No decision on signing 2016 budget yet — FG

...towards a better life for the people

**

VOL. 25: NO. 63011

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N200

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

LUTH Vs UDEBU'S FAMILY: •No negligence on our part— LUTH

•My wife suffocated to death, husband insists >>44

Senate bows to pressure, suspends action on CCT, CCB amendments >>37

No decision on signing 2016 budget yet — FG •Approves time table for 2017 budget •Denies currency swap with China •10,000 megawatts achievable by 2019 —Fashola •Fuel queues to finally end next week —Kachikwu

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

A

BUJA—THE F e d e r a l Government said yesterday it could not give a definite date on when the 2016 budget would be signed, noting that talks to reach a truce between it and the National Assembly on grey areas in the document were still on going.

Instead, the government said it had set out the timetable for the submission of 2017

Continues on Page 5

Evidence against Saraki destroyed in bank's store fire — Witness >>37 Mr & Mrs VISIT—From left, Regional Vice President, Africa and Middle East, International Air Transport Association, IATA, Mr. Hussein Dabbas; Chief Executive Officer, Harold Demuren Consulting, Dr. Harold Demuren; Director -General /CEO, IATA, Antony Tyler and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, during a courtesy call on the Vice President by International Air Transport Association (IATA) executives at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.

COLUMNISTS: The spectre of Buhari's Boko drugs abuse in FRCN zonal structure: Benin Haram ‘menu' for Northern •P.17 short-changed •P.19 vandals •P.19 Nigeria

Fulani herdsmen, hoodlums invade farm settlement >>7 in Ibadan

2—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016—3

C M Y K

4—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

Ekweremadu not our anti-corruption ambassador — EFCC Says officer involved being dealt with EFCC's position contradictory —Ekweremadu

By Soni Daniel

A

BUJA — THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has dissociated itself from claims that Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, was now its anticorruption ambassador.

EFCC National Assembly Liaison Officer, Suleiman Bakari, had on Tuesday said he was honouring Ekweremadu with the position, on behalf of the Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, as a token of the commission’s appreciation to his person and office, and as a symbol of the institutional partnership between the EFCC and the National Assembly.

But Ekweremadu, in a swift reaction, described the EFCC stance as contradictory, saying the former chairman of the commission, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, had once conferred some Nigerians with honours.

However, the EFCC in a statement, yesterday, by its spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, denied the claim, describing the development as a manifestation of "corruption fight back."

The statement read: "The EFCC totally dissociates itself from the purported action of Bakari as he acted entirely on his own and clearly outside his liaison officer brief as he was never instructed by the acting chairman nor mandated by the management and staff of the commission to decorate Ekweremadu or any officer of the National Assembly as ‘Anti- Corruption Ambassador’.

Corruption Fighting Back

"The commission views this highly unprofessional conduct of the officer as yet another manifestation of ‘Corruption Fighting Back.’ This leg of the despicable campaign, which is unfortunately being carried out by a staff of the commission, had been foreshadowed in recent weeks by other questionable acts.

"For instance, all through last week, some courts issued a string of anti-EFCC rulings looking like calculated attempts to derail the anti-corruption war, even as there were indications of the capture of a prominent section of the media by dark forces.

"The picture of organized corruption marshaling its evil forces to launch a sustained fightback becomes clearer, if cognizance is taken of the bewildering insistence of the Senate to carry on with the illadvised amendment of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Code of Conduct Tribunal Act as well as the inexplicable provisions proposed for amendment of the Anti-Money Laundering Act. "Let it be underscored that the statutory mandate of the EFCC is the investigation and prosecution C M Y K

of all economic and financial crimes cases, which does not include phoney decoration of any individual as 'Anti-corruption Ambassador'.

"That award and title are unknown to the EFCC and could not have been invested as purported on behalf of the acting Chairman, Management and staff of the EFCC. ‘’Further, the commission is not in the habit of awarding titles to individuals. Those who seek titles for reasons of waging a counteronslaught against the war on corruption, in addition to massaging inflated sense of influence, know the quarters to approach for such dubious honours, not the EFCC "Members of the public and stakeholders in the fight against corruption are enjoined to

disregard the so-called decoration, while stern administrative action is being taken on the clearly misdirected officer who acted entirely without authorization."

EFCC's position contradictory —Ekweremadu

Meanwhile, Senator Ekweremadu has described as contradictory the EFCC’s claim that it had never honoured any Nigerian in its existence, saying he did not ask for it.

Ekweremadu, in a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Uche Anichukwu, said: "As for the purported claim by the EFCC spokesperson that the agency has never and could not have decorated anybody as an AntiCorruption Ambassador, since,

according to him, the commission is not in the habit of awarding titles to individuals, we wish to refer him to December 7, 2007, when the Nuhu Ribadu-led EFCC conferred the Role Model Award in the fight against corruption, on certain persons, including a former President of the Senate, a taxi driver, and a former Justice of the Federal High Court at the Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.

"That the said denial by the EFCC is coming in two different statements all within a few hours is, therefore, baffling, inexplicable, and contradictory.

"Taking cognisance of the command structure of the agency, we also wonder whether Mr. Bakari could have acted on his own or read from a prepared text without recourse to the commission which he represents, especially as the visit and decoration were never solicited for in the first place. ‘’We leave the rest to discerning members of the public to read inbetween the lines and make their own judgments."

AGM: From left, Mr. Udom Uko Inoyo, Vice President, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria, CIPM; Mr Anthony Arabome, President/ Chairman of Council, CIPM; Mrs Ifeoma Adeniyi, National Treasurer, CIPM and Mr Sunday Adeyemi, Registrar/ CEO, CIPM during the 47th Annual General Meeting of the institute, in Lagos. Photo: Diran Oshe

I was not stoned over Buhari —Sen Misau

By Joseph Erunke

A

BUJA — SENATOR Isa Misau, yesterday, denied reports that he was stoned, weekend, by his constituents for purportedly working against President Muhammadu Buhari.

Misau, who represents Bauchi Central on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, was reportedly attacked for his staunch support for the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said to be against Buhari’s interest.

But the senator, in a statement, yesterday, said nothing of such happened even as he admitted that he was in his constituency at the weekend.

He said: ”The news rapidly gaining attention in the media about a purported incidence at Ningi Local Government Area, Bauchi State, while I was on a routine consultation exercise with party leaders and constituents in Bauchi Central Senatorial District, has come to my notice.

“While it is true that I did visit Ningi as part of my constituency activities over the weekend, there was no incidence of violence against me as fictitiously reported by an online news agency, which alleged that I was stoned by my constituents. It simply did not happen.”

Reps query FIRS over failure to pay tax refund to coys Summon Kachikwu over tax default

By Emman Ovuakporie committee over Nigerian National & Johnbosco Agbakwuru Petroleum Corporation’s, NNPC,

A

BUJA — HOUSE of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the Accounting Procedures of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, yesterday queried the agency over the decision to withhold tax refund due to some companies, who were victims of multiple taxation.

The committee wondered why, despite the N7.5 billion approved and released by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation for that purpose, the FIRS was yet to reimburse the companies concerned.

Minister of Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, was also invited by the

alleged refusal to pay tax.

Chairman of the committee, Michael Enyong (Akwa Ibom, PDP), raised the query as to why the FIRS would request and received the said amount only to sideline some companies who should have benefited from the refund.

He said: “In the case of tax refund, the N7.5 billion released on December 19, 2014, report arising from the committee’s investigation reveals that some of the said approved cases were not implemented as monies received were not paid to all those who were listed in the request.”

Responding, Chairman of the FIRS, Mr. Babatunde Fowler,

said not all the monies were paid to those who made the request, as there were criteria used for consideration and payment to avoid paying an erring company.

Fowler, however, said he would have to look into the matter to see what exactly happened, adding that what happened came from the position of FIRS which trusted the returns made to He promised that such would not be allowed to happen again as the service would ensure it knew exactly how much companies generate to determine how much of it was deducted as tax.

FIRS boss tied all unresolved matters to the conclusion of all ongoing audits.

He said: “On the taxable profits of companies, I cannot give any specific information regarding the amount until the audit report for last year is ready for assessment.”

Based on this, the committee summoned the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, to appear before it sometimes next week.

On why companies were involved in oil trading businesses in the country for over a decade without paying taxes, the FIRS boss told the committee that the information regarding that could Summon Kachikwu only be got from the Customs over tax default Service which handles import and On NNPC’s non-compliance export duty collection. with the issue of tax return, the

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016—5

POCKET CARTOON

From left: Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola; Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu; Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen Udoma Udo Udoma and Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu, briefing State House correspondents after Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

No decision on signing 2016 budget yet — FG Continues from Page 1 budget, and that the idea was to ensure early delivery of the document.

This came as the government also stated that there was no currency deal swap with the Chinese government.

The implication of the no-date-for-signing is that the hope of many Nigerians who are expectant that the 2016 budget would be signed into law anytime soon, had been dashed.

The decision for further negotiation with the federal lawmakers, was taken at the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Briefing State House Correspondents at the end of the meeting, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Mr. Udo Udoma, who was flanked by his colleagues in the Ministries of Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu; Power,

Housing and Works, Babatunde Fashola; Communication and Technology, Adebayo Shittu, stated that ahead of the eventual signing of the fiscal document, the Federal Government had set up a Monitoring and Evaluation mechanism to ensure that the budget was duly implemented.

Udoma also denied that the document was returned to the National Assembly for fresh work on it.

He said: “On the expectation that we will soon have a budget, there is a monitoring and evaluation mechanism to make sure that the budget delivers what it promises.

That mechanism was looked at by the Federal Executive Council and approved.

“To make sure that 2017 budget is done on time, a timetable was approved for the 2017 budget. In addition, council noted the report of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group which, in partnership with the National

IT'S UP TO YOU

BY AYO ADIO

T

HE true test of a vision is when it meets with stiff opposition and yet finds a way to thrive even against the odds. It's up to you.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Faith activates love and Fear activates the Enemy!

—C Adrienne

F

LOURISH where you are planted...embrace your current life experiences. Don’t wait for a shift to occur in your life or situations before you try to broaden your horizons. Live your life now to reflect your future intentions. You can change your mindset and your world by simply changing your words. We must speak positive things into existence.

And then execute an action plan to bring what we want into fruition.

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE It is with a good and smooth tongue that the snail moves on thorns.

Planning Commission, organised an economic summit last year and made various recommendations. These recommendations were presented and noted.”

Fuel scarcity ends next week —Kachikwu

Also, speaking on the lingering fuel scarcity, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, said the queues were expected to completely disappear by the end of next week.

Noting that the unhealthy development was a result of sabotage, Kachikwu thanked Nigerians for their patience so far.

“The queues are as a result of sabotage. Some people, rather than sell products, send them into hinterlands where they can sell at ridiculous prices and so you are having these price distortions where people are making a lot of money.

"Some are internal and some are external but a lot of it is marketers trying to make quick returns on their investments wrongly.

“We have asked DPR (Department of Petroleum Resources) to deploy officials to ensure products are sold at the right price because it is only through price stabilization that these system queues will disappear.

“As at today, we are delivering about 1,200 trucks. By weekend, we should be delivering same number of trucks, it will take a bit of days to even out but you can see improvement already.

"I hope by the end of next week, with the refineries helping us to stay on course, every part of the country will get fuel.

We thank the President, NNPC staff and ministries who work night and day to enforce discipline.

“We thank Nigerians for their unbelievable level of patience, we are solving problems we met on

ground and trying to find long-term solutions to it and urge Nigerians to report sabotage, where people are selling products at higher price because we all need to work collectively to make this thing go for good,” he said.

His brief at the FEC meeting

On his briefing at the FEC meeting, Kachikwu said: “Our intervention today was to give a brief update on the petroleum distribution position and the whole fuel queues crisis that has been in this country for weeks.

“These are as a result of four factors. The first, of course is fiscal. By the time we came on board last year, there were over N600 billion subsidy that was not paid for 2014 and 2015 and marketers were at a point where they were running out of liquidity.

They were very challenged, to the extent some had got out of the business and were not importing.

“We were able to pay that money around November (2015) with the intervention of the President, National Assembly and other stakeholders.

“But soon after, there were no credit lines and this put pressure on NNPC to provide product at almost 100 per cent capacity because the private sector was not supplying. This has been largely the problem.

“On the logistic side, refineries were not producing when we came in, meaning we had no reserves.

“When you don’t have reserves, the hiccups hit you right at the belly button because there is nothing to replace with.

“But what we have tried to do in the last one month is to flood the market with products. We are in a position to say between now and October, we have cargo in excess of what we should need, so we have addressed the supply issue.

“Last week, we had about 11 cargoes in, this

week we had about 10 cargoes in. For the month of April collectively, we had 38 cargoes, it’s the first in the history of this country.

“On the infrastructure aspect, we deal with the systemic issues. These things will keep coming back. We are hoping that

by July, we will be able to sign agreements that will enable upgrades and joint venture of the refineries to take effect.

"We expect that to last for about 12 months, and we expect that by 2017, we should have all the refineries back where they ought to be. The target is that by 2018, we will reduce fuel import by 60 per cent and by 2019, with our refineries producing 400,000 barrles, we will exceed our refined importation and begin to export petroleum products.

“Another thing is that we are targeting by the end of May to create strategic reserves in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Oghara. Once we do that, whatever refined products we have from our refineries will go to the depots."

Fashola on power outages

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, who spoke on the current power outages, also explained the causes of the problem.

According to him, the damaged Forcados pipeline is principally what led to shortage of power supply in many parts of the country.

He, however, assured Nigerians that the government was working to remedy the situation, adding that the 10,000 megawatts projected to be achieved by the President was realistic.

He said: “Our intervention today was an update to council on the status of power, the causes of the outages that are being experienced and plans to solve them.

“Essentially, it’s gas supply issue arising from the problems that are now well reported; of the failure of our operational platforms at Forcados, where the repairs are ongoing to restore the petroleum gas lines.

“It is a Ministry of Petroleum issue, they are keeping us in the loop about all of these and when all of these will be restored to normal service.

“As a result of this, our power production has dropped from 5,000 megawatts to about 3000 to 3,200 megawatts, depending on other collateral problems. What was not enough at 5,000 is even now much more difficult to share at 3,000.

“This is a teething problem , it won’t last for long, our determination to overcome it is bigger than the problem and I’m very sure it will be overcome."

No negotiations with MTN on fine

In the same vein, the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, while briefing journalists, stated that the Federal Government had not entered into a formal negotiation with MTN over the fine slammed on it for refusing to block unregistered lines within deadline.

No currency swap deal with China

Meanwhile, at a separate briefing, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyema, said Nigeria, during the trip of President Buhari to China last week, did not formally enter into any currency swap deal with the Chinese government.

According to him, what the government did was to seek ways of partnering with Chinese government to trade on their local currency.

He also said that Nigeria stood to benefit from the anticipated $6bn investments from China, as more jobs would be created for the youths.

He ruled out any provocation or face-off between Nigeria and the West over the partnership.

He said: “It’s not really a swap. What it takes is that as the Chinese economy goes strong, there is some pressure on them from the trading partners, international financial institutions. They agreed that the money should be internationalized."

6 — Vanguard, THURSDAY APRIL 21 , 2016

Ex-NIMASA boss, Akpobolokemi's trial stalled

By Onozure Dania

L

AGOS—THE ongoing trial of the embattled former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi and six others was yesterday stalled due to failure to produce the fiat of the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF by the prosecutor, who appeared for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Akpobolokemi, alongside six others were charged over alleged theft of N754.7 million, belonging to NIMASA. The other defendants are Captain Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Governor Amechee Juan, Vincent Udoye, Captain Adegboyega Sahib Olopoenia and a company, Gama Marine Nigeria Limited.

At the resumed hearing of the case, which was slated for continuation of trial, the case could not go on as the counsel to the defendants objected to the appearance of a private, lawyer who works with Festus Keyamo, Mr. Marcel Umeh, who came to prosecute the case as Rotimi Oyedepo was absent.

Nigerians tasked on waste management

L

AGOS—A Non Governmental Organisation, Nature Protection and Environmental Improvement Initiative (NAPEIIN), has tasked Nigerians on waste recycling.

According to representative of NAPEIIN, Mr. Onyedika Odum, who spoke in Lagos during a briefing to announce the birthday celebration of Chief Executive Officer of Shodex Garden, Mr. Olusola Adekoya,”there are various ways to handle wastes, including separation which many people are not doing it.”

Also speaking, the celebrant urged Nigerians to always give back to the society at every opportunity, saying: “We have come a long way and we have God to thank for that.” The occasion was also used in the cleaning of Greenland Estate as well as donation of trees.

According to him, “I am of the opinion that we should always give back to the environment at every opportunity. We have come a long way and we have God to thank for that. Many would have loved to roll out drums but we will be doing things a little differently.''

C M Y K

Labour shut Arik Air's operations over N12.5bn debt ...Passengers stranded at Lagos Airport

By Lawani Mikairu & Daniel Eteghe

L

AGOS—HUNDREDS of Arik Air passengers were yesterday stranded at the General Aviation Terminal, GAT, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos following the grounding of its operations by unions over the airline's N12.5 billion indebtedness to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN. Vanguard observed that all Arik Air schedule flights for the day were disrupted by the unions on the platform of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, and National Union of Pensioners, NUP, as none of its flight had flown from Lagos to any other destination for the day.

Most of the affected passengers decried the inability of the management of Arik Airline to inform them ahead of the situation, stressing that they only got to the airport and met the situation.

Speaking on the picketing of Arik Air, Vice Chairman, NUATE, Idowu Adesola, said the picketing

PROMO: From left; Head, Retail Banking, Skye Bank Plc, Nkolika Okoli; Deputy Manager, National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Onyemenam Daniel; Acting Regional Director, Ikeja, Skye Bank, Jumoke Odutola; Area Manager, Greater Lagos 1, Skye Bank, Taofiq Aminu and Head, Strategic Brand Management, Skye Bank, Nduneche Ezurike at the Bank's “Reach For The Skye” reward draw held in Tama Spot, Main Market, Ikotun Egbe, Lagos. was because of alleged refusal of Arik Airline to pay its N12.5 billion debt owed FAAN. He said “It is all about Arik Air and all other debtors owing FAAN at the detriment of FAAN. FAAN had to have its revenue coming

in by making all the necessary things available for aviation stakeholders. If those provisions are made, they need to pay for what they are utilizing. Arik Air is owing FAAN N12.5 billion, it was supposed to be N5.8 billion

‘Lagos IGR'll lessen harsh effect of dwindling allocation'

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

L

AGOS—FOLLOWING shortfall in the monthly federal allocations to states, Deputy Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni yesterday expressed confidence that the present administration in the state led by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode would deliver on its electoral promises, particularly, on developmental projects through the state’s Internally Generated Revenue, IGR. Speaking at an event organised by members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Eshinlokun-Sanni, noted that the dwindling global oil prices which had affected federal allocations to

states would not in any way affect Lagos State’s economy, as government had earlier prepared for the rainy season.

According to him, “Lagos State Government has long prepared for raining days, but the current administration led by Governor Akinwumi Ambode is committed to do more for Lagosians despite scarcity of funds.

He noted that Ambode through various reforms, particularly, tax regime was capable of providing basic amenities for residents Eshinlokun-Sanni who expressed optimism on the rise of oil prices in the nearest future said “The state is experiencing decrease in what is being handed over to us from federation allocation. This is expected to affect the resources available to

Logistics & Supply Chain Industry Report for launch

T

HE first Nigerian Logistics and Supply Chain Industry Report, will be presented to public on Wednesday, April 27, 2016, by the African Centre for Supply Chain.

The event will hold at the Oriental Hotels Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Victotria Island, Lagos.

In a statement, the Director General of Africa Centre for Supply Chain, Dr. Obiora Madu,

said the Report would be unveiled during the summit, which among others, seek to examine the nation’s logistics infrastructure deficit and how it is affecting competitiveness and development.

According to him, for any economy, the logistics sector would form the backbone of its trade.

“The cost of trading whether by sea, land or air, forms a critical component of the final price of a commodity,” he said.

the state in delivering developmental projects.

Although, IGR will help us to cope and we are going to deliver on our promises and do more.”

but they denied N3.4 billion on invoice rating. Now that it is N12.5 billion, they are not ready to pay and they are telling everybody that they are even bigger than the government. It is not just FAAN alone, they owe NCAA and even NAMA and they owe some others, including their workers. They just paid their workers March salary recently which is not too good for somebody who has worked. So they believe that if Buhari is changing things, they are not ready to go along with Buhari to change things”.

More power outage coming as Eko, Ikeja DISCOs receive less megawatts

By Victor Ahiuma-Young, Ediri Ejoh, Prince Okafor & Iloaze Blessed-Odidi

L

AGOS—INDICATION emerged yesterday that the erratic electricity supply in Lagos might worsen following alarm by both Eko Electricity Distribution Company, Eko DISCO and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, Ikeja DISCO, over continuous drop in megawatts allotted them by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN. This came as the siege on Ikeja DISCO by consumers led Citizens’ Access to Electricity Initiatives, CATEIN, and Federation of Informal Workers of Nigeria, FIWON, over poor service among others including crazy bills continued for a four day running without any end in sight.

Spokesmen for the Eko and Ikeja DISCOs, Mr Godwin Idemudia, and Mr. Felix Ofulue, lamented that they were having challenges in power distribution across their networks, due to

insufficient allocations of megawatts from TCN. According to Ofulue: “The power supply is gradually going down across our networks as we are engaged in serious loadshedding because of the nonavailability of energy which has to be rationed based on what we receive. ''For the past one week, we had received between 343 megawatt and 268 megawatt. But for the past two days, since the picketing of our facilities, we have received 169 megawatts. This is because the system has to be shut down due to no operations.''

Meanwhile, speaking on their resolve to continue the siege on Ikeja DISCO, Mr Joseph Emmanuel, General Secretary, CATEIN, insisted they would not stop the picketing until the company met their demand.

Others are; estimated billing for customers without meter; faulty transformers and breakers; poor relationship with customers; unfriendly attitude to labour and rickety distribution network.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016 — 7

Fulani herdsmen, hoodlums invade farm settlement in Ibadan

By Ola Ajayi

I

BADAN—AS controversy to find grazing reserves for Fulani herdsmen across the country continues, some hoodlums, including herdsmen, on Tuesday night, invaded a farm belonging to a former Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Mr. Ayodele Adigun and forced settlers in the place to flee their residence.

According to sources, the invaders stormed the farm settlement at Lagun, in Lagelu Local Government area of the state around 9pm with dangerous weapons.

According to eyewitnesses, the intruders were not only Fulani herdsmen as some of them reportedly spoke in pidgin English, Fulani and Yoruba.

Vanguard learned that the suspects numbering about 20 were armed with AK-47 rifles and other dangerous weapons.

Two of the residents, Haruna Usman and Olanipekun Ogunkolade said the hoodlums had two sophisticated guns each while robbing them of their valuables. They said items such as phones, money, shoes and foodstuffs were carted away by the intruders.

One of the victims, Mr Jimmy Adedokun who sustained gunshot injuries on his hands and legs was admitted at a hospital in Iwo, Osun State.

Narrating the attack, Ogunkolade said “when they arrived at 9pm yesterday night (Tuesday), they ransacked everywhere and shot Jimmy after dispossessing him of his weapons. They took garri from us, and drank it. One of us just prepared a fish soup and eba but the invaders ate everything.”

The farm manager, Mr. Emmanuel said the incident was the first occurrence since they settled on the farm settlement.

When asked who the suspects could be, he said, “we suspected that the invaders are Fulani herdsmen because they wore

shoes like herdsmen and they spoke Fulani and pidgin English.

Earlier in the day, they had mounted roadblocks at Lagun on Ibadan - Iwo Road. We learnt that they robbed the road users early

SOGBO—THE All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State has called on the Federal Government to urgently address the escalating salary crisis affecting states of the federation.

In a statement issued by the party’s Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Kunle Oyatomi, the party said “we are approaching an emergency on this crisis, because not only is the crisis spreading like wild fire across states , it is assuming a dimension that would seriously affect the economy of the country.”

Commending the Federal C M Y K

settlement had run for dear life and had relocated to another place noting that “to me, the invasion of the farm was a ploy to permanently sack the farmers from the community so that they could take over and use the farm as grazing field.”

MEETING: From left; Oba Frederick Obateru Akinruntan, Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom and Chairman Yoruba Oba Peace and Reconciliation Committee; Oba Sikiru Oyemonla Sabigana of Igana and Secretary; Oba Victor Adetona Owa of Ogbagi Akoko and Oba James Oladipupo Kolade, Olupoti of Ipoti Ekiti during the meeting of the committee at Premier Hotel, Ibadan on Tuesday.

DSS INVASION: Court grants detained Ekiti lawmaker N5m compensation

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

A

DO EKITI—THE Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti has declared the arrest and detention of member representing Efon Constituency1 in the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Afolabi Akanni, by the Department of State Services, DSS, as illegal.

Consequently, the Court ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to compensate Akanni with a sum of N5 million.

Akanni was on March 4 whisked away in an alleged invasion of the Ekiti State House of Assembly complex by operatives of the DSS. He was held at the DSS headquarters in Abuja for 18 days

Osun APC tasks FG on salary crisis

O

in the morning and at night. We sighted over 50 Fulani herdsmen moving from one community to another in this place on the grounds that they wanted to buy Indian hemp.”

The owner of the farm, Mr. Adigun said residents of the

Government for its previous bailout intervention, the party noted that the intervention is not only inadequate, but has only marginally addressed the crisis.

The statement reads: “To avoid an emergency that could create difficulties for the economy in the next decade, the Federal Government must address the problem now, even if it means having recourse to our reserves.

What was cynically thought to be an Osun problem is now suddenly a national emergency which the Federal Government can ill afford to ignore. We cannot play the ostrich in a situation as critical as this.”

in defiance of the federal high court, Ado Ekiti's order for his release on March 8.

Counsel to Akanni, Barrister Obafemi Adewale, who appeared for him in court, yesterday, alongside other members of his legal team, apologised for his absence and told the judge, Justice Taiwo Taiwo, that he (Akanni) was recuperating from the post-traumatic treatment at an undisclosed hospital outside the state.

In his judgement, Justice Taiwo noted that the Respondent, DSS, had all along failed to either deny or defend the position, facts and allegations of the applicant, adding that in the eyes of the law: “There is no basis for the court to believe that all that the applicant had alleged against the DSS were not true” and that Akanni’s fundamental rights as a citizen of Nigeria, as specified by the principles of the Rule of Law and the African Charter on the Rights of individuals, had been violated by the DSS in illegally arresting and detaining him for 18 days.

Responding to the judgement, Akanni’s counsel, Mr Obafemi Adewale described it as a courageous demonstration of the willingness and readiness of the judiciary to protect the sanctity of the constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights of the citizens of this country.

He said “This is not about Afolabi Akanni, it is not about the Ekiti State House of Assembly, and it is not about Governor Fayose. It is about the ordinary man on the streets who has this right but who is now facing an apparent trend of a gradual return to the days of impunity when security agencies trudge relentlessly on the rights of the citizens of this country under various guises.”

Also, Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt Honourable Kola Oluwawole, said the verdict has vindicated the House’s position that DSS’ alleged invasion, arrest and detention of its members were illegal and against the democratic principles of the country.

6000 policemen for Ondo LG polls

By Dayo Johnson

A

KURE—OVER 6000 policemen will be deployed to maintain law and order during the local government area elections scheduled to hold in Ondo State this Saturday.

Also over 7000 ad-hoc staff of

the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) will participate in the poll .

The Police Commissioner for the state, Hilda Harrison and the ODIEC Chairman, Prof.

Gbenga Ige said this in Akure during a security meeting organised ahead of the election.

Ondo bitumen to kick off with 10,000 barrel per day

By Dayo Johnson

A

KURE—THE exploration of Bitumen in Ondo state will kick off with 10,000 barrel per day as the state government has signed a joint Operating Agreement (JOA) with an American firm, Liquefied Resources on the exploration and extraction of the commodity.

The exploration, which is expected to take off immediately will begin with 10,000 barrel per day and is expected to increase to 25,000 barrel per day soon, as Liquefied Resources is investing One hundred and Fifty Million Dollars in the project.

Speaking after the signing of the agreement, Governor Olusegun Mimiko described the move as a landmark to the economic development of Ondo State, adding that the initiative has been on the table for many years without result.

Telcos pay N9bn ring back tone royalty to artistes

By Prince Osuagwu

T

HE Nigerian telecommunications companies have paid over N9 billion to different Nigerian music artistes as royalty on ring back tones alone.

This was revealed yesterday evening by the Director of Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Tony Ojobo, at the fourth edition of the Nigerian Entertainment Conference held in Victoria Usland Lagos.

In fact, Ojobo said that this was a figure captured from payments made by MTN and Globacom alone while Airtel and Etisalat were paying huge sums in like manner too.

He was using the statistics to buttress his conviction that technology and entertainment, which have a huge link between them, were the hope of Nigeria’s future as oil revenue continues to dwindle.

Ojobo said the telecommunications sector’s liberalization, which happened in 2001 spurred massive development both in the telecom and entertainment industries.

8—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016—9

$2.1bn arms probe: Allow me defend myself, Says ‘I need at least 20 sessions with my lawyers’ Dasuki tells FG Seeks leave to visit Dubai for medical check-up A

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

BUJA — FORMER National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), yesterday, accused the Federal Government of deliberately denying him the opportunity to prepare his defence to all the criminal charges preferred against him before three different courts.

Dasuki, who made the allegation at the resumed hearing on the 22-count charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, entered against him before an Abuja High Court sitting in Maitama, bemoaned the fact that he had been constantly denied access to his lawyers.

He told the court that operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, had since December 29, 2015, when he was

re-arrested, refused to allow him access to his legal representatives.

Consequently, the former NSA, through his lawyer, Mr. Ahmed Raji, SAN, urged trial Justice Peter Affen to compel the Federal Government to grant him the necessary facilities to prepare his defence to the charge pending against him before the court.

The charge borders on his alleged involvement in the illegal diversion of N19 billion meant for the procurement of arms.

Needs 20 sessions with lawyers

Dasuki insisted that he would need at least 20 interactive and instructive sessions with his lawyers on record or any counsel of his choice in the preparation of his defence to the charge.

In a motion dated April 19, the

defendant prayed the court to compel the Federal Government to allow him meet his lawyers between Mondays and Fridays during working hours.

He begged the court to order that the meetings be held at the chambers of his lead counsel, Mr. J. B. Daudu, SAN, in Abuja, pending hearing and determination of his appeal seeking an order staying further proceeding on the matter.

Dasuki equally prayed the court to order the Federal Government to allow him to properly study the charge and the accompanying proof of evidence.

The embattled erstwhile NSA predicated his application on five grounds, among which was the fact that the court had earlier ordered his release on bail.

The motion was anchored on

Section 36 (b) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

In a 13-paragraphed affidavit attached in support of the motion and sworn to by one Ahmed Usman, the defendant drew attention of the court to the fact that it granted him bail on December 21, 2015.

Dasuki said he was illegally rearrested by DSS operatives without any court order shortly after he perfected all the bail conditions.

Meanwhile, EFCC lawyer, Mr. Olaoluwa Atelagbe, applied for time to enable him to respond to the motion, even as Justice Affen subsequently adjourned the matter tillMay 25 for hearing.

Besides, Dasuki, applied for leave to enable him travel to Dubai for medical check-up.

The court adjourned hearing on the application till today.

PDP zoning: Members threaten parallel convention

By Ben Agande

A

BUJA — THE zoning of the chairmanship position in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has sharply divided members of the party, with some leading stakeholders vowing to hold a parallel convention should the chairmanship position be zoned to the North-East.

The disagreement came to a head, Tuesday, when the meeting of the committee on the zoning of positions in the party was stalemated and adjourned indefinitely.

Party sources told Vanguard that associates of the incumbent chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, were bringing pressure on all to zone the office to the North-East.

According to sources in the party, while a few governors in the party want the chairmanship position zoned to the North-East, other members of the party, including some on the Board of Trustees, BoT, are opposed to this position and have vowed to organize a parallel convention, if the position is zoned to the North-East.

The sources said the decision by the Governor Udom Emmanuel-led committee on zoning to retain the position in the North-East has pitched the committee against some major forces in the party, who believe that zoning the position to the North-East was just a formula to allow the incumbent to retain the position.

According to a member of the BoT, the selection of members of the zoning committee is carefully done to ensure that the zoning favoured the incumbent chairman, Senator Ali Sheriff.

“We are aware of the intrigues going on but we will not allow that to happen. We know that some governors, especially that of Ekiti State, are working hard to retain the zoning to the North-East.

"What he failed to understand is that the party took a decision long time ago to zone the Presidency to the North and the party chairman to the South-West.

"How can the President and the party chairman come from the same zone? It is not going to work. We in the South-West are ready to take what belongs to us and we will not trade our right for a pot of porridge,” the member, who does not want to be identified, said.

C M Y K

Jonathan's cousin initiates contempt proceedings against Magu

By Innocent Anaba

A

BUJA — COUSIN to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Azibola Robert, has initiated contempt proceedings against chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, before an Abuja High Court, over alleged refusal to release him, having been in the custody of the commission since March 23, 2016, despite the order of court for his release.

Trial judge, Justice Olasunbo Goodluck, had on April 7, 2016, after listening to counsel to Robert, Chief Chris Uche, SAN and Gordy Uche, SAN, ordered the commission to immediately release Robert from detention.

But following the refusal to release him, despite the court order, Robert, through his counsel, initiated contempt proceeding against Magu.

In the form 48, Magu is being warned of the consequences of the continued disobedience of the orders of court.

Also, counsel to Roberts, Uche, had in a letter to the EFCC chairman, regretted that despite being served with the two orders of the court, the commission had refused to obey the order and had continued to detain his clients 10 days after the said court order and in defiance of the court.

Uche said: “This is regrettable, considering the fact that the government is one that has stated its commitment to respect for the rule of law and has pledged to prosecute the war against corruption within the ambit of the rule of law.

"It must also be remembered that it is before the same courts of this country that your commission arraigns and will arraign suspects.

“We, therefore, request that you release our clients forthwith as ordered by the court. Permit us to add that we shall be compelled to commence committal proceedings before the court if the court’s order is not complied with in line with your commission’s motto that no one is above the law.”

10—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016—11

C M Y K

12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

Grazing Reserves Bill: It's a time bomb —Owie A

By Henry Umoru

BUJA—FORMER Senate Chief Whip, Senator Rowland Owie, has described the proposed

Grazing Reserves Bill as a time bomb in the country, warning that if passed by the National Assembly, it would create many

other problems.

Speaking to Vanguard yesterday, Senator Owie stressed that the bill which is tagged,

National Grazing Reserve Commission Bill, portends grave danger for peace and unity of Nigeria, adding: “The bill has the

Ex-Rivers LG boss remanded in prison for murder

By Davies Iheamnachor

P

ORT HAR-COURT—A Port Harcourt Magistrates’ Court sitting in Rivers State, yesterday, remanded former Chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government Area of the state, Mr. Ojukaye Amachree, in prison for alleged murder.

Ojukaye, who doubles as a

chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC, was arraigned in court by the Commissioner of Police in the state, Musa Kimo, for alleged murder of one Smart Soberekon, in his council.

Ojukaye is facing two counts charge of felony and murder.

The charge sheet reads: “That you, Ojukaye Flag Amachree ‘m’, with others now at large, on

April 11, 2016 at Buguma, in the Port Harcourt magisterial district, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit a felony to wit: murder, and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 516 (a) of the Criminal Code, Cap 37, vol. II, Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria 1999.”

Count 2, read, “That you,

Amachree ‘m’, with others now at large, at the above mentioned date, place and in the aforementioned magisterial district, did shoot and kill one Smart Soberekon ‘m’ and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code, Cap 37, Vol. II, Laws of Rivers State of Nigerian 1999.”

Wike approves loans to 35,000 small-scale operators

D

ETERMINED to empower small and medium scale business owners in Rivers State, the state governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, has approved the

disbursement of business loans to 35,000 less privileged business operators under the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, N2 billion Micro, Small

Why LG polls are on hold, by EDSIEC

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

ENIN—FOLLOWING the expiration of the tenure of elected chairmen and councillors in the 18 local government areas of Edo State this Friday, the state Independent Electoral Commission, EDSIEC, yesterday, gave reasons why it had not been able to conduct fresh elections in

C M Y K

the 18 councils.

The commission explained that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was yet to update the voters register in the state and also put the card readers in good condition so that they will be effectively used during the elections.

EDSIEC was supposed to

and Medium Enterprises Development Fund.

Under the first phase, Governor Wike approved a list of 35,000 SMEs from the 23 conduct the council elections 90 days before the expiration of the tenure of the council chairmen.

But Prof. Stanley Orobator, a Commissioner in the commission, while briefing members of the state House of Assembly, said they were aware of the constitutional provisions but were handicapped by the issues raised.

local government areas of the state.

Among the beneficiaries are indigenes and non-indigenes resident in the state.

The list of benefiting small and medium scale business owners include barbers, plantain sellers, restaurant owners, painters, tailors, hairdressers, traders, market women, mechanics, fishermen and farmers, among others.

"These are the ordinary folks committed to developing themselves with the support of the government," the governor noted.

potential of creating more tension and ultimately more violence. It is wasteful, selfserving, retrogressive, discriminatory and deceitful.”

Noting that the bill must not be passed, Owie asked the House of Representatives to push it to the northern state governors to push it through their state Houses of Assembly as an executive bill from them.

He said: “The grazing reserve bill must not be passed. It is a time bomb. If it becomes law, Nigeria will be no more a nation within 10 years. It is a dangerous bill. I advise Sunday Karimi from Kogi State and Sadiq Ibrahim from Adamawa State, to pass the bill to the northern governors to make it executive bill to their state Houses of Assembly to create grazing land in their respective states, period. I call on well meaning Nigerians to rise against the bill.”

The Senate, had denied that the National Grazing Bill was in its possession, saying so far, the bill which seeks to apportion certain geographical landmarks for grazing of cattle in each state of the federation, only featured during the 7th Assembly.

It was gathered that the bill is pending before the House of Representatives.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016—13

PIB: HOSTCOM warns against removal of 10% equity

By Gabriel Enogholase

B

E N I N — H O S T Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas, Edo State chapter, has appealed to the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, to shun the planned removal of the 10 percent equity for host communities in the draft Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, to avoid returning the country to the dark days of rancour, restiveness and instability.

In an open letter to the leadership of the National Assembly by Deacon Friday Osazuwa, Chairman, Edo State chapter of Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas, HOSTCOM, in Benin, yesterday, the group said that the dangerous voyage and manipulations by a few anti- progressive elements that lack faith in the Nigerian project would always create a rancorous atmosphere, mayhem and general instability in the Niger Delta region if allowed to fester.

It recalled that it was the late President Umaru Yar’Adua of that muted the idea of 10 percent equity to host communities as a way out of the perennial problems of instability and restiveness in the Niger Delta due to of decades of neglect of oil producing communities by government at all levels, oil companies as well as

government agencies and departments.

The group lamented that oil producing communities have watched helplessly as multinational oil producing companies have continued to deny indigenes of Niger Delta employment and provision of social amenities on the excuse that they were granted license

to operate by the Federal Government and that they pay royalty to government.

“We watched helplessly for decades as the mighty hands carted away our resources under the principle of national unity with our farm lands desecrated, our waters where we fish polluted and the human population dehumanized

apparently as a result of oil production and associated issues of oil spill, gas flaring to mention but a few.

“As a peace loving Nigerian, late President Yar ’Adua of blessed memory initiated the 10 percent equity to balance the lopsided oil production and revenue sharing equation by integrating the host communities."

INSPECTION: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State (left) and Mr. Paulo Pistolesi, Area Manager, Hartland Nigeria Limited, during the inspection of the underground drain at Upper Sokponba area of Benin City, yesterday.

Itsekiri HOSTCOM protests N600m security vote in can assist to take some of our Addressing the protesters, DESOPADEC budget unemployed youths off the Speaker of the state House of

A

By Festus Ahon

SABA—ITSEKIRI Host Communities Producing Oil and Gas, HOSTCOM, yesterday, stormed the Delta State House of Assembly, Asaba, in protest against the provision of N600 million in the 2016 budget of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC. The protesters who carried placards with inscriptions such as ‘DESOPADEC money is for development’, ‘Itsekiri say do not use of security vote to syphon our money ‘, ‘ Mr Speaker, use our money for development not security ’, among others, vowed to resist any attempt to misappropriate their money.

Chanting Itsekiri songs, the people condemned the budgetary provision of N600 million, saying it was against the purpose for which the commission was established.

Addressing newsmen, Delta State Chairman of HOSTCOM, Mr Benjamin Iwetan, said that the commission’s money was meant for the development of oil producing communities.

Iwetan, who is also the leader of Itsekiri HOSTCOM, urged the state House of Assembly to C M Y K

appropriate the N600 million properly for the development of the communities, adding, “Our money cannot be appropriated for security. If properly utilized, this money

labour market.”

Noting that they were not against security provisions, he said that “security votes cannot be drawn from DESOPADEC”

Assembly, Chief Monday Igbuya, said that the House would look into their agitation, adding that the budget was still being looked into by the House.

We're in no hurry to conclude Rivers polls —INEC

By Omeiza Ajayi

A

B U J A — T H E Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said that it was not in a hurry to conclude the legislative rerun elections in Rivers State.

The commission said the conditions it set out for the conclusion of the exercise had not been met, hence its resolve to steer clear of Rivers State.

Since the March 19 polls which were marred by violence, INEC had said it would no longer risk the lives of its personnel and other stakeholders by venturing into areas that are prone to electoral violence.

INEC had on March 25 suspended action on the exercise in Rivers State. Thus, out of the 37 senatorial, federal and state constituencies where elections were ordered to take place, INEC was only able to collate and declare results in

one federal and nine state constituencies where the disruption and malpractices were not so widespread.

In a telephone chat with Vanguard, INEC’s Director in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzi

restated the commission’s earlier decision to stay away from Rivers State.

“We gave certain conditions and they have not been met.

Once the conditions are met, INEC would sit and decide on a date,” he said.

Oshiomhole warns against illegal must always be on the side of deforestation

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

ENIN—GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has warned against illegal activities in the forests, saying that nobody has the right to trespass into the forest reserves in the state and do things that are inimical to public health, public welfare, and public interest.

Speaking while playing host to members of Okpamakhin Initiative, who paid him a courtesy visit in Government House, Benin City, Governor Oshiomhole said government

the people, and if individuals abuse public interest, it was the duty of government to call such individuals to order.

He said: “I have carried out investigations on your complaint and I found that like you rightly said, the land that was given to Iyayi was purely for him to regenerate and to farm, not to sublet, not to talk of selling it to another party. But we have since revoked it, and I have ordered that Okomu should be stopped from planting or interfering because there is a public authority, there is a public interest.”

IYC flays Bayelsa Assembly's refusal to swear in elected members

By Samuel Oyadongha

Y

ENAGOA—IJAW Youth Council, IYC, yesterday, described as “wicked and abuse of power,” the refusal of Bayelsa State House of Assembly to swear in the three opposition members-elect in accordance with the ruling of the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The apex Ijaw youth body berated the leadership of the Assembly, describing the refusal of the Speaker, Mr Kombowei Benson, to swear in the opposition memberselect as an abuse of his oath of office to protect the interest and dignity of the people without fear or favour.

IYC said that preliminary investigation had shown that the refusal to swear in the three opposition legislators was due to party rivalry and ego, “The continued refusal of the Assembly to swear-in the three opposition members is a sign of cowardice and has brought them to public ridicule.”

Work to resume on Ogbia-Nembe road

By Samuel Oyadongha

Y

ENAGOA—WORK on Nembe-Ogbia Road which was recently abandoned as a result of the killing of two soldiers and the abduction of one expatriate staff of Setraco Nigeria Limited, will soon resume.

This followed a meeting involving the state government, the two funding partners, Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC and Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, as well as Setraco, the construction firm handling the project.

Speaking during the meeting initiated by the NDDC, yesterday in Yenagoa, the state Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (retd), thanked all the partners in the project for coming together to chart the way forward.

14—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

FG inaugurates National Honours Award C’ttee

By Omeiza Ajayi

A

BUJA—FEDERAL Government has inaugurated the newlyreconstituted committee on National Honours Award.

Performing the ceremony in Abuja, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal, reminded members of the committee that the national award had two purposes: to recognise and honour citizens and friends of Nigeria, who have distinguished themselves in their various fields and contributed to the country’s development.

Chairman of the committee is former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Alfa Belgore.

Other members of the board are retired justices Umaru Kalgo and Isaac Aluyi, Mrs. Bola Ogunrinde, Nnema Ndukwu, Ambassador Usman Galtimari, Chief Bassey Edem, Mr. Gabriel Afu, Ambassador Nonye Udo, Mr. M. F. Abikoye and Mr. Y. M. Bichi.

Others are Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, Mr. James Ibidapo and Mr. Gabriel Loto, who would serve as Secretary.

MEETING: From left— Executive Director/CEO, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, NEPC, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo; Head, EU delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Michael Arrion; and Head, Trade and Economic Section of EU, Filippo Amato, during a meeting with Mr. Awolowo in Abuja.

NNPC distributes 1,194 trucks of petrol nationwide

By Sebastine Obasi, Mike Eboh, Ediri Ejoh & Prince Okafor

T

HE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, said, yesterday, that 1,194 truckloads of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS (petrol), comprising 39.4 million litres of the product, were distributed across the country on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, marketers, on the platform of Major Marketers Association of Nigeria, MOMAN, said they should be exonerated from the high price of petrol arising from the lingering fuel scarcity.

As marketers blame high cost of fuel on dealers ... seek FG's intervention in FOREX According to NNPC, in its Daily PMS Supply and Distribution schedule for Tuesday, April 19, the product was loaded from various NNPC and major marketers’ depots nationwide.

The report also disclosed that five NNPC and marketers vessels were currently discharging at various depots/ jetties nationwide, while seven NNPC import/shuttle vessels had been programmed to do

Ship-to-Ship, STS, operation for onward discharge to inland depots.

The NNPC further stated that 21 import vessels, laden with 844.1 million litres of PMS, had arrived in the month of April for NNPC.

Allocations

Giving a breakdown of trucks dispatched to selected states, NNPC said 467 truckloads of PMS,

N1trn rail contract: 6 firms to refund N2.5bn to FG ByEmman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

A

BUJA—SIX contractors, who allegedly played prominent roles in the over N1 trillion railway construction and rehabilitation contracts, are to refund over N2.5 billion to the federal coffers.

This was disclosed, yesterday, at the continuation of hearing of the House of Representatives ad hoc committee probing the award and execution of contracts.

The refunds are for excess payments made to the contractors by Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC. The committee, chaired by Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, Ikpoba Oha/Egor, PDP, has already met with some former chairmen of the Board of the NRC and some of the companies in the course of the investigative hearing, which commenced in October 2015.

CCECC, executing Lagos to

Jebba rail line, is to refund N640 million; Costain West Africa Ltd, executing Jebba to Kano rail line, N608 million and Geo Group Asano, signalling and communications upgrade, N368 million;

Eser West Africa, handling the Port Harcourt-Markurdi rail line, N339 million.

Similarly, CCECC, handling the Markurdi-Kano rail line would refund N353 million, while Routing Nigeria Ltd

would refund N221 million.

At press time, officials from the office of the AuditorGeneral of the Federation could, however, not confirm if any of the companies had made refunds.

Saraki: Oyegun says APC can’t compromise Senate Presidency

By Omeiza Ajayi

A

BUJA—PEEVED by the controversy surrounding his recent submission that there was no sacrifice too costly to make for the fidelity of the change mantra of All Progressives Congress, APC, the party ’s National Chairman, Chief John OdigieOyegun, said, yesterday, that his party was not ready to compromise its leadership of the Senate.

Odigie-Oyegun had, in an interview with an online news

portal, Premium Times, revealed that though APC was not leaving anything to chance in the event that the office of the Senate President became vacant, the party would not mind sacrificing the office in line with its change agenda and anti-corruption stance.

Oyegun had come under attack even from within his party, with many saying he merely expressed his opinion and not that of the party.

However, in a brief chat with newsmen at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja

yesterday, Odigie-Oyegun said: “There were basically two points that I was making.

First, as a party of change, we cannot interfere in a judicial process that is ongoing. That was clear.

“When they asked about the Senate, I said under no circumstance can we compromise on the Senate leadership. We are the majority party and the issue does not even really arise.

Unfortunately the way it was put, the misinterpretation has been a little bit too intense.”

comprising 15.41 million litres was dispatched to Lagos; 141 trucks, carrying 4.65 million litres, was dispatched to Abuja, while Kano, Port Harcourt and Kaduna received 759,000 litres, 957,000 litres and 1.188 million litres, respectively.

Ebonyi, Ondo, Sokoto, Borno, Cross River and Plateau got 132,000, 495,000, 264,000, 231,000, 528,000 and 297,000 litres, respectively.

NNPC further stated that it has 17 days sufficiency up from three to four days sufficiency in March at the peak of petrol shortage, while it appealed to motorists not to engage in panic buying.

Meanwhile, exonerating MOMAN from the high price of petrol, the Executive Secretary, Thomas Olawore, said members sell according to government regulation.

He said: “It is not true that major marketers are dispensing petrol above the regulated price of N86.50. There are distinctions between a dealer and marketers in the sale of PMS. “A marketer cannot impose prices on dealers. If a petrol station is selling above the regulated price, it is the fault of the dealers and not the marketers.”

As regards the issue of foreign exchange, Olawore said that it should be government’s priority to assist marketers to import products.

Meanwhile, in various parts of Lagos and environs, petrol has remained scarce, as a few filling stations, which opened to motorists, sell between N150 and N200 per litre, against the official price of N86.50k.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016—15

SECURITY:

Chief of Staff, Government House, Owerri, Chief Uche Nwosu (middle), representing Governor Rochas Okorocha, handing over the keys of 27 patrol vans donated to the state-owned security outfits for community policing to the Commissioner for Public Safety, Rodney Ajaelu (2nd left), at the Government House, Owerri, Imo State.

Brewer empowers entrepreneur in Nnewi

By Esther Onyegbula

M

ANUFACTURERS of Life Continental Beer have empowered the first set of winners at its second edition of radio show, tagged Life Progress Booster.

The show, targeted at innovative businessmen and women in the SouthEast, was taken directly to the consumers in the bar, where participants were required to come equipped with their business plans.

Six winners, Felix Chukwuma, Obinna Kingsley, Edeh Ejike, Ijeoma Ikejiuba, Njigha Chinenye and Prosper Stephen, emerged from three zones: Awka, Nnewi and Agulu/Ekwulobia, who were rewarded with N250,000 each to support their innovative business ideas.

Brand Manager of the product, Mr. Funso Ayeni, said the show will reward 200 entrepreneurs with cash prizes of N250,000 each, adding “the show is Life Beer ’s way of illuminating the enterprising spirit inherent in the average Igbo indigene.”

IPOB, MASSOB, herdsmen our challenges, says Anambra CP

By Vincent Ujumadu

A

WKA—THE Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hosea Karma, said, yesterday, that the greatest challenges faced by the state Police Command were the activities of the Independent People of Biafra, IPOB; Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, and Fulani herdsmen, who are having ugly encounters with indigenes in many communities.

Addressing members of the Anambra State House of Assembly Committee on Police Affairs and Security, who visited him, Karma said the combined activities of the three groups had led to increased murder cases in the state.

He said no fewer than 36 persons had been murdered in the state between January and April. Details showed that nine were murdered in January, five in February, 15 in March, while seven had already been recorded this month.

He added that some of the murder cases involved brother killing brother, son killing father, mother or sister, among other family issues.

He said: “These murders are giving us sleepless nights, especially as they started happening after we had

Rhema holds maiden convocation

By Anayo Okoli

A

BA—RHEMA University, Aba, Abia State, will hold its maiden convocation on Saturday, where its 44 pioneer students will graduate. Three of them will pass out with distinction.

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Ogbonnaya Onwudike, explained that three of the

students made First Class honours, 22 had Second Class Upper Division, 18 have Second Class Lower Division, while one person has Third Class degree.

He added that the university, founded by Living World Ministry, “aims at training, nurturing and equipping her students for excellence academically and morally.”

arrested the problems of armed robbery, kidnapping and cultrelated activities. We are not going to allow it to continue; our men are equal to the task.”

The police commissioner said the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano, set up a special committee headed by the CP, with personnel from the Army,

the Department of State Service, DSS, and the civil defence as members.

Chairman of the committee, Mr. Victor Okoye, had earlier told the CP that they were at the police headquarters to work out a synergy between the House of Assembly and the state Police Command.

Man rapes own children aged 5, 7, 9

By Emeka Mamah

E

NUGU—A man, who reportedly raped three of his children aged five, seven and nine, has been arrested by the police in Enugu.

This was disclosed at a briefing by Women’s Aid Collective, WACOL, and Tammer SARC in Enugu, yesterday.

WACOL and Tammer SARC also said seven boys were among 479 rape victims reported to them from April 2014 to date. The victims' ages ranged from five years to 40.

Giving a breakdown of the cases reported within the period, the Executive Director

of WACOL, Dr Ngozi Ezeilo, said Enugu East topped the list with 157 cases; Enugu East, 114; Nkanu, 16; Igbo Etiti, five; Aninri, four; Igboeze South, three; Nsukka, four; Udenu, two and Uzo Uwani, two.

She said that the rape of seven boys by homosexuals were new, adding that the increase in the number of cases was because many victims were now reporting their experiences due to the campaign for victims to come up with their stories.

Meanwhile, only one of the cases has been successfully prosecuted even as 37 others were in courts.

‘PDP against Igbo presidency’

By Anayo Okoli

U

MUAHIA—THE Buhari South-East Youth Movement, BSEYM, has accused the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of working against the emergence of a President of Igbo extraction.

BSEYM said by its zoning plan, PDP had ruled out the possibility of an Igbo man becoming the President of Nigeria, saying that singular act has shown that the party does not regard Ndigbo.

BSEYM, in a statement, therefore, called on Ndigbo,

especially the youths and women, to reject PDP, which it alleged “has greatly marginalised the zone in their 16 years of misrule.”

It urged members of the party in the South to withdraw their membership of the party, saying PDP had nothing good for them.

In the statement by BSEYM’s Director-General, Mr. Nwabueze Onwuneme, and Publicity Secretary, Mr. Igwe Obinna, it said PDP’s zoning of the Presidency to the North ahead of 2019 “goes to show the disdain it has for the people of the zone.”

Cattle ranches, national grazing bills in National Assembly

By Clifford Ndujihe

C

ONTRARY to the claim of the Senate, the controversial National Grazing Bill is before the National Assembly, Vanguard checks have revealed. Currently, the bill is at the House of Representatives and was sponsored by a first term legislator elected last year.

The Senate, in a statement by its Committee on Rules and Business, Tuesday, said the bill that was sponsored by Senator Zainab Kure, who represented Niger Central in the Seventh Senate was not before it, that it was presented for consideration in the last Senate and was rejected.

The Senate denial was in response to the request of Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who wanted to know if the Senate was treating any such bill.

However, Vanguard checks show that the bill is alive. In fact, there are two of them and the House of Representatives had initiated moves to consolidate both bills.

The two bills are a Bill for an Act to establish the National Grazing Route and Reserve Commission, to establish and control Grazing Routes and Reserves in all parts of Nigeria; and for Other Matters Related Thereto (HB, 388) sponsored by Karimi Steve Sunday, PDP, Yagba East/Yagba West/Mopamuro Federal Constituency, Kogi State; A Bill for an Act to create a Department of Cattle Ranches under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture or any such Ministry Overseeing the Production and Rearing of Cattle; and for Other Matters Related Thereto (HB 323) sponsored by Dickson Tarkighir (Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency, Benue State).

According to a notice paper of the House of Representatives for the week March 14 to March 18, consolidation of both bills was scheduled for Tuesday, March 15.

16—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

Fire guts Ladipo Market, displaces 100 traders

By Monsuru Olowoopejo & Faith Ake

A

BOUT 100 traders were, yesterday, displaced after fire razed a section of the popular Ladipo market in Mushin Local Government Area, Lagos State, with goods worth several millions destroyed in the over 50 shops involved.

Traders blamed the fire disaster, which started at about 3a.m., Wednesday, on power surge that emanated from Osoro Junction of the market.

The traders explained that the fire started few minutes after the hightension cable supplying electricity to the community malfunctioned, detached from the pole and fell on the shops.

When Vanguard visited the scene at about 11a.m., smoke was still billowing from the shops.

The traders were sighted still sourcing for water from the drainage to put out the smokes from the shops.

Speaking to Vanguard, Best Daniel, one of the traders, lamented that the fire destroyed goods worth several millions.

Daniel explained that aside the goods destroyed, one of the affected traders lost over N350, 000 left in his safe to purchase vehicle spare-parts, yesterday.

The chairman of the affected market, Mr. Felix Okoro, in an interview with Vanguard, said that over 50 shops were razed by the inferno. . ...We exhausted our extinguishers —Traders Describing the inferno as mysterious, Okoro lamented that they exhausted all their industrial extinguishers, but the fire kept raging.

According to him: “We tried putting out the fire before it escalated with over 50 industrial fire extinguishers, but all efforts proved abortive.”

Two arraigned for cloning Ambode’s phone number ...attempt N50m fraud

By Onozure Dania

L

AGOS—MRS. Adetola Adedayo of a Lagos magistrate’s court sitting at Isolo, yesterday, remanded two suspected fraudsters, who were arrested recently by Department of State Service, DSS, for allegedly cloning the phone number of Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Abode.

The defendants, Rilwanu Jamiu and Balogun Stanley Oyewole,

Suspects: Rilwanu Jamiu and Balogun Oyewole

Scene of accident at Oshodi, Lagos, involving a bus and four other cars hit by a truck, yesterday. Inset: One of the cars damaged by the truck.

C

RACK OPERATIVES of the special Anti-Robbery Squad attached to Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, have stormed Lakowe Village, Ibeju, Lekki, Lagos and flushed out over 200 hoodlums that laid siege to the village in recent time Spokesman for the Police said

"That you Rilwanu Jamiu, Balogun Oyewole of the above addresses and others at large, on above date, time and place fraudulently cloned the Glo line number of His Excellency, the governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, with intent to induce him by false pretence and used the Glo line to send a text message for the transfer of the sum of N50million and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 312 (2) and (3) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.”

Also docked with the defendants is one Aderemi Bello, who was charged with impersonation and fraud.

Bello was alleged to have fraudulently collected the sum of N485, 000, from one Isaac Ademola Fowowe, for procurement of USA citizenship passport application.

All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecuting counsel, Peter Okerinmodun, urged the court to remand the defendants, who were not represented by counsel in prison custody due to sensitivity of the case.

Okerinmodun told the court that some of the accomplices of the defendants were still at large and releasing the defendants could jeopardise the trial and the evidence.

I stole from banks because the operatives were careless —Robbery suspect

By Esther Onyegbula

A

34-YEAR-OLD suspect, Ibrahim Abudulamdi, paraded, yesterday, by the Lagos State Police Command, said he is not a robber, but goes to bank to steal after studying the environment.

“I am not a robber, I go into banks to steal, not to rob. When I get there I pretend that I want to lodge some money. For instance, when I went into FCMB to withdraw money, I went straight to the bulk room after monitoring the environment carefully, I saw some money and I collected it.

“I collected N1.2 million, it was this year that I went there.

I didn’t go there with a pistol. I succeeded in stealing from the bank because the bank operatives were careless. I went into the bulk room and picked the money, I am not a robber.

There was nobody there, I am telling you exactly what

EFCC clears CCT Chairman, Umar of N10m bribery

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor

T

HE ECONOMIC and Financial Crimes Commission has cleared the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, Justice Dandali Umar, of any culpability in the N10 million bribery allegation leveled against him.

The clearance was formally conveyed by the EFCC to Justice Umar in a letter signed by the Secretary of the commission, Emmanuel Adegboyega Aremo.

The letter was addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

The clearance, according to a document obtained by Vanguard, followed the inability of the

Police flush hoodlums away from Lakowe village

By Gloria Adokwu

reside at 10, Giwa Street, Off Oka Akoko Street, Lagos and 65, Unity Street, Ikotun, respectively.

The duo is facing a two-count charge bordering on fraud by the state government.

Jamiu, Oyewole and others, who are still at large, were alleged to have conspired to commit felony by obtaining on false pretence, February 10, 2016, about 10:02a.m., within Lagos magisterial district.

Count two of the charge preferred against them read:

that the Assistance Inspector – General of Police in-charge of Zone 2 command, Bala Usman, authorized the operation following complaints from villagers that the hoodlums, who paraded themselves as members of Eiye Comp Fraternity and a faction of Oodua People’s Congress and others, have turned

the village to a den of horror, raping and robbing innocent citizens of their property.

A spokesman for the villagers, Otunba Yemi Adeoye, said this was the third time the hoodlums laid siege to the village.

The police made some arrest and sanity has since returned to the village.

commission to establish a prima facie evidence against Umar.

Umar was investigated by the anti-graft agency over allegation that he demanded N10 million bribe from a retired Customs officer, Rasheed Owolabi, who was said to have had issues with the CCT. He is said to have collected the sum of N1.8 million from Owolabi through the account of his Special Assistant, Ali Gambo Abdullahi.

However, the EFCC said that after investigating the case for sometime, it became clear that the whole allegation bordered in the realm of mere suspicion and that it would be difficult to charge the CCT judge to court based in the allegation.

The latest clearance letter was second to the one sent on March 5,2015 during President Goodluck Jonathan's administration.

happened.

But, it was gathered that Ibrahim went to the bank with a Ghana-must-go bag pretending he wanted to deposit money.

Later he allegedly took a gun from the bag and attacked the cashier.

Demonstrating how he usually swapped his polythene bag containing cut-to-size papers with the victim's own containing money while pretending to be asking the cashier questions, Ibrahim said he used different methods for different operations.

“Sometimes, I simply swap the victim's bag containing money with a similar one containing cutto-size papers.

“Stealing from banks is the personal idea I developed when I h a d issues f r o m where I w a s working at Saudi Ibrahim Abudulamdi Arabia embassy in Abuja in 2013. I don’t connive with any of the bank staff to steal from the banks. I used the proceeds of the bank to buy cocaine, which I took to Abuja where I sold same in grams. I made about N2.2million from the sale.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016— —17

A

SPECTER is haunting Northern Nigeria; the specter of drug abuse. On Sunday this week, THISDAY newspaper carried an interview with Olarewaju Ipinmisho, former DG of the NDLEA. He disclosed that Kano, Kaduna, Borno and lately, Niger, are among states “with the highest cases of constant drug abuse in the country”. Furthermore, “if you take an estimate of 10 boys, particularly in Kano, seven will be on drugs”. The problem in these areas could spread to other parts of the North, and Kaduna’s proximity to Abuja is worrisome. But even Abuja has its own issues: “Abuja is not an exception because places like Wuse II, especially Banex Junction is a spot FCT Police Command should do something about”. The former Drugs Czar Ipinmisho highlighted that: “you will see young boys and girls openly sniffing substances like fuel, and over-abusing drugs meant for other purposes, like tramadol and codeine, and smoking marijuana in the streets without care or fear of being arrested.”

Olarewaju Ipinmisho told the truth. The problem is a very serious one in Northern Nigeria.

During the 1990s, I reported for the BBC from Kano and I have tracked this problem from that period. Young people sniffed fuel and what they call “solution”; while some even licked the backs of toads. I did a major report from the drugs rehabilitation centre at Dawanu, in Kano. Marijuana took on the popular moniker. “Mandula” in the 1990s in Kano, and was freely used in many areas of the largest city of Northern Nigeria. There was an interesting twist to the use of Mandula, that was directly linked to a popular song of the same title by the late blind Kano musician, Ali Makaho, that became a major hit at the time.

He seemed to romanticise the use of the drug in that song; and young drug addicts turned the song into a kind of anthem. A military government of the period launched a major campaign against drugs and Ali Makaho, also called Ali Mandula, was recruited for the campaign and requested to do a song against the use of drugs! But the problem has persisted as I was also to note when I edited DAILY TRUST. Girls and cough syrup We did several reports about young girls in tertiary institutions in Northern Nigeria, who have taken to a frightening abuse of the cough syrup, Benylin with Codeine. The syrup is mixed with Coca Cola and has devastated many upper and middle class families in Northern Nigeria. A prominent leader recently pointed out that this problem is destroying even the mothers in homes. As the women have suffered abuses at home, the children have induced their mothers to use Benylin as an escape from their abusive relationships and invariably get hooked. Over the past couple of years the abuse of C M Y K

Motion on drugs abuse

The spectre of drug abuse in Northern Nigeria the cough syrup has become so widespread that even secondary school students use it regularly.

A friend once told me that if one noticed a child that seemed to behave with extra respect and seemed to recoil into himself/ herself regularly, then there is the need for extra vigilance about what such a child has been up to or might be abusing.

It is not unusual to discover that children of members of our Northern elite move from rehab back into the world of drugs; the streets and back into rehab, to the eternal shame of these big men of society Last month, Kano State raided markets and discovered millions of Naira worth of these “pharmanarcotics”. The Kaduna state Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, recently confirmed the seizure of more than 5 tons of Benilyn this year alone, adding that a major seizure was from a warehouse whose owner alleged that he got his supplies from Onitsha market in Anambra State and the major upheaval associated with the Boko Haram insurgency has also seen the incredible spike in drug abuse in Borno and the Northeast in general.

There were recent reports of the arrest of drugs dealers even inside IDP camps, while many of the terrorists of Boko Haram have regularly abused all kinds of drugs in order to be able to commit atrocities. The systematic recruitment of young people as thugs by the political elite has also exacerbated the problem in societies that have witnessed the gradual erosion of family values and the alienation of millions of marginalised youths, who often are either not educated at all, or are so badly educated and therefore, do not have the requisite skills for the world of work in the competitive environment of 21st Century capitalism. Nigeria’s neocolonial, neoliberal capitalism has

also left too many desperate people on the margins of its glittering consumerism, and they became dependent on drugs.

Ruling class acquistive nature On the other hand, members of our ruling class are lost in the race for acquisition of wealth; they have never had quality time to assist the upbringing of children, who often develop tastes associated with capitalist consumerism. The parents indulge the children with money and luxuries in place of the parenting they cannot provide, as a means of appeasing guilty consciences. These children

fall under the influence of peers who often suffer the same problems and together, they enter the world of drugs!

It is not unusual to discover that children of members of our Northern elite move from rehab back into the world of drugs; the streets and back into rehab, to the eternal shame of these big men of society. In many cases, their over-abused wives are also lost in the morass of substance abuse!

The abuse of substances is a problem that has concentrated minds and there have been efforts to stem the consequences.

On January 27, 2010, a group of legislators in the House of Representatives, that included Hon. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, moved a motion on an urgent need to check the incessant abuse of syrup with codeine, including Benylin, Emsoline and Parking. The motion expressed worry that many youths now consumed these syrups “as sedatives, drugs and stimulants mixed with soft drinks”. The motion then resolved to urge government to “place serious restriction on further importation of these drugs…take positive steps to seriously monitor and sanction any erring local manufacturing company of these drugs found thwarting the Government efforts”. They also sought a sensitisation programme by NAFDAC on the effect of abuse of Benylin with Codeine. But as we have seen, not much has changed, because these drugs are still being abused, especially here in the North. Northern Nigeria sits atop a drugs abuse ticking bomb that can explode to destroy the fabric of our society forever!

This 8th Senate and the rest of us

T

HERE does not seem to be infamy that the Senate of the 8th National Assembly just won’t attempt. When one assumes that there would be lines of decency that cannot be crossed, these Senators launch newer levels of outrage, betraying how little they care for the good order of Nigeria. Bukola Saraki’s trial at the CCT recommenced this week, with Justice Danladi Umar ruling that it would conduct a day-to-day hearing on the 13-count criminal charge against the Senate President. The court premised its decision on the fact that it was Bukola Saraki that is on trial, not the Senate. Before the close of day, reports filtered out, that the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions had summoned the trial judge over a petition of allegations of corruption against him. They invited Justice Umar, premised upon anger that the CCT decided to hold day-to-day hearing, which the senators saw as a ploy to deny Bukola Saraki the opportunity to preside at plenary throughout his trial.

Consequently, they chose to launch a counter-attack against the CCT chairman by revisiting the petition against the judge.

Bukola Saraki’s controversial leadership that is still dogged by a court case for forgery of Senate rules has made a habit of fighting back every time it has been called to answer for criminal infractions in the past.

Rapid fire amendment The step to open up hearing in the petition against the CCT Chairman follows the rapid-fire amendment being undertaken

on the law setting up the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

This is a step being taken because Bukola Saraki is facing a criminal trial at the CCT. Toyin Saraki summoned Last year, the EFCC summoned Toyin, Bukola Saraki’s wife on the strength of a petition and pronto, the EFCC Chairman was summoned to face Senate. The same man is not only facing the CCT trial where startling revelations are emerging, the leaked Panama Papers have also shown that Bukola Saraki breached the law by allegedly keeping foreign accounts in offshore tax haven and in recent days, they have taken possession of and distributed 36 jeeps, which Daily Trust on Sunday this week said were bought at twice the official price! For the first time in Nigeria’s recent history we are facing the affront of how an individual has chosen to use a state institution, the Senate, as a redoubt to fight his personal battles, and has successfully suborned a Senate that is filled with politically exposed individuals, to desperately preserve a political career that seems headed for the rocks.

These individuals shamelessly follow Bukola Saraki to court, close down the Senate and yet get paid for the irresponsible action of solidarity that ridicules them, because the grounds upon which Bukola Saraki has been indicted are criminal. This week a coalition of 28 Civil Society Organisations issued a press conference describing the action of Senate to hastily amend the CCB and CCT laws as a

“betrayal of public trust, total disregard for administration of justice and utmost conflict of interest of the 8th Senate”.

The Nigeria Labour Congress has also issued a condemnation of the purchase of vehicles, which it urged the Senate to return as well as demanding that it stops the hasty emendation of the CCB/CCT laws. But these Senators obviously believe that Bukola Saraki’s personal survival is far more important than the legal and democratic order of our country. In truth, what is playing out in political society and the Senate, are the antics an individual who has a long tradition of impunity and a bizarre sense of entitlement that has marked his years in the Nigerian public space.

Nigerians have a decision to make. We can remain spectators and thus allow the Senate to become completely suborned to fighting a personal battle; and consequently see the scuttling of the tremendous political capital and the national consensus invested in the Buhari Administration’s anticorruption drive.

On the other hand, become proactive and insisting that no national institution must degenerate to the level that the Senate has been taken and the speed at which it is hurtling towards the most absurd slopes of infamy, just because it has become an instrument of personal survival. Nigeria’s democracy cannot be held hostage to a Senate that has increasingly become an institution for the desperate need for political survival of its president.

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016 THE 2016 budget has recorded a number of firsts in the history of Nigeria.

It is the most controversial, the first in President Muhammadu Buhari’s Change Agenda, th first to be declared missing and the first to be highly padded.

It is also the nation’s highest in norminal terms since independence and longest in the passage process.

Amidst these controversies, the budget is yet to be signed into law four months into the year. It is a known fact that a budget any where is a document that the executive and the legislature haggle about. In developed countries, the stalemate in the budget is usually as a result of different political parties or interest group approach to the general welfare of the people. It is either that taxes should be raised on the rich or its base should be expanded to include the middle class. Arguments are also on how much is devoted to social welfare. The Nigeria budget stalemate is not in any way connected to this philosophy. It is about the welfare of the super rich and those in government.

This budget delay is harmful The budget delay is giving the nation at large a bad image and worse still the legislature as many are insinuating that the law makers are looking for personal benefit from the budgeting process.

While the struggle for supremacy between the executive and the legislature is ongoing in the budget process, the economy is in distress and needs urgent attention. The injection of government funds into the economy to oil the wheels of economic progress is held down by the absence of a functional budget.

Local as well as international investors have now adopted a wait and see attitude.

Nigeria with its growing unemployment cannot afford to miss out investment

inflow. The more the budget is delayed the longer the wait of investors to make investment decisions. The current state of the Nigerian economy does not permit the luxury of a long wait. Many Nigerians have dismissed the budget as a jinxed document.

It is a sad commentary that the budget started up with a zero budgeting system as the traditional system was by the present government but resorted to the envelope system it had castigated as inefficient.

We are not surprised that the budget has gone this way as the document is a budget overwhelmed with back-andforth that has embarrassed Nigeria

before the international community. The new twist in the whole thing is the delisting of Lagos-Calabar coastal railway project, among others, which the legislators claimed were not contained in the original version presented to it.

Yes, it is true that there was an error in the original budget proposal where the amount for the project appeared without the project head. This was promptly corrected when it was discovered by the Minister of Transport. This is why the Executive has continued to insist it was contained in the version duly received by the parliament.

We state here that the continued delay in the final approval of the budget is not in the interest of Nigerians and we urge the two parties to this unfortunate development to take the interest of Nigerian into consideration and allow the budget to be signed into law as those who ordinarily should be the beneficiaries of the budget are now left to wallow in hardship and poverty as the nation’s economic woes deepen.

OPINION Niger Delta Oil piracy and the worm in the Kolanut ByBobson Gbinije “If you shut up truth and bury it under the ground. It will but grow, and gather to itself such explosive power that the day it bursts through. It will blow up everything in its way”.Emile Zola (1840-1902) J’accuse OME Ijaw / Urhobo / Itsekiri adages runs thus, “the worm that eats the kolanut is inside the kola-nut” and “how can a man be circumspect and careful with a witch in his own house” and “it is the rat in the house that invites the ones outside into the house”. It is clear without a tincture of doubt that the petroleum industry is filled with all kinds of players and the oil pirates are from there and beyond. It is now clearly obvious, that pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, and illegal oil bunkering and other horrendously fraudulent acts in the oil industry are carried out by Nigerians and their recruited surrogates in the NNPC, some of its subsidiaries and oil multinational companies etc.

As for refined product, barring the reckless action of desperate and psychotic thieves, it is only the Pipelines and Products Marketing Staff who know the kind of products being pumped down the pipelines at any point – in - time. It is they who know whether it is Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), and High Pour Quality Fuel Oil (HPFO), Low

S

Pour Quality Fuel Oil (LPFO), JET A1 etc.

They give the information to the criminal syndicates who now position the tankers and barges to siphon the products.

The NEITI report has also been befuddled by vortexes and counter- vortexes of denials, accusations and contradictions. In a joint meeting between NEITI and PPPRA at the instance of Secretary to the Government of

Crude oil theft can only be stopped through the approval and granting of the long demanded 50% derivation formula

the Federation (SGF), the two agencies said that the missing fund has indeed been deposited in the Petroleum Support Fund (PSF) domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The Joint Reconciliation Meeting also posited that the two organisations have devised strategies aimed at addressing other matters arising from the NEITI 2009-2011 audit report through the instrumentality of the Inter- Ministerial Task Team (IMTT) set up by the President to address remedial issues arising from the audit report. This belated accounts fence mending is seen by critics as a jigsaw puzzle calculated to bamboozle the Nigerian masses and launder the image of the Jonathan’s administration.

Virtually all the oil companies indicted by the NEITI REPORT have all denied the allegations made against them. The Acting Group General manager Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Abuja echoing the retort of the current Group Managing Director, Mr. Andrew Yakubu said “Under the current Group Managing Director, Mr. Andrew Yakubu, the NNPC recorded an allhigh 2.7 million barrels of crude oil per day last year. But this evadable feat was shortlived because of Crude theft, oil bunkering and the incessant vandalisation of crude oil pipelines”.

He further posited that “in as much as the NNPC is not a perfect organisation just like any other, it should be objectively criticised and not vilified all the time. Efforts should be made to appreciate its challenges. Some of these negative publications and destructive criticisms have far-readily implications on the business relationship between the Corporation and its International Partners.

They impact also on the nation’s ability to bring in investors”. But he was silent on whether the NNPC is guilty as charged or whether it will refund the money demanded

by NEITI REPORT. SO THERE ARE NO OIL THIEVES AND THE NNPC IS NOT INVOLVED? It is however clear from the politicisation of the report and the culture of gross impurity and defiance being played by the castigated oil companies that the sysiphyean albatross of oil bunkering, crude oil theft, pipeline vandalisation and corruption in the oil industry will linger on in the deepest recesses of our national and petroleum industry’s

psyche for along time to come. The essayist Charles Spureon said “the door to the temple of wisdom is knowledge of our own ignorance”.

The oil theft and accoutrements of malfeasances in the Niger Delta will continue because the people of the Niger Delta continue to suffer ecosidal devastation, fauna despoliation, environmental pollution, seismic hazards and scorching poverty in the light of gas flaring, oil exploration and exploitation in their backyards.

The so-called Interventionist agencies have turned out to be Mephistophelean placeboes and conduits for politicians to feather their nests. The crude oil theft is a form of economic remonstration, existential militancy and protestation by the Niger Delta people and freedom fighters and it can only be stopped through the approval and granting of the long demanded 50% derivation formula, implementation of free education, free medical care at all levels, massive employment beyond the Amnesty programme initiative, massive industrialisation of oil producing communities, rehabilitation and compensation of displaced persons and communities as a result of oil exploitation and exploration. The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) must be signed into law with soldierly brevity. The entry and exit points into Nigeria’s nautical and littoral contours must be manned by patriotic security apparatchiks.

Continues tomorrow

Mr. Gbinije, a social critic, wrote from Warri, Delta State.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21 21,, 2016 – 19 Send Opinions & Letters to: opinions1234@yahoo.com “warned”, let alone brought to book.

Look at it: we have passed through hell in the past three months, toiling through the day in search of fuel to power our plants as government and the power companies are unable to provide us with electricity. We pay through the nose, drawing

Buhari’s Boko Haram ‘menu’ for vandals

I

HAVE been thinking through President Muhammadu Buhari’s threat to “deal with (pipeline vandals) like Boko Haram”. That was the president’s “latest release” from foreign land, when he completed his one-week epic tour of China last week.

You see, the typical Nigerian government (not just the regime of General Buhari alone) is very funny. It is only in Nigeria that government issues special “warnings” to lawbreakers to desist or they would be dealt with, as if the criminals did not know the government is charged with that responsibility before embracing their ignoble enterprise. How many times have we “warned” Boko Haram to drop their killing spree and “embrace dialogue”? How many times have the Nigerian Police “warned” armed robbers, kidnappers, cultists and others to stop “or else…”?

Our “warnings” usually fall on deaf ears because they are not necessary in the first place. The job of government is to govern, and to do this effectively, a

government has to prove its ability to keep criminals and anarchists within the firm leash of the law. A serious government with the capacity to do this does not have time to talk. It just simply acts. After all, the laws of the land have given them the power, the funds and the equipment to do the job, so why waste time engaging in emptybarrel antics and issuing effete warnings?

I understand why Buhari deployed the Boko Haram imagery at the vandals and their backers. He wanted to send the message that he would “crush” them as he is doing to the bloodthirsty Jihadists. I don’t mind any legitimate action that government decides to take in order to stop those troubling the state in any way and for any reason. After all, these pipeline vandals, for me, are no heroes of anyone. They certainly aren’t mine. I can never make an excuse for anyone who engages in wilful lawbreaking, even if they are President Buhari’s kinsmen (the Fulani “herdsmen” or militia) who have not even been

I understand why Buhari deployed the Boko Haram imagery at the vandals and their backers. He wanted to send the message that he would “crush” them as he is doing to the bloodthirsty Jihadists from our lean individual reserves to procure black market petrol in order to survive the intense heat and move our automobiles.

Those chaps blowing up the pipelines are partly responsible for our woes, and I cannot find any excuse for their activities.

And I am thoroughly disappointed that the Federal Government has spent almost four months watching them dig in since they restarted armed activities in the Warri area of the Niger Delta in January 2016, shortly after Niger Delta

FRCN zonal structure: Benin short-changed

T

HIS is Radio Benin, broadcasting from its Headquarters in Yenagoa and Port Harcourt”. At first, this might sound like a broadcast from a professed wino but, indeed, it is a perfect representation of the raw deals that Edo State has been getting from her neighbours.

This is perhaps not the best place to engage in a protracted debate of onshore/off-shore dichotomy of oil resources; but in passing, it is appropriate to mention that a situation in which the little oil in Edo State is ceded to neighbouring States is most undesirable.

Right from October 1, 1963, when Nigeria attained a Republican status, children of pre-school age had an excellent grasp of the rhymes of Regions and Capitals: Northern Region – Kaduna; Eastern Region – Enugu; Western Region – Ibadan; Mid-West Region – Benin City. Those were the four Regions we had then.

Today, apart from the defunct Midwest, the other regional Capitals still remain the Headquarters of their emerging geopolitical zones. But the Headquarters of the South-South zone has been up for grabs.

At the peak of the murky politics, even the major political parties went their separate ways – the PDP retains PortHarcourt as the Headquarters of the South-South Zone; and that’s where it conducts its conventions and other political activities; while the APC still holds on to Benin City as the Zonal Headquarters.

This confusion reigns supreme in the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN. By virtue of being the “

C M Y K

Headquarters of their defunct Regions, Enugu, Kaduna and Ibadan have been Zonal Headquarters of the FRCN in their respective Sub-Regions. While in the

We rejoiced home that our request had been granted. Alas, what was approved for us was an FM Station while the Zonal Headquarters remained in Yenagoa.

That was how we asked for rain and got a rainbow!

South-South, it has been a matter for conjuncture.

During the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, the Headquarters of the FRCN South-South was located in Yenagoa; and since Jonathan’s departure, we hear it has shifted to Port Harcourt. Benin City has remained perpetually schemed out.

The injustice inherent in this scheme can only be appreciated within the context of a fair understanding of the history of the FRCN. What started as listening out-posts for the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, in 1933 has gradually mushroomed into the biggest radio network in Africa. The Colonial Radio

militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) went underground.

Immediately after the first set of pipelines were blown up three months ago, the Army, the Navy and all sorts of law enforcement agents were reportedly deployed to look for the culprits. Yet the situation gets worse as confirmed

by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who claimed recently that Nigeria loses about 250,000 barrels of crude oil a day. So, my message to the Buhari administration is: go ahead, look for these people, get them to face the law and give us the chance to rebuild our battered economy.

But I take serious exception to putting the militancy in the Niger Delta on the same pedestal with Boko Haram. Yes, both are crimes against the state and the people of Nigeria. But, while the militants of the Niger Delta can rightly be described as “rebels with a cause”, Boko Haram is a mindless demon that takes great pleasure in spilling human blood.

I read the other day a shocking story of the 2014 Buni Yadi murders of young secondary school boys, which took place about two weeks to the mass abduction of the Chibok school girls by Boko Haram. An eye witness told a newspaper of how the Jihadists gathered the students and preached from the Koran to them. Immediately after that, they separated the juniors from the seniors and slaughtered the seniors! Doesn’t that make your blood freeze?

On the other hand, the Niger Delta militants have been known to kidnap both expatriates and locals. Sometimes collateral casualties occur in the wake of their facility bombings, but they

relayed the o v e r s e a s service of the BBC through wired system w i t h loudspeakers at the listening end.

It was called R a d i o Diffusion Service, RDS. In April 1951, the RDS metamorphosed into the Nigerian Broadcasting Service, NBS, with a Briton, Mr. T.W. Chalmers, who was the then Controller of BBC Light Entertainment Programme as the first Director-General.

An Act of Parliament No 39 of 1956 gave birth to the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, NBC, which came into effect in April 1957. The DirectorGeneral was Mr. J.A.C. Knott, OBE. In 1978, the NBC had a major reorganisation which transformed it to the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, and the NBC was instructed to hand-over its stations that broadcast on Medium Wave Transmitters in the States to the State Governments while taking over Short-Wave Transmitters from the States. The Reverend Victor Badejo became the first indigenous Director-General.

Today, the FRCN with its Headquarters in Abuja has national Stations in Enugu, Kaduna, Ibadan and Gwagwalada FCT; plus Lagos Operations Office. These national Stations and Lagos Operations Office control all the 37 FRCN FM/MW/ SW/ Stations spread across the nation.

In the Second Republic, the Federal Government established FRCN Stations in all the States ruled by the opposition parties, essentially to facilitate NPN’s capture of the States in the 1983 general elections.

However, the military coup of December 1983, which ushered in the administration

are not known to purposely target people, apart from law enforcement agents (soldiers, police) who are after them. The Niger Delta militants also engage in oil stealing, but they will tell you that they are entitled to the oil because it is mined in their native land; their own share of a resource exploited by people from strange lands and their collaborators operating the Nigerian state. You may not agree with them. The law certainly does not, and I do not.

But, at least, they have a point of view that can be engaged either through dialogue or force by the state.

Boko Haram is implacable.

They want to forcefully convert ME to Islam; an impossibility that will wait till Christ’s kingdom comes. In any case, is it not the same Boko Haram whose 180 detained were released in Maiduguri shortly after Buhari was sworn-in, kitted out in trendy jalamiyahs and escorted home like war heroes? Is it not the same people that huge sums are already being set aside for a kind of “post-amnesty” bazaar when (and if) their insurgency is finally defeated?

It is actually Boko Haram fighters that will be treated like repentant Niger Delta militants, even after what they have done to fellow citizens. The mind that sees them in the same light as Niger Delta militants will definitely “deal with them” the way the late heroic President Umar Yar’Adua treated the militants who surrendered their arms and accepted the amnesty programme.

That is what I make out of Buhari’s statement, and I am sorry for Nigeria.

of General Muhammadu Buhari, as he then was, put paid to all this.

In 1984, all the new FRCN Stations, except the major national Stations in Kaduna, Ibadan, Enugu and Lagos, were closed down and their facilities were handed over to the respective hosting States.

In 2006, the Federal Government attempted a restructuring of the FRCN to provide for six Zonal Stations – covering the six geo-political zones as follows: North-Central (Head Office in Makurdi); North-West (Kaduna); NorthEast (Maiduguri); South-East (Enugu); South-West (Ibadan); South-South (Yenagoa); and Operations (Lagos).

The rip-off was very glaring and Edo people considered it a slap on their faces.

This writer was in the team that led a powerful delegation to Abuja on how Benin City was short-changed.

At the peak of it all, the authorities in Abuja offered us an appeasement. We rejoiced home that our request had been granted. Alas, what was approved for us was an FM Station while the Zonal Headquarters remained in Yenagoa.

That was how we asked for rain and got a rainbow!

Evidently, a lot of distortions, deliberate falsehood; and even outright disinformation and misinformation have paraded the FRCN imbroglio: Many have hidden under the guise of donating land for FRCN in their States – a clear case of carrying coal to Newcastle!

20—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

Drink lemon juice and detox your body

By Sola Ogundipe

O

I

F you're looking for a morning health boost and can't stand the taste of apple cider vinegar, try hot water with lemon.

Experts say the acidity of the lemons improves digestion.

Lemons contain potent antioxidants, which can also protect against disease.

A healthy alkaline balance helps fight germs.

Drinking lemon water regularly can help to remove overall acidity in the body, including uric acid in the joints, which is one of the primary causes of pain and inflammation.

Lemon juice flushes out unwanted materials and toxins from the body. It encourages the liver to produce bile which is an acid that is required for digestion. Lemons are also high in minerals and vitamins and help loosen

TIP OF THE DAY

Greenlife, Treehouse team up against malaria

LEMON JUICE: A refreshing early morning drink toxins in the digestive tract.

The digestive qualities of lemon juice help to relieve symptoms of indigestion, such as heartburn, belching and bloating. Medical professionals recommend offering warm lemon water to cancer sufferers to help stimulate bowel movements.

Lemon juice helps flush out unwanted materials in part because lemons increase the rate of urination in the body.

Therefore toxins are released at a faster rate which helps keep your urinary tract

healthy. The citric acid in lemons helps maximize enzyme function, which stimulates the liver and aids in detoxification.

Lemons are high in vitamin C, which is great for fighting colds and complementary support for asthma and other respiratory symptoms; potassium, which stimulates brain and nerve function and also helps control blood pressure. Lemons also reduce the amount of phlegm produced by the body and one of the most alkalizing foods for the body.

N this year’s World Malaria Day, themed: "End Malaria for Good", Greenlife Pharmaceuticals and Treehouse Consulting are championing a 1,000-man walk in Lagos to raise awareness on prevention and treatment of malaria.

At a briefing in Lagos, Marketing Manager, Greenlife Pharma Ltd., Mr Olufemi Ayokun, said the march against Malaria will hold April 26th, 2016, by 8am, from Classique Event Centre, Oregun and end at the Pavilion, Alausa, Lagos, with an awareness lecture.

"We will be glad if no child is lost to malaria again in this country. This would be possible if people adhere to prevention procedures and treatment plans,” he said.

On her part, Chief Executive Officer of Treehouse Consulting, Morolake Akindiji, decried that 35 per cent of people who die from malaria are from Nigeria and Congo, with over 3.3 billion people at risk globally.

"There will be lecture on what is needed by every Nigerian to repel mosquito around their homes. Best treatment plans will be discussed as well. We believe when people are equipped with information and adhere strictly to professional advice that will be shared, the incidence rate of the scourge will reduce drastically,” she asserted.

Attendees at the walk include Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Idiati Adebule; the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Lagos State.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

H

ELLO everybody. It is that time of the year again when we bring you new adult love products capable of significantly improving our love lives.

Today’s products for discussion are predominantly for women. It is no secret that the majority of our weekly discussions center around male performance problems, mainly because majority of our emails are from men.

But very often, women complain about a lack of sexual desire or libido and the inability to enjoy intercourse as well. There are many reasons for this from hormonal problems to psychological problems brought about by stress, family and work related issues.

The good news however is that there are solutions to these problems one of which is the supplement Velextra for Women. If you are a woman who struggles to get in the mood, enjoy intercourse and get adequately lubricated during intercourse, Velextra for Women will help you greatly.

It is taken every two to three days, starts working in less than an hour. It is also a food supplement and as a result, it is body friendly and easily processed by the body as well. Remember the name Velextra for Women. It is a very good for women of all ages.

And still on the subject of female sexual enjoyment, there was a time it was believed that ‘some’ women needed vibrators to enhance their love lives. Today we have learned that all women need vibrators. Try as he might, a man will never match a woman’s basic sexual needs. It is either the sex is too brief or that what men do hardly satisfies their women. So in the spirit of meeting women’s sexual needs, we will be introducing three new vibrators today.

They are the Ovo K1 Silicone Rabbit vibrator, the Ovo F2 Waterproof vibrator and the Vibrating 9 inch Dong with Balls. The Ovo series of vibrators are very sophisticated and yet simple, durable and effective with a long term warrantee. The Vibrating 9 inch Dong with Balls on the other hand is realistic, huge and capable of going all the way. Any of these vibrators will be of great help to the user and help banish the

idea of sexual dissatisfaction.

Last but not the least for today are new adult feature films that men and women can enjoy. Sometimes, when we don’t get aroused, it is not that we are ill or that we have a major problem. Sometimes we just need a little inspiration to help refocus the mind on love matters and adult movies do this very well. The films Dinner Party and Desperate House Wives Confessions will leave the average adult entertained, excited and ready for love.

We will discuss more new products next week. Let us answer a few questions from our readers.

I need a mild erection enhancer that can give me a functional erection. I am 61, hypertensive and I struggle to get an erection. I still desire sex and I have not given up on my sex life – Chike A good and gentle aphrodisiac would be Man Up Now. Take one to two capsules of Man Up Now as instructed and it will give you good erection, staying power and multiple rounds too – Uche I have been using your Extenze Maximum Strength penis enlarger since the beginning of September and by my last measurement over the weekend, I have grown an extra inch in length. I also feel fuller and I am so excited – Edward That is great Edward. Keep up the therapy and you will grow even longer. Combine it with a penis pump and you can get three to four inches in extra length within the next three months – Uche I called you last week about my problem of painful sex and the Mood Sensitive lubricant you recommended really really helped me. I just wanted to say thank you and good job – Chinaza You are welcome – Uche That’s all for today. Adults in need of these treatments/ novelties can now call us now on 08171912551, 08027901621 or 07086754515 for help or visit www.zeevirtualmedia.com to place their orders. Zee Virtual Media delivers all over Nigeria. For enquiries email us at custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com- Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

— 21

Repayment of state govts loans reduces Sterling Bank’s NPL

By Peter Egwuatu

S

MOU: From left, Director, Integrated Produce City Limited, Prof. Pat Utomi; Group Managing Director, African Industries, Mr. Alor Gupta; Mrs Funke Osibodu, Executive Director, Benin Electricity Distribution Company and Chairman, Vigeo Power Limited/Chairman, Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), Mr. Victor Osibodu, during the signing of MoU on embedded generation of 100MW electric power in Benin, in Lagos.

NDIC calls for re-establishment of National Savings Bank

By Babajide Komolafe

N

IGERIA Deposit I n s u r a n c e Corporation (NDIC) has called for the reestablishment of the National Savings Bank to expand the frontiers of Nigeria’s banking system.

Managing Director/Chief Executive, (NDIC), Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim made this call while addressing participants of Executive Course No 38, 2016 at National Institute for Policy & Strategic Studies Kuru, Jos.

Speaking on, “NDIC and Engendering Confidence in the Financial Services Sector for Poverty Reduction and Economic empowerment”, Ibrahim said that the desire to effectively use post offices and leveraging information and communication technology (ICT) to facilitate financial intermediation would not only mobilise savings but also give access to credits.

He drew the attention of the audience to Britain which in the last decade transformed its post

offices into e l e g a n t $ 124.85 0.85 avenues of harnessing $3,010.00 69.00 savings and c r e d i t s $15.32 -0.03 creation, a d d i n g : “Since we are talking of $43.74 0.83 p o v e r t y alleviation, $40.44 0.66 we can CURRENCY BUYING SELLING revisit the issue of 196.5 197 US DOLLAR 196 277.9476 278.6567 279.3657 N a t i o n a l POUNDS 221.6959 222.2612 222.8267 S a v i n g s EURO 203.0457 203.5637 204.0816 FRANC Bank.”

1.8101 1.8147 1.8194 YEN H e 0.3171 0.3271 0.3371 CFA 274.4894 275.1897 275.8899 disclosed WAUA 30.2488 30.3264 30.404 RENMINBI that the 52.2639 52.3972 52.5305 RIYAL Central 29.7832 29.8591 29.9351 KRONA of 275.8504 276.5541 277.2578 Bank SDR Nigeria CBN Exchange rate as at 19/04/2016 (CBN) and Ministry of C M Y K

Communication had been discussing the modalities for effective transformation of post offices so as to serve as banks’ agents.

Speaking on how the NDIC engenders confidence in the financial system towards poverty reduction and e c o n o m i c empowerment, Ibrahim emphasized that being a part of the financial safety net, the Corporation contributed to poverty reduction as it focused on deposit

The corporation was contemplating the introduction of e-deposit payment system towards facilitating depositor payout within the shortest possible time

guarantee and protection of depositors’ interest.

He disclosed that as at December, 2015, the Corporation’s insurance coverage was over 90% of the 67 million depositors in deposit money banks (DMBs) whose deposit liabilities amounted to N17.5 Trillion while the total sum of N165.5 billion belonging to 8.4 million depositors of microfinance banks (MFBs) and N73.71 billion belonging to 0.73 million depositors of primary mortgage banks (PMBs) were also covered by over 95%.

He also said that the Corporation was contemplating the introduction of e-deposit payment system towards facilitating depositor payout within the shortest possible time.

He reminded the participants that Deposit Insurance Scheme (DIS) was one of the critical components of Financial System Safety-Net arrangement and financial guarantee to depositors, particularly the small depositors in the event of a bank failure, pointing out that any financial system that did not have a DIS could not be said to have a complete Financial Safety-Net arrangement.

TERLING Bank Plc has stated that the Federal Government payment of State Governments loans has led to the reduction of its NonPerformingLoan,NPL, even as it declares 9 kobo dividend per share.

The Managing Director/ CEO, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Yemi Adeola , who disclosed this at the bank’s 10th Annual General Meeting, AGM held in Lagos, said “ The percentage increase in net loans year on year declinedby8.8percentin2015 from 15.4 per cent . The decline in NPL was due to the repayment of State Government loans.

He stated that the bank’s 2015performancewasatestament to the underlying resilience of its business model, adding that the challenging operating environment notwithstanding, the bank was able to achieve a delicate balance between delivering current year financial performance and laying the foundation for the future that will see it sustaining its profitability.

According to him “We are committing resources to

make Sterling Bank a great place to work. We commencedtheimplementation ofa“CultureTransformation project”. We want to institute a market driven adhocracycultureacrossour business offices as the foundation for interactions, customer service and employee development; We are retooling our approach to talent and leadership development, again with the aim of shaping the bank and ensuring we live up to our promise to be an employer of choice.”

A review of the bank’s 2015 results show that capital and liquidity buffers remained strong as it grew its Profit Before Tax by 2.5 per cent; gross earnings stood at N110.19 billion, an increase of 6.3 per cent over 2014; total assets decreased by 3.0 per cent as a result of an 8.8 per cent decrease in loans and advances, following the transfer of State Government’s balance sheet; customers deposit also dipped by 9.9 per cent following the implementation of the Treasury Single Account, TSA.

UBA attributes N18 bn profits in first quarter to efficiency United Bank for Africa Plc has announced its unaudited results for the first quarter of 2016 , recording a Profit Before Tax, PBT of N18 billion and gross earnings of N74 billion for the three months ended March 31, 2016.

The Management of the bank attributed the performance to improved efficiency.

The Group sustained its strong profitability, recording an annualized 20 per cent Return on Average Equity (RoAE).

Commenting on the result, the Group Managing Director/ CEO of UBA Plc, Phillips Oduoza, said “I am pleased to report yet another impressive performance for the period.

In addition to achieving better pricing on our assets and liabilities, we leveraged enhanced service channels in growing transaction banking volumes and fee

income” said, while commenting on the results.”

He explained that the bank recorded an impressive 12 per cent year-on-year growth in net interest income and sustained net operating income at N50 billion for the first three months of the year.

He admitted that the first quarter has been challenging, with a host of macroeconomic pressures ranging from inflationary threats to fuel shortages; all of which impacted the business environment.

However, he said UBA remained committed to creating value for its esteemed customers; a strategy which will sustain its strong profitability through the year. More so, the Group remained focused on sustaining the quality of the bank’s balance sheet, Mr. Phillips added.

22—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

Demonstrate to employees that rules are there for a reason, as guidelines to ensure a safe and pleasant work environment

,

How to manage employees effectively Each business owner thinks differently on how to manage employees. Some experts believe when managing employees a manager should be stern and strict, that a manger should be respected and feared. Others believe a manager should be your friend, someone who is positive and easy to talk to. A balance between the two makes a good manager, someone who is a respected positive leader.

,

BUSINESS

Why saving money won't make you rich I

By Kenneth Doghudge

S saving money your winning strategy to building wealth? If it is, then you had better seek for another strategy with better chances of success. This is because no one has been able to build wealth just by saving money.

Managing savings is a good discipline which can result in having

a comfortable quality of life, but not a wealthy quality of life.

Following are some reasons why saving money alone won’t make you rich.

The rich don’t ascribe success to savings From the study of multimillionaires and billionaires in the last couple of years, not one

hinged their success in amassing wealth to saving.

A good number of them mentioned taking advantage of opportunities, meeting needs, solving problems and surmounting obstacles as the key that propelled them to achieving substantial wealth and fortune.

M

ANAGING employees doesn‘t come easy for everyone. A manager’s tasks include delegating tasks, enforcing rules, motivating employees, firing employees and more. A manager is responsible for tasks such as: Setting goals – When managing employees it is important to set goals.

Setting goals gives employees something to work hard to achieve.

Teaching/coaching – Employees should be properly trained. Taking the time to teach and coach employees will be well worth it. Failure to do so can result in an unprepared employee.

Effective communication – When managing employees it is important for a manager to be able to effectively communicate to employees.

Lazy employees As their manager, an employee should be able to talk to you about their concerns, and you should take their concerns seriously. You should also be able to delegate tasks. A manager should never degrade or mistreat an employee.

Overseeing tasks – How would you know if the tasks you delegate are being completed if you don‘t oversee the completion of the tasks? Lazy employees may avoid doing certain tasks if they think they can get away with it.

However you should also give them some independence to show them that you trust them to get the job done. Give them an opportunity to get the tasks completed and if you return and see that the task was not completed then you can calmly bring this to their attention.

Motivation – Motivating employees can benefit your business because motivated employees will invest much more effort into their jobs. Employees like to feel that their hard work is appreciated. Incentives and rewards for a job well done can be used as a tool for motivating employees.

Enforcing rules – If you don’t enforce the rules, employees will constantly break them. Demonstrate to employees that rules are there for a reason, as guidelines to ensure a safe and pleasant work environment.

Firing – Firing employees is no fun but it is essential. A business is only as strong as its weakest link. If you have employees that are only bringing negativity to your business, it is best to let them go.

C M Y K

CKD Integrated set to open ceramic tiles factory

By Yinka Kolawole DK Integrated Industries has announced plans open its Porcelain and Ceramic factory in Shagamu Ogun state in May 2016.

Chief Executive Officer of the company, Dr Khater Massaad, who disclosed this at the factory site, noted that the ultra modern factory built on a million square meters of land is is targeted at meeting demand for ceramics and sanitary wares, particularly in Africa and Europe.

Massaad said he foresees Nigeria becoming a major exporter of ceramic tiles and Sanitary wares to other African countries and Europe in the nearest future with the establishment of CDK Integrated Industries. He said: “Our aim is to produce high quality ceramic tiles and sanitary wares products; everyone is in need of high quality products. We aim to meet the best quality in the world matching and possibly surpassing American and

C

European standards. CDK Integrated Industries’ vision is to be number one in Africa in terms of product quality and pricing.”

He further revealed that CDK Integrated Industries is already engaging Nigerians that are buying into the vision of the company as a professional organisation with global best practices. According to him, over sixty five million square meters of ceramic tiles are imported into Nigeria as published by Italybased Ceramic World review magazine.

Economic transformation Massaad added that the company is currently processing its Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) certification with plans for ISO certification in the “shortest possible time”. According to him, CDK Integrated Industries will employ over one thousand Nigerians as part of its contribution to the

development of Nigerian economy while reducing importation of tiles from Italy. With active contribution to the construction of over fifty factories across the world, Dr Khater Massaad concluded that the investment in Shagamu Ogun state Nigeria will transform the economy of the communities and the country.

After commissioning, CDK Integrated Industries Porcelain and Ceramic tiles factory will be producing 60X60 CM, 30x60 CM and 40x40CM polished, glazed, glazed polished and soluble salt tiles with superior quality, using state of the art technology and latest digital printing equipment.

CDK Integrated Industries Sanitary Wares factory will be producing five hundred thousand pieces annually of several models of European designer collections, using the best technology, best raw materials, highest standards, world class fittings and soft closing hinges, amongst others.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, April 21, 2016

show affection by also caring materially for his woman.

"Unfortunately, what we see these days are guys who, instead of caring financially for their women even when they have the power, want to collect from her at every given opportunity. The ability of a man to protect and 'take care' of his wife or fiancĂŠe is very paramount," she said.

It's quite amazing how humorously frank women could sound when certain issues are tabled. Just like our third respondent, a mother of three.

Without mincing words, Mrs Julie Bankole asked: "Will you eat love? And for how long do you think the romance will last without the money? When your husband finishes wooing you with the roses, what will your children eat? The master card is more important even if you wish for the roses."

Roses or the Debit-card: What do women want?

By Josephine Agbonkhese & Anino Aganbi

E

VER wondered why almost every young man in town is in love with Adekunle Gold's new hit Orente? As confessed by a few, the 'very comfortable' personality of the figurative woman created in the song very much appeal to them. Orente, as portrayed in the video, is a good woman, who is content with her man, even though he is very low on cash- or even flat broke.

The reality is that the definition of a 'good woman' appears to be changing very fast.

Economic situations To most men these days, perhaps because of changing economic situations, a good woman is the Orente kind of woman who is totally satisfied with her man's love for her and isn't worried that he can't satisfy her with some of the good things of life.

Some 'never-do-wells' have taken this to the extreme, with their own definition of a good C M Y K

woman being that woman who is not only content but is also able to provide for their every financial need in addition to hers.

The nature of women: Women may have increased wealth and equality, but some things may never change- one of such is the unquenchable desire to be loved, cared for and supported; both emotionally and materiallyselfish, you may call it.

But this is so true of womenfolk that even when some have convinced themselves they only needed a man who 'truly loves' themeven though he is broke, it didn't take long before they wished for the unavailable.

But what's wrong with keeping a man who truly loves his woman but is very, very low on cash? Does that make him less of a man?

"Roses (love, romance), no matter h o w beautiful they a r e ,

Adekunle Gold

While demand for the Orente kind of woman heightens, however, it is only rational for male folks to come to terms with their obligation towards women

— 23

would not last long if there is no money to sustain it. A man who expects his woman to ask for things before he even gives them to her is not yet a man as far as I am concerned," a married middle-aged woman, Mrs Rachel Afolayan- Adetunji, bluntly told Woman's Own. She went on: "There has to be a balance between love and monetary care. If there is money and no joy, the woman will suffer it.

A woman who has a caring husband may still manage even if the money is not forth coming. At the same time, it is also very important to note that you cannot do without money."

True to our earlier assertion that women, by nature, may never change even when their economic status do, Toni Phebe Taiwo, a young lady, told Woman's Own that there's more to the paparazzi of roses.

For her, a real man should

Shirking their responsibilities Julie who admitted every woman likes to feel special, said men should stop shirking their responsibilities towards their women, adding that some women may pretend about their dissatisfaction just because they don't want to be seen as being materialistic.

"A man should be able meet his woman's needs without her having to ask for everything she wants, even when she is married.

Most Nigerian men however believe that just because their wives are working and can fend for themselves, then they have no obligation towards them financially.

I wonder what the next generation of men would do if they keep believing women should not be materially cared for?" Julie cried out in disappointment.

INSIDE Rape cases are not treated with kid gloves at the Police command– Lagos State PPRO, Dolapo

Chibok Girls' Mystery Two Years After

24—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

DOLAPO Opeyemi Badmos, is a Superintendent of Police (SP) and the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of Lagos State Police Command, since she joined the Force on 15 August, 2002, as an Assistant Superintendent of Police (Course 21 batch) and trained at Police Academy, Wudil, Kano, the graduate of Accounting who also holds a post-graduate degree in Public Administration has served in various capacity.

In this chat with Esther Onyegbula, the mother of two talks about how the command is handling rape cases in the state, raiding of criminal hideout in the state, congestion of cells and the controversy trailing bail is free.

We keep hearing of rape here and there in the state, is it that there is an increase or that people are now aware of the right to seek redress?

I don’t see it as an increase, I see it as a fact that people are now aware of their right, people now speak out, come up when they are been abused and they say it and they report to appropriate authority. So let me just say it and they report.

The level of report is on the increase and not increase of rape itself. The Lagos command, salutatory have the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, SCIID who is suppose to be in charge of all cases of rape but

Rape ca not trea with kid at the P comman

state PPRO, right now the Lagos state police command have gone as far as having three specific divisions that have female staffs that are trained specially on how to handle rape case and charge such cases to court. Not going through State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, SCIID or slowing down the process that is why we have decided to empower the divisions to handle such cases. The divisions include, Isokoko division, the Adeniji

The level of report is on the increase and not increase of rape itself

jones division and the Ilupeju divisions have been been

Women should create more opportunities for themselves — Krystn Enem, Media entrepreneur

By Kehinde Ajose

K

RYSTN Enem is a vibrant broadcaster and media entrepreneur who believes in the concealed power within women to make a positive impact. Krystn who is the host of The Krystn Enem Show discovered her career path at an early age. “My career path was born out of my natural love and passion for speaking.

At the age of five, I was selected to read the welcome speech to a visiting Governor. I remember my head teacher came to my house that Saturday morning. I was given a presidential treatment” She further adds that women have a huge role to play in changing their world and becoming an inspiration to their family cum community at large.

“Women can change the world if we put our hearts to it. As women, we affect our environment positively or negatively depending on what energy we choose to let out. Women have been known to C M Y K

bring down even the strongest men. Now, take all that energy and channel it to bringing positive change and you can only imagine how great the nation can be. If more women are like Dora Akunyili Nigeria will be a better place. People say society should give women more opportunities, I believe in women creating more opportunities for themselves.”

The lawyer turned broadcaster opines that African women are beginning to realize that they can be more useful beyond their traditional roles. “A lot of other women have not tapped into this realization to be leaders and contributors to society. But like every other good thing, I will say good things take time, better things take more time and the best things take a lifetime to come. This means that the Nigerian woman is a work in progress. Someday soon, we would say, there was a time when it was unheard of for a woman to be this or that, but look at now.”

adequately empowered to investigate, rapes cases and charge culprits to court.

Rape cases within these axis don’t need to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, SCIID. And the Commissioner of Police CP Fatai Owoseni is not taking cases of rape with kids gloves. You are aware of the case of a church deacon

and was sleeping with a 7year-old girl, the commissioner of police interviewed him personally and he insisted that the investigation must be done speedily and as I am talking to you the man is already cooling his heels in Kiri-kiri that is to let you know that the Command is not joking with the case of rape of any nature.

How does the

poli crim oper Le that getti a pa The guid is d offic susp they raid that offic is p sho answ go a Af after And they any do, y if th orga show for t com

Sea of t

Bu beca hide repo conv can the that incr is du De plac than you is fo incri pros Ba mos why We not b poin of th choi

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016 —25

Group canvasses improved welfare packages for pregnant, nursing women

ases are ated d gloves Police nd– Lagos

By Caleb Ayansina

A

GROUP known as the Annmom Foundation For Mothers-Welfare (AFMW) has called on all tiers of government to improve welfare packages for pregnant and nursing mothers across the country.

The President and Founder of the AFMW, Princes Ann Johnson said their finding revealed that if at all, Nigerian government had welfare packages for pregnant or nursing women in the country, it was very poor, adding that, various programmes and initiatives that could improve their standard of living were not properly implemented.

Princess Johnson, who was speaking in her maiden media briefing, in Abuja, noted that women and children were the worse hit by the poor economic situation of the country.

Narrating her experiences in Idi-Araba, in Lagos state, the mother of three said it was pathetic to discover that six out of ten lactating women, their team came in contact with, were living in abject poverty that required urgent attention of the government.

“It is important to call on the Federal and other tiers of government to rise up to the challenges posed by poverty in our society. The less privileged ones are everywhere; therefore, the government should double its efforts at its social responsibilities to the citizens either directly or through organisations such as ours.

, Dolapo

ice determine who is a minal or not after a raiding ration ? et me first of all tell you t raiding is a form of ing rid of criminals in articular place or spot. ere are operational delines for raiding. It done when police cers have reasons to pect that in such area, y can do on the spot ding of black spot and areas are prone to criminality. When police cers raid a particular place or spot, it ertinent that the officer in charge uld actually determine who is werable to the law and how do you about that. fter raiding, what is expected rwards is screening of the people. d this is done by asking them where y work, where they stay, if they have form of identification. And if they you make verification. For instance, he person in question works in an anisation and has an identity card to w, you can place a call to the company them to confirm if he is a staff of the mpany.

Acute poverty

arching the abode the suspect

ut, if the officer is still not convinced ause he was picked at a criminal eout or near a place where it is orted that robbers are always verging for their operation, the officer still proceed to search the abode of suspect and if the police discovers t you don’t have anything riminating, at that point, the officer uty bound to let the suspect go. epending on the time the arrest took ce, this process should not take more n two/ three hours at most and then set the person free. But, if the person ound wanting or you find anything iminating, you make the person face secution according to the law. ail is free doesn’t seem to apply to st Police Divisional Headquarters, y is this so? e always tell people that they should be quick to seek for bail, even at that nt when you are hoodwinked by any he officers and you don’t have a ice. Put their name in your memory C M Y K

The authority of the police abhors taking bail money.

Money must not exchange hands under whatever guise in the police station.

The leadership of the police insists that bail is free or have a way of writing it down and after you have come out of their hook,you let the authority know and you will see that

the authority will move in spontaneously.

The authority of the police abhors taking bail money.

Money must not exchange hands under whatever guise in the police station. The leadership of the police insists that bail is free. It is stated in the constitution and it is meant to be obeyed. So, we are imploring people to report anything of such nature.

How often does the command inspect the cells in the divisional police stations to curb congestion and excesses of policemen there?

We have the Inspector- General of Police monitoring unit. We have the Lagos state Commissioner of Police monitoring unit. They go all out to monitor activities in the cells from time to time. We have also partnered with nongovernmental organisations that also assist in inspecting the state of the cells in different divisions.

So, it is not only police that does that and we are still open to partnering with any organisation in that respect.

“The government should also engage in sensitisation and enlightenment on birth control because from what we see out there, an average poor family has more than four children, making them overwhelmed by acute poverty.

“The most painful aspect of it is that most families live in one room in their large numbers mixing both sexes together on the same mat, a situation that is most prohibited in the developed world.

“The government should consider the imperatives of providing shelter for citizens who are homeless or living in a substandard human condition.

“We shall do all that is possible to ensure that we do that which we stand for, but we need the support of public spirited individuals all over the world, to rise and support us in donations in kind or cash to enable us achieve our goals,” she pleaded.

26—Vanguard, THURSDAY,

APRIL 21, 2016

Chibok Girls' mystery two years after: •I smell a global conspiracy of silence — Laila St Matthew Daniels •Proof of life video a deceit — Cece Yara

By Josephine Agbonkhese & Anino Aganbi

I

N a twinkle of an eye, it's now over two years since the disappearance of 219 students of the Federal Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Bornu State. Not a few imagined the girls who were reportedly abducted by Islamic sect Boko Haram would be a year older in the sect's den, not to mention two.

At least not with the loud cry by human rights activists, daily activities aimed at pressurizing government, protest walks in cities around the world; thanks to the instant fame amassed by the #BringBackOurGirls-BBOG hashtag on social media platforms. Plus the 'wasteful' journey of foreign intelligence personnel who trooped Nigeria from big western nations. And then of course the failed negotiation between the Federal Government and the sect.

Doubts: So abysmal was the futility of these efforts that some soon started doubting the reality of the whole incidence. These doubts notwithstanding, civil society leaders who have been at the heart of the campaigns for the release of the girls have not in any way lost faith in the eventual return of the girls.

Some of them who spoke with Woman's Own include Laila St Matthew-Daniel of Acts Generation, Dr Abiola Akiyode of the Women Advocates Research & Documentation Centre, WARDC, and Mrs Grace Ketefe of Cece Yara Save a Child Foundation.

Government's biggest mistake St Matthew-Daniel who sympathised with the families of the missing girls on the 2nd anniversary of the kidnap, said government's biggest mistake was its failure to pursue the insurgents immediately after the kidnap was reported.

"The mistake government made was its failure to embark on a rescue mission immediately the event occurred.

It's unfortunate that a lot of people doubted and still doubt the reality of that event.

But remember, it was same doubt and mockery that did not allow government to move as fast as it should. When something similar happened to 139 girls in Uganda, the abductors were immediately pursued and most of the girls were recovered," she said.

She is however of the opinion that there is a conspiracy of silence surrounding the continued disappearance of the girls, hence the need to continue asking questions. "I believe there are C M Y K

Girls in Proof of Life Video some secrets that need to come out. There is a conspiracy of silence; a truth that has to be unravelled. So, even if some people are doubting Thomases, it is good for us to keep asking "where are the girls?" until somebody answers that question.

"Talking about doubt, who would go through so much to pretend that over 200 girls were taken when they were not? Something is definitely wrong with us in Nigeria; a lot of times we take on the mindset of negativity. I however believe the truth will come out someday," St MatthewDaniel enthused.

Finding missing girls in one piece: On whether the girls can still be found in once piece as portrayed by the Proof of Life video released last week by America's cable network CNN, said to have been shot by the insurgents, St Matthew-Daniel said keeping over 200 girls for that long is a herculean task for anyone.

She went on: "Never. Let us not kid ourselves. It is not easy

There are people who know the truth, and I believe that one day, that truth will come out to keep over 200 girls together like that. Remember we once heard they had started to sell them. I believe they actually did because at that point, they were trying to be known and integrated into ISIS. Hence, whatever ISIS did, they also did. When ISIS started beheading in cold blood, Boko Haram started; when they started razing villages, Boko Haram started; and when they

Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi

Laila St. Matthew Daniel started selling women and children in markets, Boko Haram too must have followed. "Besides, I want to say that video looked very mechanical. The girls didn't look stressed or strained but looked quite young and robust.

And how come it was only that little group of mothers that were brought to see that video? I would have hoped to see about 200 mothers.

What quietened the international community?

"That's why I say there is a conspiracy of silence. I want to know what happened when the world was ready to come in; I mean, this was a world that had gone in to rescue people in the most dangerous of places. They were ready to come in, storm Sambisa or wherever, and pick up the girls. But all of a sudden, there was a quiet. What happened and what stopped them? "Another point is that there was going to be negotiation for an exchange.

But we were later told government did not align with the agreement and so, the girls were

never released. There are people who know the truth, and I believe that one day, that truth will come out. Years later, women and girls who would have eventually gained their freedom from these insurgents will show up in history."

On her part, Akiyode chided government over what she described as its insensitivity towards the many human rights violations in the north-eastern part of the country, the attack on the Chibok schoolgirls being the height of it. "Government cannot get a pass mark until this mystery is resolved, and that is until the girls return alive. Remember about a year ago when the Bring Back Our Girls group met with the president and he said it lacked the capacity in terms of intelligence to rescue the girls?

You do not get to hear such from the president of America when talking about ISIS or any terrorist group.

Positive statements What we need to hear from the Federal Government of Nigeria, post Jonathan regime, is positive statements on efforts that have been made.

Human rights violations in the north-east: Akiyode further decried the level of human rights violations in the north-east, describing it as is alarming. She told Woman's Own: "We keep talking about the Chibok girls because it was a case of a whole load of children taken away at once. But there is a whole load of mess going on up there. The Internally Displaced Persons Camps-IDPs, sexual harassment, trauma, to mention a few. "Many others have been missing before and after the Chibok girls and it is sad that till date, we do not have even a record of missing persons in the north-east so that people can also report when such things happen. As for the IDPs, as we speak, the number of people who stay with friends and

relatives in their houses are more than the people in the IDP camps, and yet, government is not looking at the issues. "Recently we were told government was embarking on a rehabilitation of the schools affected by the insurgents' activities in the north-east, and we were surprise to hear that the Chibok school where those girls were taken from is not included when it should be among those given priority.

More action than words: "What I'm saying in essence is that we need more results to show that government is concerned and strategic towards the release of the girls. We need to see more action because two years is a long time.

A child that was 14 at that time is now 16. The child that had not started menstruating must have reached the stage of puberty now."

Safety of school children in Nigeria: To stall further attack on schools across the country, Akiyode who also recalled the recent Barbington Macaulay school kidnap in Ikorodu, Lagos, called on government to consider the formulation of a national policy on the safety and security of school children. "I would have expected also, that as a country with all of these happening for months now, that government should have taken steps to secure all the schools in Nigeria.

National policy What happened in Ikorodu should never have happened because the reason why those girls were taken is because the school was unsafe and insecure. I therefore advise that government considers having a national policy that will address the safety and security of young children in schools while we wait for the girls' return. This is particularly as kidnapping is almost becoming a legitimate business in Nigeria," she said.

Assistant Director, Cece Yara Save the Child Foundation, Mrs Ketefe, on her part, described the now popular Proof of Life video as "insignificant and not enough to prove that the girls were still alive." According to her, the footage only helped to remind her of the tragic case of a Pakistani pilot. "That video reminds me of the case of a certain Pakistani pilot.

His proof of life video was shown in January or March but it was later discovered, according to intelligence gathering, that the man was burnt alive in December.

Meanwhile, that video was shown in negotiation for the release of some terrorists. Hence, we cannot say those kidnapped girls are alive or in one piece in their abductors' custody because that video was done four months ago. "I personally see it as a ploy to deceive government because these people know very well that the whole world is emotional about the issue. The only way we can be convinced, however, is if at least one of the girls is released to us," Ketefe said.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016 — 27

,

& YOU Currencies lose value Every currency whether it is the euro, pound sterling, dollar or naira continues to depreciate in value on a regular basis. The value of the naira and what it could buy, for example, in 1976 cannot be compared to what it is now in 2016.

By 2056, it will have drastically decreased in value and there is no sign that this trend will abate.

Putting money into savings for the long term yields funds whose values will have seriously depreciated from what it is today.

This is the major reason why you cannot build wealth just by saving money because the money’s value is constantly being eroded. The prices of goods and services constantly increase while the value of money used to

Even though savings will not make you rich, by all means don’t stop saving

purchase them goes in the opposite direction.

Low returns on savings The returns that one receives from keeping money in savings are so minute and inconsequential. These days, savings accounts attract little interest per annum for depositors, which is hardly a motivator to make one want to save.

Savings must go with investment Money earmarked for purposes of building wealth may be saved first and invested afterward. Investment is simply the process of channelling your resources into ventures that will cause them to multiply and increase, thereby putting the money to work for you.

The rich know this very well and are constantly on the lookout for opportunities to put their money to work, so it can multiply and continue producing wealth for them.

Putting money into savings alone will not get money to work for you.

Banks can fail: A number of banks collapsed several years ago thus causing depositors to C M Y K

lose their funds. Thousands lost whatever they had kept as savings in the affected banks, with some being paid a pittance compared to what they had saved by the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Company (NDIC).

Many are still trying to recover their lost funds.

Even though steps have been taken to ensure that there isn’t a repeat of this occurrence in the Nigerian financial system, the fact that it has occurred before is a pointer that there is a possibility it could happen again.

Unexpected expenses deplete savings No matter how disciplined one is, necessary expenses may arise that one may have to offset from savings. For instance, if a family member becomes ill requiring expensive treatment or if you lose your source of livelihood, then there is no option but to draw substantially from your savings to stem the tide.

Liquidation of assets The only way one can effectively plan for this is by having an emergency fund kept aside with at least six months of expenses for such contingencies. But what if it is inadequate? Then one begins to use up other savings and even begins to liquidate assets.

Detracts from opportunities to grow wealth Those who are obsessively driven to save money become cautious when opportunities to grow their savings come their way. Now there is nothing wrong in exercising caution and weighing all the pros and cons before investing hard earned resources, but in wealthbuilding, there is always an element of risk involved. Being cautious can cause one to prefer to keep secure the little resources that one has rather than seeking for ways to multiply it.

Even though savings will not make you rich, by all means don’t stop saving. Saving is usually one of the first steps anyone who desires wealth needs to take for it is proof that your money is under your control and not vice versa. The key is adding other essential actions such as investing to your savings effort and it eventually begins to yield wealth and fortune. *Doghudje is Managing Director of GfK RT Nigeria and author of several articles on personal finance, savings, investing and wealth-building.

During meetings, tell your people that you are the CEO but not the custodian of wisdom

,

One trait every CEO needs in tough times The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function”… F. Scott Fitzgerald

T

HE current economic an Oil and challenges have left CEOs and Gas company, senior management with no choice and a young than to review their personal traits man said, “I by which they have worked in the support what time past. This is very important my MD has now more than ever given that what just said”. I BY ‘UJU ONWUZULIKE brought results in our organisations insisted he or for the CEO in the time past, may not bring results anymore. comes up with his own thought (original idea), Speaking with leaders during my lo and behold; his views brought a turn around executive management programs, to the company. This is exactly what I am talking one will easily decipher how uneasy about. But guess what, with that culture, most leaders are when it comes to everyone sees him or herself as a superstar. No receiving “opposing views” from CEO, executive, or manager will be a superstar the lower rungs of the hierarchy. without employees that are superstars. And one And this is why most CEOs and of the ways to make them superstars is to allow managers of people often them to come up with their ideas find it difficult to gather and often opposing views on how candid advice from their best to make things work. people as they have been Few weeks back, I had a CEOs are made to always tell the discussion with a newly appointed CEOs what they want to hardly told CEO in Nigeria, and I deliberately hear and not what will said to him, you are not made the the truth make a difference and CEO because you are the smartest even when ultimately stir a or brightest. And that applies to turnaround for the every CEO or senior t h e y organisation. In the area of management. Having that in mind genuinely not telling the CEO the that you were not chosen because truth, my insight titled, you were the smartest goes a long request for “The CEO Without a Cloth”, way to tell us that smartest ideas one threw more light. reside in everyone. Of a truth, The unusual trait every CEOs and managers of any kind CEO and senior should be adept in harvesting their management should have peoples’ ideas and views. Yes, I in these challenging times that will set understand in the time past we have been told him or her apart is “the ability to hold to categorize people’s views or ideas to be contradictions”. This means, having an bad or good, and as such we have been used uncanny predisposition, ability or to hold just one idea or view. Then anyone capacity to hold in their heads two that goes outside what we believe or our way opposing views or ideas at once without of thinking is termed contradictory or at worse hounding anyone. I deliberately opposing. I quickly told him to hold dear those referred to it as an unusual trait, because that will always tell him views that are quite many CEOs and senior management are different from his.

As a leader or CEO, you have already known not used to having people hold contrary what you know. And chances are that what views or oppose their views and ideas. you know might not be enough to drive your organisation to the desired destination.

Opposing or Interestingly, what others know are also contrary views required. So go out there and encourage They often see it to mean that their your people to come up with their views and powers, expertise and intelligence are you will see amazing wonders. During being undermined and not recognised. meetings, tell your people that you are the Come to think of it, CEOs are hardly told CEO but not the custodian of wisdom and that the truth even when they genuinely way encourage them to be free and always request for one, let alone getting them come up with ideas and suggestions that will to see that their views and ideas are not give your company a competitive edge.

In this age and time, what will stand a leader seen to be superlative.

As the Chief Results Officer of my or manager out is his or her ability to company, I have been known to be a creatively resolve the apprehension between proponent of “don’t tell me what I said two or more opposing ideas or views by makes sense, rather, what do you have bringing about a new one that contains to say? So, with this, my associates at elements of the others but is superior to all work will always come with their views the views. These kinds of leaders or CEOs and most times opposing or contrary know that everyone's views in their views, but I have the large heart to organisation matter so much, and having accommodate all their views. Years seen that believe, employees are ready to back, I remember asking someone a come up with all kinds of views that can question during a retreat I was doing for transform the organisation.

C M Y K

28—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

25 risk loss of degree certificates over WASSCE results

By Dayo Adesulu & Tare Youdeowei

T

WENTY-FIVE former West African Examinations Council (WAEC) candidates who had returned the certificates got through examination malpractice to WAEC, may also forfeit the degree certificates acquired through the WASCE results, said WAEC. Our investigations revealed that as soon as WAEC withdrew and cancelled those certificates, the National Universities Commission, NUC, National Board for Technical Education, NBTE and National Commission for Colleges of Education, NCE, were notified for appropriate action.

Speaking, yesterday, through a telephone conversation, a senior staff of WAEC, who does not want his name in print because he was not authorized to speak on the issue, said: “Besides, the 25 WAEC candidates, who returned their certificates due to their Christian faith, there were over 100 persons whose certifi-

cates were withdrawn.”

Implication: According to him, the implication of the decision by the former WAEC candidates who had personally reported their involvement in examination malpractice is to forfeit any certificate or job got through the WASSCE results. He, however noted that the discretion to withdraw their degree, polytechnics or NCE certificates is left for their institutions of higher learning to decide. ‘’Our stand has been made known to them such that they cannot come to WAEC office to verify their results for those years,’’ he explained.

His words: ‘’The onus is on universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, to withdraw their certificates if they ever gained admissions to such institutions through the cancelled results. Also, if the cancelled WAEC certificates were part of their official credentials at the point of job employment, their employers, if they so wish can take their decisions.

"WAEC has no power to pros-

ecute them for personally reporting their involvement in examination malpractice, except those

The onus is on universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, to withdraw their certificates if they ever gained admissions to such institutions through the cancelled results who impersonated to collect other persons’ certificates. We can per-

sonally hand over such to the Police for prosecution. All we could do in the case of those who reported themselves was to withdraw their certificates and notifies relevant education institutions.

"We have informed the National Universities Commission, NUC, National Board for Technical Education, NBTE and National Commission for Colleges of Education, NCE were notified for appropriate action.’’

Reacting to this, a lecturer in Department of Science and Education, Faculty of Education, Lagos State University, Dr Shina Akintolure, urged the affected candidates to retake the WAEC examinations, adding that it would reflect their true performance without irregularities.

He said: “Good idea, it is a per-

BRT ticketer graduates with 4.0 CGPA from LASPOTECH

F

By Dayo Adesulu

EW weeks ago, when Ayodele Dada from the University of Lagos graduated with a Cumulative Grade Point Average, 5.0 CGPA, little did we know that another Miss Omosalewa Babalola 26, from Ibadan, Oyo State, will repeat the academic feat at Lagos State Polytechnic, with a 4.0 CGPA, the best ever in the institution.

Salewa, as she is fondly called, is the first child of a polygamous family of seven. Her father , a printer and mother, a petty trader.

Due to her financially disadvantaged background her parents had to suspend her education when she was in SS2.

However, this promising lady, determined that financial limitations will be the end of the road, resulted to the sale of tickets with the Lagos State run Bus Rapid Transit system,BRT, where she saved money to further her education.

According to her, after making her WASSCE, she took JAMB, made it and was given provisional admission into the university, but due to financial constraint, she had to forfeit the ad-

mission.

Nevertheless, her passion for education led her to obtain polytechnic form where she was admitted into School of Applied Sciences in part time, while working as a BRT ticketer. Upon completion of her Ordinary National Diploma, OND, with an excellent performance, she immediately enrolled for a Higher National Diploma, HND, which she did as full time.

Reading at night Speaking with Vanguard on the secret of her academic feat, she disclosed that success comes with hard work, adding that after close of work, as a ticketer, she spent the rest of the night reading.

“I do not cram, when I read. All I did, was employ the techniques of narrating a home movie. While watching a movie, you normally give your full attention to it, such that, if you are asked to narrate what you saw, you can do it from beginning to the end. If you bring that same mindset to your studies, you will hardly forget what you are taught and what you read.”

Miss Omosalewa Babalola Hear her speak: “Success in life is not by chance, but by hard work, perseverance, commitment and dedication. If you want extra ordinary result, you must put in extra ordinary input. One of my hobbies is reading, but I don’t have specific hours of reading. I love my course and I have a passion for it. The state of mind contributes to ones success.

'Understand yourself, know what you like, know what makes you happy and know what affects you negatively and positively. I

had read for fifteen hours before, but I don’t cram.

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when we take our eyes off the goals. I use this statement as a motivator each time I am confronted with a challenge. ''As a ticketer, I go to work from Monday to Friday, and am only left with Saturday and Sunday.

Therefore, I read one day to the exam, but what I read, I never forget.

"I once gained admission to Bayero University, but when I could not pay my school fees, I had to come back home. That was when I decided to work, if I had to go to school. I had only one male lecturer in the department.

If I had male lecturers in the department, probably people would have said another thing. When my course mates had any issue, they always come to me to help them solve it. ''When we finish semester exam, I will just rest for four or five days then read ahead for the second semester. I made my SSCE results when I was in SS2. I believe in individual development, I don’t believe in this disparity between graduates of the university and the polytechnic.

sonal choice and they are doing it for restitution. They can however take it a step further by taking another set of WAEC exams that would reflect their true performance without irregularities.”

On his part, a retired Director of Education in Lagos, Mr. Agbarakwe Godwin posited that the results of the affected examination centres should be canceled because candidates from those cannot claim innocent.

He said: “If WAEC wants to be honest with itself, they should look at the centre where those people did their examination and cancel the certificates of that year.

All of them in the those centres are involved in cheating, cheating is never isolated.

According to him, most private schools are involved in cheating because they want to have high overall percentage, so that students will continue to patronage them to remain in business. He noted that those returning their certificates are not realistic, adding that they were aware of themselves when they did it, they are mere fanatics.

Cancelling of the certificates Agbarakwe, however charged WAEC to go back to those centres where these anomalies happened, and scrap them from conducting exams because it simply means they are fraudulent, it is not just about the individuals.”

You will recalled that WAEC had last week cancelled and withdrew the certificates of 25 candidates who reported themselves to had cheated during the examination.

Breakdown of the year the examinations were taken revealed that the oldest certificates dates back to June 1980 with certificates dated 1986 for Nov/Dec with certificates nos NGPO497232 and NGO 442267 and three obtained in 1989, all for school examinations with certificates nos NGPO 1004584, NGPO 823128 and June West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) and eight sat for the Nov/Dec WASSCE.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016—29

RESEARCH & DEVT

OAU’s TH wins Microsoft Imagine Cup

By Amaka Abayomi TARU Babatunde, Oyatope Blessing, Shoaga Victor, and Ayodele Obasegun of Team Humane of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, have won the National Finals of the 2016 edition of Microsoft Nigeria Imagine Cup. Now in its ninth year, Microsoft Imagine Cup is the premier students’ technology programme and competition, and a cornerstone of the Microsoft YouthSpark initiative which provides the opportunity for student technologists, developers and aspiring entrepreneurs to collaborate, develop a technology application, create a business plan and gain a keen understanding of

O

what is needed to bring a concept to market. Competing in the World Citizenship Category, Team Humane came up with a solution for the visually impaired which enables them to interact and navigate freely on their mobile phones.

The solution comes with an accompanying hardware known as the Humane handle, which interacts with apps installed on a device using Bluetooth. A visually impaired person would be able to navigate through various apps installed on his/her mobile phone using the handle and an integrated voice navigation system.

According to the team lead, Ayodele Obasegun, “we were

concerned about solving a major challenge hence we embark on this project. We have been developing solutions for various organizations and we felt a need to impact our community and the world as a whole, thus, this solution for the visually impaired which was initially targeted at gaming for the visually impaired, but later we felt we can do more than gaming.”

Also speaking, Director, Developer Evangelism, Microsoft Nigeria, Shina Oyetosho, explained that “Microsoft is committed in empowering students to become the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs and developers, and the competition inspires student developers around the world to create innovative solutions that change the way we live, work and play while also growing the skills they need to pursue a future in technology.”

UNIZIK students make mini bus from local materials

By Ebele Orakpo

*Autozik

Changes call for innovation, and innovation leads to progress - Li Certified Linguistic professionals took Keqiang, Chinese polititeachers through an intensive 3-day cian. training. “They will arrive Lagos for the 3-day camp with their Chaperones on HE time for Nigeria to April 20, 2016. look inwards is now.

We have all the resources, both human and material, to be great.

To ensure that Nigeria is during the May/June 2015 Senior counted among automobile School Certificate Examination. manufacturers in the world, The Permanent Secretary, Ministry an industrialist, Mr. of Education, Mrs. Olabisi Ariyo, who Innocent Chukwuma, led a team to Living Stone College, chairman of Innoson Group Ogba, Lagos, during English exam of Companies, took a bold noted that as a seasoned teacher and step by investing in the invigilator, she knows it is easy and Automobile sector. The common place to cheat during Innoson Vehicle objective sessions. She supervised the Manufacturing (IVM) examination throughout the duration Company has made of the paper.

Nigeria proud.

Speaking after the exercise, Ariyo Today, they design and urged all school proprietors to manufacture Hummer maintain the good standard of buses, Waste vans, Luxury education in the state by grooming buses, Hilux vans, Saloon their students properly before the cars, Jeeps and so on in examination rather than resorting to Nigeria and by Nigerians. helping them cheat.

50 Spelling Bee contestants set for finals

By Tare Youdeowei

N

O fewer than 50 students from nine participating states have been qualified to represent their schools at the Grand Finale of the Spelling Bee Nigeria scheduled for April 22 , 2016 at The NECA Hall, Plot A2, Akin Balogun Street, CBD Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.The eight participating states whose students scaled through state level include; Lagos, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Kwara, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Nasarrawa and the FCT, Abuja.

1st Prize winner gets an allexpense paid trip to the 89th Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington DC, USA as a guest, plus a scholarship Fund, whilst the 2nd Prize is an all-expense paid trip to Pearson Publishing House, Harlow UK and a scholarship fund. Pearson Education was recently unveiled as the official dictionary of the Spelling Bee Nigeria. According to Akin OluPhilips “The Spelling Bee Nigeria

is targeted at students between ages 8 – 13. The year’s edition began with the training the trainers’ sessions at 2 venues: Abuja and Lagos, where Scripps

T

LASG moves against exam malpractice

T

By Tare Youdeowei

HE Lagos State Government, in a bid to prevent sharp practices in public and private secondary schools in the on-going West African Senior School Certificate Examination, sent out various teams to do unscheduled visits to senior secondary schools across the state to ensure malpractice is reduced to the barest minimum.

WAEC had earlier sanctioned 30 secondary schools in Lagos State over alleged involvement in examination malpractice

Learn Africa signs MoA with Samsung

By Elizabeth Uwandu

L

EARN Africa Plc has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Samsung Electronics West Africa Limited to achieve a collaboration of efforts towards the integration of education based econtent from Learn Africa Plc into Samsung mobile devices.

These integrated educational solution and products are to be promoted to all public and private schools nationwide. The aim of this Memorandum of Understanding is to achieve a partnership that will bring about qualitative transformation in the education sector in Nigeria and the West Africa sub-region.

Learn Africa Plc (formerly Longman Nigeria Plc) is a learning resource business with a history spanning over 50 years. The company is the largest educational publisher with the widest range of books and educational resources and a very expansive distribution network. Learn Africa Plc also offers teacher training/development programmes, digital content provisioning and educational con-

sultancy services.Samsung Electronics West Africa Limited is one of the subsidiaries of Samsung Electronics, Korea and is involved in the encourage-

ment of customized education solutions for educational institutions in Nigeria using the wide range of products manufactured by Samsung Electronics, Korea.

FG appoints Arhagba as PTI Vice President

By Tare Youdeowei

T

HE Federal Government has appointed Mrs. Emily E. Arhagba as Vice President of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun.

In a four paragraph letter ref No. MPS/2031/S.27/1/102, signed by Mr. I.A. Mariga, Director of Human Resources Management Ministry of Petroleum states in part, that the Honourable Minister of State, Petroleum Resources has approved your appointment as the Vice Principal of the Petroleum Training Institute with effect from April 1, 2016. The appointment is for a term of two years, or until your retirement on October 13, 2017, which ever comes first. Mrs. E.E. Arhagba who was until her appointment

the Director of Science (DOS) would function as the Director of Science and Vice Principal in-charge of the PTI pending the appointment of a substantive Principal/Chief Executive.

Also, Mrs. Arhagba’s appointment was sequel to the retirement of the Acting Principal/Chief Executive, Mr. Avuakporeta J. Orukele on the attainment of the mandatory 60 years of age on April 1, 2016. Mrs. Arhagba holds a Master’s Dgree in Communications & Language Arts and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A) English Language from the famous University of Ibadan and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria respectively.

The new Vice Principal is also a professional member of many bodies which includes Institute of Chartered Mediators & Conciliators, Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM), African Council for Communication Education and a Fellow, African Council of Corporate Administrator among others.

Engineering students Following in Innoson’s footsteps, seven final-year engineering students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, designed and constructed a mini bus from scratch with locally sourced materials made specially to suit Nigeria’s topography and climatic condition.

“The bus was constructed from start to finish at the University’s workshop, using all necessary design software and ComputerAided Design (CAD) tools.

We constructed the chassis, down to every single part of the mini bus,” said Callistus Ezeigwe, one of the seven.

The group, known as the Autozik Group, was made up of six males and a female including Callistus Ezeigwe, Victor Obinani, Ifeanyi Ezeanolue, Ogbu Ikenna, Fidelis Ominigbo, Nnamdi Nwobodo and Chinaza Okoro, was supervised by the then Head of Mechanical Engineering Department, Dr. C.H.

*Side view of Autozik

*The team Achebe.

“We made the mini bus using mere hand tools. This means we did all of the constructions and folding, with our hands, since the university could not provide us with ground equipment, as used in most automobile companies,” said Ezeugwu.

The mini bus which took about five months to complete, has a beautiful finishing so that people find it difficult to believe it was made in Nigeria.

Ezeigwe said the aim was to construct a mini bus using locally sourced materials, which is more durable and can better stand the test of time, compared to other brands out there.

“We named it Autobully,” said Obinani Victor, explaining that the brand name, coined from the normal bullion van, fits the shape of the mini bus.

We constructed the chassis, down to every single part of the mini bus

The challenge: There is no doubt that Nigeria has talents but the challenge is how to tap harness them for the good of the nation. These youths have been able to achieve this feat with no help from expatriates. They have shown some sense of doggedness and proficiency and they must not be allowed to be swept away by the tide of brain drain.

Also in the same institution, five final-year engineering students produced a Formula 1 car (Racing car).

They appealed to the government to invest in these youths and channel resources to the Automobile sector as they seek to diversify the economy. They also appealed to the public to buy made in Nigeria products to grow the Naira.

30—Vanguard, THURS DAY THURSDAY DAY, APRIL 21, 2016

C M Y K

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016—31

LAGOS COUNCIL POLL: When

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor, Olasunkanmi Akoni & Dapo Akinrefon

W

HEN is Lagos State going to hold its much delayed local government elections? That is the question that is now troubling many political stakeholders given the dithering procrastination of the authorities to conduct elections to replace the last set of elected council officials whose term in office ended in 2014.

Given the constitutional stipulation that the democratic system of government should be guaranteed, many were surprised when former Governor Babatunde Fashola joined many other governors to appoint local government caretaker committees to supervise the affairs of the local councils.

Caretaker governors Section 7(1) The system of local government by democratically elected local government councils is under this Constitution guaranteed; The appointment of caretaker committees has been likened to the president appointing caretaker governors to take care of the states. However, the administration in Lagos at that time did not broach much debate on it especially given insinuations of the political exigency of deferring local government elections in the All Progressives Congress, APC controlled state.

The political insinuation was that the APC hierarchy did not want to upset the applecart through the conduct of the council elections before the 2015 general elections.

The suggestion among many political

leaders was that the process of conducting primaries for the council polls just before the general elections could have wrecked the APC in Lagos as it would have led to either lethargy on the part of the losers or outright sabotage of the party if not defections.

It was against that wisdom it was alleged that the APC hierarchy in Lagos decided to defer the elections till after the general elections.

However, almost one year into the life of the new state administration, there is no visible sign of the imminent conduct of the local government polls.

The administration has taken shelter under the case filed by the National Conscience Party, NCP challenging the appointment of caretaker committees as a reason.

Indeed, the NCP has asked the Federal Government to stop the disbursement of allocation to the councils being managed by appointed caretakers.

NCP accused the state government of using unconstitutionally recognized devices to install persons not elected by the public, to manage affairs of councils in the state since expiry of tenure of past Chairmen in 2014.

Joined in the suit as respondents, are; Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, and the Attorney General of Lagos State.

Conduct of the elections The court had upheld the application of the party forcing the Lagos State government to appeal the judgment.

Remarkably the appeal is one of the reasons. However, the case is now before Appellate Court for hearing.

will it be?

•Ambode: Governor of Lagos State The case is one of the official reasons being given by the Lagos State Government and LAISEC for the delay in conducing the council polls.

Another reason is the contention by LAISEC that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not provided it with the voters’ register to guide it in the conduct of the elections.

Arguing its case for the seizure of funds to Lagos councils, the NCP through Akerele had argued “We are disappointed over the non-conduct council elections which became due since last year last year and in spite of the ruling of Lagos State Igbosere High Court ruling that election into the 20 LG be conducted within 30 days “After a woeful failure and loss of the case the Igbosere High Court 54 before Hon. Justice AMA Lawal, the LSG felt bad and humiliated by the judgement and ever since they have been doing everything to subvert the judgement, with APC, officials

making several contemptuous statements and doing everything to frustrate the implementation of the court ruling and campaign that nobody can stampede them to conduct local government election.

“They refused to dismantle the illegal and unconstitutional caretaker committee and yet flagrantly and in disobedience to court ruling draw monthly subvention unlawfully from federal account. Does a so called CHANGE APC, so called PROGRESSIVE LASG need to be prompted or dragged to the court before doing the needful over conduct of local government election?”

NCP contended that the state government has no excuse not

The appointment of caretaker committees has been likened to the president appointing caretaker governors to take care of the states to conduct LG election “much more so after a court ruling other than perpetrating illegality, looting LG fund, fraud corruption and emasculation of that tier of government.”

“We cannot see them winning at the Appeal Court! They can only delay judgement date. Yet in spite of their grand standing

and appeal at the Appeal Court, the APC Lagos State governments is undertaking clandestine activities to shameful and fraudulently ambush other political parties and conduct so called local government election without notice or carrying other stakeholders along.”

The criticisms of the NPC are also fuelled by that of the PDP which is accusing the APC administration in the state of dilly-dallying on the issue.

Its Publicity Secretary, Mr Taofik Gani expressed optimism that the PDP will coast home to victory when the exercised is held.

Taofik said: “We are well prepared, comfortable to go for council polls even today. We are eager to replace APC in all the councils. APC is scared to conduct the polls. They continue to postpone their dooms day. They will rather put undemocratic structures in the councils. They breach Section 7 of Constitution, which recognises only democratically elected council.

They deny the grassroots representative government.

Ambode is busy usurping the finances and administration of the councils. They are presently shamelessly rehabilitating roads in the council’s which they had claimed had been repaired since 1999. They are inflating contracts at the councils. They are doing all these to steal money for the polls.”

APC spokesperson reacts However, while reacting to claims by Peoples Democratic Party and other opposition parties, of the state government’s delay of the poll, Lagos State Publicity Secretary of APC, Joe Igbokwe, dismissed the claims, saying the process to hold the election is on-going.

According to him, “Do you still think PDP exists in Lagos? If they still exist please tell me where they are. We have decimated and crushed PDP in Lagos with hard work, intelligent and honest leadership.

“Local government elections will come very soon and PDP will know once again that Lagos has no place for them. Lagosians are afraid that PDP will unleash the kind of shameful leadership it visited on Nigeria in 16 years.

“However, do not forget that a PDP member took us to court to compel us to hold elections in 60 days. Yes the court ruled in their favour but Lagos went to Appeal Court.

“That case is still pending there. We wait for the judgement.

Again we are still waiting for INEC to release the new Voters “Register. The moment these issues are resolved we will head to the polls.”

32 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

LEISURE

YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

TAURUS: Make sure you strike a balance between time given to domestic affairs and career/businessrelated issues or else, avoidable trouble would come up unexpectedly.

GEMINI: Do away with unnecessary argument and focus on the best way to enhance your career/ business prospects. The more legal minded you are, the better.

CANCER: It is important you guard against deception especially on finance-related issues. The more legal minded you are, the better for you. Don’t neglect your love life.

LEO: Domestic-related issues may become a little bit stormy but if you take good advice, you’ll resolve the whole thing. It’s wrong to take partners for granted.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

Can you take a business decision?

D

ECISION s i m p l y means to decide,to act on something.Now relating this to business, it’s simply the ability to take some hard

decisions with regard to your business.For example,supposing your brother in-law

TERROR MUDA

is the one causing disaffection in your business,how do you handle such a situation?One sure

in “Never say goodbye”

way of resolving such a dilemma is not to hire who you c a n n o t fire.Brothers,sisters,inlaws etc must be under the same rules as others.For the sake of harmony,let there be one rule for all.

By Lanre Kehinde

VIRGO: Take very good care of your health and refuse to take unnecessary step capable of disrupting peace within your working arena. Evening period is progressive.

LIBRA: With effort, you’ll be at an advantage position and benefit from happenings within your working arena. However, you must not allow friends to mislead you on matters of-the-heart.

SCORPIO: Although your workload has been on the increase with additional tension along your career/business line in the recent times, if you are consistent, you’ll emerge winner eventually.

SAGITTARIUS: Guard against miscalculation and being confrontational with the law enforcement agents; respect the law and think about your immediate future.

CAPRICORN: If you’re not sure of the intention of others when it comes to financial transactions, you better be cautious and say no.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Pretty Lunatic’

By Andy Akman

AQUARIUS: Now that you are closer to people of power and influence, you would do yourself good if you let them know what you can do, especially along your career/business line.

PISCES: You are known to be a peace-loving person, thus you’ll further enhance your status if you oil the troubled water within your working arena.

ARIES: If you take friends for granted, you would be disappointed. And this is the wrong time to gamble with matters-of-the heart. Try to be practical.

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

Analyse my star please!!!

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Dear Joshua, I want you to tell me everything about my Star particularly the kind of person I am. The more blunt you are the better for me.

Kunle, Abuja Dear Kunle, What space can take will be given here under ANALYSIS OF YOUR HOROSCOPE DATA/ PLANETARY PLACEMENT Aries that hosted the most important heavenly body (the Sun) together with indicator of mental focus lens-Mercury, is known for special leadership quality and higher degree of positive aggressiveness. Yes you were endowed with leadership talents which can manifest either in the business world or POLITICS and probably both.

It is true that Aries can be very aggressive, but with many planets placed in more mild Star signs, with less than 50% of push-full influence, loving Venus as most influential planet when you were born, certainly aggression of Aries is greatly water down to the minimum . That is not to say you are the timid type but yours is a balanced personality. You are gentle, honest and straight forward person.

Preponderance of fixed and earth in your chart are pointers to the fact that you are the careful type who will not change his mind just for the fun of it. Then as peace loving Venus was the most influential planet when you were born, peace and harmony will always come first whenever you want to take any (important and/or) decisive action.

Placement of mighty Sun (indicator of basic-self hood) the Moon (indicator of sub-conscious self/ emotion) and the Stellium (that is more than two planets in one Star sign} in Aries, Pisces and Taurus respectively mean that basic characteristics of the three Star signs stated in this paragraph as are highly pronounced in your inner-self.

HOME & ABROAD

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016—33

Edo PDP chieftain faults Ihimekpen’s criticism of Ize-Iyamu

By Gabriel Enogholase

B

ENIN—FORMER state Publicity Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State, Mr. Nosa Adams, has faulted the statement credited to Mr. Okharedia Ihimekpen, a member of the party, that Pastor Ize-Iyamu’s criticisms of Governor Adams Oshiomhole would not earn him the party’s governorship ticket, describing same as a deliberate attempt to warm his way into the governor’s heart.

Adams reaction is coming on the heels of a warning to the party by Mr. Solomon Odemwingie, a veteran journalist, to watch out for the likes of Ihimekpen, who he said were likely to betray it and would not wish the party well as it was set to reclaim Edo State.

Adams, who was also an Executive Director to the state government said, “The recent vituperation of one Ihimekpen, a member of the PDP in Edo State, that the strident but timely criticisms of the polices, programmes and projects of the Oshiomhole administration will not make Ize-Iyamu get the party’s ticket in the September 10, 2016 governorship election, is neither here nor there.

“It exposes the desperation of someone whose only abiding project is to run down and besmear Ize-Iyamu who, to all

intents and purposes, he perceives as the stumbling block to the election of his aspirant as PDP’s candidate in the forthcoming election.

“The assertion that Ize-Iyamu will not be handed the party’s ticket on account of his criticism of Oshiomhole, begs the notion that he (Ihimekpen) is selling,

that the PDP may consider its aspirants on their record of antiOshiomhole utterances they may have made during their campaigns and interviews.

“Well-meaning members of the PDP and keen observers of the party’s affairs will remember vividly that the relay of problems and controversies that

culminated in the party’s defeat in 2007, had its roots in the ugly activities that rued the party’s re-registration processes that threw many members into political wilderness through deft maneuvers, positioning and artificial scarcity of membership cards."

AWARD: Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State (left) receiving an award of Commander of Akwa Ibom State from Senator Effiong Bob, during a grand reception in his honour by the people of Nsit Ubium Local Government Area of the state.

NUPENG flays NNPC's plan to cut contracting cycle

By Victor AhiumaYoung

W

ARRI—NIGERIA Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, yesterday, in Warri, Delta State, condemned the plan by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to cut contracting cycle in the Nigerian oil and gas industry from its current stretch of between two to four years, to six months, insisting that it would be resisted.

The union, in a statement by its President and acting General Secretary, Achese Igwe and Joseph Ogbebor, contended that the plan was untenable, unnecessary, anti-labour, wicked and would amount to modern day slavery for oil and gas workers NUPENG stated that cutting the contracting cycle to six months negated the principle behind the local content policy and the change mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari on job creation and not short-lived contract employment.

They said: “NUPENG notes that NNPC's position that contract cycle of two to four years was a major contributor to the high cost per barrel of Nigerian crude oil compared to other OPEC member countries amounts to self-service and sounds very unpatriotic. Oil and gas workers in other OPEC countries are given permanent work status with good conditions C M Y K

of service as compared to the modern day slavery practised in Nigeria and encouraged by NNPC that is supposed to be

the regulator of operations in the sector. The plan to cut contracting cycle to six months is a stab on the face of oil and

gas workers who produce the black gold to be tossed around every half of the year on their contract status.”

Court orders Toll Systems to recover land in Ibeju Lekki

By Onozure Dania

A

Lagos State High Court sitting in Epe, has ordered Toll Systems Development Company Limited, to recover possession of 1,561 hectares of land in Lakowe Village, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos.

The claimant in suit No. LD/ 4320/2014, for possession by the firm against the defendants, described as ‘unknown persons,’ had argued that it (Toll Systems) was the genuine owner of the 1,561 hectares by virtue of a Certificate of Occupancy No: 17/7/2003T dated October 27, 2003.

The claimant’s counsel, Mr. Ola Faro, had urged the court to grant the firm possession “from any person who occupies the land without the consent or permission of the claimant.”

Trial judge, Justice Muftau Olokoba, upholding the firm’s argument, said: “The claimant has shown that he is entitled to

possession.

“The unknown persons who are the defendants were served with the originating summons but they failed or refused to attend or file any process.”

The judge ruled that the claimant had established that the defendants have been occupying the land “without the consent or permission of the claimant. I am, therefore, satisfied that this is a proper occasion for the exercise of the

court’s power to grant the order of possession sought.

“It is hereby ordered that the claimant herein do recover possession of the parcel of land measuring 1,561.20 hectares covered by a Certificate of Occupancy, registered as No 17 page 17 in Vol 2003T situate at Lakowe Village Ibeju Lekki, Lagos State from any person who occupies the land without the consent or permission of the claimant,” the court held.

Okowa appoints Ekewenu Executive Assistant

G

OVERNOR Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has appointed Amb. Oghenekaro Ekewenu as Executive Assistant on Marine Development.

The new appointee is also the Ambassador to the United Nations Organisation, UNO, on Millenium Development Goals, MDGs. A Peoples Democratic Party,

PDP, chieftain, Ekewenu hails from Ugono Orogun, Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State.

Meanwhile, some Deltans have commended Okowa on the choice of Ekewenu, saying that it was proof that the governor is a detribalized Nigerian who wants the very best for all Deltans and indeed Nigerians at large.

PDP congresses: AIbom ex-deputy gov sues for hitch-free polls

By Chioma Onuegbu

U

YO—AHEAD of the forthcoming wards and local governments congresses of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, a former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Christopher Ekpenyong, has canvassed for hitch-free polls.

Ekpenyong made the appeal at a forum for stakeholders and chieftains of the PDP at Nto Edino in Obot Akara Local Government Area of the state. He enjoined members and supporters to be part of the rebuilding process of the party.

He urged PDP stakeholders to close ranks and work collectively for the interest of the party at the polls, which would hold this weekend in the 329 wards spread across the 31 councils of the state.

Ekpenyong who recently emerged as the political leader of Obot Akara Local Government Area, appealed that all lingering political disputes must be resolved through dialogue at regular meetings of the forum.

Amnesty Programme: INYC warns against falsification of facts

I

TSEKIRI Natives Youth Council, INYC, involved in management of Itsekiri benefits from the Federal Government’s Amnesty Programme, has challenged critics of its stewardship to arrest and prosecute them or stop the “pervasive misinformation and falsification of facts” over the discharge of their duties.

Robinson Ariyo, Legal Officer to the group, spoke to Vanguard in Warri, Delta State, while reacting to allegations of embezzlement of accruing benefits and shortchanging Itsekiri beneficiaries being levelled against the David Tonwe-led INYC by some notable Itsekiri individuals and groups.

“It is becoming Herculean to cure the rumour mongers of the virus of misinformation, incitement of the people and desperation to derail Itsekiri's benefits in the programme.

They have taken the facilitators to the amnesty office in Abuja, to anti graft agencies and virtually everywhere,” he said.

34—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

Anxiety in Enugu as ESUT loses accreditation

Courierplus wins global award

E

By Starrys Obazei

NUGU—ANXIETY has gripped students of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT,over alleged loss of accreditation of several departments following its alleged disengagement of about 153 of its lecturers.

C

OURIERPLUS S E R V I C E S Limited has been declared winner of the 2015 Associates Sales Challenge Global Award

by TNT Worldwide among courier companies in the group in Asia, Middle East and Africa, according to a press release.

At an award dinner in Lagos, General Manager Associate for Asia, Middle East and Africa, Mr. Tim Steel commended the Courierplus team for winning the challenge in spite of the challenging economic and political situation in Nigeria in 2015.

He attributed this success to the shared passion for customers and superior quality service by TNT and Courierplus.

The competition was open to a total of seven leagues comprising of 28 associate countries worldwide in Africa, Middle East Americas, and, Europe.

Courierplus was placed in Africa and Middle East League 2 and emerged winner in that category.

Also globally from all the seven leagues at the end of Q4 of 2015 Courierplus was declared the overall winner in the global sales challenge. TNT Georgia claimed second place and TNT Malta took the third position.

Managing Director of Courierplus, Mrs. Adetutu Sanni, who received the award on behalf of her organisation, thanked TNT for the recognition.

ESUT management tagged the recruitment of the 153 lecturers as an,”academic fraud,” even as the affected university lecturers had lamented that they were sacked

by ESUT authorities shortly after using them to scale the last accreditation exercise of some of

its faculties/departments.

Despite several protest letters and appeals, the University refused to rescind their sack.

Confirming the withdrawal of the accreditation of faculties/ departments earlier given to ESUT authorities,Tuesday, the Director of Information and

Intervene in Ojukwu University crisis, Group tells Gov Obiano

By Nkiruka Nnorom

A

GROUP, Good Governance and Grassroots Builders Initiatives, GGGBI, has called on Governor Willie Obiano to quickly intervene in the battle for supremacy going on between the ASUU chapter of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, formerly

Anambra State University, Uli and the Vice-Chancellor, Prof.

Fidelis Okafor.

The group led by its president, Mazi Okwudirichiukwu Okwuchiukwu and the Secretary, Mazi Chidi Orjika, regretted that Gov Obiano’s dream of making the university world class was being frustrated by the crisis as the

NDDC delivers drugs kits to IMSG to prevent the possible spread of

By Chidi Nkwopara

O

WERRI—THE management of Niger Delta Development Commission, NNDC, has delivered drugs and personal protection equipment for the prevention of the spread of Lassa Fever, to Imo State Government.

The consignment was delivered in Owerri, on behalf of the Acting Managing Director, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, to the Deputy Chief of Staff, DCS, Government House, Engr. Kingsley Uju, by a director in the establishment, Alabo Jaja.

Speaking during the ceremony, Mr. Jaja lamented that Lassa Fever has killed several people in the country, especially in the Niger Delta states, adding that it was the wish of NDDC management to donate the health products to the state government,

the deadly disease in Imo. “The partnership with NDDC states is a healthy one, which will dovetail to a robust synergy for development, as well as create a lasting solution to the socioeconomic difficulties of the people of the NDDC states,” Jaja said.

council he appointed since September 2015 had not been allowed to work.

GGGBI described as shameful the recent physical battle between the local branch of ASUU and the ViceChancellor ’s men over election into the university’s Governing Council, where the local branch of the ASUU tried to stop the election following disagreement on the legality of those qualified to constitute the voters’ list.

They chided the VC for severally ignoring Gov Obiano’s directive to conduct fresh election into the Council, in order to stem the on-going crisis, saying that he is riding on the back of his relationship with former governor Peter Obi to spite Obiano's directive.

62 cooperative groups receive FADAMA fund for increased yield

By Vincent Ujumadu

A

WKA—ABOUT 62 cooperative societies in eight local government areas in Anambra State are to be funded under the FADAMA 111 programme to enable them increase food production.

Anambra State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Afam Mbanefo, while addressing farmers during a pre-loan

disbursement training in Awka yesterday, said the state government has already paid its counterpart funds that qualifies it to access the loan from the donor agency.

He said the state government would continue to encourage the farmers, assuring them that there are ready markets for their produce, which would help them to enjoy the fruit of their labour.

Public Relations of the NUC, Mallam Ibrahim Yakassai, said that the NUC under the Executive Secretary, Professor Julius Okojie frowned at a situation where some universities hired and sacked lecturers immediately after using them (lecturers) to get accreditation.

Malam Yakassai acknowledged that the Commission received several petitions from the dismissed lecturers from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.

He said: “Following the series of petitions from the disengaged staff of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, the NUC on February 12, 2016 withdrew accreditation of Mass Communication, Engineering, Psychology and some other departments. The NUC cannot sit down and watch such an ugly development.”

In a Save Our Souls letter sent to the NUC through their lawyer, B. N Ugwu, the affected lecturers had alleged: “Sometime in May, 2015, the authorities of ESUT under the headship of Professor Cyprian Onyeji advertised and offered employment to about 153 eligible applicants who scaled through in the pre-employment interviews and screening to different departments and faculties of the university.

“Since our employment in May, 2015, none of us had been paid salaries notwithstanding that we played our roles in teaching, setting examinations, invigilating, marking papers, supervision of projects and submission of result.

“We can now realize that the essence of our employment was for the university to pass the 2015 NUC accreditation. It is sad that we have been dumped after being used for the accreditation exercise.”

By Bartholomew Madukwe (08102479985) nwamad@yahoo.com

PEOPLE SPEAK

On lingering fuel scarcity

T

hat is the change we want since we don’t want Jonathan. I am still surprised about this fuel scarcity. I thought it is over when they brought the fuel price to N86.50. No fuel, no electricity, this is weighing the country down. -Mrs. Loveth Chekwube, Bead Maker

W

ell, the fuel scarcity saga should only be addressed from the grassroots and a high level of accountability. Do we really have a refinery in Nigeria?

I want to thank Mabolat Oil, along NNPC Ejigbo, Lagos, for selling at N86.50 per litre. -Miss Regina Osakwe, Graduate

T

he Federal Govern ment has created one million job opportunities for unemployed youths. All you need is a jerry-can and a funnel. Submit your application at any available filling station near you. Your office is by the road side. Mr. Emmanuel Tormusa, Self Employed

I

f it were to happen during Jonathan’s time different groups, bodies and organizations would have embarked on protest or strike. Now they are all keeping quiet as if the word strike has for long been deleted from their dictionaries. -Mr. Francis Usen, Engineer

W

ell, my view about the lingering fuel scarcity is that in as much as I score President Buhari high in tackling corruption, I see no effort geared towards improving the economy of the nation.

Nigerians are not cowards.

-Mr. Theophilus Tachia, Worke

P

resident Buhari should, as a matter of national urgency, do something about the fuel crisis that has become a national embarrassment.

He should do anything to give Nigerians fuel. I do not think that Nigerians did wrong by voting for him. Miss Jennifer Gabriel, Student

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016 — 35

‘How we attempted to rescue Chibok schoolgirls' ...2 years after, desperate parents recall attempts to rescue kidnapped girls

By Ndahi Marama

M

AIDUGURI—THE people of Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, two years after the abduction of 219 school girls from Government Girls Secondary School, yesterday gave insight into how parents of the abducted girls contributed money to mobilize motorcyclists to go after the insurgents in an attempt to rescue the girls.

While recalling the sad event, the people declared that they would not appreciate the efforts of the military in the fight against insurgency, until the abducted schoolgirls were rescued and reintegrated into the society.

Speaking through their District Head, Zanna Modu Usman, parents, traditional rulers and the entire residents of Chibok said they were not concerned about reported successes against the insurgents in the North East until their children were rescued.

The traditional ruler, who was represented by the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Garbai Elkanemi spoke at the commemoration of the Second Anniversary of the Chibok missing schoolgirls organized by Women Peace and Security Network, WPSN, in Maiduguri.

He recalled with dismay that a day after the insurgents abducted the girls, no security measure was taken to rescue them, saying “Parents of the affected victims had to donate N500 each to mobilize motorcyclists who made an attempt to trail the insurgents into the Sambisa forest but they were advised by Fulani herdsmen to go back because the place they were heading to was a dead zone.

VISIT: From left; Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole; MTN Director, Mr. Dennis Okoro and Chairman, M T N Foundation, Prince Julius AdelusiAdeluyi during the courtesy visit of MTN Foundation to the Minister of Health in Abuja.

''Unfortunately, they had to return to Chibok frustrated as they were not armed. It is unfortunate, pitiful and disheartening that since two years ago when insurgents stormed Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok and abducted over 200 innocent schoolgirls, government and the security agencies are yet to live up to their expectations. No amount of government delegations or visits to Chibok, or

assistance will cushion the trauma of parents and relatives of the abducted girls. ''Statistics have shown that in less than four weeks of this year, over 11,000 women and children abducted by the sect were rescued by the military forces. Unless the 219 schoolgirls are released or rescued, parents and people in Chibok who share same culture and tradition and intermarry among themselves would never

Boko Haram entices would-be members with loans

By Kingsley Fanwo

A

BUJA—THE Defence Headquarters yesterday alerted the nation of the new tactics being used by the Boko Haram terrorists group to recruite young and unsuspecting youths

in the North East to join their activities, saying they had resorted to using monetary incentives.

A statement by the Acting Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar said, “It has come to the

Bauchi offers free education to 78,000 IDPs

By Suzan Edeh

B

AUCHI—THE Bauchi State government has offered free education to 78,000 Internally Displaced Persons

IDPs, residing in the state.

The State UNICEF Focal Person Assisted Project, Umar Sani, who disclosed this yesterday during a one day Education in Emergency, EIE,

Soldiers, policemen lock out TCN workers, says Labour

By Victor AhiumaYoung

T

HE ongoing protest by former workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, yesterday took a new twist as the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, yesterday accused the Ministry of Power of locking out workers of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, with heavily armed military men and the Police preventing the workers from performing their official duties.

understand the superiority of the military over the Boko Haram sect as claimed in some quarters.”

Earlier , the Convener of WPSN in the state, Mrs. Agnes Uliam Bashir said, the people of the state and indeed the north east had experienced, endured and still suffering from the unwarranted violations of women and girls as a result of the insurgency that had caused unimaginable human and material destruction.

A statement by NUEE’s General Secretary, Mr. Joe Ajaero, said: “This action is being taken to deny over 3,000 ex-PHCN staff their unpaid severance benefits three years after the forceful takeover of the Power Assets by the Federal Government. It also includes the 16 months outstanding benefits to over 50,000 ex-PHCN staff that the Government is yet to pay.

“It is shameful for a democratic government to resort to intimidation against her deprived citizens instead of Social dialogue towards resolving these outstanding matters.''

working group monthly progress meeting at the ministry of education in Bauchi, said the state government developed a state education contingency plan to ensure continuity in learning during and after emergency situations.

He said due to insecurity challenges experienced in neighbouring states of Yobe, Adamawa and Borno, there had been a massive influx of IDPs in the state and the government decided to shoulder the burden of financing their education.

According to him: “The state government has ensured that the IDPs, particularly the children are integrated into the formal education system whereby they are enrolled into primary, secondary, J.S.S class because education is the right of every child. Also, there is what we call the education crisis response, a programme carried out by USAID, whereby the IDPs are educated.''

knowledge of the Defence Headquarters that Boko Haram terrorists have now devised another means of recruiting unsuspecting youths into their fold. In this clandestine dispensation, Boko Haram terrorists have resorted to providing loans to young entrepreneurs and artisans in the North East as a way of inducing them for recruitment.

“The major targets of the unholy business engagement are youths in the North East, especially the butchers, traders, tailors, beauticians and other vocational entrepreneurs who could be easily enticed with such loan without paying attention to sundry inherent dangers associated with the acceptance of such goodies from this satanic group or unfamiliar source.

“After such loans, the beneficiaries are given the option of either joining the group or risk being killed if they fail to pay the loan as at when due, whereas the payment has been surreptitiously programmed to fail by the benefactor, the Boko Haram.”

According to the statement: “It is pertinent to state that having been effectively decimated and degraded, the remnant or surviving splinter groups of Boko Haram are desperate to recruit more people into their ranks and files as a result of sustained onslaught against them by the troops.''

Plateau Assembly slashes N7bn of Lalong's budget proposal

By Marie-Therese Nanlong

J

OS—THE Plateau State House of Assembly has slashed N7 billion off the 2016 Budget proposal submitted by Governor Simon Lalong to the House since December, 2015.

Chairman House Committee on Appropriation, Jacob Kassam, while presenting the report of the committee on the floor of the House yesterday, said the slash was necessary due to the current economic challenges facing the state.

Governor Lalong had last December presented to the House a proposed budget of N154 billion, but the house had to reduce the budget to N147 billion.

Explaining the situation, Kassam said: “The subcommittees were compelled to cut down expenditure based on the impact of the current economy resulting from the falling price of oil, with negative consequences on our earnings as a nation that is so heavily dependent on foreign earnings from oil.''

Benue moves to review obnoxious tax laws

By Peter Duru

M

AKURDI— WORRIED by the outcry that trailed some of the tax laws promulgated by the immediate administration in the state, Governor Samuel Ortom said Benue State would soon review such laws to give it a human face.

Executive Chairman of the Benue Internal Revenue Service, BIRS, Mrs. Mimi Adzape-Orubibi, who spoke yesterday in Makurdi, said the decision was in line with the yearning of the people and the humane disposition of the present administration in the state.

She said, “Taxation is for the benefit of the people but it has become obvious that some of the laws that were passed by the last administration were harsh and not in tandem with the economic realities of the time.''

36—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

FSDH PRE-AGM: From left— General Manager, Mr. Robert Ajiamah; MD/CEO, Mr. Rilwan Belo-Osagie, and Executive Director, Mrs Hamda Ambah, all of FSDH Merchant Bank Ltd., at the bank's pre-annual general meeting briefing in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: Lamidi Bamidele.

DREAM NIGERIA: Chairman, Media Relations, Rotary International District 9110, Mr. Sidney Osaebu (left) and Governor, Rotary International District 9125, Dr. Mike Omotosho, at a briefing on the club's book project tagged My Dream Nigeria, at Rotary International Centre, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.

VISIT: Senator Ovie Omo-Agege (left) and Rt Hon Victor Ochei, former Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, during the Senator's visit to Ochei in Asaba, Delta State.

PATRON: From left— Clara Okoro, Vice Chairman; Goddie Ofose, Chairman, both of Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria, BJAN; and Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, receiving a plaque as Grand Patron of the association.

NIPR: From left— Vice President, Alhaji Mukhtar Sirajo; Fellow, Mrs Olubunmi Badejo; former President, Chief Jibade Oyekan; Nat'l President, Dr. Matthew Oladele, all of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR; Dir. of Capacity Building, Nigerian Institute of Management, Dr. Iyke Orji, and BrigGen Chris Olukolade, during their annual conference and AGM in Ibadan.

OANDO: From left— Mr. Olumide Jesumodupe; Mr. John Kelvin; Head, Marketing Communications, Mr. Seun Adeosun; Lubricants Research and Development Manager, Mr. Mohammed Dahiru, and Head Lubricants, Mrs Lillian Ikokwu, all of Oando Marketing Plc, during a vehicle diagnosis and servicing session at the 2nd Edition of Oando Oleum SYN free car diagnostics at the National Stadium, Lagos.

AWARD:

Managing Director, Courierplus Services Ltd, Mrs. Adetutu Sanni (left), receiving award of 2015 Associates Sales Challenge Global winner from General Manager, TNT Associates, AMEA Region, Mr. Tim Steel, at the award dinner in Lagos.

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016—37

Service chiefs shun Senate summons over Chibok girls

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

A

LAUNCH: From left— Head, Innovation and Marketing, Vuakpor Muoghere; Executive Chairman, Mr. Chidi Ajaere; Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Bayo Alagbe, and Director, Corporate Communications, Mr. Sam Ibemere, all of GIGM.Com, during the launch of new mobile app for online booking in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: Biodun Ogunleye.

Evidence against Saraki destroyed in bank's store fire — WITNESS

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

A

BUJA—MR. Michael Wetkas, star witness in the ongoing trial of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, yesterday, told the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, sitting in Abuja that the bulk of evidence linking the defendant to money laundering, was destroyed by fire.

The witness, who made the disclosure while being crossexamined by one of Saraki’s lawyers, Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN), said the burnt evidence would have provided a detailed analysis of how the defendant transferred funds from his Guarantee Trust Bank, GTB, account, to a foreign account he operated with America Express Bank, New York.

Wetkas was the head of a three-man crack team set up by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in 2014, to investigate six separate petitions lodged against the defendant.

Narrating how they carried out the assignment, the witness said when his team discovered that there were “suspicious fund transfers” involving the defendant, they wrote to GTB, requesting for all the telex for the transfers.

He said: “We requested for details for the transfer of the funds through a letter dated March 17, 2014.”

He told the tribunal that GTB responded by supplying the Certified True Copy of some of the requested documents with evidence of instructions the defendant gave for the transfer of the funds to the foreign account.

However, Wetkas said the bank provided a police report where it was indicated that some of the requested documents were burnt.

Wetkas said: “My Lord, there are several telex for the America fund transfer. Some of them are here.

“The entire request made by the investigative team for the bank to provide information on the various transfers, was an offshoot of debit transactions that were already consummated on that particular account.

“It showed that the bank carried out instructions by the defendants. So it was not in doubt that the transfer was actually carried out to America Express Service Europe Ltd. “The narration on the account was clear: why it was transferred and where it was transferred.

“Officials of the bank were also invited and they confirmed that the transfer was consummated.

“We further requested the bank for additional evidence and documents to show details of the transactions.

“Several of the instructions and telexes were provided by the bank.

“The bank also gave us police affidavit to show that some of the documents were burnt.”

Transfer details

He said that one of the telexes showed that Saraki wired the sum of $73,286,000.28 from his GTB account, to the America Express Account with number 441441953210.

According to him, Saraki, on August 26, 2009, made six different transfers to American Express Service Europe Services Ltd. Asked by the defence counsel if he was sure that there was

any bank like American Express New York, the witness said: “My Lord, I am sure that the defendant cannot put his money in a non-existing bank.”

Meanwhile, the case got a fresh twist yesterday, after Saraki, through another lawyer, filed a motion, asking the CCT Chairman, Justice Danladi Umar, to disqualify himself from the case.

Saraki insisted that Justice Umar ought to hands-off his case since he (Umar) was under administrative bail from EFCC, following his alleged involvement in a criminal act involving N10 million bribery scandal.

However, the motion could not be heard by the tribunal, which adjourned further sitting on the 13-count charge against Saraki till today.

... as Senate bows to pressure, suspends action on CCT, CCB amendments

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

A

BUJA—AFTER a barrage of criticisms, the Senate, yesterday, bowed to pressure by rescinding its decision to amend the Code of Conduct Tribunal and the Code of Conduct Bureau Acts.

The legislature, which had, within 28 hours, passed the bills seeking amendment of the Acts into first and second reading, respectively, has resolved to suspend further work on the bills.

It also resolved to suspend the Administration of Criminal Justice Act amendment bill and remain firmly with its President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, in his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, until

proven guilty.

The Senate equally directed its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to immediately suspend further work on the probe of Senator Kabiru Marafa over alleged unethical acts against the Senate.

It asked all senators with pending issues in court against it to immediately withdraw them.

The resolutions were reached after a three-hour emergency closed-door session held shortly after commencement of the day’s plenary.

The closed session was hurriedly convened, following a point of order by Senator Hope Uzodinma (PDP, Imo East), who said he was not comfortable with the inclusion

of the report of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, in respect of a complaint from Senator Isa Misau (APC, Bauchi North) and two others against Senator Kabir Marafa (APC, Zamfara South), in the Senate Order Paper for the day.

The committee had investigated Marafa over a publication in a national daily (not Vanguard) on February 7, for allegedly misleading the public against the National Assembly.

Two months afte receiving the committee’s report, the Senate had scheduled yesterday for consideration of the report.

BUJA—THE nation’s service chiefs, yesterday, did not attend a meeting called by the Senate to receive briefings on the efforts made so far to rescue abducted school girls of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.

The Senate had, last week, summoned the service chiefs, the Inspector General of Police and Director of Department of State Services, DSS, to brief it on the matter.

However, at the meeting, held behind closed doors, the service chiefs were conspicuously absent and no explanation was given for their absence.

The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, and the Director of DSS, Lawan Daura, attended the meeting.

Speaking after the closed session, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the day’s activities, said the Senate tasked the service chiefs to rescue the over 219 girls.

Ekweremadu said the Senate was briefed by the DG, DSS and the IGP on the efforts at rescuing the abducted Chibok girls in the past two years.

He said: “The Senate was briefed by the Director-General, Department of State Services and the Inspector General of Police on the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls and efforts to rescue them in the last two years.

“We urged them to continue and to leave no stone unturned to rescue the Chibok girls.

Thereafter, they answered questions bordering on topical national security issues from very distinguished senators.”

It would be recalled that the Senate, last Thursday, summoned the Service Chiefs to appear before it on the ongoing anti-terror fight in the North-East and rescue of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted on April 14, 2014.

38—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016—39

Ex-NUPENG President raises alarm over depleting oil rigs Says only 7 of 34 remain open in 2012

By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief

A

BUJA — FORMER President of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, Dr. Brown Ogbeifun, has raised alarm over depleting oil rigs in the country.

Speaking at the Save Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Roundtable Conference in Abuja, yesterday, Ogbeifun revealed that the nation’s oil rigs had depleted from 34 in 2012 to seven, compared to a country like the United State States that has well over 1, 000 rigs.

“We can’t pretend that all is well,” he said and called for immediate actions to increase the nation’s oil and gas production to avoid what he described an economic doom for the nation.

Ogbeifun lamented that currently, the Joint Venture Cash Calls were not being adequately funded, a situation, he warned, portended grave danger for the nation’s economy, stressing that many multinational oil companies had divested and left Nigeria.

C M Y K

The consequences, he said, could spell doom for the economy as, according to him, oil and gas remained the main revenue earner for the nation, in spite of efforts being made to diversify the economy.

On PIB

On the Petroleum Industry Bill, Ogbeifun, regretted that the

reform intended to be achieved through the Bill had still not become a law, nearly six years after.

He added that the PIB would have changed the situation in oil and gas, if the reform had been completed by passing the Bill into law by the National Assembly.

In his remarks, the President of the Trade Union Congress, TUC,

Comrade Bobboi Kaigama, urged President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to interrogate the nation’s crude oil production, export and local refining activities by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to stop inefficiency and every form of corruption inherent therein.

According to him, the oil and gas industry is being operated

from the perspective of “the more you look, the less you see” and that the industry had to be purged of corrupt tendencies.”

Also speaking, Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, who represented the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, NEITI, Mr. Waziri Adio, observed that oil and gas revenue remained largely unaccounted for by players in the industry.

He lamented that Nigeria had become a bad example of how to run an oil and gas industry, the world over.

According to him, the situation

Alleged N400m fraud: I'm on trial for criticising APC, Metuh tells court

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

A

BUJA— THE embattled National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over alleged N400 million fraud, yesterday, insisted that his trial was politically motivated.

Metuh, through a witness he produced before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, Mr. Ike Abonyi, said his ordeal was a function of constructive criticisms he mounted on the All Progressives Congress-led government, after PDP lost the

2015 presidential election.

Abonyi, who is a media consultant to the PDP, told the court that Metuh pre-empted his arrest, detention and subsequent arraignment.

He said the defendant, who is answering to a seven-count charge, had expressed his fears during a press conference he held before he was summoned by the EFCC. The witness told the court that at a point, the defendant, owing to pressure from his family members, considered quitting his position as the spokesman of the PDP. He said: “Soon after the election, we had a meeting with

the first defendant and he was contemplating at the time to leave and resign as the national publicity secretary and return to his private business.”

However, he said Metuh later had a rethink after some chieftains of the party, including his media team, made it clear to him that the party would suffer should he throw in the towel at that point in time.

“He agreed with us that he was determined in bring the party out of the trauma of defeat and he solicited that we help him to achieve this,” Abonyi stated.

The DW-1 told the court that Metuh said he would want to build facts and figures as the voice

of the opposition party, so as to put the APC government on its toes.

He said along the line, members of the media committee became apprehensive, due to the fearless manner Metuh was criticising errors he noticed in the governance of the APC. Abonyi said they urged Metuh to soft-pedal, “but he told us that even the ruling government may not do well if they fail to have a robust opposition.

“We agreed with him because with our knowledge of democracy all over the world, without a vibrant opposition, the government in power will not achieve much."

40 — VANGUARD, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

Administration of criminal justice Act has aided justice delivery — Ogwemoh Mr. Sylva Ogwemoh is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and has over 27 years experience as a Legal Practitioner within and outside Nigeria. He has handled several high profile commercial, civil and criminal matters before superior courts of record in Nigeria. In this interview, he spoke on Section 32 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) which seeks to ensure timely release of suspects detained for non-capital offences, performance of the judiciary in recent times and sundry matters

By Bartholomew Madukwe

S

OME nations are decriminalizing certain offences because they have other systems of dealing with offenders other than imprisonment but in Nigeria, people end up in prison for minor offences. Is there anything wrong with our criminal justice system?

I do not, with respect, share your view on our criminal justice system. As you may be aware, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 was recently enacted. The Act has robust provisions which seek to advance our criminal justice system by making provisions to check illegal and unreasonable detention by police officers and other law enforcement agencies.

Committee which shall analyse the reports and advise the state Attorney General and where no report is made by the police, the Magistrate shall forward a report to the Chief Judge of the State and the Attorney General of the State for appropriate action.

A Chief Magistrate under the Act is mandated to visit the police station at least once every month to conduct an inspection and in the process direct arraignment of suspects or grant bail in appropriate cases where bail has been refused.

Apart from the above sections of the Act, there are other provisions regarding sentencing which mandate courts to consider in appropriate cases the application of non-custodial sentence or treatment in lieu of imprisonment.

Let me also point out here that

Non-capital offences Let me quickly draw your attention to one of the provisions in the ACJA which seeks to ensure timely release of suspects detained for non-capital offences under section 32 of the Act. Under the section, a court having jurisdiction in respect of an alleged offence and upon being notified that a person has been detained for more than 24 hours without bail being granted is mandated to order the production of the suspect detained and where it deems fit admit the suspect detained to bail.

It may also interest you to know that an application under the section may be made orally or in writing.

Further, section 33 of the Act makes provision for a Police officer to render a report on persons arrested without warrant at the end of every month to a Magistrate nearest to the police station and the Magistrate shall in turn forward the report to the Criminal Justice Monitoring

arm of government is living up to its duties.

How would you react to this?

A well-functioning judiciary plays a crucial role in nation building. Besides advancing the nation’s sovereignty, it promotes constitutionalism and enhances adherence to rule of law, while ensuring the maintenance of law and order. The judiciary in dispensing justice in a timely and efficient manner, creates a good environment for investments and overall economic growth. A competent and efficient judiciary should necessarily expand the possibilities for a nation’s growth and future.

However, I wish to point out that the role of the judiciary in Nigeria is traceable to the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; specifically section 6 thereof. This role, from the clear wordings of the 1999 constitution, is ‘’interventionist’’ in outlook.

Judicial functions

The agitation has been financial autonomy for the judiciary to enable the judiciary completely extricate itself from the executive arm of government most countries are adopting noncustodial sentencing and decriminalizing certain minor and non-capital offences because of the negative impact that custodial sentence has on the health and well being of incarcerated persons.

Recent developments in the country’s judiciary have raised some doubts on whether the third

This is because there has to be a dispute between persons or between government or authority and persons before the courts can intervene and carry out their judicial functions, and in performing their judicial functions the courts merely expound the law and do not expand it.

From my personal assessment of the performance of the judiciary in recent times, I am of the opinion that it has performed well.

We have seen instances in recent times where the courts have gone ahead to make orders for the release from incarceration of persons detained beyond the constitutionally allowed time limit.

Even the recent Supreme Court decisions with respect to the 2015 elections in my humble opinion are very sound in law and logic taking into consideration the position of the law in decided cases

•Mr. Sylva Ogwemoh as they affect the facts and evidence in relation to those cases.

What I have seen of recent is people criticizing judgments of courts without reading those judgments. I have even listened to some of my colleagues criticize judgments of courts and when I pick a copy of the judgment to read, I will discover the fault was essentially that of the lawyer who handled the case as against the judge’s lack of appreciation of the facts and law regarding the case.

Nevertheless, there are still some bad eggs within the system that may lead to the wrong impression that the judiciary may not have lived up to its duties. But those bad eggs are obviously in the minority.

Some lawyers have argued that if the President Muhammadu Buhari led government is serious in its anti-corruption war; there should be a totally independent judiciary. What do you make of this?

We operate the presidential system of government with separation of powers as a fundamental guarantee of the independence of the judiciary.

What is important is that in the dispensation of justice judges of the various courts in Nigeria should be bold to decide cases impartially, in accordance with their interpretation of the law and the facts and must act without any restriction or improper influence from any other arm of government or litigants before the Court.

The agitation has been financial autonomy for the judiciary to enable the judiciary completely extricate itself from the executive arm of government. In 2014, Honourable Justice Adeniyi of the Federal High Court Abuja, declared as illegal the practice whereby allocations for the judiciary are channelled through the Federal Ministry of Finance

to the National Judicial Council against the provision of section 162(9) of the 1999 constitution which is to the effect that any amount standing to the credit of the judiciary in the Federation Account shall be paid directly to the NJC for disbursement to the heads of courts established under the constitution.

This decision was hailed by many lawyers and judiciary staff but it is still to be fully implemented in spite of the fact that there is no contrary decision from an Appellate Court on the matter to my knowledge.

Constitutional provision I look forward to a full implementation of the constitutional provision regarding financial autonomy for the judiciary in the near future.

What is your position on the abolishment of the Federal Judicial Service Commission since its role is a duplication of the functions of the National Judicial Council?

I do not see a duplication of roles between the Federal Judicial Service Commission and the National Judicial Council. The function of FJSC is to advise the NJC in nominating persons for appointments as judges and justices of the various courts as well as the Chairman and members of the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

It is also to recommend to the NJC the removal of any judge or justice of the various courts and tribunal and to appoint, dismiss and exercise disciplinary control over the Chief Registrars and Deputy Chief Registrars of the various courts and other staff of the Judicial Service of the Federation not otherwise specified in the constitution and of the FJSC.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016 — 41

Petroleum Industry Governance Bill 2016 Continues from last week (aa) develop cost benchmarks for key elements of midstream & downstream petroleum operations; (bb) regulate bulk storage, transportation and transmission of crude oil and gas and set rules for the common carrier systems for crude oil and gas; (cc) promote the principles of sustainable infrastructural development; (dd) promote competition and private sector participation; (ee) ensure that all economic and strategic demands for gas in the domestic economy are met; (ff) monitor and enforce the actual application of tariffs and pricing frameworks; (gg) monitor market behaviour including the development and maintenance of competitive markets; (hh) arrest situations of abuse of dominant power and restrictive business practices; (ii) inspect the metering of pumps and all other facilities and ensure their compliance with safety standards as prescribed by the Commission; j) grant, issue and renew licences, permits and authorisations including but not limited to licences, permits or authorisations for downstream gas, petroleum products, storage depots, retail outlets, transportation and distribution facilities and the design, fabrication, construction, commissioning and decommissioning of 21 facilities including those for gas and petrochemicals and prescribe requirements to be satisfied by applicants for these purposes.

Permits and authorisations (kk) modify, amend, extend, suspend, review, cancel and reissue, revoke and / or terminate licences, permits and authorisations; (11) establish methodology for calculating the fair market value of petroleum products; (mm)regulate and set rules for petroleum products distribution, petroleum product pipelines, retail outlets and storage depots; Petroleum Industry Governance Bill 2016 (nn) ensure security of petroleum products supply, market development and the development of competition; (00) develop market rules for trading in wholesale gas supplies to downstream gas distributors; (pp) establish customer protection measures; (qq) undertake consultation with customers, licensees and other industry participants, where necessary, for purpose of: (i) Promoting and protecting the interests of consumers; and (ii) Promoting the principles of sustainable resource and infrastructural development through the efficient supply and use of downstream gas and other petroleum products; (rr) regulate and ensure the supply, distribution, marketing and retail of petroleum products; (ss) administer and monitor the national operating an-d strategic stocks as set by the Minister; (tt) monitor and enforce the actual application of petroleum product pricing formulae or framework for petroleum products; (uu) enforce consumer rights in relation to petroleum products and services; (vv) establish appropriate dispute settlement mechanisms relating to the commercial rights and obligations of operators and customers pursuant to the

provisions of this Act or any other enactment or; regulation, provided that operators and customers shall reserve the right to resolve disputes in accordance with the terms of their contracts or approach a court with jurisdiction in the matter; (ww) inspect the metering of pumps and any other facilities at downstream retail outlets to ensure compliance with safety standards; (xx) establish, monitor and regulate health, environmental and safety measures relating to the management of downstream assets, including but not limited to refineries, petrochemical plants, lube plants, petroleum depots & pipelines and downstream gas plants;

Petroleum derivatives (yy) monitor and ensure the quality and process of conversion or blending of whatever material by whatever method to fuels, bio-fuels or other petroleum derivatives for automotive use in Nigeria; (zz) Monitor and ensure the quality of petroleum products sold in Nigeria.

(2) In addition to the functions specified above, the Commission shall: (a) develop open access rules applicable to crude oil and petroleum products and natural gas transportation pipelines, strategic depots, loading facilities, transportation, transmission and bulk storage facilities; (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law or regulations, exclusively supervise and ensure accurate calibration and certification of equipment used for fiscal measures in the industry; (c) undertake by itself or through qualified expertise such other activities as are necessary or expedient for giving full effect to the provisions of this Act; and (d) Do such other things as are necessary and expedient for the effective and full discharge of any of its functions under this Act. (3) The Commission shall, in addition to its other functions: Petroleum Industry Governance Bill 2016 (a) Promote the exploration of the frontier basins of Nigeria; (b) Develop exploration strategies and portfolio management for the exploration of unassigned frontier acreages in Nigeria; (c) Identify opportunities and increase information about the petroleum resources base within all frontier acreages in Nigeria; and (d) Undertake studies, analyse and evaluate all unassigned frontier acreages in Nigeria; (4) Collaboration and Consultation with other Agencies (a) In performing its functions as provided in this section, the Commission shall, where applicable, collaborate with other relevant Government agencies. (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law or regulation, no Government agency shall exercise any powers and functions in relation to the petroleum industry in conflict with the powers and functions of the Commission. (c) All Government agencies exercising any lawful powers and functions in relation to the petroleum industry shall consult with the Commission in the issuance of any regulations, guidelines and in the issuance of enforcement orders or directives which may impact the petroleum industry. ‘ Continues next week

42—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

XENOPHOBIC RIOTS: Two burned alive in Zambia

T

U.S. President Barack Obama meets with Saudi King Salman at Erga Palace upon his arrival for a summit meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia yesterday.

US launches Panama Papers investigation T

HE US Justice De partment has launched a criminal investigation into offshore financial dealings exposed by the Panama Papers - leaked documents that showed money laundering and tax avoidance schemes by the wealthy and powerful.

Preet Bharara, the US attorney for Manhattan, announced the probe on yesterday in a letter to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which had coordinated with other media outlets to report on the about 11.5 million leaked documents.

“The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has opened a criminal investigation regarding matters

to which the Panama Papers are relevant,” he said.

“The Office would greatly appreciate to opportunity to speak as soon as possible with any ICIJ employee or representative involved in the Panama Papers project in order to discuss this matter further.”

.S. President Barack Obama met Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on Wedne-sday to seek joint action on security threats including Iran and Islamic State, but his visit is overshadowed by Gulf Arab exasperation with his approach to the region.

TheAmericanpresidenthas come to the world’s top oil exporter for a fourth and likely last time, hoping to reassure Salman and other Gulf leaders, whom he will meet on Thursday, of Washington’s commitment to their security.

Most of the Gulf Arab monarchies have in private been sorely disappointed by Obama’s presidency, regarding it as a period in which the United States has pulled back from the region, givingmorespacetotheirarch rival Iran to expand its influence.Forhispart,Obama has spoken of his desire to persuade Gulf states to arrive

been burned with firewood and vehicle tyres, according to police quoted by the AFP news agency.

Six people have been murdered since March and

Police arrest anti-rape protesters in South Africa

A

NUMBER of students have been arrested at South Africa’s Rhodes University following protests that allegations of rape on campus are not taken seriously.

Police have used pepper spray and stun guns on the third day of protests to try to disperse students, some

Syrian peace talks in quagmire as rebels prepare for more war

S

YRIA’S fragile peace talks might not resume for at least a year if they are abandoned now, a senior Western diplomat warned on yesterday, as the opposition urged more military support for rebels after declaring a truce was over.

Intense fighting in Syria

Obama meets Saudi king as U.S. Iran policy strains at a “cold peace” with Iran alliance that would douse sectarian

U

Panama has hit back at the apparent blemish on its image as an important financial crossroads.

Also speaking, Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela on Wednesday pledged that his country would stand at the forefront of a global push for greater financial transpa-rency in the wake of the scandal.

WO people were burned to death on Monday during xenophobic violence in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, police have said in a statement.

The riots started after rumours that Rwandans were behind recent ritual killings in the city.

The two were Zambian nationals killed “in the confusion” Home Affairs Minister Davies Mwila reportedly said.

More than 250 people have been arrested after more than 60 Rwandanowned shops were looted in two days of violence.

The two Zambians had

tensions and allow all sides to focus on what he sees as a greaterthreatemanatingfrom IslamicState.

After a low-key arrival in Riyadh, which unlike some previous visits was not shown live on Saudi television, Obama met Salman and a group of top princes and officials at the Erga palace for a two-hour meeting.

has left a six-week-old ceasefire in tatters. The truce was brokered by the United States and Russia to pave the way for the first peace talks attended by the warring factions since fighting began five years ago. Those talks, taking place under U.N. auspices in Geneva, also appear to have collapsed this week. The opposition says it has called a “pause” to negotiations, although it is reluctant to accept blame for the collapse by walking out altogether.

“If this ends now, it will be over for at least a year ... The Russians will steamroll — taking advantage of a U.S. vacuum,” the Western diplomat said, referring to fears that Washington will be preoccupied by November’s U.S. presidential election.

Cuba’s Castro bids party farewell in last speech

F

IDEL Castro, Cuba’s longtime former president, has delivered a farewell speech to the Communist party Congress in the capital, Havana, and called for safeguarding communist ideals.

The leader of the 1959 revolution, which overthrew the US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista, emerged from seclusion on Tuesday to muse about

death and provide encouragement to his followers in a rare speech.

“Soon I will be 90 years old,” he said. “Soon I will be like all the rest.

Everybody’s turn comes,” Castro, whose birthday is August 13, told 1,300 party activists gathered at a Havana convention centre where he delivered countless, hours-long speeches during his rule.

their body parts removed.

Rumours circulated that the body parts would be used as charms to ensure success in business. Police spokeswoman Charity Munganga urged Zambians not to believe “false rumours”.

Students of South Africa’s Rhodes University protesting against incessant rape incidents in the institution.

of whom demonstrated topless on Tuesday.

A list of alleged campus rapists was leaked on social media on Sunday by a student group angered by assaults.

The university has suspended lectures and set up a task team to investigate.

The hashtags #RUReferencelist referring to the 11 alleged rapists named on Facebook - and #nakedprotest have been trending on Twitter for a number of days in South Africa.

Police in the Eastern Cape Province have not commented on the list of alleged rapists or made any arrests.

According to South African law, suspects in sex crimes can only be named after they have appeared in court and pleaded.

S/Sudan peace deal at risk over rebel leader’s delay bring equipment and

S

OUTH Sudan’s government and rebels on yesterday accused each other of hindering rebel leader Riek Machar ’s return to the capital to form a unity government, with monitors of a peace deal warning the delay was putting the agreement at risk. Machar was due to come back to Juba on April 18, but officials said on April 19 his arrival had been

postponed indefinitely for “logistical” reasons.

Machar and his rival President Salva Kiir signed a peace agreement in August aimed at ending a two-year conflict in which thousands were killed and 2 million forced to flee their homes. But implementation has not been smooth.

A government official said Machar was held up because he had wanted to

troops into Juba in excess of what was agreed with Kiir’s camp. Machar told Al Jazeera television that the government was creating “obstacles” to his return.

The United States and the U.N. Security Council have both voiced concern over this latest setback. The body monitoring the peace deal, the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) also said it was worried.

W/African pharmaceutical manufacturers make case for essential drugs

By Victoria Ojeme

T

HE West African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, WAPMA, has called for greater regional collaboration in the production of essential drugs for Nigerians.

Chief Executive Officer of SKG Pharma Mr.Okey Akpa, who disclosed this in a statement, said he had also been elected president of the association.

WAPMA, an umbrella body of 200 pharmaceutical

manufacturers in the subregion, took the decision at

its recent 10th anniversary conference in Accra, Ghana.

KIDNAPPED CHILDREN: Ethiopia declares two days of national mourning flown at half-mast across the

E

THIOPIA has declared two days of national mourning for 208 people killed in cross-border cattle raids during which the government said more than 100 children were also kidnapped.

Parliament said in a statement carried by state media that flags would be

country, and in its foreign missions.

It gave no further information about the missing children.

The raids last week happened in three districts of Gambela, in the country’s west, when attackers from neighbouring South Sudan crossed into Ethiopia.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

— 43

Delightful evening of art auction, poetry, music for Mirabel Centre

By Prisca Sam-Duru

F

OR a dying child in the arms of her helpless mother, nothing but total healing will restore her life and of course, smiles on the face of her mother once again.

Mirabel Centre, an initiative of Partnership For Justice, existing for 3 years as a one stop centre for holistic and high quality medical and psychosocial services to survivors of sexual assault and rape, found itself in a dilemma of closing up, having had its support from Justice for All Programme of the UK’s Department for International Development, DFID, expire last March. Considering how indispensable the Centre has become especially with regard to assisting to break silence on rape and sexual assault, in addition to restoring victim’s self esteem, some friends of the Centre decided to do something.

Coming together as Friends of Mirabel, the group organised a fund raising event tagged, Magenta and Black Art and Fashion for Charity at the British Council, Lagos, last Friday.

“The fund raising was born out of necessity and passion of the friends of the Centre who felt compelled to contribute their quota to ensuring its continued existence.”, Ayotola Jagun explained. For this group of friends, it was high time Nigerians took personal responsibility for the protection of male and female children and women in general, from the scourge of sexual abuse so prevalent in the society.

The aim of the event Jagun explained further, “Is to use Art and Fashion as a catalyst to raise awareness and seek support for the Mirabel Centre with the goal of ensuring that it continues to

positively touch the lives of many more survivors of sexual abuse.

She informed guests that the exhibited items were donated free of charge in order to raise funds to support the Centre.”

The exhibiting artists included; Victor Ehikhamenor ( No is No), Gbolahan Ayoola (Blue Janus) Jumoke Sanwo’s photography titled, XXY, and the new sensation artist, Olumide Oresegun (Cheerful Giver).

Others were, designers; Malaika Najem, Deola Ade Ojo,

Why is it that female children are no longer safe in their homes? Is it a crime to be a girl?

Lisa Folawiyo, Nky Harry Ngonadi and Thando’s. There works were silently auctioned and proceeds channeled into keeping the Centre open.

The evening was lighted-up with Live performances by Song writer/music producer cum singer, Cobhams Asuquo, Bez and renowned Christian musician, Oba. Spoken Word was performed

by Gbenga Osawe who rendered Circle of Violence and another poetry he wrote for the Mirabel Center which campaigned against rape and child marriage.

Short presentation was also by Helen Isibor-Epega a.k.a The

Guests viewing items on display during the fund raising event at British Council, Lagos. Photo: Prisca Sam-Duru Venus Bushfires who to many’s disappointment, walked to the stage without her hang. Anyway, her presentation titled ‘Bridging the Middle- Using the Arts to give voice to women and girls in communities’ told of her support to the Mirabel Centre.

Two survivors of rape also took advantage of the evening to share their ugly experiences and also how Mirabel Centre helped to give them their lives back.

Their testimonies elicited emotions from the guests climaxing in their concurring with Senator Florence Ita-Giwa’s advocacy to have genitals of child-rapists, cut off.

In his usual oratory, Professor Chidi Odinkalu joined others in a passionate plea to Nigerians to make donations towards

saving the Mirabel centre from closing down.

The event also featured a short documentary on the beginning, activities and success stories of the Mirabel Centre which had its Founder, Mrs Itoro EzeAnaba as the narrator.

Mind boggling questions “Why is it that female children are no longer safe in their homes?

Is it a crime to be a girl? What future do you expect for children sexually assaulted”, were some of the mind boggling questions

by Mrs Eze-Anaba during her presentation.

According to her, “Rape is real.

Reports have it that 1 out of 5

Minister unfolds plans to reposition Culture, Tourism sectors

By Japhet Alakam N line with the present administration’s plan to diversify the economy away from oil, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has disclosed that the ministry has concluded consultations with relevant stakeholders to reposition the Arts, Culture and Tourism sectors in an effort to make the sector a

I

major revenue earner for the country. Even as he announced that the ministry will hold a National Summit on Culture and Tourism this month.

The Minister who made the submissions during an interactive session with the Art/Culture and Toursim Editors in Lagos, said the Summit, with the theme “Repositioning Culture and Tourism in a Diversified Economy”, to be held in Abuja

Assembly of Afemai masquerades and traditional troupes plans festival

T

women will be raped in life.” She lamented that fathers who are expected to protect children now rape them adding that the traumatic experience distorts their psyche while growing up.

Mrs Eze-Anaba who called on individuals, corporate organisations and government to support the Centre in order to protect the future of Children stressed that “Rape is not a girl or women issue but a community issue as boys are also being raped. It’s wrong to turn a blind eye.

At Mirabel Centre which is located within the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja, Lagos, medical and counseling services as well as material needs, are provided for victims and families.”

By Usman Abudah

HE fifth edition of the yearly “Mass Assembly of Afenmai Masquerades and Traditional Troupes” organized by Afenmai Heritage and Cultural Studies holds, Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the Ikelebe Sports Arena, Auchi at 11.00 a.m.

Masquerades and traditional troupes from the six local government councils of the Edo North Senatorial District, numbering more than two hundred artistes will be participating.

An exhibition of handloom weaving, sculpturing, publications by Afenmai writers, skin decoration and costume production will be featured.

The maiden edition launched in March 2010 by Nobel Laureate Prof.

Wole Soyinka at Auchi, unfolded the creative themes of the Afenmai people

whose natural awareness of realistic approaches to life that ought not to be allowed to be swallowed up by pretentious “western cultural attitudes” that would never be abandoned and left to sink.

Theme of this edition is Eyemark: Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, Executive Governor of Edo State as a case study and is based on the demonstrative and practical performances of Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole throughout Edo State which has changed the common language term in past budget presentations“EARMARKED” which he has changed to “EYE MARK” with his glaring performances seen by the entire citizenry as eye witnesses.

•Prince Abudah is Founder & Creative Director, Afenmai Heritage & Cultural Studies, Benin City, Edo State.

April 27 to 29, would bring all stakeholders together to examine and proffer solutions to the problems mitigating against culture and tourism being huge revenue earners for the country.

According to him, “as you are very much aware, this administration is diversifying the economy away from oil, which for many years has been the mainstay of our economy.

Among the sectors that have been identified as veritable sources of revenue for the nation are the Arts, Culture and Tourism Sectors. This is why we in the Ministry of Information and Culture are working hard to move these sectors from the margins to the mainstream, and ensure that the rural poor in particular are factored into the Sector’s architecture.”

He stated that special attention will be paid to the capacity building of culture and tourism managers in a deliberate effort to revive the nation’s creative arts, boost tourism and create employment for Nigerians, said that the ministry is working with various local and international partners, including the Tony Elumelu Foundation and the British Council, to map the creative arts, like pottery, weaving, dyeing, sculpturing, etc,.

44—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

LUTH vs Udebu’s family: •No negligence on our part – LUTH Management •My wife was suffocated to death – Husband insists

By Sola Ogundipe, Chioma Obinna & Gabriel Olawale

Deceased’s husband reacts:

T

HE management of Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, has denied the allegation of negligence in the death of one of its patients, Mrs Ngozi Udebu, who was admitted to the hospital three weeks ago, but the widower, Ausbet Udebu, insisted that LUTH’s response clearly showed that his wife was suffocated to death.

Udebu who vowed to begin a medical revolution said the hospital’s personnel were never in the know when his wife passed on.

In a statement made available to Vanguard by LUTH Management, the hospital explained that the report of the independent panel it set up to look into the circumstances of the patient’s death didn’t find any doctor or nurse culpable of neglect.

The statement, entitled: “Response to the Death of Mrs Ngozi Udebu”, noted that the panel comprising senior medical personnel from three different departments, established that during the period of the deceased’s admission and after her demise, no report of poor treatment or negligence was brought to the notice of the managing team or LUTH management.

In setting the records straight, the statement read: “We have deliberately restrained ourselves from responding earlier because a detailed investigation was underway and it would have been premature to comment before the final outcome.

Effects of inflammation

“Mrs Ngozi Udebu was a patient in our hospital, having been admitted on March 26, 2016, and died about 51 hours later. She was afflicted with abdominal pain from her monthly menstrual periods shortly after 40 days of religious fasting. She had taken an overdose of Piroxicam (50mg thrice daily for two days) a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain killer, which is known to be associated with side effects of inflammation or ulceration of the stomach, even at a regular dose.

She was admitted, seen by the medical team, including an experienced consultant physician.

“She was commenced on medications for peptic ulcers or dyspepsia after ultrasound scans and other tests. She was admitted to the medical wards within 24 hrs of presentation and monitored by the medical personnel (doctors and nurses).

A few hours to her demise, she C M Y K

Further specialised histology report obtained later confirmed fluid in the terminal air passages which support aspiration of food, fluids or secretions. The stomach was inflamed but not actively bleeding or perforated which is not surprising, considering that she was already on anti peptic ulcer therapy.”

Late Mrs. Ngozi Udebu started to have difficulty in breathing, and was commenced on oxygen therapy which she continued to have till her demise.

While making the rounds to see how the patients fared in the night, the nurse on duty noticed the patient had stopped breathing and attempts to resuscitate her failed.

“There was no distress call by the patient, other patients or any other person around her in the ward prior to her sudden death.

In view of the strange and sudden death of our patient, the managing team immediately requested for an autopsy to unravel the immediate and remote causes of her demise as it’s the standard practice in such cases of unusual death. This autopsy was prompted by LUTH. The autopsy preliminary report demonstrated evidence of asphyxia, though no foreign body or evidence of strangulation was found.

Evidence of strangulation

Further specialised histology report obtained later confirmed fluid in the terminal air passages which support aspiration of food, fluids or secretions. The stomach was inflamed but not actively bleeding or perforated which is not surprising, considering that she was already on anti peptic ulcer therapy. “We can understand why the layman may be confounded by the apparent disparity of the admitting diagnosis and the final pathological diagnosis. The pathological diagnosis confirmed the actual and final cause of death as the ulcers were already healing.”

Giving a reconstruction of the events leading to the patient’s

demise, LUTH management said: “A known patient with dysmenorrhoea who was fasting took an overdose of non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs, the analgesics suppressed the menstrual pain but damaged the stomach leading to excruciating pain in the abdomen which brought her to LUTH. “Our doctors correctly diagnosed gastritis promptly and gave appropriate treatment. Ulcers do not show up on ultrasound scans, explaining the negative ultrasound scan findings. The pains started to abate by the second day.

“However, on the day of demise, while the patient was asleep late at night, she most probably aspirated food,(sucking food into the airway) throat secretions or water leading to bronchospasm, (abnormal contraction of the smooth muscle of the bronchi) and respiratory distress which rapidly culminated in her death. She was found dead and all attempts to revive her failed. Nothing the doctors or nurses did or didn’t do could be described as the cause of death. Alternatively, she could have suffered an idiosyncratic reaction (rare, unusual and bizarre reaction) to any of the medications she took before or during her admission to the hospital. This is not describable as negligence and no one could have known or prevented it.

“Autopsy preliminary report demonstrated evidence of asphyxia, though no foreign body or evidence of strangulation was found.

In a quick reaction, the deceased’s husband, Mr. Ausbeth Udebu, dismissed LUTH’s response, insisting that the report of the investigative panel clearly showed that his wife suffocated to death.

In a telephone reaction with Vanguard, Udebu who called for immediate review of the policy that patient’s relatives must not sleep over said it was further clear to him that that they only discovered his wife’s death while on Ward rounds. “I didn’t expect anything less, because I know they would want to come out with something to exonerate them, but at the end I can see that they have answered the questions I even wanted to ask. They have been able to tell me that my wife died without them knowing at the point she died.

“It is clear to me that she suffocated to death, because there was nobody on ground monitoring the oxygen they put on her. If you put a patient on oxygen somebody should be kept to monitor it to see the progress of the whole thing.

When I came the next day and meet the lifeless body of my wife, I confronted the nurse that was on night duty the nurse brought out the oxygen and told me that

It is clear to me that she suffocated to death, because there was nobody on ground to monitor the oxygen they put on her they have to change the oxygen because they discovered that it was not working. I remember asking her, at what point did you realise that the oxygen kit was no longer working, but she was unable to give me an accurate answer.

“With this response, it was clear to me that they saw her dead when they are going for Ward round, who are they trying to deceive? It is now clear to me that negligence was actually what leads to my wife death. It is now become clearer to me that assuming I was with my wife at

that ward, she wouldn’t have died,” he added.

He said the policy that the patient’s relatives must not be there should be expunged, querying, “The private ward in that LUTH where people paid more, they allow patient relation to stay with them. But in a ward where only two nurses attend to 35 patients, they said relatives are not allowed.

“My campaign is that medical revolution must start with the death of my wife because they cannot continue to kill people the way they are doing now.

“They claimed in their report that a Consultant attended to my wife that is a pure lie, because no single consultant saw my wife. It is only the student doctors wearing white that came, aside two senior doctors that came during ward rounds. No single experienced hand was there to look at my wife,” he argued.

Medical revolution

On the allegation that he failed to appear before the LUTH committee, Udebu said he was sent a text message and not an invitation which he argued could come from anybody. “I was invited by a text message, is that a way they suppose to handle a case of this nature? First, I don’t know who was sending the text message, on the second thought; if they really wanted to invite me they should have written a letter with LUTH letter head paper and not a text message. My address was on our document at LUTH,” he explained.

On allegation of overdose, Udebu said his wife never took an overdose. “I only told them she was in her menstrual period and took a painkiller and not overdose. What did they mean by overdose? Just because they did not take necessary precaution to ensure her life was saved they are now talking about overdose. You could imagine how many hours I waited, running from pillar to post, going outside to find drugs, coming back and having to wait for them till they came for Ward rounds. Common Gascol I had to find it outside.

“They have turned LUTH to where they kill people. I have received up to 2,000 calls from people that have lost their loved ones in LUTH due to their staff negligence. Life does not mean anything to them; the consultants want people to come to their private hospitals to get good medical attention,” he noted.

Further, he said: “Court is my last option. My option is to make enough noise in this country to start medical revolution because we must change how things are done in hospitals. The doctors should explain the treatment procedure to relatives of patients.

Here, they just write a full page without explaining anything.

“Medical science has gone to a stage that whatever they are doing, patients’ relatives must be carried along. In some advanced countries, patient’s relatives are allowed in operating rooms to see what is happening. For the fact that they don’t have a camera to capture what happened in the wards is unacceptable in this modern age and only two nurses are attending to over 35 patients.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016—45

C M Y K

46—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016 — 47

Reconciliation: Toro urges Giwa to abide by the rules CAF Champions League:

By Solomon Nwoke

F

ORMER Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Alhaji Sani Ahmed Toro has urged the arrow head of the ‘rebelling’ football administrators, Chris Giwa to abide by the rule of the game by respecting the status of the NFF, CAF and FIFA. He made the call as the seven-man reconciliation committee which has the former chairman of NFA, Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima as chairman, Dr Tijani Yusuf, Dr Bolaji Ojo-Oba, Barrister Musa Amadu, Paul Bassey, Barrister Obi and Mrs Carol Nkem Ojukwu as members was inaugurated by Sports minister, Solomon Dalung.

Speaking yesterday, Alhaji Toro said, “the rule of the game is very clear and must be respected, The minister has taken the right step by setting up a reconciliation committee that is composed of all football experts in the country to look into the problem and advise the government on the way forward. It’s a good devel-

opment”.

Alhaji Toro who would not want to proffer any form of sanction on Giwa urged Nigerians to wait patiently for the outcome of the committee’s report.

He disclosed that when the matter first came up, “I quickly advised the minister to ensure that the crisis does not get out of hand in order not to earn us FIFA hammer because Giwa infringed on one of the statutes of FIFA. “I don’t want to preempt the outcome of the committee’s findings.

Let’s wait and see what they ’ll come out with and I don’t want to go that far as to proffering any form of sanction that should be meted out to him (Giwa).

One thing about Giwa, whether we like it or not, is that he’s one of the two private club owners in the country. He however, took the wrong direction by going to the regular court for a football matter.

“My advise to Giwa is that he should realise that he’s a member of the football family and even as a member, he should abide by the rules of the

Enyimba qualify!

T

*Toro

Tinubu commends PwC Chess4change Grand Slam ORGANISERS of the PwC Chess4Change Grand Slam Tournament which commenced in Lagos on Tuesday, 19th April 2016 at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos has been roundly commended for sustaining the tempo of the two-year old competition.

ITF lists Nigeria U14 Boys for World Team Cup

M

ORE rewards are coming to Nigerian tennis following the impressive outing of the country at the 2016 ITF/ CAT Africa Junior Championship in Pretoria, South Africa as the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has listed the

country’s Boys’& 14 under team for the World Team Cup African qualifiers.

In a mail sent to the NTF by the General Manager of the Confederation of African Tennis (CAT), the qualifiers scheduled for June 3 - 18 at the Clay

Minister Continues from BP Buhari for the 2015 All Africa Games in Congo as well as preparations for the 2016 Rio Olympics, has been described as false by a top staff of the ministry.

A top shot of the Sports Ministry who pleaded anonymity said the Minister was not fair to Yakmut on the issue as the money which was approved as “Special Intervention fund for the All Africa Games and Olympic qualifiers” was judiciously spent for the purposes it was meant for and the minister was told about the balance which was put at about N654 million.

“From the N2.97 billion, about N2.1 billion was used for Nigeria’s participation at last year’s All Africa Games in Congo. This was before the minister was appointed. Some Federations got money for their qualifiers too.

If the minister says

Yakmut never told him about the money, from which source did he direct the NSC to release over N200 million as loan to the NFF to prosecute the African Nations Championship, CHAN and the African U-23 Championship in Senegal?,” the source queried.

Not done yet, our source also said that “Since the minister said Yakmut never briefed him on the money, and that he had to source money from else where to pay for accommodation for Nigerian athletes in Brazil, he should tell Nigerians from where he sourced the money.”

The sports ministry staff said that the Minister, apart from going to Brazil, has embarked on several other trips on behalf of the ministry and wondered how the trips were funded if he truly never inherited any fund when he assumed office and if Yak-

Court of La Marsa Tunis, Tunisia will see Nigeria jostling alongside Seychelles, Mauritius and host Tunisia for the sole ticket of the main tournament billed for Spain later in the year. South Africa and Kenya are the alternate teams in order of priority. mut never briefed him there was some money left from the “Intervention Fund” approved by President Buhari.

Meanwhile our source disclosed that most staff of the sports ministry are not happy that since the minister came, the peace they have enjoyed in sports is no longer there as his actions have stoked crisis especially in football.

“Before he assumed office, there was peace in sports but now it is one crisis after another.

First it was in Taekwondo and that caused the country qualification for the Olympic Games. It moved to football, he is now setting up a committee to find a solution which he couldn’t find himself.

Now we hear he is hobnobbing with a body the NBBF and FIBA declared illegal and asked not to run an illegal basketball league in the country,”he stressed.

The opening day of the tournament had in attendance; Mr Ayodeji Tinubu, Special Adviser (Sports) to the Governor of Lagos State, the Director General, Lagos State Sports Commission, Mr Ayo Agbesanwa, Mr Daniel Asapokhai a Partner from PwC, representative from the Lagos State Ministry of Education- Mrs Olabisi Joseph, Mr Jimmy Sogbesan, Chief Operating Officer- MediaVision Limited (Project Consultants), students, Principals and members of the press.

Speaking at the event; Tinubu lauded the sponsor for choosing to put their weight behind a value driven project capable of transforming lives noting that chess has the potential of putting Nigeria on the map of sporting greatness.

Speaking in the same vein, Daniel emphasised the values chess teaches, stating further that playing chess forces you to think about your moves.

Amanze Continues from BP set up by Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung to reconcile the various warring factions in Nigerian football headed by former Chairman of NFA, Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima.

"Who and who are they reconciling with?’’, Uchegbulam, who was a one time Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation under Lulu Abdullahi asked.

"I don’t want to preempt the workings of the Committee made up of eminent Nigerians.

But, they must first of all respect the rules. And what it means is that they should sanction

HEOPHILUS Afelokhai was the hero in last night’s CAF Champions League match played in Sousse, Tunisia as he stopped four penalties to earn Enyimba a befitting 7-6 aggregate win over hosts, Etoile du Sahel and cruised to the lucrative group stage of the competition.

The match ended 3-0 in regulation time in favour of Etoile du Sahel who had lost the first leg by the same margin.

The resultant penalty shoot-out saw the Nigerian champions’ goalkeeper, Afelokhai saving four penalties thus leading the former two time champions to the group stage.

Holders TP Mazembe crashed out of the African Champions League after a 3-1 aggregate loss to Wydad Casablanca. The Moroccans, coached by former Real Madrid boss John Toshack, scored late in DR Congo to earn a 1-1 draw.

Mazembe had taken the lead after 28 minutes as Mali defender Salif

Chukwu

Continues from BP and a distraction from serious football matters facing the nation.

Former Super Eagles coach and a member of the NFF Technical and Development Committee, Christian Chukwu said the revived Chris Giwa versus NFF case was no longer an issue because the case had since been closed by the Court of Arbitration for Sports.

“As far as I am concerned, Giwa has no case. FIFA Statutes are clear on how to handle football disputes. For him to have gone to the civil court with a case that has since been decided by those who are guilty of bringing shame to Nigerian football. Chris Giwa should be punished and told to withdraw whatever case he has in court against Nigerian football. We must respect laws and punish the offenders. That is the only thing left for them to do.

If not, the Reconciliation Committee will be going round in circles’’, Uchegbulam emphasised.

Members of the Reconciliation Committee are: Ibrahim Galadima (chairman), Tijani Yusuf, Bolaji Ojo-Oba, Musa Amadu, Paul Bassey, Okey Obi and Carol Nkem Ojukwu.

Before this time, the Sports Minister had tried reconciling NFF

Coulibaly headed home a corner from Ghana’s Solomon Asante.

Reda Hajhouj equalised in injury time, in a match that Mazembe created several chances.

The draw for the group stage will be held on 24 May in Cairo, Egypt.

*Afelokhai

Dead man

Continues from BP

The late Ibadan-based referee is scheduled to be assisted by Tope .O from Osun State and Adeleke M (Oyo) in the game. The list submitted to the League Management Company (LMC) for this weekend’s games was signed by Yahaya Adama.

CAS is unfortunate.

“Furthermore, I think it is a distraction because we have very serious issues confronting this country. They should just let this administration run its course, after all, how many years are left before the next elections?’’

Chukwu said.

He however, expressed confidence that the case would not pose any serious problems because the NFF had filed an appeal for a stay of execution of the Jos High Court judgement. “As far as I know, the NFF application was granted immediately and that means the status quo remains.

The job goes on,” he said.

President Amaju Pinnick and Chris Giwa and it took the intervention of the Minister before they exchanged fisticuffs.

Inaugurating the Reconciliation Committee on Tuesday, the Minister tasked the group to find a way forward in the present NFF crisis and to co-opt members, interface and reach out to anybody who can be of assistance to achieving their mandate. “Nigerians are gradually being factionalised into these two camps so you must put the country’s interest above personal interest,” the Minister said.

The reconciliation committee has one week to submit its report.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

N2.9 billion: Minister unfair to Yakmut —Ministry staff •Says he directed money to be released to NFF

T

HE allegation by Youth and Sports Minister, Barrister

Dalung’s Committee ‘ll fail unless ••• — Uchegbulam

Solomon Dalung that the former Director General of the defunct National Sports Commission, NSC, Mallam AlHassan Yakmut never briefed him about the N2.9 billion approved by President Muhammad Continues on Page 47

•Yakmut

Giwa’s NFF appoints dead man to officiate a match

T

HE Chris Giwa socalled faction of the Nigeria Football Association who have been holding Nigerian football by the jugular displayed their ignorance on football matters, listing a dead referee, Wale Akinsanya, as one of the officials for the league game, reports Tony Ubani.

The late Wale Akinsanya died on January 22, 2016 during a FIFA Cooper Test in Ibadan.

But in the list of referees named for the NPFL matches this weekend, he was picked as centre referee for the encounter between Warri Wolves and Giwa FC in Warri.

BY TONY UBANI

V

ICE President, Board of Appeal Committee of the Confederation of African Football, CAF, Mazi Amanze Uchegbulam has dismissed the reconciliation committee Continues on Page 47

By Patrick Omorodion

•Uchegbulam

Giwa, a distraction – Chukwu

Continues on Page 47

BY JACOB AJOM

T

•Chukwu

HE unending feud in the Nigeria football family, orchestrated

by Jos-based owner of Giwa FC, Chris Giwa, has been described as unfortunate Continues on Page 47

CAF Champions League: INAUGURATION: Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung (l) in handshake with Chairman of NFF Reconciliation Committee, Ibrahim Galadima soon after the committee’s inauguration in Abuja yesterday.

Enyimba qualify!

—P.47

QUICK CROSSWORD

T OD AY'S PUZZLE ODA

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Brittle (5) 5 Item (6) 8 Abrupt (5) 10 Appear (6) 11 So be it (4) 14 Modest (6) 15 Flabby (7) 18 Bow (3) 19 Tear (3) 21 Repose (4) 23 Kingly (5) 24 Retained (4) 27 Noise (3) 29 Fish (3) 31 Twisted (7) 32 Talented (6) 34 Roster (4) 35 Amatory (6) 38 Step (5) 39 Grasp (6) 40 Traded (5)

DOWN 2 Edge (3) 3 Stern (6) 4 Fix (3) 5 Deceased (4) 6 Quiver (6) 7 Hidden (6) 9 Withdrew (7) 12 Males (3) 13 Naked (4) 16 Enjoy (4) 17 Number (5) 20 Cure-all (7) 22 Only (4) 24 Feverish (6) 25 Ogle (4) 26 Pious (6) 28 Disregard (6) 30 Permit (3) 33 Impetuous (4) 36 Free (3) 37 Sick (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Treat 5, Dipped 8, Curse 10, Enrage 11 Aver 14 Nation 15, Janitor 18 tie 19, Key 21, Char 23, Devil 24, Seep 27, Due 29, Vow 31 Elation 32, toiled 34, Lido 35, Earned 38, Ladle 39, Expected 40, Edify.

DOWN: 2, Ran 3, Acacia 4, Tug 5, Dean 6, Poetic 7, Dinner 9, Revoked 12, Vat 13, Rich 16, Able 17, Revue 20, Yielded 22, Also 24, Settee 25, Evil 26, Polite 28, Stored 30, Wed 33, Dolt 36, Ale 37, Elf.

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) Editor: MIDENO BAYAGBON. Phone: 01-7742861, All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.