EFCC freezes Gov Fayose’s account

•P.35

N50bn debt: AMCON takes over Jimoh Ibrahim’s firms •Freezes bank accounts

By Omoh Gabriel

L

AGOS — THE Federal High Court, Lagos Division, yesterday, restrained NICON Investment

Limited, Global Fleet Oil and Gas Limited and Mr Jimoh Ibrahim from dealing with any assets or funds belonging to

NICON Investment, Global Fleet Oil and other assets.

The order was granted to AMCON as an interim

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 63054

injunction against NICON Investment Limited, Global Fleet Oil & Gas Limited and Mr Jimoh Ibrahim on the

**

application of Asset M a n a g e m e n t Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

Justice Saliu Saidu, while granting the order

on the application of Mr. Yusuf Ali, SAN, counsel to AMCON, restrained NICON Investment

Continues on page 21

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N200

TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

EFCC freezes Gov Fayose’s account •It's criminal, illegal — FAYOSE •An account can be blocked during investigation — EFCC •Sagay, Ngige, Ozekhome, Chukwuma, Afenifere react

By Abdulwahab Abdulah, Dapo Akinrefon, Evelyn Usman, Charles Kumolu, Gbenga Oke & Rotimi Ojomoyela

A

DO-EKITI — THE personal accounts of Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and those of some of his associates have been frozen by the Continues on Page 5

FG suspends tenure policy in civil service 39 RESUMPTION: President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as the President resumed work at the State House, Abuja, yesterday after a vacation in London. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

Alleged forgery: Saraki, Ekweremadu, FG calls Avengers' bluff; repairs NGC pipeline 12 others for arraignment today 9 COLUMNIST: SACRILEGE: Hoodlums set A’Ibom church ablaze See inside C M Y K

Re: Rochas Okorocha and the ragged-trousered philanthropists •P.17

Naira falls to N281.85 per USD as CBN clears 41 $4.02bn backlog •Nigerian Breweries leads N164bn decline at NSE

Mr & Mrs

2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

C M Y K

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016 — 3

C M Y K

4 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016—5

POCKET CARTOON be frozen—Sagay

SUMMIT: From left, Budget and National Planning Minister, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma; Speaker, Kenyan National Assembly, Justin B. N. Muturi; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, David Babachir Lawal and Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, at a one-day national summit on Political Representation and Constituency and Zonal Intervention Services at International Conference Centre, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

EFCC freezes Gov Fayose’s right, but they have to account wait till 2018 because I Continues from page 1 Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The action immediately prompted diverse reactions with a large majority of lawyers and Nigerians contacted affirming the validity of the commission freezing a governor ’s account, but only upon the orders of a court.

Governor Fayose, who opened up on the EFCC's action while speaking at the premises of Zenith Bank, AdoEkiti, where he has his personal account, claimed that he got notice of plans by the Presidency to freeze his account some days earlier.

A source in the bank told the visibly surprised Fayose that his account was allegedly frozen on the orders of the antigraft agency.

The governor said he had earlier issued a

counter cheque to make a withdrawal, which was rejected by the bank located in Onigari , GRA in Ado Ekiti, describing the action as criminal and illegal.

Citing Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution, Fayose said he enjoys immunity as a sitting governor, urging the Federal Government to fight corruption within the ambit of the law.

He said: “I got wind of the fact that the EFCC had placed restriction order on my personal account and that of my associates. I came here today (yesterday), and I have been able to see it.

This action shows that this government has no respect for the constitution because I enjoy immunity under Section 308.

“I support government fighting corruption, but it has to be within the ambit of the law. You can investigate me; it is their

will be done by then.

They should not be in a hurry because I will personally come to them for investigation.

“I have become a public figure in this country that I don’t have anywhere to run to. This rascality of EFCC must stop. If they like, let them investigate the whole world. Is it because they are the sitting government now that nobody can ask them questions? We will take every legal procedure to get things right.

“I am not leaving this bank until they give me a statement of account.

They must put it into writing because EFCC has no right under the law to freeze my account.

They did not communicate with me.

They want to destabilize the state, and we will use all legal means to make them obey the constitution. They can investigate me, but they can’t coerce me.”

IT'S UP TO YOU

An account can be blocked during OO many individuals have become prisoners of investigation their inadequacies, they focus on that which —EFCC

BY AYO ADIO - 08104802192

T doesn’t work and this goes along to cripple that which should work.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE- O8084919482 THE Rose is without why ... she blooms because she blooms— Angelus Silesius.

T

HE pursuit of happiness translates into goodness, beauty and truth. This presence is felt in the truest of friendship and love that which brings light and joy to one’s heart.

To be oneself truly is to know and follow your dreams to manifest what’s true from within. Take action towards your goals. It's never too late, never too old to start from somewhere. Dream your dreams and bloom joyfully.

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE

W

HEN the bird jerks in the air, we can fathom where it would perch.

C M Y K

Contacted, Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, did not, in clear terms, confirm that Fayose’s personal account was frozen. But asked if it was within the agency’s constitutional powers, he replied: “Under the constitution, government executives don’t have immunity on investigation. They can be investigated while in office but can’t be prosecuted. Also, an account can be blocked during investigation.”

His account can

The EFCC position was affirmed by Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption, Prof Itse Sagay, SAN, who said the commission had been empowered to freeze accounts or assets of anyone under investigation.

Sagay, who hinged his assertion on a Supreme Court verdict to buttress his point, said: “If the EFCC is investigating anybody and they have reasons to believe that somebody has acquired state assets for himself, they are empowered by the law to apply to a court to freeze those assets, including banking assets, pending the enquiry and possible trial. So, they have that power.

"For a governor, it is a unique situation, but the Supreme Court has already held that even if you enjoy immunity, you are also subject to being investigated. So, that would be one of the consequences of that investigation.”

EFCC can freeze a gov’s account during investigation —Ngige

Also throwing his weight behind Sagay’s submission, Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN, said: “If during an investigation the EFCC discovers that a particular account has been used for money laundering, the commission has the right to freeze the account pending the outcome of the investigation. It is not touching the account but just suspending the usage of the account.

“It does not matter whether the account belongs to a governor or not. I have said in the past that the Supreme Court had ruled in a past case that immunity shields governors from arrest and prosecution but not from an investigation.

"The apex court ruled that the governors have no immunity against investigation.

The commission is empowered by the law to investigate governors and if in the course of their investigation, they find that an account has been used for money laundering they can freeze it.”

It's illegal

— Ozekhome

It is illegal and unconstitutional for the account of a sitting governor to be frozen while in office. The governor enjoys immunity under Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution and for whatever purpose, his account cannot be frozen.

Section 308 of the Constitution grants immunity to the governor and his deputy just as it grants immunity to the President and his vicepresident.

"You cannot freeze the account of a President while he is still in office just like you cannot freeze the account of a governor while he is still in office.

You can wait till he leaves office. Since he enjoys immunity, the same thing applies to his finances and all his property.

“My take on this matter is that we should be very careful so that we don’t over-stretch our democracy or overheat the polity. The last time I checked, we are supposed to be operating a constitutional democracy that thrives on the rule of law as observers of human rights and not military dictatorship. I plead with President Muhammadu Buhari to call the EFCC to order as they are making Nigeria a laughing stock in the eyes of the international community.”

It’s an abnormality — Afenifere

On his part, Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said the move was an abnormality but was quick to call on the commission to give an explanation as to why it took the step.

Odumakin said: “If it was done, it is an abnormality. What crime did he commit? Did he keep the money of the state in his private account? What level of investigation have they done to warrant the closure of his personal

account?

"People will see this as an attempt to witch-hunt and muzzle him. If it is true, it will be the height of high-handedness.

They owe the country an explanation, and they must tell us why they did such.”

Lawyer and human rights activist, Tokunbo Mumuni, said: “The fact that the governor is in power does not mean he cannot be investigated.

This has been settled in the case of Fawehinmi vs.

Tinubu. However, he has immunity from any prosecution. On the issue of his frozen account, if it is true, that means the anti-graft agency must have secured a valid court order. If this is not done, the exercise remains invalid and illegal.

“If the court feels that, indeed, there is a commission of a crime relating to the account or the owner of the account, the court has the power to freeze the account pending investigation.

Like I said, there must be a valid order of the court, which must be the instrument to be executed.”

No big deal on frozen account —Chukwuma

Lagos lawyer, Nnamdi Chukwuma, said: “There is nothing big or serious about the freezing of an account belonging to a state governor. If it is his personal account, he is like any other bank customer, whose transaction is subject to extant laws. However, what is big is that the account cannot be validly frozen except there is an existing court order.

“The governor cannot claim political victimization, if the EFCC got a valid court order which will be based on the averment canvassed before the court. There is no court that can grant an order without being convinced of the facts presented before it.”

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

08023019505 08034073107

Man in prison custody for pouring hot soup on police officer

A

N Ado-Ekiti Magistrate’s Court, yesterday, remanded 33year-old Emmanuel Imole in prison custody for allegedly pouring hot soup on a police officer.

The police prosecutor, Sergeant Bankole Olasunkanmi, told the court that the accused committed the offence on June 13 at about 5.30p.m. at Ilawe Road, Ado-Ekiti.

He said the accused unlawfully poured hot soup on a police officer attached to Iyin Police Station, while performing his lawful duty.

He requested for adjournment to enable him study the case file and assemble his witnesses.

The magistrate, Idowu Ayenimo, remanded the accused in prison custody pending the time his counsel’s written application for bail is filed and adjourned the case till July 7.

NCS arrests 12 over jobs scam

By Godfrey Bivbere & Ifeyinwa Ob

N

IGERIA Customs Service, NCS, has arrested 12 suspects over fake recruitment exercise.

The suspects were said to have been involved in the fake advert on social media, which directed job seekers to visit a website from where the fraudsters extort money from them.

Customs’ Public Relations Officer, Mr. Wale Adeniyi, in a statement yesterday, in Abuja, said that an advert currently circulating on the social media was the latest among many other attempts to mislead desperate job seekers.

He said that the post, which went viral weekend, was a reproduction of previous recruitment adverts.

He said that the service had launched a war against internet fraudsters, and advised Nigerians to ignore advertisements found in any online platform, except those released in the NCS’ authentic and authoritative platforms.

90-yr-old Kaduna Justice Ministry building razed by fire

By Luka Binniyat

K

ADUNA—VITAL legal documents, most of the criminal proceedings and legal archives of Kaduna State and the former Northern Region were lost to an early morning fire that gutted the building of Kaduna State Ministry of Justice, Kaduna, yesterday. It was built in 1926.

A staff of the ministry, who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity, said: “One of the security personnel on duty told us, when came to work this morning (yesterday), that the fire started around 2a.m. in one of the offices on the first floor.”

The source said he did not know what led to the fire, but that there was a strong wind last night, which helped the flame spread.

He added that as soon as the fire started, he alerted Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, which rushed to the scene. No life was lost.

He said: “We came to work this morning and discovered that we have no office to work

in. My office is nothing but ruins.

“All the records and files of criminal cases in Kaduna

State, both past, ongoing and those to be charged in future are destroyed. Everything about litigation and related

issues has been lost and it is a huge blow because we do not have any back up.

“This building was built around 1926 and we have colonial and post-colonial archives, especially those of the defunct Northern Nigeria.”

The offices affected by the fire were that of the Solicitor General, Attorney General/ Permanent Secretary, Director Legal Drafting and Director, Litigation.

Confirming the incident, the Director, Kaduna State Fire Service, Mr. Paul Aboi, said 14 offices were affected.

He told newsmen that the building was empty and that the fire started at the central offices.

19-yr-old girl commits suicide after fight with boyfriend

By Evelyn Usman

L

AGOS—TRAGEDY struck at Alhaji Ede Avenue in Igando area of Lagos, after a 19-year-old lady allegedly committed suicide following a quarrel with her lover.

The deceased, Uche Obiora, was said to have visited her lover ’s home over the weekend.

There were, however, different accounts as to how the tragedy struck.

A version of the account said a quarrel ensued between them, over suspicion by Obiora that her boyfriend, Ernest Ihaza, was having an affair with another lady.

Another version stated that during the visit, Ihaza

announced his intention to discontinue with the relationship.

During the verbal confrontation between them, Ihaza was said to have stormed out of his apartment.

However on arrival, he reportedly met Obiora writhing in pains on the floor holding on to her stomach.

Obiora, who later reported

Commercial bus crushes Okadaman on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway

By Franklin Alli

Man slaps wife

By Chidi Nkwopara

O

L

A G O S — PANDEMONIUM broke out, yesterday, along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, following a protest by commercial motorcyclists, Okadamen, over the death of one of them hit by a commercial bus, Danfo.

Vanguard gathered that the commercial bus, which was going to Oshodi from Apapa, ran over a commercial motorcyclist at Berger Yard Bus Stop, killing him on the spot.

The driver of the bus, who attempted to carry the corpse, apparently to the police station, was mobbed by other motorcyclists, but was lucky to escape lynching, dashing across the expressway.

the case at the Igando Police Division, disclosed that Obiora drank poison.

Contacted, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmus, said: “Ernest Ihaza reported at the Igando Police Station that his girlfriend, Uche Obiora, committed suicide by drinking snipers insecticide. We are investigating the matter.”

The commercial bus set ablaze by protesting okadamen However, the aggrieved motorcyclists and hoodlums set the bus on fire, causing traffic jam along the busy expressway.

It, however, took the

intervention of policemen and officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, to clear the traffic gridlock.

Policemen later removed the corpse.

WERRI—FOR having the effrontery to retaliate when her husband slapped her, the woman received the second slap that sent her to the great beyond. But the 36-year husband, Onyekachi Anele, is currently cooling his heels in the custody of Imo State Police Command.

Already, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Taiwo Lakanu, has not only ordered the transfer of the matter to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, but has equally directed that a thorough investigation be carried out into the circumstances that led to the woman’s death.

Vanguard investigations revealed that Anele and his late wife, Chikodi, were residents of Obiniezena in Owerri North

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016—7

08023019505 08034073107

Herdsmen kill policeman, 2 others missing in Adamawa

By Umar Yusuf

Y

OLA—SUSPECTED Fulani herdsmen have killed a police Sergeant simply identified as Aminu, while two others have been declared missing in Batare of Koh community in Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

It was in the same community

that the Divisional Police Officer of Vinikland Police Station was killed January this year.

It was gathered that the three policemen were deployed to the area based on intelligence report that trouble was brewing in the community between herdsmen and farmers.

According to the report, the Police Sergeant was declared

missing only for his dead body to be discovered in the bush with machete cuts all over his body, while the other officers are still missing.

While confirming the incident, Adamawa State Police Command’s spokesman, DSP Othman Abubakar, disclosed that the act was carried out in Batare

village in Koh community of Girei Local Government.

DSP Othman vowed that the killers and the missing officers will be fished out at all cost.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed report had it that eight persons, suspected to have link with the killing, have been arrested.

Early morning fire guts Lagos Airport Hotel

By Monsuru Olowoopejo

L

AGOS—THERE was confusion at the Lagos

Airport Hotel, Ikeja, yesterday, after Harold Building, a major building in the hotel, was gutted by fire, destroying

The hotel. A fireman at work (inset).

e dead over N100 Local Government Area, before the tragedy struck.

Anele, who had two children with his late wife, blamed the incident on the alleged effrontery of his spouse in insulting him over N100.

He said: “When she insulted me over N100, I got angry and slapped her.

But she immediately retaliated. I was shocked by her effrontery. I slapped her a second time. She fell down and fainted.”

While answering a question, the suspect who had since become very sober, said that he loved his wife and had no intention of killing her.

He said: “I love my wife. I had no intention to kill her. It was a little misunderstanding and annoyance that prompted me to slap her and she died.”

The suspect recounted that his late wife had a son by another man before their

marriage and that they had been living together peacefully and have two children. He added that their first baby, a girl, is four years old; while the second child, a boy, is just a year old.

Meanwhile, the leadership of Imo Women Network has appealed to the police to ensure speedy investigation and justice in the matter.

The Coordinator-General of the group, Dr. Joyce Soroibe, lamented over what she called “the increasing rate of domestic violence in Nigeria.”

According to her, “if the perpetrators of domestic violence are adequately punished, others who are in the habit of beating their wives will definitely learn a lesson or two. However, if nothing is done to punish a perpetrator, more women may be slapped to death in the state.”

property worth several millions of Naira.

The fire, which also spread to the banquet hall and Osun Hall, forced the hotel staff to vacate the building when the fire started at about 5a.m.

The Emergency Response Team of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, deployed its men to the scene.

When Vanguard visited the hotel yesterday, plumes of smoke were still coming out of the building.

The fire was said to have been caused by a power surge in the Banquet Hall, before it spread to other sections of the hotel.

The Director of Lagos Fire Service, Mr. Rasak Fadipe and General Manager of L ASEMA, Mr. Michael Akindele, confirmed the incident to Vanguard.

Fadipe said that fire trucks from Alausa Station and Ikeja were deployed to the scene to combat the fire from spreading to adjoining structures within the hotel complex.

Akindele said: “We are happy that there was no loss of life or injury sustained by anyone. However, properties worth millions of Naira were destroyed by the inferno.”

Damage

Narrating the extent of damage, the General Manager said: “Three rooms, rooms 270, 271 and 272, on the second floor of Harold Building were affected.

The entire computers section of Osun Hall and Harold Kitchen were totally destroyed by the inferno.

On the cause of the inferno, Akindele said that proper investigation would be carried out by appropriate agencies to ascertain the real cause of the fire outbreak.

He, however, urged companies and property owners “to ensure they put in place emergency response plan and safety precautions to avert future occurrence.”

Effort to gain entrance into the banquet hall from where the fire emanated proved abortive as officials of the hotel, owned by the six South-West States (Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo and Oyo) under the aegis of Oodua Group, barred visitors.

Meanwhile, an official, who identified himself as the Chief Security Officer of the hotel, said: “There is no fire disaster here. In fact, nothing happened.”

S’Court affirms 5 years jail term for rapist of 11-yr-girl

By Festus Ahon & Ochuko Akuopha

A

SABA—THE Supreme Court, yesterday, affirmed the judgement of a High Court sitting in Oleh, Delta State, which sentenced one Mr. Afor Lucky to five years imprisonment with hard labour for raping an 11year-old girl.

The Supreme Court agreed with arguments of the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Peter Mrakpor, that the lower court was right.

In a unanimous judgement of the panel of five Justices delivered by Justice Nwali Ngwuta, the Supreme Court decried the high rate at which young and innocent girls were being defiled by adults in the society.

On the five years prison term imposed by the trial court on the appellant, the apex court held that: “The sham of prison term he imposed on the appellant is an attack on law and moral basis for prison term.”

“The young and old, who have their brains between their legs and who have a miserable N300,000 to throw about can ravage young mothers at will.

“Not only that, the brute violently, as in armed robbery, took away the pride of the innocent girl; the act is a major dent on her psyche and will remain so for life.”

2 kidnappers die, one hospitalised in shootout with police led the policemen to a hotel spokesperson for the Lagos

By Evelyn Usman & Esther Onyegbula

L

AGOS—OPERATIVES of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, of the Lagos State Police Command, weekend, engaged some suspected kidnappers in a gun battle at Ogijo area of Ikorodu, killing two.

Report had it that a suspected member of the kidnap syndicate was apprehended close to the creeks at Elepete, a community in Ogijo, following a tip-off. The suspect, identified as Victor Worimegbe, was said to have

where other members of his gang were.

However, on sighting the policemen, a member of the gang in the hotel was said to have opened fire in a bid to escape, thereby leading to a gun battle, resulting in the killing of two suspected kidnappers, while one of them sustained bullet injuries.

As at 6p.m. yesterday, most apartments in the community were still under lock and key as their occupants were yet to return home for fear of possible attack by other members of the gang on the police informant.

Confirming the incident,

State Police Command, Superintendent Dolapo Badmus, said: “Our men received information that some suspected kidnappers had entered the community.

“SARS operatives were deployed to the place and they succeeded in arresting one Victor Worimegbe, who took the officers to Topkatt Hotel, where other gang members were lodging.

“Other suspects, Ekpokime, Abule and Ebimobese, tried to escape by firing at our policemen and the operatives responded.

“Ekpokime and Abule died, while Ebimobese is still being treated in the hospital.”

8—Vanguard, TUESDAY JUNE 21, 2016

CJN mourns late exSupreme Court Justice, Niki Tobi

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

A

BUJA—THE Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, has described the death of former Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Niki Tobi, on Friday, as a great loss to the nation and the judiciary.

The CJN said that the late jurist “indelibly contributed to the development of jurisprudence in Nigeria.”

He said late Justice Tobi, “Will be greatly remembered for his assiduousness in reviewing the draft 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria under the Military administration of General Abdulsalam Abubakar.”

The CJN said he learnt of the death of Justice Tobi, yesterday, “With a deep sense of shock but gratitude to the Almighty God. “According to the information received from members of the deceased’s family, Justice Niki Tobi died by 5.30 p.m., on June 16, 2016, at the National Hospital in Abuja after a brief illness.

“The CJN, on behalf of himself, the Justices, staff of the Supreme Court and indeed the entire judiciary of the country commiserates with the immediate family, relations as well as friends and associates of the respected late jurist, who joined the Supreme Court Bench in 2002 and retired on April 13, 2010.

“His Lordship urges members of the deceased’s family to be comforted by the knowledge that the departed jurist served his country with commitment, dedication and honesty.

“The CJN prays that Almighty God will receive his soul and grant him eternal rest,” read a statement by media aide to the CJN, Mr. Ahuraka Isah.

ASUU rejects Sexual Harassment Offences Bill, says bill targeted at lecturers

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

A

BUJA—ACADEMIC Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has rejected the ongoing Sexual Harassment Offences Bill, in the Senate, saying that the bill was targeted at lecturers.

The body, which described the bill as vindictive, insisted that it

undermines university autonomy.

Speaking yesterday, in Abuja, at a public hearing on the bill, organised by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, ASUU, through its president, Prof.

Biodun Ogunyemi, asked the Senate in particular and the National Assembly, in general not to allow the bill have its way.

CONFERENCE: L-R: Ike Oraekwuotu, Commercial Coordinator, Globacom; Mrs. Dorothy Udeme Ufot (SAN), Chairman Planning Committee, 1st ICC Africa Regional Conference; Alexis Mourre, President, International Chamber of Commerce Court of Arbitration, Paris, and Mrs Gladys Talabi, Executive Director, Legal Services, Globacom, at the 1st ICC Africa Regional Conference on Arbitration sponsored by Globacom at Eko Hotel on Monday.

A

BUJA—CHIEF of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. Gen Yusuf Buratai, yesterday, explained that the army decided to stop the supply of fertilisers in three troubled states of North East so as to stop the production of Improvised Explosive Device, IED, by the Islamist militants,

clearly articulated appropriate redress mechanism.

“Any law or bill which seeks to supplant these laws violates the university autonomy. In this particular instance, the bill violates the Federal Government of Nigeria and ASUU agreement of 2009 and as such should be rejected,” he said.

He also said the bill was discriminatory because it was targeted at educators, insisting that it was unfair to come up with such a bill.

He stressed that sexual harassment was a societal problem and not peculiar to tertiary institutions and so tertiary institutions should not be singled out for such law, adding that the proposed bill was a violation of Section 42(1) of the 1999 Constitution, noting that it was embarrassing that the legislative arm could seek to make such law that violated the constitution.

Ogunyemi also pointed out that besides violating the constitution, the bill failed to take cognizance of various extant legislations that adequately dealt with sexual offences.

He faulted the bill, saying it failed to provide convincing evidence to show that sexual harassment in tertiary institutions had attained a higher magnitude than other spheres of the society.

Vodafone’s European chief now MTN CEO

By Emmanuel Elebeke

M

TN HAS approved the appointment of a top Vodafone executive, Rob Shuter, as its new CEO. MTN in a statement said that Shuter, who is currently serving as chief executive of Vodafone’s European cluster, will join the South Africa based company “as soon as it is practically possible

from 2017,” but no later than July 1, next year, after he fulfils his contractual obligations.

MTN also announced other new additions to its executive team, including Godfrey Motsa, who has been poached from Vodafone’s African subsidiary Vodacom, to become its new VP of south and east Africa.

A new VP M & A and strategy, who will start in October, will also be announced at the end

of this month. And the company named new non-executive directors, as part of move to refresh its board.

“The MTN group board advises that following the successful resolution of the Nigerian dispute, it has completed the review of its governance and management structures in accordance with its undertaking to do so,” said the company.

It will be recalled that MTN had earlier this month, reached an agreement with National Communications Commission, NCC, to pay N330,000 billion in fines over the next three years, a substantial decrease from the initial $5.2 billion it was ordered to pay the Nigerian government for failing to register almost 5.1 million subscribers using its network in the country.

....N1.04trn fine: Malami, Shittu absent again at Reps' probe

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

A

B U JA — A T T O R N E Y General of the Federation, AGF and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami and the

Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu were absent again at the investigative hearing into the alleged unlawful reduction of the N1.04 trillion fine imposed on the South African Telecommunications network provider, MTN, to N340 billion.

Why army cut supply of fertiliser in Adamawa, Yobe, Borno —Buratai

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

According to him, the nation’s universities and tertiary institution as a whole, were established by law as autonomous bodies and so, have their regulating roles.

Professor Ogunyemi said the existing laws prescribed punishments over misconduct generally among both staff and students, adding that the law

Boko Haram.

The COAS disclosed this while addressing the House Committee on Army led by Rep Rilma Shawulu, in Abuja, during a hearing on the prohibition of use of Jerry-can for purchase of premium motor spirit, PMS, in Yobe and motorcycles in Adamawa State.

Buratai said that the Lafia Dole security team constituted in various operational areas in

Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, “had established that one of the mode of transportation used by the insurgency was motorcycle.”

According to him, in a bid to effectively tackle the menace of insurgency, security agencies resolved to “cut off all logistic supplies” of the terrorist groups, including petrol and fertilizers used to produce IEDs.

The House Committee on Communications investigating the reduction of the N1.04 fine slammed on MTN by the National Communications Commission, NCC, for not complying with the directives of the commission on the SIM card registration which allegedly resulted to the death of many Nigerians, had last week told the two minister who did not

honour earlier invitations sent to them to appear, yesterday, to explain their roles in the reduction of the fine.

But the Chairman of the House Committee, Saheed Fijabi told his colleagues that Malami wrote the committee to say that he was engaged elsewhere in Abuja and could not attend the hearing.

Arraignment of ex-NNPC MD adjourned

T

HE ARRAIGNMENT of a former Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu and Jide Omokore, a businessman has been adjourned till July 4.

Yakubu, Omokore, and others were expected to be

arraigned by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for alleged money laundering on Monday.

The defendants were not in court, but it was gathered that they would be formally arraigned on July 4.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016—9

Saraki, Ekweremadu, others for arraignment today SENATE FORGERY:

Leave Senate President, deputy alone, Owie tells Buhari As Senate plans to pass confidence vote on duo

By Henry Umoru, Ikechukwu Nnochiri &Joseph Erunke

A

BUJA—EMBAT TLED Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, are to be arraigned before an Abuja High Court sitting at Jabi, today on a two-count charge of conspiracy and forgery.

In the charge by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, the duo are accused of complicity in alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Orders, 2015.

They are to be arraigned alongside the former Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa and his deputy, Mr. Benedict Efeturi.

The alleged bogus Standing Order was used to conduct the July 9, 2015, election through which both Saraki and Ekweremadu emerged.

FG maintained in the charge the duo had by their conduct, committed an offence punishable under Section 97 (1) and 364 of the Penal Code Act. The charge against the defendants, read: “That you, Salisu Maikasuwa, Benedict Efeturi, Dr. Olubukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu, on or about June 9, 2015, at the National Assembly complex, Three Arms Zone, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, conspired amongst yourselves to

forge the Senate Standing Order, 2011 (as amended) and you thereby committed the offence of conspiracy, punishable under Section 97 (1) of the Penal Code Law. Meanwhile, former Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Rowland Owie, yesterday, asked President Muhammadu Buhari to leave the Senate President, Saraki and his deputy, Ekweremadu alone in the alleged plans by the Presidency to cripple the legislative arm of government.

Senator Owie who asked President Buhari not to interfere in the affairs of the National

Assembly, said that the legislative arm in the world stabilizes democracy, adding that he should emulate those he described as worthy former democratically elected Presidents of Nigeria such as Shehu Shagari; Umaru Yar ’Adua and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who never interfered in the affairs of the National Assembly.

Meanwhile, there are indications that a vote of confidence would be passed on the duo of Saraki and Ekweremadu today by some of the senators.

To achieve this, Vanguard gathered that senators of both the

ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have been contacted to append their signatures to a motion to this effect, intended to be sponsored by one of the ardent supporters of the Senate leadership.

The intending action of the senate is still being kept in secret, but a source said many senators, perceived to be favourably disposed to the Saraki/ Ekweremadu leadership of the 8th Senate, have been reached for their signatures.

The source said that they were, however, advised to keep the development secret.

VISIT: From Left: Chairman, Senate Committee on Capital Market and Institutions, Sen. Isiaka Adeleke; Chairman, NASD Plc, Mr Olutola Mobolurin; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Mr Konyin Ajayi (SAN); Vice Chairman of Committee/CEO, Capital Assets Ltd, Ariyo Olushekun and Director-General of Pencom, Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, during a courtesy call on the Vice President by members of the Security and Exchange Commission’s Capital Implementation Committee, in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

Finance Ministry staff protest non-payment of N1.2bn allowances Protest unneccessary —Ministry spokesman

By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief

A

BUJA—ACTIVITIES were grounded at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja, for several hours, yesterday, as its staff demonstrated against their unpaid allowances put at about N1.2 billion.

The staff of the main ministry were joined by their counterparts from the Office of the AccountantGeneral of the Federation and Budget Office of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning.

The allowances which the demonstrating workers claimed were unpaid for about two years include those for special overtime and training.

The protesting staff had converged early in the morning and locked the gates of the ministry to prevent the management from accessing the premises.

The placard carrying protesters demanded the removal of Mrs. C M Y K

Adeosun, whom they accused of bringing negative change to the ministry.

Some of the placards read: “PMB agent of positive change, Adeosun agent of negative change,” “Adeosun score card is zero,” “Kemi Adeosun must go,” “You are destroying Federal Ministry of Finance,” “Inflation is 15% courtesy of Adeosun,” among others

However, the Ministry’s Director of Information, Malam Salisu Dambatta said that the protest was unnecessary.

According to him, the special overtime allowance had been stopped since 2014 and therefore, can no longer be a subject of protest.

He said: “A joint protest by some staff of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Office of the AccountantGeneral of the Federation and the Budget Office of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, to

back a demand for the payment of an unofficial allowance totaling N1.2 billion has been brought to the attention of the management of the Federal Ministry of Finance.

“The management wishes to state as follows: The payment of what the protesting staff called a special overtime, SOT, was stopped by the last administration in 2014 on the ground that it was not listed in any extant government Circular, Financial Regulations or the Public Service Rules."

FG not streamlining workforce soon —HoS

By Favour Nnabugwu

A

BUJA—THE Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, yesterday, told civil servants that there was no plan by the Federal Government to streamline its workforce any time soon.

Oyo-Ita assured participants of class 22 of the Policy, Strategy and Leadership Course of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, in Abuja that what government was trying to do was to ensure that civil servants get their pension promptly.

She said, “Government has no plans to streamline its workforce rather, it is doing everything possible to improve the welfare of its workforce especially in the areas of housing, health and pension matters.”

Oyo-Ita told the participants that efforts were on going to ensure the digitalization of records in the Federal Public Service to improve efficiency in the service.

The Head of Service advised participants of the course to develop policies that would move the country forward and deploy their intellect to a positive process that will bring increased value to Nigerians.

Speaking on the need for a value and cultural re-orientation among civil servants in the country, she said that it was critical to ensure professionalism, selfesteem, loyalty and dedication in the service.

PSC approves promotion of 4,542 senior police officers

By Kingsley Omonobi

A

BUJA—THE Police Service Commission, yesterday, approved the promotion of 4,542 senior Police officers to their next rank between May and June 2016.

The breakdown of the promotions are as follows; CP to AIG seven, DCP to CP six, ACP to DCP 20, CSP to ACP eight, SP to CSP 107,

DSP to SP 1,431, ASP to DSP 1,252 and INSP to ASP 1,711.

A statement by Ikechukwu Ani, Head of Public Relations of the commission, said, “Out of this number, the Commission approved special promotion for 16 Officers based on exceptional performance and dedication to duty on the recommendation of the Inspector General of Police.

“Also, two Officers were

promoted on act of gallantry while 188 others were placed on acting appointment on their next rank. These promotions and appointments have been communicated on the Inspector General of Police for implementation.

“Among officers promoted are AIG in charge Force Animal Department, AIG Ughonmo, AIG in charge Budget, AIG Iyaji, CP (Dr.)

Aisha Abubakar, DCP Jonathan Towuru, DCP Ben Okolo, DCP Sylvester Abiodun Alabi, DCP Amaechi Elumelu, DCP David Igbodo and ACP Abayomi Shogunle.”

Chairman of the Commission, Sir Mike Okiro, (retd), urged the affected officers to reciprocate government gesture by rededicating themselves to the service of the nation.

10 — Vanguard, TUESDAY JUNE 21 , 2016

Jonathan’s ex-aide granted N500m bail

LASTMA boss expresses satisfaction with traffic control efforts

By Innocent Anaba

By Bartholomew Madukwe

L

AGOS—A Federal High Court in Lagos, yesterday, granted bail to a former Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Warpamo Dudafa, in the sum of N500 million.

Justice Mohammed Idris granted him the bail with three sureties in like sum.

The court also granted bail to his co-accused, Iwejo Joseph, who is also known as Taiwo Ebenezer and Olugbenga Isaiah, in the sum of N250 million with two sureties in like sum.

The judge added that the sureties must have landed properties within the jurisdiction of the court, while the accused persons must deposit their international passports with the court’s Deputy Chief Registrar.

Meanwhile, the judge ordered that the accused persons be remanded in Prisons custody pending the perfection of their bail terms.

He adjourned the case to July 4 and 5 for trial.

The accused were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on 23 counts bordering on alleged N5.1 billion fraud.

They had pleaded not guilty to the charge.

In the charge, the EFCC alleged that the accused had between June 11, 2013, and June 2015, used different companies to commit the offences.

Some of the companies allegedly used in committing the alleged offences includes Seagate Property Development & Investment Ltd, Avalon Global Property Development Company Ltd, Iwejuo Joseph Nna and Pluto LUTO Property.

Others are Investment Company Ltd, Iwejuo Joseph Nna and Rotate Interlink Services Ltd. The accused were alleged to have concealed proceeds of a crime in the sum of over N5 billion, contrary to the provisions of the money laundering prohibition act, 2012.

The alleged offences are said to be contrary to and punishable under sections 17(a), 18(c), and 27 (3) (c) of the Economic and Financial Crimes C o m m i s s i o n (Establishment) Act 2004.

L

BIO-METRIC VERIFICATION: Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed (left) during the Bio-metric Verification at Government House, Ilorin...yesterday.

Lagos tells residents to keep off blocked Ogun river

By Monsur Olowoopejo

L

AGOS—THE Lagos State government yesterday, warned residents to keep off the Ogun River, near the Kara cattle market, which was recently blocked by vegetation, saying that the river could open up any time with dire consequences.

Last weekend, the river was taken over by vegetation caused by a heavy storm, which created a compacted layer over the river.

Residents in the area were stunned by the incident and

turned the area to a tourist site of some sort, with some residents seen walking on the blocked river and taking pictures.

But the State Government in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Mr Adebowale Akinsanya, an engineer, said it was dangerous for residents to besiege the dry area as the flow of the river was still active beneath.

He said, “It is important to notify the public that have been worried about the environmental consequence of

Muslim clerics storm schools to enforce use of hijab I never ordered Hijab use in schools — AREGBESOLA

By Gbenga Olarinoye

O

SOGBO—THE agitation for the enforcement of the use of hijab

by Muslim female students of public schools in Osun State spread to other cities in the state as some Muslim clerics yesterday morning, trooped to St. Charles High School and Ife-Oluwa Middle School, both in Osogbo to enforce the June 3, 2016 court judgement.

It was gathered that the clerics, who led other Muslim followers moved round the schools at about 8 am to ensure that the management of the schools comply with the court judgement.

I never ordered use of hijab — Aregbesola

Meantime, the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola, yesterday disclosed that

neither his government nor himself ever ordered the use of Hijab by female Muslim students in public schools in the state.

Are gbesola stated this at the roundtable on Development Collaborative Framework for Education Development and Advancement organised by the Development and Advancement in Western Nigeria, DAWN, in Osogbo.

He challenged those who accused him of ordering the use of hijab by Muslims in schools to bring concrete prove to substantiate their mischievous claims.

The governor asked those accusing him of plunging the state into religious crisis to the present a video or voice recording, written speech evidencing where he commanded or ordered female Muslim students to wear hijab on their uniform.

a dried-up river to note that the flow of the river is still active beneath the vegetation and the situation is been evaluated.

“However, because of the compacted nature of the vegetation, residents and onlookers are of the erroneous belief that the river has suddenly dried up and can walk across the vegetation.

“A lot of people that have turned the place to a tourist destination are unaware of the danger lying ahead. It’s important for the public to be aware that the vegetation can give away at any time and can lead to a potential disastrous situation,” he said.

He also advised residents to go about their lawful business and as well desist from the habit of parking on the bridge to take pictures, which according to him was causing serious traffic, hardship and loss of business time to other commuters on the road.

“Carrying out any activities on the blockage of this river is unsafe, dangerous and disastrous. Please keep off,” Akinsanya warned.

AGOS—CHIEF Executive Officer of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr Chris Olakpe, has expressed satisfaction over road traffic control since the introduction of a 9-Point Agenda.

LASTMA boss, whose lecture was delivered by Mr Onabanjo Adegbayi, titled “LASTMA: Towards a Functional Lagos” at the LG News Lecture Awards and Dinner in Lagos, pointed out that traffic problem in the state is responding to diverse approaches that was adopted.

He said: “To reposition the agency for the actualisation of expected change and better result, we fashioned out a 9Point Agenda. Undoubtedly, the results of the pragmatic strategies are palpably felt in every parts of the state.”

Others who delivered lectures at the event are Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Executive Chairman, Dr. Oluremi Sopeyin, represented by Mrs Abosede Adelaja and Director Fire Service, Mr Rasaq Fadipe, represented by Mr Amodu Shakiru.

Awards were given to the LASTMA, SUBEB, Coscharis, Safloxy, Theo and the state’s fire service.

Managing Director of LG News, Mr Tunde Jakande, explained that the event was a platform dedicated to the promotion of good governance, accountability and excellence in public administration and management according to international best practices and global trends.

Synagogue Church contractors regain freedom Government.

By Abdulwahab Abdulah

L

AGOS—THE contractors that handled the construction of the collapsed Synagogue, Church Of All Nations, SCOAN, building, Akinbola Fatiregun and Oladele Ogundeji, were yesterday released from the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons after meeting all their bail conditions.

The two engineers had been remanded in prison pending trial for charges of manslaughter and criminal negligence, levelled against them by the Lagos State

Following the ruling of the judge that they be remanded in prison custody, their bail application was filed and subsequently granted, although meeting its conditions took a while due to their stringent nature.

Having been released, the engineers are expected to be in court today, for the continuation of their trial.

Meanwhile, at the resumed trial yesterday, counsel to defendants cross-examined the witness representing the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, NIBRRI and the Council Of Registered Engineers in Nigeria, COREN, Engineer Victor Oyenuga.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016 — 11

SALARY ARREARS: Ekiti applies for FG’s fresh bail-out As APC asks gov to save workers from untimely deaths

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

A

DO-EKITI—CIVIL servants in Ekiti State may have cause to smile soon, as the state government has applied for the bail-out recently introduced by the Federal Government.

This, according to the state government would complement its efforts at prudently managing the resources of the state to meet the expectations of all Ekiti people.

Briefing newsmen after the Executive Council meeting presided over by Deputy Governor Kolapo Olusola, the Commissioner for Finance, Chief Toyin Ojo said the Ayodele Fayose-led administration in the state has not only met all conditions necessary to access the fund, but had also taken all necessary steps to benefit from the fresh plan by the FG to ameliorate the financial conditions of state governments.

Ojo therefore called on public servants in the state who are currently on strike to return to their duty posts and remember that Fayose’s love for civil servants and Ekiti people in general remained firm.

Also speaking with newsmen, the Commissioner for Justice, Mr Owoseni Ajayi frowned at the fresh attempt by the Presidency and some of its agencies to harass, intimidate and threaten officials of the state government over issues long determined and settled by the Supreme Court.

“We condemn in strong terms alleged threat, intimidation, harassment and embarrassment of officials of the state government by agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Department of State Service (DSS) and even The Presidency over issues already settled by Supreme Court.

“The allegations are to coerce the people of the state and they should note that the government was popularly elected by the

By Dayo Johnson

A

AJIMOBI GETS RAVE REVIEW: Governor Abiola Ajimobi addressing traders, artisans, students', and others who trooped out to rally support for his Administration at Mapo Hall Ibadan. people of the state about two years ago and the All Progressives Congress (APC) which was defeated then went through all llegal processes to challenge the election and lost.

“They are doing all this because Fayose is the only voice of the opposition in the country and that is permissible under democracy and when Dr Goodluck Jonathan was the President, former Governors Kayose Fayemi, Rotimi Amaechi and Babatunde Fashola criticized him and they were not

harassed or intimidated. To use state apparatus to harass anybody will be resisted. What Fayose is saying is assisting the government and the people of Nigeria in general,” he said.

APC to gov: Save workers from untimely deaths

Meanwhile, APC in the state has called on Governor Ayodele Fayose to pay Ekiti workers to stop untimely deaths among them.

The party said misinforming the public on the state debts profile

to justify non-payment of salaries for five months is a “callous conduct by the governor who brands himself the friend of workers. Six workers in the state were reported dead in recent times over handicap in paying their medical bills.”

Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, said in a statement that the sad development was avoidable if the governor had made the welfare of workers a priority of his administration as promised during campaign.

A

KURE—AHEAD of the All Progressive Congress, APC, governorship primaries in Ondo state, the leadership of the party yesterday dispelled the rumour of manipulation of the delegates list.

Also, the party denied before all the over 50 governorship aspirants that there is an official candidate that will be imposed on the party.

The state chairman of the Party Hon Isaacs Kekemeke at a meeting with all the governorship

K U R E — GOVERNOR Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State yesterday warned against the activities of those he said constitutes centrifugal forces aimed at stalling the nation, insisting that the only means to make the forces fail is the immediate restructuring of the country.

Mimiko said in Akure the nation is currently faced with serious challenges submitting that there are some forces at play with the intention to derail the country.

“We have challenges in our nation, there has never been a time in the history of our country that these centrifugal forces have been more committed to pull us apart.

“These forces have never been this strong. They are getting stronger and stronger by the day” He submitted that the country must be restructured along the line of true federalism to make it viable.

The governor said God designed Nigeria for a purpose and that the country is not anybody’s contraption.

LAGOS-IBADAN GRIDLOCK: FRSC, other traffic managers to the rescue

L

AGOS—FOLLOWING the lock down of the LagosIbadan Expressway in the early hours of yesterday, the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, said it had to deploy more men to rid the road of the eyesore.

Mr Hyginus Omeje, Lagos State Sector Commander of FRSC said his men had to work with other traffic management agencies and the Ogun command

of the corps to achieve free flow of traffic on the road.

The Lagos-bound section of the expressway still undergoing reconstruction by Julius Berger Plc was locked down yesterday for several hours from Mowe to the long bridge stretch at Wawa.

Motorists were trapped in the gridlock as early as 6.00 a.m. till 11.00 a.m. following a lone accident on the bridge

involving a trailer.

Some Lagos-bound vehicles including that of security agencies were forced to drive against the traffic as a result of the gridlock.

“The Lagos Command will deploy more officers to join the Ogun Command and other traffic managers to work on the expressway to rid it of traffic jams

ONDO APC PRIMARY: Party leadership denies manipulating delegates list aspirants ahead of the Sunshine Crusaders in the leadership was tinkering

By Ben Agande

Mimiko calls for Nigeria’s immediate restructuring

primaries said a level playing ground would be guaranteed. “ I want to disabuse your minds about unsubstantiated rumour of official candidate and manipulation of delegates list,’’ he said.

Kekemeke said that doing such would amount to breaches of the constitution of our party. “ The list of the delegates shall be produced by the congress committee and amended by the congress appeal committee of the national executive committee” It will be recalled that a group known as the

state had alleged that the

with the delegates list.

as Julius Berger Construction Company resumes work.

“This morning, a truck fell on the long bridge and our men moved in to clear the road of the gridlock.

“A van loaded with pepper also broke down before the long bridge and coupled with the ongoing reconstruction work causing gridlock on the road.''

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

FG calls Avengers' bluff, repairs NGC pipeline •Armed soldiers escort contractor, personnel and equipment to site

By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South South, Egufe Yafugborhi, Perez Brisibe & Akpokona Omafuaire

W

ARRI—THE Federal Government has ignored the threat of the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, not to repair oil facilities blown up by the militant group during the period of conciliation for dialogue or risk resumption of hostilities.

“We are going to redirect and reactivate all our activities if the government, oil companies and their services firms do not heed these modest warnings of not carrying out repair works and suspend the buying of crude oil from our region, as we await the right atmosphere that will engender genuine dialogue,” the militant group had warned on June 13.

This came as suspected kidnappers waylaid the outspoken Ibe-Benimowei (Chief Mobilizer) of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief Godspower Gbenekama and his wife at Effurun, Uvwie local government area, of Delta State, but he escaped by the skin of

his teeth.

Vanguard gathered that government was carrying out repairs on the Nigeria Gas Company, NGC, pipeline recently destroyed by militants at Ubefan Creek in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State with a heavy military presence.NDA bombed the said pipeline on Wednesday, May 26.

It confirmed in a tweet, May 27: “At 11.45 on Thursday,

@NDAvengers blew up other NNPC Gas and Crude trunk line close to the Warri pipeline that was heavily guarded by the military.”

Community sources confided in Vanguard that soldiers were escorting badges, tugboats loaded with equipment and personnel heading for the repairs of the damaged facility of a NGC, a subsidiary of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC,on Sunday.

Chairman of Kunukunuma Federated Communities, Chief Moses Bebenimibo, who corroborated Vanguard’s findings, grumbled that the contractor carrying out the maintenance, Melcurt Nigeria Limited, did not involve the host community.

He sulked at the development, saying that government did not consider his community hosting the facility in any manner.

Bebenimibo accused the Federal Government of being interested

only on the oil that flows in the communities and not the wellbeing of the people, adding: “They are good in using the military to always intimidate and subdue us in matters that affect us as a people from this end.”

Gbenekama, wife thwart kidnappers A Gbaramatu leader, Chief Daniel Ekpebide, confirmed the attack on Chief Gbenekama, saying that he escaped from the gunmen and his wife, whisked away with another person, later broke away too.

“It is like God put confusion in their midst,” he added.

DICKSON TO FG: Publish money accruing to central govt,

parastatals from federation account

By Samuel Oyadongha ENAGOA—GOVERNOR Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State yesterday urged the Federal Government to make the amount of money accruing to the central government and its parastatals from the federation account public.

Reacting to the recent publications of amount of money accruing to states from the Federation Account under the administration of President

Y

Mohammadu Buhari he said: “Though many from other states claimed we are highest producer of oil and number three on the table. That shows you the lopsided nature of the sharing pattern adopted by the Federal Government. It would be interesting to Nigerians if the Federal Government should publish what it gets and spends.

The federal government should also publish the account of the

NNPC and other parastatals. We are teaching other states transparency and public accountability. When we are talking and some others are talking because we are in a primitive state where many want to hear falsehood rather than truth. With the deduction of over N12.3billion money they overpaid past administration and if you don’t have a prudent government, the state would have collapsed.

“They claimed the deduction of

N1.2billion and N1.3 billion monthly was excess deductions.

Those were debts incurred by an incompetent and shameless government under Timipre Sylva.

Theyareincitingcriminal youthstodisturb the peace of the state. In January, 2016, the state got N7 billion but a N3 billion 419 loan incurred by Sylva was deducted. In February, we got N6 billion but N3 billion was deducted. In March, N5 billion came but loan of N3.3 billion was deducted. If we used 10 per cent of the deductions for salaries or project, we would not have the trouble we have now."

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016—13

HUGE FINANCIAL BURDEN: A'Ibom to approach

FG for N15bn bailout U

By Tom Moses, with agency report

YO—THE Akwa Ibom government yesterday said it was facing huge financial burden as pensions of retired civil servants in the state kept increasing monthly, saying the state was ready to apply for N15 billion bailout from the Federal Government due to the dwindling federal allocation to the state.

Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akan Okon, while speaking with newsmen, noted that following the lean financial situation in the state, modalities were being worked out to revive the earlier suspended Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, in the state.

Okon said that the reintroduction of CPS would guarantee sustainable pension administration.

He said the state government had already constituted a committee to draw up efficient structural framework for the smooth implementation of CPS in the state public service.

He regretted that Akwa Ibom was the only state in the country not implementing the Pension Reform Act of 2014.

The commissioner explained that under the Act, provisions were made for states and local governments to adopt the

contributory pension scheme.

He said recent development with regards to inadequate funds affecting all states in the country had made it imperative to adopt the contributory pension scheme in the state.

Okon maintained that the CPS would guarantee better future for pensioners as it would facilitate quick payment of retirement benefits.

On bailout, the Commissioner said: “For us to be able to sustain our developmental strides, complete ongoing projects and embark on other envisaged ones, the State Executives Council resolved that it was necessary for us to go for the bailout fund. As a state with the highest revenue generating profile in the country and based on the economic sustainability

analysis of the state, we would be applying for at least, N15Billion” He refuted the allegation that the administration was owing salaries to civil servants in the state as a according to him, the delay in payment of salaries being experienced, was as a result of the inconsistency in the Federal Allocation and Fiscal Accounts Committee meetings.

EDO PDP PRIMARIES: Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State (3rd left), Delta State Governor, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa (middle), Chief Dan Orbih (3rd right) and others, during the Edo State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship primaries in Benin, yesterday.

Photo: Barnabas Uzosike.

FG'll complete 2nd Niger Bridge —FASHOLA

A

By Festus Ahon & Vincent Ujumadu

SABA—MINISTER of Power, Work and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, yesterday restated Federal Government’s determination to continue the second Niger Bridge project.

Fashola who spoke in Asaba when he visited the project site to ascertain the level of work done, said the President MohaMuhammadu Buhari led government would continue and give priority attention to the second Niger bridge.

The minister who was accompanied by the Project Coordinator, Mr. HD Bley JBN and other experts, said one of the major reasons of his visit to the state was to pay homage to the host communities in Delta and Anambra hosting the project.

Fashola who visited the Asagba of Asaba, sought the cooperation of the two states towards the actualization of the proposed second Niger Bridge, noting that the project, an extension of the 1st Niger Bridge that connects the East and Western part of the country, was of great importance to the federal government.

Stressing that the 2nd Niger Bridge is a national asset, he said “as parts of the mandate of the Federal Government, President Buhari wants me to facilitate the

completion of the Project. We are mindful of compensation. If there is peace, compensations will come, we can be building while compensations issues are going on and will be sorted out accordingly. All the Federal Government wanted is full

cooperation from host communities so that workers can go back to site to make the project achievable.”

Speaking at the palace of the Asagba of Asaba, state Deputy Governor, Kingsley Otuaro pledged the cooperation of the

state government towards the completion of 2nd Niger Bridge project.

Receiving the minister, the Asagba of Asaba, Professor Chike Edozie, commended the Federal government decision to continue with the project.

LG boss warns youths against cultism

By Davies Iheammachor

P

ORT HARCOURT—THE Caretaker Committee chairman of Ogba/Ebema/Ndoni Local GovernmentArea of Rivers State, Mr. Isaac Umejuru, has warned youths to shun cultism, saying his administration will not tolerate such menace.

Umejuru who stated this at St Michael’s Anglican Church Omoku, while receiving a

peace award during the father’s day celebration, noted that cultism was a major challenge confronting the development of the area.

Umejuru who lamented that cult and other criminal activities were forcing oil multinational companies in the area to relocate, warned that criminal activites would no longer be tolerated.

He urged parents to advice their children against cultism,

stressing that it was the only way to eradicate the menace in the area.

According to him, “I want to use this opportunity to call on our fathers to tell our youths to toe the line of peace. Let us commit them in prayers, because in a society where there is no peace, there will be no meaningful development. And I believe, the God we serve will bring back the desired peace in ONELGA.”

Group commends Okowa over Uduophori/Patani Coordinator of the group, completed in his one year in road project Evang. Josiah Mashomi said: office with lean resources.

P

By Tare Youdeowei

ATANI—MOVEMENT for Democratic Equity, MDE, has commended the ingenuity of the Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa for embarking on the Uduophori/ Patani road project Phase I in spite of the harsh economic reality.

In a statement, National

“Okowa is the messaiah of our time, a detribalized Deltan and a man with strong will with overall prosperity of all Deltans at heart irrespective of tribe, religion and political affiliations.”

Mashomi stressed that what successive governments could not do in decades even with abundant resources had been

The cleric maintained that the importance of the road project to the people which has been abandoned by successive governments could never be over-emphasized.

He called on all sons and daughters of the community to give a rousing welcome to Governor Okowa and his entourage during the commissioningnextweek.

Dickson approves extension of HoS's tenure

Y

By Samuel Oyadongha

E N A G O A — GOVERNOR Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, has approved the extension of the appointment of Dr. Peter Singabele as the State Head of Service.

The extension, which is for six months, takes effect from June 16.

A statement from the office of the Secretary to the State Government, David Serena Dokubo-Spiff, explained that the extension was informed by the numerous important ongoing service related issues being handled by the Head of Service, stressing that, his leaving the service now could be detrimental to the administration’s programme of repositioning the civil service for greater efficiency.

The statement, however, expressed the hope that, he would serve the state loyally, with a sense of patriotism, proficiency and diligence.

Similarly, Dickson has extended the appointment of Mr. Joseph Akedesuo as a Permanent Secretary and Head of State Protocol services for a period of one year.

Lawmaker assures constituents on quality representation

By Festus Ahon

A

SABA—THE member representing Burutu I constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Daniel Yingi has promise to step up efforts at promoting development in the all riverine communities in his constituency.

Speaking with newsmen during the activities to mark the first year anniversary of the 6th Assembly in the state, Yingi said much work was needed to attract the needed socio-economic development being championed by the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s led administration to his people.

The lawmaker who is the Chairman, House Committee on Environment, Oil and Gas, acknowledged the economic recession in the country and stressed the need for greater understanding of the constituents, saying empowerment could not go around at same time.

14 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016 — 15

16 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21 21, 2016—17 two South-East governors. A Foundation established in 1998 which began to build colleges in 2001, when he didn’t even know he would become governor, could therefore not be said to have been built for the purpose of “playing second fiddle in 2019”. We get worried when people spend time and energy to make such insinuations.

Free education programme

Re: Rochas Okorocha and the ragged-trousered philanthropists RIGHT OF REPLY

By Sam Onwuemeodo

I

N the Vanguard Newspaper of Tuesday, June 14, 2016, page 17, a man whose name is more associated with Human Rights Campaigns, than column writing, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, wrote a very interesting piece captioned, “Rochas Okorocha and the Ragged- Trousered Philanthropists”. In the essay, he made some remarks against the governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, which we had considered necessary to address and if for no other reason, at least, to put the record straight. Mr. Odumakin had written under his column, “CANDID NOTES”, and it was almost a full-page material.

We do not intend to respond to all the issues he had raised. We will only take up the salient ones and tell our own story and leave the rest for posterity.

Odumakin had picked offence with the report he read in the Leadership Newspaper, that Governor Okorocha was “to establish a College in Bauchi State to help the poor”. That was the crux of his anger, that warranted the article in question.

And the hint on the Bauchi School was given on Monday, June 6, 2016, during an event to mark the state’s 40th anniversary. The governor used the occasion to give account of his stewardship as chief executive of the state for the past five years.

Locations of the projects The event was to show-case the more than one thousand projects Rochas administration has executed in Imo. As individual commissioners did a roll call for projects achieved under their respective ministries, the pictures and locations of the projects were being displayed on the screens.

And to the glory of God, nobody including Mr. Odumakin or group has raised objection with regard to the authenticity of any of the projects displayed. He could only take exception to the governor’s indication to build a school in Bauchi State.

Odumakin also took the opportunity offered to him by the issue of building a school in Bauchi by the governor to make other claims that were nothing but false both in content and on their face value. For instance, Odumakin claimed that “Okorocha is taking advantage of his state to service the poor in Bauchi, thousands of kilometres away from the state he has C M Y K

governed for five years without a remarkable story to tell”. He quoted one Igbo group that asked governor Okorocha in May to “pay workers in Imo State their salary arrears including Teachers 13 months”.

He continued in his claims “Governor Okorocha is playing Donatus in Bauchi ostensibly because he is dying to play second fiddle in 2019”. He also talked about the diversion of the bailout fund to the state.

Whenever we see this kind of article, we would be forced to pin it down to something. Odumakin has also justified that feeling when he talked about Governor Okorocha “ostensibly dying to play second fiddle in 2019”. And

The story of Rochas Okorocha is a beautiful one to tell.

And that of his governorship in Imo, a success one.

And there is nothing anybody can do about that. Our only slogan is, to God be the glory this is the third time we have read this kind of article on Okorocha.

Others written by two other good writers, Shaka Momodu (Thisday) and Bello Emmanuel (Sun).

It is very disturbing that in an event that lasted for three hours and televised live on Channels and NTA, and reported widely by almost all the national newspapers what Mr. Odumakin could pick from the whole lot was the issue of the governor building a school in Bauchi State. He could not even in a sentence commend Gov. Okorocha for the monumental achievements that were on display that day. He could not also commend the governor for deeming it necessary to give account of his stewardship for the five years he has spent as governor and still go ahead to make his point on the school issue.

With all that Mr. Odumakin wrote, one fact could be adjudged obvious. And that is, he has not been following events in Imo State. He has not also been following developments as they concern Rochas Okorocha for a very long time. Otherwise, he would have known that the issue of building school in Bauchi has

Governor Rochas Okorocha nothing to do with Imo State or the government of the state which Rochas governs. Rochas as governor of Imo State is different from Rochas the founder of RochasFoundation.

Again, the issue of his building a school in Bauchi State was never part of the programme of the account of stewardship ceremony. It only came up when the governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar who graced the occasion announced to the delight of men and women of goodwill present that he had come with the certificate of occupancy of the land the Rochas Foundation had earlier applied for, to build a college. It has nothing to do with Imo State or the government of the state.

And in case Mr. Odumakin does not know, the establishment of Rochas Foundation was in 1998 and building of colleges by the Foundation began in 2001, about fifteen years ago. One of such colleges is in Owerri. Another one is in Ogboko, the home-town of the governor. There are also Rochas Foundation Colleges in Kano, Jos and Ibadan. These are old colleges of the Foundation with the ambition to build one in one of the South-South States, then in Bauchi and Adamawa States. He has also asked for lands for the same purpose from

This lofty development is one of the fruits of the free education programme in the state. And opponents of the administration and writers like our bossom friend Odumakin couldn’t see that. He only saw the story on Bauchi school. The human rights activist/ columnist also made another false claim on the issue of salary payment in the state. As I write, the payment of April salary has begun. In other words, the civil servants, teachers, local government workers and so on, have been paid up to the month of April. Which means, only the month of May is outstanding since June has not ended. We stand to be contradicted on these counter-claims. We also make bold to challenge Mr. Odumakin to tell the public especially his readers how he came about the 13 months arrears he said were owed to teachers. The burden is on him now to prove the allegation. And if he had got that false information from anybody, he should not hesitate to give the person or the source one derogatory nickname, for deceiving him.

Like I had earlier stated in this rejoinder, Mr. Odumakin does not follow events in Imo or read reports about the state. Perhaps, he just stumbled on the one he wrote about. Otherwise, he would have known that we had extensively done enough explanation on the bailout fund issue. The latest was when the ICPC came up with the report that Imo State paid part of the bailout fund into government accounts.

And in our reply which was published as advertorial in the Vanguard, Nation and Sun Newspapers respectively, we admitted interalia: “the ICPC was right that such monies were paid into the mentioned government’s accounts and we had expected the Commission to go further to tell the public what such funds paid into those accounts were used for”: We also came up with

Feedback

certain questions, “before the bailout fund, were there no existing accounts government was using to pay salaries? While giving out the bailout funds, was there any specified account that was given with which the salaries must be paid from and the state failed to do so since the fund was not paid into private accounts?”.

We further explained, “from the mentioned government’s accounts, personnel of Imo Security Network, Imo Community Watch, Youth Must Work teachers, Community Government Council Teachers and Imo Civil Guards were paid all their arrears in December 2015.

From the referenced Micro Finance Bank Account, Imo State University, Imo Polytechnic, Imo College of Nursing and Health Sciences Staff and so on collected their salaries also in arrears in December 2015 etc”.

Landmark achievements

We took our time to explain all these. And we have been looking forward to the day anybody would come up to prove us wrong on any of our claims on the issue.

The only problem with Governor Okorocha is that those who feel threatened by his candour, popularity and landmark achievements as governor and even before his becoming governor have refused to go to bed.

They have chosen to remain awake in search of what they could lay hands on to scratch the Imo governor. First, they had used the issue of the 2019 presidency to blackmail him. When he came out to say he won’t run for the presidency in 2019 because President Muhammadu Buhari is doing well, they flooded Abuja with his posters with Borno State Governor Alhaji Kashim Shettima as vice-presidential and presidential candidates for 2019.

And since he displayed his achievements in Imo, they have become pregnant with rage without their knowing or pretending not to know that God gives power. The story of Rochas Okorocha is a beautiful one to tell.

And that of his governorship in Imo, a success one. And there is nothing anybody can do about that. Our only slogan is, to God be the glory. While we commend men like Mr. Odumakin for taking their turn.

•Onwuemeodo is Chief Press Secretary to Imo State Governor

Re:Rochas Okorocha and the ragged-trousered philanthropists

P

EACE unto you and may His Grace continue to envelope your coast and pertinently sharpen your Notes. Your comparative analysis on our heartland Nostrademus was a thorough delight and effectively stimulating. It was a message for all those who hide under the cloak of Free Education apostles to perpetuate their dark designs and insult our intellect.

What a shame to realise that in a haven where Education is touted by the governor as the bastion of his untested acclaim, the Imo state University has been on strike in the last four months and nothing is happening therein with no concern from the leadership. - Mitchel Obi

I

AM your ardent fan and always look forward to reading your column in Vanguard Newspaper. Thanks very much on your piece on the above subject matter. The points you raised

on the issue are very correct. I'm from the State in question and can't but agree with you. I pray that Almighty GOD will grant you the wisdom, courage and good health to continue the good work you are doing.

-Emma Sunny.

W

HAT a surprising package in your piece, Rochas Okorocha and the ragged trousered philanthropists.

My brother you've seen what is happening in Imo State. Yinka,have you by any chance travelled on any road in Imo State of late? Any road at all!

People would rather prefer to walk to driving in their vehicles. For it appears safer. Have you seen the impunity by which Rochas is going about his affairs in Imo State. For him there's no body in that state, and with APC, and surprisingly Buhari,no authority is in Nigeria!-Michael Osorobi

Feedback

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016 On Monday 13th June 2016, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) formally flagged off its new foreign exchange market regime which, in a nutshell, runs on free market principles, thus jettisoning its former foreign exchange supply and exchange rate controls.

We have examined the short, medium and long-term implications of the policy change on the banking industry and the entire economy and we can safely say that with effective implementation it has more chances of yielding positive results than what we experienced in the previous policy of the last one year.

However, some challenges need to be addressed by the banks, the CBN, as well as the fiscal authorities so as to mitigate some of its unintended adverse consequences.

First, with the new exchange rate framework, banks will have to adopt a higher exchange rate for reporting, which means that riskweighted assets will increase following the conversion of foreign currency loans to local currency

Silver linings in the new forex regime equivalents. This will reduce the capital adequacy ratio of some banks. Consequently, the affected banks need to quickly address this weakness by shoring up their capital.

For the stock market, we foresee an initial sell-off by foreign portfolio investors (FPI’s) so as to repatriate funds. However, if the new policy runs optimally in the next few weeks, most FPIs who have been on the sidelines awaiting some form of clarity on the situation may gradually return to the

market.

This dovetails into the need to cultivate policy and market discipline to engender Nigeria’s return to foreign bond indexes. Any hope of major foreign investment flow into the bond market is contingent upon the re-inclusion of Nigeria in foreign bond indices such as the JP Morgan and Barclays which kicked out Nigerian bonds last year due to the exchange control policy.

Irrespective of the immediate depreciation of the Naira in the in-

ter-bank market, we expect a reversal to stability and even a strong appreciation of the Naira in a few weeks if the backlog of dollar demand is cleared. We also expect a Naira appreciation at the black market, and the narrowing of the gap between the new inter-bank rate and the black market.

With the liberalisation of the foreign exchange market, we now expect many manufacturing companies to find it relatively easier to source dollars to import essential raw materials, and consequently, a gradual pickup in overall industrial capacity utilisation and an improved gross domestic product (GDP).

Concerning inflation worries, we believe the effective exchange rate for most businesses prior to this policy was closer to the parallel market rate. Therefore in the medium term, if the CBN diligently executes inter-bank spot and futures exchange rate markets, we do not see inflation rising steeply.

OPINION Governance and the burden of creativity

By Jesutega Onokpasa

T

HERE are many ways in which government can make progress without necessarily spending humongous sums on consultants or other categories of contractors. Let us start with hospitals. In the typical Nigerian hospital, you can get to the Accident and Emergency, A & E, where you are asked to get a card from Records, which is probably some 20 metres from A & E. At Records you are asked to go and pay for the card at Accounts which is another 20 metres from A & E in the opposite direction from Records. So you walk 40 metres from Records to Accounts and thus adding the initial 20 minutes you walked from A & E to Records you have thus far traversed 60 metres. You then walk another 60 metres to Records to get the card and then yet another 20 metres back to A & E. After having been attended to by the doctor, you take whatever prescription you are given to Pharmacy which may be up to 50 metres from A & E. Thus far you have covered 170 metres but your forced exercise in spite of your health condition is far from over! The drugs are costed at the Pharmacy only for you to be asked to return to Accounts to pay and thus you return the other way 70 metres, pay and then turn back another 70 metres for the drugs. So far you have covered 310 metres in your condition! Wow!

This is obviously a problem of poor hospital architecture but also one of poor hospital management. How can it be really that difficult to design a hospital such that these important departments are within close proximity of one another for patients not to be forced to embark on potentially life threatening exercises in a hospital to which they have come to preserve their lives? And even if the architect was dumb, clueless and

Labour laws in Nigeria are mostly observed in the breach unimaginative enough to design a hospital in such manner as to pose a public health challenge, how come the medical authorities who run the place did not take the initiative to reconfigure their workplace?

It cannot really be that difficult for services to be optimally rendered simply by concerned stakeholders being proactive, imaginative and up and doing. So a Minister for Health who ensures that hospitals are configured or reconfigured in such manner as not to subject patients to avoidable ordeals while attending clinic, and indeed, goes further to institute a minimum standard of hospital design with inter-proximity of crucial departments in mind, would be considered a success while one that does not, is incontestably a failure.

How can any Inspector General of Police,

any Minister of Police Affairs or of the Interior be considered a success story if he or she does not ensure that policemen are adequately trained in forensics, ballistics and all the other fields that matter in the modern world of crime fighting? Any Inspector General of Police, Minister of Police Affairs or of the Interior who cannot ensure that when a suspect is lawfully arrested, he is promptly fingerprinted, mugshot, and otherwise properly entered into the database so we never have another case of trying to determining whether a particular person is an ex-convict or not, is a failure.

How can we have a Police Force of some three hundred thousand plus men and women yet we do not have a single crime lab and are stuck with a Force that does not keep records? It occurred to me that the money Tafa Balogun was convicted for embezzling would have built world class crime labs for our police across all six geo-political zones!

It is not that the police is necessarily underfunded. Yes, the salaries of policemen and women remain unconscionably low but there is money there for such projects as forensics labs and the requisite training pertaining thereto. It just happens that rather than invest in these projects, the money is simply stolen by those who should take the Force into the modern age.

What does the Ministry of Labour really do other than negotiate with unions on why not to go on strike? How can such a shamefully narrow job description

encompass the entire gamut of implementing our labour laws? Labour laws in Nigeria are mostly observed in the breach yet we keep having high profile minister after minister with workers in all sectors across the country suffering untold hardship and inhuman oppression at the hands of employers, both local and foreign.

When last did it occur to the Ministry of Labour to insist to private employers to pay no less than the national minimum wage to the tens of millions of factory, household and sundry other workers toiling in the private sector? Besides our microscopic minority of civil servants in the workforce, does the Ministry of Labour even realise that its mandate extends to the vastly greater army of house-helps, gardeners, messengers, gatemen, drivers, fuel attendants, secretaries, and nannies, etc who toil daily propping up an economy from whose rewards they have been largely excluded?

How difficult can it really be for the Minister for Communications to make history by becoming the first of his kind to give us a dedicated emergency short-code with which we can all have access to the police, ambulance, fire and similar services?

The present Minister has impressed me with his vision for a post bank to bring financial services to rural Nigeria. It is a most commendable idea but if he can just get us that emergency short-code, he would have immortalised his name! *Mr. Onokpasa, a lawyer, wrote from Sapele, Delta State.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, June 21, 2016— —19

Dogara: A year of 600 bills and motions ByTuraki Adamu Hassan T is a year since Bauchi born I Barrister Yakubu Dogara emerged as Speaker of the House

of Representatives.

In his acceptance speech on that day, Dogara made a solem declaration asserting that the House under his leadership "shall wage an unrelenting legislative war on Nigeria's problems".

He told his colleagues that it was now their responsibility to fashion out the legislative instruments that will lead to Nigeria's renaissance, adding, "Let the word go forth from here that it shall not be legislative business as usual again in Nigeria."

Since then, the Speaker has kept to his words and moved on with the Consolidation Agenda by embarking on a series of innovations in the conduct of legislative activities of the Green chamber.

Today, the House of the Nigerian people is not only busy discharging its constitutional responsibilities to the people, but is doing so with the utmost zeal and patriotism. By law, the parliament discharges its duties and responsibilities through bills and resolutions which are the major yardsticks of assessing the performance of the legislature.

Since bills, motions and resolutions are the basis of grading how well a parliament

has performed or not; then one can say, without sounding immodest, that the House under Dogara has scored 100 percent.

The 8th House set many firsts, with an unprecedented record of passage of legislations that have begun to change the pace of things in the country.

Instructively, Dogara unveiled his legislative agenda even before he was elected and tabled same to his colleagues immediately after their inauguration; subjected it to debate before adoption by the whole House.

Thereafter, the speaker, with a speed of light embarked on a review of obsolete and outdated laws by setting up a committee of experts which is still working but nevertheless has turned in about 200 bills, while hundreds more are in the offing.

The panel which comprises of legal luminaries who are working for months and have recommended scores of bills for consideration with the aim of cleaning Nigeria's statute books adopted from Britain under the Statutes of General Application in force in England as at 1st January, 1900.

In December, the House set record by passing for first reading, 130 bills and on May 26 2016, 19 bills were considered and passed under the watchful eyes of the Speaker. The same thing happened on June 1, on June 2nd, 25 more legislations were passed and in all,

the Speaker sat through the process.

It should be noted that in the 7th Assembly, which was rated high in terms of bills passage, 700 bills were presented in four years, while in just one session, about 600 bills of high quality were presented in this assembly for consideration,

Since 1999, legislation and resolutions were passed using "voice vote" and efforts made by previous assemblies to change that was impossible most of which were from the recommendation of the Statutes Reform committee constituted by the Speaker.

Now, almost 80 of those bills, representing about 18 percent of the 600, have been effectively passed by the House as at the time of penning this article thereby setting another record in itself.

On motions and resolutions, as at the last sitting in May, the House had considered almost 600 motions. Indeed, there can be no better way to perform than this.

This is even so when the intent of the bills and motion are in tandem with the yearnings of the Nigerian people for a better life.

Dogara also became the first speaker, since return to democracy

Over five centuries, Ijaws still enslaved

By Ekanpou Enewaridideke EVELOPMENTAL enslavement is historically the worst form of D underdevelopment anywhere in the globe.

From 1480 – 2016, the Ijaws, statistically the fourth largest ethnic group in Nigeria, are still in the firm grip of developmental enslavement in Nigeria. This explains why emancipation struggles by the Ijaws have put on a Marxist and revolutionary colouration in the Niger Delta. 536 years is enough for any group to appropriate and adopt confrontational philosophy in the struggle to break this suffocating enclosure.Yesterday it was MEND in 2005;today it is NIGER DELTA AVENGERS when the APC itself, both in its policy thrust and administrative ideology,is apparently on a VENGEFUL path against PDP, against some perceived recalcitrant elements in APC as can be seen in the ongoing sixteencount charge trial of Bukola Saraki the Senate President in the Code of Conduct Tribunal; the shocking geopolitical distribution of fifty federal appointments in which the North got thirty-eight,South-West five,South-East one and South-South zone six in reflection of their voting patterns in the 28 March 2016 presidential election; the ongoing phoenix-like political geometry of PDP to relaunch itself to political relevance; the banks on a dance of retrenchment against their employees in the wake of the dwindling economy; the federal Government moving militarily against BOKO HARAM and BOKO HARAM fighting back to regain its terrifying dignity; the poor budgetary allocation of N41 billion, N19 billion and N20 billion to NDDC, Niger Delta Affairs Ministry and Amnesty Programme in the 2016 budget; the LICENSED rampaging menace of the Fulani herdsmen; the moves towards the resurrection of BIAFRA Republic led by MASSOB, IPOB and IBM, and other numerous SCREAMS of recognition.

Virtually everything in Nigeria is on a reversal progression,either negatively charged or positively charged. As with Professor JP Clark in his poectic TAXONOMY of all Nigerians as CASUALTIES of the Nigerian civil war of 1967-70, it seems all Nigerians are C M Y K

AVENGERS in varying degrees,sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously – either from a positive or negative dimension.

It appears the AVENGERSHIP only attracts castigation and outright condemnation when it is extended to oil-installations attack.

From about 1472, slave trade was a lucrative business world over. An association diametrically opposed to slave trade sprang up in 1823 in Britain and through the

The Ijaws are yet to be connected to the national grid. Even in roads and other amenities, the Ijaws have none to count aggressive humanitarian efforts of this association, a law was passed in Britain in 1833 to liberate slaves. The efforts to eradicate slavery intensified with the involvement of William Wilberforce and a conglomeration of humanitarians who stormed the British parliament in 1793 to abolish slavery. William Wilberforce and his group fervently presented their aggressive humanitarian position to the British parliament for eight times before the slavery abolition law was passed in 1807. The actual liberation of slaves began August 1, 1834.

Consequently, slavery officially ended in 1865. This was a great relief to the world, particularly the Ijaws who were more adversely impacted by the trade.

When it was thought jubilantly that slavery was over and that it was time for meaningful progress, the Ijaws were thrust into another seriously inescapable and enigmatic circle of slavery in Nigeria. If one must crane his neck historically like drinking Fulani cattle, one could discover that Nigeria was not the originator and master-builder of the developmental enslavement of the Ijaws. It was the Portuguese who came to Forcados in 1472 and the British who joined them in

in 1999 to sponsor a motion on the urgent need for rehabilitation, resettlement and recovery of the violence ravaged north east region.

He didn't stop at that, in December, the Speaker again, stepped down to the floor to lead debate on a bill he personally sponsored, titled "The North East Development Commission Establishment Bill", that will soon be passed into law.

Dogara didn't restrict or limit his intervention on North East to the hallowed Green Chambers of House, but has been championing the cause of the region and its people by embarking on visits to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs') camps across the country and has also been advocating for the convocation of international donor conference to rebuid the region.

In keeping with his agenda, in May, Dogara's House embarked on sectoral debates on different aspects of the Nigerian economy with the aim of assessing how far Nigeria has gone with diversifying the economy and to know if the legislature needs to make any law or laws that will support and enhance the project for the overall benefit of Nigerians.

Every appearance made by the ministers in the epoch-making session was beamed live on national television with ministers taking questions from lawmakers and putting Nigerians in the know of what they have been doing to diversify the economy in the face of dwindling oil revenue.

In addition, a special session on

1479 which blazed a trail in the developmental enslavement of the Ijaws.

Taubman George Goldie stormed Forcados with his United African Company in 1877. French and other Western powers were rabidly in a hurry to monopolise the Delta trade. As an effective commercial strategy, all the British traders formed National Africa Company in 1881. Because the Western powers were at each other's throat over the lucrative trade in the Niger Delta and because there was a conscious attempt to stave off explosive collision, Britain, France, Portugal, Germany, Italy and Belgium shared Africa among themselves in 1885. However, after 413 years (1472 – 1885) the Portuguese left Forcados unlike the British who stayed for twenty years and left for Lagos (1886 – 1906). It was at this time the selfish and demonic British Western cartographers designed the Map, amassing all their age-long professionalism, for the developmental enslavement of the Ijaws.

The Ijaws in the hands of the colonial masters were variously enslaved. But the most unforgettable enslavement which ranked highest was the educational enslavement. On the 2nd of January 1955 the United African Company established a technical school in Burutu. It was a fiveyears HND Programme designed to train engineers. Throughout the ten- years existence of the school, only four Ijaw students were admitted. This is pathetic. It was perhaps this which must have strengthened the resolve of the Delta State Governor Chief James Ibori not to establish any NOTABLE higher institution in the Ijaw area.

Confronted with the conscious deprivation of the Ijaws in the scheme of things, the Ijaws steadily stepped up their agitation for better treatment even in the colonial days. In response to the agitation of the Ijaws, Sir James Robertson (the last British Head of State in Nigeria) who left for England on 16th November, 1960, created Sir Henry Willinks commission in 1957 to specifically look into the problems of the Ijaws and recommend ways to address them. One categorical pronouncement of the Commission was that the Ijaw area was a special area with a difficult terrain and peculiar development needs which cannot be addressed from the hinterland but by an independent government made up of the Ijaws alone. The Chairman was even tempted to recommend the creation of a

the deregulaton of the down stream sector and other changes in the petroluem industry was also held by the House where the lawmakers sought to know the nitty gritty of the removal and how it will benefit the Nigerian people.

As a follow up to the sectoral debates, a date will be set for members to debate the submission of the ministers before passing their recommendations to the Executive.

In yet another unprecedented move and in compliance with the 8th Assembly Legislative Agenda, Dogara, introduced electronic voting system and e-parliament in the House. It is worthy of note that, since 1999, legislation and resolutions were passed using "voice vote" and efforts made by previous assemblies to change that was impossible.

With the new system in place, records of members' punctuality and voting patterns can easily be accessed by constituents and members of the public which is in tandem with Dogara's commitment to #opennass.

Other initiatives that will be introduced include the establishment and equipping of a Parliamentary Information Centre where information and documents of the National Assembly will be made available in a delibrate effort to further increase citizens access to the legislature and solve the problem of public access to authentic documents of parliament. *Mr. Hassan is SA, Media &Public Affairs to Speaker of the House of Representatives.

separate region for the Ijaws but it was, sadly, beyond his power.

Many years after the Sir Henry Willinks Commission, the Ijaws are worse off. The independence status of any country must display a willingness and capacity to meet the challenges of nationhood. Even without any conscious investigative quest, the experiences of countries like Sudan, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, North Vietnam, Algeria and South America which gained their independence in 1956, 1957, 1958, 1949, 1954, 1962 and 1825 must be developmentally different from Nigeria in every dimension. The high hopes of Ijaws for rapid development by the Nigerian government at every level have been dashed.

The Ijaws have been thrust into another bout of slavery.

It is appalling that the Ijaws hosted the whitemen in Forcados and Burutu for many years without corresponding compensation.

The Royal Niger Company (U.A.C) was in Forcados / Burutu for nineteen years (1886 – 1905) before their departure for Lagos in 1906. The only thing the Royal Niger Company did while it was around was construction of footpaths. Apart from the construction of footpaths, the only historical pride of the Ijaws is that Forcados was the home to the building of the slave dungeon (1475), prison (1887), windmill (1472), hospital (1890), slipway (1887), sea port (1887) senior staff club with guest house (1887), slave wharf (1472), foreshore wall (1616) and African Banking corporation (1887) being their first in the whole of West Africa. These historical developments are enough to attract genuine development to the Ijaw areas but does the present APC-led Government of President Muhammadu Buhari ever reflect on this?

The Ijaws had no light, road, pipe-borne water, hospital, schools even in the colonial days. The Kainji dam was constructed on 15th February, 1970. In March 1972, the Niger dam Authority and the Electricity Corporation of Nigeria were brought together to form (NEPA). The hopes of the Ijaws for constant power supply were high.

Contrarily, from 1972 to 2006, the Ijaws are yet to be connected to the national Grid (NEPA). Even in roads and other amenities the Ijaws have none to count.

Continues tomorrow *Mr. Enewaridideke, a public affairs commentator, wrote from Akparemogbene, Delta State.

20 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

N50bn debt: AMCON takes over Jimoh Ibrahim’s firms, freezes bank accounts Continues from Page 1 Limited, Global Fleet Oil & Gas Limited and Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim from dealing with any assets or funds of the company.

The court also made an order freezing all the bank accounts of the above-named companies and their promoter, Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim until the matter is finally determined. The court order covers the assets of NICON Investment Limited, Global Fleet Oil & Gas Limited and Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim in Abuja, Lagos, Dubai and London.

The freezing order also affects all bank accounts held and/or maintained by NICON Investment Limited, Global Fleet Oil & Gas Limited and Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim in First Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc, United Bank of Africa Plc, Access Bank Plc, Citibank Nigeria Limited and Sterling Bank Plc.

Possessor order

The rest include Ecobank Nigeria Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, First City Monument Bank Plc, Heritage Bank Limited, Keystone Bank Limited, Skye Bank Plc, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc and Unity Bank Plc. The court also ordered the freezing of all bank accounts to which Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim is a signatory, either alone or with any other person

FG unveils 3-year debt management strategy •Domestic 84% to 60%; External 16% to 40%

By Yinka Kolawole

T

CONFAB: From left, Chief Sena Anthony; Mrs Monica Mbanefo; Mr Louis Mbanefo; Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, representing vice president and Alexis Mourre, President, ICC International Court of Arbitration, Paris at the first International Court of Arbitration(ICA) Africa Regional Arbitration Conference, in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau. in NICON Investment Limited, Global Fleet Oil & Gas Limited in any of the banks and financial institutions on the list.

AMCON was also granted the possessor order to take over Jimoh Ibrahim’s Nigeria ReInsurance Company Plc, NICON Insurance Company Plc, Nigeria Stockbrokers Limited (NSL) and NICON Trustees Limited.

The trio of NICON Investment Limited, Global Fleet Oil & Gas Limited and Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim owe AMCON over N50 billion,

which have become subject of protracted negotiations and court battles as a result of their inability to repay the staggering debt. But with AMCON’s debt recovery efforts in full swing, the corporation yesterday took over the assets of Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim in both Abuja and Lagos.

Recall that 400 obligors of AMCON account for more than N4.5 trillion, which is approximately 80 per cent of the total outstanding loan balance of the corporation’s over 12,000 accounts with

obligors that have become intractable over time despite obvious efforts of the Corporation.

To deal with the situation however, AMCON recently increased the tempo of its recovery activities, using firmer negotiation strategies as well as utilizing special enforcement powers conferred by the AMCON Act to compel some of its debtors, especially those that are politically exposed and business heavyweights to repay their debts.

Energy experts laud CBN’s forex policy

By Ediri Ejoh & Prince Okafor NERGY experts have applauded the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, for its decision to float the Naira and allow it to be $138.20 -2.55 driven by market forces.

According to Director, $3,156.00 50.00 Emerald Energy $ 19.68 -0.08 Institute, Wumi Iledare, the decision of CBN, to float the Naira is a welcome decision, $49.94 0.77 although it’s been long overdue. $48.75 0.77 “Particularly impressive is the fact CURRENCY BUYING SELLING that there is no price ceiling or price floor as US DOLLAR 196 196.5 197 POUNDS 277.1636 277.8707 278.5777 was the case with the EURO 219.0104 219.5691 220.1278 Petroleum Market,” he FRANC 202. 4166 202.933 203.4493 said.

YEN 1.8767 1.8815 1.8863 He also said that one CFA 0.3164 0.3264 0.3364 can expect a spike in WAUA 217.9177 275. 619 276.3203 RENMINBI 29.7371 29.8134 29.8897 forex prices, but in the RIYAL 52.2583 52.3916 52.5249 long run, the price KRONA 29.4453 29.5205 29.5956 would drop and SDR 275.8112 276.5148 277.2184 stabilize. The only CBN Exchange rate as at 20/06/2016 caveat is allowing the

C M Y K

— 21

E

rule of law to prevail. This is essential if the expected outcomes are to be realized. And to minimize volatility, the regulator must be committed to transparency and accountability in the enforcement of the guidelines!

“Regulatory capture must be avoided. What that means is that

CBN officials must be on top of the issues and commit adequate resources to manage the volatility the market systems bring to forex pricing!

CBN officials must be on top of the issues and commit adequate resources to manage the volatility the market systems bring to forex pricing,”he asserted.

He also noted that as long as transparency remains the

backbone of the policy and with adequate resources as they are needed, the indigenous Exploration and Production, E&P firms will be able to survive and local content act expectations would not be jeopardized.

On his part, Chairman, Egbin Power Plc, Kola Adesina, argued that the focus of government is to energise the economy allowing the forces of demand and supply to stimulate the critical sectors.

He said: “It’s a positive step which should permeate all sectors. This hopefully should stem rent seeking.

Also speaking, The Chief Executive Oficcer, Matrix Petro-Chem Ltd, Dr. John Erinne, noted though the new policy does not necessarily solve all our foreign exchange problems but it is certainly a more realistic, rational and efficient means of allocating the scarce foreign exchange.

HE Federal Government, yesterday, unveiled a new debt management strategy to run for three years from 2016 to 2019 with a marginal increase in external borrowing, increased commitment to capital projects execution and long term borrowing as against short term. A major element of the strategy is that over the medium term, there will be a remix in the public debt portfolio from 84 percent domestic and 16 percent external to 60 percent domestic and 40 percent external.

Director General of the Debt Management Office (DMO), Dr. Abraham Nwankwo, who disclosed this in Abuja, said the three year debt management strategy was approved by the Federal Executive Council last week, and is aimed at economic recovery and diversification.

Nwankwo said the new initiative is aimed at developing a debt management strategy that would ensure that in the face of macroeconomic and other financial constraints, the cost and risk profile of the public debt portfolio remains within acceptable limits over time. He said the strategy in alignment with the federal government’s vision to generate maximum employment, reduce poverty and increase the living standard of Nigerians.

“The debt management strategy we are going to pursue over the next four years takes into account the fact that for now Nigeria’s public debt portfolio is dominated by domestic debt.

After the Paris and London Club exits between 2004 and 2006, the country took a deliberate decision to develop its domestic bond market and to do most of the public borrowing from domestic sources so as to develop the domestic bond market, that objective has been sufficiently achieved. Therefore taking into account that external financing sources are on the average cheaper than domestic sources,” he said.

It becomes more necessary to slant more of the borrowing in favour of external sources.

Therefore one of the major elements of this strategy is that over the medium, term we will strive to remix the public debt portfolio from 84 percent domestic and 16 percent external to 60 percent domestic and 40 percent external.

22 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016 Annualised earnings per share, EPS, massively dropped to 165 kobo from 201 kobo as annualised return on equity, ROE, came down to 7.0% from 9.0%.

,

INVESTOR' INVESTOR'S

,

UACN Plc: Bottom-line still under pressure from rising costs Real estate segment drags down group N16bn commercial paper, rights issue in as rescue bid

By Emeka Anaeto, Economy Editor

T

HREE major challenges had bogged down the spring in the financial strides of one of Nigeria’s resilient conglomerates, UAC of Nigeria Plc: Cost overrun, macroeconomic headwinds and the foreign exchange shackles.

Obviously, the solutions are already in place to vacate such excuses when next weak operating results are announced, at least after the first half (second quarter) 2016 results.

The cost overrun has been largely the company’s making and they appeared to have been finding way out since this year.

The macroeconomic headwinds and forex challenges, though imposed on them by the larger operating economic environment, the ability to

maneuver out of it is a proof of managerial sagacity. Luckly the forex crises appeared to have been addressed by the monetary authorities starting yesterday.

Unhappy interim result The last interim results (Q1, 2016) underscored the stress the conglomerate had gone through in the recent times due to these challenges.

In Q1 2016, both top-line and bottom-line of the group were down. Sales were flat as turnover, at N17.5 billion went down marginally by1.0% year on year, year-on-year (y-o-y) against N17.7 billion in the corresponding period of 2015.

A gross margin contraction of 121basis points y-o-y to 22.4%, an 18% y-o-y rise in net finance

Subsidiaries: Performance Highlights UAC Foods Limited (foods, icecream, fruit drinks and spring water) · Profit Before Tax of N418 million, up 50% (N278 million March 2015) · Turnover up 11% · Operational corrections yielding benefits · Cost containment initiatives delivering efficiency gains Grand Cereals Limited (animal feed, cereal meal and edible oil) · Profit Before Tax of N428 million, down 5% (N450 million March 2015) · Turnover down 2% · Bird flu disease outbreak impacting volumes · Input cost increases impacting margins · Insecurity in farming communities & forex shortages leading to scarcity of raw materials Livestock Feeds PLC (animal feed) · Profit before tax of N3.4 million (Profit of N41 million March 2015) · Turnover up 12% · Rising input costs and scarcity of raw materials impacting margins · Bird flu disease outbreak impacting volumes UAC Restaurants Limited (QSR) · Loss Before Tax of N6.7 million (Profit of N4.4 million March 2015) · Turnover down 5% · Rising Input costs and Public power shortages impacting margins · Weak consumer demand impacting footfall

C M Y K

UPDC PLC (real estate) · Loss Before Tax of N125 million (Profit of N227 million March 2015) · Turnover down 53% · Real estate market remains soft · Rising interest rates impacting margins · Launch of Commercial Paper program in April 20

charges coupled with the 4.0% y-o-y rise in operating expenses led to the a significant decline in bottom-line figures.

Gross profit at N3.9 billion, went down 6.0% against N4.2 billion achieved in 2015, while operating profit at N1.7 billion, was significantly down by 18% against N2.0 billion in March last year, just as Other Income at N266 million, was down 8.0% from N290 million achieved in March 2015.

Profit before tax at N1.8 billion, went down 23% against N2.3 billion in March 2015, and profit after tax at N1.3 billion, was down 21% from N1.7 billion.

As a result of increasing cost, gross profit margin was subdued at 22%, down from 24% while operating profit margin dropped to 10% from 11%.

Annualised earnings per share, EPS, massively dropped to 165 kobo from 201 kobo as annualised return on equity, ROE, came down to 7.0% from 9.0%.

Subsidiaries in mixed scorecard: A look at the business segments and subsidiaries show

a mixed bag with more minuses than pluses.

The star of the group remains the foods segment. Sales for UAC Foods performed better than expected and offset subdued numbers from its real estate business and other segments.

Top-line for the foods segment was up 4.0% y-o-y, and driven primarily by double-digit y-o-y growth in UAC Foods and Livestock Feeds.

Established fish feeds brand According to some observers, Livestock Feeds has an established fish feeds brand and is now a more strategically important business, accounting for around 12% of UACN’s sales in Q1 as against 6.0% way back in 2011.

For UAC Foods, the management of the company said that an improved route-tomarket, a tweak in product volumes and an aggressive sales campaign supported growth during the period.

The real estate market remained in bad shape with UPDC’s property sales down by around -60% y-o-y to N400

million.

Outlook short-to-medium term: As stated earlier, the financial results need not continue in downwards direction. The three factors that drove down performance are not insurmountable. Foreign exchange challenges have been addressed with scarcity likely eliminated.

Finance costs are expected to ease during the year given that the group successfully raised N15.9 billion in Commercial Papers at 11% per annum in Q1, 2016 to refinance existing loans, thus, helping margins’ spike.

But macroeconomic headwinds would not disappear soon. Thus, demand may still be weak amidst inflationary pressures. It is expected that the company should have navigational abilities for these challenges by now.

Mr Larry Ettah, the group managing director, has indicated an already rolled-up sleeves for the navigation saying, “we are taking actions to deal with these challenges. The repositioning of UAC Foods Ltd is gaining traction. In April 2016, we successfully raised N15.9 Billion in Commercial papers at 11% per annum to refinance exposures of UACN Property Development Co. Ltd, pending realisation of strategic cash generation plan and Rights Issue.

“We remain focused on our strategy of pursuing efficiencies and steadying the businesses”

UAC OF NIGERIA PLC. Q1:2016 Result - Financial Highlights (NGN Billion

CAP PLC (Paints) · Profit Before Tax of N620 million, down 13% (N715 million March 2015) · Turnover up 2% · Forex shortages/delays impacting volumes and margins · Input costs rising – impacting margins · Limited number of Construction Projects Portland Paints and Products Nigeria PLC (Paints) · Loss Before Tax of N42 million (Profit of N54 million March 2015) · Turnover down 28% · Restructuring of business ongoing · Limited Construction Projects & constrained Government contracting spend · Slow pick-up of Oil & Gas marine coating orders · Rising input costs impacting margins MDS Logistics Limited (Logistics) · Profit Before Tax of N293 million, up 2% (N289 million March 2015) · Turnover up 6% · Capacity expansion in selected warehousing locations · Portfolio optimisation of service offerings to clients · Decline in client volumes – weak consumer demand

Source: Afrinvest/company result

Use carrot-and-stick approach for militants — Delta monarchs PAGE 26

7,000 A’Ibom youths jostle for 1,000 tax jobs PAGE 24

VOL. 1: No. 96

Delay in commissioning NDDC project worries Bomadi traders

TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

Mount Zion Gospel Church signpost

Altar burnt

SACRILEGE:

Hoodlums set A’Ibom church ablaze •For disturbing their criminal exploits with prayers, other activities AKWA IBOM… LAND OF PROMISE

By Tom Moses

U

YO- HOOLIGANS invaded the Mount Zion Gospel Church, AkaItiam Assembly, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, weekend, sensationally setting the altar laden with music instruments on fire because the pastor and his members were frustrating their criminal operations in the area with constant prayers and day-to-day activities.

A resident, who preferred anonymity, said that heavily armed youths stormed the sanctuary, last Friday, while the people were asleep, wrecked havoc and melted C M Y K

into thin air.

Asked if there was leadership crisis in the church, he said there was none to his knowledge.

The church did not hold its usual Sunday service because of the attack that has sparked tension in the area.

Pastor dumbfounded The stunned Resident Pastor, Elijah Inyang, said the relationship between Aka – Itiam Assembly established June 10, 2011 and the community was convivial and there was no leadership tussle.

“Well, I am short of words because this type of incident has never happened. They broke into the church and as you can see, destroyed our altar, set it on fire and

destroyed all the musical instruments.

“When I came in this morning, I saw smoke

They broke into the church and as you can see, destroyed our altar, set it on fire and destroyed all the musical instruments billowing from the place.

Perhaps, their intention was to burn down the building, but

God had to stop them.

“No one has been caught and I have never had any issue with my members. Therefore, it is still a surprise to me. I am appealing to the Akwa Ibom state government and all the security agencies to come to our aid. The matter should be investigated to know the cause and also bring those involved to book to avoid future occurrence,” he said.

His members, who came for worship for service, could not believe their eyes, but the pastor consoled them.

Remote reasons for the invasion A source said the pastor and his members, however, prayed God to bring the assailants to shame and make certain of their arrest by the police so they will face the consequences of their action.

Police visit crime scene Pressed on the remote reason for the invasion, he maintained, “I do not really know but I am going to the Police Station right away to report the matter. The men of the Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) were here and they have asked me to report the matter at the Ewet Housing

Estate Police Division. I am on my way to the station now."

Residents scared When NDV visited the police division, a senior police officer insisted that it would jeopardize investigations to speak to the press at this time Many residents of Aka-Itiam were afraid to comment on the reason for the attack by the assailants.

However, one of the inhabitants, Peter, who braved the odds, revealed, “The invasion of the church is likely connected to its regular activities, which cover most of the days of the week. These regular church services always conflicted with the operations of the criminal elements that have their den in the area.

“Their grievance is that the church by its activities was not allowing them to step out for their operations as scheduled.

The hoodlums are terrorizing the community until the church also stepped up its activities, thereby making it difficult for criminals to operate there.

“The police patrol the area but it is not intensive enough to track down the criminals, so they want the church out of the way to terrorize the area unhindered.”

24 —

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

DELTA… FINGER OF GOD

Sapele Power Plc to increase production to 1500mw

S

APELE — EURAFIC Group, the new owners of Sapele Power Plc, the second largest power station in Nigeria with an installed capacity of 1020 megawatts (mw) plans to expand its production to 1,500 megawatts, as part of its efforts to meet the energy requirements of the country.

Managing director of the

company, Mr. Onoriede Odjegba, announced this at stakeholders’ forum in Sapele to intimate members of the Sapele / Okpe community and other neighboring communities of the plans to embark on the expansion projects and appraisal of the Social and Environmental Impact of the projects.

He disclosed that the company

was collaborating with Aggreko, a world leader in temporary power generation to boost its output with about 200mw and APR Energy, another world leader in mobile gas turbines for the deployment of 11GE TM2500+ units expected to add another 300mw of electricity to the national grid from Sapele Power Plc.

Furthermore, Odjegba, Sapele Power Plc was also working together with General Electric (GE) to improve generation in the station with 500mw through the refurbishing of existing facilities and another 500mw through an expansion project with new facilities.

Assessment consultant, Engr.

Prof. R.O. Onyeonwu, stated that “ISO 14001 “ criteria for

Identified Significant Environment, Social and Health/ Impacts with associated Risk Assessment Matrix will be adopted for the Social and Environmental Impact Assessment of Sapele Power Plc. Present at the forum were Secretary, Sapele/Okpe community, Dr. Eburie Maxwell, who represented the chairman, Chief Williams Ayomanor, the duke of Sapele/Okpe community, representatives of Ogharefe and Oghareki communities, representatives of the four quarters and families that make up Sapele/Okpe community and other leaders of thought in the area.

A disaster waiting to happen:

Delay in commissioning NDDC project worries Bomadi traders ••as market women display wares on bridgehead •Traders, residents urge NDDC to inaugurate completed motor park/stalls

DELTA… FINGER OF GOD

By Chancel Sunday

B

OMADI — TRADERS in Bomadi Overside, Bomadi in Bomadi Local Government Area, Delta State, chased away from their stalls in the community’s motor park to make way for the construction of an ultra-modern motor park with lock up stalls, some months ago, are dangerously buying and selling on the Bomadi Bridge and highway.

Remarkably, the contractors of the project have completed the project, but Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, owner of the project, is not in a hurry to inaugurate it and this is worrisome to the people.

The traders and residents of the community, therefore, have appealed to the NDDC to launch the ultra-modern motor park with lock up shops to spare them the anguish of trading on the highway, close to the Bomadi Bridge.

Chairlady of Bomadi community and leader of the market women, Mrs. Akebofa Oyakebiseimoh, who recounted the ordeal of the traders trading on the bridgehead, said it was

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

•Market in session.

Market on top of Bomadi Bridge.

•Market women appealing to NDDC. risky as heavy-duty trucks ply the bridge and casualties would be high in the event of an accident.

Though she commended NDDC for executing the motor park with lock up stalls, Oyakebiseimoh said the commission should hasten up the commissioning to allow traders relocate to their

permanent site already completed by the contractors.

“We, the Bomadi market women thank NDDC for what they have done for us, the ultramodern market they have done for us. One thing we want to appeal to NDDC for is that let them come and open this market for us because we are trading on the highway.

“In fact, if accident happens here, no woman will be safe and life has no duplicate. We are suffering and NDDC should please come and open this place for us, please NDDC come and open it for us, NDDC please open this place for us,” she said.

President of Olou Supreme Congress, OSC, the lawmaking arm of the community’s government, Rt. Hon P.Z. Etolor, said, “In the first place, we thank NDDC for the award of the contract for the ultramodern park which includes the market.

“We want to make an appeal because our women are trading on the high-way and suffering

under sun and rain; we appeal that NDDC should come and open the market because the community is in dire need of a market,” he asserted.

Vice chairman of the community, Mr. Raphael Demeateide, said: “As you can see, our women are trading on top of the bridge, which is very risky and we want to beg NDDC to come and open this project for us.”

Youth president, Clark Emomotimi and resident, Christopher Ekrika, also called on NDDC to inaugurate the project.

7,000 A’Ibom youths jostle for 1,000 tax jobs AKWA IBOM… LAND OF PROMISE

U

By Tom Moses

YO — APPROXIMATELY 7,000 youths of Akwa-Ibom State are reportedly in a hot scramble for only 1,000 placements in a tax consultancy firm engaged by the state government. Managing Director of Romflex Nigeria Limited, Mr. Eyo Bassey, disclosed this in Uyo, while addressing the Appropriation and Finance Committee of the state House of Assembly on the operations of his tax consultancy firm, recently hired by the state government.

Bassey attributed the towering number of applicants to the advertisement for application by

interested youths, which ran on the state-owned electronic media for several days. “The applicants, when employed, are to be trained on revenue generation to assist the firm in the enumeration of

The applicants, when employed, are to be trained on revenue generation to assist the firm in the enumeration of more than one million tax payers in the state

more than one million tax payers in the state. “The recruitment exercise for the 1,000 youths would be conducted this month and already, 100 youths are on the payroll of the firm.

“We are committed to working in full capacity for the purpose of meeting this revenue target for the government to succeed,” Bassey assured, but implored the Assembly to formulate relevant laws to facilitate its operations in the state.

Speaking, a member of the Committee and member representing Itu State Constituency, Hon Idongesit Ituen, urged the consultancy firm to ensure prompt payment of tax to the state government with evidence of payment made known the committee to guarantee sincerity of purpose.

Ituen also stressed the need for the management of the firm to relate well with members of the committee in the employment of indigenes of the state to guard against employing what he described as “bad eggs” into the system to frustrate government’s efforts in revenue generation.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Usoro Akpanusoh, pledged the resolve of the Assembly to encourage the management and staff of the tax consultancy outfit to operate successfully in the state.

He acknowledged the fact that most of the tax laws that were operational in the state were as old as the Eastern region and so, requested the consultant to collaborate with the committee to review the law to enhance its operations.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21 21, 2016

C M Y K

—25

26 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

,

S FORUM

— 27

Ultimately, the effectiveness of the new market mechanism, volatility of the Naira as well as fundamental development in the Nigerian economy will be major determinants of market valuation in the medium term

,

Lafarge Africa to list N60bn bond on FMDQ-OTC

By Peter Egwuatu

L

AFARGE Africa Plc has concluded the Series I and II N60 billion Bond issuance and the bond would be listed on the FMDQ’s Over the Counter, OTC, platform.

The issuance comprises of a N26.4 billion, 3-Year, 14.25 per cent Bond due 2019 (“the Series I Bond”) and a N33.6 billion, 5Year, 14.75 per cent Bond due 2021 (“the Series II Bond”).

Lafarge stated that the proceeds of the bond issuance will be used to part-refinance the debt of its wholly-owned subsidiary, United Cement Company of Nigeria Limited (“Unicem”).

The transaction is Lafarge Africa’s second bond issuance in the Nigerian capital market, having previously issued a N11.8 billion, 3-Year, Fixed Rate Bond in 2011.

A signing ceremony in respect of the Series I and Series II Bonds was held on June 15, 2016, following the approval by Securities & Exchange Commission, SEC. Chapel Hill Denham acted as Lead Financial Adviser, Lead Issuing House and

Lead Book Runner on the transaction. Citibank Nigeria acted as Joint Lead Financial Adviser and Book Runner with Standard Chartered and Stanbic IBTC as Joint Issuing Houses and Book Runners.

Commenting at the signing ceremony, Bolaji Balogun,

Chairman, Lafarge Africa, said: “This largest ever bond issuance by a corporate in Nigeria’s capital markets, affirms Lafarge Africa’s reputation as a prime issuer. We are grateful for the overwhelming support we have received from domestic institutional investors, especially the Nigerian pension

funds. We also wish to thank the SEC for its support on the completion of the transaction.”

Lafarge Africa group managing director, Michel Puchercos, said: “The proceeds of this issue will allow Lafarge Africa Plc part-refinance the debt of its now wholly-owned

subsidiary, Unicem. These proceeds will deliver savings in financing costs to Unicem and Lafarge Africa. Unicem is currently undergoing a 2.5mtpa capacity expansion which will be completed by the end of 2016.”

New forex regime: Stocks of Seplat, Lafarge, Dangote, others look good

By Emeka Anaeto, Economy Editor

F

OLLOWING the currency adjustment, companies that earn a portion of their revenues in foreign currency will be positively impacted as each dollar earned abroad will now get them more Naira.

Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc should be the greatest beneficiary from this currency adjustment as 100% of their revenue is earned in dollars.

Other beneficiaries include Lafarge Africa Plc, Dangote

Emefiele, Central Bank Goveror

Cement Plc, and Okomu Oil Palm Plc which had earned 26.9%, 24.0% and 11.0% of their income in foreign currency as at first quarter 2016.

Also banks with lower foreign

DIAMOND BANK PLC FY:2015 Result - Financial Highlights (NGN Billion)

Onyema, Stock Exchange CEO

exchange loan composition better are positioned to benefit from the new forex regime.

With the new exchange rate framework, the banks would have to adopt a higher

exchange rate for reporting which means risk weighted assets will increase following the conversion of foreign currency loans to local currency equivalents. Assuming capital is unchanged or not materially higher, the increase in risk weighted assets will reduce capital adequacy ratio for banks.

In an analysis of the various banks’ books, investment analysts at CardinalStone Partners, a Lagos based investment house, said the banks with the lowest exposure to foreign currency loans will be the least affected.

Stock Market Outlook (June 21 - 27)

N

Source: Afrinvest/company result

IGERIAN Equities rebounded from a negative close in the previous week as investors’ sentiment strengthened on new forex policy framework announced during the week. The All Share Index (ASI) advanced 7.4% week-on-week (w-o-w) to settle at 29,247.27 points while year-to-date (YTD) performance returned to the positive region, settling at 2.1%. Market capitalisation also grew N691.9bn to N10 trillion.

Analysts believe that bullish sentiment will persist across all segments this week.

According to equity analysts at Cowry Asset Management, “this week, we anticipate sustained bargain hunting activities as foreign exchange market reforms continue to unravel”.

Similarly, analysts at Afrinvest West Africa, another Lagos based investment house, said “this week, we believe investors would remain upbeat on Nigerian stocks, lowering forex risk in the process of repricing Nigerian assets.

We particularly see more value and speculative positioning in Banking and Consumer Goods equities.

“Also, as the Q2:2016 earnings season approaches, traditional interim dividend paying stocks are expected to enjoy Buy sentiment on the Bourse from income investors.

“Ultimately, the effectiveness of the new market mechanism, volatility of the Naira as well as fundamental development in the Nigerian economy will be major determinants of market valuation in the medium term”.

C M Y K

28 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

Nigeria’s oil earnings dip by 34.1% in Q1, 16

By Michael Eboh

N

IGERIA’S earnings from crude oil and gas, Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) and Royalties declined by 34.1 percent, to N205.05 billion in the first quarter of 2016, according to data released by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. The CBN, in its Economic Report for the First Quarter of 2016, indicated that the country earned N396.47 billion from the sale of crude oil and gas, PPT and Royalties, as against N601.52 billion recorded in the fourth quarter of 2015.

The amount earned from the items was also 53.21 per cent or N450.92 billion lower than the N847.39 billion recorded in the first quarter of 2015.

Giving a breakdown of the figures, the report stated that the country earned N82.43 billion in the first quarter of 2016, dropping by 61.28 per cent from N212.86 billion recorded in the previous quarter and 69.93 per cent lower than the N274.09 billion recorded in the first quarter of 2015.

In addition, the country earned N314.04 billion from PPT and Royalties, down by 19.2 per cent and 45.22 per cent from N388.66 billion and N573.30 billion recorded in

the fourth quarter of 2015 and the first quarter of 2015 respectively.

According to the report, the decline in oil revenue relative to the budget estimate was attributed to the persistent fall in receipts from crude oil and gas export, due to the continuous drop in the price of crude oil in the international market as well as series of shutins and shut-downs at some NNPC terminals owing to pipeline vandalism and repairs

during the review quarter.

In addition, the report noted that Nigeria’s crude oil production, including condensates and natural gas liquids, was estimated at an average of 1.82 million barrels per day (mbd) or 165.62 million barrels (mb) for the first quarter of 2016.

On the other hand, the report noted that crude oil export was estimated at 1.37 mbd or 124.67 million barrels, while deliveries to the refineries for

SEND-FORTH: From left, Out-going chairman of To-

tal Plc, Momar Nguer, handing over key of the company to in-coming chairman, Stanisias Mitteiman, during a send-forth ceremony organised by the company for the out-going chairman, in Lagos.

domestic consumption remained at 0.45 mbd or 40.95 million barrels during the under review quarter.

The CBN noted that the average price of Nigeria’s reference crude, the Bonny Light (370 API), fell by 22.0 per cent in the first quarter, compared with level in the fourth quarter of 2015.

Generally, the report put gross federally-collected revenue in the first quarter of 2016 at N1.269 trillion, lower than the 2015 quarterly budget estimate of N2.445 trillion by 48.1 per cent.

“This was also below the receipts in the fourth quarter of 2015 by 18.0 per cent. The decline in federally-collected revenue (gross) relative to the budget estimate was attributed to the shortfall in receipts from both oil and non-oil revenue during the review quarter,” the report noted.

The report added that the decline in federally-collected revenue (gross) relative to the budget estimate was attributed to the shortfall in receipts from both oil and non-oil revenue during the review quarter.

Continuing, the CBN said, “At N602.46 billion or 47.5 per cent of total revenue, gross non-oil receipts fell below the provisional budget estimate and receipts in the fourth quarter of 2015 by 44.6 and 16.0 per cent, respectively.

“The decline in non-oil revenue relative to the provisional budget estimate was due, largely, to the fall in receipts from all of its components except Customs Special Levies (NonFederation Account) during the review quarter.”

Era of cheap oil coming to an end —IEA …As militants’ disruptions in Nigeria push up price

By Sebastine Obasi

T

HE era of cheap oil may soon come to an end, if the prediction of the International Energy Agency, IEA, is anything to go by.

The IEA said that there will be rise in oil price due mainly to unplanned outages and disruptions in places like Canada, Nigeria, and Libya.

According to the Agency, it is expected that the oil market will be balanced for the rest of the year, meaning the world will pump roughly as much oil as it consumes. That should nudge prices higher. Oil is currently trading around $50 a barrel, double the nadir reached earlier this year.

If the oil market is getting closer to a normal balance of supply and demand, it’s no thanks to major producers inside the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC especially Saudi Arabia, that C M Y K

have kept pumping with abandon even as prices plummeted. Rather, the market can thank global disruptions of oil supplies, which in May reached their highest level in five years. The production declines were in large part due to wildfires in Canada that knocked some oil sands production in Alberta offline, it noted.

It also noted that other oilproducing regions have been reeling. For example, a new generation of militants in the Niger Delta in Southern Nigeria are targeting crude production facilities, while Libya’s continued political disintegration has kept oil production and exports there at a fraction of prewar levels.

Other major oil-producing countries, especially Venezuela, face severe economic and political stresses; plenty of energy experts figure Venezuelan exports could tumble sharply later this year.

Altogether, those outages,

attacks, and wildfires knocked 3.7 million barrels of oil production a day offline. That helped push oil prices to their yearly high. For the past two years, the world was so awash in oil that the market could afford to shrug off the virtual disappearance of the Libyan oil

Those outages, attacks, and wildfires knocked 3.7 million barrels of oil production a day offline

industry, for example, or watch the return of Nigerian rebels with equanimity. Now, though, outages are set to cause bigger ripples in a tighter market.

“We aren’t yet back to the situation where every potential supply hiccup puts a couple of dollars on the price, but the market is definitely awake to geopolitics again,” said Richard Mallinson, an analyst at Energy Aspects, a consultancy in London.

While the wildfires in Canada, which at their worst took off more than 1 million barrels a day of production, are winding down, disruptions in Nigeria and Libya are likely to be long lasting, the IEA said. And those outages have done what OPEC chose not to do: Close the spigot a bit.

“The spate of disruptions have helped put a more solid floor under crude prices and accelerated the rebalancing in global supply and demand,” said Robert McNally, founder and president of the Rapidan Group, an energy consultancy.

Local content: Regulators worried by lull in oil sector

By Sebastine Obasi

R

EGULATORY agencies in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector are worried that efforts to grow local technology and human capital through the Nigerian Content Development law could be hampered by the prevailing lull in the industry.

In the last three years, there has been apathy by investors to commit to new projects in Nigeria owing to the inability of the government to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) into law and spell out clear fiscal terms for investors, especially on deep offshore projects.

Having no new projects come on stream, especially by International Oil Companies (OICs) means less job opportunities created for the numerous indigenous firms who were supposed to be the beneficiaries of the Nigerian content law.

According to the Zonal Coordinator, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for Akwa Ibom and Cross River Zonal Operations, Mr. Uduak Obot, the challenge posed by the lull required the efforts of all stakeholders to resolve.

Obot who spoke at a joint products presentation and Original Equipment Manufacturer’s (OEM) forum organized by Engineering Automation Technology Limited (EATECH) in Lagos however commended the efforts of so far made by local firms to harness the opportunities created by the local content law.

“It is pleasing to see that incountry capacities and capabilities have already been built but we are mindful of the current economic environment lull in the oil and gas business and threat to these capacities,” said Obot.

“I therefore cannot empathise enough the need for us all to urgently work together to see that new projects come up to sustain jobs and these capacities,” he added.

The Director of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Mr. Mordecai Ladan who also spoke at the event said amid the harsh operating environment, the Nigerian government and the relevant regulatory agencies would continue to encourage local and indigenous companies to succeed.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016 — 29

Disconnection: Bayelsa community attacks PHED staff, security

By Sebastine Obasi

S

TAFF of Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) and the security personnel attached to them while on a disconnection exercise have been attacked by some residents of Epie Community in Bayelsa.

The attack, which was spearheaded by youths, resulted in injury to three policemen, the Business Service Manager, Pere Alazigha, a linesman, Christian Umegbewe and other staff members involved in the disconnection exercise.

While Alazigha was left with a machete cut on his body, Umegbewe was said to have been pushed down from the ladder by the youths during the disconnection process. Both of them were immediately hospitalized.

The Head, Glory City Main Integrated Business Centre, Yenagoa, Mrs. Ngozi Manafa, said the Ford Hilux conveying staff to the venue was also damaged, leaving its windscreen shattered. She also said that the Epie Community had an outstanding debt record of N60,484,304.56 and a current bill of N2,321,327.78, to which they paid 70,000:00 and 50,000:00 respectively.

Compass Power Solutions bags Schneider Electric’s certification

C

OMPASS Power Solutions Limited, a leading company in the design, assembly and installation of diverse types of low voltage panel boards has received Schneider Electric Panel Builder Partner Certification.

The certification will enable Compass Power Solutions assemble type tested Prisma Panel board of up to 4,000 AMPS. The presentation is in recognition of Compass’ cooperation and commitment to highest LV panel board Standards. This was made possible through Compass’ engineering capabilities, high standard equipment, workshop and standard packaging.

Receiving the certificate, the Managing Director, Compass Power Solutions Limited, Ahmad Choukeir said that, ‘Compass is committed to building world class panels locally and we will continue to work closely with our customers to deliver the best quality products and services, that are affordable. We are truly honoured to partner with Schneider Electric.”

By Michael Eboh

C

ENTURY Power, a subsidiary of the Obijackson Group, has announced plans to boost Nigeria’s electricity generating capacity by 500 megawatts (MW).

In a statement by the company, Chief Executive officer and Group Managing Director of The Obijackson Group, Mr. Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi , who was speaking on the Powering Africa panel, at the third annual London School of Economics Africa Summit, however, expressed worry about the numerous hurdles prevalent in Nigeria which had led to delay in the delivery.

He listed some of the challenges faced by the power firms and other businesses to include political risk, the difficulties posed by legal requirements for disposition of land posed by the Land Use Act, inefficiencies in government agencies and the high threat to and cost of doing business.

He maintained that these are only some of the factors among numerous other factors that had

Century to boost Nigeria’s power supply by 500MW served in frustrating efficiency of businesses.

Azudialu-Obiejesi further tasked stakeholders to develop means on how to ensure funding in a hospitable environment and how to private and government responsibility to efficiently power Africa.

In addition, he challenged claims that African needs to go green now even though all realistic indications pointed that the continent is not ready.

According to him, amidst such idealistic and over-simplified calls for greener energy on the African continent, stakeholders need to be reminded of the link between access to electricity and development on the continent that made it a top and urgent priority.

He disclosed that while the West had used carbon-based energy to develop its infrastructure, Africa has to also go through the trajectory and learn from the challenges they had faced.

“Unfortunately, the abundance of already available resources make carbon-based energy resources the short-term project, while the financial and technical constraints to developing renewable energy sources make it a long-term mission,” he argued.

Azudialu-Obiejesi, the statement said sat on the panel alongside major players in the energy sector, including Martin Bratt, Partner at McKinsey and Company; Oluseyi Makinde, Group Managing Director and founder of Makon Group; Remigius Makumbe, Director of Infrastructure and Services of the Southern African Development Community.

The statement noted that the conference considered Africa in a global context and opened a lively discourse on how to create and nurture future African business leaders with a global focus, adding that the discussion aimed to troubleshoot the obstacles to growth across the African energy,

finance, technology and telecommunications industries, and the ever-pressing issue of human capital.

The summit boasted an impressive line-up of speakers, including its keynote speakers; His Excellency Atiku Abubakar the former Nigerian VicePresident, who opened the Philanthropy panel, His Excellency Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor of Lagos State and Her Honour Inonge Wina, Vice President of Zambia.

The Powering Africa panel, the statement added, focussed on the challenges the African energy industry currently faces, specifically how to create an efficient and sustainable power supply in Africa as the rest of the world turns to greener energy sources, while it also considered the need for infrastructure in the energy sector in order to boost economic growth and the role of government in future of the industry.

•Gas plant

By Gabriel Ewepu & Prince Okafor

A

BUJA- THE Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said the recent attacks on gas pipelines in the Niger Delta region by militants have made the nation’s power sector vulnerable.

Fashola stated this while speaking on issues affecting the sector at the inaugural town hall forum called The Podium with theme, ‘Fixing Nigeria’, organised by the Kukah Centre.

He also emphasized that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari cannot continue to depend only on gas to provide power to Nigerians.

The Minister explained that the government has concluded on sustainable power development and supply strategy to tackle the power crisis. According to the Minister the plan has been included in the roadmap for the sector, which are in three phases, the first phase incremental, second steady power, and third uninterrupted power.

He said: “Thinking is what the Kukah Centre brings, and thinking through about the apparent solution brings out a better solution.

“The optimum power we have produced in 66 years is 5, 074 megawatts and that happened

Power crisis: Gas pipeline vandalism has made us vulnerable — FASHOLA …Ugwuanyi transmission line to add 1,000MW to the national grid on the February 2, 2016. It is clear that 5, 000 megawatts of power is not enough for the country, and that is why our first step is getting more power and that is the method of incremental power as the first phase.

“Second phase is steady power and it means everybody gets enough power, and whether we get enough power or not we need data and census, which is necessary in order to know what power each household needs.

The third phase uninterrupted power is how we can use energy, being energy conscious we are, energy conserving we are, and our lifestyle towards energy matters.

“We have concluded on the Energy Mix Document and how energy mix will help solve cost on energy, availability in the rural areas, and we will unveil the document in August.

“We shall look at our energy sources like gas, hydro, solar and also develop other sources of power.

“It will also help us control the vandalisation of gas pipelines because it has put us in more vulnerable position simply

because we have depended a lot on gas. The Energy Mix will help us build more hydro, solar plants and keep our environment.”

The Minister also maintained that the government will achieve the 10, 000 megawatts earlier promised Nigerians as he explained that more power projects were on stream and others will soon be completed to achieve the target.

He also promised to focus on industrial clusters after knowing their energy need and demand by re-doing an energy data.

He further explained that the Power, Works and Housing Ministry is focusing on

We shall look at our energy sources like gas, hydro, solar and also develop other sources of power

increasing transmission of power through the KadunaKano-Katsina-Calabar-Ikot Ekpene transmission line saying the line would be included among some of the transmission lines to be concluded this year.

Fashola said that repairs on the collapsed Ugwuanyi transmission line in Enugu State would be completed in August this year to bring additional 1,000MW to the national grid.

Also speaking, the Director of the Kukah Centre, Dr Arthur-Martins Aginam, said that the centre founded by Bishop Mathew Kukah, was established to assess policies of government and get a broader view of Nigerians on best solutions to address fundamental issues that could impact the living condition of Nigerians and give a sense of belonging to every citizen in the country.

“It is in part address this problem that the Kukah Centre was established to serve as a platform for mediation between the government and the people.

On the theme we chose ‘Fixing Nigeria, we are very confident that Nigeria can be fixed and must be fixed.

30 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

Shell spends N39bn on social investments Stories by Prince Okafor

M

ANAGING Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, SPDC, Osagie Okunbor, yesterday, said that the group spent about N39 billion on social investments in the country last year.

Mr. Okunbor, who made this known during an interactive session with press men in Lagos, said that about N29 billion was paid to the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, as required by law. N10 billion was also spent by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, SPDC, Limited operated by Joint Venture and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, SNEPCo, on social investment projects” He also said that about N 179, 140, 500, 000 was also been spent on local contracting and procurement.

He further stated that the company along with

their Joint Venture partners believe they can make a real difference in the country, and they have also targeted investments on the community and enterprise development as well as the education and health sectors.

He noted that the company cannot take the place of government but they are keen to play a key part in the development of the country.

Mr. Okunbor, ownership of key assets such as rigs, helicopters and marine vessels is a key focus of these efforts to support Nigerian community contractors .

“Shell Companies in Nigeria were also actively involved in the development and utilisation of natural gas, pioneering its production and delivery to domestic consumers and export markets.

Firm introduces pay-as-you-go solar system to boost electricity supply N a bid to enhance the I availability of electricity to small medium

enterprises SMEs in the country, Arnergy Solar has come up with a pay as you go initiative.

The Co- founder of Arnergy Solar, KunleOdebunmi, disclosed this in the unveiling two of its innovative products, Anergy 500 and Anergy 60, Arnergy Solar is an

independent Mobile Telephone Network that has a penetrating ability to reach the most rural areas in Nigeria.

Odebunmi, said that the product will be allowed for rent with a fee of N50 daily while customer will enjoying uninterrupted power. Customers are able to power three LED bulbs, DC fan, DC television, charge their phones and even it comes with radio and Mp3.”

FG not sincere on economy diversification — Rewane kind of propagandist liter- will be no money going

T

HE Federal Govern ment is yet to show sincerity in its diversification plan of the economy, the Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, said.

Rewane, who stated this at a public symposium on performance of President Buhari’s administration, said that Nigerians should not be deceived by what we call asymmetric data, which tells you that the economic activity has been diversified. That is the

ature for the past five months.

“The revenue activity of this nation, are still concentrated on oil and gas, oil is about 89 per cent, LNG, 9 per cent and the rest.”

According to Rewane, “To test this hypothesis, ask yourself, if it is true, that oil makes only 15 per cent of this economy, close the oil wells today. It will mean that if you close them today, 85 per cent of the economy should continue. But (in reality) if you close them down, that same day, there

Fashola, Amoda to speak at the NIEEE annual lecture

M

INISTER of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola and the Managing Director of Eko Electricity Distribution Plc, Engr.

Oladele Amoda are expected to be the lead speakers at this year ’s edition of Distinguished Electrical and Electronics Engineer Annual Lecture, DEEEAL, 2016.

The lecture, annually organised by The Nigerian Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers will take place at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on Thursday, June

23rd, 2016.

In a statement by the Institution in Lagos, it stated that while Mr. Babatunde Fashola would be Keynote Speaker at the occasion, Engr. Amoda would be the Distinguished Lecturer for the day. He would be speaking on the topic “Power Distribution Demand Side Management in Developing Economies”.

The occasion would be chaired by the President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engr. Otis Anyaeji.

into the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, no dollar to fund trade, no dollar to convert into naira to fund the Government,” He stated.

Rewane also noted that inflation rate in the country is at 15.6 per cent, while unemployment has risen by 31 per cent. The misery index is an economic indicator that helps determine how the average citizen is doing economically and it is calculated by adding the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate to the annual inflation rate. Adding that, “Nigeria’s misery index has risen from 44.1 to 45.6 per cent, about 45.6 per cent of the country’s populace could be considered miserable while the other are considered prosperous.

“When the misery index deteriorates consistently for two quarters, the favourable rating of that administration suffers severely.

The state of the Nigeria economy, with a GDP of $500 billion and dependent on crude oil crude, as oil makes up only about 12 to 15 percent of our crude, means that in term of revenue and the fuel that runs the economy, oil and gas mean everything,” he said.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016 — 31

Lagos plans 50 housing units in each LGA to curb rural-urban migration

By Kingsley Adegboye

A

GAINST the backdrop of the need to create new settlements, towns, boost socioeconomic activities in rural areas and reduce rural-urban migration, Lagos state government plans to build 50 housing units in each Local Government Area of the state.

Disclosing this at an interview session with Vanguard Homes & Property recently, the state commissioner for housing, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, said the new policy of the state government is to build 50 housing units in each LGA across the state in order to create new settlements, towns and boost socio-economic activities in rural areas as a way of reducing rural-urban migration in the state.

Gbolahan who noted that Ambode administration believes in collaboration with LGAs as it is being done in other countries, pointed out that the state is constrained by its land mass, hence the resolve to develop the rural areas and their environs. He added however, that “If you want to reduce rural-urban migration, you must be able to stimulate socio-economic activities in rural areas and their environs.

For instance, look at Epe, it is close to Lekki where we have the Free Trade Zone. So, people can conveniently live in Epe and Lekki which is just about 10 minutes’ drive to the FTZ”.

Social infrastructure Explaining that the state does not have enough land to build more houses in the metropolis, the commissioner said “So, we cannot say we want to have 200 housing units in a place like the Lagos Island for instance. The area is already congested. This is why we must find a way around it.

“So, with 50 housing units in each LGA, and with our one-insixteen model that is on the way, it means we just need like three blocks to develop 50 housing units in each LGA. This means that we won’t need so much land for the houses.

Again, because of the problem of productivity of workforce, we want people to live near where they work; while we are working on other social infrastructure.

With that, we will be able to have growth”, he said.

Gbolahan who disclosed that Lagos land mass is just 3, 750 square kilometres, informed that “Now we have to go vertical way of construction in order to accommodate more houses and people. So, in our estates, we

way of construction? Are we going to use technology whereby we will be manufacturing homes?

Our job is to build affordable homes, so we have to also look at the cost. “As government, I cannot come out and say my one bedroom apartment is N10 million. So, we have to look at the cost of a unit. But if you are looking at the high end homes, then no problem because if that is what you choose, you should be ready to pay for the extras.

Funding with tax payers money

•Haven Homes Estate, Lagos encourage four floors and as physical infrastructure facilities improve, we can move up to six floors. Our physical planning regime will change.

“When that time comes, the Physical Planning Ministry will adjust the policy of government where it says you cannot go above four floors in certain areas.

Rapid population is a major concern. The growth rate is 2.8 percent; but is housing growth rate commensurate with population growth rate? The answer is no. So, we have to find a way of making the hinterland

liveable, making economic activities expand to those places

We have to find a way of making the hinterland liveable, making economic activities expand to those places so that it will help in reducing rural urban migration

so that it will help in reducing rural urban migration”, Gbolahan noted. On the 2.5 million housing units deficit in the state, the commissioner for housing who said about 600,000 people come to Lagos yearly, stated that it is for government to say can we do the 2.5 million houses in four years? According to him, it is possible but it is a challenge, adding however, that where is the space? “Is the construction method of the 2.5 million houses going to be the same traditional

FG set to review East-West Road contract

By Chris Ochayi

P

LANS to review the contract for the reconstruction of Section Five of the popular East- West Road which is between Calabar and Oron preparatory to commencement of work on the section was made known at the weekend. Disclosing this during the Town Hall Meeting of South-South geo-political zone held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Minister ofNiger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani said the road contracts require certain alignments on it which informed the planned review. It would be recalled that the East-West Road beginning from Warri, Delta state through Bayelsa, Rivers to Oron in Cross River state, has suffered serious neglect in the hands previous administrations at the centre up to the extent of being abandoned for a very long time. Usani added that the review was necessitated due to the fact that the contract was earlier awarded in dollars and a need arose to do something on the alignment of the road for economic reasons, explaining that the government was doing something on the award of the contract on that section of the road

that would be acceptable to all stakeholders at the end of the day. He also reassured that work on the construction of Section Four of the East West Road which is between Eket and Oron was not abandoned, adding that the project was on course, disclosing. that the mandate and vision of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs were being reviewed to fast tract well coordinated projects and programmes in the Niger Delta region.

According to him, a development strategy that involves participation of benefiting communities, local government areas, state governments, other government agencies, development partners and other stakeholders on project conception, implementation and completion in the Niger Delta region was being put in place. “For timely completion and usage of the skill acquisition centres being built by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs in the nine states in the Niger Delta region, the ministry is partnering with private investors to achieve their purpose. The ministry is building housing estates in the nine Niger Delta states as development clusters which it is eager to complete and handover to the people.

But for the homes government wants to build which is to be made practical, we will have to continue to subsidise it. 25 per cent subsidy is already in those our LagosHOMS as the cost of infrastructure and land are already deducted.

“So, our prices are competitive.

But on the 2.5 million houses in five years, the idea is this, the deficit we have now is 1.6 million; but for us to close the gap to forestall more deficit, we must be able to say lets put the deficit at 2.5 million. But with the way we build, only government funding with tax payers money, you and I know that it will be difficult because there are too many pressing needs for the state.

“Technology and private sector must come in to make this possible. We need primary and secondary mortgage banks to partner with us so that we can look at the mortgage and construction finance aspect of housing”, Gbolahan stated.

32 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016—33

RERUN POLLS: INEC holds meeting with

political parties, stakeholders in Rivers Asks politicians to accept they made mistake in March 19 rerun elections

P

By Jimitota Onoyume

ORT HARCOURT— INDEPENDENT National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday met with political parties and other stakeholders in Rivers State to ensure a violent free polls ahead of the rerun elections for legislative seats in the state. The commission appealed to all concerned to ensure they shun violence in the concluding part of the rerun elections.

Speaking during the meeting against violence at the commission’s head office, Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak, said politicians should accept that they made mistake in the March 19 rerun elections.

He said the national headquarters of INEC dispatched a team of peace mediators to meet with the political parties ahead of the elections, insisting, however, that no date had been fixed for the elections.

According to him, the national office considered it necessary to

meet with all the parties and, sensitise them against electoral violence, saying “INEC headquarters has set up a team to interact with you all to see how we can have a free and acceptable elections. We all must accept that we have made

mistakes and work to improve.

The date for the elections has not been fixed.”

State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Felix Obuah, expressed worries with the absence of the All Progressive Congress, APC, at the interactive

session, lamenting that APC should have been at the meeting, INEC said it invited 28 political parties, including the APC to the interactive session.

At the time of this report 11 parties were in attendance.

BRIEFING: From left: Mr Smart Meka, Director, North, Hon. Bebeteidoh Austine, Director, South, Hon. Frank Enekorogha, Director-General, Mr. Blessing Enamuotor, Director, Central, all of Delta State Direct Labour Agency, DSDLA, and Mr. Patrick Ukah, Commissioner of Information, Delta State, at a briefing on the activities of the DSDLA to commemorate the first one year in office of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in Asaba

Restructure Nigeria on true principles of federalism, Owie tells Buhari

B

By Simon Ebegbulem

ENIN CITY—FORMER Chief whip of the senate, Senator Rowland Owie has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to restructure the country on the principles of true Federalism, urging the National Assembly to commence the process of amending the nation's constitution.

According to him, the need to empower states financially to meet their obligations has become imperative for national development, stressing the need for financial independence of state House of Assemblies to check the excesses of governors effectively.

According to Owie, “I want to urge President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure he restructures

Nigeria on the principle of true Federalism. This is the only way to save the country from collapse. In the interim, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives should urgently start the process of amendment

Oshiomhole gets commendation over peaceful conduct of Edo APC primaries

B

By Ehi Eweka

ENIN—THE peaceful conduct of All Progressives Congress, APC, primaries, in Edo State which produced Mr. Godwin Obaseki as the party’s governorship candidate ahead

APC inaugurates new body in Delta to ensure that the ‘change’

S

By Godwin Oghre

APELE—A political pressure group, Operation Rescue Delta State All Progressives Congress, APC, ORDA, has been unveiled in the units and wards of the 25 local government councils of the state. It has coordinators and membership drawn from the state chapter of the party.

According to a statement by the state coordinator, Prince C. O. Ikpama, “The group is desirous C M Y K

of the Nigeria constitution to grant political and financial autonomy to the executive and legislative arms of local government councils in Nigeria, and expunge the state Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from the

constitution.

"The amendment should reverse the present revenue allocation by reducing the allocation to the Federal Government, increase allocations to states and local government councils and also abolish state/local governments joint accounts.”

mantra of the party is effective in all spheres. ORDA is structured to transform and reposition the party to deliver on the principle and ideology of the party.

"We have come together to salvage the party from sinking.

We are to direct its programmes and establish mutual trust at the local and ward level, to enable the party wrestle power from PDP in future election through diplomacy, energy, financial strength and commitment.”

of the governorship election is a credit to Governor Adams Oshiomhole and his belief in oneman-one vote.

Executive Director, Media and Public Affairs, to Edo State Governor, Mr. John Mayaki in a statement titled: 'Edo APC Primary And Its Cascading Impact on Democracy,' appreciated the disposition of the Governor, the Leader of the party in the state and the unmistaken role of APC national Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun in the peaceful conduct of the primaries.

According to him, “We also commend the tremendous candor and spirit of camradeship exhibited by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Pius Odubu and the vigorous issue-based campaignby Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (retd), Prof.

Oserheimen Osunbor, Comrade Peter Esele, Mr. Blessing

Agbomhere, and Mrs. Tina Agbara among others who gave fillip to the entire democratic experience-we are all the winner for it.”

He further said: “No doubt, changing the rules to ensure coronation would not only have done a debilitating blow on democracy, it would have doubled as a sign of weakness.

A candidate that cannot win support of a majority of delegates voting their consciences does not deserve to be the nominee and certainly has no legal right to be.

"If the APC stands for nothing more than anointing a candidate with the most “bound” delegates, then it stands for nothing – this is not the situation – free delegates primary certainly has cascading impact for a stronger democracy in Edo State in particular and Nigeria in general and this is what we have witnessed."

HOSTCOM tasks Agip on CSR

By Ochuko Akuopha

O

L E H — H O S T Communities of Nigeria, Oil and Gas, HOSTCOM, Isoko ethnic nationality chapter, yesterday, charged the Nigeria Agip Oil Company, NAOC, to be alive to its corporate social responsibilities to its host communities.

It described the recent protest by the people of Irri community, Isoko South Local Government Area, Delta State, against alleged neglect and marginalization by the company as a to revolt against the “I don’t care attitude” of the management of the company towards the people of Isoko nation.

Fielding questions from newsmen at Owhe-Ologbo community, Isoko North Local Government Area, HOSTCOM Chairman in the chapter, Morrister Idibra, said: “We embarked on the protest in a bid to remind the company of its corporate social responsibilities to Isoko nation and its immediate communities of operation. The company has bluntly refused to hearken to the voice of Irri President General and that of the Regent (Odiologbo)ofIrriKingdom.

"What we are clamouring for is recognition through dialogue to press for our demands in the areas of empowerment,goodroadnetworks, andawardofcontractstoindigenous contractors among others.

“There is the need for Agip to meet ourdemands;itisveryexpedientand it must not shy away from its responsibilities to its host communities."

Ekpo Centre for Public Policy for launch

U

YO—PROF. Akpan Ekpo’s Centre for Public Policy will be launched on June 24, at Tetfund Theatre, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, in recognition of his contributions to national development, the education system and the economy at large.

The launch lecture will be delivered by former Minister of National Planning Commission (NPC), Prof.

Osita Ogbu, on the topic; ‘Morphology of growth and development; empirics from Nigeria’.

Speaking, the Chairman, Planning Committee of the launching, Dr. Effiong Inyang, described Prof. Ekpo, as a globally renowned Economist, whose legacy is worthy of emulation by all and sundry in the society.

34—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

Mrs Obiano wins Excellence Award in Atlanta, citizenship of Georgia

Biafra: Kanu, others drag Judge to NJC As

court shifts trial of defendants to Sept 26

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

A

BUJA—THE detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu and two other proBiafra agitators, David Nwawusi and Benjamin Madubugwu, have dragged the judge handling their trial, Justice John Tsoho, before the National Judicial Council, NJC. The trio who are answering to a six-count treason charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja, accused the judge of “misconduct and manifest bias”.

Sequel to the petition dated April 26 and an accompanied verifying affidavit on oath, dated May 24, the defendants, on Monday, asked Justice Tsoho to temporarily hands-off their case.

They filed the motion on a day the Federal Government maintained that its witnesses were in court and ready to testify against Kanu and others.

A lawyer from office of the Department of Public Prosecution, DPP, Mr. M. S. Labaran, while acknowledging the petition pending before the NJC, however alleged plot by the defendants to scuttle their trial.

“My lord, our witnesses are available, but the prosecution was confronted this morning with a

O

N THE heels of her recent recognitions and honour by the UNICEF and EU for dedication to charitable courses, the wife of the governor of Anambra State, Chief Ebelechukwu Obiano, June 18, 2016, received the 2016 Excellence Award, and was made honorary Georgia citizen with further honour and commendation for “outstanding services and accomplishments” in a ceremony at The Westin Hotels & Resort, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The 2016 Excellence Award was conferred by the Nigerian Women Association of Atlanta, Georgia, NWAG, the Honorary Georgia Citizen was courtesy of a proclamation signed by the Secretary of the State of Georgia, Brian Kemp, while the third honour and commendation was contained in a resolution at Georgia House of Representatives.

Speaking on the significance of the award to Mrs. Obiano, President of NWAG, Dr. Stella Etta stated: “Her NGO, Caring Family Enhancement Initiative, CAFÉ, benefits the down-trodden and disadvantaged, provides medical assistance, and solutions to unemployment issues in Anambra State.

These are all closely aligned with NWAG mission in empowering women, youth and children.”

fresh motion from the defendants. Even from the face of the motion, there is a clear indication that the defendants are out to truncate the proceedings of this court”, Labaran submitted.

He said there was need for the prosecution to react to some of the issues Kanu and the others raised before the Council.

Meantime, in the motion they filed pursuant to section C Rule 1(A) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers and section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, as

amended, the defendants applied for an order disqualifying Justice Tsoho from further proceedings in the matter.

According to them, “There is a manifest case of bias against the court, which complaint is also a subject of scrutiny by the NJC, currently probing the allegations of misconduct and manifest bias against the court in charge No: FHC/CR/383/2015.

“That by virtue of the aforesaid scrutiny, this court’s impartiality in further proceedings in this charge shall be reasonably questioned”.

EEDC to commence distribution of 200,000 prepaid meters soon in S-East ...donates books worth millions of naira to schools

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

O

N I T S H A — AUTHORITIES of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, has said it would soon commence the distribution of about 200,000 prepaid meters to electricity consumers in the South East zone.

The Managing Director, Mr. Robert Dickerman, who disclosed this, weekend, at the Civic Centre, Oraifite in Ekwusigo

Local Government Area of Anambra State, while distributing books and other educational materials worth millions of Naira to a total of 15 tertiary institutions and 30 secondary schools across the South East zone, said EEDC was committed to making meters available to all homes in the region.

Dickerman disclosed that EEDC had already signed a memorandum of understanding, MoU, with a foreign company to supply the meters, adding that as soon as they take delivery of the

Group urges FG to dialogue with all stakeholders

By Simon Adewale

T

HE NDOKWA ethnic militant group has urged the Federal Government to dialogue with all militants and stakeholders in Niger Delta region for a lasting solution.

In a press statement by the group's leader, General Onyechukunyelife Chukubuzor, the General Officer Commanding Ndokwa Militants Training College, the group said that the Federal

In an eight-paragraphed supporting affidavit deposed by one Ayoola Emmanuel, the defendants, told the court that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, who is the head of the NJC, formally acknowledged receipt of their petition vide a letter with Ref. No. NJC/F.3/FHC.8/1/116A. They argued that “following the present action by the NJC, it will only be tidy and most honourable that the court disqualified itself forthwith from further proceedings in the matter.

Government should invite all militants in the region to a roundtable dialogue; that during the first, second and third amnesty programme up till date, no Ndokwa son/ daughter has benefited.

"Our Ijaw brothers are not the only ethnic nationality producing oil in Nigeria, and besides, they have benefited so much in terms of amnesty training integration into the oil sector and training abroad."

General Onyechukunyelife

alleged most of his lieutenants and himself are former allies of late John Togo after Government Tompolo betrayed him to get government patronage.

He added that the Nigerian government has been given two weeks to make dialogue more holistic to accommodate other oil producing ethnic nationalities or face complete demolition of oil facilities in Ndokwa domain.

meters, its distribution to consumers would commence immediately.

He noted that EEDC was collaborating with Sir Emeka Offor Foundation, SEOF, to empower the secondary schools and tertiary institutions in the zone with books and other instructional materials as part of its corporate social responsibility, adding that the company was set to support schools and institutions in their catchment areas to achieve their set educational goals for the over all development of Nigeria.

Dickerman further noted that the initiative would not be a one event ceremony but a continuous process of lighting up the minds of the people of the area by constantly distributing books and other materials to them at no cost, pointing out that EEDC was embarking on the project because of its realization that education was key to the development of any nation.

Dickerman also regretted that the current spate of blowing up oil installations in Niger Delta areas by the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, has adversely affected the EEDC operations.

By Bartholomew Madukwe (08051019450) nwamad@yahoo.com

PEOPLE SPEAK

On Hijab crisis in Osun State

I

pity the people of Osun State and those that will be affected with this nonsense. Instead of the state to make strategies on how to create employment and improve on health, security and infrastructure, it is hijab that they are concerned about. -Miss Alice Udoyo, Student

I

blame the Osun peo ple that voted for an Egbira man. Governor Aregbesola is the cause of these problems, why for heaven sake will any right thinking man merge Muslim schools with Christian schools?

-Mrs. Elile Enu, Businesswoman

K

udos to the Osun State government for allowing our Muslims children in schools to wear hijab, which are disallowed to Muslims children from colonial period, a way of imposing Christianity on all children at school. -Mr. Lateef Akinsanya, Pharmacist

Using hijab is not wrong, but it's possible to do the right thing the wrong way.

However, every student should start wearing whatever dress he or she chooses to wear to school. No more school uniform, if that will bring peace. -Miss Oluchi Nwaihesie, Worker

T

o me, CAN is no longer a religious body politically dominated by PDP interests. Please, both Christian and Muslim should join hands and let us move Nigeria forward. We should shelve religion differences aside. -Mr. Abubakar Ogunbona, Businessman

H

ijab or no Hijab, the most important thing is quality education. If that is the case of the controversial school where this issue emanated from, then I have no issue with it. Let minor issues stop disturbing Nigerians so we can forge ahead. -Miss Okoye Precious, Graduate

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016 — 35

KOGI CRISIS: Hold Melaye, Faleke responsible, ALGON tells Buhari, APC

By Boluwaji Obahopo

L

OKOJA—THE 21 local government administrators and leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kogi State have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and the party national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, to call Senator Dino Melaye to order; accusing him of being responsible for the crisis in the state.

Addressing newsmen yesterday in Lokoja, the spokesman of the group and administrator of Ijumu local government, Taofiq Isa, alleged that Senator Melaye, Hon. James Faleke and some Abuja-based politicians from the state are fuelling the current political crisis rocking the state.

According to him, “We have credible intelligence report that Dino had a meeting with the PDP Assembly legislators from Kogi State, where it was discussed and agreed that Senator Dino Melaye should be contracted to do the hatchet job to make the state ungovernable and equally incite the teeming youths against the government of the day.

“This recent revelation by the gathering of those behind Hon. James Faleke, has clearly indicated that the gang-up and the setting-up of a Kangaroo committee constituted by Senator Dino and his cohorts in Abuja, to probe the alleged anti-party activities of the governor is a

testimony to the mischievous plots by this so-called leaders.”

Isa also questioned the rationale behind Dino’s agreement to the governor’s probe having been his anchor ‘man’ during the January 27, inauguration, “I vividly recollected the same Senator Dino, who is threatening the governor had once eulogized the same Governor during his inauguration.

In his (Dino) words, ‘The good people of Kogi State voted for Prince Audu but God voted for Governor Bello’; and just a few months after, we are hearing new sermon from Dino.

Isa, who described as ‘kangaroo’ the panel set up to probe the

governor, said it will amount to exercise in futility and will crumble like a badly arranged card, adding nothing would come out of it.

He added that what is unfolding in the state was a calculated attempt to create fear in the minds of the youths or instigate violence so as to destabilize the state.

While urging the security agencies to be vigilant, to avoid breakdown of law and order, the administrator said no amount of blackmail will hinder the performance of the state governor, as he was determined to move the state forward.

However, Senator Melaye

COMMISSIONING: Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai (2nd right), flanked by Commander, 9 Brigade Nigerian Army, Brig-Gen Bulama Biu (holding mic) and other officers, during the commissioning of sports complex built and named after him by the Brig-Gen Bulama Biu-led 9 Brigade, Nigerian Army I k e j a Cantonment, in Lagos.

I am being investigated — EX-GOV ALIYU

By Kingsley Omonobi

A

BUJA—FORMER Governor of Niger State, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu said there is nothing

wrong in his being investigated by the present administration in the state.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja yesterday over alleged victimization by Governor Abu

‘2,300 children die annually of malnutrition in Nigeria'

By Suzan Edeh

B

AUCHI—NO fewer than 2,300 children below age of five die of malnutrition annually in Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Health has said.

The Head of Nutrition in the Ministry, Dr Chris Isokpunwu, disclosed this at a media dialogue on child malnutrition organised

by UNICEF in Kano.

Represented by Principal Nutrition Officer, Farayity Tokumbo, Mr. Isokpunwu said 37 per cent of children in Nigeria were malnourished, 29 per cent underweight, 18 per cent wasting while only 17 per cent of them were exclusively breastfed.

“Malnutrition is a pathological condition brought about by inadequacy of one or more nutrients essential for survival,

through his Media Adviser, Gideon Melaye, has called on the governor and his mouthpiece to leave the senator alone and rather respond to the merit of the allegation levelled against him.

Melaye, who said he was not in conflict with the governor but wants the governor to retrace his step and follow the right path, noted that the activities and body language of the governor run contrary to the ethos of a true party man. ''The governor through his disposition has shown that he lacks basic understanding of the state politics and needed to be guided on the right pact before he plunges the party into disrepute'', he said.

growth, development, reproduction and capacity to learn and function properly” “The National Nutrition Survey in 2015 showed that 54 percent of children in the North-west were stunted followed by North-East with 42 percent. Kebbi state has the highest malnutrition rate with 61 per cent of children malnourished,” he said.

The Nutritionist identified basic drivers of malnutrition to include poverty, population, failure in governance, gender inequality while the immediate drivers include inadequate food intake, lack of dietary diversity and infectious diseases.

He urged media practitioners to join the advocacy to ensure that mothers exclusively breastfed their children to address malnutrition.

Sani Bello’s government, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu said the governor is doing the needful, adding that it is not a witch hunt as many believe.

According to him; “I am under investigation. For me, it is a normal process of balancing facts on documents with reality on ground.

“I did it to my predecessor and that helped in projecting achievements of the government I took over from,” he added.

He said: “It is indeed interesting to initiate that investigations, present scorecards and not necessarily what people misunderstood as confirmation of crime committed by past administrations.”

Babangida Aliyu further said: “Records are available for vetting and every detail of government activities during my eight years as governor has been documented for scrutiny. I will continue to support his administration to succeed.”

“The investigation will not affect my relationship with the incumbent governor. I will always avail myself anytime he needs my input. All I want is the success of my dear state,” he declared.

The former governor also expressed deep sympathy for his

successor, Governor Abu Sani Bello over economic realities which have made payment of workers’ salaries an uphill task.

“I can understand what my successor is passing through especially on the issue of payment of salaries. When I was finding it difficult to pay workers salaries at the close of my administration, not many people saw reasons why I had to take loans to augment what we got from the Federal Government.''

FG okays Union DICON’s take-over of Kogi SCPZ

By Olawale Gabriel

A

B U J A — T H E Staple Crops Processing Zone (SCPZ) in Alape, Kogi State, which suffered a setback last January due to a sudden pull-out by an agro-allied American Company, Cargill, has now received a new lease of life as an indigenous company is set to take it over in the next couple of weeks.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, in Abuja when he received the management team of the new company, DICON Salt.

The SCPZ idea focuses on attracting private sector agribusinesses to set up processing plants in zones of high food production, to process commodities into food products.

Audu Ogbeh said the idea was a great innovation of the last administration, “and, like we have said, we are not going to engage in policy somersault.

So, we are carrying on with the great idea and we are adding even greater ideas.

“We are carrying on as we now produce what we call the green alternative. And that is the summary of our new policies with the alternative being agriculture.

The minister said when in January, that Cargill decided they were pulling out, some kind of uncertainty filled the air, but they decided that they were going to find new company to manage the project.

“Now, DICON Salt has come in to replace Cargill. They have the capacity, both financial and managerial, to do it. And we are very excited to see that they are here,'' he said.

Commissioner canvasses support for APC govt

By David Odama

L

A F I A — N A S A R AWA State commissioner for Information, Tim Ayiga, has called on Nigerians and the people of the state to continue to show understanding with the All Progressives Congress (APC) government in the face of the trying period the country is going through.

Speaking exclusively to Vanguard in Lafia, the Commissioner assured the people that the state will soon join league of other states in the transformation of the federation.

“We do have our challenges as a state, but we believe and trust in God that we will overcome

such, So, we just need the understanding and support of all and indeed the foreign investors even as the country is going through a trying me moment. We are very hopeful that things will stabilize in the state and we will once more witness development,” the commissioner declared.

“I therefore call for the support and understanding of our people and other Nigerians alike hence the present administration under the leadership of Governor Umaru Tanko Al Makura is doing everything possible to ensure that we earn the respect and give out the dividends of democracy to our people. We believe that working together will bring about benefit to its citizens and the rest of Nigeria.”

36 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

C M Y K

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016—37

The grudge match

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

T

•L-R: Iduoriyekemwen, Edebiri and Ize-Iyamu, who participated in the governorship primary conducted by the PDP in Edo State

PDP ticket: How Ize-Iyamu made it

By Simon Ebegbulem & Gabriel Enogholase

P

ASTOR Osagie Ize-Iyamu, former national vicechairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN yesterday emerged the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the September 10 governoship elections, affirming that the end of the Adams Oshiomhole era was at hand.

Ize-Iyamu polled 584 votes to beat his other contenders, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, who scored 91 votes and Chief Solomon Edebiri, who polled 38 votes. Total number of accredited delegates were 713.

Accreditation commenced as early as 10 a.m. while delegates started voting about 2 pm. There was tension outside the stadium when supporters of the aspirants engaged themselves in a free for all fight prompting the police to use tear gas to disperse them.

Chairman of the Governorship election committee and governor of Ebonyi state, David Umahi, who announced the result, admonished the aspirants to work as a family following the emergence of the candidate, assuring that the PDP governors will give them all the support. He commended the delegates for the way and manner they conducted themselves and urged all of them to face the general election with all seriousness so as to achieve victory for the PDP. “Every process of this primary, we carried everybody along, and they truly gave us their words.

We are very excited with the conduct of the delegates; we are C M Y K

very excited with the seriousness of the governors. We want to plead with the aspirants to support the candidate that emerged so that the will of God will be with Edo state.

Speaking earlier, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who expressed the determination of the party to win Edo State back to the PDP, asserted that “as PDP members never you be intimidated because I know some persons will intimidate you. Edo state has always been a PDP state and it will go back to PDP this time”.

In his acceptance speech, IzeIyamu, who commended the committee members for the transparency exhibited in the conduct of the primaries, described the exercise as very transparent. According to him, “at a time when people thought PDP was finished, we were showing strength. Anybody who will want to point accusing fingers at the state chairman of our party will be very unfair. He has been very transparent at every

stage.

“He never campaigned for any aspirant; he has worked so hard to make our party what it is. Not only is he looking after PDP members but the suffering people of Edo go to his house, and they get food. The only reward we can give to you for all you have done is to assure you that we will not rest until our state is rescued from the hands of APC. “There can be no continuity, Adams Oshiomhole; your eight years has come to an end. Today there is no winner no loser; it is

I want to assure all of you that we will not fail. I will appeal to our people to go back to their wards and units and ensure that they register

VOTES POLLED •Ize-Iyamu - 584 •Matthew Iduoriyekemwen - 91 •Solomon Edebiri - 38 a family affair. The real battle will be in the days and weeks ahead.

And I want to assure all of you that we will not fail. I will appeal to our people to go back to their wards and units and ensure that they register.

“Let me appreciate my two brothers who contested with me.

Let no body be worried that they had gone before they left they congratulated me and I have the assurance that they will all work with me” he stated.

But reacting, Chief Edebiri said the exercise was a conspiracy from the leadership of the party in the state to impose Ize-Iyamu narrated that “Orbih threatened a few weeks ago that he will make sure that I do not get the ticket because he accused me of working against him during chairmanship party congress. He promised that he will ensure I do not get the ticket. Last week he started giving directives to party leaders to deliver Pastor Ize-Iyamu.

Obaseki meets Odubu, solicits support

By Simon Ebegbulem

A

PC candidate, Godwin Obaseki Sunday met with the deputy governor of the state, Dr. Pius Odubu seeking for his support ahead the September 10, 2016, governorship election.

Obaseki defeated Odubu and nine other aspirants in the APC primaries which held last Saturday at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium Benin

City.

The APC governorship candidate was accompanied on the visit by the Director General of his campaign and Commissioner for Works in the state, Osarodion Ogie and other leaders of the party.

Vanguard learned that the meeting was very cordial, and the Deputy Governor, who was very receptive assured his guests, that he will continue to work for the APC.

Vanguard learned that the earlier tension which existed in the two camps is now over as they all resolved to strategize on how to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 10, governorship election in the state.

Obaseki also had called one of the aspirants, Dr Chris Ogienwonyi yesterday and solicited for his support.

HE emergence of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP yesterday has set the stage for an epic battle with Godwin Obaseki, who emerged as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC last weekend.

Both men are undoubtedly not strange to one another having been political soul mates until just three years ago.

Ize-Iyamu beat two other aspirants, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, and Solomon Edebiri to emerge as the candidate of the PDP for the September 10 governorship election in a primary election that was characteristically less raucous than the one that produced his APC rival.

Ize-Iyamu’s commanding victory with 81% of the votes inevitably stamped on him the stamp of near universal approval in the PDP giving him a kind of advantage in the main election.

He is also helped by the fact that even if one of his rivals protested, his two rivals did not show the kind of bitterness that two of the strongest rivals to Obaseki demonstrated at the end of the primaries. In fact, two of Obaseki’s rivals, Kenneth Imansuagbon, and Chris Ogienmwonyi yesterday joined forces in a bid to annul the results of Saturday’s primary.

Advantage of incumbency Obaseki is, however, coming into the general contest with the advantage of incumbency being the favoured aspirant of the outgoing governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. He will also have the advantage of the many plaudits that the comrade governor may have generated in office in the last seven years.

Obaseki comes into play as a relatively apolitical candidate being ushered into a contest by an outgoing governor determined to ensure that the administration is kept safe in difficult economic times.

He also will have to carry whatever baggage that critics of the Oshiomhole government may point at as the failures of the outgoing administration.

Ize-Iyamu would also be confronted with his past as a key ally of the Lucky Igbinedion administration and a political prop for Oshiomhole in the first term. Ize-Iyamu, however, has insisted that no case of impropriety has ever been traced to him throughout his time in and out of government.

38—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

Nigeria loses $2bn to foreign shippers

Constituency projects avenue for funds diversion —FG

By Favour Nnabugwu

C

HAIRMAN of the Ministerial Committee on Modalities for the Establishment of Nigeria Fleet, Engr. Ola Akinsoji, has said the country lost over $2 billion to foreign ships in 2014.

Akinsoji spoke while presenting the report of the committee to the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chubuike Amaechi, in Abuja, yesterday, adding “if 50 percent of the 5,000 ships were owned by Nigeria, at least 20 Nigerian captains would have each earned $3,000 that year, apart from the freight that was accruable.”

On the report presented to the minister, he said the committee recommended three options: a large holding company with technical management for subsidiaries in all the areas of maritime transportation, an independent company in each of the identified areas of shipping or for existing companies to organise themselves to form a Nigerian fleet.

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

A BUSINESSDAY TECH CONFAB: From left—Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Ferdi Moolman; Publisher/CEO, BusinessDay, Mr. Frank Aigbogun; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, and Corporate Services Executive, MTN Nigeria, Ms. Amina Oyagbola, at the opening session of the BusinessDay Technology Conference 2016, yesterday. PHOTO: Akeem Salau.

Senate queries CBN, others over N120bn bailout for aviation sector

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

A

BUJA—THE Senate, yesterday, faulted the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, on its roles in the alleged mismanagement of N120 billion released to the aviation sector out of the N500 billion intervention fund by the Federal Government in 2011.

The lawmakers also took exception to the roles played by beneficiaries of the fund, which power, small and medium scale enterprises, SMEs, also benefited from.

A probe by Senate

Let generosity reach its peak!

As-salam alaykum waramotullahi wabarakatuh!

ET your generosity this Ramadan be like the fe rocious wind, stepping down on anything that comes to break its resolve and determination. This was the level of generosity of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) in the month of Ramadan.

How about yours? Where does your generosity level stand? How can you enhance its level?

The cousin of the Prophet (s.a.w), Ibn Abbas (r.a), likened his generosity in Ramadan to the strong and ferocious wind.

He narrated: “The Prophet (s.a.w) was the most generous of all the people and he used to become even more generous in Ramadan when Angel Jubril met him every night during Ramadan to revise the Quran with him. Allah’s Messenger

L

C M Y K

(s.a.w) then used to be more generous than the strong uncontrollable wind. The Prophet (s.a.w) also said that “Stinginess and faith can never be combined in a slave’s heart.”

While we are all eager to make our Ramadan productive, let us learn one of the aspects with which the beloved Prophet (s.a.w) made his Ramadan special— generosity.

Ibn Qayyum describes the generosity of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) as follows: “The Prophet (s.a.w) was the most generous person in giving away what he owned, and he would never look at something as being either too big or too insignificant to give up for the sake of Allah. “Nobody would ask him for anything except that he gave it to

Committee on Aviation and Anti-Corruption alleged that N120 billion allocated to the aviation sector as bailout, from the entire N500 billion intervention fund, was mismanaged.

However, the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, told the committee that his ministry and agencies under it were not aware of the fund.

His submission made the committee to demand from the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, represented by a Director, Mudashiru Olaitan, to explain how the money was them, regardless of how big or small it was. He gave things away in a way that made it seem that he never feared poverty, and generosity and charity were the most beloved things to him.

“His happiness and joy in giving something away was more than that felt by those who would accept his gifts.

He was the most generous person, and his generosity was like the blowing wind.

“If a person in need would approach him, he would always prefer that person to himself. This was sometimes in the form of food, and was sometimes in the form of clothing.”

Ramadan timing for today City Fajr Iftar/Maghrib Abuja 4:47am 6:50pm Ibadan 5:07am 7:02pm Ilesha 5:03am 7:05pm Ilorin 5:00am 7:00pm Kano 4:36am 6:51pm Lagos 5:10am 7:03pm Asaba 4:56am 6:47pm Zaria 4:42am 6:52pm Maiduguri 4:18 6:33pm Jalingo 4:32am 6:35pm

Please note that at Fajr time, Sahuur ends and Maghrib time, Iftar, begins.

used in view of the financial problems still bedevilling the sector.

The CBN representative said out of the N120 billion intervention fund injected into the sector, only N39.5 billion had been recovered while the balance of N81.2 billion was still outstanding.

He admitted that some of the 10 Airlines that benefitted from the fund were now moribund, which, according to him, was against the objective of the fund.

He named AirNigeria and Chanchangi Airlines as the moribund ones, while Arik, Dana, Aero, Kabo, Overland, First Nation, Odenegene are the ones still in operation on the strength of the fund.

When probed on why two out of the 10 airlines folded up despite the intervention fund, he said responsibility for monitoring the implementation of the fund was given to Bank of Industry, BoI, being the facilitator of the loans.

Other stakeholders at the session, such as John Nnorom, who served as Finance Director of now defunct AirNigeria, said diversion of the fund to other ventures led to the collapse of the airline.

According to him, “The N34.5 billion drawn from the fund by the airline was diverted to other personal business by the owner of the Airline, Jimoh Ibrahim.

“The very moment the N34.5 billion intervention fund was paid into the Airline’s account with United Bank for Africa, UBA, it disappeared into one of the private accounts of the owner without any amount from the fund injected into the airline, paving the way for its eventual collapse.”

BUJA—THE Federal Government, yesterday, said constituency projects, which the members of the national and state assemblies scramble to put in the budget every fiscal year, had been an avenue for embezzlement and diversion of funds.

Meanwhile, the Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, and Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, disagreed over the existence and implementation of constituency projects by the legislature.

The issue of constituency projects was the topic of the one-day summit organised by the House of Representatives and Conference of Speakers in collaboration with the National Institute for Legislative Studies, NILS, which centred on political representation, constituency and zonal intervention services, in Abuja, yesterday.

Speaking at the summit, Secretary to Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, noted that in the past, constituency projects had been the conduit pipe through which lawmakers embezzled money, but that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration had come to change the practice.

Fashola

Mr. Fashola told the National Assembly to look at its duties as enshrined in the exclusive legislative list and pay attention to only projects that would benefit a greater number of the people and not do projects on primary healthcare services that were supposed to be done by the local government.

He said: “I say this because we must avoid the risk of crowded projects where legislators at the national level are made strictly to implement constituency projects that involve primary healthcare centres, which are for the local

Vanguard, TUESDAY JUNE 21, 2016—39

Human Rights Abuse: FRSC to pay lawyer N200,000 in Ebonyi

By Peter Okutu

A

BAKALIKI—AN Ebonyi State High court has ordered the state command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, to pay the sum of N200, 000 to a legal practitioner in the state, Chinedu Ngele for violating his fundamental human rights.

Ngele was on November 9, 2014 stopped by special marshals of the corps in front of the corps office on the Abakaliki/Enugu Expressway, who were on duty in the area.

He was accused of using expired tyres, which they said, attracted N2, 000 fine and immediately impounded the vehicle.

But Ngele had insisted that his vehicle tyre was in order, a situation that made the marshals to seize his driver’s licence and two law books pending when he would bring a bank teller as evidence that he has paid the N2, 000 fine.

He was said to have paid the fine and returned to the marshals with a bank teller as evidence and was told that it was some minutes past the hour of 4pm and as a result, he should come back the next day.

On his way back home, officers on duty allegedly led by one R.D Ekponta invited the applicant into their office and requested him to pay the sum of N2,500 in order to release his items immediately.

At this point, an argument ensued between him and the officers and he was allegedly beaten up.

MEETING: From left, Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, his Deputy Ude Oko Chukwu, and former governorship candidate, Mr. Dan Nwankwo, during an interactive town hall meeting for Aba South, Aba North and Obingwa local government areas, at Abia State Polytechnic Pavilion, Aba. Photo: Ibeabuchi Abarikwu

FG suspends tenure policy in civil service

By Favour Nnabugwu & Franklin Alli

T

HE FEDERAL Government, yesterday, suspended the tenure policy in the Federal Civil Service, which prescribes 60 years of age and 35 years of service for the mandatory retirement.

In a circular to all Ministries

Departments and Agencies, MDAs, by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, the government said: “The President has directed the suspension of tenure policy with immediate effect and all concerned are to comply accordingly.”

Vanguard learned that the suspended policy, which was

introduced by late President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2009, had set a four-year tenure renewable only once for permanent secretaries in the Federal Civil Service in line with the 1999 Constitution.

The eight-year tenure ceiling also affected federal directors without prejudice to the extant circular, which prescribed 60 years of age and 35 years of

service for mandatory retirement. That policy is now suspended.

It was further learned that the suspended policy might not affect political office holders.

A top director in the Federal Civil Service clarified that only mainstream officers in the service are affected by the new development.

Corruption: APGA chieftain wants constituency fund removed from national budget

By Peter Okutu

A

BAKALIKI—MEMBER, Board of Trustees and Abia North senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Grand Aliance APGA, Chief David OnuohaBourdex yesterday renewed the call for the removal of constituency projects funds from the national budget.

According to him, the appropriation remains a source of corruption in the legislative business of the country.

In a chat with Vanguard,

Onuoha-Bourdex stated that he made the call after carefully observing how the provision aided corruption in the national assembly, especially in the areas of budgeting and oversights.

Referring to the recent delay in passing the 2016 budget, the APGA chieftain noted that part of the reasons for padding of figures was to take care of native projects for lawmakers, adding that instead of such adhoc projects, the legislators should focus on their job of law making through painstaking oversight and holding the executive to

account.

Onuoha-Bourdex reiterated that the Arochukwu-Ohafia road has remained in its deplorable shape mainly because lawmakers from the area see the project as a source of easy money during oversight, stressing that as a result deep and innovative thinking could not be brought to bear on the damaged road.

“It is such projects that the lawmakers should insist that the executive should fix using the best contractors, materials and equipment.

"Arochukwu-Ohafia road has passed the usual cement and

reinforced concrete approach.

Marine engineers and contractors should have been penciled to handle the erosion-prone project,” he declared.

He pointed out that with their attention divided between nominating contractors, choosing benefitting communities and ensuring the take-off of the project, the lawmakers lose quality time for lawmaking and scrutinizing government expenditure thereby confusing the system of checks and balances.

Anambra Central Senatorial rerun: Umeh appeals for calm

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu

N

NEWI—FORMER National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and the party ’s candidate for the Anambra Central senatorial rerun election, Chief Victor Umeh has told the people of the senatorial district and the entire state and South East, to be patient with the Independent National C M Y K

Electoral Commission, INEC, and the judiciary over the conduct of the rerun election.

Speaking with newsmen, Chief Umeh said: “One thing I will tell you is that the judicial process is usually slow in Nigeria, but there is no substitute to doing what the law says.

"We must follow the rule of law in this country and that was why in the first place, Mr. Peter Obi who is putting the

stumbling block to the conduct of the election was in the tribunal for nearly three years trying to retrieve the governorship mandate given to him in 2013.

“It is, however, painful that our people of Anambra Central senatorial district are losing representation and this was caused by an intruder that was not part of the election.

“What the intruder in the process wants to achieve is

purely to frustrate and spoil the election because it is a known fact that Chief Victor Umeh will emerge senator, but I will tell you people that what God has said will happen, no matter how anybody tries to delay it. God has decided through his own action that Anambra Central senatorial district must have a senator who will be their choice, and I do not need to start telling you who their choice is. Just by

looking at people behind me, it is saying, I am the choice.

“As painful as it is, let our people be patient. Very soon, the clog in the wheel of our progress will be removed and the election will be conducted, but one assurance I am giving you people is that the senate is for four years and I have what I want to do in the senate in my head and in my palms and I will also have ample time to actualise it,” he said.

40—VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

By Theodore Opara

Finally, Mercedes-Benz GLA SUV arrives T

HE Mercedes-Benz GLA was one of the stars at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor show, otherwise known as the International Motor show, IAA, Frankfurt where it celebrated its world premiere.

It attracted both the young and old to its stand, who confirmed that truly a new star has joined the Mercedes-Benz family.

But the GLA Class could not enter dealers showrooms in Europe until 2014 when MercedesBenz confirmed it fit to hit the market. Since then, the GLA-Class has never looked back in winning more market share for MercedesBenz in the SUV segment where Mercedes offers the widest range of any ot the European premium SUV models, including the GLA, GLK, ML, GL and G-Class.

The good news is that Mercedes-Benz GLA is now in Nigeria, courtesy, Weststar Associated Nigeria Limited, sole distributors of Mercedes-Benz, Jeep and Dodge brands in Nigeria.

Described as a multi-talented compact SUV, the new GLA-Class is a complete compact SUV, ideal for day to day motoring with an off-road capability.

The first Mercedes-Benz in the fast-growing compact segment is highly maneuverable around town, lively on country and pass roads and dynamic and efficient on the motorway.

Permanent all-wheel drive system The quality of the GLA, no doubt clearly positions it as the leading Compact Premium SUV in its category.

As the first Mercedes-Benz SUV to be optionally available with new generation permanent all-wheel drive system 4matic, with fully variable torque distribution, the new GLA rounds off the extensive SUV portfolio of Mercedes-Benz. Like the MLClass and other Mercedes-Benz models in the country a premium SUV buyer will surely enjoy the quality of the GLA. It took a while to get to Nigerian shares but it was clearly worth the wait.

According to the Managing Director of Weststar, Mr. Mirko Plath, "the GLA is serene in dayto-day motoring and has good offroad capability - interpreting the SUV segment in convincing style; and of course compact size cannot take the shine of the ‘ThreePointed Star’ as the bold GLA fuses authentic SUV versatility with the pure passion that defines every Mercedes-Benz.

Continuing, he said:“Its nimble size delivers an ideal mix of flexibility, fuel-efficiency and fun.

Its advanced engineering delivers genuine capability, true luxury and class-leading innovation.

The GLA is indeed a Sport Utility

FRSC denies recruiting staff

T

Vehicle with cutting edge drive systems and dynamic design, based on the A-class hatchback, lovers can now enjoy even more comfort both with the standard suspension, and the slightly firmer setup that’s fitted to AMG Line versions.”

The GLA has an interior with sporty character with meticulously finished high quality materials. It is pleasure for all the senses and a distraction for none of them as its freestanding color screen and intuitive central controller put a world of entertainment and information within reach.

A larger 7-inch display and Bluetooth® audio streaming are standard. Innovative multimedia options for navigation, music and online features, including an even bigger 8-inch screen, make going anywhere easier and more fun.

The Available GLA 180 features

a four cyclinder engine with a 1.6 litre engine capacity delivering 80kW and 260Nm of torque and is equipped with 7G-DCT. The GLA 45 AMG still holds the pole position in relation to driving dynamics: it accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in 4.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 250km/h.

We sum up this approach in one word: BlueEFFICIENCY, which means with the GLA you are only burning fuel when necessary. In addition, every GLA is fitted to standard with ECO start/stop function which temporarily shuts

down the engine when the vehicle is motionless.

The GLA Turbo power is a boost for torque, and efficiency as the “power domes” in the GLA hood are a Mercedes-Benz tradition. So is the progressive power beneath.

A 122hp – 360hp turbo inline-4 teams 3rd-generation Direct Injection with advanced rapid-multispark ignition.

ECO Start/Stop automatically shuts off the engine at red lights to save fuel, and then restarts the instant you’re ready to move out.

HE Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Boboye Oyeyemi, has confirmed that FRSC is neither recruiting nor doing any form of replacement as is being insinuated by some fraudsters, warning staff to desist from such rumours or face the wrath of the law in accordance with the FRSC Disciplinary Codes. He stated this while addressing staff of the National Headquarters at the Corps Marshal’s weekly Parade.

Oyeyemi stated that the rumour of recruitment being spread by some fraudulent persons with intent to dupe unsuspecting members of the public must be ignored, saying any staff who is caught engaging in such acts of rumour mongering will have himself to blame. He stressed that there was no way FRSC could engage in recruitment exercises without following due process which includes wide publicity to give every Nigerian an opportunity to participate in it.

“My attention was drawn to the rumour, and I want to put it directly to you, that FRSC is neither recruiting nor doing any form of replacement as people are insinuating outside,” he stated.

The Corps Marshal expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for its logistics provisions for the FRSC, noting that the 283 operational vehicles which the President commissioned for the Corps last month coupled with the ongoing construction of office accommodation in 5 states of the Federation demonstrates President Buhari’s passion for road safety.

CVL supports FRSC expired tyre campaign with launch of Continental, GT

A

S the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, campaign on expired tyres gains momentum, Cambistry Ventures Limited, CVL, dealers in automotive products has come up with two world class tyre brands to save the situation.

Managing Director of CVL, Sir Ikechukwu Okafor, said that it is regrettable the way and manner substandard tyres enter into the country and as a result his company, Cambistry, decided to introduce the world class tyre brands Continental and General Tyre, both manufactured in Europe.

Sir Okafor whose company deals in automative products said that it is regrettable how Nigerians lose their lives to road accidents due to tyre bursts

resulting from substandard and expired tyres and commended the Federal Road Safety Corps for its campaign on expired tyres.

“Overtime, I have watched situations where all manner of tyres were brought into the country and decided to bring in a class tyre brand at affordable prices as my contribution to save life and properties.”

“I decided to bring in Continental Tyre, which is a premium brand, as well as Matador and General Tyres which are also made by Continental Tyres, ‘’ he said.

According to him, these tyre brands are European made and they give value for money, guarantee safety, which is very important and are made in

2015 and 2016, which means that they still have four years or more lifespan.

Highlighting the qualities of Continental and General Tyre brand, Sir Okafor said apart from being trusted German engineering, the tyre brand boasts of outstanding durability and quiet ride, excellent braking performance and traction, shorter braking distance in all weather conditions, and reduced fuel consumption and gives high mileage.

Other strong points of the Continental and General Tyres, he said, are that they deliver all-terrain tyre superb for onroad and off road use, excellent road grip, handling and safety when cornering.

According to the Cambistry

he

Ventures boss, the tyres cover many auto brands including Toyota, Honda, Peugeot, Mitsubishi, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, as well as the German brands, covering SUVs, sedans, pickups, and trucks.

He explained that though no dealer stocks all tyre sizes, he had carefully selected the sizes that are in high demand in the country to meet the needs of the people, and save lives.

Pleading with Nigerians to always use quality tyres, Sir Okafor said apart from ensuring safety of life, a good tyre gives peace of mind, value for money, at the same time, guarantees good road handling, among others.

He however promised to bring in more tyre sizes of Continental and General Tyre which are all made in Europe.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016—41

Naira depreciates to N281.85/ per dollar as CBN clears $4.02bn backlog Nigerian Breweries leads N164bn decline at NSE Panic selling in parallel market

By Babajide Komolafe & Nkiruka Nnorom

L

AGOS—THE naira, yesterday, depreciated to N281.85 per dollar in the interbank foreign exchange market as the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, sold $4.02 billion to clear the backlogs of matured foreign exchange obligations of banks.

Meanwhile, the naira appreciated to N340 per dollar in the parallel market due to panic selling which boosted the supply of dollars into the market.

Consequently, the premium (difference) between the official interbank market and the parallel market dropped to N68.15 from N168 per dollar last week.

Prior to, yesterday, the interbank exchange rate was fixed at N197 per dollar via controls and administrative measures which paralysed trading activities in the inter-bank market. But last week, the CBN introduced a flexible exchange rate regime which allows for the determination of the exchange rate by market forces of demand and supply.

Under the new regime, the CBN can intervene in the market by conducting a Secondary Market Intervention Sales, SMIS, through the sale of foreign exchange to Authorised Dealers (wholesale) or to endusers through Authorised Dealers (retail).

CBN intervention

Yesterday, the CBN, in order, to kick-start the interbank trading conducted Special Secondary Market Intervention Sales, SMIS, to purposely clear the over $4 billion backlog of matured foreign exchange obligations of banks.

The results of the foreign exchange sales were announced by the Financial Market Dealers Quote, FMDQ. According to FMDQ, the CBN sold $532 million in the spot market (immediate delivery) and $3.489 billion in the Futures market (delivery in the future). Out of the $3.487 billion sold in the Futures market, $697 billion is for One Month Future (1M), $1.22 billion for Two Months (2M) and $1.57 billion for Three Months (3M).

How the market operated

Vanguard investigations revealed that the interbank market opened as the 21 banks submitted bids to CBN for their matured foreign exchange obligations.

This was followed by each bank posting their Buying (bid) and Selling (Offer) exchange rates on the Financial Market

CONFERENCE: From left, Temitope Oshikoya, CEO/Chief Economic Strategist, Nextromics; Mr Joseph Ebata, President/CEO, Bervidson Group; Mrs Bukky George, CEO, HealthPlus Limited and CasaBella International and Mr Rahul Murgai, Managing Director, Reckitt Benckiser, Western Africa, during the Retail Leaders Conference held in Lagos. that though BDCs reduced their Dealers Quote, FMDQ, trading Sales, SMIS, addressing the bid rates in order to buy cheap, platform. Most of the selling issue of the foreign exchange they still quoted selling rates as rates quoted in the early hours demand backlog by clearing high as N350 in some segments of the morning ranged from $4.02 billion through spot and forward sales.

This served in no of the market.

N260 to N274 per dollar.

According to a banker who small way to stimulate price NSE retreats as investors spoke to Vanguard on condition discovery, with the determination lose N164bn of anonymity, “Everybody of a marginal rate of N280.00 per dollar through the Special SMIS The four day rally that greeted wanted to buy, nobody indicated activities on the Nigerian Stock any intention to sell because process.

“So, we can state to you Exchange, NSE, last week there was no dollar in the categorically, that the foreign following the announcement of market. Consequently, there exchange demand backlog has flexible foreign exchange policy was no transaction for most of now been cleared and behind us by the CBN, was halted the day.” yesterday, with investors losing By 4p.m., the average selling for good.”

He assured the market N164 billion of their investment. rates had dropped to N254, the participants and the general According to the trading results market waited for CBN to announced by the NSE, total announce the result of the bids public that the Bank was value of listed equities or market submitted by the banks. The resolutely committed to making capitalisation dropped by N164 much awaited announcement the Nigerian foreign exchange market globally competitive, billion to N9.881 trillion from came around 5p.m., that the N10.045 trillion, representing 1.6 apex bank sold $532 million at credible, transparent, liquid, and per cent decline. In the same N280 per dollar in the spot efficient.

He lauded market participants vein, the All Share Index lost market. that collaborated in their conduct 477.37 basis points to close at However, the CBN allowed 28,769.90 points from 29,2457.27 interbank trading to be extended to achieving these feats and points, also representing 1.6 per by two hours to allow market looked forward to another cent decline. forces determine the interbank successful and historic day on June 27, 2016, when the market Also, in what was a reversal of exchange rate. After about one the trend in the previous week, hour of trading, the FMDQ launches its innovative hedging investors’ sentiment across announced a closing exchange product, the Naira-settled OTC various sectors waned with rate of N281.85 per dollar for the foreign exchange Futures. exception of oil and gas sector interbank market. and insurance sector that Acting Director, Corporate Panic selling in recorded marginal increases. The Communications, CBN, Mr. parallel market Meanwhile, the naira Alternative Securities Market, Isaac Okorafor who confirmed appreciated in the parallel market ASM, a window for indigenous this development in a statement small and medium scale said: “The CBN was happy that to N340 per dollar, due to panic industries and other start ups to the objectives of the CBN to clear selling which boosted supply of list on the Exchange, closed flat the FX demand backlog, dollars into the market.

According to a BDC operator at 1,212.54 points. perform its role as strictly a The banking sector depreciated market intervention participant; who spoke to Vanguard on the most, reclining by 2.6 per cent and re-launch a functioning and condition of anonymity, “a lot of as 13 banks shed weight out of efficient inter-bank market, were dollars came into the market today from people selling their 33 losers that emerged during the being met. day. The losses in the banking “The CBN, in line with its dollars out of panic, because of sector were fuelled by five per desire to promote a transparent, uncertainty of how the new policy cent and 4.60 per cent losses in liquid and efficient market, and will affect the exchange rate in the parallel market.

In a bid to exploit the share of Ecobank in order to engender market Transnational Incorporated, ETI, confidence and ensure credible the situation, BDCs offered lower and Diamond Bank Plc price formation, intervened in bid (buy) rates, some as low as respectively. The NSE 30 Index the market through a special N310 per dollar.”

Investigations, however, reveal and the consumer goods sector Secondary Market Intervention

weakened by 1.7 per cent apiece, to settle at 1,276.22 points and 722.64 points respectively. The industrial goods sector was down 1.2 per cent to 2,064.13 points from the previous close of 2,109.91 points.

Gainers and Losers

There were almost two losers to a gainer as 33 stocks emerged losers as against 17 that gained weight. ETI Plc and Nigerian Breweries Plc led the laggards with five per cent price depreciation to close at N16.15 and N141.42 respectively.

National Aviation Handling Company, NAHCo, dipped by 4.96 per cent to close at N4.02; PZ Cussons went down by 4.91 per cent to close at N21.11, while Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc shrank by 4.86 per cent to close at N6.66.

Others are NPF Micro-finance Bank Plc, 4.84 per cent to close at N1.18; Airline Services and Aviation Plc, 4.74 per cent to close at N1.81; Diamond Bank Plc, 4.60 per cent to close at N2.28; NEM Insurance Plc, 4.59 per cent to close at N1.04 and Fidelity Bank Plc that depreciated by 4.41 per cent to close at N1.30 per share.

Neimeth International Pharmaceutical Plc, on the other hand, led the gainers with 8.89 per cent to close at N0.98, followed by Law Union & Rock Plc with an eight per cent increase to close at N0.54, while Champion Breweries Plc chalked up by 7.25 per cent to close at N3.70 per share.

GlaxoSmithKline went up by 5.49 per cent to close at N15.00, while Honeywell FlourMills Plc Nestle Plc and Mansard Insurance Plc were up five per cent each to close at N1.89, N794.88 and N2.31 in that order.

Analysts at United Capital Plc had said that while increase in Foreign Portfolio Investors, FPIs, is expected in the near term, a full resurgence would likely be delayed until the CBN demonstrates an effective management of the new market framework.

According to Emeka Mmadubuike, Chairman, Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria, ASHON, the downward trend witnessed in the market was just a normal market circle. He noted that since the market has gone up for about four straight days, it is expected that profit taking activity will resume by bargain hunters no matter how marginal the profit is. He stated that it becomes abnormal when there is s consistent upward or downward movement in any market.

Mmadubuike explained that given the new forex policy, investors are treading cautiously to see how event turns out before taking full leap. Agreeing with Mmadubuike, Mr. Johnson Chukwu, Managing Director/CEO, CowryAssetsManagementLimitd,said the reversal is expected since the rally recorded last week was not driven by any market fundamentals.

42—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

Helpful tips for parents

M

Ear screening EAR SCREENING: Universal newborn hearing screening and management is desirable for early detection and treatment of hearing disorders.

ANY hospitals test newborn hearing before they go home. Others only test infants who are at risk for hearing problems, such as deafness in their families. *Unless your child was diagnosed with hearing loss at birth, you’ll probably be the first person to notice if the child has trouble picking up on sounds. *Early signs to watch out for include: No reaction to loud noises and no response to your voice or your child makes simple sounds that taper off. *A child with hearing problem may also pull or rub an ear, be constantly cranky for no clear reason or stop paying attention. The child may have little energy and not understand directions or may

Hearing, speech disorders in children can be detected in pregnancy — Dr. Julius Ademokoya

By Gabriel Olawale

pronouncing what is commonly said around that child. So when a child does all these things, there is no cause for alarm, but at nine months, if thechild is still saying what that child was saying at two months, then there is cause for alarm.

“What is applicable in the developed world is that hearing and speech matters are embedded in the antenatal programmes. But in Nigeria, we are advocating that government should establish screening centres across the 36 States of the Federation, with intervention included in National Health Insurance Scheme.”

OW do your children react each time you call them? Do you know that ignoring your calls sometimes may be sign or beginning of a medical condition in the child?

In the views of a professor of Speech and Hearing Rehabilitation, and President, Speech Pathology and Audiology Association of Nigeria, SPAAN, Professor Julius Ademokoya, there is need for parents not to misinterpret their children’s refusal to answer their calls as stubbornness because it may signal dangers of hearing disorder.

frustrations.”

Speaking ahead of the 2016 International Conference of SPAAN June 21-24, 2016, Ademokoya hinted that a concerned mother can determine her child’s hearing ability right from the womb.

“When the pregnancy is six months to eight months, if music is being played, you would notice movement of the baby inside you, that shows the baby is hearing.

Also, three to four months after birth, when there is loud noise around, the baby will show status influence. If the child fails to show all these signs, then the mother can seek medical advice.

“We all know that hearing

Speech disorders

Four reasons you should go for mangoes

H

Ademokoya said many Nigerian children have continued to suffer undetected and untreated hearing and speech disorders due to ignorance on the part of parents. He advised that when such disorders are diagnosed, particularly after their second birthdays, therapeutic interventions are likely to yield less result than if administered earlier.

Ademokoya warned that it is dangerous for parents to think that their children will outgrown hearing and speech problem.

“If a child fails to hear, understand what he hears and develop functional speech early enough, there would be some challenges of proper placement in educational programmes and in development of appropriate social and psychological skills, leading to a future of

begins earlier than speech, but at 12 months, a child should be able to mimic sounds and start

Hearing begins longer than speech, but at 12 months a child should be able to mimic and pronounce what is commonly said around him or her

M

ANGOES are one of the most popular fruits in the world, but are still considered exotic by many persons. Here are some facts that might make you to go for mangoes.

Waistline reduction: Mangoes are diet-friendly.

Because they ’re naturally sweet, eating them can help quash your cravings for candy or other sugary foods. In fact, mangoes are 83 percent water by weight.

Highly nutritious: There are over 20 vitamins and minerals in mangoes for good nutrition and health benefits.

Just one cup provides 100 percent of our daily vitamin C needs, helping to strengthen our immune system, keep our teeth and gums healthy, and support collagen formation.

Reduce inflammation: Mangoes contain several antiinflammatory compounds, including vitamin C and beta carotene hence have the potential to enhance the diet as a source of gallic acid and gallotannins which may possess anti-inflammatory

and anticarcinogenic properties.

Availability: F r e s h mangoes are available year-round.

Whether you need your mango fix in J u n e , December or any month of the year, you’ll likely be able to find at least one of the six main varieties. Each variety has a unique flavor and texture, so try different ones throughout the year.

So, consider adding mangoes to your fruit line-up – there’s no limit to how you can use them.

often ask for the TV or radio to be louder. There may be a fever or ear pain. *If you notice these symptoms in your child, talk with a doctor who may prescribe antibiotics or other medicine. *If the problem doesn’t go away and seems to be affecting your child's hearing, your pediatrician may suggest your child get tubes.

These allow fluid to drain, and they can help prevent infections. *If your doctor thinks your child needs them,you’ll be referred to an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) doctor, also called an otolaryngologist. *Children can begin to use hearing aids from as young as 1 month old. A hearing specialist will help make sure that your child gets the right device.

Coffee unlikely to cause cancer, but very hot drinks could — Scientists

H

EAT in coffee and not coffee itself, may cause cancer. Coffee poses no cancer risk, rather, it's the extreme heat of the beverage, or any other drink for that matter, that may be dangerous when drank, according to an international working group of scientists convened by the World Health Organization, WHO. The scientists concluded that coffee should no longer be considered a carcinogen. It however found limited evidence that drinking very hot beverages could cause esophageal cancer.

"It is suggested that drinking very hot beverages is one probable cause of esophageal cancer, and that it is the temperature rather than the drinks that appears to be responsible," said Christopher Wild, Director of WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Wild said the working group found no conclusive evidence of a carcinogenic effect from drinking coffee.

The WHO cited studies conducted in places like China, Iran, Turkey and South America, where coffee and tea are traditionally drank very hot.

The findings suggested that the risk of esophageal cancer increased with the temperature at which the beverage was drunk. Esophageal cancer is the eighth most common cause of cancer worldwide and one of the main causes of cancer deaths.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016—43

You may be living with cancer and not know — Professor Abayomi Durosinmi-Etti

By Chioma Obinna

A

PROFESSOR of Radiotherapy & Oncology, Professor Abayomi DurosinmiEtti, has raised alarm over the rising cases of cancer in Nigeria and urged Nigerians to take proactive measures against the scourge.

Speaking during the inaugural lecture of the University of Lagos, that focused on cancer (the big ‘C’), Durosinmi-Etti, a Consultant Radiotherapist and Oncologist, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, said many Nigerians may be living with cancer without knowing.

He declared that cancer has overtaken other Non Communicable Diseases, NCDs, in the country as leading cause of death.

In his lecture entitled: “That we may overcome cancer”, the specialist said presently, about 10 million persons are diagnosed with cancer annually out of which six million die. Half of these deaths occur in developing countries like Nigeria.

“Breast cancer is the commonest female cancer followed by cervical cancer with both responsible for 50 percent of all tumours seen in Nigeria while cancer of prostate continues to be on the increase in men.

• Professor Durosinmi-Etti

“A total of 100,000 new cases of cancer per year are being diagnosed in Nigeria and cancer in women has risen significantly, hence, the need for proactive interventions.

There is need to continue the development of more cancer management infrastructure which are limited.”

Durosinmi-Etti said while cancer is more common in adults it can also be diagnosed at any age.

“Certain lifestyles choices are known to increase your risk of cancer such as smoking, drinking alcohol, excessive exposure to the sun, obesity,

lack of exercise, and having unsafe sex.

“C h a n g i n g these bad habits can lower an individual’s risk of cancer. Family history and environment around you may contain harmful chemicals that can increase risk of cancer and chemicals in the home or workplace such as asbestos and benzene.

Problem of treatment He said Nigeria l a c k s infrastructure to treat cancer and which is expensive.

“To overcome cancer, there is need for us to acquire teletherapy machines because going by the IAEA recommendation Nigeria needs at least 200 teletherapy machines to the 500 people per megavoltage machine.

“Unfortunately, Nigeria has only nine of these machines serving 170 million persons despite the fact that radio therapy plays a major as 50 percent of all cancers require it.

“The country is also faced with problem of frequent breakdown of equipment due to

erratic power supply, dust and the humidity among other factors.

Presently only the machines at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, and National Hospital, Abuja, are functional.

Durosinmi-Etti said goals of cancer treatment is to achieve a cure allowing a normal life span, adding that early cases are potentially curable.

“The myth that cancer is synonymous with death is changing as cancer is no longer a death sentence especially when diagnosed early.

“Treating cancer is expensive.

I will recommend it is included in the National Health Insurance Scheme.

Pharmaceutical companies involved in cancer drugs should be given some tax free incentives to make the drugs affordable. With the problem of forex the prices have risen by over 80 percent.

Cancer prevention tips *Do not smoke or use tobacco. *Keep active, avoiding certain infections such as HPV, and avoiding cancer risks in the workplace *Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Base your diet on fruits, vegetables and other foods from plant sources — such as whole grains and beans. *Avoid obesity. Eat lighter and leaner by choosing fewer highcalorie foods, including refined sugars and fat from animal sources. *Drink alcohol only in moderation. *Limit processed meats and red meat. *Maintain a healthy weight and be physically active. For substantial health benefits, strive to get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic physical activity.

Pfizer opens health website

A

REDESIGNED website to provide user-friendly experience for clients to access detailed product information and videos has been opened by Pfizer in Nigeria and East Africa.

Created with the user experience firmly in mind, the website has also been built to be compatible with today’s browsers and mobile devices. Visitors to the site can share information across all major social networking platforms.

“We have established this portal as a foundation for credible information. It will be a great platform where stakeholders can explore more into our business, what our business is about and what it can do in the future,” Media and Public Relations Manager, Ngozi Ushedo noted. The website with url www.pfizernear.com is tobe continuously improved.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

H

ELLO sir. Thanks again for your help. That Velextra really helped me. I have not even used the lubricant much because Velextra makes me wet the moment I get aroused. I just wanted to know if my husband can use it to boost his libido too since he also suffers loss of sexual appetite and weak erection sometimes. He is 59 years. Thank you – Amaka Amaka Velextra is marketed as a female only product so I wouldn’t advice your husband to take it. There are many male aphrodisiacs and performance enhancers that he can take. The makers of Velextra also make Sex Voltz which is for men so he can use that. Other supplements like Man Up Now and Libigrow can help him regain strong erections and sexual appetite as well – Uche I am 62 years old and I can no longer have sex without the help of performance drugs which is okay. I have reached that age where one becomes dependent on drugs. The one that I am taking now is a daily pill.

Sometimes I forget to take it and when it is time for sex, I cannot get it up. Can you help me find a tablet that I don’t have to take every day? Thank you – Osimeh Yes it can be embarrassing. I understand. I have the perfect drug for you. You can take Rhino 7 or Power Zen Gold. These are top erection enhancers that you only take once or twice a week and they will work for days.

In addition to giving you strong erections, they help you last longer and give you stamina to have sex minutes after ejaculating without waiting for hours for another erection. So take Rhino 7 or Power Zen supplement – Uche I have a feeling my wife is a lesbian. She is not really interested in sex. I cannot believe how a normal person is just not interested in something that enjoyable – Wasiu Wasiu, not having much sexual interest does not make a woman a lesbian. Men generally have a higher sexual appetitive than women. This is normal.

Men want sex all the time. It is not so with women and that doesn’t make them lesbians. Unless you have caught your wife cheating with another woman, you cannot conclude she is gay. I suggest you sit down and have a chat with her. Explain your sexual needs to her and ask her what she needs to help her want intimacy. It may be your approach to the whole thing that is turning her off. It could be anything. Of course there are supplements that can boost sexual interest such as Velextra but you need to be sure of what the problem is before going for medical solutions – Uche My wife and I are undergoing sex therapy. The doctor says we need erotic activities that can help our sex life. Can you help with ideas on erotic activities? John What the doctor is trying to tell you is that you need more romance and foreplay in your life. With women, sex doesn’t just happen. Many men expect to come home from work and just jump on their wives. That hardly works. You need to prepare for it. You need to flirt and make women feel loved and seduced. That is how they begin to look forward to intercourse. Erotic adult games can help you with this. Games like Who is the Biggest Slut? and adult films like The Masseuse can help you set the mood. You also need to be nice to her – Uche Ever since my wife started using lubricant during sex, that pain has stopped. I just want to say thank you. You just solved a big big problem for us – Taiwo You are welcome – Uche That’s it for today. The names of the people featured here have been changed for privacy. Adults in need of the above novelties and treatments can call us on 07086754515 or 08171912551 or any other number here to order or they can order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com. We deliver to you wherever you are in Nigeria. For enquiries email us at custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com - Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

44 — VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

U.S. court declines to revive apartheid claims against IBM, Ford

T

Lewandowski (left) with Trump at a campaign function

US Election: Trump fires campaign manager

T

HE campaign manager for presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has been fired.

A campaign spokeswoman said Corey Lewandowski would no longer be working on it and said the team was grateful to him “for his hard work and dedication”.

Speaking on CNN, he did not deny being fired, replying “I don’t know” when asked why he was let go.

He oversaw the New Yorker’s unlikely triumph in the primary contests.

The exact reason for Mr

Lewandowski’s departure is not yet clear but he denied it was to do with his abrasive style.

His departure comes as the businessman faces strong resistance from senior members of his own party over his strident tone, hardline immigration policy and falling poll numbers.

Mr Lewandowski was not escorted from the building as some reported but accompanied by a “friend from the campaign”, he told CNN, saying it had been a privilege to work on the team.

He also denied he had not been getting along with

top Trump strategist Paul Manafort and the Trump children.

Mr Lewandowski has had a contentious relationship with the press.

Earlier this year, he was charged with battery after allegedly yanking a female reporter out of Mr Trump’s way after a campaign event.

The charges were dropped.

One Trump campaign staff member told NBC News that the campaign was not briefed on Mr Lewandowski’s firing and that right now there is “bedlam in the Trump campaign. No one knows what is happening”.

Bahrain revokes top Shia clerics citizenship

B

AHRAIN has stripped the Sunniruled kingdom’s most prominent Shia cleric of his citizenship.

An interior ministry statement accused Sheikh Isa Qassim of using his position to “serve foreign interests” and promote “sectarianism and violence”.

The cleric, who holds the religious rank of Ayatol-

lah, has backed protests led by the majority Shia community for greater civil and political rights.

The US has said it is “alarmed” at the move, and Iran has condemned it.

A US State Department spokesman said Washington was “unaware of any credible evidence” to support the removal of citizenship.

It comes days after Bah-

rain’s government suspended the leading Shia opposition grouping, Wefaq National Islamic Society, closing its offices and ordering its assets to be frozen.

Wefaq’s political leader, Shia cleric Sheikh Ali Salman, is in prison and recently had his jail term increased to nine years, after being convicted in 2015.

Virginia Raggi becomes first female mayor of Rome city’s institutions.” one of the best-known faces

V

IRGINIA Raggi has been elected as Rome’s first female mayor in a triumph for the populist Five Star Movement (M5S), representing a blow to Matteo Renzi, Italy’s prime minister.

Raggi swept into City Hall on Sunday with twothirds of the votes cast in a runoff contest with Roberto Giachetti of Renzi’s centreleft Democratic Party (DP).

“A new era is beginning with us,” said Raggi after declaring victory. “We’ll work to bring back legality and transparency to the

A lawyer and local councillor, Raggi has leapt from anonymity to become

in Italian politics in the space of only a few months on the campaign trail.

Orlando gunman said ‘I’m an Islamic soldier’

T

HE gunman who killed 49 people at an Orlando gay nightclub described himself as an Islamic soldier in calls made to police during the attack.

A partial transcript of the calls between police negotiators and Omar Mateen during the threehour siege have been released by the FBI. The 29-year-old

mentioned the war in Syria and the France terror attacks during calls to the 911 dispatcher.

Mateen died in a shootout with police after authorities stormed the building.

The FBI said Mateen spoke to a dispatcher twice during three phone calls made about 30 minutes after he began the attack.

HE U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a group of black South Africans seeking to revive human rights litigation aiming to hold Ford Motor Co and IBM Corp liable for allegedly conducting business that helped perpetuate racial apartheid.

The justices left in place a 2015 ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York that fa-

vored the two companies.

That court decided that the plaintiffs failed to show that there was a close connection between decisions made or actions taken by Ford and IBM in the United States to killings, torture and other human rights abuses that took place in South Africa from the 1970s to the early 1990s.

Ford was accused of providing military vehicles for South African security forc-

es and sharing information about anti-apartheid and union activists. IBM was accused of providing technology and training to perpetuate racial separation and the “denationalization” of black South Africans.

Apartheid refers to South Africa’s former white-minority government’s policy of segregating and oppressing the majority black population from 1948 to 1994.

Displaced persons at highest ever level — UN

BY FAITH AGBI

T

HE number of people displaced by conflict is at the highest level ever recorded, the UN refugee agency says.

It estimates that 65.3m people were either refugees, asylum seekers or internally displaced at the

end of 2015, an increase of 5m in a year.

This represents one in every 113 people on the planet, the UN agency says.

Meanwhile, the UN refugee chief says a worrying “climate of xenophobia” has taken hold in Europe as it struggles to cope with the migrant crisis.

The influx of people, the biggest since World War Two, has led to greater support for far-right groups and controversial anti-immigration policies.

In its annual report marking World Refugee Day, the UN said it was the first time the number of refugees worldwide had passed the 60m mark.

Investigators examine damaged EgyptAir black boxes

I

N V E S T I G AT O R S have begun analysing the two severely damaged black boxes from EgyptAir flight MS804 as they seek to explain why the plane plunged into the sea, killing all 66 people on board.

It would require “lots of time and effort” to fix

the two badly damaged black box recorders, sources on Egypt’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee told Reuters on Sunday.

The committee said it started the analysis of the devices, with representatives from France and the United States, which are crucial to ex-

plaining why the Airbus A320 crashed on May 19 en route from Paris to Cairo.

The memory units from both the Cockpit Voice Recorder and the Flight Data Recorder were extracted from the devices and dried in a military facility for eight hours, the committee said in a statement.

Court witness beaten, castrated in Uganda

A

witness in a trial over a spate of murders of Muslim clerics in Uganda was “beaten and castrated” because he agreed to testify, prosecutors say.

The defence argued those on trial could not have been responsible for the attack as they were in jail.

The judge adjourned the trial, which opened on Monday, to give more time to protect witnesses.

One woman and 31 men are on trial, including a cleric from the Tabliq sect.

The prosecution did not give any further details about the alleged attack on the witness but did say a court case had started on Friday.

The spate of killings included the head of Uganda’s Shia community, Sheikh Abdu Kadir Muwaya, who was shot dead Christmas Day 2014 in Uganda’s capital Kampala.

Three days later Sheikh Mustafa Bahiga, a lead-

er of the Tabliq sect was also shot dead.

Congo declares yellow fever epidemic

D

EMOCRATIC Re public of Congo declared a yellow fever epidemic in three provinces including the capital Kinshasa on Monday after confirming 67 cases of the disease, with another 1,000 suspected cases being monitored.

Health Minister Felix

Kabange said seven of the proven cases were autochthonous, while 58 were imported from Angola, where the outbreak began. A further two cases came from remote forested areas not linked to the current outbreak.

Five people in total have died, Kabange added.

A court session in Uganda where a witness in a trial over a spate of murders of Muslim clerics in the country claimed to have been beaten and castrated because he agreed to testify

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016 — 45

Attack on Vanguard publisher: Wake-up call to security agencies — Ladipo P

RESIDENT of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club, Dr Rafiu Ladipo led members of his club on a sympathy visit to Vanguard Newspapers, following the recent armed robbery attack on the Publisher, Sam Amuka.

Ladipo who was received on arrival by the Editor of the newspaper, Mideno Bayagbon and the Group Sports Editor, Tony Ubani said the visit was indicative of the long-standing relationship between his club and the newspaper.

But more importantly, Ladipo said, “having read the ugly incident on th pages of newspapers, we decided to come and visit and sympathise with the publisher and the Vanguard family.

“Incidents like this sends a message to those saddled with the responsibility of securing lives and property in the country. It also conveys the message that something is

From left: Mr Ayo Ojedokun; Rafiu Ladipo, President General of Nigeria Football Supporters' Club;Mr Tony Ubani,Sport Editor Vangaurd Newspaper and Jacob Ajom during courtesy visit of Nigeria Football Supporters' Club to Vanguard held office Apapa Lagos yesterday.PHOTO: AKEEM SALAU fundamentally wrong and that thing is unemployment.

But Nigerian youths should learn to be creative and think of self employment,”

Ladipo admonished.

Responding, Mr Bayagbon thanked the supporters club for the visit and for the way they have been promoting Nigeria in

the international arena. He promised to relay their message to the publisher who is still recuperating from injuries sustained during the attack.

NFF frees Giwa FC players

T

HE Nigeria Football Federation has given provisional clearance to all players of erstwhile NPFL club, Giwa FC of Jos to join other clubs.

In a letter to the Chairman of League Management Company, signed by NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi on Monday, the NFF wrote: “Based on the LMC’s expulsion of the club from

the Premier League and the NFF ratification of the same measure and with special reference to article 14 & 23 of the FIFA regulations on the status and transfer of players, all players of Giwa FC as pronounced by the LMC and the NFF Disciplinary Committee are free to provisionally register for any club of their choice till the end of the 2015/ 2016 football season.

Group photograph of members of Supporters' Club with the Group Sports Editor Bayagbon also seized the opportunity to sympathise with the supporters club over the demise, in quick succession, of two former

national team coaches, Stephen Keshi and Shuaibu Amodu. He prayed God to grant them eternal rest.

46 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016 — 47

Iheanacho not sure of Rio Olympics

PSG to offer Neymar the world to bring him to Ligue 1 B ARCELONA direc tor Raul Sanllehi has been in Brazil in for the last couple of days and there are at least two theories as to why.

One is that he was trying to sign young Palmeiras forward Gabriel Jesús for •24million and offload disastrous signing Douglas to Cruzeiro for •2m. The other explanation is that he was there to persuade Neymar not to leave Barcelona.

Paris Saint-Germain have promised Neymar the world in one final attempt to take him out of La Liga and into Ligue 1. If he moves to Paris, club president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi will make sure he is paid as much as Lionel Messi with earnings of around •23m a season.

Barcelona cannot compete with that figure, first and foremost because the financial regulations of the club’s own statutes limit the percentage of the budget that can be spent on wages, and the fact that it is already at the limit is partly behind the delay in announcing a new deal with Neymar before July 1 when figures when a new financial year kicks in.

At Barcelona he will take home closer to •15m if he signs a new deal

Togo Continues from BP appointed head coach of Togo three times between 2004 and 2011.

The match in Lome was played between the current Togo national side and ‘Team Keshi’, made up of players who were part of his 2006 squad. “Keshi was like a big brother to me,” said striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who played for Team Keshi. He was somebody that I respected a lot and I have to give him a lot of credit because when he joined the Togolese national team, he believed in me.

“He was for the first time looking into my eyes and told me how good I was and how good I could become.

“I just listened to his advice because he was a former footballer. Listening to his advice helped me a lot and today I am where I am because of that."

and he will inevitably continue to be in the commercial shadow of Messi whose light shows no signs of dimming, and who could be

K

about to win the Copa America – a competition Barcelona preferred Neymar not play in if he was also going to play in the Olympics in Rio.

Giggs set for Forest move

R

YAN Giggs is on the brink of becoming the new Nottingham Forest manager.

The Manchester United legend has agreed to leave the club he has served 29 years as apprentice, player and coach to take on his first

*Giggs

permanent managerial role.

Giggs, 42, had been offered the opportunity to stay on at Old Trafford as part of new boss Jose Mourinho’s backroom staff - although not as No.2 with the Portuguese’s trusted lieutenant Rui Faria taking the position.

But after serving two years as Louis van Gaal’s assistant, Giggs has decided to jump into management himself and is now set to take charge at the City Ground. He will succeed Dougie Freedman in the role that has been vacated since March with Paul Williams acting as interim caretaker.

*Iheanacho

NOC moves Olympic Day Educational programme

T

HE Nigeria Olym pic Committee has moved forward the Educational aspect of the Olympic Day celebration earlier scheduled to hold on June 23 and June 24 to now hold on June 30 and July 1, 2016 respectively.

The venue remains the

R/Madrid to break world transfer record for Pogba test property on the

R

EAL Madrid have taken the first step towards a huge deal for Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba after entering ‘initial negotiations’ with his agent.

Mino Raiola has revealed that talks be-

tween the two clubs have already been held in a move that could break the world transfer record if it is completed this summer.

Pogba, currently on Euro 2016 duty with France, is Europe’s hot-

CBN Open: Otu defy rain to stop Etim Idris. In the women sinBy Chinwe Okeke

A

HEAVY downpour disrupted early morning matches of the 38th CBN Senior Open Tennis tournament which served off yesterday at the tennis courts of the national stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

A match involving Nigeria’s number one and tournament’s first seed, Thomas Otu and Ekanem Etim was stopped with Otu leading one set up at 6-4. When play resumed, Otu went on to defeat Ekanem 6-1 in the second set.

Abdulmumuni Babalola dismissed Ikakah Emmanuel 6-2,6-1, while John Otu dismissed Christopher Itodo 7-6.61. In other men’s singles matches Sani Adamu defeated Onyedika 6-0, 6-2 as Imeh Joseph recorded a 6-0,6-2 win over Aliyu

gles, top seed Christy Agugbom defeated Folarin Akosile 6-0,6-0.

Meanwhile, one of the top contenders in the mens singles, Malcom Michael ha set his eyes on the title held by Thomas Otu. In a chat with Sports Vanguard, Michael said, I need the title and to achieve it, I must beat Thomas Otu because he is a very good player.”

Michael, however, lamented the lack of tournaments and praised the CBN’s efforts at remaining steadfast with the sponsorship of the tournament. “CBN is doing a good job but only few competitions in a year and not encouraging for players, there are not enough platforms to exhibit because after this tournament we await the Dalla Open in Kano in the next 5months.

transfer market as a man marked to be the best midfielder of his generation.

The 23-year-old former Manchester United trainee has attracted the attentions of his former club as well as the likes of Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester City but it now appears Real have jumped to the front of the queue.

‘We are in the initial phase of negotiations,’ super-agent Raiola told MARCA. ‘Pogba admires Real Madrid and Zinedine Zidane and that will be very important when making his decision.’

Udoh Continues from BP Sundowns welcome Enyimba on June 29 and Udoh said they hope to make up for the defeat in front of their fans with a result in South Africa.

“We hope to pick up the pieces in our next game against Sundowns. We hope to get a point or even win in South Africa. It’s a race and we are not out of this race yet,” he said.

He further said ill luck

Gymnastic Hall of the National Institute for Sports, National Stadium, Surulere.

Secretary of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC, Hon Tunde Popoola regretted the slight change but assured Schools and sponsors and the public that the jogging and Walking aspect of the Olympic Day celebration would still hold on Saturday, July 2, 2016 in all the States of the federation that registered to organise the event. ‘’We regret the inconvenience this might cause but we assure that all the pomp and pageantry associated as well as adequate arrangements have been made to ensure a successful programme’’, Popoola assured.

ELECHI Iheana cho’s participation at the forthcoming Olympic Games has been cast in a mist of doubt after it emerged he is expected to resume pre-season with Manchester City rather than join the Nigeria Olympic team.

Iheanacho, 19, is in the Nigeria provisional squad for the Games, but his participation is now in doubt, as he will return to England to team up with City for pre-season.

“We’re really not sure if he will go to the Olympic Games or not because he is scheduled to return to England for pre-season,” a source close to the player said.

“It will depend on the arrangement the NFF will have with Manchester City which I’m not sure of but I’m sure he will start the pre-season with City,” the source added.

Iheanacho had a breakout season at the Etihad last term, with former manager Manuel Pellegrini giving him the opportunity.

But with Pep Guardiola coming in as the new City manager, the youngster may need to prove himself all over again and it remains unclear if he will now be released to join the Nigerian squad.

He was also not among the players who attended visa interviews at the American embassy in Abuja on Thursday.

Puma cites‘defective batch’ for shirt rips

K

IT manufacturer Puma said it had traced a problem with ripped shirts for the Swiss team at Euro 2016 to a defective batch of material used only in a in front of goal denied them a victory against Zamalek at the weekend.

“We got everything right, we played a good game, we were just unlucky not to put the ball in the net,” he recalled.

He is the leading scorer in this year ’s Champions League with seven goals, but he has insisted team glory is top priority. “What is the priority is to ensure we get the vital points, any other thing is secondary,” he maintained.

limited number of home jerseys for the team.

During Sunday ’s goalless draw against France, the shirts of at least four Swiss players were torn when pulled by opponents, forcing members of the team to swap tops three times in the first half.

Germany-based Puma said analysis of the jerseys showed there was one batch of material where yarns had been damaged during production, making the garment weaker.

‘Puma has checked the inventory of all jerseys of all Puma teams and can assure that such an unfortunate incident does not happen again,’ it said in a statement on its website.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016

PSG to offer Neymar the world R/Madrid to break world transfer record for Pogba Stories on Pg.47

Inside Giggs set for Forest move

Togo honour Keshi with memorial match

T

OGO honoured former coach Stephen Keshi, who died in June, by playing a tribute match on Sunday.

Keshi, who died suddenly aged 54, was Continues on Page 47

Puma cites ‘defective batch’ for shirt rips — Pg.47 •Giggs

THE WORLD UNDER THEIR FEET: Pogba and Neymar

Enyimba ‘ll bounce back – Udoh E

Iheanacho not sure of Rio Olympics

•Xhaka

NFF frees Giwa FC players •Iheanacho

*Late Keshi

-P.45

TODAY'S PUZZLE

NYIMBA have put behind them a CAF Champions League home loss to Zamalek of Egypt and they now hope to get a result in their next game at Mamelodi Sundowns in South Africa, according to star striker Mfon Udoh.

The Nigeria champions fell 1-0 to Zamalek in Port Harcourt and now face a daunting task at Group B leaders Sundowns, who won 2-0 at Entente Setif of Algeria,also at the weekend.

Continues on Page 47

RESULTS DStv Final 8 results Plateau Rocks Rivers Hoopers Niger Potters Oluyole Warriors

48 51 54 39

Customs Gombe Bulls Kw/Falcons Kano Pillars

78 45 59 91

0 0

Wales England

3 0

Poland Germany

5pm 5pm

Euro 2016 Russia Slovakia

Today’s matches Ukraine N/Ireland

•Udoh

v v

Attack on Vanguard publisher: Wake-up call to security agencies – Ladipo -P.45 QUICK CROSSWORD

YESTERDAY'S ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Madman (6) 5 Astounded (6) 8 Interior (8) 9 Applaud (4) 10 Artful (3) 12 Consecrate (5) 15 Ocean (3) 17 Sick (3) 18 Mine (3) 19 Imitate (3) 20 Follow (5) 21 Employ (3) 22 Meadow (3) 23 Point (3) 24 Youth (3) 26 Canoe (5) 29 Place (3) 33 Exclude (4) 34 Bountiful (8) 35 Basic (6) 36 Annually (6)

DOWN 2 Cancel (5) 3 Detail (4) 4 Waterway (5) 5 Map-book (5) 6 Roguish (4) 7 Avoid (5) 10 Booth (5) 11 Cede (5) 12 Desolate (5) 13 Composition (5) 14 Utter (5) 15 Stub (5) 16 Vigilant (5) 25 Confess (5) 27 Dispute (5) 28 Irritate (5) 30 Customary (5) 31 Pace (4) 32 Region (4)

FRIDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Dis 4, Mop 6, Type 8, Stance 9, Option 10, tap 12, Creel 14, Snout 15, Ready 18, Roster 20, Elated 24, Total 26, Decay 28, Weary 30, Ebb 32, Parted 33, Lethal 34, Mend 35, New 36, Duty.

DOWN: 2, Inter 3, Convert 4, Meet 5, Prop 6, Titan 7, Profuse 11, Aid 12, Car 13, Lee 16, Art 17, Yet 19, Operate 21, Law 22, Alerted 23, Dry 25, Orb 27, Acted 29, React 30, Eden 31, Blow.

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.