Confusion, as Budget 2016 document vanishes

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 62670

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

NDLEA arrests Ojukwu's niece, 4 others over importation of cocaine 10

Ijeoma Ojukwu

APC has no plan to make Nigeria one party state — Oyegun 9

Confusion, as Budget 2016 document vanishes •Budget not withdrawn — Presidency; it's not missing —Ndume •It's national embarrassment — Senator •The document is available in the House — Reps

By Henry Umoru, Joseph Erunke & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

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BUJA—A WEB of conspiracy was, yesterday, being woven around the circumstances that led to the disappearance from the Senate, of hard and soft copies of the 2016 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly last December.

The absence of the budget document, it was learned, led to the failure of the Senate to Continues on Page 5

MEETING—Minister of Power, Works & Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN, (2nd right); the Permanent Secretary Power, Mr Louis Edozien (left);Chairman, Egbin Power Plc, Mr Kola Adesina (2nd left); Executive Director (Networks) of Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited, Dr. Albert Okorogu (3rd left) and Group General Manager, Special Duties Commercial & Investments, NNPC, Dr Bola Afolabi(right), during the minister’s monthly meeting with sectorial participants at the main auditorium of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Maitama, Abuja on Monday.

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Abandonment of 2nd Niger Bridge: South Easterners react See Inside C M Y K

TABIA PRINCEWILL

Why shouldn't I be corrupt if it makes my life easier?

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DEAR BUNMI

Mother and daughter won't leave me alone

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ROTIMI FASAN

More from the cesspool of Dasuki's arms scandal

9 P.19

OGAGA IFOWODO

Rule of Law as refuge

COLUMNISTS:

Lassa fever: Death toll rises to 41

NCC Vs MTN: Court orders parties to maintain status quo 8 Mr & Mrs

2 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

C M Y K

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4 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016—5

POCKET CARTOON

HOUSE RESUMES— Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara arriving the Lower Chamber for the resumption of Plenary, after the holidays in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

Confusion, as Budget 2016 document vanishes Continues from Page 1 commence formal deliberations on the budget yesterday.

The controversy was further stoked at a closeddoor session of the Senate where the issue reportedly split senators along partisan lines with Peoples Democratic Party, PDP senators accusing Presidency officials of conspiring with the National Assembly bureaucracy to steal the budget document.

Following the closeddoor session, President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki proceeded to the Presidential Villa where he met President

Muhammadu Buhari supposedly on the issue.

PDP senators who accused the presidency of silently withdrawing the budget to revise down supposedly outrageous items in the budget bill were last night locked in a meeting where they were believed to be discussing the issue.

Budget not withdrawn — Presidency

The assertion of the missing budget document was, however, quickly dismissed by the Presidency which last night denied

IT'S UP TO YOU

BY AYO ADIO

T

HE man that knows “how” will always lead the man that knows “what”. The man that knows “why” will be the boss of them all. Don’t just know what to do, know how to and why you need to. It's up to you.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Step out of a circle of time into a circle of love — Rumi

M

ARY Gemma Burke, wrote a beautiful prose about appreciating life. She says, “beautiful people are acts of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.

“It is the old apple trees that are decked with the loveliest blossoms. It is the ancient redwoods that rise to majestic heights. It is the old violins that produce the richest tones. It is the aged wine that tastes the sweetest. Be grateful for the blessings of age and the wisdom, patience and maturity that go with it. Life is wonderful!”

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE He who does not understand the music of a frog, calls it croaking!

withdrawing the budget.

Besides, the Presidency deposed that hundreds of copies of the budget document have been shipped to the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The air of confusion and controversy in the Senate was, however, totally lacking in the House of Representatives as it was confirmed that the budget document was available and would be distributed today.

Confusion in Senate

Senators returning from the Yuletide break were said to have been engrossed in speculations over the missing budget document before commencement of sitting yesterday. Speculations were fuelled by the absence of the second reading of the appropriation bill on the order paper of yesterday.

Reportedly feeling the pressure on the issue, the Senate President called for a closed-door session immediately after opening prayers at 11.11 a.m. The closed door session lasted for about 90 minutes, during which Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, was said to have drawn the attention of Senators to what was termed a developing story around the Budget 2016 document.

According to sources, the Senators were told that the official document as presented by the President could no longer be seen.

On hearing that both the soft and hard documents of the budget were missing, angry senators promptly called for

investigation into the matter.

Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio was said to have expressed annoyance over the way and manner such an official document was handled by National Assembly officials and he was said to have immediately thrown his weight behind calls for interrogation of key members of the National Assembly bureaucracy to get to the root of the embarrassing situation.

An inside source in the Senate leadership, however, expressed reservation on the outburst of Senators at the closed-door session, saying: “How can they claim ignorance of the disappearance of the document now? The Presidency could not have moved into the National Assembly to take the document if no deal was struck with the leadership of the National Assembly. We have always heard that there was a plan to delay the budget to allow the executive arm of government sort itself out. They (Senate leadership) are now acting funny since it has been exposed that the budget is being delayed to allow the Presidency effect necessary adjustments in the budget proposal.”

Budget not missing, says Ali Ndume

Meanwhile, apparently learning that what happened in the closeddoor session had leaked to journalists, Ndume suddenly came out to renounce insinuations of a missing budget.

“Budget cannot be missing. One copy can be laid, it is a symbolic copy, the budget will be in custody of both chambers, it cannot be stolen, it cannot be missing. Once the budget is laid in the National Assembly, it has become the property of the National Assembly."

He said Saraki’s visit to the Villa was to sift out the President’s priorities on the budget.

“Saraki’s visit to the Villa is for Senate to know the President's priority; we want to see how we can fast-track passage of the budget before end of February.

What is before the Senate is proposal; once the President signs it, it cannot be amended, we can turn the budget upside down, it cannot be missing, “ Ndume insisted.

Ndume’s assertion was, however, quickly rebuffed by another

senator who described the act of the missing 2016 budget as a clear theft.

‘National embarrassment’

The Senator who noted that it was a national embarrassment to the country, said: “This is hypocrisy on the part of government. We were surprised that a document like the budget of a country could be declared missing. It is a big embarrassment, with the fanfare that greeted the presentation of the budget to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari, the government presented a picture that it was serious and ready.

“This is a parliamentary issue. The document as presented has gone to first reading, it is now the property of the National Assembly. When we were told at the Executive session, we asked the Clerk, he said he was not aware, we asked him, he said he did not know. We asked Ita Enang, he said he was not aware.”

“The soft and hard copies are missing under circumstances that are still shrouded in mystery. The executive and management of National Assembly colluded. It is against parliamentary procedure. Once you present a bill to the Senate, it is now the property of the National Assembly.

“To take the document outside NASS is a national embarrassment.

What happened is wrong, they could still have done the adjustment, after all, it is still a bill, instead of stealing it. Maybe there is something there they do not want Nigerians to know. It is a clear case of theft, they should let the world know when next they are bringing it.”

Dismissing the confusion in the Senate yesterday, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu said the President did not withdraw the budget even as he noted that hundreds of the budget document had been shipped to the

two chambers of the National Assembly.

“Nobody, except the President can withdraw the budget and as far as we know, he hasn’t done that.

“The copies in their hundreds have been delivered to both chambers of the National Assembly.

“By tradition, once the budget is submitted, it ceases to be our property.

Enquiries as to where it is should be directed to the appropriate quarters,” he said.

No missing document here — Reps

The House of Representatives was, however, far removed from the controversy as it was learned last night that the budget document was available in the House.

House spokesman, Abdulrazak Namdas said yesterday: “As far as the House of Representatives is concerned, there is nothing like missing budget. As from tomorrow, by the grace of God we shall begin to distribute copies of the budget to members for deliberation.”

Also, PDP senators were at press time holed up in a meeting in the residence of Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.

It was also gathered that the matter will come up today in form of a motion and would be referred to the Senator Samuel Anyanwu-led Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.

Spokesperson for the Senate, Senator Aliyu Sabi could not be reached for comments. Neither the chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje nor Senate Presidential Liaison Officer, Senator Ita Enang could be reached last night.

It would be recalled that President Buhari had on December 22, 2015 presented a total budget of N6.08 trillion for 2016 to a joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

6—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

Suspect turns himself in 3 years after killing boss

By Ugochukwu Alaribe

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BA—THREE years after killing his boss, a 31-year-old man, Chukwunyere Chimezie, has handed himself over to the Police in Aba, Abia State.

The suspect, who before the act was the manager of a sachet water company owned by the deceased, Mrs. Towechi Ejike Nmezi, told the police how he strangled the victim on July 21, 2012, at about 8p.m.

He then took the deceased’s Blackberry phone and fled.

On why he committed the act, he said: “There is this spirit that sometimes takes control of me and asks me to do things.

“In 2005, I was living with my elder brother in Aba. The same spirit came to me and forced me to kill my brother. I strangled him.

“This spirit was asking me to commit suicide. But I met a man of God who delivered me. I made a confession to him and turned myself over to the Police.”

Rice dealer docked over alleged N17.2m fraud

By Onozure Dania

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AGOS—A 33-yearold rice dealer, Mohammed Wasiu, who was alleged to have defrauded his business associates to the tune of N17. 2 million was arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court in Lagos, yesterday.

Wasiu is facing a twocount charge bordering on fraud and issuing of dud cheque.

The prosecutor, ASP Charles Odii, told the court that on December 31, 2014, at Iddo area of Lagos, the defendant induced a Lagos-based company into supplying him 2,400 bags of rice valued at N17.2 million under pretext of paying the proceeds back to the company after sales.

Magistrate A. O. Awogboro granted him N2 million bail with two sureties in like sum, with one of the sureties as blood relation and adjourned the case till February 29.

HOLIDAYS OVER: Hawkers on Apongbon Bridge, Lagos. PHOTO: Akeem Salau.

20 houses razed, village head missing as hoodlums invade A-Ibom community

By Tom Moses

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KOT ABASI—NO fewer than 20 houses were razed and the village head of Ikot Akpan Udo, Ukpum Ette Clan in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Ete-Idung Oscar Abel declared missing, following yesterday’s attack on the community by youths suspected to have come from Amazaba community in Eastern Obolo Local Government Area.

Also, hundreds of people from Ikot Akpan Udo community were said to have sustained various degrees of injuries, with 15 motorcycles, one Jetta Saloon car burnt in the attack said to have occurred at about 2a.m., yesterday.

Youth leader of Ikot Akpan Udo, Mr. Abasi Etukudoh, who spoke on behalf of the community, told Vanguard that it was the third time his community was being attacked by the same Amazaba people.

According to him, the first attack occurred on August 28, 2008 and claimed 15 lives, with about 500 houses burnt, while the second attack occurred on July 12, 2015, which left one person dead.

He said: “The delay or refusal by the state government to act swiftly and bring the perpetrators of these attacks to book is what has given them the impetus to keep coming around to attack us.”

A widow's tears

Also speaking, Mrs. Obot Titus, a widow whose house was razed by the assailants, lamented that since her husband’s demise years ago, she had to shoulder the responsibility of the family alone including erecting the burnt structure.

She wondered where she would raise funds again to provide shelter for her children, especially as her commercial motorcycle, which usually provided income for the family, was burnt along with her home.

When Vanguard visited the community, policemen from Ikot Abasi, Mkpat Enin, Eket, Esit Eket, Onna and Ibeno were on ground.

The Squad Leader from the Ikot Abasi Police Division, ASP

Omini Mathias, told Vanguard that police and other security outfits were currently on top of the matter to bring the perpetrators to book and also bring the age-long skirmish to a final end.

One of the razed buildings and the burnt car.

Newspaper vendor slumps, dies at Ughelli hotel pool, but was turned down by rushed to the hospital, where

By Perez Brisibe

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GHELLI—THERE was confusion, yesterday, at a popular hotel (names withheld) in Ughelli, following the death of a newspaper vendor, who slumped and died at the hotel premises.

The vendor, Abraham Ibobor, was until his demise, a major newspaper distributor at the Post Office Roundabout, and was said to have given up the ghost at the Accident & Emergency Unit of the Central Hospital, Ughelli, where he was rushed to after slumping by the hotel’s pool side.

According to witnesses, the victim who is in his early 30s, undressed to his boxer shorts, wanting to use the swimming

the management of the hotel.

He was told that the pool was being cleaned after it had been used for a pool party the previous day.

The victim, it was gathered, ordered for two bottles of beer and was drinking by the pool side when he suddenly slumped and was immediately

he was confirmed dead from a likely cardiac arrest.

Confirming the incident when contacted, Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Celestina Kalu, stated that there was no sign of attack on the victim, adding that his corpse had since been deposited at the mortuary.

Ekiti yuletide accidents claim 4

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

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DO EKITI—THE Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, in Ekiti State, yesterday, disclosed that no fewer than four deaths were recorded in 16 road traffic crashes in the state during the Christmas and New Year festive period.

Speaking with Vanguard in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, FRSC Sector Commander in the state, Mr. Stanley Chinedum, said 11 people were critically injured in the accident involving 114 people.

He added that five persons were jailed for seven days each by its mobile court in Oye for disrupting the Corps activities.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 — 7

8—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

NCC vs MTN: Court orders parties to maintain status quo As AGF seeks to bar MTN from emptying accounts in 21 banks

By Innocent Anaba

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AGOS — A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, ordered parties to maintain status quo, following a mareva injunction by the Attorney General of the Federation, seeking to bar MTN Nigeria from emptying its accounts in 21 commercial banks in Nigeria.

Trial judge, Justice Idris Mohammed, ordered parties to maintain status quo ante bellum pending the determination of the suit and adjourned till January 22, 2016 for hearing.

“An order is hereby made directing the parties cited herein to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending further hearing,” the judge said.

The AGF, has sought “an order of mareva injunction restraining the aforementioned banks from releasing, further releasing any funds, making sale, transfer or payment of any monies or dealing in any manner whatsoever with any and all monies maintained by the plaintiff/respondent (MTN) or its agents, privies, subsidiaries, sister companies or the like in the aforestated banks that will alter, decline or reduce the amount of the first defendant’s/applicant’s fine against the plaintiff/ respondent in the sum of N1,040,000,000,000 which has remained wholly unsatisfied, pending the determination of the motion on notice.”

The application was to prevent MTN from suspending the payment of the N1.04 trillion fine imposed on it by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, over its failure to deactivate its unregistered subscribers.

Even though the court did not expressly grant the application, it has, meanwhile by the status quo order, prevented MTN from moving funds from the accounts in the 21 commercial banks in Nigeria outside the country.

The AGF and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, who filed the application, yesterday, had expressed the fear that MTN could move all its funds out of the country before the N1.04tn fine could be enforced.

He had prayed the court to order all the 21 banks to open a special interest-yielding account in the name of the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court and move N1.04 trillion out of whatever funds that was standing to MTN’s credit in their possession.

The counsel for the AGF, Mr. Dipo Okpeseyi, SAN, in a 14paragraph affidavit in support of the application, had averred that MTN was in the habit of regularly repatriating its funds out of Nigeria.

He further averred that between October 2007 and May 2009, a period of 19 months, MTN moved over $7.7 billion of the money made in Nigeria to a foreign account, pointing the court’s attention to an instance when in

one day, specifically on February 8, 2008, MTN transferred over $936 million out of Nigeria to accounts in Mauritius, Cayman Island and British Virgin Islands.

“Unless this court urgently entertains this application, the plaintiff/respondent would move its funds out of Nigeria, being the jurisdiction of this honourable court, and thereby

frustrate the enforcement of the fine in the likely event that this honourable court sanctions the imposition of the fine,” he had averred.

He also averred that MTN was under an obligation to pay the N1.04 trillion fine, because it was NCC’s administrative decision, which remained final unless it was reviewed by the commission or nullified by the court, adding that

though NCC had earlier given MTNaconcessiononthefineand reduced it to N780 billion, MTN has neglected or failed to pay on or before December 31, 2015, the fine remained N1.04 trillion.

Justice Mohammed had noted that the AGF had not shown enough facts to prove that MTN was about to empty its bank accounts and move its funds out of the country.

Idris, who noted that the case was sensitive and of public interest, said he would rather hear thecasefiledbyMTNtochallenge the fine and give a judgment within a short time.

INSPECTION: From right: Minister of Defence, Muhammad Mansur Dan-Álli; Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar and other senior military officers during the minister's inspection of 24 Mine Resistant Armour Protected Vehicles, MRAPs, donated by the United States of America to Nigeria, at Ikeja Cantonement, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Evelyn Usman.

Transportation of MRAPs to Nigeria at $11m untrue —Defence Minister Suicide bombings, only area left in terror war —CDS

By Evelyn Usman

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AGOS— MINISTER of Defence, Muhammad DanAli, yesterday described as untrue, reports that the 24 Mine Resistant Armour Protected Vehicles, MRAP,s donated by the United States of America to help Nigeria in the fight against insurgency cost the receiving country $11 million to transport here.

Rather, Dan-Alli clarified that the assessment of the cost was just an estimation given by the United States.

This is just as the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin, maintained that the military had succeeded in degrading insurgents in the north east, stating, however, that the only area to be tackled in the fight against terrorism was suicide bombings.

Meanwhile, Oba Rilwan Akiolu of Lagos State has appealed to the Federal Government to reconsider soldiers sentenced to death and life in imprisonment respectively, pointing out that

there was nothing they could have done in the state of inadequate weapons to match those of the terrorists.

The minister gave the clarification while inspecting the MRAPs at the Ikeja Cantonment, shortly after leaving the Logistics Command of the Nigerian Air Force, Ikeja, where he commissioned five projects which, according to him, were geared towards boosting the morale of troops in their bid to rid the country of terrorism and other acts of criminality.

The minister, who informed that the MRAPS needed some repairs, disclosed that an inspection team would be sent soon to access the vehicles, with a view to ascertaining which parts were needed for their repairs. Thereafter, he said they would be transported to the Armoured School in Bauchi,where parts would be sourced from the manufacturers for onwards repairs towards their effective use.

Earlier at the Logistics Command, Ikeja, Dan-Alli commended the Chief of Air

Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, for actualising his vision for the Nigerian Air Force within a short period of time in office, noting that it was a clear demonstration of working in line with the tenets of the Federal Government on prudent management of scarce resources.

In his remarks, Chief of Defence Staff, General Olonisakin said the next phase in the fight against terrorists was suicide bombings and, therefore, called on Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of community policing by being on the look out for suicide bombers.

He said: ”Terrorism has been effectively degraded, that it can not carry out coordinated actions any longer. The only area remaining to tackle is suicide bombers."

On his part, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar commended the gallant officers and airmen who participated in the dislodgement of Boko Haram combatants from their stronghold in the north east, even as he lamented the loss of those who paid the supreme price in the course of the war.

Naira depreciates to N287\$ as CBN refunds BDCs Operators seek clarification on new policy

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By Babajide Komolafe

AGOS — THE Naira depreciated to N287 per dollar at the parallel market, yesterday, following the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stop dollar sales to Bureaux de Change (BDCs).

Recall that the CBN, on Monday, announced it would no longer sell dollars to BDCs, thus ending the nine years scheme introduced in 2006.

Prior to the announcement of the new policy on Monday, the dollar exchange rate hovered between N275 and N282 per dollar across the country. But as at close of business, yesterday, it had risen to N287 per dollar. This implies depreciation of about N7.

Confirming this development, President, Association of Bureaux de Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, said the exchange rate had risen to N287 per dollar in response to the CBN policy.

Meanwhile, the CBN, yesterday, refunded all the BDCs for the money paid for the dollar sale scheduled for today. BDCs usually pay the CBN in advance for the purchase of dollars, which are collected on Wednesdays.

Last week, the apex bank had directed BDCs to pay for $10,000 each which they did

by Monday. But following the announcement, the management of the CBN directed that the money should be refunded to the BDCs. However, BDC operators are seeking clarification on the new policy. While announcing the policy, the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, said: “Operators in this segment of the market would now need to source their foreign exchange from autonomous source. They must, however, note that the CBN would deploy more resources to monitoring these sources to ensure that no operator is in violation of our anti-money laundering laws.”

Chief Executive Officer, H.J Trust BDC, Mr. Harisson Owoh, however, said the apex bank needed to clarify if the autonomous source include banks.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016—9

APC has no plan to make Nigeria one party state — Oyegun Says party has no apology for Buhari’s anti-graft fight

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By Levinus Nwabughiogu

BUJA — NATIONAL Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has said that the party has no intention of transforning Nigeria into a oneparty state.

He also stated that the party needed a viable and responsible opposition to keep the ruling party in checks.

Oyegun, who spoke, yesterday, at the end of meeting of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the APC held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja with President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in attendance also submitted that his party owed no apology to anyone in the way and manner President Buhari is going about the fight against corruption in the country.

According to him, corruption had permeated in the country and needed to be thoroughly cleaned, assuring that APC will fulfill its campaign promises to Nigerians.

He said: “We have absolutely no intention to pressurize any group or any nation towards a one-party state. It is not in our interest to do so because we need a vibrant opposition. We need an opposition that will contribute constructively to national discourse, that will make us sit up and deliver to the people what we promised. But the task is enormous and if anybody is ready to help to discharge these responsibilities, he is most welcomed.

“The APC is not in anyway apologetic. We promised change and there is a lot of rot in the system. We must get used to the fact that in the process of cleansing this nation there is going to be a lot of bullet to bite.

“The APC has not been in office at national level in the last 10 – 16 years. So, the issue of whether somebody is PDP or not PDP does not arise. We have a nation to cleanse. The President has committed himself to that and we should take it whatever way it comes. We are not being apologetic about that at all.

“It has nothing to do with witchhunting. It just happened that the dramatist personae of the period all happened to be on one side of the political divide.”

On Bayelsa, Kogi polls

Speaking on the recent Bayelsa election, the APC national chairman regretted that the election claimed lives, saying that the party was still studying the unhealthy developments to enable it draw measures to forestall future occurrences.

On Kogi State, Oyegun said that it was left for the courts to decide

on the controversial issues.

He said: “Well, the Bayelsa election has come and gone. We have very deep regrets that there was so much blood unnecessarily spelt in the process. We have a lot of reservations, some of which our candidate had very eloquently expressed. We are going to examine what has come out very, very carefully and decide the next line of action.

“No, no, people have gone to court. As far as the party is concerned the Kogi issue is over.

As far as the courts are concerned, issues are before them, I think as of last time, there were six petitions before the courts and we leave it to the courts to consider and decide.”

Outcome of NEC meeting

Also speaking on the outcome

of the NEC meeting, Oyegun revealed that issues of future elections arising from cancellations by the courts were discussed.

He said: “It has been a normal interactive meeting. We were here to brief Mr President on the state of the party, the challenges that we are facing, the numerous elections that we have to face in the next two, three months.

“As of today, we have 78 elections to contend with, mostly arising from court actions following the national elections."

VISIT: From left, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase; Deputy Inspector General of Police, Logistics and Supply, Mr. Mamman Tsafe; and Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr. Christopher Katso, during the minister's visit to Arase, in Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan

Lassa fever: Death toll rises to 41 from 93 suspected cases —Minister As Senate summons Health Minister

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke, with agency reports

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BUJA— THE Federal Government disclosed, yesterday, that Lassa fever has claimed 41 lives from 93 reported cases in 10 states of the country even as the Senate has summoned the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, over the outbreak of the disease The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Federal Government, last Friday, put the death toll at 40 out of 86 reported cases of Lassa fever outbreak in same 10 states. The number of the suspected cases also rose from 86 last week to 93.

Adewole, who confirmed this in Abuja, yesterday, at a joint ministerial news conference on the update of the outbreak of the disease, however, said there were no new confirmed cases or death in the last 48 hours.

He said: “In the last 48 hours, the government raised a fourman expert committee, chaired

by Prof. Michael Asuzu, to visit Kano, Niger and Bauchi, the

three most endemic states. The committee will embark on a factfinding mission, assess the current situation, document response experiences, identify gaps and proffer recommendations on how to prevent future occurrences.”

The minister assured the public that the task of the committee was not to apportion blame but rather to document lessons learnt for better planning of an affective responsive.

According to Adewole, part of the long term response is to establish an inter-ministerial committee to deliver a final blow on Lassa fever and other related diseases.

The committee comprised the Ministers of Education, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Environment, Information and Culture as well as Health.

Adewole advised communities to improve on their hygiene, including food hygiene and food protection practices. He also urged the public to avoid contact with rodents and rats as well as food contaminated with rat’s

secretions and excretions.

“Avoid drying food in the open and along roadsides, it is also important to cover all foods to prevent rodents contamination,” he said.

According to him, the affected states are Bauchi, Nasarawa, Niger, Taraba, Kano, Rivers, Edo, Plateau, Gombe and Oyo.

Senate summons Adewole

Meanwhile, the Senate, yesterday, blamed the Ministry of Health for not being proactive which led to the outbreak of Lassa fever in Nigeria even as it summoned the minister to appear before it.

According to the Senate, the minister must appear before the Senators to explain the efforts put in place by the ministry to combat further spread of Lassa fever in the country, and urged Nigerians to be very conscious of the situation by adhering to rules of reasonable hygiene. It also urged non-affected states to be educated on preventive measures.

AMCON to sell 79.3% ownership in PAN

By Franklin Alli, with agency reports

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AGOS — IN its bid to divest its stake from Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited, PAN, Asset Management Corportaion, AMCON, yesterday called on the investing public to bid for its 79.3 per cent equity (ownership) stake in the company.

AMCON, in a statemnt, said it owned 79.3 per cent of PAN Limited, having acquired the stake four years ago after purchasing the company’s debt and taking some as equity.

According to the statement, “PAN Nigeria had assets totalling N24.96 billion (about $125.43 million) as of December 2014 and equity of N11.98 billion, and was seeking investors with experience in auto mobile manufacturing to buy the stake on offer. Bids will close on January 26 at 1600 GMT.” Peugeot Citroen is the technical partner to the Nigerian assembly plant, which has capacity to assemble 240 cars a day, PAN said on its website.

Recall that PAN Limited was set up in 1972 as a joint venture between the Nigerian government and France’s Peugeot, with an annual production of 90,000 cars by the 1980s.

However, operations nosedived and the company accumulated bad loans shortly after the government sold its stake via a privatisation to local core investors in 2006.

Recently, President Muhammadu Buhari met Peugeot’s executive vice president for Africa and the Middle-East, JeanChristophe Quemard, to discuss the revival of local production.

The government under a National Automotive Industry Development Plan has ordered local car distributors to come up with plans for new assembly plants, along with threats of imposing prohibitive import duties.

AMCON was set up to absorb bad loans from banks after a $4 billion bailout in 2009 rescued nine lenders from collapse.

AMCON then bought bad loans at a discount in exchange for governmentbacked bonds and has since been selling off collaterals against those loans to pay bondholders.

10 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13 , 2016

Lagos UNIBEN alumni laud Fashola on appointment

T

HE Lagos branch of the University of Benin Alumni Association (UBAA), has lauded the appointment of former Lagos State governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola.

In a statement by its chairman, Emmanuel Oriazuwa and secretary, Pharm.

Stephen Onojomete, respectively, the alumni said the appointment shows Fashola’s ability and capacity to perform.

The statement reads: “On behalf of the entire members of the University of Benin Alumni Association (UBAA), Lagos Branch, we hereby congratulate you on your appointment as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who has been trusted with the Ministries of Power, Works and Housing. This unique assignment glaringly shows the confidence that His Excellency, Muhammudu Buhari, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the people of this country have in your ability and capacity to perform, as exemplified by your excellent performance during your tenure as the Executive Governor of Lagos State.”

Lagos police command gets new PRO

By Faith Ake

T

HE Lagos State P o l i c e Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni has appointed a new Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, to replace Joe Offor, a Deputy Superintendent of Police.

The new PRO, Opeyemi Badmos, a Superintendent of Police, who resumed work yesterday, joined the force on August 15, 2002, as an Assistant Superintendent of Police.

The new spokesperson, who is of the Course 21 batch, was trained at Police Academy Wudil, Kano and she is also a graduate of accounting.

She also holds a postgraduate degree in public administration and has served in various capacities since she joined the force.

4 injured in Mushin NURTW clash

By Ifeanyi Okolie

L

AGOS—THERE was pandemonium in Mushin area of Lagos State, as factions of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, were engaged in violent clash destroying several vehicles, four persons were injured.

This is coming as residents of Idi-Oro, axis of Mushin have called on the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, to ensure that the four suspects arrested with an AK 47 rifle belonging to a deceased policeman and a pump action gun were prosecuted. The suspects, Identified as Rasheed Adeshina, aka, Action, Salami Rauf, Waheed Oseni and Azeez gbadamosi, were arrested recently when operatives, at the D9 Section of the State Criminal Investigations Department, SCID, Panti, Yaba, raided a bakery where the suspects kept the rifles.

Vanguard had reported that the suspects were members of a faction of the NURTW, involved in a protracted bloody war of supremacy between factions of the NURTW in Mushin, which led to the death of several persons, while

MEETING: Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State (left) at a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at Aso Rock Villa in Abuja. properties, worth millions have been destroyed.

The residents, however, urged the police boss to spread his drag net and apprehend those who procured guns for the suspects.

Taiwo Alade, who spoke with Vanguard said; “The police needs to arrest the people backing these boys if they want lasting peace in Mushin. These boys have given the police the names of the people

and the police know them very well. In fact, I saw No Case, who they said bought the Ak47 rifle and the pump action gun for them, walking freely in Mushin and I wonder why he has not been arrested to tell the police how a police rifle was found in possession of his boys. ''This is a serious issue.”

Meanwhile, Vanguard

gathered that yesterday’s clash in Mushin, began when hoodlums loyal to one Illesami and Wasiu Oloriesho, controlling the Idi-Oro axis of the Agege Motor Road, allegedly attacked their rivals at Mushin Bus Stop, led by one Ike and Akeem Aganran, also known as No Case.

They destroyed several vehicles while some passersby sustained some injuries.

Ojukwu’s niece, others arrested in 2.24kg drug bust

By Daniel Eteghe

L

AGOS—OPERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) yesterday arrested Ijeoma Ojukwu, a niece to late politician, Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu and three others just as the anti-graft agency quizzed one of its staff over the importation of 2.24 kilogrammes of cocaine from Brazil.

In a statement issued in Lagos, spokesman for NDLEA, Mr. Ofoyeju Mitchell said “The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is currently interrogating one of its operatives

NABBED! Ijeoma Ojukwu

over alleged conspiracy to import cocaine from Brazil. The investigation which commenced after an abandoned luggage from Brazil was found to contain 2.24kg of cocaine at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos had already led to the arrest of five suspects. Those being interrogated include Ali Bala Adamu, a staff of the NDLEA, Ijeoma Ojukwu, a niece to late politician, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and three others Victor Umeh, Uche Igwelo and Egbuche Fidelis Osiita.

NDLEA Commander at the Lagos airport, Mr. Ahmadu Garba said that the cocaine seizure was the first in the New Year.

According to him, “This is the first drug seizure for the year. On December 28, 2015, a bag with a tag bearing Agina Fidelis Ejike was abandoned at the arrival hall during inward screening of passengers on an Emirates flight.

On January 1, 2016, one Egbuche Fidelis Osita came with authority letter mandating him to collect the bag. In the process, some white powdery substance weighing 2.24kg that tested positive for cocaine was discovered. The drug was neatly packed in four parcels concealed in false bottom of four female handbags. Further investigation led to more arrests.

Mr. Garba further noted that preliminary investigation by the NDLEA revealed that Ijeoma Ojukwu, 48, who owns a restaurant in Brazil, was a

suspected member of an international drug trafficking organization.

“She allegedly conspired with other suspects to collect the abandoned bag from the airport with the intent to recover the 2.24kg of cocaine. She was said to have contacted a staff of the NDLEA, Ali Bala on how to facilitate the collection of the bag at the airport. The Agency also impounded the Acura MDX vehicle that the suspects drove to the airport” he added.

The suspect, Ijeoma Ojukwu said “I have a restaurant in Brazil where I sell African food.

I am from Anambra State and I am married with three children.

My brother came from Brazil and could not find his bag. It was in the process of trying to get the bag out that we were arrested.”

Also 36 years old Uche Igwelo, a graduate of Public Administration, said she was invited by Ijeoma to assist in collecting the bag.

“I sell kitchen utensil and I am married with a child. Ijeoma met me that I should help her to collect a bag at the airport. We were trying to get the bag when NDLEA officers arrested us” Mrs. Igwelo said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Egbuche Fidelis Osita, a 37-year-old student said he was asked to collect the bag at the Lagos airport.

“I am a 400 level student studying English Education at

the Ekiti State University. My friend Victor Umeh was the person that asked me to help in claiming a luggage at the airport. We all drove to the airport where I was given a letter of authority and other documents of the passenger that came with the luggage. In the process of trying to collect the bag I was arrested. This is all I know about this incident,” he stated.

Speaking on the arrest, Chairman of the NDLEA, Mrs. Roli Bode-George said the agency would prosecute whoever was found guilty.

“The NDLEA is following every lead professionally and will exploit more opportunities towards getting every culprit arrested. We have also expanded the scope of our investigation and everyone involved in this illegal importation of narcotics shall be diligently prosecuted. The Agency will continue to uphold the rule of law and dislodge drug trafficking organisations in the country” Mrs. Roli stated.

The NDLEA boss added that the agency would maintain its culture of integrity stressing that if the officer being interrogated was found culpable, the law would run its full course.

According to Mrs. BodeGeorge; “NDLEA will not compromise its high standard of operation. We are working very hard with international and local collaborators in projecting the image of Nigeria in drug control programmes.''

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 — 11

Lagos, Ondo confirm cases of Lassa fever deaths •3 die in Lagos; Ondo confirms 2 deaths; LASUTH, General Hospitals on red alert

By Sola Ogundipe & Dayo Johnson

T

HE Lagos State Government is investigating suspected Lassa fever cases reported by the Mainland Hospital, Yaba and General Hospital, Mushin, following the death of three women that exhibited symptoms similar to Lassa virus infection.

Also, the Ondo State government, yesterday, confirmed two suspected cases of Lassa fever deaths in the state.

Health commissioner, Dr Dayo Adeyanju said this at a Lassa prevention stakeholders meeting for health workers, religious, and opinion leaders and traditional leaders in Akure.

Already, the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, and the 26 General Hospitals in the State are on red alert for isolation of any suspected Lassa fever cases.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who, disclosed this yesterday, said even though tests on the deceased were negative to the Lassa virus, the state government had

set in motion series of proactive measures to contain any possible outbreak of the disease in Lagos and environs.

Speaking on the development in a media briefing, Idris said: “The first is a 47 year-old woman who was referred to General Hospital, Mushin, from a private health facility (Alafia Tayo Maternity Home) on 7th January, 2016 with three days history of sore throat; frequent watery stooling of eight hours duration; difficulty in breathing of one hour duration and widespread petechae hemorrhages on the body.”

Confirming that the patient later died few minutes after reaching the hospital, Idris said the result of laboratory investigation (blood) was negative for Lassa fever.

He said the second suspected case, a 31 yearold woman from Nasarawa State, was referred from a private hospital to Mainland Hospital, Yaba, on account of a host of symptoms she developed on 4th January, 2016 .

“The symptoms included fever, sore throat, abdominal pain, discharge

from the eyes, bleeding per vagina, passage of bloody urine, anal bleeding and hemoptysis. Result of laboratory investigation (blood) was negative for Lassa fever,” Idris noted.

“The third suspected case, a 24-year-old housemaid who returned from Taraba State, was brought by her relations to Mainland Hospital, Yaba, on the 8th January,2016 on account of fever, vomiting and diarrhea on 9th January, 2016. Result of laboratory investigation was negative for Lassa fever.”

The commissioner noted that one of the primary contacts of the confirmed case in Rivers State who resides in Lagos is presently being monitored along with her contacts (secondary contacts). “All the contacts as at the time (Day 14) of this briefing are apparently healthy.”

Ondo confirms two deaths

In Ondo State, Dr Adeyanju said one of the suspects came into the state from Edo State.

He noted that government has put under close monitoring 31

Ekiti begins disbursement of N500m SMEs loan

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

A

DO-EKITI—EKITI State Government will today begin the disbursement of N500 million Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) loan to 4,519 beneficiaries.

The N500 million is the first tranche of the N2 billion the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) earmarked for the support of small and medium scale enterprises in the state.

The beneficiaries will get between N50,000 and N1 million respectively. N250 million will be disbursed as Micro loan while another N250 million will be disbursed as SME loan to 4,519 beneficiaries out of the 4,564 Ekiti residents that applied for the loan.

State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, disclosed this while meeting with the management of community and micro-finance Banks in the state. The banks are to serve as the medium of disbursing the loans to beneficiaries.

In a statement by the governor ’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, the governor will also meet beneficiaries of the loan at the Governor’s Office later in the week.

Governor Fayose said the loans would not be allowed to go down the drain like previous experiences, adding that the state government stood as surety for the beneficiaries.

Lagos earmarks N17.5bn for construction of 114 inner roads

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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AGOS—THE Lagos State Government, in collaboration with the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs, has concluded plans to move contractors to site for the commencement of 114 inner roads across the 57 councils in the state.

A total of N17.5 billion has been earmarked for the projects which include two roads to be fixed by each council. Construction work is also slated to commence within the next seven days.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy,

Mr. Steve Ayorinde, Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Muslim Folami and Chairman, Conference of Lagos State LGAs/LCDAs comprising of 57 Executive Secretaries, Mr. Kolade Alabi, disclosed this yesterday, during a joint media briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, on the commencement of the road construction projects.

Ayorinde explained that the arrangement to commence work on the roads was a practical demonstration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s commitment towards upgrading of road infrastructure in the state.

persons, who had contacts with the two dead suspects.

The Commissioner added that the state government has equally activated its surveillance mechanism to

ensure it does not spread.

He appealed to religious leaders not to harbour sick persons, who manifest symptoms of Lassa fever but referred them to the

nearest hospital for prompt attention.

Dr Adeyanju said that the outbreak control team at the local government has been re-activated.

COMMISSIONING: From left; Technical Manager, EPC2, ExxonMobil, Dr. Tunji Obawole, Chairperson, Ondo State Micro-credit Agency, Princess Banke Sutton, the Iyaloja of Igbo-egunrin, Mrs. Grace Moneyin, and The Odede of Igboegunrin, HRM Oba Philip Kalejaye, at the commissioning of Igboegunrin Water BoreHole donated

by ExxonMobil under its EPC2 Community Assistance Program in Ondo State.

12—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

Police link Baro, Odibu to attack on Delta shopping mall I've lost confidence in Delta Police Command —Baro

By Festus Ahon

A

SABA—THE controversy surrounding the attack and looting of Delta Shopping Mall (Shoprite) on January 8, 2016, has taken a new turn, following a police report linking the suspended Chairman of Uvwie Local Government Area, Mr Henry Baro and Chairman of Effurun Central Motor Park, Mr Napoleon Odibu, to the incident.

Reacting, however, Mr Baro said he was not evading police invitation, adding that he has lost confidence in Delta State Police Command. He alleged that the state police command was being used by his political detractors to pull him down.

Calling on the Inspector General of Police to wade into the matter to ensure that justice was done, Baro said: "I never sent anybody or group of persons to attack and loot Effurun Shoprite.”

He said that the attack on the shopping mall was regrettable and never intended, adding, “I did not call people to attack Shoprite. Shoprite is a project I hold dear to my heart and I could not have masterminded its destruction.”

He lamented that the situation was hijacked by traders at the roundabout who were not indigenes of the local government area.

The state Commissioner of

Police, Buba Alkali, who made the allegation, while briefing newsmen at the command’s headquarters in Asaba, said, the police was looking for the duo of Baro and Odibu for questioning over the attack on the mall.

Alkali said that miscreants had on the said day attacked the shopping mall, damaged and looted items, including laptops and handsets,

adding that the command would give N1 million reward to anyone with useful information that could lead to the arrest of the looters.

He said that following a distress call by the Operations Manager of the mall, patrol teams from various divisions in Warri were mobilized to the scene and the miscreants on seeing the policemen took to their

heels, while one of them, identified as Godspower Ijoesgaga, was arrested.

Alkali noted that the crisis was an offshoot of the altercation Mr Baro had with two naval men outside the shopping mall, alleging that the hoodlums after leaving the shopping mall embarked on protest along some streets in Warri and in the process one Afor Emero was killed.

PRESENTATION: From left, Mr. Nwaobi Emmanuel, representing Aniocha North in Delta State House of Assembly; INEC National Commissioner in charge of South-South, Dr Mustapha Lecky and Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, representing Delta Central senatorial district, during the presentation of certificates of return, at INEC office, Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

$2.1bn arms probe: I didn’t receive a dime from Dasuki, says Ribadu

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor

T

HE former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu, has denied obtaining any money from the embattled former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki.

Ribadu, who led a fierce corruption battle while at the EFCC, is alleged to have refunded an undisclosed amount of money which he obtained from Dasuki, who is facing multiple charges for allegedly sharing arms funds to PDP party leaders and cronies.

But angered by the claim, Ribadu said in a statement made available to our correspondent that he neither received any money from Dasuki nor made any refund to anyone.

The statement, which was endorsed by Ribadu’s Media aide, Abdullaziz Abdullaziz, made it clear that the former EFCC boss never met with Dasuki throughout his tenure as NSA.

Ribadu said it was shocking for him to be linked with a man he never had anything to do with while he held sway as the NSA to Jonathan.

He, therefore challenged anyone who has evidence that

he got money from Dasuki and had made any refund to the anti-graft agency to come forward with evidence or keep quiet forever.

Ribadu said: ”My attention has been drawn to insinuations in certain quarters of my purported

repayment of some money I was allegedly given by the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

“For the record, let me categorically state that I had nothing to do with the former NSA while he was in office.”

Oshiomhole voted 10% of state budget to Gov's Office —Edo PDP

By Gabriel Enogholase

B

ENIN—EDO State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has described the state's 2016 budget as a budget of misappropriation, saying that the state governor, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, appropriated N10.65 billion, representing 9.6 per cent of the total budget of N111.50 billion to his office as against the N35 million allocated to the office of his deputy.

The party also accused the state government of neglecting

the provision of water to majority of the citizens of the state by voting a paltry N100 million for the sector and agriculture N300 million while it allocated N5 billion and N400 million to security and ICT respectively.

Edo State Chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, who spoke to newsmen in Benin, yesterday, while analyzing the Edo State 2016 budget, also accused the governor of voting the sum of N3.5 billion to the construction of the Accident and Emergency Ward unit at the Benin Central Hospital, adding that the hospital ward has become a conduit pipe used to

siphon the resources of the state as funds had been allocated to the wards in the last two budgets.

However, reacting to the allegations, Special Adviser (Media) to Governor Oshiomhole, Prince Kassim Afegbua, said that the budget was only a proposal and until it becomes a law, it cannot be commented upon.

“The budget was well thought out, we did a budget that will be actionable and in the interest of Edo people. So, the budget proposal will pass through the scrutiny of the Edo State House of Assembly before it becomes a law,” he said.

OPEC mulls emergency meeting over rapid oil slump

By Grace Udofia with Agency Report

M

INISTER of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, yesterday, said that a number of countries in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, have requested for an emergency meeting following the current market condition of crude oil.

Speaking at an Energy Conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Kachukwu said there was a lot of push from various blocks within OPEC for the need of a meeting.

The emergency meeting would be to review OPEC policy to see if there was any need to change strategy and to address nose-diving crude prices.

However, UAE has moved to quash talk of a potential emergency meeting of the OPEC after Nigeria’s oil minister said on Tuesday a “couple” of members had requested a gathering.

Benchmark Brent crude futures slipped towards $30 a barrel to a near 12-year low before rising slightly.

They have shed almost three-quarters of their value since mid-2014 due to oversupply.

Such market conditions supported an emergency meeting to review whether OPEC should change strategy, Kachikwu told reporters on the sidelines of the conference.

But UAE Energy Minister, Suhail bin Mohammed al-Mazroui, later told the same conference the current OPEC strategy was working, adding that time was needed to allow this to happen - perhaps between one and 1-1/2 years.

Madam Esekhile for burial

M

RS Iwaye Esekhile nee Agboruian, of Ekpoma, Edo State, is dead, aged 85.

Lying in state comes up tomorrow at her residence, 46, Osimen Street, Emaudo Ekpoma, followed by traditional rites and interment on Friday at the same venue.

Late Madam Esekhile

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 — 13

C M Y K

14—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 — 15

C M Y K

16—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

$2.1bn arms scandal: Metuh in fresh trouble with EFCC for tearing own statement

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor

A

S CONCERNS grow among his party leaders and supporters for his release from week-long detention, the embattled spokesman for the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, reportedly ran into a fresh trouble with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for tearing his voluntary statement to the commission.

Metuh, who was arrested, last week, for questioning over allegation that he received N400 million of the $2.1 billion arms cash from the Office of National Security Adviser, ONSA, reportedly tore the statement he volunteered earlier to the operatives investigating him.

A top source in the Commission told Vanguard, last night, that a desperate Metuh had resorted to the act when he realised that his ‘hunger strike’ had not softened the resolve of the agency to keep him in custody pending arraignment.

The suspect, competent sources disclosed, was presented with copies of his statement to endorse by the investigating officer, but rather than sign the document, Metuh on realising the weight of his confession, seized the documents and proceeded to tear them.

Metuh was said to be contemplating stuffing the papers into his mouth in a bid to swallow them when he was stopped by

operatives, who managed to recover the torn pieces of papers from the PDP spokesman.

A source said the action of Metuh in trying to destroy major evidence in the case was an offence which could attract a separate charge in court.

An official of the EFCC said last night: “The tearing of statement is tantamount to wilful destruction of government property and it is a serious offence.

“Also, the fact that he obstructed operatives from performing their job is also a criminal offence. We will explore the possibility of filing a separate charge against him at the Federal Capital

Territory High Court,” the source said.

The development came on a date the PDP caucus in the National Assembly gave the EFCC 48 hours to release or charge Metuh to court or face its wrath without taking into consideration the weight of his alleged offence.

The action of the PDP caucus runs contrary to the Deputy Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Abdullahi Jalko, who, Monday, disowned Metuh and other PDP chieftains, who used their companies to obtain money from the ONSA. Addressing a news conference

in Abuja, Jalo asked Metuh and others named in the scandal to answer for their actions, as the party did not send them to obtain the said huge sums of money for any purpose.

Jalo also asked former President Jonathan to come out and speak on the matter, as he was alive and should not keep sealed lips over the controversial issue that had dampened Nigeria’s image.

The PDP had, however, distanced itself from Jalo, saying that he was on his own over the statement he made against Jonathan, Metuh and other party faithful, now standing trials.

VISIT: Governor of Enugu State, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (left), with the new state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Nwodibo Ekechukwu, during the latter's courtesy visit to the governor in Government House, Enugu, yesterday.

...as Ohanaeze calls on EFCC to arrest Nwobodo

By Ugochukwu Alaribe

A

BA—Ohanaeze Youth Council, OYC, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to arrest the former governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo over his involvement in the controversial $2 billion arms procurement fund.

Nwobodo, who was named by former NSA, Sambo Dasuki, to have received N500 million from the fund, has since defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, a move believed to shield himself from prosecution.

Addressing journalists in Aba, Abia State National President of Ohanaeze Youth Council, Mazi Okechukwu, urged Nwobodo to immediately disclose the beneficiaries of the money given to him.

“We charge Nwobodo to let Nigerians know how he disbursed the N500 million which he received from Sambo Dasuki. He should take clue from Dasuki as well as Chief Tony Anenih, who have since disclosed how they shared money made available to them. If he fails to disclose the beneficiaries within the next 21 days, appropriate actions should

be taken to ensure that he faces the full wrath of the law.

“Since Nwobodo said the money was meant for former President Goodluck Jonathan’s mobilization campaign in the South-East, he should let the world know how he disbursed the money and all the South-East leaders and politicians who received money from him and

how much he gave to each of them. If he pocketed the money, he should also let the world know.”

The youth group maintained that defecting to the APC would not save anybody, who had participated in sharing the nation’s commonwealth.

“We are aware that Nwobodo has decamped to APC, and we

agree with Nigerians, even members of the APC, who have viewed his defection as a ploy to evade justice.

"The EFCC should not hesitate to arrest all the people, who had looted our commonwealth. All we ask is that the Commission should be thorough in its arrest and prosecution. No looter should go unpunished.”

7th day: Abductors of Obi Akaeze Ofulue 111 demand N3.5m ransom

By Starrys Obazei

T

HE DELTA monarch, Obi Akaeze Ofulue 111 of Ubulu-Uku, in Aniocha South Local Government Area, Delta State, has already spent seven days in abductors’ den in the forest.

He fell into the hands of Fulani herdsmen kidnappers at a bad spot on Obior – Igbodo part of Benin-Asaba expressroad, Tuesday, January 5, 2016.

Hope was raised for his release, when many days later, the kidnappers began negotiating with the palace officials.

Vanguard reliably gathered that the ransom bargain began with

N25 million, and haggled down to N3.5 million.

As efforts were made to hand over the ransom to the kidnappers, something went wrong, according to a family source based in Lagos.

And a few days ago, the monarch and his driver, Vanguard learned, attempted to escape, but the Obi could not make it, and was re-arrested by the Fulani herdsmen abductors.

But his driver made it to safety.

The source said: “The driver thereafter started helping the police and vigilante men to comb the suspected forest area.

But another source at UbuluUku in a telephone chat, said:

“Fears about the Obi's safety has heightened in our community after the failed attempt to escape.

“However, the Obi was able to reach his palace officials on phone a few days ago, and efforts were made to end the ordeal with the payment of the ransom, but suddenly it became impossible to reach the Obi again.”

The source said that “up till now, we cannot reach the abductors again. We suspect they are afraid of being caught after payment of the ransom because of the current activities of the police and vigilante.

“Right now, all lovers of the Obi have gone into intense prayers for his safety.”

Anambra community protests

against planned imposition of PG

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu

N

NEWI—ELDERS and youths of Aboji, Akanano Oba in Idemili South Local Government Area, Anambra State, yesterday, protested in Oba against what they called “unfair treatment and act of intimidation,” allegedly perpetrated by some indigenes of Aboji Akanano against Nze Dozie Nweke, who is contesting for the President General, PG, of Aboji Akanano community.

The protesters alleged that the election while ongoing on January 5, mid way, the returning officer cancelled it because Dozie Nweke was leading, and it was rescheduled for January 7, and on that day, people trouped out to vote and mid way into it again, when the Returning Officer discovered that Nze Nweke will carry the day, having seen the number of people queuing behind him, cancelled it the second time after a discussion with some people and rescheduled it again for January 15, 2016.

Popular candidate Wielding placards with inscriptions as, the youths said they will never allow the election to be rigged against the popular candidate.

Addressing newsmen shortly after their protest in the villages in Oba, spokesmen of the protesting Oba people, Mr. Chidiebere Madunagu, who is the chairman, Youths Welfare Association of Aboji Akanano, and Izuchukwu Chukwuemeka, who is the Public Relations Officer, Youths Welfare Association respectively, said they want free and fair election.

They said that the villages that make up Aboji Akanano, namely, Awee, Umuokeokpa, Okpunetiti, Umumpama, Umuezeala, Umuaba and Umuorabem were behind them and want the popular candidate to win the election and will not accept any imposition on them, adding that they would not accept anybody that was not from the community to be part of the election like those who want to rig the election were trying to draft them to vote.

“You can see that we are protesting against planned rigging out of the popular candidate, Nze Nweke, who won the election two times, but his victories were cancelled."

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 —17

I

received an unfortunately high number of emails last week from readers attempting to excuse those involved in #DasukiGate. I was not just appalled but flummoxed: how does one reason, overlook or explain spending money meant for the purchase of arms on private individuals?

How does one so easily forgive such an allegation, knowing that as we speak, innumerable children have been orphaned and displaced precisely because the military was not appropriately equipped to fight Boko Haram?

Have we no conscience?

What about the soldiers whose deaths might have been avoided? What if they were our friends or relatives? What if, if not for the vagaries of fortune and circumstance, those defending such crimes had been soldiers themselves?

On the subject of conscience, I’m also taken aback by the continuing flow of opportunists and defectors from the PDP to the APC. But back to the defenders of the would-be frail, little innocent lambs. The PDP’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Abdullahi Jalo said “Haliru Bello did a contract with the office of Sambo Dasuki to the tune of N600m with his company’s name, not PDP. In the case of Olisa Metuh, his company allegedly had transactions with the office of National Security Adviser. So, what is PDP’s business with that?” If the PDP can disown its own members or seek to distance their wrongdoings from the party’s internal workings (a difficult, almost impossible feat), how do Nigerians benefit from defending people accused of doing terrible wrong to this country?

Internal workings Or, in other words, how do we benefit from crying more than the bereaved? In truth, we are the bereaved, not the PDP. It is our families who die on bad roads because of corruption. It is our children who are out of school.

Yet, some choose to defend those who wouldn’t give them the time of day. Puzzling.

The PDP leadership has clearly stated it didn’t instruct any of its members to either ask for or receive any money from the former NSA - although allegedly, Tony Anenih, a PDP trustee, received, along with other PDP elders, part of the money—therefore, anyone facing trial for their alleged financial relationship or undue links with Sambo Dasuki is on their own.

Defeat, they say, has no fathers. How callous yet fascinating and understandable as Jonathan, Patience and even Akpabio said at various times during the past electoral campaign, “nobody wants to go to jail for 300 years under Buhari”.

It was part of the campaign narrative: in a curious, inexplicable way they told us, in Patience Jonathan’s manner for example: “vote for my husband, I can’t carry food to feed him in jail”. Or in Akpabio’s case, “as for me, my children are too young, I can’t go C M Y K

tprincewill@yahoo.co.uk

‘Why shouldn’t I be corrupt if it makes my life easier?’

•Sambo Dasuki to jail”. The defenders of the lambs should ask if this is an admission of guilt or a “mea culpa,” an attempt at making amends.

Italian Renaissance writer, Machiavelli, said, “he who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived”. So, somehow, PDP stalwarts convinced some of our uneducated masses and some greedy, emotionless people that

defending their right to Nigeria’s commonwealth was in the people’s interest.

This brings me to the question “why shouldn’t I be corrupt if it makes my life easier?” which I am certain, is the tacit or unspoken interrogation the defenders of the dishonest lambs often utter. Their depravity and prowess at feigning innocence is so potent that they have convinced even themselves (talk less of others) that they are hunted rather than being hunters themselves.

Psychopathic tendencies

The first thing Buhari’s media aides must do: get the public on the side of the anticorruption war, make people understand why it is not in their interest for anyone accused of corruption to escape to a private island somewhere with billions in foreign currency which could have empowered Nigerians

To fight anyone with psychopathic tendencies, psychologists advise preserving the truth and keeping it out of the psychopath’s reach. Nigerians, we are failing at this.

Psychopaths operate outside the rules: they are ruthless and willing to do anything to protect themselves, even destroy everyone around them. Psychopaths are incapable of guilt or remorse, they are master manipulators, liars and abusers of (public) trust, who take advantage of everyone else by asking, again, “why shouldn’t I be corrupt if it makes my life easier?”

The psychopaths who have ruled us and oppressed us with their ill-gotten wealth continue to confidently clamour their innocence, or worse, to pretend they knew nothing about anything that went on under their watch.

The sort of people who defend them are duped by their mild mannered smiles and unsophistication, the cultivated aura of childlike harmlessness and lack of worldly experience, which doesn’t point to incorruptibility or lawfulness but to the evil desire to destroy Nigerians by taking from them all that could protect and develop them.

Some of those who defend them envy that freedom to oppress because they have been repressed and kept down themselves, so why not do it to others? Some do not see loss of life as anything important: they have psychopathic traits themselves.

Others are simply ignorant and here I blame the presidential media aides for not doing more to break things down for the masses: what exactly is the problem with corruption? Why are we fighting it? Why is it wrong, evil, to divert public funds for private use?

Why shouldn’t any of us be corrupt if we get a chance? Why is it dangerous, in our context of porous borders, where public officials ridiculously attempt to escape the long arm of the law dressed as members of the op-

posite sex, for the EFCC to release suspects, even if ill-advised, possibly corrupt judges grant them bail? Do we all agree corruption is heinous? Nothing is less sure.

So that is the first thing Buhari’s media aides must do: get the public on the side of the anticorruption war, make people understand why it is not in their interest for anyone accused of corruption to escape to a private island somewhere with billions in foreign currency which could have empowered Nigerians.

Appalling behaviour The psychopaths who commonly show contempt for the masses who elect them cannot conceive that they will be punished for their appalling behaviour. Nigerians, don’t give them the guts to defend stealing as a way of life by upholding the bankrupt moral system they believe in, one where selfishness and one-upmanship are worth more than your lives.

There are people of all religions and ethnic groups listed as those who took part in the arms scandal, meaning when it comes to sharing the loot, nobody is interested in where anyone is from or how they worship.

Interestingly, those questions resurface when it is time to vote or to defend those who do not deserve our compassion or pity.

What interest have they shown in the Nigerian masses? Why should the poor care about them, because they come from the same village?

Did that matter when the going was good? In national interest, we must leave illogical reasoning and bigotry behind and save Nigeria from a group of psychopaths who have been pillaging and destroying Nigeria with glee.

Chief Judge

J

USTICE Ibrahim Auta authorised the transfer of some judges (e.g. those handling the Buruji Kashamu and Stella Oduah cases) who peculiarly halted investigations into possibly criminal matters.

It’s a welcome development.

Our justice system is the greatest impediment to the fight against corruption and it is urgent, to save Nigeria from both financial and moral bankruptcy that funds are recovered and convictions secured.

Doyin Okupe

H

E claims Buhari is losing respect from the international community due to his fight against corruption, which probably explains why IMF boss, Christine Lagarde visited Nigeria and had such positive things to say.

As for the idea that the fight is “selective”, two wrongs don’t make a right: that other people are possibly corrupt doesn’t influence the fact that those the EFCC is investigating probably are too. Mr Okupe should rest assured; no one will be left out.

A day in court is the least the government can do for those “poor ” hounded lambs.

•Doyin Okupe *Tabia Princewill is a strategic communications consultant and public policy analyst. She is also the cohost and executive producer of a talk show, WALK THE TALK which airs on Channels TV.

18 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 IN every constitutional democracy, the judiciary is one of the major pillars that sustains its principles and tenets.

It is an embodiment of equity,fairness,justice and rule of law.

Without the judiciary which is regarded as the last hope of the aggrieved,law and order will stand on their heads. It is against this backdrop that justice must not only be done by the institution but must be seen by all to have been done.

Until the amendments of the Electoral Act 2010,it was only the presidential election petition that got to the Supreme Court. Perhaps,the perceived injustice some of the petitions suffered partly informed the amendments. Hence,governorship election petitions in particular,no longer terminate at the Court of Appeal. The apex court is the final arbiter.

Interestingly,the 2015 general elections and the colour of judgements emanating from the Court of Appeal have somewhat lent

Appeal Court’s conflicting judgments in election petitions credence to the wisdom that informed the Electoral Act amendments. In the last couple of months,the Appeal Court had delivered what can best be termed conflicting judgements in some of the National Assembly and governorship election petitions brought before them. Curiously,some of the facts and principles of the petitions are similar.

While we will refrain from commenting on some of these cases in adherence to ethical standards we, however, commend the timely intervention of the Chief Justice of Nigeria CJN, Justice Mahmud

Mohammed. The CJN used the annual conference of Court of Appeal in Abuja to express his concern on the issue.

In an apparent reference to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, accusation that the Appeal Court’s judgements were delivered to favour the ruling All Proggresives Congress ,APC, in his admonition that the justices are guardians, of the law and must not only be just but must also dispense certainty, could not have been more timely.

That is why we are adding our voice to that of the CJN to urge the three

wise men(including women) on the Court of Appeal bench to employ deeper jurisprudential perspectives in their judgement delivery, especially in cases with similar facts. As is the practice in any court system,the Appeal Court, in deference to the Supreme Court as the highest court in the land,should be guided by and follow the latter’s precedents. This is so because as Justice Mohammed observed,there cannot be justice, where there is confusion as to the state of the law as pronounced by the court.

We also recommend the CJN’s piece of advice on the need for the Court of Appeal to have an internal Law report for Justices’ use either electronically or in print. Equally important is the wise counsel of Niki Tobi JSC (as he then was) that immediately a judgement is delivered in one division of the Court of Appeal,it should be sent to the other division instantly. This will engender uniformity and consistency in judgements.

OPINION Hand over or took over power(2) Continued from yesterday

By Eric Teniola

I

T was agreed that the statement would be typed and Dipcharima would sign it on our behalf. We were then asked to return home and await further instructions. I only got to break my Ramadan fast around 9.30pm”.

In taking over power on January 16, 1966, the then Head of State, General Ironsi made the following broadcast to the country: " The Military Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria wishes to state that it has taken over the interim administration of the Federal Republic of Nigeria following the invitation of the Council of Ministers of the last Government for the Army to do so.

For some time now there have been escalating political disturbances in parts of Nigeria with increasing loss of faith between political parties, and between political leaders themselves.

This crisis of confidence reached a head during the elections in the Western Region in October last year. There were charges by the opposition parties rigging of the elections and general abuse of power by the regional

government in the conduct of the elections. Riots, arson, murder and looting became widespread in Western Nigeria since October. The situation deteriorated and certain army officers attempted to seize power.

In the early hours of the morning of 15 January 1966, these officers kidnapped the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance and took them to an unknown destination. The revolt was widespread throughout the country and two Regional Premiers and some highranking army officers were killed. The whereabouts of the Prime Minister is still unknown. The vast majority of the Nigerian Army under the command of the General Officer Commanding the Nigeria Army remained completely loyal to the Federal Government and immediately took steps to control the situation.

I here state again categorically as a member of that cabinet that we did not hand-over voluntarily. It was a coup

The Council of Ministers of the Federal Government met and appraised the problems confronting the government.

They appreciated the immediate need to control the serious situation which threatened the Federation. They also saw quite clearly a possible deterioration of the situation in the light of developments on Saturday, 15 January 1966. On Sunday, 16 January, the Council of Ministers unanimously decided to hand over voluntarily the administration of the country, with immediate effect, to the Nigerian Army.

This was formally done the same day by the Acting President of the Federation.

The Government of the Federation of Nigeria having ceased to function, the Nigeria Armed Forces have been invited to form an interim Military Government for the purpose of maintaining law and order and of maintaining essential services.

The invitation has been accepted and I, GENERAL JOHNSON THOMAS UMUNAKWE AGUIYI-IRONSI, the General Officer Commanding the Nigerian Army, have been formally invested with authority as Head of the Federal Military Government and Supreme Commander of the Nigerian Armed Forces”.

In his own words, Chief Richard Akinjide said the Ministers did not hand over to Ironsi. In 2000, he said” under

the law, that is, the interpretation Act, as acting President, Nwazor Orizu had all the powers of the President. The GOC said he wanted to see all the cabinet ministers. And so we assembled at the cabinet office. Well, I have read in many books saying that we handed over to the military. We did not hand-over.

Ironsi told us that” you either hand over as gentlemen or you hand-over by force”. Those were his words. Is that voluntary hand-over? So we did not hand over. We wanted an Acting Prime Minister to be in place but Ironsi forced us, and I use the word advisedly, to hand over to him. He was controlling the soldiers. The acting President, Nwafor Orizu, who did not cooperate with us, cooperated with the GOC. Dr. Orizu and the GOC prepared speeches which Nwafor Orizu broadcast handing over the government of the country to the army. I here state again categorically as a member of that cabinet that we did not hand-over voluntarily. It was a coup”.

A lot has happened to our country since then and a lot will still happen. As we enter the New Year, it is my hope and prayer that the best years of Nigeria, are still to come.

Concluded •Mr. Teniola, a former director at the presidency, wrote from Lagos.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016—19 —19 Send Opinions & Letters to: opinions1234@yahoo.com

More from the cesspool of Dasuki’s arms scandal

W

HEN at first Sambo Dasuki, a former National Security Adviser in the Goodluck Jonathan Administration was slammed with a cocktail of charges including money laundering, illegal possession of arms and misappropriation of funds meant for the procurement of arms for the Nigerian military, not many could have imagined the matter would extend beyond him. His troubles all seemed to some Nigerians, especially many in the Peoples Democratic Party, as a battle of wits and scores settling between him and Muhammadu Buhari, dating back to their days in the military. Ordinarily Buhari was too senior to Dasuki, a middle ranking officer as at the time Buhari was already a two star general and military head of state of the country, to justify linking them both in a discussion.

But the role Col. Dasuki, as one of the so-called Babangida boys, played in the ouster of Buhari would seem to make the accusation of the execution of a possible Buhari vendetta against him seem plausible.

But as days grew into weeks and the details of the charges against Dasuki were fleshed out

matters took a different turn, warranting a different reading of the situation. This was for those not sold forever like Raymond Dokpesi on the idea that the charges against Dasuki were all trumped up. Moreover details started emerging of how Dasuki had turned the office of the National Security Adviser into a conduit pipe for the siphoning of slush funds into the re-election campaign of Goodluck Jonathan.

Beyond the huge stash of dollars Dasuki was reported to have kept in his Abuja residence and the purchase of high end properties in prime locations abroad, Dasuki generally appears to have shared ‘the garri’ of the US $2.1 billion meant for the purchase of arms across the board. In the absence of knowing the actual monetary worth of the properties he is alleged to have acquired aside the cash reportedly found in his house, he does not appear to have kept most of the arms deal fund for himself. A very generous sharer of money not his he certainly is.

As the investigation goes on Dasuki’s generosity in sharing our commonwealth to a select group of politicians and political jobbers feels me with a present

and nagging concern. Should the ongoing investigation be followed wherever it leads without fear or favour, I fear it might lead to the brutal but necessary end of the present class of politicians that have kept this country under its leash in the last two or more generations. I said earlier that when the investigation started it all looked like it would end with Dasuki. But since one of Dasuki’s lieutenants started spilling the bean and Dasuki was apparently left no better option than to follow suit, the bizarre jamboree of illegal and criminal diversion of funds into private pockets appears to have widened in circle, cutting across party divides to include individuals and groups nobody could have connected with the office of the National Security Adviser to say nothing of being linked to the reelection of Jonathan.

When weeks before the election it was widely reported in sections of the media that the PDP under Jonathan had been distributing foreign currencies to individuals and groups that included traditional rulers, light and heavyweight politicians, and ‘grassroots’ mobilisers across the country, it sounded like an attempt to blackmail the government. Revelations from this Dasuki affair have surely

Many of those who swore they had nothing to do with the $2.1 Billion Dasuki bazaar are now pre-empting investigators by claiming they could be framed into the matter

Rule of Law as refuge

I

WELCOME the controversy over President Buhari’sexplanation of the rearrest and continued detention of Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd), President Jonathan’s political ATM-machine who went by the formal title of National Security adviser.

If nothing else, it offers us the opportunity to ensure that the hallowed concept of rule of law will not become the refuge of scoundrels, of treasury looters whose kleptomania has the nation reeling from the mortal blows of grinding poverty, gross underdevelopment and threats to its corporate integrity. The president raised hackles when he said that Dasuki and Nnamdi Kanu (leader of the separatist Indigenous People of Biafra)have not been released,despite subsisting courts orders granting them bail, because given “the kinds of atrocities” they have “committed against the country, if they are given the opportunity, they will jump bail.”

We know a bit now about these atrocities and the president,speaking with specific reference to Dasuki, mentioned how former president Goodluck Jonathan simply “wrote to the governor of Central Bank and said ‘give N40 billion to so, so and so.’” For his part, Kanu, also a British citizen, is charged with treasonable felony, worsening his case by allegedly entering Nigeria without using either of his passports and bringing in equipment with which he set up Radio Biafra. “There is a treasonable felony suit against him,” said the president.

The controversy that trailed the president’s explanation also presents us a moment to understand the meaning of bail, even if atavistic fears and the yet-to-cool emotions of the general elections tend to thwart sober reflection. Given the regrettable human C M Y K

rights record of his first coming as military head-of-state, Buhari was never going to get the benefit of the doubt on the finer points of democracy. In the midst of the name-calling he has inadvertently invited this time, some have counselled that he leave the task of explaining the legal implications of policies and actions to his AttorneyGeneral. Or, I should add, the vicepresident, a senior advocate to boot.

So what is bail? Simply,security or an undertaking that a person arrested or imprisoned shall, if released, appear for his or her trial. The crucial element, then, is certainty that the accused shall not flee and evade justice. Once this condition is reasonably assured, the weight of the alleged crime becomes irrelevant, except in the setting of bail conditions. But will Dasuki and Kanu actually flee if released on bail? Going by the weight of their alleged crime(s) alone, it is a probability, especially as neither has convincingly denied committing the crimes alleged beyond the formality of a “Not guilty” plea,

Dasuki and Kanu should be released because the eyes of the world are on them.

Even if they were inclined to jump bail, they might run far but would never be able to hide

confirmed beyond any reasonable doubt that that administration was at the time of the reports swimming in the cesspool of criminal wastage and sleaze in the name of political campaign. It is as if the PDP administration knew the only way it could win that election outside rigging it outright was to bribe every category of Nigerians willing to be bribed to work for its return to power.

Politically, the administration was clearly at the end of its tether. Which was a fact that must have been obvious to its most starry-eyed supporters.

In its bid to retain power the Jonathan administration went on a spending spree not minding the damage that would eventuate from that. Now Nigerians can see that the only strategy the government had for winning was to continue with the nauseating squandering of Nigeria’s resources in a last ditch attempt to hang on to power. The outcome of all of this is that the administration, through the office of the NSA, has succeeded in at once implicating and criminalising virtually most sections of the Nigerian political class for the criminal abetting of fund misappropriation and mismanagement.

Many of those who swore they had nothing to do with the $2.1 Billion Dasuki bazaar are now pre-empting investigators by claiming they could be framed into the matter while denying any knowledge that either they or the organisations they belong in shared in the misappropriated funds. Others owned up to sharing in the funds while claiming they did so in line of their official duty. This even when their share was remitted into their private accounts or accounts owned by their companies. In the first two groups

which means only that the prosecution should “prove the case as charged.”

Indeed, Dasuki’s defence so far is, in essence, that he was merely obeying orders.

Kanu justifies his actions under the constitutional and universal right to self-determination (up to and including secession).

What then is the government to do? The option of re-arresting and re-arraigning accused persons already admitted to bail is untenable as it fosters the perception of disregard for the rule of law. True, an accused is granted bail in respect of a specific offence or set of offences and can be validly re-arrested for a fresh infraction. And that should not be deemed a violation of the old bail, the accused having enjoyed liberty, however briefly, between the moment of stepping out of jail and of the second arrest. But what if Dasuki were to secure bail again upon rearraignment (as to be expected), would the government arrest him once again upon yet another charge?

Not without ridiculing itself and further perpetuating a needless public relations problem. And giving potent ammunition to the powerful class of social vultures who have every reason to fear Buhari’s avowed anti-corruption war. This clique which has been eating the country alive through massive and systemic corruption is currentlytrying to deafen us with their strident cry of RULE OF LAW! Without any sense of shame, hypocrisy being their defining characteristic, they wield “rule of law” as a sword and a shield at the same time. They have set their personal rights and

belong the likes of Femi FaniKayode who has not been officially linked with the funds and Olisa Metuh who was picked up by the EFCC after many days of prevarication.

Only days after Alhaji Tanko Yakassai had sworn in a newspaper interview never to have taken any money, directly or indirectly, for supporting Jonathan, he owned up to collecting a princely N63million from Chief Tony Anenih. Yet others in opposition parties like the Social Democratic Party of Olu Falae and Accord Party of Rashid Ladoja also owned up to receiving respectively the very royal sum of N100 million for supporting the re-election of Jonathan. A little more pressure and those in other political groups presently denying any link to the arms deal fraud would be confessing their part in this disgraceful and tragic misadventure.

Sharers in the Dasuki-PDP largess fall into two broad groups.

The first are those supporters who knew they were either helping themselves or were being helped to illegal funds from the office of the NSA for jobs of clearly dubious specification. In this group are the Dokpesis, the Bafarawas, the Mohammed Bello Halilu and sons, and a section of the leadership of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria. The other group are those mostly outside the PDP who got their share of the diverted arms funds from second hand sources like Chief Anenih. These are guilty by association- possible cases of what in local parlance is called akoba-adaba. They were soiled by the devil’s offer from the PDP. While that may mitigate their guilt, it is doubtful if it will absolve them of complicity.

Anywhere they turn they are smeared in the Dasuki mess.

liberty above the rights and liberties of the nation as a whole.

Yet, Dasuki and Kanu must be released forthwith on the bail terms set by the courts. One of the terms, I believe, requires Dasuki to surrender his passport to the court pending the determination of his case. Kanu must also surrender his Nigerian passport and Queen Elizabeth II alerted to the alleged treasonable acts of her subject against his country of birth.

There can be no question, in my view, of Dasuki travelling abroad for medical treatment. He must, however, be allowed access to the best medical services WITHIN the country that the mindboggling misappropriation and embezzlement of public funds by him and his ilk have made possible. The overwhelming majority of his dispossessed fellow citizens do not go to Europe, America or elsewhere to cure their many afflictions.

Dasuki and Kanu should be released because the eyes of the world are on them.

Even if they were inclined to jump bail, they might run far but would never be able to hide. If need be, the government can seek a variation of their bail conditions to include the compulsory wearing of an electronic tracking device.

Let’s have it done with needless distractions from the gargantuan effort to salvage our sinking nation.

20—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

By Egufe Yafugborhi

L

IKE wild fire, commercial tomato cultivation has taken roots in Delta to the extent that its farmers claim that they have the capacity to crash market prices and push the near total dependence on supplies from Northern Nigeria into the dustbin of history in no distant future.

Around markets in Asaba, the state capital and environs, a significant proportion of fresh tomatoes supplies are now sourced from a rapid growing league of local growers who are expanding cultivated farmlands by every harvest.

At the 2015 World Food Day which was marked with a food fair in Asaba, stakeholders had close assessment of the progress so far gained by the local tomato farmers as a team showcased its harvest.

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa who used the occasion to distribute tractors and other vital farm implements to leading farmers was quoted as instructing Prof. Eric Eboh, the State’s Chief Job Creation Officer to key the emergent tomato farming revolution in Delta state into the government’s youth agriculture empowerment schemes.

Silencing doubting Thomases Winifred Gilbert, a young farmer, regarded as the Face of Tomato Farming in Delta, told Vanguard Metro VM that many people who came to the Fair doubted their ability to mass produce tomatoes. “Even with live nurseries and fresh growing tomato plants we displayed at our stand at the food fair, some participants still felt that we had stage- managed the baskets of harvest we brought in.

Some felt we bought the tomatoes we brought, but these doubts are turning out to pay us more prominence as some of the doubting Thomases who cared to inspect our field efforts left our farms convinced and have joined in spreading testimonies to the public,” she said Winifred, an established poultry farmer in Asaba got engrossed in the tomato farming revolution in Delta following an encounter with former State Assembly lawmaker, Paul Okpue.

“We had a chance meeting and he passionately spoke about his promotion of commercial tomato cultivation in Delta and his determination to help as many persons as would embrace the revolution.

Just one curious visit to his home garden and another to his expansive tomato plantation off Ibusa Road was enough to make me join the bandwagon and there has been no looking back C M Y K

Winifred displaying some of the tomatoes harvested from her farm and (INSET) Tomatoes from the farm.

How tomato cultivation is taking root in Delta since then,”she explained.

A cost effective venture: Compared to her poultry business which she has been running successfully for the past four years, Winifred said the cultivation of tomatoes is far more cost effective given the minimal input needed to nurse the crop to harvest.

“My birds rearing has been a sustainable venture since I vacated public service employment into full time farming, but it’s been quite cost intensive giving the substantial amount one invests in procuring feeds, animal health commitment involving consultation of vets and medication for the birds as well as water among the very indispensable inputs which come with a lot of movement (transportation) added to regular presence which is key.

kets from my small first farm.

Cultivation costs was so minimal,” Winifred explained Basic challenge: The basic challenge with tomato farming is that it is so water absorbing from nursery to harvest much like other vegetables. Winifred who shared her experiences with VM said:.

“I started my first tomato farm at the peak of last rainy season, so there was little or no problem at all with water as nature did most of the watering.

Now in the heat of the sun through the harmattan that has set in, the challenge with watering the growing tomato in my second outing has been enormous. However, the basic motivation for dealing with this challenge was to ask ourselves, if the North that is so dry has been the major source of tomato consumed

Regular presence Whereas at my entrance into the Delta tomatoes revolution, all I did was buy a pack of 1500 resilient planting seeds from Hon. Okpue at N3500. He gave minutes of takeoff practice, I procured a farmland and hit the ground running almost immediately.

Interestingly, in just three months from preparing the nursery I had already started harvest after one weeding session and application of pesticides against attacking white flies. In the couple of months that followed, I plucked and sold nearly 20 bas-

Ultimately, in the long run, we want to halt dependence on external supplies; it’s such an ambitious dream, but very reasonable

across Nigeria, why should the South including Delta which experiences more rains be discouraged in farming the highly demanded vegetable?”

Currently, Winifred waters her growing tomato twice a day, at dawn and dusk. This task for virtually every entrant in the Delta tomato farm environment has been very labour- intensive and time consuming as they all approach it manually. Efforts among stakeholders are in high gear to introduce technical intensive irrigation systems to drastically limit the intense human labour employed in the watering input.

Returns on investment, ambitious projection With tomato a common item in most delicacies across Nigeria, the demand for it has always been higher than supply, especially in other regions including Delta which depend enormously on supplies from the North. The implication is that it is a steady economic opportunity with minimal risk for those engaged in its production.

She said: “My first farm harvest sold out in a hurry more because those who patronised me realised that the cobra tomato specie I farmed was far heavier, richer and is preserved longer than the regular one in the market. “No doubt, it is a reliable economic opportunity worth expanding. It is, however, too trivial to narrow the return on investment in emerging revolution of

tomato farming in Delta to the personal gains of the first line investors. Thanks to the open mindedness of Hon. Okpue who is the outstanding leader of this revolution, more individuals and group are joining the campaign and expanding the cultivated space almost every day.

“The real return on investment therefore is the societal development value of gainfully engaging as many Deltans as possible either as first line investors or as labour to support various aspects of the farming process. That is not only a plus for the quest for food security, it is a plus for diversification of the local economy in the face of dwindling oil revenue and a plus for peace and security of lives and property as several idle minds can be taken off the streets.

“Already, the remarkable success being recorded with tomato is providing inspiration to delve into cultivation of other vegetables many would have considered impossible to grow in this part of the country. I just set my first nurseries for onions and they are sprouting fine.

“On the short term among the growing league of tomato farmers in Delta, there is tacit challenge to raise production so high with intent to crash the volatile market price of the largely Northern sourced tomato in the market. Ultimately, in the long run, we want to halt dependence on external supplies. It’s such an ambitious dream, but very reasonable. I am speaking from experience.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 — 21

NDIC extended deposit insurance to deposit of Islamic banks Encourage competitiveness of Non-Interest Financial Institutions; Help to contain the cost of resolving failed Non-Interest Banks and provide an orderly Failure Resolution Mechanism; Promote and contribute to the stability of Nigeria’s Financial System.

By Babajide Komolafe

T

HE Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has extended deposit insurance to deposits of Islamic banks also known as Non-Interest banks.

This was announced by the Corporation in a statement issued yesterday titled, “NDIC Develops Framework for Deposit Insurance Scheme (NIDIS) for non-interest bank deposits”.

The Corporation stated, “Following the successful take off of the non interest banking in Nigeria that is currently being undertaken by Ja’iz Bank and also by Stanbic IBTC and Sterling Banks, the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has found it necessary to develop a framework for insuring their deposit liabilities which were hitherto not covered under its Deposit Insurance Scheme (DIS).

“The public policy objectives of the framework are based on public interest which seeks to provide corresponding protection to holders of noninterest financial products similar to that of conventional banks.

“The objectives include the following: Depositor protection against loss in the event of failure of any NonInterest Bank; Engender public confidence and enhance resilience of NonInterest Financial Institutions;

MAN to guide govt on policy directives for manufacturing sector M

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$31. 73 0. 39 $31.64 $- 0..18 CURRENCY US DOLLAR POUNDS EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYAL KRONA SDR

BUYING 196 285.7288 213.6008 196. 6292 1.6647 0.3056 270.7026 29.8113 52. 1873 28.6307 271. 5776

SELLING 196.5 286. 4577 214.1457 197. 1308 1.6689 0.3156 271.3931 29.8878 52.3205 28.7037 272.2704

banking in Nigeria. A NonInterest Bank is a banking model which offers banking products, engages in trading, investments and commercial services without conventional interest charges. It is rather restricted to a profit and loss sharing formula on its products.

ENDORSEMENT: From Left: Executive Director/Chief Risk Officer, FirstBank, Abiodun Odubola; GMD/CEO, FirstBank, Sola Adeduntan; Olympic medalist and Africa’s fastest woman, Blessing Okagbare; DMD, FirstBank, Gbenga Shobo at the endorsement of Blessing Okagbare as FirstBank’s Brand Ambassador in Lagos.

-0. 65

$ 113.80

“The emergence of the noninterest banking model in the global financial landscape and its acceptance worldwide as a veritable tool for financial intermediation as well as its proven resilience during the 2007/2008 economic meltdown paved the way for the introduction of non-interest

“The Maximum Deposit Insurance Coverage (MDIC) for the Non-Interest banking Institutions would be the same as the conventional banks i.e.

N500,000 and N200,000 per depositor per account in Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and Microfinance Banks (MFBs) respectively.

“The following Non-Interest Deposits will be covered under the scheme: Safe Keeping Deposit (Wadi’ah); Interest Free Deposit for Investment (Qard); Profit Sharing/Loss Bearing Deposit (Mudarabah); Profit and Loss Sharing Deposit (Musharakah); and Any other deposit type that is NonInterest Based and approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The following financial products will however not be covered under the Scheme: Insider Deposits – Deposits of staff, including Directors of Non-Interest Banks or Financial Institutions; Counter-Claims from one person who maintains both a Deposit Account and a NonInterest Bearing Loan Account and or a loan based on Murabahah financing where the Deposit Account serves as a collateral for either or both of the Loan Accounts and Inter-Bank Takings”.

197 287. 1866 214.6906 197. 6324 1.6732 0.3256 272. 0837 29.9643 52.4536 28.7768 272.9632

CBN Exchange rate as at 12/01/2016

By Franklin Alli

ANUFACTURERS Association of Nigeria, MAN, says it want to guide the Federal Government to initiating policy directives that can drive the country to become a robust industrial economy like Malaysia, China and other emerging economies.

Accordingly, the body has requested for quarterly audiences with President Muhammadu Buhari effective from the first quarter of this year.

In a statement, Dr. Frank Udemba Jacobs, said: “It is our prayer that your Excellency would graciously grant us audience quarterly to enable us to brief you on the progress and challenges of the manufacturing sector. Such meetings will enable us to review the performance of the manufacturing sector with a view to articulating necessary policy options to stimulate it.

According to him, MAN appreciates and commends the policy directives of your administration since its inception.

We are particularly pleased with the core principles of the government which are, among others, to address the challenges of insecurity, pervasive corruption, fuel and power shortages,

and unemployment especially among the youths through the revival of agriculture, solid minerals mining as well as credit to SMEs. These are very laudable policies which, if pursued vigorously, will reposition the economy. Equally important, your Excellency is the repositioning of the manufacturing sector; the sector in Nigeria has stagnated over the decades as a result of challenges, some of which were mentioned in your inaugural address.

Without doubt, the importance of a

Without doubt, the importance of a robust industrial sector, particularly manufacturing, cannot be overemphasized

robust industrial sector, particularly manufacturing, cannot be over-emphasized.

This is because, all over the world, the industrial sector is known to create the highest number of employment, opportunities, and by extension, it is the most effective vehicle for poverty reduction and inclusive economy.

Your Excellency, we appreciate the position you have taken on issues bordering on the revival of the manufacturing and industrial sector.

“We commend your recent pronouncement that “the Government will shun antiindustrial development policy. This underscores your commitment to enhance the growth and development of the manufacturing sector by avoiding policies that would not support manufacturing. “We also appreciate your promise to approve special intervention funds for ailing manufacturing companies. We are especially pleased with your stand on the littering of the Nigerian markets with foreign products which have local substitutes.

“MAN is anxiously waiting for reform that would lead to a reduction in the lending rates as the current rates which can go as high as 28 percent (if other charges are included) is frustrating the survival of the manufacturing sector.”

22 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

It is going to be tough and we are going to have to make extremely tough decision. We have got the resilience and space to do that.

,

INSURAN

,

Retail insurance, big growth area —Adeduro

M

anaging Director of Anchor I n s u r a n c e Company LimitedMr. Mayowa Adeduro has said that retail insurance is a big growth area for the insurance sector.

Adeduro said this during the presentation of gifts and rewards to some of her agents that contributed immensely in edging up its bottom-line in 2015.

The company gave out various gifts ranging from motorcycle, generators; printers etc during its New Year/ get together party to appreciate its agents and staff in Lagos.

According to Adeduro, agents of the company contributed about 23 per cent to its gross premium income in 2015.

Adeduro said that retail insurance business is a big area of growth in Nigeria, adding that without retail insurance the industry cannot really reach the people at the grassroot.

He said, “if just a single telecommunication company has over hundred million Nigerians in their platform why can’t any insurance company have five million Nigerians as registered policyholders.

“This is the vision we have in Anchor insurance away from oil and gas business. Yes we are still in the business of oil and gas no doubt but a situation where you do a business and 70 per cent of that business goes to foreign reinsurance is no business.

We are thinking of a business you will do in Nigeria and retain in Nigeria and contribute to our bottom-line”, he said.

The Managing Director stated that Anchor has been able to build partnerships with the agents letting them see the company as their own company, noting that they have sustained a long time relationship that goes beyond being an agent but partners in the business of retail.

According to him, the company has agency network

Agents of the company contributed about 23 per cent to its gross premium income in 2015 of over 300 agents spread across the country, adding that some of the agents also have sub agents who work for them but Anchor only relates with principal agents.

He said that if the retail business is taken seriously by the insurance industry, the industry should be able to create jobs for Nigerians by empowering the youths through product innovations.

These products he said will help to alleviate the sufferings of the people in the grassroots and thereby creating jobs for unemployed Nigerians.

Gainers for Equities Company

Aiico Insurance

31/12/2015

08/01/2016

Close Price

Close Price

Difference

0.91

0.92

0.01

Losers for Equities

C M Y K

AxaMansard Insurance 2.69

2.68

-0.01

Custodian & Allied

4.10

4.06

-0.04

Continental Reinsurance

1.13

1.03

-0.10

GET TOGETHER: From left, Deputy General Manager, ERM, Anchor Insurance Company Limited, Mr. Austin Inegbenehin; Managing Director/CEO of the company, Mr. Mayowa Adeduro, and Executive Director, Technical, Mr. Jeremiah Nsimah, during the company’s new year/get together party to appreciate agents and staff of the company, in Lagos.

TOUGH TIMES AHEAD:

Best to insure your assets now Stories by Rosemary Onuoha

L

ate last year, the Federal Government warned Nigerians to be prepared for tough economic measures in 2016; in essence Nigerians should be prepared for tough times this year.

However, you cannot face the tough times, if you don’t have insurance protecting your assets.

Recall that the Federal government through the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, said that this year shall be tough for Nigeria, and that the Federal Government will make extremely tough decisions.

Adeosun said that Nigeria was faced with some fairly significant micro-economic challenges that required some fiscal house-keeping.

Adeosun said, “It is going to be tough and we are going to have to make extremely tough decision. We have got the resilience and space to do that.”

Accordingly, insurance experts are of the opinion that it is only insurance that can cushion the harsh effects of

the anticipated tough times.

Managing Director of RiskGuard Africa, Mr. Yemi Soladoye said that since the tough times will make opportunities to see money somewhat difficult, it is wise that people insure their assets against unforeseen losses. He said, “With the anticipated

Since the tough times will make opportunities to see money somewhat difficult, it is wise that people insure their assets against unforeseen losses

tough times ahead as predicted by the federal government, it therefore makes economic sense for people to safeguard what they already have.”

Chairman of Nigeria Insurers Association, NIA, as well as Managing Director of Linkage Assurance Plc, Mr. Godwin Wiggle said that although expectations by Nigerians for the federal government to improve the economy are high, the fact remains that there are a lot of uncertainties. He said, “Nigerians expect the federal government to jumpstart the economic positively after the lull which has characterised economic activities in recent time, however, Nigerians are unsure of when the expected turn around in the economy will begin to materialise, people are just hopeful. In essence, this is the right time for the masses to embrace insurance.”

Managing Director of Royal Exchange Assurance Plc, Mr. Chike Mokwunye said that households, businesses – especially the small and medium scale enterprises and the informal sector demonstrate low level of financial literacy. According

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

,

CE & YOU

Nigeria was faced with some fairly significant microeconomic challenges that required some fiscal housekeeping

Insurance market to pick up growth — KPMG

A

C M Y K

recent analysis has been published by KPMG and has predicted that the insurance market in Nigeria will see its growth picking up speed despite some of the challenges it has been facing over the last while.

The forecast was made based on its expanding use of ICT and telecom facilities for sales, as well as the population density.

The analysis results were published in “The African Insurance Market at a Glance” report issued by KPMG. Within it, the organisation underscored its prediction that the sophistication increases in the markets in Sub-Sahara Africa – including the Nigerian marketplace – will be having a notable impact on their growth rate. The report

detailed its forecast for positive outcomes from the collaborations between insurance companies and regulators. It expressed that improvements were being seen in active market regulations such as those sought by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).

This collaboration within the insurance market, says the report, is laying a strong

report by Aon Benfield Limited, a reinsurance broking firm, has said that capital and insurance-linked securities (ILS) may be a “more efficient

risk engine” for the insurance and reinsurance market. The report said it will provide evidence for structural change and the death of the underwriting cycle.

to him, they often lack sufficient awareness of the risks to which they are exposed, the ability to correctly assess these risks and the knowledge of insurance products that are designed to mitigate the insurable risks.

Mokwunye said for such households and business to mitigate the risks in the future, this is the time to embrace insurance. He however stressed that it is in the interest of the government to partner the insurance industry to increase insurance penetration.

Director General of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, Mr. Kola Ahmed, said that insurers now pay claims contrary to the prevalent notion that insurance don’t pay. He said, “Insurance operators now pay genuine claims regularly and I can categorically state that the era when they default on claims payment is gone.

Insurance does not exclude anybody. Everybody has one thing or the other to insure. So this is the time to insure ones assets,” Ahmed stated.

For Group Managing Director of Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc, Mr. Akin Ogunbiyi, with a little premium, insurance gives confidence that guarantees personal well-being and comfort as well as investments that engender the much desired development and growth.

Ogunbiyi said, “For

instance, several years ago, the textile industry in the United States of America suffered a severe setback because of frequent fire outbreaks in textile mills. The insurance industry in the US with its ingenuity intervened with tailor-made risk management services and insurance policies and a dramatic growth ensued.”

Ogunbiyi said, “We in Mutual Benefits have demystified the myth that this

potentially huge business of spreading risks in order to promote substantial investments in the productive sector, cannot thrive in the informal sector even better than it is doing in the formal sector. If Mutual, could have grown this big in spite of battles of different types and dimensions, one can imagine the growth if there were concerted efforts to support our pioneering entrepreneurial initiatives.”

foundation for the future.

The report provided the example of the recent interaction between NAICOM and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) in the U.S., in which they endorsed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between them. The goal of this agreement was to encourage and keep up safe, efficient, stable and fair insurance

marketplaces within both the United States and Nigeria.

Both of those regulatory organisations stated that they felt that cooperating in this way will give them the ability to more effectively provide regulation within the insurance industry and to solidify international best practices. Within the MoU, these regulatory authorities will be occasionally offering each other assistance in the

— 23

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form of educational seminars, providing training materials and manuals, training, participation in specific educational internships, and other issues that will be mutually beneficial.

Insurers are also seeing opportunity in the Nigerian insurance market, as Trust Re has recently invested into a joint stock company that would allow it to add its presence within that marketplace where the disposable income and middle class are on the rise.

Insurers should adopt efficient risk engine — report

A

The report explains; “Over the last five decades the penetration of the industry has oscillated around its long-term average of 3.2 percent. For industry veterans the graph tells the well-known history of the malpractice/inflation/asset hard market of the 1970s, the casualty/liability/LMX spiral induced hard market of the 1980s and the more recent fall out from 9/11, and the soft market of the late 1990s. But today, the graph has a new feature: the unprecedented stability of the last six years.”

This “unprecedented stability” seen over the last few years can be attributed to the levels of reinsurance and risk capital, dampening the cycle and the fluctuations seen over previous years, with the inflows of alternative and ILS capital clearly a key factor in

PRESENTATION: From left, Mr. Segun Balogun, Deputy Managing Director, Lasaco Assurance Plc; Mr. Olusola Ladipo-Ajayi , Managing Director, Lasaco Assurance; Dr K. B. Sofoluwe, Rector, Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy, Enugu and Mr Dimeji Olona, General Manager, Lasaco Assurance at the presentation of ICT to the school.

this structural change.

Since 2010 the ratio of premium to GDP has ranged by just four basis points, Aon Benfield notes, from a high of 2.84% in 2010 to a low of 2.8% percent in 2012. The broker estimates 2.82% for 2015, down one basis point on 2014, leading it to ask “Are underwriting cycles dead?”

Aon Benfield notes that in order to call the death of the underwriting cycle, the evidence must provide true structural reasons for the change, to which it notes; “Evidence we believe is provided today by alternative capital.”

The broker explains that alongside the development of catastrophe models, the most important development in insurance over the last two decades has been “ radical improvements in the technologies available to deploy capital very quickly, as and where needed: the story of alternative capital.”

This has enabled new capital to flow rapidly into insurance and reinsurance aftershock loss events, which would typically cause large fluctuations in pricing and rates-on-line. This was historically to take advantage of attractive rates and what Aon Benfield terms “hot spots” in the market, but today this has changed.

“Today we have capital moving in aggressively even where there are no hot spots, simply because it provides a more efficient risk bearing mechanism for insureds—in the form of side cars, permanent hedge fund sponsored insurers, and other similar mechanisms,” Aon Benfield explains.

This efficient and lower-cost capital may be permanent, the broker explains, and it is “having profound changes on

24 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 — 25

26 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 — 27

28 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

Political protest rocks Aba VOL. 1 NO 52 Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

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By CHIMAOBI NWAIWU

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NEWI—THE recent budget release by the Federal Government was expected to feature some monetary allocation for the construction of the 2nd Niger Bridge started by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, but unfortunately the allocation for the construction of the bridge is missing. This has elicited torrents of reaction from stakeholders in the Sout-East.

Here are some of them.

President of Onitsha Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture, Mr. Uche Apakama, in his comments said, "I just want to believe that the information is not quite true that not capturing of the 2nd Niger Bridge in the 2016 budget, means it has been abandoned, this is because it will be ridiculous the Federal Government would have forgotten such a sensitive and important project for the people of South East and South South and Nigerians in general.

“I want to assume, a big assumption that it is in the budget, but per adventure is not there, it can’t be explained to anybody, because we do not have the budget breakdown, we just heard about the big figures, we do not have the different allocations, so we do not know the details of those allocations and therefore they should tell us what happened.

"It will be a total disservice to Ndigbo, South South and Nigeria in general to abandon the bridge, I was listening to the Presidents first Media Chat where he asked who are marginalizing the Ibos and how, he asked that question and this issue of alleged abandonment of 2nd Niger Bridge is one example of his government marginalizing Ndigbo, if it is true.

"Abandonment of that bridge is one of the basic and clear instance of marginalization of the Ibos, we have only one access to leave the Ibo land for the West, it takes up to four or five hours to pass through Niger Bridge to enter Asaba approach of the bridge, we are suffering getting down here, to access our home land is almost impossible, very difficult, because of the single lane in the direction of the Niger Bridge as constructed, let us not even say that the Bridge is weak, even the volume of traffic it carries can no more suit the bridge like we have in the festive period of Christmas and New year,” he said.

Apakama, a pharmacist, also stated that “we have a four year project period, we are waiting C M Y K

The bridge under construction

Abandonment of 2nd Niger Bridge:

South Easterners react and are expected to wait for four years, hoping that in four years time, even though we have questioned the four years project period which is too long to complete the bridge because you do not use four years to build such bridge if it is properly funded, yet they are coming up with the plan of abandonment, if it is PPP funded, that is where Julius Berger will have to source its funds, it can be completed within a forty eight month period.

“We seem to have been forgotten by the Federal Government in a country that we are part of, what happened last time with MASSOB and IPOB challenges are all part of the problem of marginalization. In South East, we have a lot of things we are talking about that need to be addressed, we do not have appointments, no problem, we are still surviving, but things that belong to us like this bridge,

No reasonable and responsible government in the world will abandon a project like 2nd Niger Bridge, if not for the reason of hatred, and not wanting anything good for a particular people 21 students receive Archbishop Okeke’s science quiz competition prizes -Page 32

The design government must show commitment, and show us that they are sincere about the issues concerning South East and the South South.

"I want to believe that the project is in the budget, if it is not, it is unfair for us not to have that bridge completed, it is unfair that one year will pass again and the bridge is not captured in the budget and therefore nothing will be happening there, it should be in the appropriated budget, it should not be in the supplementary budget, it should be the concern of the Federal Government of Nigeria that South East and South-South are not cut off from the rest of Nigeria."

For his part Chief Ozoh Anaekwe, a former President General of Onitsha Markets

Amalgamated Traders Association, OMATA, said, "President Muhammadu Buhari has shown Nigerians and the world that he is anti-Igbo with the abandonment of the 2nd Niger Bridge project, I am telling Igbo leaders to rally round and tell the world, especially, Europe and America, the new friends of the present government, the condition President Buhari wants to place Igbo in Nigeria.

“No reasonable and responsible government in the world will abandon a project like 2nd Niger Bridge, if not for the reason of hatred, and not wanting anything good for a particular people, unfortunately the bridge is serving Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba and other ethnic groups, so it is a disservice to the nation and not to the Igbo people if it is abandoned.

“When some people say we did not vote for Buhari, that is why he is anti Igbo, I laugh, how can we vote for a man that does not come to campaign in Igbo land.

Since he has been contesting elections, it was only this last one that made him President where he visited one or two South East states to campaign, he has Continues on Page 32

30— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

Political protest rocks Aba

By ANAYO OKOLI

U

MUAHIA — FOR the two major political parties, the ruling PDP and main opposition APGA and their supporters in Abia State, December 31, 2015 was very significant. This was the day the Court of Appeal, Owerri Division sacked Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu as the governor of Abia State and declared Dr. Alex Otti winner of the April 2015 governorship election in the State. For the PDP, it was an unforgettable sad day while for APGA; it was a beautiful New Year gift.

Immediately, the news of the verdict of the Court got to Abia from neighbouring Owerri, naturally thousands of APGA members and their supporters went into jubilation in Aba, a stronghold of the party and in Umuahia, the state capital. The PDP of course, was naturally unhappy.

Not happy with the judgment, thousands of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, supporters from the Ukwa-Ngwa political bloc early Saturday morning, the 2nd of January, 2016, mobilized and took to the streets of Aba, the commercial city, in a peaceful protest, against the judgment sacking Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, the first governor from the area.

Led by former Senate President Adolphus Wabara and some notable PDP leaders from the area, the protesters caused vehicular movements in the city to be grounded because the protesters blocked the major roads in the commercial city, including Osisioma junction, Ariaria International Market and Ogbor Hill. The protesters also blocked the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway at Ntiga area in Isiala Ngwa North and Umuekea at Isiala Ngwa South Council area, hence preventing motorists from entering and leaving Aba. Displaying placards with inscriptions such as “no one should disrupt the peaceful coexistence in Abia State with a bought justice; we will sustain the fight against injustice; Okezie Ikpeazu is the governor we voted into office, and remains the governor; no Okezie Ikpeazu, no Abia State”, among others, they were addressed at Ariaia by the former Senate President, Chief Adolphus Wabara who said the judgment was surprising.

Other people who addressed the protesters include the Commissioner for Works, Eziuche Ubani who said said if there was rigging in the election in the three local governments, the best they should have done would be to call for a re-run, the C M Y K

former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Prince Christopher Enweremadu, the Transition Committee Chairman of Isiala Ngwa North, Chief Ginger Onwusibe, Elder Sam Nwogu, former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Chief Don Ubani, who unanimously said the Appeal Court judgment was unacceptable.

Women and youths sympathetic to PDP later held another round of protest as well as the Movement for Abia Reunion, which held a solidarity rally at the Government House, Umuahia, where they were addressed by the deputy governor, Chief Ude Oko Chukwu, who advised them to remain calm as the Governor had appealed the judgment at the Supreme Court.

However, in swift reaction, the Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in Abia state, Rev. Augustine Ehiemere condemned the protesters, saying that they were enemies of the state, who wished to remain in power against the wishes of the people.

Ehiemere said the protesters were only out to “to just create a false impression that the people of the state were unhappy with the judgment of the Court of

Appeal”, saying that Abia people were wiser and could not be deceived by PDP’s antics. ‘’The judgment has ended the era of looting and restored the people’s hope that our children will graduate and get befitting jobs rather than Keke business, that our schools and hospitals

should be equipped and that our public water schemes down should function again,” he said.

The party also organized what it called a victory rally in Umuahia, describing the judgment as victory for democracy, development and progress for Abia State.

Addressing the crowd who displayed some placards such as a “Abians are free from Economic Bondage, bye-bye to unemployment in Abia, Alex Otti, Abians are proud of you, join us celebrate Alex Otti”, among others, the chairman of APGA in Abia State, Rev. Augustine Ehiemere said the party was grateful to God that finally justice has been done in

Protesters march on major streets

the election petition matter and expressed hope that the Supreme Court will confirm the judgment.

However, a PDP leader and major stakeholders and the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Charles Ogbonnaya has called the supporters of the ruling PDP and the opposition APGA in the state to conduct themselves peacefully, warning that they should not kill themselves because of politics.

Ogbonnaya reminded them that they are brothers and sisters irrespective of their political differences, saying that after politics they remain brothers and sisters.

The protesters displayed placards with inscriptions such as 'no one should disrupt the peaceful co-existence in Abia State with a bought justice, 'we will sustain the fight against injustice'

Protesters mount roadblocks

Egbenu Oba society of Onitsha installs Aduba, retired CP as patron

BY NWABUEZE OKONKWO

O

NITSHA — MEMBERS of the ancient Egbenu Oba society (Royal ancient warriors and hunters) of Onitsha, at the weekend installed Chief Ikechukwu Aduba, a retired Commissioner of Police, CP, as its new patron.

By the installation, Aduba took over the patronship of the society from the 105 year-old Chinyelugo Nwaurai Ogbuotobo who though aged, is still very much alive.

At a colourful ceremony hosted

by Aduba at his Aduba villa, Wilkinson Street, Iyiawu, Inland town, Onitsha, leader of Egbenu Oba society, Ajulu Osaka said they chose Aduba to take over

their patronship from Ogbuotobo because of his impeccable performances at the police force before his meritorious retirement from the force after 35 years of active service. Osaka who described Aduba as a partner in crime prevention, having established a private vigilante group to maintain security and having been appointed as the incumbent Special Adviser to Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra state on security and vigilante matters.

Responding, Aduba who served as Commissioner of Police Police Mobile Force, CP PMF; Commissioner of Police, Bauchi State; Commissioner of Police Plateau State before retiring as Commissioner of Police, Delta State, said he accepted to be the Egbenu Oba patron because the

society is synonymous with courage, bravery, fearlessness, indomitability and resourcefulness, adding that members were both warriors and reputable hunters who ensured Onitsha’s survival in the olden days in the face of attacks from malicious neighbours like Obosi, Ogidi and Oze. Aduba who contended that no society can survive without internal security, recalled that in the olden days when the Police and Army were unheard of, lives and properties were still protected, adding that even with the modern security agencies, there is still need for indigenous security outfits due to their deep knowledge of the terrain.

According to him, “Egbenu Oba society should spearhead

neighbourhood watch, community policing and vigilante activities in Onitsha and at the same time, their cultural functions as regards Ogbalido should not be ignored.

He outlined the functions of Egbenu Oba society as royal hunters who are the protectors of the town under the leadership of Obi of Onitsha, keeping surveillance and monitoring of activities in the town on a daily basis, maintaining cultural obligations whereby the Obi of Onitsha celebrates the Ogbalido ceremony with them on the basis of war victories and rare manly exploits and then collaboration with the Police in supplying vital information for crime prevention.

Identifying Egbenu Oba as a

Aduba (centre) Ogbuotobo (left) and Osaka (right) A group with Egbenu Oba members.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016—31

32—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

Staff of one of the best schools

* Archbishop sitting with Anambra commissioner for education, Prof. Kate Omenugha.

21 students receive Archbishop Okeke’s science quiz competition prizes

By NWABUEZE OKONKWO

O

NITSHA — A total of 21 secondary school students from both junior and senior categories in various mission schools in Onitsha Catholic Archdiocese received their prizes for scoring pass marks in science subjects during Archbishop Valerian Okeke Foundation Quiz Competition organized by Education Department of the Arch diocese.

The first position and highest scorer at the senior secondary school category, Okafor Oluebube Godswill from St. Anthony of Padua High School, Nkpor, who scored 86 marks, got N50,000 cash a laptop, printer and blackboard, while Elechi James Ifeanyichukwu from All Hallows Seminary, Onitsha also scored 86 marks and came first at the junior category and received N50,000 cash, laptop, printer and blackboard.

The runners-up at the junior category were Chinwuba Jerome

Nnewi South pass vote of confidence on Hon Iyiegbu

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

P

EOPLE OF Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State have passed a vote of confidence on the Executive chairman, Hon. Ossy Iyiegbu, for his astute leadership, developmental strides and service delivery in the Council.

They passed the vote of confidence at a stakeholders’ Town Hall Meeting in Ukpor, Anambra State held to assess Iyiegbu’s stewardship.

The participants at the meeting were happy and full of commendation for his popular grassroots governance and level of developmental projects despite the limitations of the poor revenue mobilization accruing to the LGAs in the state.

Speaking at the meeting, a twotime Chairman of the Council, Hon. Ricky Okechukwu, eulogized the performance of Hon. Iyiegbu and called for independence of the LGA’s account management as against the present joint account system with the states that inhibits free flow of cash as well as political will.

The Speaker, Anambra State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Rita Maduagwu, who represents Nnewi South Constituency II used the occasion to thank the people of Nnewi South for voting and supporting All Progressives C M Y K

Grand Alliance, APGA government at all levels in the state and promised that more developments and economic turnarounds would be seen in the state when the 2016 budget is delivered and implemented.

President General of Akwaihedi Town Union, one of the ten towns that make up Nnewi South LGA, Mr. Emeka Ezeana, who also spoke in the same vein thanked Hon. Iyiegbu and prayed that he makes himself available to serve the people in a greater capacity as his tenure is coming to an end.

Another participant, Chief Dom Igwe, while speaking well of Hon. Iyiegbu’s performance, regretted the state of roads in the Council which he blamed on poor funding of the LGAs made possible by the LGA-State Joint Account system.

He urged Mayor Iyiegbu to let Governor Willie Obiano complete abandoned road projects and possibly commence the construction of new roads in Nnewi South as a way of reciprocating the unwavering support he gets from the LGA. Responding, Hon Iyiegbu thanked the Nnewi South stakeholders for the faith they reposed in him and promised that he would always be available for service.

He also solicited support for Governor Willie Obiano for the security measures he put in place to secure lives and property, especially during Yuletide.

Chidiebube also from All Hallows Seminary, Onitsha who came second with 82 marks and received N40,000 cash, while Edebeatu Sixtus Chinemerem

The first position and highest scorer at the senior secondary school category, Okafor Oluebube Godswill from St. Anthony of Padua High School, Nkpor, had 86 marks, got N50,000 cash a laptop, printer and blackboard

from St. Joseph Seminary School, Awka-Etiti and Mbudimm Joseph also from All Hallows Seminary School, Onitsha scored 75 and 72 marks and took third and fourth positions respectively and received N30,000 and N20,000 each.

The Onwuanyiam Ebuka of the Christ the King College, CKC, Onitsha came fifth with 71 marks, followed by Nnadi Chekwube Maureen of the Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha and Inegbu Charles Somtochukwu who paired the 6th position with 68 marks each, while Dennis Udoka Emmanuel of the Don Bosco Secondary School, Ibolo, Obosi came 8th with 66 marks, just as Okonkwo Shedrack Onyebuchi of St. Anthony of Padua High School, Nkpor and Ogbonna Joseph Ndubuisi of Don Bosco Secondary School, Ibolo Obosi and Ohaekwe Chibuike Donatus of St. Charles College, Onitsha,scored 63 marks each and tied for 9th position.

At the senior secondary category, Okpala Hilary Chizoba Benedict of the Christ the King College, Onitsha scored 84 to clinch second position, while Ayogu Emeka Collins of St. Anthony of Padua High School, Nkpor and Edwin Glory Chinedu also of St Anthony of Padua High School scored 82 each to pair in the third position.

Other runners-up included Ukoji Samuel Chiemerie of the SS Peter & Paul Secondary School, Nkutaku who scored 79 and came

fifth Nwangwu Chioma MaryCynthia of the Dominican Sister’s College, Abatete came sixth with 78 marks; Okorie Chidera Faustina Maryclair and Ezennia Elvis Maluchukwu also of the Dominican Sister’s College, Abatete scored 76 marks each to clinch seventh position, Okpala Chinedu Henry of the Christ the King College, Onitsha scored 75 to clinch ninth position, while Ugwuegbu Oluchukwu Geraldine of the SS Peter Paul, Secondary School, Nkutaku scored 72 bringing up the rearing 10th position in that category.

Distributing the various prizes, founder of the annual quiz competition and Archbishop of Onitsha Catholic Ecclesiastical Province, His Grace, Archbishop Valerian Maduka Okeke commended the winners for their tireless efforts and explained that the essence of establishing the quiz competition in 2014 was for our young ones to develop love and potentialities for science.

According to Archbishop Okeke, “You need to have the knowledge of science to produce scientific equipment like computers, automobile, camera, aeroplane, ship and operate them, become medical doctors. For you to attain this, you need good teachers and good students to make good schools. You can manage bad school structures but not bad teachers and students If you don’t have good teachers, you can never have good results.”

Abandonment of 2nd Niger Bridge: South Easterners react Continues from Page 29 disappointed Onitsha residents on three occasions he said he was coming for campaign and people waited,henevercameanddidnotcaretorenderapology, Onitsha houses all South East state people.

“IamcallingontheMinistersfromSouthEasttoresign from Buhari’s government because he does not mean well for Ndigbo and does not love them, after all he did not assign any reasonable position to them, why did he give three juicy Ministries to one person, when he gave South East Ministers that does not in any way affect their lives positively, the ministries he gave them which he is boasting that he has done well for Ndigbo does not add value to peoples life,” he said.

According to him “It is only the lawmakers that will make Buhari to change his mind and continue with the 2nd Niger Bridge project, the Judiciary is playing along with him, the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, President is not interested to defend the Judiciary, he is playing along with the All Progressives Congress, APC, government, he should therefore, resign because he is sympathetic to the present government, he is NBA National President not APC government National

President.

“I have no doubt that the present administration will notcontinuewiththe2nd NigerBridgeprojectbecause it was started by former President Goodluck and anything started or done by that administration is either seen as evil or being dismantled and seen as corrupt, even if the bridge is captured in the budget they will not do it, they think it is Igbo people’s project. “Nigerians andtheNationalAssemblyshouldcompelthePresident to continue the project, it is a Nigerian project not South East project, it was approved and kicked off by a responsible government he succeeded, if National Assembly fail to compel the President to continue that project it means they are afraid of him and that will be disaster for the country.

President of Osakwe Industrial Cluster, a small scale industrial operators based in Awada, near Onitsha, Mr. Johnson Okolo, said that "it has been one calamity or the other since the present government came with its change mantra, even though the South East people did not vote for President Buhari, we still believe that he is the President, we did not march to the streets to protest against his emergence and therefore, he should not work based on the people that voted him."

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016—33

Okotie-Eboh, architect of modern Nigeria

By J. O. S. Ajomike

T

HE day was Saturday, January 1, 1966 and it was serene and cool towards evening at four o’ clock. The place was Chief Festus Sam Okotie-Eboh’s palatial villa at Ogorode, Sapele and the occasion was the inauguration of the newly completed Omimi Shoes Factory.

My wife and I, and many friends, now late, stood amongst the large crowd of gaily dressed men and women who had turned up for the New Year celebrations.

Surrounded by his family, friends and several peers, and later, flanked, remarkably, by late Chiefs Edmund Boyo, Utieyin Onuwaje and Reece Edukugho, flamboyantly dressed in Itsekiri attire overlaid with waist-coat in crimson colour and a top-hat to match, ebullient Okotie-Eboh Omimi-ejoh-biri-lele, Nigeria’s finance minister - kicked-off the ceremony by welcoming and thanking the large gathering for turning up to witness the landmark event. Then speeches and speeches and refreshments and a large dinner.

The second day, a Sunday, was a thanksgiving service at the Okotie-Eboh Baptist Chapel, Sapele, and yours truly read the second lesson. On my way early to Enugu on January 3, Chief F. S. Okotie-Eboh’s large motorcade speeded past me at Umutu on its way to Asaba to commission the new Asaba/ Onitsha Bridge.

Coup in the night I saw Okotie-Eboh’s back and waved to my friends: Webber Egbe, Ogbobine, O. P. Edodo and Ajuyah (all late) and S. E. Aganbi in their speeding cars. Early on January 15, at Nsuka Campus of the University of Nigeria, the news broke that there was a coup in the night and Chief F. S. Okotie-Eboh was among those killed. Then the three-day meetings early in the month vividly reported here above turned into a mirage; a nightmare, indeed.

This piece is not to discuss the pros and cons of the night’s events, but just to put a brief spotlight on Omimi-ejoh-biri-lele.

Much has been published on the events, yet the real motive for the actions and inactions of the coupmakers remains in the realm of speculations, depending, of course, on the side of the divide you belong. However, one thing is clear to objective observers over time: the ethnic colouration of the killings left a sour taste and had triggered several mis-steps that have brought the country down, like the fall of Humpty Dumpty, from which neither the king’s men nor his horses could rescue him.

For me at about 90 - having seen Nigeria well before 1966 and still watching and seeing her today, I

•Late Chief Festus Sam Okotie-Eboh have my fears.

Then to Chief Okotie-Eboh. As his kith and kin and a senior Nigerian citizen from his home region, I can say that the Chief as a giant Iroko tree in Itsekiriland then was cut down and wasted. Who was he? Born as Festus Samuel to his father Okotie-Eboh of the Warri Omateye Royal House and Ekayoda Ojegba (an Urhobo woman of Orogun) in 1912 in Batere in the Benin River, he attended the Baptist School, Sapele where he finished and briefly took up a teaching job.

Later, he joined the Bata Shoe Company as a clerk and rose to become its first Nigerian manager. In the mid 40s, he had connections with Zelin, another company trading in rubber and set up his own Afro-Nigeria Import & Export Company. He made several overseas business trips and trained in Chiropody and came out as the first Nigerian to acquire this skill i.e. treating of minor ailments of the feet.

He was elected to the Western House of Assembly in 1951 on the

As Finance Minister, the chief established the Central Bank of Nigeria in 1959 and successfully negotiated a 10,000,000 pounds loan from the World Bank to finance the extension of the Nigerian Railways in Northern Nigeria and the second Lagos Bridge

platform of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), whose national treasurer he was. Later, he got elected into the House of Representatives in 1954 and was appointed Minister of Labour and Welfare. In a subsequent cabinet reshuffle, he was made the Minister of Finance and held this position to become the First Finance Minister in an Independent Nigeria. In assessing him as Minister of Finance, Chief Phillip C. Asiodu, who served as permanent secretary in his days, said in 1991 as follows: “In his approach to his work as Minister of Finance, Chief Okotie-Eboh was very industrious. He was engagingly flamboyant.

Utmost diligence He was loyal to and caring to his immediate staff and this enabled him to get the utmost diligence and output from them.”

(Vanguard, January 31, 1991) Okotie-Eboh himself articulated two axioms upon which he based his performance as Finance Minister. The first, “value for money” and the second, “as ye sow even shall ye reap”.

According to Asiodu, “these two axioms required the most costeffective deployment of resources and the principle of rewarding effort in accordance with its productivity and the avoidance of rent-seeking parasites. The neglect of these two axioms have led us into many of (our) current economic problems.” (Same source in Vanguard) Chief F. S. Okotie-Eboh, alias Omimi-Ejoh, was well-known for his focused budget speeches. The 1958 Budget christened The People’s Budget emphasized the commitment of the Federal Government to the “health, prosperity and future economic development of the Federation.”

The Responsibility Budget of 1959 dwelt on the influences of external economic bodies on our own development plans. It discussed the Commonwealth Trade and Economic Conference of 1958 and welcomed the initiative of the UNESCO in setting up an Economic Commission for Africa.

The Stability Budget of 1960 laid out a ten-point plan for the financial and economic policies of Independent Nigeria.

As Finance Minister, the chief established the Central Bank of Nigeria in 1959 and successfully negotiated a 10,000,000 pounds loan from the World Bank to finance the extension of the Nigerian Railways in Northern Nigeria and the second Lagos Bridge. According to Chief Asiodu, Chief F. S. Okotie-Eboh won Nigeria friends and gave her “invaluable support in Consultative Committee of Donors who were needed to provide foreign aid to us in those cash- strapped pre-oil export days.” His performance at the International Labour Organization (ILO) was no less auspicious.

People who drive from Warri to Port Harcourt today may not believe that the Ughelli-Port Harcourt stretch of the road was part of the plan of the late Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh. He built Koko Port, Phases 1 & 2 and then the new road from Benin to Sapele across two new bridges that subsequently ended the Sapele Pontoon Ferry Service.

Today, Chief F. S. Okotie-Eboh

is still remembered for the following projects that he successfully carried out in his region/constituency: •The Escravos Bar Project in the 1960s aimed at sustaining and enhancing the navigability of the Escravos Bar by ocean-going ships.

•The siting of Gulf Oil Company on Escravos (Ugborodo) in the face of pressures to site the company elsewhere.

•The siting of one of the three Inter Regional colleges (now the Federal Government College) in Warri. A great feat indeed. The one that came to Warri was for the then Western Region of Nigeria.

•The development of the Ologbo/Koko road •The planning of the 59Kilometre Koko to Ogheye motor road project at the time the Ughelli-Patani-Port Harcourt road project was being planned about 1955. To date, the project is done half-heartedly and has not gone beyond 8-Kilometre stretch towards Ureju.

•The building of the floating jetty at Ode-Itsekiri (Big Warri) •Even though Warri Division was his political constituency, he regarded Sapele, where he lived his whole life, as his home. He built his Omimi Plastics and Omimi Shoes factories in Sapele.

•His Academy Schools he established in Sapele •He built a cement-packing factory in Koko, and a factory for cocoa-based product was in the early stages of development before his death.

Chief F. S. Okotie-Eboh was killed 50years ago and today we can still recall most of the things he did as politician/minister. I wonder and hope that we can say so about our politicians and ministers of today.

•Ayomike is chairman, Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, Warri

34—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

Smart classroom: Bowen varsity deploys N5m e-learning technologies PAGE 35

•President Buhari

NIMC explains enforcement of mandatory use of NIN by MDAs PAGE 35

•Leo Stan Ekeh

'Nigeria can't achieve much being 99% analogue' • Structured investment in ICT can save Nigeria’s economy •Devices, software, e-commerce sectors could attract $150bn yearly

By Prince Osuagwu, Hi-tech Editor

G

OING by available statistics, there are well over 23 million unemployed and underemployed Nigerians who are looking up to the government to provide employment opportunities for them.

However there seems to be little hope in this direction, as even the government agencies expected to absorb some of these unemployed youths are also consistently down-sizing, leaving huge, negative multiplier effect on the economy while creating a myriad of social problems.

Meanwhile, a budding ecommerce outfit, Yudala has C M Y K

just in about five months of operation, created 5,000 jobs and is expecting to double the numbers with a massive expansion programme it is putting in place. Such is the power of Information and Communications Technology, ICT, which makes it the next big sector for employment and possibly the hope of Nigerian economy as oil prices keep diminishing by the day.

Structured investment Apparently, that is also why the Chairman of Zinox Group, Mr Leo- Stan Ekeh believes that if President Muhammadu Buhari makes structured investment in ICT, he could be

building a stronger Nigerian economy that may not feel the effect of any downward slope in crude oil price in future.

However, he also regretted that Nigeria may not achieve much, with the country being 99 percent analogue at the moment.

According to him “If past administrations invested heavily in the ICT sector, the country would by now be earning more revenue from the sector than oil, with solid hopes of prosperity for the people."

He warned the country against believing there could be any miracle from oil, adding that “the knowledge based economy is the only way to sustain this economy. It is also means that government must have a rethink, invest in ICT and automate economy and process

of governance. Today, 95 percent of the country is analogue and not much wealth could be created in such an environment.

Government should not continue to see ICT as PC and laptops. It has gone beyond that. The miracle that can transform this

The government agencies expected to absorb some of these unemployed youths are also consistently down-sizing

How Nigeria can leverage on ICT PAGE 35

country is going to come from ICT not from oil." He also argued that “global statistics have shown credible trend in countries resolving their employment challenges through structured investment in the ICT sector”.

Solid future: In a chat with newsmen recently, Ekeh queried if our leaders and their advisers are too blind to see future measureable wealth or are deliberately turning blind eye to factors that can raise the country’s status quo.

He argued that “the Devices, Software, Solution and Ecommerce sectors could employ well over 45 million Nigerians and could also bring minimum revenue of $150billion every year. "What are we still waiting for to save this nation? Is it not a shame we are all waiting for oil prices to move up for the nation to survive? We are putting all our hopes on nature, while ignoring what we have control of; this is not how to be proactive and futuristic” he added.

Proactive and futuristic “In this 21stcentury, no one who has a business can remain poor especially considering the proliferation of ICT tools and the internet which have put the world at everyone’s finger-tips. Today, you no longer have to physically leave your environment to gain access to formal education.

With a computer and access to the internet, a variety of degrees can be acquired at your convenience. In the same technology, is access to new information on business intelligence, ideas and concepts which could radically change one’s circumstances?

Information is power and if it is at everyone’s disposal at the speed of light these days, what business, do we still have, as a nation, being classified as a Third World or developing country”?

He recalled that many years ago, he realized that the power to liberate millions of Nigerian youths depended on the internet and associated technologies and therefore took the decision to create the Computerize Nigeria project launched in 2001.

Continues on page 35

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016—35

‘How Nigeria can leverage on ICT’

By Laju Iren

S

•Smart classrooms

Smart classroom: Bowen varsity deploys N5m e-learning technologies

By Emeka Aginam

I

N line with the 21st century smart classroom, Bowen University has deployed over N5 million interactive electronic boards from its information technology partner, New Horizons Limited.

The e-learning tools are expected to expose students of st the university to 21 century learning environment.

The President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Dr. Supo Ayokunle supported by Convention Chairman , Reverend Dr. Kehinde Olumide and the vice chancellor of the University, Professor Mathews Ojo, while receiving the boards on behalf of the university at an event , said that the solutions would position the University for global competitiveness.

He commended New Horizons Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Tim Akano and his team for the high-end equipment which are expected to further ease and improve the process of learning by Bowen students.

Similarly, he also used the occasion to laud the university’s existing partnership initiative with New Horizons on integration of professional international certification-based IT and e-business skills into the academic curricula of Bowen students. Ayokunle said it would boost their employability and entrepreneurial chances upon graduation. He cited the example of his son who did a professional international certification on EC Council Certified Ethical

Hacking in one of the New Horizons open training centres some years back and is making big waves in Canada today as an IT security specialist after acquiring more IT professional skills and certifications.

He advised the vice chancellor to ensure that Bowen students benefits maximally from the IT partnership by making it one of the mandatory courses for all students irrespective of their academic disciplines.

Earlier in his response, Akano charged parents and education stakeholders in Nigeria to ensure that their wards take advantage of the opportunity offered by International IT Skills and Certifications to compete at the local and global level without any form of inferiority complex.

NIMC explains enforcement of mandatory use of NIN

by MDAs

T

By Emmanuel Elebeke

HE National Identity M a n a g e m e n t Commission (NIMC), has provided further clarifications on the planned enforcement of the use of the National Identification Number (NIN) by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other bodies requiring the verification of individual’s identity in the country, like security outfits, banks and other financial institutions.

The General Manager, Legal Services at NIMC, Hadiza Dagabana, who made the clarification said that the Commission is taking this step pursuant to section 27 of the NIMC Act, which stipulates that transactions including, applications for, and issuance of an International Passport; opening of individual and/or group bank accounts, all consumer credits; purchase of C M Y K

insurance policies; the purchase, transfer and registration of land by any individual; National Health Insurance Scheme, such transactions that have social security implications, registration of voters, payment of taxes, and pensions, etc., will be done with the NIN, beginning from September 1, 2015.

Recall that the Commission had earlier announced that as from January 9, 2016, it would commence a drive to enforce the

request and use of the number by relevant agencies.

According to Dagabana, the decision to allow more time before enforcement, is to provide enabling environment for the Commission to harp on the new drive to aggregate demographic and biometric databases from relevant MDAs and harmonize same as recently directed by the President through the office of the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

OUTH Korea based artificial intelligence researcher, Ms. Mira Kwak has said that Nigeria has the capacity to become a leading country in Information and Communication Technology.

Kwak said this at the premiere edition of the Nigeria ICT fest held in Lagos recently.

According to her, technology could be used as a tool to portray the Nigerian culture positively to the international community.

Her words: “Technology offers peculiar advantages to latecomers; those in the developing world can grow faster than developed countries, avoid trial and error, achieve technological and industrial upgrading and redesign current technologies and solve current ICT problems.”

Other speakers who also pointed out pathways for Nigeria to move forward in ICT, included Dr. Ben Goertzel, also an expert in artificial intelligence. He emphasized on the need to differentiate from Artificial General intelligence and Artificial Intelligence which is narrowly focused to solve problems. In his presentation, he showed robots playing football

and how iCog labs is helping to redefine education in Ethiopia – a developing country, by giving children a machine that teach them.

Mr. Micah Redding who spoke on “Christianity, Emerging Technologies, and the developing world: Nigeria’s role in humanity ’s future,” challenged the view that Christians are not supposed to be actively involved in society.

He spoke about vertical and horizontal development. In his words, vertical development refers to developments that are revolutionary while horizontal developments refer to improvements on existing technologies. “Both are necessary for true development to take place,” he said.

The organizers of Nigeria ICT Fest are a team of young people including Agbolade Omowole, Imolode Michael and Ayemhere Aidaghese. Agbolade, speaking on behalf of the team said:”We are about to witness a technology explosion and it is important for countries of the world to grow together to ensure that these technologies are affordable and available to everyone regardless of geographical regions or economic status.”

Cyber-security confab holds in Lagos

By Richard Udofia

S

ECURITY BSides, a community-driven organisation that sets framework for building and harnessing information technologies, is set to host its first cyber-security conference for the year.

The event scheduled for January 22, 2016 at Sheraton Hotels, Lagos, has the theme, “harnessing technologies into cyber-security”.

As part of its effort to promote information security in the country, the event is designed to create interactive platforms and opportunities for individuals and stakeholders from different works of life to brainstorm and come up with solutions on how to tackle the growing tide of cyber-security challenges.

The company added that “the

purpose of the conference is to gather all the stakeholders in the Nigerian information security community to discuss and present papers on the latest trend associated with cyber-security. It would be an event coloured with discussions, demos, and interaction from participants, where conversations for the nextbig-thing is happening”.

Experts and professionals from IT, Software practitioners, security research experts, community security leaders among others would grease the occasion while offering their professional advice to participants.

A software engineer, Mr. Derrick Lamptey said Nigeria’s rating on the world map with regard to cyber-security is alarming, and efforts would be put in place to proffer solutions.

‘Structured investment in ICT can save Nigeria’s economy’ Continues from page 34 According to him, “the idea was to provide affordable access to ICT tools and processes which, among other things, promoted the digital re-tooling of individuals, institutions and corporate entities as well as the launch of the first computer ownership scheme in Nigeria.

“Imagine every Nigerian being able to

own a computer which with he or she can access the internet and avail themselves of the huge well of information and intelligence that is evidently manifest therein. Before long, you will have built a knowledge economy of highly literate and sound-thinking people who can stand on their own and take meaningful decisions in business which will undoubtedly rub off

on the nation’s fortunes”.

Prescribing some palliatives that could help save the economy, he advised the President to appeal to large corporate organisations and even small and medium companies to leverage on reserves by also offering them some tax incentives for the next 18months so that employees are not unnecessarily retrenched to bloat the labour market.

36 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

Edo gov race: Why Oshiomhole's backing Obaseki —Bello-Osagie

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

ENIN CITY—FORMER member of House of Representatives, Mr Rasaq Bello-Osagie, has said that Mr Godwin Obaseki’s credentials as a management expert was what Edo State people need as the next governor of the state.

He urged the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state to commend Governor Oshiomhole for his preference for Obaseki as APC governorship candidate ahead of the governorship election in the state, saying that being a politician alone cannot guarantee positive future for the people of the state, adding that those insisting that Obaseki was not a politician should have a rethink.

Bello-Osagie, who represented the people of Oredo federal constituency of Edo State between 2011-2015, said: “Oshiomhole was never a politician before he ran for the governorship of this state.

But today, Edo State is one of the most vibrant states in the country despite its meagre resources.

“When Oshiomhole came, he constituted a team and this same Obaseki for instance, from day one, put a team

together to support the governor. He supported the process to raise a strong team of professionals to help the administration of the governor. He remained in the policy cockpit of the Oshiomhole administration.

“What is needed in Edo

State now as a recipe for development, not restricting the choice of candidate to those who see themselves as just politicians. We are looking for managers who can creatively manage our meagre resources for the benefit of Edo State. His

antecedents as a management expert qualify him to aspire to the position of governor of Edo State. Edo State as presently constituted, in line with its own vision for the state needs a super manager not just a politician.”

COMMISSIONING: Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu and some top government officials on his arrival in Aba for the inauguration of Owerri Road. Photo: Ibeabuchi Abarikwu.

Defectors to Delta APC on probation, say party leaders

W

ARRI—LEADERS of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Warri South Local Government Area, Delta State, said yesterday, that recent defectors to the party from rival political parties, who were registered with slips (temporary cards of APC) are on probation and as such not yet confirmed members of the APC. Chairman of APC in Warri South council, Prince Valentine Egbe, the APC House of Assembly candidate for Warri South constituency I in the April 11, 2015 House of Assembly/governorship polls, Mr. Robinson Ariyo, former Delta South senatorial candidate of the defunct Alliance for Democracy, AD and founding leader of APC in Delta South, Tunde Okorodudu as well as Ward leaders of the party in Warri South council, made the declaration in Warri while addressing newsmen.

Prince Egbe, in a statement, said: “Our addressing the media is based on the need to put to rest any doubt about the support enjoyed by the state Executive Council of our great party, led by Prophet Jones Erue.” He reiterated their confidence “in the leadership C M Y K

of Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, Prophet Jones Erue and the entire Delta State Executive Council of the party.

He warned against any form of over ambition and importation of the distasteful

behaviour and disposition which some of the defectors might have imbibed in the party from which they have defected.

The Warri South APC Chairman tasked new

entrants into the party's fold “to return to their respective units and wards for proper recognition and orientation to avoid negative consequences.”

Delta Speaker didn’t ask for money to pass DESOPADEC budget —MD

By Emma Amaize

A

SABA—MANAGING Director of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Warri, Delta State, Chief Williams Makinde, has said that there was no truth in the allegation that the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Chief Monday Igbuya, demanded N1 billion from the commission to pass its 2016 budget.

Makinde, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant (Media) Dr. Prince Orhomonokpaye, added that he never threatened to resign his appointment over a non-existing disagreement between him and the Speaker, as reported by an online medium.

He said: “The report that the Speaker and members of the House demanded N1 billion to pass the commission’s budget is false and I advise the general public to disregard the report in its entirety.

“The report is aimed at

destroying my good relationship with the Speaker and members of the House, who have worked with us with all sincerity. The Speaker or any member of the House never demanded any money from me or any member of the board of the commission."

Urhobo group faults Omene's comment on A-Court judgment

A

By Festus Ahon

SABA—URHOBO United Front, UUF, has berated the embattled President-General of Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, Chief Joe Omene, over his comments on the Appeal Court judgment on the Delta Central senatorial election.

It said that Omene's comment on the court verdict was “not

only self-seeking but misdirected.”

UUF, in a statement by its National President, Chief Ovie Ogheneovo, said: “Omene’s comment further reveals his desire to use the platform of the UPU for self-aggrandizement.

“The outcome of the 2015 election in Delta Central cannot be said to be predicated on the position taken by UPU."

Vanguard’s Ebegbulem re-elected Edo Correspondents Chapel Chair

M

R Simon Ebegbulem of Vanguard Newspapers, has emerged Chairman, Correspondents Chapel of Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ. He defeated his opponent, Gabriel Ordia, of Galaxy with 21 votes to nine. Mr Patrick Ochoga of the Leadership Newspapers emerged Secretary of the chapel, after defeating Otabor Friday of The Nation’s Newspaper with 17 votes to 13 votes.

Cajenta Mmuta of New Telegraph Newspaper, Mrs Nefisatu Yakubu of News Agency of Nigeria and Jonathan Idiahi of Safety and Security were returned unopposed as Vice Chairman, Treasurer and Auditor of the chapel respectively.

The newly elected chairman, Mr Ebegbulem, expressed gratitude to God for the victory, promising to uphold the credibility of the union and ensure that the welfare of members was guaranteed.

A-Ibom CJ demands increase in Judiciary's budget

By Chioma Onuegbu

U

YO—THE Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Justice Stephen Okon, has called on the state legislature to implore Governor Udom Emmanuel to increase the funds allocated to the Judiciary in the 2016 budget proposal.

Justice Okon, when members of the state House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Onofiok Luke, paid him a courtesy visit at the state judiciary headquarters, yesterday in Uyo, said that the need to increase the 2016 budget which, according to him, was a little over N2 billion, as well as the release of funds to the state judiciary became important to enable the arm of government meet its duties in the interest of the people.

The Chief Judge attributed the failure of the state judiciary to settle the huge debts owed contractors and staff to the nonrelease of funds to it and appealed that the executive should take over the debt since they do not have the money to clear the debts at the moment.

He said, “We are owing N3.7 billion to contractors and this is not reflected in this year’s budget proposal."

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016—37

38—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13 , 2016

Onuesoke berates Delta APC over abusive language on Okowa

D

ELTA STATE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has frowned at the abusive languages used by All Progressives Congress, APC, on the person of the governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, saying their action was laughable.

Reacting to a Facebook post by Delta State APC spokesman, Dr. Fred Oghenesivwe, entitled, 'Gov Okowa is confused, helpless and lacks the moral integrity to govern Delta State.' Onuesoke described the post as mischievously ill-advised.

He said that the headline was the opposite of Okowa’s present frame of mind and success achieved in few months in office, adding that the false information about Okowa was the figment of their imagination.

SGF to visit Ebonyi tomorrow

T

HE SECRETARY to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Mr. Babachir Lawal is to visit Ebonyi State tomorrow.

Lawal will during the visit, commission the newly reconstructed Governor ’s Lodge at Government House, Abakaliki, as well as inspect the CBN Road in the Centenary City.

He will also inspect the three dual carriageway flyovers on the African Trans-Sahara Highway, among others.

Nigeria can produce 10m metric tons of rice annually, says IFAD president

By Vincent Ujumadu

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WKA—PRESIDENT of International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD, Dr. Kanayo Nwanze, has said that Nigeria has the potential to produce 10 million metric tons of rice annually if the required

infrastructure was put in place.

Nwanze, during a visit to the rice processing clusters at Omor and Anaku rice producing areas in Anambra State, explained that the country currently produces three million metric tons of rice and consumes about six million metric tons, adding that with the

prevailing ideal environment for rice production in many parts of the country, attaining the 10 million metric tons target would be met soon to make Nigeria a net exporter of rice.

According to him, the Country Programme Manager of IFAD, Dr. AtsukoToda, had expressed

IPOB carpets Abia govt for associating it with APGA

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu

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NEWI—THE Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has expressed disappointment with the Abia State Government following its attempt to drag the group into the Abia State politics, when the group does not have any interest in who becomes governor of the state after an Appeal Court, Owerri, nullified the election of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

The Abia State Government through the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Bonnie Iwuoha had accused the opposition, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, of being behind the protest by IPOB and Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, for the independent

state of Biafra.

IPOB through its Media and Publicity Officer, Mr. Emma Powerful berated the Abia State Government and the Commissioner for trying to drag it into Ikpeazu crisis, when it was busy agitating for the release of its leader and Radio Biafra Director, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, incarcerated by the Federal Government.

“It is disappointing that Abia State Government and its

Governor Ikpeazu, who was recently removed by the court as governor of the state, have done nothing to ensure the release of Mr. Kanu, an Abia State indigene, or spoken against the action of the Federal Government that has continued to detain Kanu even after two competent courts of jurisdiction had granted him bail, instead they are trying to make misguided statement against IPOB."

Ashimolowo to Buhari: Looters deserve only 20% of your time

By Oboh Agbonkhese

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R E S I D E N T MUHAMMADU Buhari has been advised to adopt the Pareto’s Principle in

governance, where just 20 per cent of governance time is dedicated to the past, “otherwise, it will take forever for majority of Nigerians to see changes.”

Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo,

Enugu Assembly to pass 2016 budget before end of January —Speaker

By Emeka Mamah

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NUGU—THE N85 billion 2016 budget estimate presented to the Enugu State House of Assembly by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwanyi for consideration and approval is to be passed before the end of this month, the Speaker of the House, Mr. Edward Ubosi, has said.

Ubosi spoke, yesterday, during an inter-denominational church

her determination to assist the country achieve the desired objective.

During the visit, Nwanze was presented with the vision of Anambra State Value Chain Development Programme for the rice processing clusters in the state by the state programme Coordinator of IFAD, Mr. Nnamdi Agwuncha.

Agwuncha said that the state Value Chain Programme was anchored on the Federal Government’s strategic vision for strengthening the agricultural sector in order to achieve food security, increase production, expand and improve rural economy for employment and income generation, as well as increase export and reduce food importation.

He said that participatory rural appraisal had already been conducted, adding that the constraints of the rice processing clusters had also been identified.

service organised by the leadership of the House to seek the face of God for the 2016 legislative year.

He thanked his colleagues for their support in the past seven months, saying that the church service was to seek God’s blessings to enable members face their legislative challenges by attending to pending motions and bills.

Ubosi said that the budget was yet to be passed because the

Ministries Department Agencies, MDAs, were yet to finish their budget defence to the House Standing Committees, adding that as soon as the MDAs finished their budget defence, the appropriation bill would be passed into law, having scaled through the second reading.

According to him, the early passage of the bill was necessary to enable the executive work towards fulfilling its campaign promises.

Senior Pastor of Kingsway International Christian Centre, KICC, who gave the advice, said going by Parento’s Principle, the Federal Government should dedicate 20 per cent of its resources to going after perceived looters, while 80 per cent should be given to creating an enabling environment for Nigerians.

Speaking to journalists at the 10th edition of the annual widows New Year party in Ode-Omu, Osun State, he said: “President Buhari is a man of great integrity, who wants the best for the country.

But if he spends all his time pursuing looters, the majority of us who did not steal will suffer.

“Therefore, he must use the Parento’s Principle to approach governance. If you have your eyes permanently on the rear view mirror, you cannot drive fast. The past deserves just 20 per cent attention.”

By Bartholomew Madukwe (08102479985) nwamad@yahoo.com

PEOPLE SPEAK

Should corrupt officials willing to return stolen funds be pardoned?

W

e should not play politics with this issue because, believe me, if justice is not done in this case, those who have been made orphans will one day turn against the country and that will be disastrous.

-Mr. Semiu Adurogangan, Self Employed

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hat about some youths that are going through pains in one police cell or the other for what they do not know anything about and those still awaiting trial? I hope the government should pardon those ones first. Mr. Momoh Joe, Businessman

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hy won’t the clerics ask that these corrupt officials be pardoned when they are beneficiaries. It is a shame.

Some of these people calling themselves men of God benefited from the loot one way or the other. Mr. James Onyinye, Unemployed

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y view on this is that they need to get to jail. They wasted Nigeria’s money and some of them took their family abroad to establish businesses with our money while Nigerians suffer at home. They need to pay for that. -Mr. Blessing Ukoma, Graduate

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ll looters must be punished. Corruption is a sin before the Almighty God and every sin has its consequence. In fact, whoever that benefited from the stolen public money should be made to go to jail too. Miss Chidinma Ogbonna, Student

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or how long are we going to rub our hands on a thief’s head? Does that also affect petty stealing of such things as phones, goats, among others. Let our religious leaders, who feel these corrupt officials should be pardoned, say the truth. -Mr. Francis Oluwafunsho, Physiotherapist

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13 , 2016—39

Buhari insincere with anti-corruption war —Yakassai ....says Soyinka has been deceived A

By Omeiza Ajayi

BUJA—ELDER statesman and Presidential Liaison Officer in the Second Republic, Dr Tanko Yakassai, has described the anti-corruption efforts of the Muhammadu Buhari administration as a mere propaganda war, lamenting it has unfortunately won over otherwise right thinking men like Prof. Wole Soyinka.

Dr. Yakassai, who also chairs the Northern Elders’ Council, speaking with Vanguard in Abuja said any fight against corruption must be holistic rather than being centred on just an individual.

He chided the Buhari administration for its open disdain for valid court orders urging him to obey all court orders relating to the former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd).

According to him, Buhari can only be taken serious if he extends his dragnet across the inter-party divide as well as to other tiers of government.

He said: “The whole Federal Government of Nigeria is only fighting Sambo Dasuki. Should the fight against corruption

begin and end with Dasuki? Is he the only “corrupt” person?

Till today, they have not even started his case in the court. He was granted bail twice and they refused to let him go. This is not a fight against corruption.

It is a propaganda fight.

“They even convinced people

like Prof. Wole Soyinka who now believes that there is a fight against corruption, but there is no such thing. Otherwise, how many people have they arrested?

“All the people that are arrested today are connected with Dasuki. No other person has been picked. What of the

governors, ministers, top civil servants and local government officials? Can you fight one person and say you are fighting corruption? “, he queried.

Yakassai also traced the menace of corruption to the military saying their incursion into politics in 1966 and 1983 only helped to teach politicians how to steal.

PARTY: From left: Wole Ojo; Wangi Mba-Nzoukwu, Regional Director, AfricaMagic, West Africa, Muyiwa Odukale and Ivie Okujaye, during the Hotel Majestic Final Episode, Live Screening and Wrap Party held at Intercontinental Hotel, Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

SHARE/TSARAGI COMMUNAL CRISIS: Gov Ahmed denies taking sides

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By Demola Akinyemi

LORIN—KWARA State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, has denied being partisan or partial in the communal crisis between Share, his home town, and Tsaragi as he had sworn to be impartial, irrespective of ethnic or religious beliefs.

The Tsaragi community had last Friday at a press conference in Ilorin accused the governor of taking sides with his town people of Share in the communal clash that had claimed lives and properties.

But, Governor Ahmed in a press statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Abdulwahab Oba, said the allegations levelled against him by the people of Tsaragi, was a shocking, unfair and inappropriate representation of what transpired during a peace meeting he had with the people of the community.

Oba said the governor had told both parties that the people of Share and Tsaragi have to learn to co -habit peacefully and draw strength and inspiration from their diversity for infrastructure and economic development of both communities.

He noted that for the fact that the governor is from Share

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cannot in any way influence his decision on matters of state, especially security related matters.

The statement reads in part: “For the avoidance of doubt, Gov. Ahmed swore to an oath of

Office as the Governor of the state to be impartial to all, irrespective of ethnic, religious beliefs and other persuasions, he can, therefore, not take sides on the matter at hand.

“It also clarified that on the advice of the governor that all

shades of views on how to resolve the recurring crisis between Share and Tsaragi, including, if need be, the applicationoftheconceptof‘giveandtake’, it is painful that such advice is seen by some party in the dispute as 'threatening land owners,' when in fact the governor expressed the same view when he had peace talks with the people of Share after the session with the people of Tsaragi."

How we can achieve needed change in agriculture, by Audu Ogbe

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By Jimoh Babatunde

LORIN—THE Federal Government says to bring about the needed change in agriculture that there is need to focus energy more on developing and creating enabling environment for the rural areas to grow as the nature of the new growth in Nigeria is one that is inclusive and opens

up the rural economy.

Speaking at the flag off of the second phase of the Agricultural Equipment Hiring Enterprise, AEHE, yesterday in Ilorin, the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, said it would be unthinkable and counterproductive, to think of developing agriculture in Nigeria by continuing to

distribute hoes, machetes, axes and ordinary and low yielding seeds to farmers.

“Capitalism puts wealth in the hands of the drivers but the time to democratise capitalism, especially in the Nigerian agricultural sector is now. This government is committed to achieving an all-inclusive growth,” he said.

Zamfara introduces Treasury Single Account

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By Salisu Maradun

USAU—GOVERNOR Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State has directed that all government accounts be closed as the state gets set to introduce the Treasury Single Account, TSA. State Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Umar Jibop Bukkuyum, who disclosed this to Vanguard in Gusau, said a seven man committee to be

headed by the state governor, Alh Abdulaziz Yari had been constituted to ensure the full implementation of TSA. Advancing reasons, why the state government decided to introduce the single account, Bukkuyum said the state government had discovered over 1,000 accounts being operated by government agencies with one dormant account having about N80 million.

The commissioner disclosed that the committee had met with all the bank managers in the state on the need to have all government accounts in their respective banks closed.

Bukkuyum maintained that the new initiative will afford the government the opportunity to know exactly how much is coming into government coffers, as before this time, "we didn’t know how much the state was generating."

Katsina releases N811m for payment of gratuities

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AT S I N A — T H E Katsina State Government yesterday released the sum of N811 million for the payment of gratuities to 406 pensioners.

The state Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Muntari Kado, who made this known at a press briefing in Katsina, said 1,229 pensioners, who retired from service, were screened by the pension verification committee.

The commissioner explained that the payment of the pensioners would be in phases in order to avoid congestion in the banks selected for the payment.

He said that the payment would be through Access Bank which has only four branches in the state. ‘’A person has the right to transfer his money to any bank of his choice after payment,” Kado said.

The commissioner said that the verification committee had also screened no fewer than 3,000 pensioners formerly in the local government service.

Topseal marks Murtala's 40th anniversary with lecture

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AGOS—AS part of activities lined up for the 40th anniversary of Nigeria’s former Head of State, late General Murtala Muhammed, a communication outfit, Topseal, is putting together an essay competition, lecture and an award ceremony.

The theme of the lecture is General Murtala Muhammed 40 Years After: Nigerian Military and Democracy, What Legacy.?

According to the CEO, Taiwo Ogundipe, the exercise is meant to dissect the roles played by the Nigerian military since post independence, and against the backdrop of the present dispensation under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, who was also ex-military Head of State.

Meanwhile, the company is calling for essay entries on the theme, from students of tertiary institutions across the nation.

40—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

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YAR 'ADUA AIRPORT: From left— Mr. Temlong Niger, General Manager, Procurement; Engr. Salisu Daura, GM, Electrical; Engr. Saleh Dunoma, Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN; Dan Okafor, Project Manager, Lagan International; Bello Musa, Airport Manager, and Zakari Mahmud, Regional General Manager, North East/NorthWest, during the inspection of Umaru Musa Yar'adua Airport, Katsina.

INT'L WOMEN'S SUMMIT: From left— ED, Centre for Economic & Leadership Development, CELD, Mrs Furo Giami; First Lady, Niger Republic, Dr. Malika Mahamadou; Mrs Aisha Buhari's representative, Senator Binta Garba, and Senator Biodu Oluyimi, at the 3rd South AmericaAfrica-Middle East-Asia Women Summit 2015 organized by CELD in Dubai.

SEC BRIEFING: Head of Department, Market Development, Security and Exchange Commission, SEC, Mr. Henry Rowlands (middle) addressing pressmen on e-dividend collection during the e-dividend registration rally in Abuja. PHOTO: Gbemiga Olamikan.

CUSSONS BABY: From left—Oluwatobi Adetunji, Assistant Brand Manager, Cussons Baby; Oluwaseun Ayeni, Brand Manager Family Care; Mrs Ireti Oladapo, mother to the winner of 2016 Cusson Baby Competition, Imisi Oladapo; Charles Nwochiri, Regional Head of Category, Africa, and Faith Okoli, Group Brand Development & Activation Manager, at the grand finale of the competition in Lagos. PHOTO: Akeem Salau.

EMCOAN'S DINNER: From left— Mr. Dare Kafar, Marketing Director, StarTimes; Mrs. Deborah Olutayo, President, Electronic Media Content Owners Association of Nigeria, EMCOAN; Mr. Yinka Adebayo, Director, Buying Services, MediaReach OMD; Mr. Wale Adenuga, Chairman, EMCOAN Board of Trustee, and Mr. Alaba Fadero, Chief Operating Officer, MediaReach OMD, during the association's dinner in Lagos.

CHARITY: Mrs. Therisa Ibas presenting relief materials to Rev. Solomon Folorunsho and Pastor Evelen for the internally-displaced persons in Uhugua community, Edo State.

BIRTHDAY: From left— Pastor James Ejiga, Miss Bridget Eigbike, and Evangelist Precious Ejiga, during Precious' birthday celebration at Soul Rescue International Gospel Church, Agege, Lagos.

FESTIVAL: Mr. Casmir Maduafokwa, CEO, Tecon Oil Services Group (middle) and Uroko Women Dance Group, Umudike, Uzoakwa, in Ihiala LGA of Anambra State, during the maiden Eden East Cultural Festival.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016—41

Zahra Buhari M

ONTHS after her mother was talk of blogosphere on account of an expensive watch, another debate has erupted in the Nigerian cyberspace concerning shoes worn by Zahra Buhari for her 21stbirthday celebrations.

The first daughter has been pictured sporting Manolo Blahnik Hangisi Satin pumps said to be $1,099.00 (N218k) on EBay. Commentators are aware that the current minimum wage paid to Nigerian workers is N18,000 or near $90. The Nigerian media had been in uproar over the watch of President Buhari’s wife

Aisha which she wore for the inauguration ceremonies of her husband, rumoured to be worth more than $50,000.

Buhari’s daughter, who is an ambassador at large for a charity organization ACE, first made a public appearance shortly before the presidential poll of March 28, 2015 when the social media managers of the president released her photos on Twitter, stunning the public with her beauty.

She shouldn’t wear designer shoes again because her father is president?

Asked a commentator.

nusi a S a d i h a h S had their wedding fathiha

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HE first wedding of the year- and surely the most celebrated on blogosphere is that of the daughter of fiery erstwhile Central Bank governor turned monarch Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

Shahida and her beau, Abdulkadir Baba-Ahmed,

on New Year Day, 2016.

Abdulkadir is the son of Director General of the State Security Service (SSS). The wedding was graced by countless dignitaries, as to be expected and for once, the Emir raised no controversy.

Feyisetan Fayose

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Zahra

LOGOSPHERE is meanwhile circulating a statement attributed to the wife of Ayodele Fayose, Ekiti State governor, Feyisetan, who apparently has called for the implementation of the report of the Justice Legbo Kutigiled National Conference Nigeria- the highlight of convened by which was the concert of t h e N i g e r i a n administration rapper, Olamide. of President Goodluck The Liverpool striker Jonathan. In it, she laments was in Lagos where she the reluctance of President is spending her mid- Muhammadu Buhari to season break and she take a look at the report, shared a photo on her saying it is the way out of Instagram page of her at the present economic Olimide’s ‘OLIC2’. challenges facing most of “OLIC2 was littttttt....... the states in the federation. #Hermes + #Versace,” She noted that some of the she wrote on resolutions reached at the I n s t a g r a m f u r t h e r conference, especially the revealing what she wore one that has to do with the to the concert. devolution of power and the Olamide Live In adjustment of the sharing Concert formula of federal (OLIC) allocation, would help in is the rectifying the anomaly in annual the system. concert of If this has been done, it N i g e r i a n would have gone a long rapper, Olamide. way in solving most of the The second

Asisat Oshoala

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U

P

E

R

Falcons star Asisat Oshoala took to social media to fill her fans in on her holiday adventures in

edition held on Sunday, December 27 in Lagos.

Asisat

Feyisetan

teething problems being faced by the states and each of the 774 local governments we are having in the country.

She also laments the inability of most states to pay salary of the workers or meet their obligations to the people because of the lopsidedness in the allocation which tends to favour federal government at the expense states and local governments.

Mrs. Fayose made the statement while distributing N100, 000 each to a widow, an orphan and a physicallychallenged person supposedly at the instance of Mr. Fayose.

Shahida

Sophie Momodu

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ERHAPS the most trendy woman on the Nigerian blogosphere last week has been ‘babymama’ of pop superstar Davido, who has been accused of kidnapping his own son. The controversy took on a new dimension when Sophie’s famous relative, Dele Momodu, stepped in. Can after can of worms have been open on social media, to the glee of observers and from the

Sophie look of things, none of this is ending soon.

Camille Cosby

Andrea Constand, 44, a former basketball team manager at Temple University in Philadelphia, Cosby’s alma mater; who alleged the television legend assaulted her at his home in 2004.

The Massachusetts civil lawsuit against Cosby was filed in December 2014 by Tamara Green, later joined by six other women.

They contend that Cosby sexually assaulted or abused them that each publicly accused Cosby, and he responded by calling the women liars, thus defaming them, court documents said.

Camille Cosby has filed a counter suit against Bisi the women, accusing them of making false T’S now all over blogosphere that allegations for financial gain.

Bill Cosby’s wife Camille is ‘furious, livid and humiliated’ by the disgraced comedian’s actions. Cosby’s wife of more than 50 years was conspicuously absent when the 78-year-old was pictured stumbling into a Pennsylvania court to face sexual assault ORMER columnist and presidential spokeman Rueben charges last week.

Abati is circulating on social media a tribute he wrote to late She had dismissed the initial claims of Olabisi Olateru Olagbegi, who lost the battle with cancer last month. sexual abuse against Cosby, but as the …that of course was her vision and her mission, the compass for number of alleged victims continued to her commitment. Cancer, be not proud! Olabisi Ibijoke Olaterugrow, Camille was ‘sickened’.

Olagbegi (nee Cole) lived a life of meaning, purpose and impact. As If found guilty, Cosby could face up to 10 she joins the Saints triumphant on Friday, January 29, all we have years in prison and a $25,000 fine. to say is: Thank You, Lord. Sista Bisi. Goodnight. Goodbye.

The charge stems from accusations by

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Bisi Olateru Olagbegi

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42 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

CHAN: S

Oliseh predicts tough ‘fight’ for Eagles

uper Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh has said he expects the other teams at this year ’s CHAN to come out fighting when they face his team.

The Eagles will be in Rwanda for their second CHAN appearance after they made their debut in 2014 and finished third. “Everyone will be out to fight us (in Rwanda),” Oliseh predicted. “But we’re on track, the boys are in high spirit and physically okay.”Nigeria begin their 2016 CHAN campaign on Monday, January 18, against Niger. They will also battle Tunisia and Guinea in the group stage.

Oliseh’s team finalised their buildup for the CHAN with a heartwarming 1-0 win over another CHANbound team Cote d’Ivoire. “The boys gave it a shot. We created loads and loads of scoring chances and hope they can tap the home next time,” he said after the match.

‘Osimhen will explode in Europe’

Man City will win trophies this season

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•Osimhen

Saivet joins Newcastle

AF Youth Player of the Year Victor Osimhen will blossom once he has settled down in Europe, according to one of his representatives.

Osimhen set a new goals record when he scored10 goals at the U17 FIFA World Cup in Chile in November. He was also on the squad when Nigeria won a first U23 AFCON title in Senegal the following month.

He is set to sign a pre-contract with Wolfsburg after he visited the German Bundesliga club recently.

“Victor has not played half the football he is capable of. Once he is fully settled in Europe, he will explode,” said his representative Ariyo Igbayilola “You know this is a boy who before now would go out to the streets of Ojota hawking pure water after training so as to make ends meet.

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ewcastle h a v e signed midfielder Henri Saivet from Bordeaux on a fiveand-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee. Saivet, 25, helped the French club win Ligue 1 in 2009 and played for Senegal at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

He made 178 appearances for Bordeaux in all competitions, scoring 23 goals.

“Henri is someone the club have been watching for a while and he has developed into an excellent player at Bordeaux,” Newcastle boss Steve McClaren told the club’s website.

Saivet said: “I am really proud to be able to play for this club, and I am really excited at the challenge that lies ahead.”

Meanwhile, McClaren was reluctant to discuss a possible deal for Swansea’s England midfielder Jonjo Shelvey.

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— Iheanacho

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•Iheanacho

anchester City’s teenage forward Kelechi Iheanacho believes that they are well on track to win trophies in this 2015/16 campaign.

The 19-year-old attacker netted his fifth goal in all major competitions during Citizens’ 30 victory over Norwich City in the FA Cup third round clash at Carrow Road on Saturday.

When speaking to ESPN FC Iheanacho indicated that the English Premier League (EPL) side stand a good chance of winning some of the four major competitions they are still competing in.

“I think we’re going to go far this season and we’re going to get something. We’re going to get trophies this season because we have the players to get it and the manager. We pray we don’t have any injuries and if we don’t get any we will win trophies,” Iheanacho said.

Neymar: Messi from another planet N •Saivet

eymar was not short of superlatives for his team-mate and now five-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi after the Barcelona forward picked up the award again last Monday.

The Brazilian finished third behind Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo but said there was daylight between Messi and the rest.“As far as I am concerned, Leo is from another planet,” Neymar said. “For me, Messi is the best in the world, he’s my idol and I hope we can enjoy watching him for years to come. “It’s been one of the best days of my life, I enjoyed watching from the front row as Leo won and spending the day by the side of two of the best players there.“I hope I can be at the ceremony again.”

Neymar said he had asked Messi for advice on how to win his own Ballon d’Or, but it seems the Argentinean’s response was rather simple.

•Neymar “Yeah; play better,” Neymar said.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 — 43

Messi´s father lauds son´s inspiring achievements L

•Messi

ionel Messi’s father says he could never have dreamed of the success Barcelona’s five-time Ballon d’Or winner has enjoyed. Messi collected the coveted gong once more at Monday’s FIFA gala in Zurich, the latest dazzling achievement of a career journey which began when his family relocated from Argentina to Barcelona with him as a 13-year-old.

J o r g e M e s s i reflected on that time and marvelled at his son’s subsequent progress in a letter to

Ballon d’or : N

eymar improve vows to ‘disapp after ointme nt’

Spanish newspaper Marca.

“We left Argentina with a wealth of dreams and illusions, but also many fears.

Lionel enjoyed that trip,” the letter read.

“I guess he began to forge the idea of succeeding in what he loved most: football. “Today he is where we never dreamed he could be, a magical place that he started towards in 2007 – the world of football has recognised him five times as the best player on the planet. “From the family, we are very proud of him because everything he achieved came from huge effort.

“Lionel’s spirit and the ability to overcome, and his desire to improve every day, are an inspiration and of great value to those who are close to him.”

•Neymar

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Klopp believes Arsenal are beatable L

iverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes Premier League leaders Arsenal are “beatable” but is aware of the tough test his side •Pogba face. Arsenal travel to Anfield on Wednesday in hope of keeping their spot at the summit of the Premier League table. Klopp has guided Liverpool to wins against Arsenal’s title rivals Leicester City and Manchester City so far this season, but says Arsene Wenger’s men pose a bigger threat.

“Arsenal and Arsene have their own style, it’s possession football, so it’s clear that if we want to play the same way we will be without a chance because they’ve been doing it for longer,” he said.

“Arsenal are not only a good possession team, that’s the problem, they have good counter-attacks too and that’s what you have to be aware of.

“It’s a job but it’s a really nice job to think about solutions and how to stop them coming through with their plan. I like things like this.“They are beatable. It is not easy, but it’s possible.”

Pogba plays down Barcelona links

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aul Pogba has denied he wants to join Barcelona, but spoke of his desire to one day play alongside Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Juventus midfielder was named in the 2015 FIFPro World XI after helping the Serie A outfit win the Scudetto, Coppa Italia, and reach the Champions League final.

Pogba was present in Zurich on Monday as Messi won a record fifth Ballon d’Or crown, finishing in front of Real Madrid’s Ronaldo.

The 22-year-old said a goal of his is to play alongside one of the two in the future, but when asked if he wanted to join Barcelona he claimed: “I’ve never said that.

“Right now I am playing with Juventus.”

Swimming pool rehab excites sports community

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here is a growing excitement among athletes and users of the National Stadium, Lagos, over the intensification of renovation works on the Swimming Pool hitherto in disrepair for over two decades.

The rehabilitation of the swimming pool follows the facilities inspection tour of the

minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, and his insistence that the facility must come back to life by the end of the first quarter of the year.

While many had thought that the resumption of works was only a surface move, they are pleasantly surprised that the rehabilitation has intensified,

•WORK IN PROGRESS... Men at work at the National Stadium Lagos Swimming pool.

arcelona striker Neymar was left disappointed after placing third at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Zurich last Monday night and vowed to work harder to better himself.

The 23-year-old Brazilian, former World Soccer Young Player of the Year, was voted third best with 7.86 per cent of the vote behind Barca team-mate and now fivetime winner Lionel Messi (41.33 per cent) and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo (27.76 per cent).

Neymar and Messi helped Barca win the Primera Division, Copa del Rey and Champions League treble in 2015, plus the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, and the former Santos player had hoped to finish in the top two alongside his club colleague.

He told marca.com: “In all honesty, yes, I’d

giving assurance that the ministerial deadline for completion would be met.

A follow up visit to the facility shows a beehive of activities on various aspects of the pool.

The main pool and the diving section having been cleaned up, retiling has begun with materials as specified by FINA and approved by the Nigeria Swimming Federation. While the water filtering machine which had been vandalized is also undergoing repairs, four boreholes have been sunk as a measure to ensure supply of water not only for the main pools but as well for offices and the children’s section.

Undaunted by the vandalism of the expensive armoured

hoped to come second.

“I’m delighted to be here alongside two footballing greats. I hope to come back and for my team to keep winning.

“I don’t want to be better than anyone else; I just want to better myself. Now I have to work a little bit more to be amongst the three finalists again.”

He praised his two main rivals for the award, saying: “I don’t know if I’m at the same level as Messi or Cristiano. They are players who I really admire. I’ve watched them play since I was young and it’s amazing for me to be here with them.

“I see Leo every day and I admire him as a player and an individual. He’s really easy-going and a good friend. I follow Cristiano more on television. But they’ve both been coming here for eight or nine years and I want to be like them one day, trying to beat their own records.”

Toure’s criticism doesn’t bother me —Aubameyang

B

orussia Dortmund and Gabon striker PierreEmerick Aubameyang says he’s not interested in what Manchester City’s Yaya Toure has said about him. Quoted by ESPN, Aubameyang responded to the Cote d’Ivoire skipper after he questioned the award criteria by the Confederation of African Football after he won the 2015 CAF Footballer of the Year award last week.

‘Auba’ has spoken for the first time since Yaya’s utterances saying he’s “not interested” in criticism from Toure.

The Citizens midfielder had won the award three years in a row, but was beaten by the Gabonese international to the 2015 honour, leaving the City midfielder questioning the award criteria after the ceremony.

“I’m very, very disappointed. It’s sad to see Africa react this way, that they don’t think African achievements are important,” Toure told RFI. “I think this is what brings shame to Africa, because to act in that way is indecent. But what can we do about it? “We Africans, we don’t show that Africa is important in our •Aubameyang eyes. We favour more what’s abroad than our own continent that is pathetic.”

ELP Matches today Chelsea v Man City v Southampton v Stoke City v Swansea v Liverpool v Tottenham v

W Brom Everton Watford Norwich Sunderland Arsenal Leicester

7:45pm 7:45pm 7:45pm 7:45pm 7:45pm 8:00pm 8:00pm

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44—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

AKWA IBOM GOV WAR:

PDP defending Zoning IT was an assemblage of some of the state’s most leading men and women faced with the collective threat of losing what they claim is the mandate they supposedly gave to Governor Udom Emmanuel and the Eket Senatorial District

By Tom Moses

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AST weekend’s ‘Mega Ral ly and Reception for Governor Udom Emmanuel’ at the Eket Township Stadium had the dark shadow of the recent Court of Appeal judgment that annulled the election that enthroned the governor.

The indignation of the people was fired by the fact that Emmanuel is the first governor from the senatorial district to achieve the office of governor since the creation of Akwa Ibom State. Even more vexatious is the fact that the threat against his election is coming from Uyo Senatorial District, which has held the office of governor twice since the creation of the state.

It was as such not surprising that men and women of similar minds from all sections of the state gathered at the stadium last Saturday to affirm what they claimed as the doctrine of rotation that made Eket to produce the next governor of the state after eight sixteen eventful years by Uyo and Ikot Ekpene Senatorial Districts.

dispensation of justice”.

The retired Brigadier-General also solicited the continuous support of their brothers from Uyo and Ikot-Ekpene Senatorial Districts who they supported in the past for the governorship not to allow their support to wane for justice and equity to be done to the Eket Senatorial District.

Also speaking, former Minister of Housing, Chief Nduese Essien warned that the people of Eket Senatorial District would do all that is possible and necessary to ensure the reverses of what he described as the injustice that was being planned against the people.

Women leader of the constituency, Dr. Ini Adiakpan also faulted the annulment of the election saying the people of Eket Federal Constituency would do everything within the ambit of the law to ensure that Governor Emmanuel serve out his mandate.

“28 years since Akwa-Ibom State was created, this is the first time Eket is producing a

Untenable reasons The people of Eket represented by the Chairman of Eket Senatorial District Elders Forum, Brigadier-Gen. Anthony Etukudoh (Retrd.) presented Governor Emmanuel with a sword and a bible at the occasion. The sword is to demolish his enemies and the bible is for spiritual guidance, protection and weapon to prosecute his adversaries.

“It was a mandate that was freely given by the great majority of Akwa-Ibom people but for untenable reasons, have become subject of the shenanigans of agents of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress in their desperate march to capture by force, the oil-rich Akwa-Ibom”, the Chairman informed and hoped that the “judiciary through the Supreme Court would not succumb to the desperation by the APC in the C M Y K

28 years since Akwa-Ibom State was created, this is the first time Eket is producing a governor and we insist that our son must be there for eight years as was the case with Uyo and Ikot-Ekpene senatorial districts respectively

•Governor Udom Emmanuel

•Former Gov Akpabio governor and we insist that our son must be there for eight years as was the case with Uyo and Ikot-Ekpene Senatorial Districts respectively.

“It is now our turn. Therefore, Uyo and Ikot-Ekpene Senatorial Districts must support us”, Dr. Adiakpan stated.

Speaking, Chairman, AkwaIbom State Elders Forum, Senator Anietie Okon, decried what he alleged as the plan by the APC leadership to forcefully take-over Akwa-Ibom State warning that any weapon fashioned against the collective will of the people of the state would be crippled.

Zoning of the governorship Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa-Ibom State, Obong Paul Ekpo also decried what he described as “the evil antics of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to create disharmony among the people of the state by not supporting the zoning of the governorship position to Eket Senatorial District.

Obong Ekpo reiterated that the chieftains and elders of the three senatorial districts of the

state had in their wisdom, reached a consensus that power should always rotate round the three different senatorial districts for equitable distribution of wealth and opportunities hence, the need for that consensus to be protected to enhance peace and unity of the people.

Also speaking, former Military Administrator of the state and the Director-General (D-G) of the Divine Mandate, the campaign organization of Governor Udom Emmanuel, Atuekong Idongesit Nkanga stressed that “The mission of the APC is not for the welfare and well-being of the people of Akwa-Ibom State but for exploitation of the state’s resources as according to them, the leadership of the APC has been saying that they would not allow an oil-producing state into the hands of the PDP. In his remarks, the new Speaker of the Akwa-Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr. Onofiok Luke threw his weight behind the agitation of the Eket Senatorial District describing the zone as the goose that lays the golden egg and the territory that that has made the state and Nigeria to be economical-

ly relevant in the comity of nations and as such, should be given the chance like others, to pilot the affairs of the state.

“Two individuals cannot serve as governor of a state at the same time. This is the time of Deacon Udom Emmanuel and the turn of Eket Senatorial District, so, every other person from other senatorial districts should wait so as not to cause confusion and crisis between the people of Eket Senatorial District and our brothers and sisters in the other senatorial districts”, the Speaker advised.

He condemned the Court of Appeal’s ruling of December 18, 2015 which annulled the election of Governor Emmanuel even as he expressed optimism that since the PDP is the traditional party of the AkwaIbom people, Governor Udom would win any election any time in the state.

Collective will and mandate Speaking, the Special Guest of honour, Governor Udom Emmanuel gave credence to the resolve by his kith and kin to defend the collective will and mandate of the Akwa-Ibom people to Eket Senatorial District and therefore warned intruders to be ware of the dangers in trying to scuttle a Divine Mandate and the collective will of the people.

Governor Emmanuel thanked the people for standing by him at moments of trials and temptation assuring that he would remain undaunted by the antics of those who are opposed to equity and justice but focused and committed to serve the people from all parts of the state through the provision of worthwhile infrastructure, to establish industries, create jobs and generate wealth, to transform and advance the course of the state and consolidate the unity of all peoples of the state.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016—45

AKWA IBOM GOV WAR:

APC: Praying,

poaching

IT was the first public gathering and appearance of the APC leaders in Akwa Ibom State since the Appeal Court judgment of last December nullifying the election of the PDP governor of the state, Governor Udom Emmanuel.

By Chioma Onuegbu

T

HOUGH it was couched as a Solemn Assembly to praise The Almighty for the Appeal Court judgment that nullified the governorship election, however, politicking was everywhere at the prayer venue. Indeed, the hallmark of the prayer summit and thanksgiving service held at the Nsima Ekere Campaign ground Edet Akpan Avenue Uyo was the defection of several stalwarts of the PDP to the APC. Whether they prayed before defecting was, however, not an issue.

Prominent among the defectors were former spokesman of the House of Representatives Eseme Eyibo,onetimePDPstatechairman Otu Ita Toyo a.k.a ‘Total Chair’, immediate past local government chairmanofUyoLocalGovernment Area, Ekerete Ekpenyong, immediate past Senator representing Ikot Ekpene SenatorialDistrict,SenatorAloysius Etok among many others.

They were formally received into the APC by the National Chairman of the party, Chief John OdigieOyegun who was represented by the National Vice Chairman SouthSouth Hilliard Eta.

Political aspirations Remarkably,18ofthe22aspirants that sought the PDP governorship ticketin2015styledastheG-22have now left the PDP for the APC. Many of them have buried their political aspirations under that of Umana Umana, the candidate of the APC in the last governorship election. Senator Etok who representedIkotEkpeneSenatorial District in the immediate past Senate described Umana as the ‘Symbol of our liberation’ However addressing the party supporters immediately after receivingthenewmembersintothe APC fold, Odigie-Oyegun who spoke through the APC SouthSouth National Vice Chairman, Eta assured them that it will no longer be business as usual now with the APC as the ruling party.

Odigie-Oyegun who was optimistic that the APC will win at both the Supreme Court and rerun further assured that the national leadership of the party will ensure that all votes cast are defended stressing that the days are over when the Police, Army and the DSS are used to intimidate and harass opponents or subvert the electoral process.

His words, “Never again will they use Nigerian police against you, never again will they use the Army, C M Y K

DSS against you. The National leadership of our party is aware of your effort and the national Chairman has asked me to tell you nottobeafraid,don’tbeintimidated.

The days of using state apparatus against political opponent is over. I want you to go home and know that you belong to the ruling party now.

Party stakeholders including Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, Toyo, Eyibo took turns to assure their commitment to the party.

Toyo, who was state Chairman of the PDP during the administration of Obong Victor Attah said that APC would soon become the party to reckon with in Akwa Ibom..

In his brief remarks, Eyibo said, “Akwa Ibom people will regain the state and never again shall we yield to the rampaging economic buccaneers and political dealers; never again shall we have free education in Akwa Ibom state that is not qualitative”

The APC governorship candidate Mr. Umana used the opportunity to convince the people that the APC would give the state the responsible and accountable leadership they •Umana: APC gov candidate in Akwa •Oyegun: APC national chairman have been craving Ibom for over the years.

“As you can see with the event resistance to impunity and arbitrary Judiciary for upholding the truth of today most of Akwa Ibom people use of our state resources cannot that elections did not hold in the have chosen to walk away from be complete until you have state. slavery and I thank you for insisting installed an APC government in “I equally salute the courage of on the freedom to decide who your the state. This therefore means that our numerous members who have governor is. The true meaning of though we have scored important braved all the odds and faced the the judgements at both the Tribunal victories along the way the war is bullets because they prefer freedom and Court of Appeal is that the not yet won. There is a lot of work to slavery. I am grateful to all my ongoing battle for Akwa Ibom state ahead of us” supporters across the political Continuing, Umana specially divides. Your supports have given is not about individuals. The battle thanked the National leadership of true meaning to our victory”, is between freedom and slavery."

“APC represents that quest for the APC led by President Umana added. freedom, inclusion, and openness. Muhammadu Buhari for The historic task of successful stabilizing the polity and the

How PDP 'll shock Oshiomhole — YAKUBU Edo 2016:

HON JOHN YAKUBU is a former Chairman of Esan North East Local Government Council of Edo State. A strong chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State, his bid for a second term generated state wide controversy after the result of the election was allegedly annulled by the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission, EDSIEC against the trend of collation in the constituency. In this interview, Yakubu shares his thoughts on the exercise and other issues.

By Gabriel Enogholase

W

HAT was the criteria used by your party, PDP in zoning the governorship ticket to Edo South Senatorial Zone?

I was a member of the committee that did the zoning. We looked at theentirestate,atthethreesenatorial districts and the viability of each of the three Senatorial districts taking into consideration the governorship election that would come up sometime in 2016.

So, when we looked at it, the committeeagreedthatitwillbegood and proper for the PDP as a party to look in the way of Edo South SenatorialZonetoenableusmuster enough support and the available voters that will accrue to the party from Edo South Senatorial Zone.

You will agree with me that as we standtoday,ifwewanttowinelection in Edo State; anybody who wants to win election in the state will first of

all, rub the back of the people of Edo South. Again, we have credible •Yakubu: Edo State legislators are milking LGs candidates everywhere, in Edo South, Edo Local government chairmen in Central and Edo North, but looking the state have said that their at the present circumstances, the allocationsarenottamperedbythe PDPbelievesthatlookingintheway state government. Being a former of Edo South Senatorial district chairmanyourself,whatisyourtake would be proper and the only way on this? wecanmoveintoOsadebeyAvenue Well, they would continue to deny come2016. because first of all, I am sure that But your people in Esanland in they are afraid. But for me, working Central Senatorial District are under Governor Adams clamouring for the ticket?

Oshiomhole is the most difficult Well, you cannot say that thinganybodycanthinkof.Iworked everybodyisclamouringforanEsan under him and that was the most governor, come 2016. Yes, we are difficult period for me as a human aware that some persons are being. I will tell you; not only did clamouring for an Esan governor, thestategovernmentdeductmoney nobodyisdisputingthatbecausewe from the allocation; it is only what is havecrediblemenandwomenfrom available to you that you take home.

Esan. I am from there and by the What do you think that should grace of God; we are capable of be done to ensure that local steering the ship of Edo State. government councils collect their

allocationwithoutillegaldeductions from the state governor?

For now, the governors will not allowit,membersofthestateHouses ofAssemblywillnotallowitbecause that is an easy way for them to take money. It was always a battle for me between the governor and the State House of Assembly because when you are called to the House to give account of what you have done and what you have not done, it is bring money for us.

If you go to an allocation meeting with the governor, by the time you finished, about 20 percent of the money would have been removed.

You remember about two or three years ago when the issue of constitutional amendments for autonomy for local government councils was moved, you saw how the governors and members of the State House of Assembly fought to make sure that the amendment did not see the light of day.

It did not see the light of the day because that was the easiest way they got money: don’t forget when there was a small problem in the Edo State House of Assembly recently, what do you hear, that members of the House were saying that money contributed from the local governments in the state, that the Speaker could not account for it.

Tell me which section(s) of the constitution that allows local government councils to contribute money to the State House of Assembly? They said it openly.

You can read the report in the Vanguard Newspaper a day before theissuecameupintheStateHouse of Assembly.

46 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

UNBELIEVABLE !

Dismissed, serving soldiers, policemen fight for escort jobs • I get N1000 per trip – fake soldier

By Evelyn Usman and Faith Ake

C

LAD in a complete Military regalia, 24year-old Ugochukwu Iheanacho would not have passed for a fake soldier to any discerning person . From his stern looks to his less than warm approach towards 'bloody civilians',residents of Muyibi Street in Olodi-Apapa area of Lagos,where he resides , concluded he was a personnel of the Nigerian Army and accorded him with the honour due to a military personnel.

But alas! The father of one was discovered to have merely been parading himself as a soldier. His true identity was revealed last week following his arrest over an alleged theft at a friend’s apartment.

A mild drama was said to have played out when policemen came to effect his arrest.

Eye witnesses told Crime Alert that Iheanacho who boasted that he could not be arrested by the policemen, put up resistance, during which he allegedly fought with the policemen.

Escort of vehicles But he was over powered and whisked to the station , where it was discovered during interrogation that he was not a soldier as claimed afterall.

In this interview with Crime Alert, Iheanacho said he used the uniform to escort vehicles to different parts of Lagos and beyond.

He stated that he was not alone in this, revealing that both dismissed military personnel and policemen converged somewhere around Orile area of the state ,where drivers come to pick them as escorts. He further disclosed that fights sometimes broke out between the 'hustlers' during arguments on who should accompany a particular vehicle.

According to the Imo State born Iheanacho, “I used the uniform as escort. I do not rob with it. I am not alone in this.

If you go to Orile as early as 4am, you will see both dismissed soldiers and policemen including those still in service and Merchant Navy officials

waiting for their turns. Drivers pay us N1000 for each trip.

Some even escort vehicles outside Lagos State. The amount for that is much. But I do not go beyond Okokomaiko because I am familiar with policemen along the route”.

Asked where he got the uniform, he replied “A friend named Orji, gave it to me. He is serving in the Nigerian Army. He thought I was a naval personnel.

Initially I was riding a motorcycle. But my motorbike was seized by policemen.

Commercial bus drivers I tried to use my Secondary School Certificate to get a job in order to take care of my wife and six month old baby but that turned out to be a herculean task. I could also not raise money for any trade, as there was nobody to loan me some money.

“I was left with no other option than to join others at Orile to 'hustle'. Nothing in life comes easy. At Orile, where we converge to be hired by commercial bus drivers , if one did not come early, he won't get any bus to join as an escort. At times, fights break out between dismissed and serving soldiers over who should join which vehicle. For instance, if one does not come early, another person would take over the absentee's regular bus. But trouble usually erupts when the new person would refuse to leave the space for the orig-

I used the uniform to escort. I do not rob with it. I am not alone in this. If you go to Orile as early as 4am, you will see both dismissed soldiers and policemen including those still in service and Merchant Navy officials waiting for their turn

inal escort when he comes back.

"Again, if one does not come early, another person automatically joins the absentee's regular bus driver. However when the absentee arrives, he would expect the new person to vacate the front seat for him. This situation usually results in a heated argument and possible fight. The fight is mainly because of the amount one gets. “ For instance , we get N1000 per trip. At times, one could cover five or even ten trips per day , depending on how lucrative business was. Hiring our services is an added advantage for drivers because it prevents them from paying policemen on the way . It also prevents them from paying dues to agberos( motor park touts ) “I have written the Nigerian Army examination twice but did not pass. Things was going on well for me , as i could put food on my family's table with the money i made as an escort, until my friend set me up. He accused me of being among those who burgled h i s apartment,thereby leading to my arrest ."

The suspect according to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni , would be charged to court.

•The suspect

— 47

48—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

Heart-rending stories of IDPs sacked from Lagos settlement

•Internally Displaced Camp at Monkey Village, Lagos Trauma of losing loved ones, homes and means of livelihood to the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East of Nigeria, drove them to Lagos and now, they are going through a second round of trauma. They have been sent packing from their settlement in the Kirikiri industrial area of Lagos, close to Monkey Village. Recently, Vanguard Features, VF met one of the leaders of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Mr. Peter, and upon enquiring how they were faring, heard the most heart-rending response.

In an emotion-laden voice, he said they had been sent packing from the settlement and their make-shift shelters destroyed. Asked where they were at the moment, he said they were scattered in different places while some had relocated back home. He said he was going back to his village, ravaged by Boko Haram and left desolate. Reminded that it was not yet safe return home, he said it was better than staying in Lagos. Although the abode was nothing to write home about, but half loaf, they say, is better than none. They tried to make lemonade out of the lemon life served them; tried to live a semblance of a normal life despite the pain and squalor under which they lived, then this! He has since relocated. Like Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the Afrobeat legend sang in one of his songs, Double Wahala for dead body, this seems to be the case of these men, women and children who managed to escape the onslaught of the murderous Boko Haram insurgents.

In this report, Vanguard Features went to find out from the leaders what actually happened.

Excerpts:

By Ebele Orakpo

C

RY for help: Narrating their ordeal, the Sarki (chief) of the camp, Mr. Bamaiyi Papka popularly called Barrister said: “I was cleaning the surroundings during the usual Thursday environmental sanitation exercise late November when some Naval officers came to me and asked me to show them the small gate through which my people ((IDPs) pass into the compound.

“When I showed them the gate, they told me that the gate was causing problem; that okada (motorcycle) riders would hit

little children along Comfort Oboh Street and run into the barracks through the gate and nobody can pursue them into the barracks.

Signal from Abuja: “They said as a result of that, they sent a signal from Abuja to the Commander saying they do not want to see any okada rider in the place. So when they asked me, I told them that this place is not meant for okada riders; that it is the Unity Trailer Park and people live here. We have women and children who ran to the place from Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East.

They knew we have lived here for so long so they came to take

buildings. Some of the women and children sleep inside empty warehouses in the area and some have gone back to their villages even though they are still not safe. “Some Naval officers are always by the gate now, to prevent people from coming in. But already, all the structures we put up have been pulled down; even the church and mosque. They said they don’t want church or mosque because if they leave the church and mosque, it means people will still be coming there to worship,” said Bamaiyi.

Pathetic stories: Narrating his own ordeal, Mr. Aliyu Ijaduwa from Madagali, Adamawa State said he came to the settlement after they were displaced by Boko Haram insurgents. “Our parents were killed, our children were abducted. My 14-year-old daughter was abducted by the terrorists and my mother was killed. Now, four of my children are gone and up till date, there is no news about them.

We find it very difficult feeding because most of the children here don’t know where their parents are. For instance, Barrister is taking care of about five children.

We manage to do little jobs like selling food and provisions just to make a living. We are suffering and there are many of us,” said elderly Ijaduwa.

Terrorist attacks

•Some of the homeless children refuge here. The okada riders usually sleep outside but they use the public toilets and bathrooms in the barracks. The naval officers said it was the chairman of Comfort Oboh Street that wrote a petition against us and sent to Abuja, saying that Hausas were causing problem in the area and that they used to fight and make trouble. So the Navy said if that was the case, everyone should move out of the place except the Sarki and trailer owners. That if others want to

keep living there, they should go to Abuja to solve the problem and if the Chief of Naval Staff permits them to stay there, Abuja will send them another signal to that effect.

Destruction of structures: “Later, they came and destroyed the place and drove people out.

Some of the displaced people have gone back to their states, mostly Adamawa and Borno.

Some are staying outside the companies, warehouses, factories and uncompleted

For Sunday Joseph, also from Madagali Local Government Area, it was a very sad tale as the final-year student of College of Education, Science and Technology Bama did not only lose his parents but could not graduate because of terrorist attacks.

“As the insurgents entered our area, many people were displaced and many killed. I lost my father and I don’t know whether my mother, Mrs Cecelia Joseph is alive or not. I have five brothers who are here with me now. After we escaped to Yola, through bush paths, trekking for one week, I did not see them and I had no job in Yola.

I spent a month doing menial jobs, selling pure water and whatever job I could get. I still went back to my village in the night to look for my siblings and mother. Eventually, I met all of them and we were able to escape to Yola through bush paths and with the help of a good Samaritan,” he said.

Sleeping at a filling station: Continuing, Joseph said: “I had no money so I left my brothers in a filling station for one month and came to Lagos. I got a motorcycle and began to hustle.

I was able to make N20,000 and went to pick my brothers from Yola. After we returned to Lagos, I took a motorcycle on hire Continues on page 49

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 — 49

When Oxfam empowered women farmers for greater productivity

By Gabriel Ewepu

I

N Nigeria, women have been in the vanguard of food production and other agricultural activities. Women farmers allegedly constitute over 75 percent of the entire farmers’ population in the country and have remained the food engineroom for many decades.

An Oxfam report shows that women make up a significant proportion of smallholder producers, estimated to be 48.7 percent of the agriculture labour force across Sub-Saharan Africa.

The fact remains that women have been the massive producers of agricultural products and their performance has been high in this regard, but they have continued to face strong and high hurdles in food production.

The Country Director, Oxfam Nigeria, Jan Rogge who decried poor access of women farmers in Nigeria to land in order to produce staple food like yam, cassava and its bye-products said Oxfam had always been in the vanguard of ensuring that food

production by small scale farmers improves.

“Oxfam is supporting small scale farmers, especially women.

We are not just supporting them but also documenting their achievements in higher productivity, higher income, and that needs to be documented through filming. We use documentary as a form of campaign, sending clearer message to broader public. Here the message is that female foodheroes are women who produce staple foods for Nigerians to eat.

Most people know, and the public talk about how important a woman is in agriculture,”he said.

He identified challenges faced by female farmers. “Now the woman in agriculture in Nigeria faces many barriers, and one is access to land. The woman in very traditional society in rural areas is not really entitled to own land and property right. There is the need to improve the Land Use Act of 1978, and give more rights to female farmers to access

Women farmers rejoicing over their yield land,” he said.

Secretary All Women Farmers Association of Nigeria, AWFAN, Nasarawa State Chapter, Rose Gyar, said the women farmers are not asking much from the government. What they need, according to her, is for government to boost their current food production capacity.

“Our expectation from Presid e n t Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is to ensure that women are included in their agenda, probably not on appointment only but by listening to their plight.

We expect the government to come up with a single digit interest rate on loans for women farmers, giving attention to capacity enhancement for women farmers both institutionally a n d individually by using community based organisations and creating sustainable line of credit for women farmers,” she said.

I n recognition of efforts by w o m e n farmers across the country to ensure food is on the table of e v e r y Nigerian and

income for their family, the Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, recently at the 2015 Food Hero Ogbonge Women Award organised by Oxfam in Nigeria, decried the increasing marginalisation of women in the agricultural sector which makes the women unable to access relevant farm inputs.

Aisha Buhari who was represented by former First Lady of Bayelsa State, Alayingi Sylva, further stated that study shows that women entrepreneurs operate in an unfavourable business environments.

We expect the government to come up with a single digit interest rate on loans for women farmers

“Recent a study shows that Nigerian women entrepreneurs operate in an unfavourable business environment, characterized by various challenges ranging from infrastructural deficiencies, corruption, low access and high cost of finance and weak institution.

“The situation indicates that women entrepreneurs are not afforded the same opportunities as their male counterparts, due in part to deep rooted discriminatory socio-cultural norms which perceive them as wives and mothers”, she lamented.

Also speaking, Head of Programmes, Oxfam Nigeria, Constant Tchona, said Female Food Hero Ogbonge Award ceremony was part of the activities marking Oxfam Nigeria GROW Week.

“GROW is an Oxfam global campaign but in Nigeria, it seeks to engage Nigerian government and businesses to provide access to land for smallholder farmers, and especially for women who often do most of the work on the land, but face the biggest battle to call it their own help farmers deal with changing weather and support social safety nets and food reserves to make sure there is enough good food for us all to eat”, Tchona added.

Heart-rending stories of IDPs Continues from page 48 purchase for N 150,000. It was from the little money I was making that we were feeding and paying rent for the wooden shanty we were staying in. I paid N20,000 for a year. A navy man gave me the space and I put up the structure. I gave my younger brother the okada to ride and unfortunately, robbers took the motorcycle from him at Apapa. I am now empty, with no money to do anything. Barrister has been feeding us.” “Some of us here are graduates but we have no papers because we lost most

of our things to Boko Haram insurgents.” When asked to say something, Mohammed Usman said: “I don’t want to say anything. The Boko Haram terrorists committed too many atrocities. Honestly, I don’t feel like talking about it.”

Some of the IDPs expressed their willingness to farm if they are given farmlands and called on the Federal Government to do all in its power to end the insurgency.

Efforts by VF to reach the naval authorities and the chairman of Comfort Oboh Street, were unsuccesful.

50—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

Why did he visit prostitutes?

Dear Bunmi, recently found out, through a colleague in his office, that my husband of almost 20 years has been sleeping with prostitutes.

According to this colleague, some of them call at the office and he takes time off to take them to motels.

I haven’t confronted him yet -I’m still in shock. How could he? Now I just wish I’d never found out in the first place. I still love him and can’t imagine life without him. We have three teenage children.

Wunmi, by e-mail.

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Mother and daughter won't leave me alone Dear Bunmi, ELIEVE it or not, I am a virgin at the age of 25.

My problem now is that my boss and her daughter are both trying to get me into bed.

After I finished at the Law School, my mum arranged for me to work in her friend’s chambers to gain experience.

Sadly, my mother recently lost her battle against breast cancer. She died, leaving me devastated and my boss said if I ever needed anyone to talk to, she would always be there for me. Then, she started inviting me to her place for meals. She’s a single mother of two and lives with her daughter who is my age-mate.

I was leaving her house one night, after a meal when she asked me to wait. She shut the door and started kissing me, but she stopped when her daughter arrived home.

The next day at work, she started sending me saucy emails, saying ‘I think you have a hot body’. Now, she’s confessed she has feelings for

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me and she wants things to get sexual between us. I’ve never had sex before, so I don’t think I’d be much good to her.

I’ve also been spending time with her daughter. She’s single and I’ve introduced her to my friends because she wants to meet a man. This had taken my mind off things and got me socialising again.

My boss’ daughter is very pretty and I thought she’d find a man quickly, but it hasn’t happened, so, I asked her why. She said it was because the person she would really love to be with is me.

Then, she asked me to come up to her bedroom.

I was shocked and a bit lost for words. Why has this happened? I don’t know what to do. It’s stressing me out. I’m worried one of them will say the wrong thing to the other at home and it’ll all blow up in my face. What should I do?

Bayo, by e-mail.

Dear Bayo, You seem like a sweet guy and I fear you’re letting these

He doesn't want me back Dear Bunmi,

S

OME months back, I told my boy friend of two years to let us cool things a bit in spite of the fact that he was the most loyal, honest and caring man I’d ever met.

I had just met someone else then who swept me off my feet. He wined and dined me and I was in seventh heaven until I came crashing down when he moved on to another relationship.

I felt rejected and decided to go back to my ex. But, he doesn’t want me back now , according to him, I had been used and dumped. He says I broke his heart when I had the fling with the other man, and that he’ll never take me back. Should I give him time?

Tosan, by e-mail.

Dear Tosan, I wish I could tell you a way to get your ex back, but I don’t honestly think he’ll come back to you. Often, when people are badly hurt, they emotionally cut off the one who caused them such pain and that’s what your ex has

done.

In my experience though, people don’t go off with someone else for no reason.

They do it because their relationship is on the rocks.

Your ex may be the most wonderful man when you went out with him for two years, but that didn’t stop you from going with another man who offered you excitement.

Obviously, your ex wasn’t right for you. So, find a man who is right, then you won’t be unfaithful to him.

two women take over and dictate your life. You’re 25 and still a virgin and, judging by the female attention you’re getting, I’m guessing you’re an attractive man. So, it’s fairly safe to presume there is a reason other than lack of opportunity as to why you’ve hung onto your virginity. If you were eager to put the proverbial notches on your bedpost, you’d have slept with the mother and the daughter, instead you resisted the mother and while you were attracted to the daughter, the attraction faded when she tried to lure you into bed.

You are obviously not out for sex, you are out for a real connection.

But, it is okay to be. You have lost your dear mum and are feeling lost and vulnerable. The last thing you need is a weird mother/daughter sex triangle. If you can find another legal firm to work with, do so.

If not, let the mother realise that as much as you’ve appreciated her support, you’re not interested in having a relationship that is more than maternal. As for the daughter, I think you should steer clear. It’s going to be very messy if you date her.

Hell has no furry like a woman scorned, but mother losing out to daughter is something even more dastardly. You deserve to be with someone who really cares about you, who’s willing to take it slow and lets you initiate sex when you feel ready to have it.

So, go back to socialising with your friends and simply enjoy yourself until you feel truly ready for a relationship.

My boss’ daughter is very pretty and I thought she’d find a man quickly, but it hasn’t happened, so, I asked her why. She said it was because the person she would really love to be with is me

Dear Wunmi, You’re bound to be deeply

upset at the moment but you need to find out how credible your ‘informant’ is.

Not only has your trust been blown away but you should be worried about your own sexual health too. You need to sit down and have it out with him.

In order to save your marriage, he needs to stop.

You’re still in love with him and it would be a major upheaval if you left him.

Sadly, a lot of married men resorts to prostitutes for sexual gratification in spite of the health hazards involved. So have things out in the open and pray he’s not yet a sex addict!

Daughter resents my new man Dear Bunmi, FTER being single for 10 years, I finally met my current boyfriend through a mutual friend. We’ve been together for two years and plans are underway for us to get married later in the year. I would be blissfully happy if it wasn’t for my 24-year-old daughter. She’s often quite nasty to him and had been like this from the word go.

She’s always been a daddy’s girl and I think she feels some misplaced sense of loyalty to her father. She knows there’s no chance of me getting back together with her dad and my poor fiance bends over backward to please her.

Rita, by e-mail.

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Dear Rita, It’s a shame that your daughter is not giving her support when you most need it.

It’s not as if you had a whirlwind romance, and you split with her dad many years ago.

At 24, she should be more mature and happy that you’ve found someone to share your life with.

She’s obviously afraid of change and you need to have a good talk with her and let her know you intend to go ahead with the wedding and you would still love and care for her after. At 24, whatever she then decides to do is her problem.

I don't mind being his third wife DearBunmi, ’VE been with my partner for almost eight years. He is a fairly successful businessman and was married twice. His two wives don’t live with him.

He’s told me from the word go that he was not keen on living with a woman, I live in my own house and he is supportive.

I have a son and would want at least a child now that I’m approaching 40. He said he would go along with me having his child but he’s not getting married to any woman again. Do you think he will change his mind?

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I don’t really mind being a third wife.

Nike, by e-mail.

Dear Nike, After eight years together, there’s absolutely no chance your partner is going to change his mind. He’s been honest with you from the start that this is the type of life he intends to live.

Can you live with this? You have for the past eight years, though a lot of women looking for better commitments would have given him his marching orders.

Share your problems and release your burden. Write now to Dear Bunmi, Vanguard Newspapers, P.M.B 1007, Apapa, Lagos, or bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 — 51

CHAN: Baruwa warns Eagles against complacency E X-Nigeria international goalkeeper Abiodun Baruwa has warned the home-based Eagles not to get carried away with their unbeaten run-in to 2016 CHAN but rather remain focused on the bigger task in Rwanda.

After eliminating Burkina Faso to qualify for the 2016 CHAN, they were forced to a 1-1 draw

by Angola and beat Cote d’Ivoire 1- 0 in warm-up matches ahead of the

tournament beginning this weekend in Rwanda However, former Nigeria goalkeeper Baruwa, who is now a qualified coach and agent in UK, said that the players should not get carried away by their impressive build-up, which was capped on Monday with a win over CHAN-bound

*Chicharito

Cote d’Ivoire.

“My advise for them is to be focused and relax but enjoy the experience,” he said.

“They should not be carried away by their unbeaten run in the friendly games, every team know friendly matches and competition are two different ball games.”

Chicharito drops hint at summer move to Arsenal

New NPFL season kicks off February 21

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HERE are strong indications that the new Nigeria league season will kick off on February 21 after clubs kicked against a January 31 start.

The clubs rejected the January 31 kick-off because of cash crunch, while a cross section of players has insisted monies owed them are settled before the new season begins.

Already it has been proposed that Abuja will host the first Super 4 between January 20-24, while Uyo stages the second tournament between February 3-7.

The pre-season tournament will involve champions Enyimba, runners-up Warri Wolves, cup holders Akwa United and third-placed Nasarawa United.

The competition will prepare them for both the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup.

*Action during an NPFL match between Heartland FC and Giwa FC.

I paid N1.3m for my wife’s release A — Ogude

MKAR Perm mid fielder Fegor Ogude has disclosed that he beat down the price asked by abductors and paid only 1.3 million naira as ransom for the release of his wife from kidnappers.

Memunat Ogude, wife of the Nigeria midfielder, was abducted on January 4 from her residence in Warri.

“Well, I paid nothing much for her release. I paid 1.3m naira though

Newcastle sign Shelvey £12m

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EWCASTLE Unit ed have signed England midfielder Jonjo Shelvey from Premier League relegation rivals Swansea City for £12m.

The 23-year-old passed a medical at St James’ Park before completing a five-and-a-half-year deal on Tuesday.

“I’m so glad that it’s finally done,” said the former Liverpool player.

“I drove up through the night to be here so it’s been a manic 24 hours, but it’s all been worth it to come here and play for this great club.”

Newcastle head coach,

AYER Leverkusen forward Javier Hernandez has hinted he could be set for a summer move to Arsenal by saying “ you never know what can happen in football” when questioned about the link.

The former Manchester United striker has scored 19 goals in 24 games since joining the Bundesliga outfit from Manchester United last summer.

Louis van Gaal has been heavily criticised for allowing the striker to leave, while his form for Leverkusen has seen

Steve McClaren said he had admired Shelvey for some time, adding: “He has great experience for a young English central midfielder.”

Capped six times by England, he becomes Newcastle’s second January signing after Senegal midfielder Henri Saivet’s arrival on Monday.

The 25-year-old, who played in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, joined from Bordeaux on a five-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee after helping the French club win Ligue 1 in 2009.

they demanded 30m naira,” Ogude was quoted by The Cable.

The delighted player disclosed that his wife was unhurt while in the kidnappers’ den but will undergo medical examinations.

“Yes, she is all right but I have to ensure that she is. I have taken her to the hospital for proper medical tests and check up because the kind of ordeal she must have gone through in the hands of the armed men is nothing to be taken for granted. I have to be sure that she is very okay.

“She was taken to a very bad place, a swampy forest, a dirty place to be kept for almost a week. Imagine what she must have faced during the number of days she was kept there. But I am thanking God that I got her back alive. It is her life that’s the most important thing to me.

“You know that a lot of people will go there and won’t come back alive, so I am happy that she is all right and alive.” he concluded.

him strongly linked with a move to Arsenal.

A move to Emirates Stadium is impossible in January given the Mexican has already played for both United and Leverkusen this season, but the striker has dropped a massive hint that a summer move back to the Premier League could be on.

“We’ll see you never know what happens,” said Hernandez.

“I’m glad and happy to be part of this great club. In this sport, it does not matter whether you sign a contract for 10 years or 10 times prolong by one year. In six months, everything can again be different.

“You look at my last three years in which I have played for Real Madrid, Manchester United and now Leverkusen. It is my goal now to play a very good second half.”

F/Eagles Continues from BP

*REUNION: Ogude and family

Minister

Continues on B/P

con 2002 tournament in Mali blaming the fraudulent act on the then officials of the sports ministry. He however, absolved the NFF. “I want to use the opportunity to put the record straight that I stand by my statement that I was once shortch-

anged by Ministry officials in the payment of my entitlement as a government delegate to an international tournament.

“I never accused the NFF of being involved or responsible because I know that payment of entitlements for government functionaries is not part of their functions,” he concluded.

Championship last March. President Buhari will receive some of the country’s top teams and athletes on January 21 to honour their international performances.

“The Flying Eagles are not among those to be honoured by Mr President,” a top official disclosed. Five-time world champions Golden Eaglets, Nigeria U23 team, who won the recent U23 AFCON in Senegal as well as the country ’s basketball team will be among those to be rewarded by the President.

The Flying Eagles led by coach Manu Garba stopped hosts Senegal 1-0 to win a record seventh African Youth Championship in Dakar in March to qualify them for the 2015 FIFA U20 World Cup in New Zealand.

52— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

Guardiola apologises to EPL clubs

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Goal Poacher... Watford’s Odion Ighalo battles Manchester City’s Eliaquim Mangala, during a Premier League match. Ighalo will aim to score today against Southampton and increase his goal tally.

AYERN Munich coach Pep Guardiola has apologised to his Premier League counterparts.

The Spaniard announced last month that he would leave the German champions at the end of the season to seek a move to the Premier League, prompting links to Manchester City and Manchester United, as well as Chelsea and to a lesser extent Arsenal.

Manuel Pellegrini has received little public assurance from City about his long-term

Waford boss fumes over Ighalo’s goal W

ATFORD coach Quique Flores has quarried an English Premier League goals’ panel, which has reassigned Odion Ighalo’s strike against Chelsea on December 26.

Flores is angry that Hornets top scorer Ighalo’s effort at Chelsea on Boxing Day now belongs to Gary Cahill own goal, according to

the anonymous and unaccountable goals panel.

But as Ighalo bids to resume his rampage against Southampton tonight, Flores is not amused by the panel’s call, which is a binding decision with no right of appeal.

He said: “It’s unfair.

Ighalo’s shot was on target, the deflection off

the defender only changed the direction by this much (gesturing an inch between his thumb and index finger).

“It’s strange – for me, it’s not fair. So we have Ighalo with one goal less, when Cahill was trying to stop it?

“Fortunately, Ighalo is very strong and confident. It is not a

Lagos City Marathon:

Officials plan against chaotic start

BY BEN EFE

O

RGANISERS of the first Access Bank/Lagos City Marathon are bracing up for the challenge of stopping unruly local runners at the start of the race billed for February 6 in Lagos.

Local runners and fun seekers have always disrupted the starts of previous marathons in Lagos. They ignorantly believe that the elite athletes are given undue advantage at the starting line, as they are made to stay behind the elite runners’ cell.

Over 65.000 forms have been collected by prospective Nigerian runners and crowd control, will certainly pose a challenge, if this number should turn up on race day.

However, Lagos City Marathon general manager, Yusuf Alli assured that plans have been made to have a perfect start to the race.

“We have taken into cognisance the chaotic starts to previous marathons in Lagos. Plans have been made to ensure that the elite athletes are not swallowed up by the enthusiastic crowd.

“And of course also we are going to educate the recreational runners on the rules. The elite athletes must always be in front, because the recreational runners and fun seekers cannot cope with the elite athletes’ pace and at the end the day the race could be ruined,” said the former Africa long jump champion.

The 42km race will be started at the National Stadium Lagos, snake through the third mainland bridge and Ikoyi, before terminating at the proposed site for the Eko Atlantic City on Victoria Island.

Ekuma Eze, Public Affairs Manager, East and Central Region, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Limited (centre) presenting a trophy to Umueziama Football Club, Irete, Owerri, Winners of Irete Unity Football Competition, sponsored

by NBC Limited, last Saturday in Owerri, Imo State.

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problem for him.”

Manchester City defender Aleksandar Kolarov’s own goal at Vicarage Road, meanwhile, has been credited to Watford midfielder Ben Watson, who did not even try and claim it after the match.

Watford head to St Mary’s fortified by nine

future at the club and has commented that even winning the Premier League title might not be enough to save him.

Across town Louis van Gaal has been under constant pressure this season with Manchester United struggling for consistency in the league and out of the Champions League already.

Guardiola said he was

sorry for the pressure his announcement had placed on his fellow managers.

“I am sorry,” said Guardiola. “Normally in my career as a trainer and as a player, I respect my colleagues a lot. So I am sorry. It wasn’t my intention. “I will reveal my new club once I have actually signed a contract.”

Nwakali, Chukwueze close to Gunners deal to — and Bayern

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OLDEN Eaglets stars, Kelechi Nwakali and Samuel Chukwueze are close to signing for Arsenal in the January transfer window.

A host of Europe’s top clubs have been tracking Nwakali and Chukwueze after they impressed in at the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup in Chile, which Nigeria won for a record fifth time.

Manchester City — who Nwakali’s brother Chidiebere is contracted

Munich have been credited with an interest in the midfield pair, but Arsenal are in pole position to land the exciting duo.

Nwakali, 17, was named as player of the tournament at the U17 World Cup, while Chukwueze, 16, Nwakali, Chukwueze and Egypt international Mohamed Elneny are set to be the only signings made by Arsenal during this month’s transfer window.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 — 53

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54 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 — 55

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

-Pg .4 2

CHAN ‘ll be tough for Eagles —Oliseh We’ll expose corruption in Nigeria football — Minister S

PORTS minister, Solomon Dalung, has blamed the under development of Nigeria football on corruption, even as he insisted that exposing corrupt practices in Nigeria won’t stop foreign investors.

He blamed corruption and insincerity of football administrators for the poor patronage of foreign investors, assuring the public of always upholding virtues of accountability and transparency.

“I must also disagree with those who are claiming that exposing corruption in the [football] system will drive away foreign investors,” said Dalung.

“To me, corruption is

RARING TO GO — Eagles star Ezekiel Bassey

largely responsible for the underdevelopment of the country and the Buhari-led government is firmly committed to exposure of and fight against corruption.

“This government is not going to lose sleep over the thinking that foreign investors will be discouraged if corruption in high places was exposed, and t he nation

should not wash its dirty linen in public.

“As far as the fight against corruption is concerned, there is no going back. We shall provide detergents wherever we find dirty linen.

Dalung further clarified his claim of being shortchanged as government delegate to the Af Continues on Page 51

•Dalung

No presidential reward for F/Eagles

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IGERIA U20s, the Flying Eagles, will not be one of the teams to be rewarded by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 21 even after they won a seventh African Youth Continues on Page 51

New NPFL season kicks off February 21 — Pg.51

Flying Eagles players with AYC trophy

QUICK CR OSS WORD CROSS OSSWORD

TODAY'S PUZZLE

YESTERDAY'S ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Rescind (6) 5 Fiery (6) 8 Killer (8) 9 Intend (4) 10 Vitality (3) 12 Staid (5) 15 Damp (3) 17 Serpent (3) 18 Consumed (3) 19 Devil (3) 20 Eject (5) 21 Cur (3) 22 Epoch (3) 23 Ovum (3) 24 Spike (3) 26 Stormed (5) 29 Stray (3) 33 Leer (4) 34 Pervade (8) 35 Drive (6) 36 Liniment (6)

DOWN 2 Follow (5) 3 Cheese (4) 4 Lariat (5) 5 Taut (5) 6 Incline (4) 7 Angry (5) 10 Cost (5) 11 Examination (5) 12 Javelin (5) 13 Fetch (5) 14 Assessed (5) 15 Jam (5) 16 Animal (5) 25 Boring-tool (5) 27 Horrify (5) 28 Enlist (5) 30 Proportion (5) 31 Ooze (4) 32 Trial (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Dirndle 5, Source 9, Elder 10, Appeal 11, Walnut 12, Label 14, Fair 17, Car 18, Torn 20, Strap 22, Armed 23, Cottage 24, Dived 26, Enter 29, Acid 30, Arc 32, Dare 33, Style 35, Potato 36, Oldest 37, Units 38, Remedy 39, Heated.

DOWN: 1, Dwarfs 2, Repair 3, Deal 4, Lilac 5, Sewer 6, Oral 7, Random 8, Extend 13, Battery 15, Attic 16, Raced 18, Trend 19, Refer 21, Pod 22, Age 24, Dapper 25, Victim 27, Talent 28, Rested 30, Atony 31, Cloth 33, Stud 34, Else.

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.

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Phone: Newsroom: 018773962. Deputy Editor: 01-4548355. Advert Dept Hotline: 014544821. Abuja Advert Hotline: 09-2921024. E-mail: editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, letters@vanguardngr.com. Advert:advertproduction@yahoo.com Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Ag.Editor: EZE ANABA. Phone: 01-7742861, All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.

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