State are yet to come to term with the gruesome murder of a 29year-old man, patent medicine seller, simply identified as Sunday Abudioke, who was hacked to death by yet to be known assailant.

Abudioke was rushed to the Ekiti State Teaching Hospital in the evening of February 20, by policemen who were alerted by a yet-to-be identified good Samaritan who found him almost liveless on Ado-Ilawe road.

A member of the Family told Vanguard that the decease’s body had several blows of machete cuts which was obviously inflicted by his assailants who dumped him by the road in between Odo community and Ado-Ekiti on the evening of Saturday, February 20.

The deceased’s wife, Mrs. Yetunde Abudioke, and mother of their one-month old baby, told Vanguard that on Saturday, February 20, a friend of her husband, who was unknown to her, visited him at home and urged him to go to Odo and open C M Y K

one of his shops for business.

Yetunde said the deceased and his friend took a commercial motorcycle to Odo community, which is about four kilometers from Ado Ekiti, unfortunately, that was the last she saw of her husband.

According to a relative of the deceased who spoke under anonymity, said the good Samaritan who had spotted Sunday while he was lain almost liveless by the roadside on IlaweAdo Road, had called the police who later rushed him to the Ekiti State Teaching Hospital on Iworoko Road, Ado-Ekiti that Saturday for medical attention.

But the effort was to come to nothing as the deceased reportedly gave up the ghost at the hospital a few hours after, on the dawn of Sunday, February 21.

However, following the different version of Dubioke’s death has continued to create controversy in the community, while a version said he was hacked to death by suspected cultists from the nearby Odo Polytechnic cultists, other resident of the community who also crave anonymity said the deceased who lived in Okebola area of Ado-Ekiti, said he had

seen the deceased entered a Sport Utility Jeep which drove out of the Crown Polythenic in Odo community, after he (deceased) closed from his shop on the evening of Saturday, February 20.

According to him, “ I saw Sunday after he closed from his shop on that day. The shop is close to the Crown Polythenic in this community. He waited a while for a commercial cab or bus that would take him to Ado-Ekiti, but he didn’t get one on time as it was already late in the evening. He eventually settled for a Sport Utility Jeep which had emerged from the Polythenic and was heading for Ado-Ekiti.

That was the last I saw of him.

May be that is the reason why some people are alleging that those who attacked Sunday and slashed him on his head and eventually ended his life are cultists from the Polythenic. But I cannot lay claims to what I didn’t witness, “ he said.

Meanwhile, residents of Okebola in Ado-Ekiti, who alleged that Sunday could have been killed by cultists cited an earlier incident, in which the deceased was allegedly framed up when some hard drug called Marijuana were dumped inside

•Late Abudioke

his drug Dispensary shop in Odo, as their clue, they said : “We strongly suspect that cultists from the tertiary institution in Odo are responsible for Sunday’s death because he had an ugly encounter with them sometimes ago, when some marijuana were dumped inside his shop in Odo with a plan to put him in trouble.

We knew then that it was a frame up because he had quarrelled with some bad people who

wanted his shop at all cost and threatened to deal with him. “ The people later had him framed up by secretly dumping some Marijuana inside his shop and once he was vindicated, he abandoned the shop, apparently out of the fear that he may be attacked by the same people. It is possible that those same bad people are responsible for his death now, by using a friend of his, who is not known to his wife, to lure him out of his house on that Saturday, February 20, “ they argued.

Investigation revealed that the deceased’s assailants did not take the proceeds from his sales which was about N15,000 in his possession that night, but they took away his mobile phone probably to forestall the tracing of the assailant by the police.

While the deceased’s remains has been buried at his country home in Ayetoro-Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government area of Ekiti State, the police is yet to make any arrest.

Efforts to get the Ekiti State Command Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), Alberto Adeyemi, comment on the situation met with brick walls, as calls made to his phone rang through.

26— Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

OWAMBE

•Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (right), presenting a state plaque to the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas, during a courtesy visit, at the Lagos House, Ikeja.

•First Lady of Ekiti State, Mrs. Feyisetan Fayose Presenting food items and beverages to the warden of Ekiti State Children Correctional Home at Ajilosun Area Ado Ekiti , Mr Toye Ojo while the Wife of the Deputy Governor Deaconess Janet Olusola and others look on.

•A former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba; Wife of Oyo State Governor; Mrs. Florence Ajimobi; the Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; and the 41st Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, during the installation of the monarch, at Mapo Hall Arcade, Ibadan.

•Wife of the 41st Olubadan of Ibadanland, Olori Rasheedat Adetunji; Olubadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji; and Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, during the presentation of staff of office to the monarch, at Mapo Hall Arcade, Ibadan.

•Wife of a former Governor of Oyo State, Alhaja Mutiat Ladoja; a former Governor of the state, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala; Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode; and Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; during the installation of the 41st Olubadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, at Mapo Hall Arcade, Ibadan,

THE TEAM EDITOR: Adeleke Adeseri 08054682557 (sms only)

•Wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode (2nd right), with Commissioner for Women Affairs & Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Hon. (Mrs.) Lola Akande; Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluranti Adebule; former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Sarah Sosan and APC National Women Leader, South West, Chief (Mrs.) Kemi Nelson during the 2016 International Women’s Day Celebration, organized by WAPA at the Police College ground, Ikeja.

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CORRESPONDENTS: Dapo Akinrefon Lagos Ola Ajayi Ibadan Gbenga Olarinoye Osogbo Dayo Johnson Akure Daud Olatunji Abeokuta Olasunkanmi Akoni Lagos Rotimi Ojomoyela Ekiti Monsuru Olowoepejo

Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016—27

Looking past the value of the Naira This is the fifth in a six-part series that hopes to steer the current exchange rate debate away from uninformed analysis to one focused on facts, taken from economic theory, history, and evidence from Nigeria and other countries that have undergone periods of currency crisis. It is our hope that Mr. President will read these pieces and reconsider his stance on the Naira and the broader question of economic growth.

By Chuba Ezekwesili

T

HE lack of adequate understanding of exchange rates in developing countries explains a major portion of the ambiguity that envelopes the argument to devalue or not. Some believe devaluation to be a panacea and others believe it to be a terrible move that significantly worsens economies.

In the context of Nigeria’s current situation, neither of those arguments apply. Devaluation is simply one step in many, towards fixing this nation’s economy.

Nigeria is focused on the wrong metric. Every day, we hear more about the price of Dollar to Naira than we do about the nation’s economic growth rate, which has fallen from an average of five% two years ago to three%. The value of the Naira is hardly the end game - economic productivity is.

The nation’s economic growth is key to resolving the issue of exchange rates or any potential inflationary spikes. If we are to focus on growth, here are a few things we must begin to do.

Devalue the Naira As unpopular as this has sounded for months now, Nigeria needs to devalue the Naira. We should start with closing the gap between the official and parallel market rate. Rather than this pegged currency regime, a managed currency regime will suffice for now. No, this will not mean “murdering the Naira”.

The Naira has already fallen in true value and because we wish the Naira was still N197 to a Dollar does not mean that it is. If the majority of people are trading at N305, it means they’re willing to trade a higher amount of naira for the same amount of dollar as before. If the banks already charge you at N305, then the naira’s already depreciated i.e. lost some value. Same effect when a retailer adjusts his price because he’s taken his dollar to naira cost at N305. So any advantage to keeping it at N197 is tenuous at best.

Devaluation reduces the pressure on the Naira, provides the government with a degree of policy flexibility, reduces the arbitrage in the FX market and actually supplies more Naira for

the Government to fund necessary infrastructural upgrades. Here’s what happens when we decide to stick to our current strategy - the nation bleeds slowly and painfully.

According to the latest Capital Importation report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s foreign inflow fell to $9.64 billion, down 53.5 percent from $20.75 billion in 2014. With our current policies in place and general sense of policy uncertainty, investors are clearly avoiding Nigeria.

Theoretically, capital import loss should abate once such capital restrictions are eliminated as foreign investors find confidence in a country’s economic policies and reassurance in a country’s ability to move their investments without interference. The immediate reality might be different, as devaluation does not guarantee that fickle portfolio investors return to Nigeria.

However, it prepares the right environment for growth as Nigeria is forced to look into policies that indeed spur growth and make the country attractive to both direct and portfolio investment.

Relax Import Restrictions: The CBN must reconsider the 41 items made invalid for purchase of foreign exchange from the interbank foreign exchange market, from Bureaux de Change and even export proceeds. The CBN claims its policies have saved us precious dollars, spurred local content creation, encouraged consumption of domestic products and created jobs. However, empirical evidence in the reality and the numbers appear a tad different

The CBN must reconsider the 41 items made invalid for purchase of foreign exchange from the interbank foreign exchange market, from Bureaux de Change and even export proceeds

from these intentions.

As observed by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), the restricted items include items that are critical elements of the manufacturing process of many firms across sectors in Nigeria. Consequently, a number of manufacturing companies in Nigeria cannot source critical items and have had to scale down operations or shut down.

The numbers from the NBS’s GDP Growth Report in 2015 Q3 corroborates this downturn Nigeria’s manufacturing sector has now seen 2 consecutive quarters of contraction, making it an official recession. If the present administration is truly focused on job creation, it must see that such polices only have a negative net effect. They must then develop more direct methods o f encouraging the production of local content.

Provide Incentives, not Platitudes: A government adamant on the private s e c t o r switching from foreign to local inputs must provide the r i g h t incentives.

Most of such inputs require a chain of processes that are costly or impossible to replicate in Nigeria, given existing infrastructural deficiencies. A determined government must look into policy and legislative

changes that can be enacted in the short run to ameliorate the difficulties of finding substitutes and doing business in Nigeria.

The government can incentivise non-oil commodities exporters by facilitating the ease of exports at the port and giving tariff/tax cuts.

Devaluation already provides the advantage of cheaper products for exporters; the government simply has to provide the enabling environment. The medium to short term solution to economic growth requires the Nigerian government to prioritise capital expenditure as detailed in the 2016 budget and work towards raising the level of capital implementation from the yearly average of 40% to 80%. Longterm finance through government spending, public-private partnerships, broadening of the tax base and judicious investment of a portion of pension funds are necessary to close the infrastructure gap. None of these will be a walk in the park, but the government needs to place its priorities in enablers of growth.

Private sector also has its role to play and will need to work with the government to bridge the nation’s infrastructure deficit.

Government clearly does not have enough to take fix this deficit, so private sector investment is crucial. However, the government

Send your reactions to: news@vanguardngr.com C M Y K

will have to give the private sector good reasons to invest by reducing risk through stronger legislative guarantees. Also important, investment from private sector will need to come from – predictably – foreign investors. However, if we’re closing off the economy to ‘save’ the Naira, the chances of such investment remains tenuous.

The economic realities that surround us demand that we make painful, but economically sound decisions. The hard work begins with the realisation that the Naira is indeed weak and misaligned in value. Our current path might keep Naira at N197 for a minority of the population, but it certainly won’t provide the right environment needed for inclusive growth. The nation certainly stands a better chance if it tries to help the Naira by focusing on growth strategies rather than artificially propping it up.

Ignoring the illness of a patient does little to make him better, admitting he is ill and administering the proper treatment does. Only by admitting this to ourselves, gearing up and figuring out ways to fix this loss in value from the supply side can we possibly save the Naira. *Chuba Ezekwesili is a research analyst with a focus on the Science and Technology Sector.

He writes at Naijanomics.info and medium.com/@chubaezeks. He also tweets at @chubaezeks.

28 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

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VANGUARD, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016— —29

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30 —VANGUARD, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

NASF AT 2 1s er sar ASFA 21s 1stt anniv anniver ersar saryy

Jumada Al-Akhir 2, 1437 A.H.

Ese: Child marriage is about culture, not Islam •Donald Trump's tantrums

E

VENTS in the last few weeks have thrown up another round of discourse about Islam. A lot of people have continued to be very offensive about their argument and you wonder why all these trash about Islam. If it is not about terrorism or suicide bombing, it is about abduction and marriage to minor, forceful conversion to Islam among others.

They continue to heap all the misdemenour of any Abubakar, Audu or Yunusa on Islam.

Instead of picking up the Quran to read what Islam says about these issues, they chose to vilify Islam, abuse it in such a way that unnerves the Muslims and then they say it is a religion of violence. The real Muslim will not be involved in any act of violence even at the highest provocation, but we should know that justice and fairness are key elements for peace.

Even Donald Trump’s spookish commentagainstMuslimsrecently was only but a comic relief to most of us. Blaming all Muslims for terrorism and campaigning to ban Muslims from the USA will not bother us because we know who we are, and not who they think we are. But Trump ought to know that leadership is not about disparaging people, it is not about hate for a people; it is about love for all.

Muslims will not be upset but instead, we will continue to pray for them just like Prophet Muhammad did for the people of Taif who ridiculed and persecuted him. The Ese Oruru and Yunusa

case including a couple of similar cases that made the news recently are basically a clash of culture.

These are now being used to ridicule Muslims as morally depraved individuals who forcefully take young girls into marriages and convert them to Islam. Clearly, the act is not only anti-Islam,itistantamounttochildrape and a sin before Allah.

It is not something that is condoned in Islam. It is something that has to do with culture and not Islam. More facts are emerging as Yunusa had confessed to have put Ese in the family way right under the roof of Oruru’s family alleging that the Mother was in the know of their illicit sexcapade. But since the matter is in court, I will be concerned with what Islam says about child marriage.

It should be noted that no individual can be forced into marriage in Islam just as you

The religion has taught that when a man proposes to a woman, her consent and that of her parents are necessary and no relationship should exist if there is no consent

cannot force anybody to accept or practise Islam. There are conditions which must be met. The religion has taught that when a man proposes to a woman, her consent and that of her parents are necessary and no relationship should exist if there is no consent.

It was clear, that both parents did not consent to their relationship.

Again, there must be witnesses from both families; there must be a gift, no matter how little, by the groom to the bride. All these did not take place.

How could that have conform with Islamic teachings?

Again, it is true that Aisha got married to the prophet (s.a.w) at the age of nine. Same conditions and laws mentioned above were met, and was conducted with the full consent of her parents who were happy their daughter was getting married.

Islamic maturity age For those who want to be anachronistic about Aisha’s, (r.a) marriage to the Prophet, she did not live with him until she reached the customary and Islamic maturity age and in accordance with the norms of the society at that time. Nobody complained, not even the enemies of Islam at that time because that was the norm.

According to Imam Ahmad Assawiy in his commentary (Tafsir Jalalain) on Suratul Mariam verses 15-27, Mariam the mother of Isa, one of the four women revered in Islam who Prophet Muhammad described as women of paradise gave birth to Isa at the age of 13. In Continues on page 31

From left: NASFAT President, Kamil Bolarinwa; Chairman NASFAT BoT, Alhaji AbdulLateef ‘Wale Olasupo; NASFAT Chief Missioner, Alhaji Abudllahi Gbade Akinbode; immediate past NASFAT President, Alhaji Sheriff Yusuf; former NASFAT President, Abu Salami at the society's world press conference to mark its 21st anniversary, in Lagos.

From left; former Women Affairs Secretary, Alhaja Faosiat Oladoja; NASFAT Women Affairs Secretary, Alhaja Samiat Mumuni; Chairman, NASFAT 21 Anniversary C'ttee, Alhaji Ismaila Remi Bello; member, NASFAT Council of Elders, Alhaji Yunus Olalekan Saliu at the event.

Cross section of NASFAT stakeholders at the event.

Islam not under any threat —NASFAT •Says Islam places high premium on morals

T

HE President of Nasrul-lahi-l-Fatih Society, NASFAT,EngrKamilBolarinwahassaidthatinspite of the global attempt to blame the religion for violence and terrorisminsomepartoftheworld,isnotathreattoMuslims andIslam,justastheChiefMissionerofthesociety,Shiekh Abdullah Akinbode urged the media to be just in the reportage of news about Islam.

Engr Bolarinwa stated this during a world press conference held in Lagos recently to mark the 21st anniversarycelebrationofthesociety.

AccordingtoBolarinwa,“Islamasareligionisnotunder any threat whatsoever in spite of an orchestrated global attempttoblameitforalltheillsofsociety.Andwhyshould it be when it is an incontrovertible fact that it is a religion of peace?ItsHolyBook,TheGloriousQur’anpreachespeace andbrotherhoodamongmankind.”

“Ithasnobleprecepts,andprescriptionsforeveryaspect of human behaviour. It also preaches obedience and submission, not only to Allah but also to those in authority, upon whom it has placed great responsibility for justice, integrity,sacrifice,equityandgoodgovernance.Thatismy religion, that is our religion.

“Clearly then, a religion that places such high premium ongood,orderlybehaviourwillanddoesabhorviolencein all forms. While it does not preach turning of the other

cheek, it is not an-eye-for-an-eye religion. Islam enjoins MuslimstoleavejudgmenttoAlmightyAllah.Therefore, amancanfightforhimself,hisfamily,forwhateverinjury he may suffer; but no one should take the law into his own hands and ignore seeking legal redress, without running afoul of the law. That is the reality even of our secular life. You do not say you are fighting for the law or protecting it, or do you? In the same way, no man, no Muslim can say they are fighting for Allah; doing so does diminish the awesomeness and omnipotence of Allah.”

“Thisiscommonknowledge.Religiondoesn’tpromote terrorism, neither do race or ethnicity. It is people who perpetrateactsofterrorism.Positivesocio-politico-economic conditionsaresafeguardsandbulwarksagainstterrorism.

Myviewisthatsocialdisconnect,lackofeducation,extreme poverty and hunger, and unemployment incubate and fertilizeviolence,insecurityamongothers.”

The Chief Missioner, Sheikh Akinbode while responding to questions from news urged the media to always be just and fair in the reportage of news about Islam. “You can only help to erase these misconception aboutIslamifyougivefair,justandbalancereportabout Islam.

Cross section of NASFAT stakeholders at the event.

NASFAT Women Affairs Secretary, Alhaja Samiat Mumuni (middle) flanked by NASFAT women at the event.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016—31

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32— Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016 YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

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

TAURUS; Venus moves into a positive angle to your Star and encourages peaceful settlement. Exhibition of maturity on your part will favour you better.

GEMINI; Gradually you are dropping aggressive approach you have adopted in the last few days to the betterment of your cause. Remain practical till after 10.15pm.

CANCER; Other people will continue to have their says and if you try to indoctrinate them tensed atmosphere will be aggravated. Be patient.

LEO; Entrance of romantic Venus into a positive angle will enhance your prospects. Both financial and love related success are possible.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

God is watching

R

IGHT from ages man has continued to look for ways of clothing his nakedness. Nakedness does not just mean not wearing clothes alone. It includes covering our evil deeds, wicked acts, ways and

sins etc.

As it was the days of the biblical Adam and Eve, so it is today.

When we commit heinous crime, we run for cover under the stone,

TERROR MUDA

under the water and under the dark, hoping and praying that we will not be caught.

We live a lie. We forget that air bear witness to our cruel act;

in “Scavenger Elite”

the sun by our shadow takes our photograph, and our conscience convicts us daily.

Beware, God is watching. Your sins will find you out.

Think about it!

By Lanre Kehinde

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

LIBRA; Better than yesterday; however that is not to say you should throw caution to the wind.

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

SCORPIO; After the am period you will become more aggressive. However your best way to success is to seek and reason with opinion of your spouse and/or important partners.

SAGITTARIUS; After a few days of fun you may need to settle down to serious business. Those of you working till very late evening will need to be more careful till after 10.15pm. Reason with your tried and trusted old hands(friends).

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in “HEY’

By Andy Akman

CAPRICORN; Venus moves into positive angle and boost your sparkling personality to the betterment of your cause. Could be a nice day for the-young-atheart.

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

PISCES; Recent tension generated by controversy over money will start to ease off. Be more vigilant if you are working late in the evening. Yet you will need to watch what you do within your base till after 10.15pm tonight.

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

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Good future for me?

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

Adegbite, Abuja.

Dear Adegbite, Although there will be a particular time you will need to be more careful so that you will not gamble with love as predicted under your love life.

Major challenges for you here is inability to hold on to your gains (profits) partially by the contact made between your natal Saturn and Venus and some other times by your love of LUXORY (easy life).

Although the Saturn influence can be mitigated, the love of luxury comes from your Taurus – Stallion which must not be totally discouraged but should not be allowed to go beyond your control. Yes envy and jealousy can creep in as indicated by the oppositions between your natal Venus/Saturn in Taurus and Jupiter in Scorpio, but that is not enough excuse for either failure or manipulation of occult powers against you. Whatever anybody says and/or does GREAT FINANCIAL SUCCESS is your portion.

The most influential planet during your birth hour is Venus-the planet of MONEY and LOVE. You are the romantic type whose magnetic personality and open handedness are sources of big trap to his members of opposite sex. As handsome as you are you truly crave stability in your love life, /home and the happiness you desired will be yours. You will need to watch carefully around and during your 44th year on earth as you may be tempted to gamble with matters-of-the-heart.

HOME & ABROAD

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016 — 33

Edo 2016: Oshiomhole wants more women to join guber race

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

ENIN—GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has called on more women to join the state’s governorship race before the primaries in June, saying that women must be bold to vie for political offices as men were unwilling to yield the ground to them on a platter of gold.

Speaking at an event put together by his wife, Iara Oshiomhole, to celebrate the 2016 International Women’s Day, Oshiomhole said that women have the number to win political offices and should leverage on their number.

He said: “I am happy that a woman has stepped out for the governorship primaries. It is important that we do not expect that men will get to a point where they will be tired of domination and will say, ‘ you know, we have dominated you enough, you women, come and take over power.’ It is never going to happen. The only way women will take power is not to wait for men to beg them to do so. They have to stand their

ground because in Edo State, two out of every three votes are cast by women.

“It, therefore, means that women have the numbers,

they have the patience and what it takes to contest and win elections. It is not about money. If it were about money, I wouldn’t have been

able to contest and win. The first thing is your heart, your conviction and then your brain and God has given everything to women.”

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY: From left: Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, former governor of Delta State; Hajiya Aisha Babangida, Chairperson Better Life Programme; Mr Olusola Teniola, Chief Executive Officer, Internet Solution and Chief Kemi Nelson, APC SouthWest Woman Leader, at the International Women's Day 2016 Conference, at Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe Victoria Island yesterday. Photo: Akeem Salau.

New revenue bill should protect women, NGO tells A-Ibom Assembly

By Chioma Onuegbu

U

YO—AN Uyo-based non-governmental organisation, Policy Alert, has called on the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly to ensure that the state’s proposed Internal Revenue Service Bill protects the rights of the most vulnerable taxpayers, especially women and others in the informal sector of the economy.

The group, in a statement, yesterday, in Uyo, during a public hearing on a ‘Bill to Make Provisions for Administration and Collection of Revenue due to State and Local Government Councils’ organised by the House Committee on Appropriations and Finance, observed that a number of operational weaknesses and gaps in the extant legal framework for revenue administration in the state had continued to undermine the rights of the weakest and poorest tax payers in the past 16 years.

The statement, by the Head of Programmes, Tijah BoltonAkpan, listed some of the challenges of revenue administration in the state to include weak administrative structure, high-handedness of revenue collectors, lack of transparency and accountability, and unduly high tax burden on the informal sector.

It recommended that the bill should curb arbitrariness and

C M Y K

reduce the excessive tax burdens on market men and women, tricycle operators and street hawkers by strengthening provisions relating to local government

revenue committees.

“We believe that room for abuse and other excesses of tax collectors as currently experienced can be avoided by outlawing the use of agents

and consultants for the collection of taxes, restricting the definition of revenue collector in the bill to the bona fide employees of the Internal Revenue Service.”

DTHA urged to ratify suspension of Ndokwa East LG Chair

A

By Festus Ahon

S A B A — T H E legislative arm of Ndokwa East Local Government Area, Delta State, has urged the state House of Assembly to ratify its suspension order on the chairman of the council, Mrs Nkechi Chukwura, over her alleged refusal to render account of income and expenditure of the council's funds since the inception of her administration.

Leader of the legislative arm, Mr Matthew Uzoka, who briefed newsmen in Asaba, said they had since sent a copy of the resolution of their sitting of March 4, wherein the council Chairman was suspended to the state House of Assembly for ratification.

Reacting, the embattled council chairman, Mrs Chukwura, described the allegations as untrue, saying that she had not touched the council's funds since she assumed office.

Uzoka, flanked by 11 out of the

15 councillors in the legislative arm, alleged that they were being sidelined in the running of the council, accusing the embattled council chairman, Chuckwura, of awarding contracts for the collection of

Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, to her siblings without due process.

Alleging that the council chairman was operating without a budget, he appealed to the House of Assembly to act on their resolution.

Empowerment of women can turn Nigeria's economy around—Forum

A

special forum to mark the International Women’s Day organised for women in the Niger Delta was held in Asaba with calls on all levels of government and other relevant bodies to work towards more empowerment of women in Nigeria in the interest of the country ’s economic development.

The forum noted that women, as good managers of the home and financial resources, could make a greater impact on the nation’s economy if they were given improved access to credit as well as eliminate existing

barriers to women empowerment.

The forum was organised by Chevron-backed Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta, PIND, with support from Chevron Nigeria Limited and USAID and other organisations.

Critical appraisal of the plight of women, especially those involved in agriculture, as well as measures to effectively address the identified challenges in order to advance the cause of women in the Niger Delta featured at the conference.

Easter retreat: Kumuyi assures on God’s unlimited power

T

HE General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, has assured all would-be participants at the church’s national Easter retreat of God’s special intervention in all spheres of their lives.

Pastor Kumuyi, who expressed optimism that God would visit his people in a mighty way, announced that the event with the theme, Experiencing the Power of His Cross, will take place from March 24 to March 27, 2016 at Deeper Life Conference Centre, on KM 48, LagosIbadan Expressway.

He also said that the programme would take place simultaneously in all the state, region and local government camp grounds within Nigeria, other locations in Africa and beyond.

Kumuyi, who has devoted all his life to the preaching of the gospel and to the liberation of the repressed and oppressed across the globe through the unstoppable power of God, in a statement, assured that just as the curtain of the temple (in Jerusalem) was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth shook and the rocks split the moment Jesus breathed his last on the rugged cross, even so shall all participants have their life challenges torn asunder and uprooted at the retreat.

ACP Iyida passes on

A

S S I S T A N T Commissioner of Police, Mike Iyida, 52, is dead.

He died on March 5, 2016, at the National Hospital, Abuja, after a brief illness.

Until his death, ACP Iyida was a devout Christian and was ACP, General Investigations, Alagbon, Lagos.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, General Investigations, Alagbon, Mr. S.O. Awoniyi, said in a statement yesterday that the family will announce his burial announcement.

He is survived by a widow, children and many relations.

•Late ACP Iyida

34 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11 , 2016

FCC reads riot act to institutions over federal character principles

A

By Vincent Ujumadu

WKA—THE Federal Character Commission, FCC, has read the riot act to heads of federal institutions over their recruitment, warning them to ensure that the federal character principles were strictly followed at all times.

The executive chairman of FCC, Dr. Shetima Abba, who spoke at a one-day sensitization meeting with the management and stakeholders of the host communities of Federal institutions in the old Aguata Division of Anambra State, regretted that the issue of recruitment often led to squabbles between the management and community leaders, which, he noted, should not be the case because there were laid down guidelines on employment.

Abba, who was represented by the Commissioner representing Ekiti State in FCC, Comrade Bunmi Ojo warned that the lopsidedness observed in the staff disposition of some federal institutions, would no longer be tolerated, adding that henceforth, chief executives of defaulting institutions would be held liable and accountable for any anomaly.

He said: “The federal character principles as contained in Section 14(3) and (4) of the Nigerian Constitution as official state policy is to ensure that Nigeria stayed together as one entity. The application of this principle as a way of achieving national unity in a heterogeneous society like Nigeria is not entirely a new phenomenon in our socio-political life."

Anambra State deputy governor, Dr. Nkem Okeke, who declared the meeting open, said the issue of federal character and its proper implementation makes the country an ideal nation, adding that the fact that an institution is located in an area should not mean that all staff of that

institution must come from the area.

Heads of two federal institutions in the area, namely the Federal

Polytechnic, Oko and the Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze, as well as traditional rulers, presidents’ general of

town unions and other stakeholders participated at the enlightenment programme.

AFFILIATION: Music producers, artistes,

others protest in Onitsha

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu

N

NEWI—OVER eight hundred members of Producers, Music Dealers and Artistes Association of Nigeria, PMDAAN, Anambra State branch yesterday protested against the Musical Products Dealers Association of Nigeria, MPDAN over an alleged attempt by the later to coerce the former to belong to their association, otherwise, they will be termed pirates.

While PMDAAN, operates at Electronics International Market Onitsha, EDAO, along Asaba Onitsha Enugu Expressway, MPDAN operates at Iweka Road

Odoakpu, also in Onitsha.

The protesting PMDAAN who are mostly self employed men and women between the ages of 30 and 50 years did not carry placards but they chanted antiMPDAN songs asking the Police to come and save them from the hands of their persecutors.

They claimed that the members of MPDAN who are seen to be more established and mostly old men in their 60s to 70s are trying to frustrate them out of business and want them to continue to remain their puppets in the business.

Addressing newsmen after their peaceful protest to register their

displeasure over what they called MPDAN intimidation, harassment, attempt to coerce them to belong to their association even when they are not in the same market, President of PPMDAAN Chief Uzoma Ubaoha said that apart from forcing them to belong to their association, they also insisted that they will not sell their products in any market in Onitsha unless they join them.

“Another embarrassing and painful aspect of MPDAN unlawful and illegal activities is that they ordered our members to register their products (our musical works)with them and failure to do that, they will confiscate our members products."

Etisalat Nigeria celebrates channel partners

L

AGOS— Etisalat Nigeria weekend highlighted the value of mutually rewarding partnerships with the hosting of an exclusive business conference and gala night for its crème of channel partners.

The two-in-one event which held at last weekend created a platform for sharing of new business insights and strengthening of the existing bond between Etisalat Nigeria and its channel partners, networking opportunities and appreciation of the partners for their contributions to the business.

Speaking about the importance of the conference as a platform to reward excellence and devotion, Etisalat Nigeria’s Director for Channel Sales, Victor Nwaobia, said the telecoms company places a lot of value on its partners whose roles are critical to the success of

the business.

“It is part of the company’s culture to engage its stakeholders. We recognise the place of our channel partners as critical stakeholders in our business drive and also the value they bring to the whole chain.

This platform enables us to share our strategic business insights, visions and plans for the year and then have the partners contribute with useful feed backs,” he said.

Also speaking, Etisalat Nigeria’s Vice President, Consumer Sales and Service, Ken Ogujiofor, noted that the company’s inclination for innovation and quality of service necessitates that its partners align with the vision of bringing value to customers on the network.

His words: “We need to align these goals and visions with them

to be able to continue giving value to our customers. This is one of the effortswemaketosustainour innovative streakandremainsteadfastindelivering the best customer experience.”

APC lauds Aregbesola on creation of new LGs

O

SOGBO—THE All Progressives Congress in Osun State has congratulated the people and government for the creation of new local governments announced by Governor Rauf Aregbesola on Monday.

The governor in a state-wide broadcast on Monday, announced the creation of 31 additional Local Council Development Areas, three Area Councils and two Administrative Offices, to bring the total councils in the state to 61.

According to the party, ‘it is a joyful culmination of the long standing aspiration of the people to have government closest to their communities.”

The party especially congratulated the governor for painstakingly following the constitutional process required to create new local governments.

This sentiment was expressed by the chairman of the party, Prince Gboyega Famodun, in a statement issued yesterday and made available to the media.

Block moulder in court for defiling teenager

L

By Bartholomew Madukwe

AGOS—A block moulder, Tajudeen Shoneye, was yesterday brought before a Lagos High Court in Ikeja for allegedly defiling a teenager (names witheld) by having unlawful carnal knowledge of her.

The accused was said to have committed the alleged offence in his residence at Ketu area of the state.

He was arraigned by Lagos State government on a count charge of defilement, contrary to

Section 137 of the Criminal Law, of Lagos State, 2011.

However, the accused pleaded not guilty to charge as trial commenced.

During yesterday’s proceeding, the defence witness, Major Abdulrazaq Adesanya (retd), told the court that the victim was used to set the accused up.

According to him, he has known the accused for more than 30 years and at no time was he (defendant) accused of rape.

After listening to the witnesses, the judge adjourned to April 19 for continuation of trial.

By Bartholomew Madukwe (08102479985) nwamad@yahoo.com

PEOPLE SPEAK

Should convicted Rev. King be pardoned?

T

he law found him guilty; we should allow the law to take its course, no sentiments. The church members and brothers who are pleading should not make it look as if it is an ethnic or Igbo thing, Igbos don’t support evil. Mr Okey Chima, Worker

C M Y K

H

e did not set others free, he killed them.

God will decide his faith after he has been to God through execution. He will be executed in a similar way his victims were killed by him. That is just my own take on this.

Mr Gabriel Edward, Engineer

I

watched on TV couple of times in the mid 2000 when Rev. King was at the zenith of his befuddled malady, the way he postured as ‘god’ and had his adherents sang his adulation. What he did to others should as well be done to him. Mrs Foluke Jaiyeola, Teacher

I

do not understand how some people think. A man who is guilty of so many crimes including murder, then some people are asking for him to be pardoned. What of those that he killed, does it mean their lives have no meaning? Mr Oche Aboh, Businessman

R

ev. King is like a virus among us, let him be expunged to have a peaceful atmosphere.

When the rule of law starts to take its course on big and small, rich and poor, it will surely serve as a deterrent to others in such shoe. Mr Tunde Azeez, Self Employed

T

he Supreme Court has okayed the convicted Rev. King to die by hanging. It is not in our hands to judge anyone irrespective the magnitude of his or her offence. He should be pardoned.

Miss Ebereke Kelechi, Student

Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016 — 35

KOGI ASSEMBLY CRISIS: Senate backs House of Reps' takeover

By Henry Umoru & By Boluwaji Obahopo

A

BUJA—THE Senate yesterday threw its weight behind the taking over of the legislative functions of the Kogi State House of Assembly by the House of Representatives following the protracted crisis that engulfed the assembly in the last one month.

Speaking with Vanguard on the development, Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume who noted that what the lower chambers did was constitutional, said once there was a breakdown of law and order in any state House of Assembly, the House of Representatives would constitutionally take over.

He said, “it is constitutional that once there is a breakdown of law and order in any state House of Assembly, the House of Representatives take over.”

Also speaking, Senator Mohammed Ogembe, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Kogi Central who claimed he was not aware of what happened in the Kogi State House of Assembly, said the issue ought to have been brought to the senators and discussed on the floor of the chambers, but that was not done.

According to him, the House of Representatives had the right to do that, but what ought to have been done was that the Senate ought to have been

communicated.

He said: “ Nobody knows what happened, we are not aware, the issue ought to be brought to the floor of the Senate, we know that the House of Representatives has the right to take over the house, they ought to communicate the Senate.”

The House of Representatives Wednesday took over the

legislative functions of the Kogi State House of Assembly due to the crisis rocking the assembly since the last one month.

Meanwhile, factional members of the House led by Umar Imam met yesterday and resolved to drag the House of Representatives and its leadership to court for alleged contempt of the court.

The faction also accused the deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the last year governorship election, James Faleke, as the person instigating the House of Representatives on the assembly issue.

The faction made the resolution during its plenary at the chamber of the assembly in spite the House of Representatives directives on Wednesday that the premises of the assembly be sealed off.

LAUNCH: Executive Director, Dangote Industries Limited, Halima Aliko-Dangote; MD/CEO, Standard Chartered Bank Ltd, Nigeria and Guest Speaker, Mrs Bola Adesola; CEO, Dangote Foundation, Zouera Youssoufou at the launch of Dangote Women’s Network in Lagos.

APC moves to suspend Kwankwaso over alleged anti-party activities

By Abdulsalam Muhammad

K

ANO—THE leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Kano State chapter has initiated moves to suspend former Governor of the state, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso for alleged anti-party activities.

The chairman, Kano chapter of the party, Alhaji Haruna Umar Doguwa, told newsmen in Kano that the senator had during a recent visit to the state allegedly exhibited actions capable of compromising the party’s unity.

According to Doguwa: “The case of party indiscipline by Kwankwaso would be thoroughly investigated and dealt with in accordance with the constitution of our party” Kwankwaso was alleged to have stormed Abdullahi Ganduje village on a condolence visit with supporters chanting perceived derogatory songs against the bereaved the state governor, Alhaji Abdulahi Ganduje.

Doguwa claimed that “what specifically made the visit a misdemeanour to our party spirit of discipline and brotherhood was the fact that the visit was purely political as against the mission of condolence. The act of thuggery and brazen show of daggers,

swords and other dangerous weapons by sponsored/hired hoodlums was totally unwholesome and condemnable.”

He declared that the party acknowledged his presidential ambition, maintaining that “our loyalty and commitment is to

President Muhammadu Buhari, his policies and programmes”.

Doguwa said the party would ensure that discipline is enforced as prescribed by the party's constitution.

Efforts by Vanguard to get reaction from the former Governor through Aminu Abdulsalam, his

former Commissioner, Government House Affairs, was unsuccessful.

He told Vanguard that “We want to react formally to issues raised by party chairman but at the moment, we are waiting to take delivery of the conference paper.”

Borno Elders Forum rues Maj-Gen Abubakar's death

By Ndahi Marama

M

AIDUGURI —TH E Borno Elders Forum has expressed shock over the demise of Major General Yusha’u Mahmood Abubakar, first ‘Theater Commander’ in the war against Boko Haram insurgents, following the relocation of the Military’s Command and Control Center to Maiduguri by President Muhammadu Buhari in May, 2015.

The elders described General Abubakar as “a courageous, dedicated, loyal and patriotic Nigerian Soldier” who fought and died trying to rescue Borno from the bondage of terrorism.

The forum also prayed for the speedy recovery of Brigadier General Mohammed Aliyu, acting G.O.C who was involved in the accident that claimed the life of General Abubakar along

Maiduguri-Damaturu way few days ago.

Secretary and spokesman of the forum, Bulama Mali Gubio, on behalf of the forum’s chairman,

Ambassador Gaji Galtimari, said in a statement yesterday in Maiduguri that the death of Abubakar was a sad one for every true son and daughter of Borno.

Dana Air unveils special fares for Easter

By Daniel Eteghe

D

ANA Air has unveiled special fares ahead of Easter celebrations, which expects passengers to display five of the airline’s boarding passes on Instagram and win a free ticket.

The Accountable Manager of the airline, Mr. Obi Mbanuzuo, said in Lagos yesterday that the aim of the promo “is primarily to reward our loyal guests and for the most frequent flyers to show their loyalty by keeping their boarding passes, showing it and

winning free tickets to keep flying. The more you fly, the more you win.”

Mbanuzuo said the promo would last till May 2016, adding that Dana Air was committed to enhancing the flying experience of its passengers by providing a consistent, satisfactory, intentional and proactive experience.

He said: ‘’The introduction of the Show Your Loyalty promo is further proof of our commitment.

Our valued guests can take advantage of our special fares, which will be both online and across our counters at the

Harriman, Ajibulu laud Ocholi’s doggedness to Buhari’s vision

By Charles Kumolu

A

former member of the House of Representatives and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Temi Harriman, has mourned the late Minister of State for Labour, Mr James Ocholi for his doggedness and commitment to the realisation of the Muhammadu Buhari presidential project.

Besides her, Mr. Tunde Ajibulu another chieftain of the APC from Kogi State also praised the late Ocholi for his passion in the campaign for the election of Buhari.

Ocholi died in a motor accident last Sunday.

Harriman, who was a member of the APC presidential campaign committee, alongside the late Ocholi in a message of condolence said: ‘’He was a personable and committed team member of the Forum of Presidential Campaign State Coordinators.

He was a nice man. His brilliance and eloquence as a lawyer were so evident during the ministerial screening at the Senate.”

Saraki, Duke, Ita-Giwa, bag UNICAL honorary doctorate gegree

S

ENATOR Florence Ita Giwa will on Saturday be honoured with a Doctorate Degree Award in Political Science by the Executive Council Board of the University of Calabar for her many contributions to the political development of Nigeria.

Others to be honoured include the President of the Senate, Doctor Bukola Saraki and former governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke.

Senator Ita Giwa, however expressed joy that an intellectual community like the highly-placed University has been monitoring her political contributions to the country.

In a statement she personally signed on Thursday, she promised that the honour would spur her to greater contributions not only to the nation but to the university.

The statement reads : “To have my life pursuit and contributions in the polity and leadership of this great nation recognized by a group of constituted intellects is surely a remarkable expression that success is not classified.

I am aware that the road of success through sacrifice, struggle and passion can only get a selected few this far.''

36—Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

CHARITY: From left—Wife of Secretary to Lagos State Government, Professor Ibiyemi Tunji-Bello; representative of Hope for Women Foundation, Mrs. Olufunke Adeleke; sister of beneficiary, Miss. Teryila Doose; one of the beneficiaries, parents with multiple births, Mrs. Apeon Shihen; and wife of Lagos State Governor and organiser, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, during the empowerment programme for widows, parents with multiple births and medical support for the less-privileged by the Foundation in conjunction with the Fisr Lady in Ikeja, Lagos. PHOTO: Bunmi Azeez.

AMBASSADOR JENIFA: From left— Public Relations Manager,

Startimes, Israel Bolaji; Marketing Director, Dare Kafar; Brand Ambassador, Funke Akindele; and Group Head, Legal/COO, Irokoworld TV, Uloma Onuma, at the unveiling ceremony of Funke Akindele as Brand Ambassador of Irokoworld TV on Startimes in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: Lamidi Bamidele.

CONDOLENCE: Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State (standing) offers prayers during a condolence visit to the Governor AbdulLahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State who lost his mother, Hajiya Fatima Umar Ganduje on Friday, March 4, 2016. With him are Governor Ganduje (right), former Jigawa State Governor, Senator Saminu Turaki (2nd right), Katsina state deputy governor, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu (left) and Saudi Consul General.

SHOWCASE: From left—Country Manager, Emirates Airline, Mr. Manoj Nair; Associate Director, Business Development, Burj Al Arab, Mr. Aymen Baccouche; Regional Director for Africa, Dubai Tourism, Mrs Stella Obinwa; Business Development Manager, Emirates Holidays, Mr. Roy John; and Senior Sales Manager, Gulf Region and Africa, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Mr. Cesar Habib, at Jumeirah Group showcase of product and recent developments in Lagos.

Budget padding: Buhari redeploys 185 top officials from office •22 top officials moved from Budget Ministry •4 directors, 6 deputy directors, 12 assistant directors affected •All to report in new posts by today

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor

P

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, made good his threat to deal ruthlessly with top civil servants who altered figures in the 2016 budget thereby making nonsense of his zero budget plan.

No fewer than 184 top budget officials were flushed out of budget duties and sent to establishments that have little or nothing to do with budget, as a punishment for their roles in padding this year ’s fiscal document, now before the National Assembly.

A top official in the Budget office confirmed that 22 top officers from the Budget Office of the Federation were affected in the mass deployment.

The rest were moved away from budget-related duties in other C M Y K

Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs. Vanguard learnt that out of the 22 top officials indicted in the

budget office, four were directors on Level 17, six were deputy directors while 12 were assistant directors.

As the affected officials were moved from their posts in the Budget Office, 14 other directors said to have been ‘tested’ have been redeployed to the same office with immediate effect.

The order to remove the tainted officials from their previous posts to other duties, was conveyed to the affected offices by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, according to finding

by Vanguard.

All the affected officers, according to the directive, are to report in their new locations on or before the close of work today.

When contacted, the Media Adviser to the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Mr. Akpandem James, confirmed the development but declined to give further details.

It would be recalled that while in Saudi Arabia last month, President Buhari had threatened to punish all those who were involved in the padding of the budget.

Apart from removing the director of budget, he also merged the budget office with the planning ministry.

37% of Nigerians malnourished —Minister • kills half a million children yearly – UNICEF

By Emmanuel Elebeke

M

INISTER of Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, yesterday, said that about 37 per cent of Nigerians (68 million) are suffering from malnutrition, while one out of every two child deaths are due to malnutrition, imposing a staggering cost to the nation.

Speaking at a one-day stakeholders dialogue on the Reviewed National Policy on Food and Nutrition, RNPFN, in

Abuja, Ahmed said the present administration was poised to address the problem headlong, and blamed the development on corruption and high poverty rate in the country.

“There is a staggering statistics of 37 per cent of malnutrition in Nigeria, which also indicates that it is caused by malnutrition and that is really very high. That has to be addressed in the very near future. The malnutrition rate is high because we have high poverty rate and corruption at this

point because, the resources that we have is filtered away by only a small population of the country.

The people are not getting the benefits of our resources but this government is addressing corruption.

“Apart from addressing corruption, we have to educate our mothers and families at the best level on ways and means they can use food crops and plants that are at their environment to close the nutrition gap. We have made some achievements, but the

achievements we have made are not good enough because malnutrition is still a very fundamental problem in Nigeria. We are hoping, with the support of our development partners, to find new ways and means by which nutrition issues will be addressed in a most cost effective manner, so that Nigerians as a people will be more aware of nutritional foods available in their communities to close the gap in our nutrition deficiency,” she noted.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016—37

By Gbenga Olarinoye

T

HE decision of Governor Rauf Aregbesola to dissolve the management committees of the existing 30 Local Councils and Area Office in Osun State and the creation of additional 31 Local Council development Areas, LCDA, three Area Councils and two Administrative Offices has continued to generate reactions from the stakeholders in the state.

The governor in a special broadcast to the people of the state also terminated the appointments of their Executive Secretaries, deputy executive secretaries, members, Special Advisers and other functionaries in their various councils.

While justifying his action, Aregbesola said his administration will make judicious use of its revenues in such a way that increasing the number of councils will least constitute any financial burden.

It would be recalled that the request for additional local councils by the people of the state after several legal procedures was sent to the state House of Assembly in the form of an executive bill.

The House looked into the bill, set up a committee and subsequently, a referendum was held on February 19, 2015, in which the people of the state overwhelmingly gave a “Yes vote” on the bill.

Financial challenges The House passed the bill creating 31 new Local Council Development Areas LCDAs, three Area Councils and two Administrative Offices, which was signed into law by the governor.

Aregbesola, speaking on why the state is creating more councils at the time of financial challenges, held that his administration had given it sufficient consideration, saying he has put in place procedures that will cost less and save money thus bringing rapid development.

The governor stated that the state will be saving huge cost with the new system adding that the same number of staff will still run all the councils, and no new appointments will be made to existing ones.

He hinted that the entire local government system will be managed by Council Managers for three months, adding that managers shall be appointed and deployed by Local Government Service Commission from among the substantive grade level 14 officers in the local governments.

He said, “Many would be wondering and asking: why create more councils at this special time of financial C M Y K

•The present 30 local government structure set to be reshaped by the new development areas

NEW COUNCILS IN OSUN:

Consolidation or confusion?

IN the midst of dire financial straits, the creation of new development areas in Osun State and the equally strange decision to adopt parliamentary system in the local councils has been welcomed and condemned by the different political tendencies in the state

•Aregbesola: New councils will not cost government more money challenges? We have also given sufficient consideration to this.

With this new parliamentary

We call on Gov Aregbesola to stop creating more problems for the people of Osun and resign if he has nothing to offer the people of the state

•Omisore: PDP says it is another confusion

system, it will cost less to run the new councils and save a lot of money for the government than in the past.

“The primary responsibilities of our new local government system are sanitation, market management and revenue mobilisation and generation. This is consistent with local government administration worldwide.

“The beauty of this new system is its parliamentary nature, which requires the chairman and the vice chairman to be elected by the councillors from among their own ranks, thereby saving cost,”

the governor told the people of the state.

He added that the creation of additional local government should not be seen as being alien in the sense that in advanced western democracies, the local government controls the police and provides many municipal services to the people.

Osun new LCDAs: Continuation of Aregbesola’s confusion —PDP But the main opposition party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP roundly condemned the action arguing that creation of additional local

governments in any guise in the time of very serious economic crises was not auspicious.

The PDP argued further that the introduction of a parliamentary system of government at the grassroots level when the nation is currently operating the presidential system at both the national and state levels would further lead to confusion.

The party in a statement issued

by Prince Diran Odeyemi, its spokesperson, said since coming on board, Governor Aregbesola has bewildered many with his actions to the extent that “Mr. Governor will, without contest, be given top prize as the “most confused governor in Nigeria.”

Odeyemi said the creation of additional 31 LCDAs when the existing 30 local government areas are unable to pay workers salaries let alone embark on any developmental projects in the last five years of being in office is evidence that “our governor is confused and bereft of ideas.”

Developmental projects He added: “it is not hidden Mr. Aregbesola is controversy personified and infusing such clumsiness into the governance of the state that Osun, once a pride among states in the country is now a laughing stock among others will forever be counted against the governor.

“Why must Osun copy Lagos for everything? This same Ogbeni Aregbesola introduced and renamed Osun State to State of Osun, wasted scarce resources of the state to plant flowers from Asejire to Owena, cruise around in helicopter because Fashola has one, created series of “Os” from “O Yes- to O No”, what a funny and confused Governor.

“The same governor introduced same uniform in all schools in Osun and separated the state from the National Education system to his own special one which led to mass failure in WAEC exam.”

“We call on Gov Aregbesola to stop creating more problems for the people of Osun and resign if he has nothing to offer the people of the state”.

But in defense of Aregbesola, Dr Ajibola Bashiru, a lawyer and former Special Duties commissioner to Aregbesola and one of the key players in the new arrangement said, “there is no such thing as confusion in running a parliamentary system within the context of presidential system.

“The applicable constitutional provision to local government is section 7 and merely prescribed that the local governments should be run under a law that is democratic. "No prescription on whether parliamentary or presidential. It is beyond debate Continues on page 38

38—VANGUARD, FRIDAY,

By Clifford Ndujihe

O

N how to end the recurring fuel scarcity problem The fall in the price of oil is a global phenomenon. And for a nation that generates over 80 percent of its revenue from oil, the fall in price was bound to affect us, especially when we failed to save for the rainy day.

Nigeria is experiencing the consequences of the destructive tendencies and policies of past administrations that failed to act responsibly by dangerously creating the impression that Nigeria was making progress.

The current attempts to revamp the sector are being sabotaged by remnants of that clique at the NNPC and its depots who are determined to continue selling products above approved official rates. While Mr. President and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources are working hard to reposition the oil sector, there is a clique that is hell-bent on frustrating their efforts.

Allocation of products They ask the oil marketers to pay the official rate of N75 per litre into the officially-designated accounts and then pay a difference of between N30 and N35 per litre into a private account or bring it in cash. It is only those who cooperate with them that they allocate products. When the difference is added to the official rate, it shoots the price up to over N100 per litre.

To solve this problem, I think the allocation of petroleum products should be centralized, and the EFCC should be empowered to investigate transactions between the depots and oil marketers and scrutinize their finances in a bid to fish out unjustifiable funds.

Henceforth, there should be a verifiable census of all marketers, who are eligible for allocations and such allocations should be made from the office of the

MARCH 11, 2016

Why we must not fight Buhari at all — KASHAMU •Says Buhari’s war against corruption not targeted at PDP SENATOR Buruji Kashamu, PDP Ogun East District was in recent times the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Southwest Mobilisation Committee and a major patron of the party in the region. In this interview, he charges Nigerians to back President Muhammadu Buhari’s change agenda and anti-graft war in the interest of the citizenry because fighting the government to a standstill may lead to political turmoil that the country may not survive.

Minister in Abuja. This will be a replication of the BVN in the oil sector.

His take on the foreign exchange crisis The dollar-naira ratio has global and local dimensions. The global dimension has to do with the drop in our revenue, which brought a lot of pressure on the naira. Thus, we have a lot of naira chasing a few dollars since our foreign earnings have dropped as a result of the glut in the international oil market. Locally, the clique that was manipulating and swinging the value of the dollar has been tamed.

The current measures by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN to ensure that legitimate demands for the dollar are granted should be encouraged.

Hopefully, it would soon be possible to peg the dollar at an official rate, with one or two per cent margin between the official rate and open market as it was in the 70s and 80s.

Do you think the President will deliver on his promise of change?

A new government is usually born on the promise of hope, change and a better future. Ours is not an exception. The United

States of America was also on the verge of a debilitating economic crisis in 2008 when a courageous black man, who refused to be intimidated by the onerous task ahead, traversed the length and breadth of the country, convincing the people that change was possible and imminent. Americans gave him the nod with their votes and invested their trust in him.

The initial period was tumultuous as the economy spiralled downwards before it began healing with the policies of the “change” government.

I am shocked and embarrassed by comments that the trial of the people who allegedly misappropriated money that was meant to buy weapons in the war against insurgency is a political witch-hunt of members of my party

NEW COUNCILS IN OSUN: Consolidation or confusion?

Continues from page 37 that both systems are recognised democratic means of government.

To me, parliamentary system is even more democratic apart from being cost efficient.

“It means that there will not be another set of councillors from the ward of the chairman and vice and other executives.

They will also earn salaries as councillors and can be removed democratically by the councillors by two-third majority.

“We believe in the competence of our civil servants to birth the new structure within 90 days before involving politicians The civil service in the states has

shown resilience in spite of present funding challenges”, he added.

Similarly, the APC in the state has congratulated the people and government for the creation of new local government announced by Governor Aregbesola .

The party especially congratulated the governor “for painstakingly following the constitutional process required to create new local governments.

The chairman of the party, Prince Gboyega Famodun in a statement said: “this is one great moment for Osun because the landmark achievement of creating new local governments will further enhance peace within and between communities of the

state as well as increase the potential for more efficient internally generated revenue for the state as well as for the local governments.”

According to him, “the ball is now in the court of the people to demonstrate their appreciation through dedicated effort at keeping the new as well as the old local councils running.

The chairman called on the people “to stand firm and fully give their support to the government which in spite of the financial challenges the state is going through, Osun is not standing still. It is not stagnant, but moving on with positive steps to bring the best it could afford to the people.”

•Kashamu: Buhari is fair to all The same can happen with us, if we, as a people, are united and decide to create the enabling environment. Let us not forget that this government is what we have right now and we have the option of either fighting it to death or supporting it to succeed. The former is not an option because Nigeria might not survive such a political turmoil.

On comments that the anticorruption war is targeted against members of the PDP I am shocked and embarrassed by comments that the trial of the people who allegedly misappropriated money that was meant to buy weapons in the war against insurgency is a political witch-hunt of members of my party, the PDP.

Tragic bombings The masterminds of that crime wanted the war to escalate and if that had happened unchecked, the insurgency would have spread to other regions of the federation. The insurgents were already violating the peace of Abuja with tragic bombings and it would have been just a matter of time for states like Kogi, Edo, Ondo and Ekiti that are just a couple of hours away from Abuja to be affected.. As of today, our security agencies have succeeded in weakening and pushing back the Boko Haram elements. President Buhari has his work clearly cut out for him because this ongoing fight against corruption must be consistently fought until Nigeria is free from the menace of corruption.

This fight must be fought at all cost because it is the fight for the soul and future of our great country. Political parties continually engage in fund raising and it is difficult to know the difference between money that was raised from such an exercise and money that was stolen from the treasury.

Only those in government knew the true sources of the funds that they disbursed.

And now, our great party, the PDP, is being stigmatized. The PDP is a good party that, like any other human organization, got infested with bad people. As a matter of fact, many high net worth individuals in the party and outside donated money for the last elections. But the money was not managed by the PDP.

Campaign funds It was mostly members of the Federal Executive Council, FEC that managed campaign funds in their various states. Thus, any party man sent to pick up campaign funds from them will simply assume that he was going to pick up money the party got from its fund raising and not misappropriated government money.

Are you saying parties should not be funded by government?

The culture that makes it possible for the party in power to be financed with public funds should be completely eradicated.

It is high time parties looked for creative ways to fund their activities. In fact, independent candidates should be encouraged to contest elections, and it will be catastrophic if they too decide to treat public resources like their personal estate.

On apparent poor attitude of the political class to the cries of the masses The cry of the suffering masses is palpable and nothing should be left undone in the quest to alleviate the level of poverty and despondency in our nation.

Whenever I remember how uncomfortable some top public officials were with a few days’ delay in the payment of salaries, I wonder what it is like for lessprivileged Nigerians across the states whose salaries have not been paid for months.

C M Y K

Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016—39

C M Y K

40—Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

Bresson to add 500MW to national grid

‘Nigeria needs $500m to fix refineries’

T

By Clara Nwachukwu, Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

HE Federal Government’s efforts to increase power generation has received a boost as Bresson Nigeria Limited is set to add 500 Megawatts to the national grid by 2017.

This was revealed yesterday during a visit to Vice President Yemi Osibanjo by Bresson Chairman, Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim.

The Vice President said the administration is committed to removing all bottlenecks in the power sector, commending Bresson for the integrated nature of its power projects.

He said the administration is working to ensure regular supply of gas to the power plants and efforts are on to attract investment into this sector, adding “we shall support you and other genuine investors, but we shall monitor you closely to ensure you adhere to your schedule.”

3rd Vintage Redball holds

T

HE management of Iviv & D’lore Media and PR is set to present the third annual Vintage Redball event.

The event, which includes an award ceremony, will come up Saturday, May 7, at the Holiday Inn, Regents Park, Carburton Street, London, at 6p.m. on the theme, Celebrating Nigeria’s Fallen Heroes.

Transition

A L-r: Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, Bressons chairman shaking hands with theVice president, Yemi Osinbajo, while the Slovenia ambassador to Nigeria, Peter Holasek watches

We can only pay N300bn, MTN tells FG AGF deceiving Nigerians, says Senate

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

A

BUJA—LEADING telecommunications provider in Nigeria, MTN, has told the Federal Government it could only pay N300 billion out of the N780 billion fine imposed on it over failure to register its subscribers in its data base.

MTN’s position was revealed by the Senate Committee on Communications yesterday, during an investigative hearing organised by the committee.

Vice Chairman of the committee, Senator Adeola Olamilekan (APC, Lagos West) presented a proposal approved by the Solicitor-General of the Federation, Taiwo Abiodun, by MTN, where the network provider insisted

Reps okay Nitel/ Mtel sale to Natcom

T

G

A B R I E L Omanufeme of Ellu Town, Isoko North LGA, Delta State, 78, is dead. There will be a wake keep on March 15, at his residence, 2nd Avenue, 202 Road, E Close Block 2, Festac Town, while his final burial and lying in state holds March 18, in his home town, Ellu, Isoko.

Church service also holds at his residence.

C M Y K

HE House of Representa tives, yesterday, adopted the report of its Committees on Telecommunications and Privatization and Commercialization which gave a clean bill of health to the processes that led to the liquidation and acquisition of the Nigerian Telecommunications Ltd, NITEL and its mobile arm, MTEL,

by NATCOM Consortium.

The Committees which were mandated by the plenary to investigate the transactions months back, submitted its findings yesterday after several public hearings and poring through tons of memoranda.

It would be recalled that after four unsuccessful attempts between 2001 and 2011, the National Council on Privatization in February 2012, directed the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, to privatize the companies through a guided liquidations process.

that it could only pay N300 billion.

The document, according to the Olamilekan, is the ongoing N300 billion proposal between MTN and Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on the N780 billion fine imposed on the network by Nigeria Communications Commission, NCC.

In instalments

The proposal, which was forwarded to the Ministers of Communications and Finance by the Solicitor-General and NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Professor Umar Dambatta, consists of N50 billion already paid by MTN into a recovery account of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, in “good faith,” another N100 billion to be paid via electronic transfer between December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2020.

It included another N80 billion proposed payment by MTN “as a demonstration of its commitment to and confidence in the Nigerian economy and subject to necessary regulatory approvals.

“MTN commits to purchase of N80 billion of Nigerian sovereign debt issued on international market in 2016-2017.”

The last tranche of the payment proposal is N70 billion, which the telecommunications provider said it would pay as “MTN will provide government with access (subject to excess capacity to the company’s fibre network for the purposes of allowing the FGN to expand its e-initiatives e.g visa processing, public service, connecting schools, registration, among others) from the date of the execution of this agreement through December 31, 2020.”

I sold car used for October 1 bombing—WITNESS

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

A

BUJA—TRIAL of the alleged mastermind of the 2010 Independence Day bomb blast that killed 12 persons at the Eagle Square, Abuja, Mr. Charles Okah, resumed yesterday, with one of the witnesses, Ishaka Abba, admitting that he was the one that sold the car used for the attack.

Abba, made the disclosure before the Federal High Court in Abuja, as the 11th prosecution witness.

He was brought before the court by Federal Government, which is prosecuting Okah and his alleged accomplice, Obi

Nwabueze. Abba, who could only speak pidgin English, gave his evidence-in-chief via an interpreter.

He said it was the second accused, Nwabueze, that persuaded him to sell the Mazda 626 saloon car to him.

Abba, an automobile electrician in Oshodi, Lagos, identified Nwabueze. He said the defendant first approached him on October 15, 2010 and the transaction perfected two days later.

On cross-examination by the defence team, Abba said he never had any encounter with Okah.

Justice Kolawole adjourned further hearing till Monday.

BUJA—MINISTER of State for Petroleum and Group Managing Director of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Dr. Ibe Kachukwu, yesterday said that the four refineries in the country will require between $300 million and $500 million to function effectively.

This came on a day a meeting among oil producers to discuss a global pact on freezing production is unlikely to take place in Russia on March 20, as the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, member, Iran, is yet to say whether it would participate in such a deal.

The minister spoke during at an interactive meeting with the joint House of Representatives Committee on Gas Resources, Petroleum (Downstream and Upstream) and Local Content, over the controversy on the recent unbundling of NNPC to 30 companies.

He said “unbundling was used to qualify the subsects” otherwise called Divisions, and not companies as would have been applicable to the actual unbundling as stipulated in the PIB.

WAMCO fetes Valentine promo winners

I

N celebration of the St. Valentine’s Day, Three Crowns Milk, from the stables of FrieslandCampina WAMCO Plc, recently hosted couples to a special valentine dinner treat.

The couples won in the just-concluded Valentine’s Day promo held between January 27 and February 13.

Speaking during the special dinner, Marketing Director, FrieslandCampina WAMCO, Mr. Tarang Gupta, explained that the promo offer was the brand’s way of showing love to its esteemed consumers and their loved ones for their continued patronage and loyalty.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016 — 41

3 month-old baby among drowned migrants to Greece A

Three-month-old baby among drowned migrants on the way to Greece More than 130,000 people have already reached Europe from Turkey this year.

The country borders war-torn regions like Syria and Iraq, where people are fleeing to escape the threat of ISIS. More than 35,000 people are thought to be trapped at the Greek-

Macedonian border at Idomeni as Europe attempts to close the Balkan route to foreigners fleeing violence and economic upheaval.

Meanwhile, Professor A. Adepoju , the Chief Executive, Human Resources Development Centre, Coordinator, Network of Migration

Research on Africa, NOMRA, has appealed to the European Union to treat African migrants with dignity.

Adepoju who stated this recently during a capacity building traing for Nigeria Journalists organised

by NORMA with the support of EU said that there was need to tackle irregular migration.

IS defector brings ‘goldmine’ of details on 22,000 supporters A disillusioned former member of Islamic State has passed a stolen memory stick of documents identifying 22,000 supporters in over 50 countries to a British journalist, a leak that could help the West target Islam-

ist fighters planning attacks.

Leaks of such detailed information about Islamic State are rare and give Britain’s spies a potential trove of data that could help unmask militants who have threatened

more attacks like those that killed 130 people in Paris last November.

A man calling himself Abu Hamed, a former member of Islamic State who became disillusioned with its leaders, passed the

Documents identifying supporters of Islamic State are seen in this still image from video, released yesterday.

files to Britain’s Sky News on a memory stick he said he had stolen from the head of the group’s internal security force.

On it were enrolment forms containing the names of Islamic State supporters and of their relatives, telephone numbers, and other details such as the subjects’ areas of expertise and who had recommended them.

One of the files, marked “Martyrs”, detailed a group of IS members who were willing and trained to carry out suicide attacks, Sky said.

Richard Barrett, a former head of global counter-terrorism at Britain’s MI6 Secret Intelligence Service, said the cache was “a fantastic coup” in the fight against Islamic State.

“It will be an absolute goldmine of information of enormous significance and interest to very many people, particularly the security and intelligence services,” Barrett told Sky News.

N/Korea fires missiles, to ‘liquidate’ South Korean assets

N

ORTH Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea yesterday in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions, as South Korean and U.S. forces conducted massive

By Vera Samuel Anyagafu

A

By Emeka Aginam, with agency report

T least five migrants - including a threemonth-old baby - have drowned while on their way to Greece from Turkey.

According to report, the group were trying to reach Europe on a speedboat, as the boat capsized off the Turkish coast.

Nine people were rescued from the boat, which was carrying Afghan and Iranian migrants, while five bodies were also recovered.

The deaths come as the migrant crisis shows no sign of letting up, with human traffickers sending people on dangerous journeys across the Aegean sea.

Last year, 806 people died on the perilous journeys, according to the International Organisation for Migrations.

The EU this week offered Turkey billions of euros in aid to stop the spread of illegal immigration, as well as a fasttrack to talks on membership talks.

‘China is no stranger to Nigeria, many African countries’

war games.

The North also announced it had scrapped all agreements with the South on commercial exchange projects and would “liquidate” South Korean assets left behind

in its territory.

North Korea has a large stockpile of shortrange missiles and is developing long-range and intercontinental missiles. Thursday’s mis-

siles flew about 500 km (300 miles) into the sea, off the east coast city of Wonsan and probably were part of the Soviet-developed Scud series, South Korea’s defense ministry said.

T the just concluded Chinese New Year, the Spring Festival celebration in Lagos, the Consul General, of the People’s Republic of China in Nigeria, Mr. Liu Kan said the Chinese government is committed to ensuring formidable bilateral ties with Nigeria, adding that China is no stranger to Nigeria and many African countries. Liu said that with several projects spanning the previous few decades, Africa has always been cherished as the ‘foundation of the foundation’ in Chinese diplomacy.

He disclosed this at the Chinese Spring of Festival celebration in Lagos, where he also restated Chinese government’s commitment to deepening closer diplomatic ties with Nigeria, even in the years ahead, According to him, the Chinese Spring Festival celebration, which displayed varieties of Chinese cultural troupe, is a top festival in China and a time to express good wishes and hopes, “During the celebration, special songs are sung to suit the mood of the festival and we are happy sharing this joy with our Nigerian friends and business counterparts.”

He also stated that his government will maintain promises made at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, adding that, President Xi’s frequent contact with Africa shows that the Chinese government has been paying much attention to African continent. The Johannesburg Summit, according to Liu, agreed to lift China-Africa relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, saying that his government is placing more weight on Africa, and it is a common need of China and African countries, particularly Nigeria, to enhance cooperation.

“During the summit, a package of initiatives proposed by President Xi to strengthen China-Africa ties and support Africa’s development in the coming three years, was warmly welcomed by all African leaders. The 10 major plans covered industrialization, a g r i c u l t u r a l

modernization, financial services and green development, including trade and investment facilitation, poverty reduction and public welfare, public health and people-to-people exchanges”, Liu added.

He said that the FOCAC programmes focused more on breaking the three development bottlenecks of underdeveloped infrastructure, talent shortage and inadequate funds, while accelerating industrialization and agricultural modernization to realize independent and sustainable development, expected to encourage more Chinese companies to carry out more projects in Africa.

However, the Chinese New Year, known as the Spring Festival, is the most important traditional festival for all Chinese, with more than a 4,000-year history. A good number of Chinese who attended the colourful celebration ascertained that friendship between Chinese and Nigerians is cordial and will continue to grow stronger through close interactions between both countries.

Cultural exchanges Many believe that with the invitation and performance of the Chinese troupe in Nigeria, cultural ties between Chinese and Nigerians will be deepened. They said they are looking forward to more committed cultural exchanges between Nigeria and China, as well as cultivate stronger bonds between the two great nations. The Consul General also commended the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the Chinese State Council and the China Overseas Exchange Association, for bringing the troupe to Nigeria to further solidify diplomatic affairs between both governments.

“Nowadays, with the deepening of China’s Reform and opening up, Spring Festive has earned more popularity globally, and become an important component of the world colorful cultures. At the moment of joyfully celebrating Chinese New Year, Overseas Chinese in Nigeria are so glad to welcome the debut of “Cultures of China, Festival of Spring” Art troupe in Lagos.

42 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

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OLUKU—I, formerly known and addressed as Oluku Edwin Aghoghowia, now wish to be known and addressed as Omote E m m a n u e l Aghoghowia. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

INOFOGHA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Inofogha Minna Oghenerukevwe, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Olise Minna Oghenerukevwe. All former documents remain valid. Delta State Polytechnic Otefe-Oghara and general public please take note.

Confirmation of Name This is to certify that Gabriel Ogba Oko Ovuokerie and Gabriel Ibredi is the same and one person, but now wish to be known and addressed as Gabriel Ogba Oko Ovuokerie.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

BASSEY—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Regina Umoh Bassey, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Regina Umoh Ogbonna. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Correction of Name I hereby state that in some of my documents, my name was wrongly written as Asimi Alimi Babatunde, instead of Hashimiyu Haleem Tunde. The correct name is Hashimiyu Haleem Tunde. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

Addition of Name ADEJOH—I, formerly known and addressed as Jibril Danjuma, now wish to be known and addressed as Jibril Danjuma Adejoh. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

A N YA N W U — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Anyanwu Priscillia Chimauche, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Offor Priscillia Chimauche.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OMOSHOLA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Temitope Akudo Omoshola, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. James Temitope Akudo. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OMOERERE—I, formerly known and addressed as Wilfred Omoerere, now wish to be known and addressed as Udumebraye Wilfred Omoyerere Edna. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OKWA —I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Okwa Emuesiri, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Eyione Emuesiri. All former documents remain valid. Delta State University Abraka, First Bank and general public please take note.

OGUN —I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ogun Mercy Itohan, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Itamah Mercy Itohan. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

AKPOBI—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Helen Akpobi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Helen Macmiracle Orobevwe. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OBIASOGU—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ifeoma Eucharia Obiasogu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ifeoma Eucharia Okoye. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

DUMISA—I, formerly known and addressed as Wanogho Onome Dumisa, now wish to be known and addressed as Wanogho Onome Emmanuel. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

KELVIN—I, formerly known and addressed as Laisi Lateef Kelvin, now wish to be known and addressed as Laisi Lateef Oluwatosin. All former documents remain valid. Ecobank Plc and the general public to take note.

OKWUOSA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Okwuosa Onyinye Chioma, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Nwanolue Onyinye Chioma. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Addition of Name: SUNDAY—I, formerly known and addressed as Akinfala Adeoye, now wish to be known and addressed as Akinfala Sunday Adeoye. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OLORUGO—I, formerly known and addressed as Olorugo Fidelis Ovie, now wish to be known and addressed as Okwe Fidelis Ovie. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ORIDE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Oride Faith Uyoyo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ovie Faith Uyoyo. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

O K H A K U M E N—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Okhakumen Janet Alekagangan, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Akpotareno Janet Gloria Alekagangan.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016— 43

Vanguard CLASSIFIED EKWEBELAM—I, formerly known and addressed as Faith Ekwebelam, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Faith Oyebade O. Adesemowo. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

IGBULE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Susana Igbule, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Susana Oserohwovo.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ADEREMI—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Aderemi Olufunmilola Abosede, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. B a m i g b a l a Olufunmilola Abosede. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ELWRAY—I, formerly known and addressed as Botosan Elwray Ramomd, now wish to be known and addressed as Botosan Orighoye Ramomd.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

HAYIENICHUKWU— I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ikem Haye Hayienichukwu Happy, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Isioma Haye Happy Charles. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Confirmation of Name I, Ojohwo-Ikolo Mriabure John, hereby confirm that the name Ojohwo John as it appears on some of my documents refers to one and same me.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Confirmation of Name I, Favour Gift Patrick hereby confirm that the name Blessing Gift Egbadan as it appears on some of my documents refers to one and same me. All former documents remain valid. Ecobank and general public please take note.

Confirmation of Name I, Abia Clement John, hereby confirm that the names Abia Clement and Clement John as they appear on some of my documents refer to one and same me. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

FEBABOR—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Edisemi Helen Febabor, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Edisemi Helen Kingsley Ebimiekumo.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ZACCHEAUS—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Gbefa Timi Zaccheaus, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Timi Gbefa Robert. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

A G H A H O WA — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Aghahowa Beauty, now wish to be known and addressed as Pastor (Mrs.) Beauty Osas. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Confirmation of Names These names, Haruna Isaiah, Haruna Dandy and Haruna Isaiah Dandy belongs to the same person but now wish to be known and addressed as Haruna Isaiah Dandy. All former documents remain valid. Any authority it may concern and the general public to take note.

DICKSON—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Jenifer Kelechi Dickson, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Jenifer Kelechi Okolie.

All former documents remain valid. Imo State University Owerri and general public please take note.

OMAGHOMI—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Omaghomi Roli, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ofuokwu Clare Roli.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

BARRY—I, formerly known and addressed as Charles Onyemechi Barry, now wish to be known and addressed as Ilomechine Charles Onyemechi. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Reconciliation of Names This is to confirm that the names Onyemelukwe Stanley and Simeon Chijioke Stanley refer to one and the same person. I now wish to be known and addressed as Onyemelukwe Stanley.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

SHOWUNMI—I, formerly known and addressed as Showunmi Modupe Oyegbemi, now wish to be known and addressed as Ajayi Modupe Oyegbemi.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ANAECHE—I, formerly known and addressed as Mr. Okeke Anaeche Donatus, now wish to be known and addressed as Mr. Okeke Chinyeaku Donatus. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ABAZU—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Abazu Chinyere Esther, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Mbamalu Chinyere Esther. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

PETER—I, formerly known and addressed as Igwe Peter Chukwudi, now wish to be known and addressed as Igwe Victor Chukwudi. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

Confirmation of Name This to confirm that the name Ogun Omojevwe, refers to one and the same person as Ogun Ojevwe, now wish to be known and addressed as Ogun Ojevwe. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OBIOKOR—I, formerly known and addressed as Obiokor Brighton, now wish to be known and addressed Obioker Brighton Igho. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

JOWEL—I, formerly known and addressed as Victor Ikechukwu Jowel, now wish to be known and addressed as Victor Ikechukwu Otuonye. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ADOGBEJI—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Adogbeji Joy Usesire, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Emonerame Joy Usesire. All former documents remain valid. Information of First Bank, authority concerned and general public take note.

UCHENDU—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Uchendu Jane Omamgbe, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Onwukwe Rejoice Jane. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

YUSUF—I, formerly known and addressed as Yusuf Bright Babangida, now wish to be known and addressed as Umoru Babangida Eshiogie.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

JOHN—I, formerly known and addressed as Abiodun Ojo John, now wish to be known and addressed as Oladipupo Oluwafemi John. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ABAH—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Abah Patricia, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ochonu Patricia Rachael. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

HOSEA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Edgyaseh Hosea, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Edgyaseh Hosea Bauten. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

UZAMERE—I, formerly known and addressed as Mrs. Nora Osasogie Uzamere, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Nora Uzamere. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

JIBRILLA—I, formerly known and addressed as Shehu Jibrilla Mubi, now wish to be known and addressed as Shehu Jibrilla. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ADAMS—I, formerly known and addressed as Temitope Favour Adams, now wish to be known and addressed as Temitope Favour Ogufere. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OMOGANRINMEH—I, formerly known and addressed as Oluwaleye Rachael Omoganrinmeh and Oluleye Rachael Omowumi, now wish to be known and addressed as Samuel Rachael Omowumi. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

O D E S A N YA — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Rafat Mojisola Odesanya, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Rafat Mojisola Olaniyan. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ENEZE—We, formerly known and addressed as (1)Mr. Eneze John Udegbunam, (2) Mrs. Eneze Geraldine Ifesinachi, (3)Miss Eneze Ngozichukwu Ann, (4)Miss Eneze Eberechukwu Sophia, (5)Master Eneze Ubanwa John, (6)Miss Eneze Obinwanne Ozioma and (7)Master Eneze Tochukwu David, now wish to be known and addressed as (1)Mr. Forward John Peter, (2) Mrs. Forward Goldeen Ifesinachi, (3)Miss Forward Anne Ngozi, (4)Miss Forward Debie Ebere, (5)Master Forward John Paul, (6)Miss Forward Ozioma Naomi and (7)Master Forward Tim David. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

BULURO—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Adesola Folasade Buluro, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adesola Folasade Shonubi. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

KETUOJOR—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Joyce Ketuojor Anumudu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Joyce Anumudu Festus Agbonifo. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

MICHAEL—I, formerly known and addressed as Obediku O g h e n e w e d e Michael, now wish to be known and addressed as Obediku Wede Verdict. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ALAO—I, formerly known and addressed as Alao Bolanle Fatima, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Zaro Fatima Bolanle. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OSUJI—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ijeoma Osuji, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ijeoma Abiaziem. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

BENJAMIN—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Blessing Jennifer Benjamin, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ichaba Blessing Jennifer. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

44 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

Gohcome plans big for Yobo testimonial match T HE organisers of the forthcoming Joseph Yobo Centenary and Testimonial match, Gohcome Associates, are planning big for the event. The Chief Executive Director of Gohcome Associates, Waidi Akanni, said the event was unique in many ways and the organizing body was working hard to make Nigerians appreciate the essence of celebrating the former international.

Gohcome Associates are working with the host state of the match, Rivers State, and the Joseph Yobo Centenary Committee headed by John Masteroudes.

Akanni said: “We are taking on two events in one. First we are celebrating the centenary of the player in the Eagles and secondly we are staging a testimonial to mark his retirement from active football.

“Two other players have staged testimonial games before but this time we are also celebrating the 101 caps of Yobo in the Eagles. He was a diligent player and he deserves all we are doing for him.”

*Yobo

By Jacob Ajom

F

ROM August 1, 2016, kids from all over the world, from ages 11 to 18 will converge on Toronto, Canada, for the First Residential Soccer camp being put together by the Kanu Soccer Academy.

The camp which has been divided into two phases will see over 400 kids from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas go through intensive soccer training, moral and educational lessons.

The children will also be exposed to modern training methods, come in contact with their counterparts from other cultures and interact with soccer greats, particularly Kanu Nwankwo’s contemporaries during the active years of his illustrious career.

Players like Thierry Henry, Denis Bergkamp, Didier Drogba, Patrick Viera, among others were mentioned as some of the former stars to take on the kids.

Each kid is to pay $6,000.

Co-ordinator of the camp, Abi Goodman told journalists in Lagos yesterday that the first phase of the camp begins August 1 – 14, while the second phase holds from 15 – 28 August,

his company’s sponsorship pact with the Edo State Football Association will revitalize football in the state.

FROT Group is the title sponsor of the state’s FA Cup, which draws will hold on Tuesday.

The group is also involved with the plan to revive the Principal’s Cup in the state with the maiden edition of the competition scheduled for this year.

Speaking in Lagos on his company’s involvement in the Edo State FA Cup yesterday, Momoh

back to the society, adding that the company was moved to partner with the federation after examining the programme set out by the Frank Ilaboya-led association.

He said, “We were the major sponsors of the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) leadership training course in the United Kingdom, where we met with the Edo FA chairman, who convinced us to partner with his federation through a well-thought out development pro-

Dream team

us, it was like a dream.”

U-23 defender Erhun Obanor said it is now all-square between the two teams.

“They beat us on Tuesday and we won on Wednesday. It’s 50-50 now,” said the big defender. We will have a final replay on Thursday before we leave to play for our various league clubs,” said Eagles defender Chibuzor Okonkwo.

The home-based Eagles are building up for AFCON qualifiers against Egypt, while the Olympic team will face Brazil in a friendly, all to be played later this month.

Continues from B/P

2016.

“It will afford the participating kids the opportunity to see modern football facilities, good training and good exposure,”she said, adding, “it is an avenue to sell Nigeria to the international community because its(the camp’s) success would rub off

per cent and we will be part of the FA Cup from the draws to the final.

“What we have done is to increase the winners’ prize money from N250, 000 to N500, 000, with the other categories’ winners getting enhanced rewards. This way, we hope to motivate more teams to join in the competition.”

Momoh disclosed that FROT Group would

Newcastle Continues from B/P

fident they have found a suitable replacement for McClaren in Benitez.

Newcastle chiefs are hopeful that by acting now they can stop the terrifying decline that has left the club staring the Championship in the face.

The 3-1 home defeat to Bournemouth at the weekend was the third successive loss for the Magpies, but Newcastle are still just two points from safety with ten games left.

Benitez has the calibre and track record to arrest the decline and get the best out of an under performing squad that is rated as one of the best in the second half of the Premier League table.

ed in the Principal’s Cup, adding that the organisers would verify the authenticity of the students through their schools’ register.

“The old Bendel State, which had the present Edo and Delta States, was very strong in football because it invested in the Principal’s Cup.

Nikyu Continues from B/P

tors over two legs.

“Our objective would be to get the job done here in Nigeria before the second leg in South Africa. We are in confident mood, and have been motivated by the words of the NFF General Secretary who attended the team’s training session on Tuesday.

“We know how important qualification for the World Cup is to Nigerians. The girls are ready and raring to go. We have worked hard over the past weeks and looking forward to a comfortable victory.”

Meanwhile, the Bantwana trained at the training pitch of the National Stadium, Abuja on Wednesday afternoon, after landing in Abuja in the early hours of same day.

of the country.”

A director of the Kanu Academy, Yusuf Chidama said, “the programme will provide a platform for the kids to exhibit their skills and, perhaps, further their careers in football. It is an opportunity for them to be noticed on an international platform.”

*Kanu

War of words Continues from B/P

Momoh vows to revitalise Edo football team up with the Edo FA RESIDENT of said sponsoring the com- gramme.

“We are with Edo to ensure that only bona P FROT Group, petition is his organisaFrank Momoh, believes tion’s means of giving Football Association 100 fide students participat-

team in a training game on Wednesday.

The Nigeria U-23s avenged a 2-0 defeat they suffered on Tuesday with goals from Joseph Osadiaye and Usman Mohammed.

“The coach was not happy with the result and he told us we did not play according to instructions,” disclosed Bright Onyedikachi, who scored one of the goals for the Eagles in the first training game on Tuesday.

“We still can’t understand what happened to

Kanu Soccer Academy to hold summer camp in Canada positively on the image

thrashing of the Pharaohs in Lagos in a FIFA World Cup qualifier in October 1977.

“Siasia’s statements won’t affect Egypt players, or the coaching staff,” Nagi said on television on Wednesday.

“We’re used to hearing these kinds of comments from African coaches.

The statements indicate he is worried about the Egypt clash. “Siasia respects the Egypt team.

He knows our abilities.

And we also respect the Nigeria team, as they are strong opponents, so I hope to achieve a positive result.”

Lying top of the group on six points, following back-to-back wins over Tanzania and Chad, the Pharaohs will face Nigeria in Kaduna on 25 March before hosting the Super Eagles in Alexandria four days later.

“The final squad will be announced after the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup games. Then we will fly to Nigeria on 23 March in a private jet to Kaduna,” the goalkeeping coach added.

Meanwhile Super Eagles caretaker manager Samson Siasia has fired back at the Egyptian coach who said that he was afraid of the Pharaohs. Instead, Siasia has stressed that the Egyptian team should be afraid of the Eagles.

Siasia had previously said that he aims to get

all the six points from Egypt in their two-legged clash in the qualifiers, and now warns his players that they cannot be afraid of Egypt.

“We are preparing very well [for the game against Egypt], some of the players have just arrived,” Siasia told TheNFF.com “Nigeria is not afraid.

Nigeria cannot be afraid of Egypt, we are playing in home what can we be afraid of? Not even away, even in the away game we cannot be afraid. We know they are a good team and we have to be very ready.

We just have to continue like that until the foreign-based players come. I told the foreignbased players that everybody can play,” “We don’t have to be Bayern or anything, we want players who will go out there and give 120 percent on that day. We are not messing around, this is a very difficult game we are going to play. I don’t want to punish anyone, I want guys who go out there and play for us with a serious mind and achieve what we are here for. Me under pressure? I have never been under pressure before, why now?” he concluded.

It is worth noting that the 48-year-old coach has taken a disciplinary action against three of his squad players after arriving late in training without a permission by excluding them from the list for the Egypt games.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016—45

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46 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016—47

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

Nikyu targets massive home win ble when they take on OACH Bala Nikyu South Africa’s Bantwana C says he would be in a 2016 FIFA U-17 telling his girls to go for Women’s World Cup Afas many goals as possi-

War of words

rican final round qualifier at the National Stadium, Abuja, tomorrow.

The Flamingos have been training in Abuja for the past four weeks, following the second round annihilation of Namibia’s Baby Gladia-

*Nikyu

Continues on P. 44

Newcastle fire McClaren, *Siasia afraid of us —Egypt *Egypt should be afraid of us —Siasia hire Benitez R

E L E G AT I O N threatened Newcastle United have parted ways with coach Steve McClaren, after signing a three-year-deal with former Liverpool and Real Madrid coach Rafael Benitez.

The long managerial saga is almost over after Benitez agreed terms with the northern club

T

*Coach Siasia

HE 2017 AFCON qualifier between Nigeria and Egypt is still two weeks away but the mind game and war of words between the two camps have been intensified as the battle draws near.

Egypt goalkeeping coach Ahmed Nagi believes that Nigeria boss Samson Siasia is using bully-boy tactics to hide his fear ahead of their double header in Group G of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

“We can recreate October 1977; why not? The home-boys have come in and full training has commenced. Everyone is rearing to go. By the time the foreign-based players arrive, the competition will be what we want,” the Super Eagles caretaker coach had claimed, recalling Nigeria’s 4-0

and is in line to be in charge in time for Newcastle’s league visit to leaders Leicester.

The Newcastle board, led by managing director Lee Charnley, has had several meetings this week as they decided on the future of McClaren and the club.

The top brass at St James’ Park are now conContinues on P. 44

Dream team beat Eagles 2-0 S

UPER Eagles caretaker coach Samson Siasia has expressed displeasure with the home-based team’s loss to the country’s Olympic Continues on P. 44

*Coach Nagi

Continues on P. 44

Sunday’s Fixtures CAF Champions League Enyimba v Vital’O 4pm W/Wolves v El Merrikkh 4pm Confederation Cup Nasarawa v Club Sportif 2pm

*Okonkwo

QUICK CROSSWORD

TODAY'S PUZZLE

YESTERDAY'S ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Divide (4) 4 Jump (3) 6 Choose (4) 8 Earlier (6 9 Mad (6) 10 Elderly (3) 12 Started (5) 14 Under (5) 15 Elbow (5) 18 Writer (6) 20 Guide (6) 24 Nude (5) 26 Kingly (5) 28 Adored (5) 30 Marry (3) 32 Figurine (6) 33 Shrewd (6) 34 Trampled (4) 35 Dance (3) 36 Send-hill (4)

DOWN 2 Stood (5) 3 Drums (7) 4 Idol (4) 5 Settled (4) 6 Adhesive (5) 7 Comfort (7) 11 Record (3) 12 Coach (3) 13 Gist (3) 16 Lair (3) 17 Moose (3) 19 Maker (7) 21 Fish (3) 22 Assumed (7) 23 Wand (3) 25 Hatchet (3) 27 Performed (5) 29 Consumed (5) 30 Departed (4) 31 Moist (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 2, Creed 7, Fibre 8, Arena 10, Aphid 12, Ore 13, State 15, Central 17, Threat 19, Lee 20, Tiniest 23, Name 25, Thin 26, Arrived 30, Rue 31, Regret 34, Expanse 37, Singe 38, Pit 39, Tapir 40, Begin 41, Steer 42, Cloth.

DOWN: 1, Birth 2, Crate 3, Repeat 4, Epic 5, Protest 6, Sneak 9, Err 11, Deliver 13, Stand 14, Aroma 16, Nee 18, Tidiest 21, Thorn 22, United 24, Erratic 27, Run 28, Desist 29, Expel 32, Girth 33, Egret 35, Pig 36, Earl.

How to Play Sudoku

P

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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