$2.1BN ARMS PROBE: Drama as judge forces FG to produce Dasuki in court

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 62677

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016

I'll open up on arms Nigeria to save probe next week, N1trn — FG >4 says Olu Falae >10 $2.1BN ARMS PROBE: Oil price crash:

Drama as judge forces FG to produce Dasuki in court •Security operatives run helter-skelter to produce ex-NSA after two hours •EFCC slams fresh charges against Olisa Metuh •Says he destroyed evidence, brings him to court in handcuffs again

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

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BUJA—THE trial of embattled former National Security Adviser, NSA, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd) on a 19count-charge turned dramatic, yesterday, at the Abuja High Court sitting at Maitama as the trial judge stood down trial for two hours, insisting that he must be produced in court as required by law before he could continue with the proceedings.

This happened on a day the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Continues on Page 5

Senate debate: More knocks for 2016 budget >9 Mr & Mrs TERROR: Cross section of suspected terrorists brought to the Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.

COLUMNISTS P.19

Ooni’s visit to Alaafin: What Yoruba stand to benefit See inside C M Y K

OWEI LAKEMFA

Labouring to acknowledge Hitler

P.17

DONU KOGBARA SWEET & SOUR

Metuh's special treatment

Olubadan-in-council backs Adetunji; Seriki royal line kicks >11

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Foreign investment in stock market falls by N30.99bn

By Nkiruka Nnorom

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VISION OF THE CHILD: From left, Uzoma Dozie, GMD, Diamond Bank Plc; Oluranti Adebule, Deputy Governor, Lagos State; Professor Wole Soyinka, initiator, Vision of The Child (VOTC), and Ingo Herbert, Consul General, Federal Republic of Germany, Lagos, at the launch of 2016 Diamond Bank Vision of The Child in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

Oil price crash: Nigeria to save N1trn — FG Oil firm to sack 700 staff As IOC doubles crude oil purchase from Nigeria

By Michael Eboh & Grace Udofia, with agency report

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BUJA — THE Federal Government, yesterday, stated that the low price of crude oil had presented an opportunity for Nigeria to save up to $5 billion (about N1 trillion) as it would no longer have to pay for subsidy for Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, speaking in a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, however, stated that Nigeria is in dire straits on how to finance the deficit in the 2016 budget.

He said: “Lower oil prices also mean there is some advantage. The decline means that we are not paying any subsidy, which frees up something in the order of about $5 billion.”

He added that Nigeria would still face challenges in financing its budget deficit and aims to increase value-added tax and customs duty collection to help plug the gap.

“We think with adequate governance around budget management and around expenditure management, we can do quite a bit. If we are able to do those things, we might be able to come away with under $30 per barrel oil,” Osinbajo noted.

Oil firm to sack 700 staff

However, despite the gains to the country, the low price of crude oil and lack of policy direction in Nigeria have continued to take tolls on companies in Nigeria, as Shoreline Group, an operator in the Nigerian energy sector, yesterday, said it would sack 700 of its staff, while it also suspended its planned $500 million Eurobond.

Chief Executive Officer of Shoreline Group, Mr. Kola Karim, explained that with Brent crude trading below $30 a barrel and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN,

imposing restrictions on the amount of dollars businesses can obtain, Shoreline plans to cut 35 per cent of its nearly 2,000 staff to survive the tough conditions.

He said: “We went on a roadshow and the world of oil collapsed. We are going to wait until end of first quarter and see how stable markets are. Midlast year, our projections were $60-dollar oil for the next five years.”

Karim said Shoreline would switch its focus to gas production and distribution within Lagos, especially as it costs the company more than $20 to produce a barrel of oil.

He further explained that with a government-mandated price of $3.69 per standard cubic foot of gas to encourage local producers to sell to Nigerian consumers such as power plants, Shoreline is in talks with the African Finance Corporation, African Development Bank and African Export-Import Bank to get them to lend $500 million to finance the projects, which include 125 kilometres, about 78 miles of pipeline.

“That is a local business that is tied to dollars, but is not fluctuating. More importantly, there is no downside to it because the country needs gas to energize its growth so that is a secure business,” he said.

IOC doubles crude oil purchase from Nigeria

Meanwhile, succour came the way of Nigeria in terms of crude oil sales, yesterday, as Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) doubled its crude oil purchases from Nigeria, from 1.7 million tons per annum to three million tons in 2016 on a term or fixed contract.

The purchases, which are partly aimed at diversifying

IOC’s sources of supplies, are coming on the heels of the term contracts the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, signed with some companies for 991,000 barrels per day of Nigeria’s crude oil.

To this end, IOC is the only Asian company to have been offered a term contract by Nigeria, following the overhaul of the crude oil contracts, where the NNPC prefers to sell directly to international refineries, trading houses and local downstream firms.

IOC was among the firms chosen for the contract alongside refiners like Spain’s Cepsa, Italy’s Saras, and ENOC of the United Arab Emirates. On the list were also trading houses, Trafigura, Mercuria and Vitol and international oil companies, ENI, Total, Exxon and Shell.

China’s Sinopec and its trading arm, Unipec, which are large buyers of Nigerian oil, do not figure on the list.

Prior to the agreement, IOC, India’s largest refinery, bought some eight million tons a year of crude oil from Nigeria, most of which was bought from spot or current markets where prices are subject to extreme volatilities.

A term contract offers not just assured supplies but also cheaper prices as the rate is based on the official selling price of exporting country.

IOC Chairman, Mr. Shri Ashok said Nigeria chose the companies based on their track records and trading experience to ensure that its crude cargoes are not left unsold.

Ashok said crude purchases are based on techno-commercial viability. “A crude has to be commercially viable for me to buy and also technically feasible for our refineries to process,” he

We‘re reaping huge benefits from CBN forex policy —Manufacturers

By Jonah Nwokpoku

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AGOS — MANUFACTURERS in Nigeria have acknowledged that the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, foreign exchange policy has started yielding huge benefits to them as it has led to increased local patronage and capacity utilisation.

Two manufacturers in the nation’s packaging industry, Mr. Nassos Sidirofagis and Mr Oluwasesan Taiwo-Tijani, who spoke to newsmen in Ota, Ogun State, yesterday, acknowledged that the impact of CBN policy on forex since its inception had more than doubled their productivity with attendant benefits in terms of expansion to meet increasingly higher demands for their products and services.

They, however, warned that it is important for the CBN and Federal Government to mitigate challenges facing local manufacturer ’s capability to expand, to prevent the

Greece experience in Nigeria.

According to Mr. Nassos Sidirofagis, who is the Deputy Managing Director of Tempo Paper Pulp & Packaging Ltd, “since the CBN foreign exchange policy came into existence, Tempo has been able to increase its production capacity from 50 per cent to 70 per cent. This, he said, has impacted on their propensity to be able to increase exports with higher volumes which will also earn Nigeria commensurate higher foreign exchange earnings.”

Also speaking, Mr Oluwasesan Taiwo-Tijani, who is the Group Operations Manager of SREN Chemicals Limited, explained that the CBN forex policy had forced several companies who are importdriven to patronise SREN Chemicals, noting: “This impacted on our sales and our productive capacity has increased by 30 per cent.”

AGOS — FOREIGN investment in the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) fell by N30.99 billion in 2015, reflecting dwindling interest in the nation’s capital market among foreign investors.

This was contained in data released by the exchange on the status of foreign and domestic investors’ participation in the market.

The data showed that foreign investment inflow into the stock market, which stood at N48.03 billion as at January 2015, fell to N17.04 billion in December, representing N30.99 billion decline in value terms and 64.5 per cent decrease within the one year period.

Also, on a month-to-month basis, foreign investment inflow declined by N14.83 billion from N31.87 billion in November 2015 to N17.04 billion in December the same year, representing 46.5 per cent decrease.

Further breakdown of the data showed that foreign investors withdrew more money from the market as divestment outflow stood at N34.31 billion as against N17.04 billion that found its way into the country as portfolio investment.

Notwithstanding, foreign investors still dominated the stock market in 2015, accounting for 53.79 per cent of total transaction in one year, compared to 46.21 per cent contributed by domestic investors.

Specifically, total foreign transactions on the nation’s bourse decreased to N1.03 billion compared to N1.54 billion recorded at the end of 2014, thus indicating 33.39 per cent decrease, while total domestic transactions decreased by 22.53 per cent from N1.14 billion recorded at the end of 2014 to N880.56 million recorded at the end of 2015.

Chief Executive Officer of the NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema, had while briefing the press on the performance of the market in 2015, said both foreign and domestic investors participation in the stock market nose-dived significantly within the year following the fall in commodities prices in the global market, political and economic policy uncertainty leading up to and following the general elections held in April 2015 in the country.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22 , 2016—5

POCKET CARTOON

METUH IN COURT—Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party,

PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, signing a document at the Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

Drama as judge forces FG to produce Dasuki in court Continues from Page 1 arraigned the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, on a fresh two-countcharge of destroying the evidence against him.

Metuh was for the second time brought to court in handcuffs.

At Abuja High Court where Dasuki is facing trial, the judge observed when the matter was called up at 9.00 am that, whereas the other accused persons were present in court, Dasuki who has been in detention, was not produced for trial.

Three different courts where Dasuki was arraigned for criminal charges had granted him bail but the bail orders were not obeyed by government which instead took the defendant to an unknown custody.

Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf, who took swipe at the Federal Government for failure to bring Dasuki, insisted that he would not proceed with the case until Dasuki was brought before him.

Consequently, the prosecutor, applied for about one hour standdown to await the arrival of Dasuki.

Security operatives, who had taken the defendant to unknown custody in the past six weeks then ran helter-skelter to fish him out when the reality dawned on them that the judge will not shift position.

Dasuki was eventually brought to the court around 11:00am in compliance with the court order under tight security.

A judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Adeniyi Ademola had on Wednesday ordered the Federal Government to produce Dasuki before

IT'S UP TO YOU

F

BY AYO ADIO

AILURE and success are at equal distance from a man. You are closer to succeeding that you could ever imagine. It's up to you.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved — Thomas Monson

I

F you are too busy to help other people, then you have missed the mark. Taking the time to spontaneously, as well as plan events that helps other people, maybe one of the greatest joy in life you. Helping others helps open you up to new side of yourself. It helps you connect deeper with those you help and humanity in general. And for most, it makes for meaningful existence in a world that is self-focused.

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE A man does not stay at home watching, while the goat gives birth in tethers.

him on February 16 to answer another set of criminal charges.

Why Dasuki must be in court

Justice Ademola maintained that it was wrong of government to have expected the court to conduct a criminal trial in the absence of the defendant and in violation of the law.

Dasuki was charged alongside erstwhile Director of Finance in the Office of the NSA, Mr. Shuaibu Salisu and a former Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Aminu BabaKusa.

They are facing trial alongside two firmsAcacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited, which the anti-graft agency said served as conduit pipes through which over N32billion was allegedly siphoned from accounts which the office of the NSA operated with both the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and other financial institutions.

The funds were allegedly distributed to delegates that attended the Presidential Primary Election of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, held in Abuja, a process that saw the emergence of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan as the sole candidate of the party.

All the accused persons had on December 14, pleaded not guilty to the charge, even as the court, on December 18, granted each of them bail to the tune of N200million.

Aside the seizure of all their international passports, Justice Yusuf equally ordered the defendants to produce

one surety each, who he said must be a serving or retired civil servant not below the rank of Director that owns a landed property within the Federal Capital Territory worth N200m.

Though the trial was initially fixed for yesterday, however, it could not proceed as scheduled owing to the absence of Dasuki’s lawyer, Mr. Ahmed Raji, SAN, in court.

Raji had written to the court to explain that he was billed to appear before the Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal, yesterday .

He sought permission of the court to defer the trial till a later date, an application that was not opposed by the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN. EFCC, in a 27paragraph counteraffidavit it filed before the court, said it had sometime in September, 2015, received an intelligence report bordering on abuse of office, criminal breach of trust, stealing, conversion and receiving of stolen properties.

It told the court that huge sums of money were released to Dasuki by former President Goodluck Jonathan, saying part of the funds was to be used for the procurement of arms and ammunition for the use of the soldiers in the battle front.

The Commission said the funds “running into several billions of Naira”, were subsequently moved from the account of the office of the NSA with the CBN and some commercial banks to the account of private companies and individuals who have nothing to do with supply of security equipment or rendering of security services.

“That as a retired military officer and as a top security personnel with wide influence and affluence, he will use his position to intimidate, harass and influence the proposed prosecution witnesses if released on bail.

“That many of the proposed prosecution witnesses are public servants who had worked under the applicant herein and will be intimidated by the applicant if released on bail.

“That the offences being alleged against the defendant/applicant border on economic sabotage that strikes at the very foundation of Nigeria's well-being and existence.

“That it is in the interest of justice to put the applicant in protective custody so as to shield him from a possible attack by

the relatives of the innocent soldiers who lost their lives due to lack of adequate equipment and facilities caused by the diversion of funds meant for that purpose.

“That the applicant acquired a large volume of assets with the proceeds of crimes and my team is currently tracing the assets and if released on bail, the applicant will interfere with the assets tracing activities. That the applicant transferred huge sum of monies to various companies whose identities we are still trying to trace.

"That our investigation also revealed that the applicant transferred large sums of monies outside Nigeria and he acquired several assets in Dubai and London with these funds”, read the affidavit deposed to by an investigative officer with the EFCC, Mr. Hassan Saidu.

It will be recalled that EFCC had among other things, alleged that the sum of N13.570 billion, being money for an “agreement” between Dasuki and the exDirector of Finance in the office of the NSA, Salisu, was looted from the national treasury.

The accused persons were said to have transferred N1.45b to Acacia Holdings Limited’s account for special prayers; N2.1b given to DAAR Investment and Holding Company Limited for publicity; N170m for a four-bedroom duplex; N380m to support re-election of members of the House of Representatives; and N750m paid into Reliance Referral Hospital Limited’s account for special prayers.

Besides, EFCC said its investigations revealed that N670m was paid to a certain publisher; N260m transferred to Tony Anenih and N345million traced to a former President of the Senate, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu. The Commission said it has not been able to trace the ex-Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to exPresident Goodluck Jonathan, Hon.

Waripamowei Dudafa, who it said was on the run.

Meanwhile the judge has directed EFCC to ensure the presence of its witnesses in court today.

EFCC docks Metuh on fresh 2-count charge

In a related development, the embattled National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, yesterday, denied allegation that he destroyed a confessional statement he made before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Metuh who was yesterday, docked before an Abuja High Court sitting at Maitama on a two-count charge bordering on his alleged destruction of evidence against him, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

EFCC, in the charge which was signed by its Assistant Director, Legal & Prosecution Department, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, alleged that the PDP spokesman who is also facing another seven-count criminal charge before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja, tore and attempted to chew the statement he made under caution while u n d e r g o i n g interrogation.

The anti-graft agency insisted that the destroyed statement would have been vital to its prosecution of the N400m fraud case pending against Metuh before the Federal High Court.

It said that Metuh, by his action, committed an offence contrary to sections 166 and 326 of the Penal Code Act. Meanwhile, for the second time, authorities of the Kuje prison, yesterday, brought Metuh to court in handcuffs. Shortly after the defendant entered his plea, trial Justice Ishaq Bello adjourned hearing on his bail

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meant for celestial, spiritual and diabolical activities into providing school uniforms and free feeding for our sons and daughters. Instead of reappropriating our national patrimony in purchasing stove, this government has decided that unemployed young Nigerians will go home every month with a take home.

"This is a departure from the wastage of the past. This is a complete difference from a situation where one single Nigerian decides to appropriate money to friends and cronies.

VISIT: Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki (middle); President (Africa), Unilever Group, Mr. Bruno Witvoet (left) and Managing Director, Unilever Group, Mr. Yaw Nsarkoh during the group’s visit to the Senate President, in Abuja, yesterday.

Senate debate: More knocks for 2016 budget It’s time for aggressive tax regime — Adeyeye We ‘ll borrow N500m daily to fund budget — Olujimi It's a holy budget — Melaye As Senate concludes debate Tuesday

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

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BUJA— FOR the second day running, there were more knocks on the 2016 budget from many senators, who said the proposal needed to be rejigged to make it feasible.

Some Senators sought aggressive tax regime to fund the budget and urged President Muhammadu Buhari to raise a formidable economic team.

Like what happened on Tuesday, most of the criticisms at yesterday’s debate on the budget came from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, while senators elected on the banner of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, justified the appropriation bill.

For instance, while Senator Dino Melaye described it as a holy budget, Senator Abiodun Olujimi said the proposal is not a budget of change because the Federal Government will be borrowing N500 million daily to sustain it.

Govt should device aggressive tax r egime —Adeyeye

Senate Chief Whip, Senator Olusola Adeyeye, said the government should embark on aggressive tax regime to fund the budget since the diversification drive of the government is yet to achieve results.

He advocated that allowances and salaries of lawmakers in the country be taxed in order to generate more revenues for the government.

Adeyeye, who warned his fellow lawmakers that God will judge and deal with them if they fail to live

up to the responsibilities placed on them by Nigerians, added that Senators must blame themselves for the rush in ensuring the passage of the budget against the backdrop of its late submission by the President and not blame the PDP or APC. He said he was proposing to present to the Senate a bill that would mandate the President to submit the budget to the National Assembly within a stipulated period of time like in the United States of America where the President presents the budget on time and lawmakers have eight months to look at it.

Adeyeye, who called on the government to cut the cost of governance and reduce the number of parastatals, said: “I want to remind us that this is not the first time since 1999 that National Assembly has given itself too short a time to do justice in the consideration of our budget.

"In saying this with all due respect to all of us and those who have served in the National Assembly, I want to give us one pertinent information. Eleven days from today, Monday, February 1, President Obama must by law, submit the budget for 2017, the US Congress always has eight months to look at the budget and pass it.

This is not a budget of change — Olujimi

Contributing to the debate, Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Biodun Olujimi, PDP, Ekiti South, said the budget does not reflect the change mantra of

the government, stressing that the government needs to go back and make adjustments on the budget to reflect what would impact on the lives of the people.

Olujimi,who urged President Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, put in place a strong economic team, said there was need for introspection, adding: “This budget is for all of us and whatever criticism that comes out of this budget is to strengthen the system and ensure that we get a better Nigeria, one man cannot do it alone and no political party can achieve it alone.

"Meanwhile, most of the things that have been on this side (PDP) have been on the other side (APC) because the people who created the chaos are already on the other side.

“Mr President my worry about this budget is very simple and I am not a financial expert but I see that the expenditure and deficits are the major problems and the cog in the wheel of progress in this budget. Already our people are dying from financial problems and keeping this undone might cost them more pains.

It's a holy budget —Dino Melaye

However, Senator Dino Melaye, APC, Kogi West, who described the 2016 budget as a holy one, said: “I want to start by saying a very big thank you to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the first time in 17 years, giving us a holy budget.

“I am particularly happy that instead of funding Malams and Marabouts with N4 billion, this progressive government of APC has decided to convert money

It's a unique, innovative budget — Aliyu Abdullahi

Also speaking, Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator, Aliyu Abdullahi, APC, Niger North, who said the budget is unique, innovative, courageous and bold, alleged that the immediate past administration was that of ‘ATM’, adding that with the 2016 budget and the present administration, ‘ATMs’ will stop working.

He said: “The capital budget has gotten about 216 per cent increase. In this increase, it is also very obvious that we must take note of our past experiences whereby capital budget implementation is usually not up to our expectation. I will like implore that the MDAs, because of this increase, must be strengthened in their implementation capacities.

"It is noteworthy also that the non-oil revenue and independent revenue have been carefully targeted to increase our revenue inflow.

Government known enterprises are known to be the ATMs of past governments. In this budget, I think the ATM will stop working."

The Senate may conclude the debates, Tuesday, after which the budget will pass the second reading and referred to the Committee on Appropriation.

Nigeria needs budget with long cycle —Utomi

By Jimoh Babatunde

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AGOS — Professor Pat Utomi has said that Nigeria needs a budget with a long cycle, compared to the present budget of 12 months being run now, just as he said the country does not need a zero base budget for now.

Speaking, yesterday, in Lagos at the Deloitte’s Sectorial Review of the Budget, Utomi said majority of the problem of the country’s budget is that of the discipline of the process, which he sees as the outcome of soldiers' incursion in government and oil.

The Founder/CEO of Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL) noted that the combination of oil becoming a major factor and the authority structure of the military completely ruined the budget process.

“I am convincing that the budget process has become public relations exercise where you put out something at the beginning of the year to show that you know what you are doing, but you are very clear in your head that you have no plan of following that budget.”

Utomi said he was not sure that the country’s budgets have long term goal as they are so episodic and survival by orientation, adding: “But you know you cannot function without planning, as they say planning is problematic, fallacious, but one of the key problems that I find is that we think along this 12 month budget cycle."

Buratai orders Army officers to declare assets

By Kingsley Omonobi

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BUJA — THE Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, has directed all officers of the Nigerian Army who have not declared their assets to do so immediately.

According to a statement issued last night by Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, the Army chief gave the directive during a conference with Principal Staff Officers and Directors serving at the Army Headquarters.

Usman said: “It is to be noted that the Chief of Army

Staff has done so, soon on his appointment as Commander, Multinational Joint Task Force in May 2015 and also on his appointment as Chief of Army Staff in July 2015. Copies of both are with the Code of Conduct Bureau.

“This directive is in order, considering the fact that all military officers are having presidential commission and are public servants, as well as subject to both civil and military laws.

“In addition, given the current drive of the country for probity and accountability, the Nigerian Army should not only key in but should be one of the key drivers for such laudable project.”

10 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22 , 2016

14 countries, 85 exhibitors for Lagos maiden AfricaBuild Int’l trade show

ARMS PROBE: I'll open up next week, says Falae

By Joseph Erunke

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AGOS—85 exhibitors from 14 countries are to participate in the forthcoming maiden International Trade Show AfricaBuild, slated for Lagos from February 16 to 18, 2016.

The exhibition, which will showcase the latest technologies and machineries in construction, building equipment, building materials, interior finishing materials and tools, seeks to expose Nigerians to the array of business opportunities in the construction sector.

The Regional Industry Director, ITE Build & Interiors Divison, Mr. Darryl Pawsey told journalists, in Lagos, that Nigeria’s booming economy and its ever growing construction market are some of the major attractions for international suppliers in the country, adding that the 2016 launch of AfricaBuild Lagos was intended to stimulate international investment into the country and capitalise on the lack of international players in the unsaturated and growing market.

Some of the participating countries include Austria, China, France, Germany, Ghana, Italy, Poland, Spain, South Africa, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.

Rep rejects relocation of tankers to Amuwo Odofin

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member of the House of Representatives representing Amuwo Odofin Federal Constituency in Lagos State, Mr Oghene Egoh, has rejected the attempt being made to transfer petrol tankers from Apapa to International Trade Fair saying the trade fair complex and its environ is already congested.

Briefing newsmen in Lagos, Egoh stressed that the people he is representing in the federal level have kicked against the relocation of petrol tankers from Apapa to International Trade Fair.

The lawmaker noted that the Lagos Badagry Expressway is the major road that leads to “Seme border, Republic of Benin, Togo, Ghana and all the vehicles coming from these countries have already added to an already congested road.”

ATIONAL Chairman of Social Democratic Party, SDP, Chief Olu Falae, yesterday, said he has fixed next week to adequately address his alleged involvement in the ongoing arms deal scandal involving the former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd).

This came as he insisted that the alleged N100 million linking with with the former NSA was given him by former Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, saying he had never communicated with the former security chief since 1987,when he was Secretary to the Federal Government while the latter held sway as the Aide-de-Camp, ADC to then military president, General Ibrahim Babangida.

Former SGF shamefaced to be linked with scandal

He said he was ashamed to be linked with the scandal, adding that he had not involved himself in any shady deal in his life.

The former presidential candidate of defunct Alliance for Democracy, AD, said those seeking to blackmail him would permanently shut their mouths and have nothing any more to speak about the issue by the time he presents his side of the story next week.

Chief Falae, who addressed SDP faithful, after the party’s National Executive Council meeting, in Abuja, commended them for the maturity they handled the matter since it started.

He said the alliance he entered with the PDP was normal in a democracy, saying he did same for Buhari’s defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP, in 2007, when Buhari ran as its presidential candidate.

He said: “Some people are still writing spurious nonsense but I intend to address the press sometimes next week, probably in Lagos, to tell my story so everybody can hear and the blackmailers can shut up for ever.”

'I didn't collect one naira from Dasuki'

Also, he said: “I have said so several times and I will say so now as a believer in God, that I did not collect even one naira from Col. Dasuki. Not just that, that I have had absolutely no feelings whatsoever, with Col. Dasuki. I think the last time I saw Col. Dasuki must have been in 1987, when he was ADC to General Babangida and I was Secretary to the Federal Government. So we worked together, that was on 1987.That is 29 years ago. So, ladies and gentlemen, please, put your mind at rest. I have nothing to do with Dasuki. I took no money from Dasuki.

“The N100 million they are talking about, it was the money

sent by the PDP to our party, SDP, following our endorsement of their presidential candidate. After a hotly debate, we agreed to endorse their candidate and after the endorsement, they said ‘we know that your party hasn’t got money with which to campaign for our candidate. To enable you campaign effectively for him and your candidate, we want to send you some money and I said thank you.’

“And they sent this N100 million which I transferred to the account of your party. And which was used along other funds I raised for the party to conduct the last election.

Remember that I set up a committee here which set up the modalities for distributing the money to the various states, depending on the number of candidates, whether you have a governorship candidate, House of Representatives candidates and the rest,

'Money was for SDP, not for Olu Falae'

“So, the money was not for Olu Falae, I did not take one naira out of it. And since this party started, with all humility, I have been the sole source of funding for this party. I have used my personal funds, apart from my friends who work in private sector, even in government, under confidentiality, they have contributed money through me to fund this party, because they believe in me and they believe in this party.

“And we did not just endorse Jonathan, because we were not happy about the way that government was running, we told them that if we are going to support your man, you must fulfill certain conditions and those conditions were presented. We told them why we were not happy with their performance. We said they must accept a policy of zero tolerance for corruption, they must create jobs for the unemployed, that they must not spend all their revenue, they must leave some surplus for capital development and they must fight and destroy Boko Haram so that we can know peace in Nigeria and that they must restructure Nigeria so that every part of Nigeria will be happy to be in Nigeria and nobody will want to leave Nigeria. And finally that if the win the election with our support, they should allow us to have reasonable participation in the government.

'Conditions we gave Chief Anenih in Akure'

“These were the conditions that we gave them when Chief Tony Anenih visited me in Akure. They accepted all the six conditions but after he left me, the spirit of God told me to write to him and I wrote a letter containing those six conditions. And he wrote back few days later, accepting all the

I DID NO WRONG ... Chief Olu Falae conditions, saying after consulting all the organs of the PDP including the president, they were happy to accept all those SDP ‘s conditions.

“After accenting those conditions, I came here and you all saw the conditions and you said I should support them.

“So, it was a very principled arrangement, transparent arrangement. You put the interest of Nigeria first.

'PDP was very desperate'

“When Chief Anenih travelled by road, an 85-year-old man travelled by road from Abuja to Akure, on a very bad road, that told me that their party was very desperate. And so, when he said would you support my party and I gave him terms, many Nigerians would have said settle me, abi? They would have said give me dollars, give me this and that, I would have appointed ministers, appointed ambassadors but I did not ask for anything from him.

“All your conditions were those that can make Nigeria a better place. I think that is patriotism.

“I keep reminding people that I did not just drop from the sky yesterday, I have been a public officer all my life. I became a permanent secretary at 39 years, around that tender age, I ran for departments and ministries. I did not take one naira from the place and I was a young man that needed money to do so many things in life but I didn’t take one kobo.

“Thereafter, I became managing director of Nigeria Merchant Bank, your signature and money came out, I did not take one naira. And that was the fastest growing bank at that time and after that General Babangida invited me to be secretary to the Federal Government and I gave him conditions, that he should negotiate with my bank to release me on secondment to the government and that at all times, during my tenure, I would

remain the MD of the bank.

'As SGF for 5 years, I earn nothing!'

“So, for the five years that I was secretary to the government, I did not earn one naira from the Federal Government. So, this man has never been after money.

“I am sure they know that what I am saying is the truth, that there was no connection between this party or myself with Dasuki. We did not take any money from Dasuki. The money sent to us was by the PDP based on the exchange of letters between us, which establishes the contract.

“I want to say it here, that two parties coming together is normal in a democracy. In 1999, AD and APP came together came together with together to sponsor me like now to fund that campaign.’'

“In 2007, ANPP approached our party for cooperation, to support their candidate who was General Buhari. We agreed and we did just that. ANPP had no money to continue but outsiders and friends of General Buhari contributed money to carry out the campaign for him in the South West. It’s normal, it was normal and it is normal now.

“So, I think I have said enough, let you see clearly and to feel proud of your party and proud of your national leader.’'

'SDP, only political party with an ideology'

“I said this because I can’t come here witwhout addressing this issue, so that you you know what you take home. We are very proud of the way we have handled this matter. Ours, in my humble opinion is the only political party with an ideology that binds us together. Others are what I call opportunistic hangup for power.

If you look at APC, the ruling party, it’s full of my friends, PDP is full of my friends but we know that those who are APC today were PDP yesterday and vice versa. So, the same group shuffle themselves around, “he said.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016 — 11

GOV POLL: Ondo APC leaders warn members against ethnic bias VISIT: The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi (2nd right) with Oba Michael Adeniyi Sonariwo, Paramount Ruler of Remoland (3rd left) with members of Remo Traditional Council, who paid him a courtesy visit on Wednesday in Ile Ife. (RIGHT) — Oba Ogunwusi and Oba Sonariwo. Pix: Dare Fasube.

By Dayo Johnson

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KURE—THE Elders forum of the All

Olubadan-in-Council backs Adetunji, Seriki line kicks •As Ajimobi formally announces monarch's demise

By Ola Ajayi, Dapo Akinrefon & Ebun Sessou

A

S the contest over who becomes the new Olubadan of Ibadanland hots up, the Olubadan-in-Council and Seriki line have maintained a no-going back posture with each standing at opposite ends.

While Seriki line has insisted that the stool should shift to its side, the Olubadan in council argued that the former has no claim to the most competitive stool in Ibadanland at the moment.

At a meeting held yesterday, the high chiefs dismissed the claims of the other with a wave of hands, noting that it is the turn of High Chief Saliu Adetunji to be crowned as the next Olubadan.

Chief Adebayo Oyediji, the head of Seriki line has pointed accusing fingers at the traditional council, alleging that they had veered off the rules and regulations guiding the selection of a new monarch.

The furore started immediately Oba Samuel Odulana joined his ancestors at the ripe age of 101 on Tuesday night.

Chief Oyediji, who is 89 year old, has gone to court for the review of an earlier Supreme Court order he got in favour of Seriki line sometime in 1989, which he said, had

ordered inclusion of the Seriki Line in the chieftaincy hierarchy of Ibadanland.

While faulting the claims of Chief Oyediji, the Olubadan-in-Council said that there is no Seriki now and that nobody can claim the title without the authority of the governor through the council.

Speaking on behalf of the Council, High Chief Abimbola Tajudeen Ajibola, the Ashipa Balogun of Ibadanland said, “It is undisputable that the current High Chief qualified to be Olubadan is High Chief S. A. Adetunji. That is the authentic one. No other one.

Any other one is a counterfeit. You know in this our institution, we have lines and there are only two lines recognized so far, both by law and otherwise. It is Otun Olubadan Line and Balogun Line. There is no third line. He cannot appoint himself.“ On the purported judgment, the council denied knowledge of any previous judgement which recognised the Seriki line.

“We are not aware of any judgement that Chief Oyediji is claiming because at the moment there is no Seriki or whatsoever.

“Even, the 1959 declaration law which he quoted says that ‘if there are two vacancies in one Line’. No other judgement can overrule the

Madam Abbe for burial

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RS Janet Abebi Abiodun Abe is dead. She was aged 79.

A social wake was held yesterday in her residence at AY. 37B Isokun street, off ‘O’ line, Ilesa, Osun State. Burial service would hold today at Cathedral Church of Holy Trinity, Omofe, Ilesa, Osun State, from where her remains would be interred at the Holy trinity cemetery in Ilesa.

Guests would thereafter be entertained at Ogedengbe School of Science, General Hospital road, Ilesa.

The late Abe was survived by her children, among who is

Chairman, Lagos State Task Force, Mr Olubukola Abbe, grandchildren and great grand children.

Late Madam Abe

law. That is the law, basically. So, we have no Seriki now. The only Seriki we knew then was Akinloye and he died long time ago.

According to him: “Oyediji, who is laying claim to be Olubadan, or that he is competent, is only Osi Seriki. He has not been promoted.

He should apply to Olubadan to promote him first before he starts arguing. He has no locus standi.

There is a system for everything.

There is no Seriki to sign for him.

We are not to join issues with them because we don’t recognize Seriki line.”

among all traditional rulers in the country.”

Describing the late monarch as a disciplinarian and an unstoppable democrat who won election as an independent candidate, the governor further said the deceased king “was very godly, consistent and stoic throughout his lifetime. If he lived another 10 years, Ibadan city would have had more progress. Oba Odulana never played the ostrich.”

More respects pour in

In the meantime, more tributes

I'll meet them in court — trickled in for the late Seriki Olubadan,as Governor Adams

Reacting to the stance of the Olubadan-in-Council, Chief Oyediji said, “Whatever they like, let them say. I don’t have anything to react to with respect to what they told you. They should meet me in court and tell the court whatever they want to say. That is my reaction.”

The meeting of the Olubadan in Council was attended by Balogun of Ibadanland, Chief Saliu Adetunji; the Otun Olubadan, Senator Lekan Balogun; Otun Balogun, Chief Owolabi Olakulehin; Ashipa Olubadan, Chief Eddy Oyewole; Osi Balogun, Chief Olufemi Olaifa and Ashipa Balogun, Chief Abimbola Ajibola.

Ajimobi formally announces Olubadan’s death

Meanwhile, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State yesterday formally announced the passing away of Oba Odugade.

The governor after hosting members of Olubadan-in-Council, led by the Balogun of Ibadanland, Chief Saliu Adetunji said, “It has been confirmed now to me by the chiefs that our father, Olubadan passed away on Tuesday, January 19, 2016.

“We commiserate with the family and Olubadan-in-Council. He lived a life worthy of emulation and left an unbeatable legacies

Oshiomhole of Edo State and Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly described the late monarch as an epitome of humility.

He was a father to all — Oshiomhole

Governor Oshiomhole describing the death of the Olubadan as a great loss to Ibadan people, saying he was a father to all.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Peter Okhiria, Governor Oshiomhole described the Olubadan as “a unifier and a unique royal father whose reign brought a lot of stability and development to Ibadan.” He said the void left by the king would be difficult to fill.

Lagos Speaker prays for better successor

Condoling with the people of Oyo State, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Mudashiru Obasa described the death of the traditional ruler as a huge loss for the Yoruba race.

Commiserating with Ibadan people and Oyo State government over the king's demise, Obasa prayed that his successor would build on the achievements of the late Olubadan to take Ibadan to a greater height.

Progressives Congress, APC, in Ondo State, yesterday, warned party members and leaders to jettison ethnic bias and sentiments in their choice of a governorship candidate for the October election.

They, however, called for the fielding of an acceptable, capable and experienced candidate in the coming election.

Chairman of the forum, Senator Olorunnimbe Farukanmi said in Iju area of the state during a meeting attended from the 18 council areas of the state.

The forum said that the choice of the candidate to be fielded by the party will determine it’s success at the poll.

Farukanmi said: “Many indigenes of the state are interested in this governorship position, we must all jettison ethnic bias and sentiments to choose a capable individual that is experienced, dedicated, sincere, focused and prepared to deliver in the interest of our people. We must search for an indigene who is prepared to reposition the state by utilizing its abundant and. Numerous resources to improve the economic situation and welfare of our people.”

He noted that “The failure of the past administrations to utilize the stupendous resources from the sales of crude oil to diversify our economy in addition to the large scale corruptive actions of past governments at the national, states and local government have dumped the nation at the pit of poverty, under development and insecurity.”

Farukanmi said with the dwindling revenue from crude oil and attendant drop in the revenue from Federation Account, Ondo State needs an experienced person that would wake up the state to generate new sources of revenue to develop the state.

His words: “With the reduction to about 30 per cent of revenue accrued formerly to Ondo State, it is the duty and responsibility of APC leaders in the state to field an innovative and creative person who is versatile in wealth creation to fly the party’s flag in the next election. They must identify the best who can mobilise our people to be productive, be you farmers, artisans, transporters, civil servants and traders.”

12—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016

Kidnapped Delta monarch found dead in Edo and confusion, adding, "The late monarch was so dear to us. His death has brought setback to the kibgdom. “ Disclosing that the monarch passed on at the age of 52, the source said that the arrested Hausa boy was still being questioned by security operatives.

Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in the State, Celestina Kalu

Late Obi Ofulue III

confirmed the incident, adding that the police was still in search of those behind the crime.

Rep. Joan Mrakpor, a member of the House of Representatives, representing Aniocha/ Oshimili federal constituency and also a cousin to the late king described the death as monumental.

“What a waste," Mrakpor lamented last night in between sobs.

She called for drastic solution to the harassment of the civil population in Delta North by nomadic kidnappers.

“What have we done to deserve this? They keep on brutalising our people,” she sobbed.

By Festus Ahon

A

SABA—THE kidnapped king of Ubulu-Uku Kingdom in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, HRM Obi Akaeze Ofulue III, has been reportedly killed by his abductors.

The deceased king was on January 5, abducted by suspected Fulani herdsmen on Obior/ Igbodo Road, Delta State, along with his driver.

Vanguard gathered that the monarch's corpse was found at Ekpon, in Edo State at 3p.m., yesterday.

A source close to the palace said a young Hausa man who was allegedly found with the king’s GSM hand-set was arrested three days ago by the Police.

The source who pleaded anonymity, said the kingdom had been thrown into mourning

FIRE: Samsung Digital Cenre on Opebi-Allen Avenue, Lagos gutted by fire yesterday.

Photo Lamidi Bamidele.

Cult war in Rivers: 16 killed in shootout

By Jimitota Onoyume

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ORT HARCOURT—NO fewer than 16 persons have been reportedly shot dead in Ula Upata community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, by suspected cultists.

Rivers State Police Command, on its part, said it was aware of the death of eight

persons.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmad Muhammad, told Vanguard that suspected cultists were behind the murder, adding that the timely intervention of policemen saved the community from more deaths in the cult war.

“The incident was one of cult related clashes at Ula

Isoko women threaten to go nude over hike in okada operation tickets

By Ochuko Akuopha

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LEH—THOUSANDS of women of Oleh, Isoko South Local Government Area, Delta State, yesterday, thronged major streets of the community, threatening to go nude if the increase in the daily operational tickets for commercial motorcyclists from N70 to N150 by the state government was not reversed.

The women, who also stormed the Isoko South council secretariat in protest against the hike in the levy, also condemned Wednesday’s arrest of some commercial motorcyclists by soldiers and men of the Delta State Police

Command.

No fewer than 22 commercial motor cyclist were, Wednesday, apprehended and scores of motor cycles impounded by security operatives over their protest against the increament.

It will be recalled that the Okada riders in the town had, over the last few days, been protesting the hike, vowing that they would not comply with the directive.

But Police Public Relations Officer of the state police command, Celestina Kalu, said the action of the police was to suppress efforts of some “Okada miscreants” who were out to truncate the peaceful atmosphere in the community.

Upata community, Ahoada East council. Eight persons were killed.

“The quick intervention of our men stopped the situation from escalating.

One of the suspected cultists was arrested and an English pump action gun recovered from him. Investigation is right now ongoing,” he said.

An eye witness, Mr Frank Alabi, said he was in his room in the village when suddenly he heard gunshots, adding that he quickly ran into a nearby bush from where he monitored the shootout.

He said that the assailants,

after killing 10 people in his Ula Upata village, moved to Ahoada West to kill six other persons.

“I saw everything. I was in my room when about five boys started shooting. The killing started about 12.05a.m. I was in my house when I saw the killers. They carried three AK47 and two pump action guns. I called the DPO and the Joint Task Force, JTF.” One of those killed was a Police Corporal and nine others in the community before they later moved to Ahoada West to kill six more persons.

Fire guts railway coaches, Samsung office in Lagos

By Monsuru Olowoopejo

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ANDEMONIUM broke out simultaneously in different parts of Lagos State yesterday, after fire gutted two coaches of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC; Samsung Showroom and Akwill Fibre Company, in Ebute Metta, Ikeja and Iju axis respectively.

Property worth several millions was destroyed in the fire disasters.

At Ebute-Metta, Vanguard gathered that the two coaches were gutted at about 1:39 pm, though none of the NRC officials could ascertain the cause of the fire.

It was learned that when officials of Lagos State Fire Service from the Sari-Iganmu Fire Station arrived at the scene, they met a raging fire and quickly fought to prevent it from spreading to other coaches.

Confirming the report, the Director of the state Fire Service, Mr. Rasak Fadipe, lamented that the officials of the NRC shielded vital information from the fire service officials.

I remain a PDP member —Ayade

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ROSS River State governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, has said that he remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who simply has a good working relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari for the good of the people of his state.

Ayade, while fielding questions from newsmen at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar, said that good governance should be the next step after election.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016—13

Pipeline bombing: Go after perpetrators only, Bayelsa elders beg Buhari Ex-militants not responsible for bombing—Ex-MEND leaders

By Samuel Oyadongha

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ENAGOA—AS fear heightened in Ijaw communities over possible military expedition in the wake of the bombings and vandalisation of oil pipelines in Delta State by suspected militants, Ijaw elders, under the aegis of Bayelsa Elders Council, BEC, have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the security agencies to go only after the perpetrators of the dastardly act with a view to bringing them to justice under the rule of law.

This, according to them, was to prevent security operatives from destroying innocent communities in the process of fishing out the perpetrators.

Similarly, former leaders of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, yesterday, dismissed claims that former militants from the region were responsible for the recent bomb attacks on oil and gas installations in Delta State, insisting that the attacks were carried out by criminals.

Though the ex-MEND leaders noted that the Federal Government had launched a high powered investigation into the incidents to bring the perpetrators to book, they said that the claims against the frontline ex-militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) and other ex-militant leaders were untrue and misplaced.

The ex-militant leaders, under the aegis of the Leadership Peace and Cultural Development Initiative, LPCDI, led by Chief Reuben Wilson, insisted that those behind the attacks were criminal

elements, who were out to disrupt the peace in the region and set the Federal Government against the people of the region.

“What happened was not carried out by ex-militants. The world should not label the exmilitants with evil deeds. The attacks were carried out by criminal elements. Some people claim that Tompolo did it but he has come out to clear himself.

Tompolo is a man known for his words. If he is involved in such things, he will come out openly to say so and give reasons. But he is not behind these recent attacks,” LPCDI said.

Meanwhile, Bayelsa Elders Council, which met in Yenagoa to review the recent spate of bombings and vandalisation of oil and gas pipelines, called on the perpetrators to desist

forthwith in view of inevitable damage it may cause the economy of the states of the region and the nation, especially at a time the country was grappling with falling crude oil price.

The position of the elders is contained in a communique by Chief Francis Doukpola and Chief Thompson Okorotie, Chairman and Publicity Secretary of BEC. The elders also called on the Federal Government to observe restraint while making pronouncements on the matter and consult widely with relevant stakeholders when major decisions concerning the amnesty programme are to be taken.

They urged the Federal Government to apply the carrot

and stick approach by negotiating with the host communities to bring about sustainable solutions to the problem.

“The council expresses its support for the anti-corruption crusade embarked upon by President Buhari. We are, however, concerned about the way certain persons, including Ijaw, have been handling in the process.

“All Nigerians deserve to be treated decently in preservation of their fundamental human rights under the rule of law,” they noted.

Ijaw elders present at the meeting include HRM Joshua Igbagara, Ibenanaowei of Oyiakiri clan; HRM Jonathan Kubor, Ibenanaowei of Bassan clan, among others.

BRIEFING: From left: Engr. Smart Meka, Director North; Engr. Frank Enekorogha, Director-General; Dr. Blessing Enamuotor, Director Central, and Dr. Charles Evwaraye, Director, Human Resourse Development, during a press briefing by Delta State Direct Labour Agency. Photo: Nath Onojake.

....As lawmaker cautions security agents W ARRI—A House of Representatives member, Mr. Daniel Reyenieju, has called on security agencies in the country, particularly the military, to adopt a high level of professional ethics in handling the present crisis involving the destruction of oil pipelines by criminals in Delta State.

Speaking with Vanguard from Abuja, yesterday on the incident in the Escravos axis of Warri South-West Local Government Area of the state, Reyenieju described the act as criminal, unpatriotic and condemnable, attributing it to the handiwork of few disgruntled individuals, possibly from the area, and called on those from the council to ensure that all those involved in the criminal acts were fished out and handed over to security agencies for

prosecution.

According to Reyenieju, “The military should in the process of handling the situation and working to get the culprits arrested, ensure that it adopts the highest

level of professionalism so that innocent people who are far in majority, do not suffer unnecessarily as a result of the handiwork of few irresponsible individuals.”

Reyenieju, who represents

the area in the National Assembly, lamented that such irresponsible act was bringing the area to disrepute and expressed his preparedness to get the perpetrators punished.

Ogbemudia dumps PDP

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN—FORMER twotime governor of old Bendel State, Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia, has withdrawn his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Ogbemudia, a member of the party’s Board of Trustees, BoT, said his resignation was despite his recent efforts to entrench himself in the party for the purpose of shaping an alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. He said that this determination led to his revalidation of his

membership of the PDP during the last membership revalidation exercise in Edo State.

He, however, regretted that recent developments had made his continued membership of the PDP untenable.

Ogbemudia, in a letter addressed to the National Secretary of the party, expressed gratitude for the privileges and opportunities offered him by the party.

In the letter, Ogbemudia said: “Recent developments within and the non-cohesiveness in

matters affecting the party led me to withdraw my membership of the PDP. This decision I have already communicated to the hierarchy of the party alongside my gratitude and appreciation for the privilege the party afforded me to serve in different capacities.

“My resolve to remain in PDP was more deeply entrenched after the presidential election which the PDP lost. It was my conviction that the PDP should regroup and convert to a viable alternative as a means of fostering our nascent democracy."

A-Ibom govt demolishes structures obstructing road projects

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By Tom Moses

NNA—VEXED by the delay by some people in Awa-Iman, Onna Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, to vacate their property after being compensated, the state government, yesterday, ordered the demolition of such structures to allow for the road construction by the contractors.

The demolition of the structures was said to have followed months of appeals by the state government to the affected property owners to relocate so as not to obstruct the ongoing construction of the AwaIman Road by the Governor Udom Emmanuel administration.

Speaking with Vanguard in Onna, state Commissioner for Works, Mr. Ephraim Inyang, said that the demolition of the structures was necessary as Governor Emmanuel was under pressure to provide road infrastructure across the state in line with his campaign promises to the people.

Inyang expressed concern over the attitude of the AwaIman people as, according to him, their actions portrayed them to be

Chief Omirhobo for burial

T

HE families of Omirhobo and Akpovworefia of OtorIwhreko and Oteri in Ughelli North LGA, Delta State have announced the death of their father, uncle and grandfather, Late Ophie R'Ovie of Ughelli Kingdom, Chief Anthony Omirhobo, aged 75.

Service of songs holds tomorrow at his residence 13, Iwhreko Road, Ughelli, Delta State, while funeral service comes up next day followed by interment at the same venue.

Late Chief Omirhobo

14—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22 , 2016

EFCC docks Justice Umar's aide ALLEGED N10M BRIBERY:

A

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

BUJA—THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned Ali Gambo Abdullahi, the personal assistant to the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, Justice Danladi Umar, before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.

Abdullahi was docked before Justice Chizoba Orji on a two-count criminal charge bordering on his alleged complicity in a N10 million bribery scandal involving the CCT chairman.

He was accused of giving false information to EFCC investigators with regards to about N1.8 million he collected from retired Comptroller of Customs, Mr. Rasheed Taiwo Owolabi, who is standing trial before the CCT over alleged false declaration of assets.

Owolabi had accused Justice Umar of demanding N10 million

from him to influence the outcome of the charge which was entered against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB. Owolabi said he had in furtherance of the arrangement, paid the sum of N1.8 million to the tribunal Chairman through his P.A, Abdullahi, via Zenith Bank account No. 1002849471.

Nevertheless, Abdullahi, in a statement he made before the EFCC, maintained that Owolabi gave him the N1.8 milion to settle his father ’s medical bills.

However, the EFCC, in the charge, accused Abdullahi who was said to have initially admitted that he collected the money as a proxy, of giving inconsistent statements pertaining to the actual reason behind the money he collected from Owolabi.

Specifically, the two count charge the anti-graft agency preferred against him read: "That you Ali

Gambo Abdullahi, sometimes in August 2013 at Abuja within the Judicial division of the court, did made a statement to one Abdulmajeed Ibrahim, a detective with the EFCC while in the course of the exercise of the duty of his office that the sum of N1.8 million paid into your Zenith Bank Account Nuumber 1002849471 on December 12, 2012, by one Rasheed Owolabi, was a payment made to assist you to settle your father’s hospital bill which statement you knew to be untrue, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 39(2)(a) of the EFCC Act. 2004 and punishable under Section (39) (2) (b) of the same act.

Meanwhile, the accused person pleaded not guilty to the charge, even as the court adjourned trial on the matter till March 15.

It will be recalled that a non governmental organisation under the platform of the Registered Trustees of the Mission for Peace and Development Initiative, had earlierdraggedJusticeUmarbefore the Federal High Court in Abuja over the allegation.

Dangote, Gates commit $100m to nutrition in Nigeria

By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief

A

BUJA—TWO of the world’s richest men, Bill Gates and Aliko Dangote, have committed $100 million, about N1.97 billion, to fighting malnutrition in Nigeria.

A deal to that effect was signed by the duo on behalf of Bill & Melinda Gates and Dangote Foundation, respectively, in a new partnership aimed at improving the nutrition of children in the country’s North-East and North-West Regions.

The programme will include community-based approaches and proven interventions linked to behavior change, fortification of staple foods with essential micronutrients; the community management of acute malnutrition and investments in local production of nutritious foods.

A key objective will be improving the livelihoods of households by supporting nutritionsensitive agricultural programmes that can increase family income, improve diets and empower women and

youth.

11 million children malnourishedDangote

Speaking at the partnership, Dangote said that the programme was starting with the North-East and NorthWest because they had the highest number of acutely malnourished children in the country.

His words: “These two areas we are talking about, when you look at the numbers of malnourished children in Nigeria, they account for over 50 per cent. We therefore want to tackle those areas before we begin to look at other parts of the country.

“Globally, Nigeria has the second highest number of acute malnutrition cases, standing at 37 per cent.

Malnourished children become stunted in their growth. They never reach their full potentials and are never able to contribute fully to the development of society.

Stunted girls also grow to become stunted adult women who give birth to low weight babies who are at high risk of

malnutrition, thus the vicious cycle of malnutrition continues, if not addressed.”

Sandey joins Honeywell Flour Mills' Board

L

AGOS—HONEYWELL Flour Mills Plc, has appointed Mrs Oluseye Sandey to its Board.

In a statement in Lagos, the company said Oluseye Sandey is bringing to the Board over 30 years of experience in auditing, budgeting and reporting, business development and taxation.

Mrs Sandey started her career with Akintola Williams Deloitte & Co where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1988. In June 1994, she joined Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited as Budget Manager for the Nigeria Region and served as the Nigeria Region Treasury Manager and Accounting Manager between March 1996 and July 2002.

Before her Board appointment, Sandey had joined Honeywell Flour Mills Plc as Finance & IT Director in September 2015 and has responsibility for managing the Finance and IT teams.

15—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016

Biafra: Kanu should be in prison custody, not in DSS captivity —Rights group •Decries murder of 50 in violent suppression of non-violent Biafran protesters •Charges Buhari to heed EU’s advice •Why Uwazuruike postponed Biafra elections —MASSOB

By Nwabueze Okonkwo & Ugochukwu Alaribe

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NITSHA—A human rights group, International Society for Civil Liberties and the rule of Law, Intersociety, has said that it is far better for the detained leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu to be kept in the prison custody than to remain in the captivity of the Department of State Services, DSS. Intersociety said the period Kanu stayed in the DSS captivity was wasteful, tortuous and full of depravity, more so when the DSS confirmed during last Wednesday trial in the court that it had concluded its investigations about Kanu’s ‘offences.’

Senseless killings: Meanwhile, group has decried what it termed as murder of 50 in violent suppression of non-violent Biafran protests by Nigeria’s security forces between August 30, 2015 and January 18, 2016.

According to the group,”the documented statistics available at its disposal clearly indicated that such a massive application of state violence outside local and international norms to violently suppress the pro-Biafran non-violent protests in Nigeria within the afore-mentioned period of less than five months, had led to the gruesome murder by security forces of such a number of Nigerian citizens and Biafran citizens in particular.“

Murdered victims In a press statement, yesterday, in Onitsha, Anambra State, entitled: 'Violent Suppression of Nonviolent Protests In Nigeria: Buhari Must Heed EU’s Advice,' Intersociety said the murdered victims included four citizens killed in Awka and Onitsha on August 30, 2015; 13 killed in Onitsha on December 2, 2015; 12 killed in Onitsha on December 17, 2015 (eight were killed on the spot and four others died in the hospital following gunshot wounds), and eight killed in Aba on January 18, 2016.

Secret killings: The statement also alleged that scores of innocent citizens have also disappeared in the hands of Nigerian security forces, particularly the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force. Citizens are routinely arrested by police on allegation of being “MASSOB or IPOB members” and killed secretly and buried in undisclosed shallow graves; likewise those shot and killed by soldiers and police while embarking on peaceful protests.

"Once their bodies are taken away by their killer security operatives, they will never be accounted for or released to their families for befitting burial.

“Over 120 citizens were shot and critically injured with gunshots in Delta, Rivers, Anambra, Abia and Enugu states between August 30, 2015 and January 18, 2016. Of these, over 40 citizens were critically shot and injured in Anambra (August 30, December, 2 and 17, 2015); 30 in Abia State (January 18, 2016 alone), 21 in Rivers State (August 30, 2015); 10 in Delta State (August 30, 2015) and six in Enugu State. These exclude scores of others critically shot and injured in related non-violent protests in those states as well as Bayelsa State.

Identity of victims: “Among those critically shot and injured in Rivers by Nigerian Army and the Police are : Sunday Udegbe Nwabunne Udo, Agwasi Anthony, Meshach Emmanuel, Chinwendu Ogbonna, Amanda Onyekachi, Emmanuel Arinze, Okwudiri Ojah, Chibuike David, Uzochi Ugwojialili; Chukwuma Igwe, Kingsley Okere, Chinedu Solomon Iwu, Okon Emmanuel Udo, Kelechi Uwaeze, Uwalaka, Solomon Chikwe, Ikenna Ezekwem, Ubani, Amarachi Onyemachi, and Chukwudi Ofoegbuliwe.

"In Enugu State, the following were critically shot and injured, Mr. Godswill Ojikeme, Mrs. Chinyere Ojikeme, Ogbodo Monday, Jonah Kelechi, Onuigbo Paul and Obiorah Innocent. “Those shot and critically wounded in Delta State are: Chinedu Abe, Onovo Michael, Kingsley Anuife, Amechi Ojieh, Ogbonna Kanayo, David Ogbu, Charles Chukwuka, Elochukwu Uzor, Chinedu Chukwuma and Onyekanna Ifechukwude.

"Those shot and critically injured on August 30, 2015 in Anambra State are: Sampson Kalu, Chidiebere Nnaji Onyekwelu Ovute, Felix Ndianaefo, Ikechukwu Okafor, Chimaobi Okafor, Christopher Oforah, Sunday Nwazugbo, Stanley Eze, Mrs. Eucharia and Mrs. Patricia.

"Two of the four citizens killed in Awka and Onitsha in the same peaceful protest of August 30, 2015 were Ebuka Nnolum from Enuguabo-Ufuma in Anambra State and Obasi Maduka from Oshiri in Ebonyi State.

"In the December 2 and 17, 2015 peaceful protests in Onitsha, over 30 citizens were shot and critically injured, out of whom, 27 citizens were taken and admitted at the Multicare Hospital.

“Between 300 and 400 citizens or more labeled “Biafran or IPOB

COMMISSIONING: From left, Special Adviser to the Governor of Enugu State on Education, Dr. Sam Ugwu; Commissioner for Education Enugu State, Professor Uche Eze, and Caroline Oghuma, Public Relations Manager, Multi-Choice Nigeria, during the commissioning of 10 MultiChoice Resource Centres in Enugu, held at Nsukka High School, Nsukka, yesterday. or MASSOB members” had also been arrested, detained, tortured, or killed extra-judicially across the country since August 30, 2015.

"In the Aba pro-Biafran peaceful protest of January 18, 2016 alone, 60 peaceful protesters were arrested and detained. Many are still languishing in pre-trial detention; others are facing concocted heinous political crime charges such as treason and treasonable felony”.

Heeding EU’s advice: On why Buhari must heed EU’s advice, the group stated that in the world over, violent suppression of nonviolent protests by territorial governments have always boomeranged; leading the suppressed to abandon non-violent approaches and resort to self-help or selfdefence approaches.

"Most of the on-going devastating intra-state violent conflicts in Africa and the Middle East primarily started as non-violent socio-political or ethno-cultural campaigns, but turned violent on account of the host states’ repressive and dictatorial responses. A

newest case in point is seeming resumption of oil violence in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

“Consequently, the latest advice handed down to the government of Muhammadu Buhari by the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, Ms Federica Mogherini, is a welcome development, timely and internationally grounded.

"The EU High Representative had advised Buhari that in as much as the European Union has strong diplomatic and economic ties with Nigeria, “protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms remains a priority for the EU and we encourage the authorities (Nigeria) in every occasion to respect such rights.”

"The EU, on the other hand, advised pro-Biafran campaigners and the Organization of Emerging African States, OEAS, “that self-determination and border changes must be in accordance with established international law. This followed the OEAS call for an internationally recognized referendum on Biafra independ-

ence or autonomy. The EU further advised that “it will only recognize a Biafra born via international law and not (through) armed secession (or rebellion) “The EU’s advice is totally in agreement with our public position on the same issue, to the effect that the Buhari administration must refrain from massive deployment of state violence and use of dark side of the laws of the land as well as levying of political, economic, social, ethnic and cultural wars against members of the Nigeria’s Igbo and other Southern nationalities.

"We had also advised the proBiafran agitators to at all times stick to non-violent and peaceful approaches and stay away from resorting to violence or armed rebellion. To the best of our knowledge, the agitations and their campaigners have remained non-violent till date; as opposed to Buhari administration which had applied and still applies maximum and dreaded state terror in handling the political self-determination campaigns.”

Clark writes Buhari, condemns renewed blowing of pipe lines

By Henry Umoru

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BUJA- FORMER Federal Commissioner for Information for Information and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the alleged castigation and harassment of the people of the Niger Delta and for the maintenance of peace and stability in the region.

In the letter dated January 22, 2016, Chief Clark specifically asked President Buhari to investigate the humiliation of Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), the proposed scrapping of the Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Warri South West Local Government, Delta State

established by former President Goodluck Jonathan and refund of the money already released for the project as disclosed by the Minister of Transportation, Chiibuike Rotimi Amaechi when he appeared before Senate Committee on Marine Transport, headed by Senator Ahmed Sani.

The elder statesman advised President Buhari to be wary of some persons around him who may be misinforming him and creating problems for him. He said that the Niger Delta region lays the golden egg, yet goes through humiliation and harassment by the government, adding that except for one or two persons, no Niger Delta person or any one from Ijaw land owns an oil bloc,

as they were being controlled by other people from other regions.

Chief Clark who condemned the renewed blowing up of major oil and gas pipelines by militants in the Niger Delta region of the country, urged the president to bring to book all the culprits even as he said that Tompolo, a civilized Nigerian can never be part of the renewed bombing of the pipes. He said, “I totally condemn the vandalisation of oil and gas pipelines and will give you 100 per cent support for whatever action you take to bring the culprits to book.

It is with heavy heart that I decided to take record of pipeline vandalisations that have taken place within the last two years."

16—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016

4 pregnant teenagers rescued from Enugu baby factory

By Francis Igata

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NUGU State Police Command, Wednesday, paraded four pregnant teenage girls and the owner of the facility they were living in, Ben Akpudachie,72, who hails from Ogui, Eke, in Udi Local Government Area of the state.

The babies are allegedly sold for between N300,000 to N400,000 at delivery.

Also paraded was a bank fraudster, Felix Onyebuchi, 56, from Osaa, Ukwu in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State, who specialises in hacking bank customers’ account detail to enable his syndicate defraud their victims.

He was apprehended by operatives of Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, after he had defrauded a victim of N11 million and was about to defraud another victim of N50 million along Okpara Avenue in Enugu.

Ogun RTEAN chairmanship aspirant abducted

Lagos traders protest police extortion, illegal detention They should have written the Commissioner— Police spokesman

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By Onozure Dania

AGOS—TRADERS from Ibafon Main Market, Coconut area of Olodi Apapa, Lagos, yesterday, stormed the corporate headquarters of Vanguard Media Ltd., protesting police extortion and harassment.

Carrying placards with different inscriptions, the protesters called on the Lagos State government to come to their rescue, contending that the harassment and extortion had been going on for a very long time.

They alleged that policemen from Panti, Trinity and other commands in the state often raid the market, demanding for huge sums of money, ranging from N200,000 to N500,000 to bail those arrested for crimes they did not commit.

The traders said extortion stopped at a time the late Iyaloja of Lagos, Abibatu Mogaji, intervened, lamenting that soon after her death, the policemen resumed their act.

Latest raid over car brain box

They alleged that last Monday, policemen from Panti suddenly stormed the market

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and arrested some of the traders without giving any reason for their action.

One of the traders, who pleaded anonymity, said the policemen came to his shop and those of four others, arrested them, and that after persistent efforts to know why they were being arrested, they were told they stole the brain box of a car.

He said the policemen rebuffed explanations that traders at the market dealt only

in marine parts and not auto spare parts.

He alleged that the five traders were made to part with N160,000 before they were set free, while those who could not pay were still being held at Panti Police Station.

The trader said that after the Monday incident, the policemen again came on Wednesday evening to arrest more of his colleagues and made more arrests yesterday.

22-yr-old pregnant housewife raped to death in Kano

By Daud Olatunji B E O K U TA — GUNMEN have abducted a leader of Ogun State Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN, Olayinka Oshinkoya, near Paramount FM, Kobape, Abeokuta.

The incident occurred around 9a.m. on Tuesday and at press time the abductors were yet to contact the family for ransom.

Vanguard gathered that Oshinkoya, who is vying for the state chairmanship position of RTEAN in the coming election, was reportedly kidnapped after he left Ijebu-Ode for Abeokuta to attend a meeting with the Chairman, Ogun State Local Government Commission.

His younger brother, identified as Abolore Oshinkoya, was with him at the time of the kidnap.

He said he overheard one of the abductors saying his brother was toying with his life by vying for the leadership of RTEAN, which was reportedly zoned to Ijebu-Ode where Oshinkoya hails from.

PROTEST: Ibafon Market traders in Olodi-Apapa, protesting alleged extortion, harrassment and illegal detention of their members by Police at the premises of Vanguard Media Ltd., Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: Biodun Ogunleye.

By Abdulsalam Muhammad

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ANO—IT was a painful end for a 22-year-old housewife, Aisha Abdullahi, who was raped to death by unknown person(s) at her matrimonial home at Ungogo quarters, on the outskirts of Kano metropolis.

Police spokesman in Kano, DSP Musa Magaji Majia, told reporters in Kano that the incident, which occurred yesterday, was reported by the deceased’s husband.

Police said Abdullahi Muhammad, husband of late Aisha, reported that he met the deceased in a pool of her blood when he returned home.

DSP Majiya said detectives had commenced investigation to unravel the mystery behind the act, stressing that no stone would be left unturned.

Kano women under siege

Wednesday’s murder of Aisha Abdullahi brought to the fore safety concerns among women in the city as a similar incident was recorded a couple of weeks ago, when one Khadija Muhammad of Ja’in quarters was also killed in her home.

Already, two suspects, Nura and Haruna, are in court facing charges in respect of Khadija Muhammad’s death.

The latest incident generated condemnation by residents, as

prayers had been held in several worship centres for divine intervention.

A similar incident occured at Unguwar Katsina of Ungogo LGA last December.

Man, 37, rapes mentally-challenged girl

By Esther Onyegbula

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AGOS—POLICE in Lagos State have arrested a 37year-old man for allegedly raping a mentally-challenged girl (names withheld).

It was learned that the suspect, Adesola Moses, who resides at Osenatuilo Street, Alagbado by AIT Road, reportedly raped the victim in her mother ’s shop.

Vanguard gathered that the suspect took advantage of the victim’s mental health and had anal sex with her.

According to a family member who spoke to Vanguard, the victim’s mother, Muiynant Mustapha, left her 19-year-old daughter in her shop to attend a party, when the suspect sneaked into the shop, asked

the girl to remove her clothes and raped her.

The relative said: “While the act was ongoing, a 10-year-old girl, Tunrayo, daughter of the landlord, who usually plays with the victim, saw them and ran out to alert people. By the time people got to the shop, the suspect had escaped.”

It was learned that in a bid to identify the suspect, the elders in the community gathered 12 young men in the area and Tunrayo was able to identify the suspect, who had changed his clothes to avoid recognition.

The case, which was initially reported at Alagbado, is currently being investigated at State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, SCIID, Panti, Lagos.

He said: “The police from Trinity Area ‘B’ has been raiding our market and whenever they see anything with anybody, they will detain the person and ask him or her to pay certain amount before releasing him or her.

“We want them to stop harassing us and our customers. We do not sell stolen goods; our customers are now running away from us.”

The trader, who spoke on behalf of other traders, further called on Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to come to their aid, saying the activities of the policemen were becoming unbearable for them.

He said traders were now afraid to open their shops because of the activities of the police.

Another protester, Samuel Dikko, who noted that the market was registered, said they want the police to tell them their offences.

‘They should follow due process’

He said: “We have a union and if anybody commits an offence, the police is supposed to inform our leaders before making any arrest at all. How can they just come all the way from Yaba to arrest traders?

What is the motive behind it?”

Others said the police brought an invitation letter to the market leader on Wednesday evening, dated January18, 2016, without checking the date on the letter.

A copy of the letter, which is in possession of Vanguard, showed the policemen raided the market the same day the letter was dated.

Reacting, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Dolapo Badmus, said the traders did not need to protest, and that they should have just channelled their grievances in writing to the Police Commissioner.

She, however, assured that the matter would be investigated.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016 —17

And there are many who agree with Oshiomhole. But others, this columnist included, beg to differ.

I voted for Buhari because he was famed for loathing corruption and I wanted him to tackle corruption…which has been Nigeria’s biggest problem for decades.

But Metuh has not been found guilty! His trial has not even commenced, so let us resist the temptation to jump to conclusions at this premature stage. Let’s assume (for now at least) that he may be innocent and may have been misunderstood.

Also, several VIPs are embroiled in the sordid Dasukigate drama. But I’ve not seen any of the other accused individuals being paraded in handcuffs!

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HE National Publicity Sec retary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, was photographed in handcuffs earlier on this week, when he was conveyed from Kuje prison to the Federal High Court in Abuja…where his lawyer requested bail on his behalf.

Metuh has been accused of breach of public trust, corrupt acquisition of public funds and money-laundering, in connection with the ongoing financial crimes scandal “Dasukigate” - surrounding ex-President Jonathan’s National Security Adviser.

Another scandal

Humiliating special treatment

Metuh being brought to court in handcuffs

Metuh’s special treatment He is said to have unlawfully collected N400 million from a fund that was earmarked for arms procurement. And his trial will begin on Monday.

Opinions are sharply divided about the treatment that

was meted out to him.

Adams Oshiomhole, the APC Governor of Edo State has expressed the opinion that he deserves no sympathy whatsoever because ordinary citizens who have stolen much smaller sums are routinely handcuffed.

But Metuh has not been found guilty!

His trial has not even commenced, so let us resist the temptation to jump to conclusions at this premature stage

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HE Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, has told the Senate Committee on Marine Transport that the Nigerian Maritime Administration and SafetyAgency,NIMASAwascontrolled (during Jonathan’s tenure) by the former militant warlord, Government Ekpemupolo, a Niger Deltan who is popularly known as Tompolo and being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. According to Amaechi, NIMASA out-sourced its responsibility for protecting Nigerian waterways to a private firm in which Tompolo has an interest.

And there were substantial financial irregularities while Tompolo was allegedly in charge.

The former Director General of NIMASA, Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi - who is said to havebeenincahootswithTompolo - is also being investigated for fraud.

I used to hear alarming, hairraising stories about Akpobolokemi and Tompolo’s alleged abuses of power when Jonathan was President. People who worked in the maritime sector would complain bitterly about the impunity that these two close associates of the then President C M Y K

So why is Metuh receiving such humiliating special treatment?!

VERY unfair, if you ask me.

Some folks strongly suspect that Metuh has been singled out because he, being an official mouthpiece for the new Opposition, has been a particularly vocal critic of Buhari’s administration. I sincerely hope that this suspicion is not well-founded.

I continue to be a Buhari supporter. But Nigeria is meant to be a democracy in which freedom of speech is permitted; and I hate unnecessary malice and injustice.

Solid mineral issues

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Tompolo allegedly enjoyed and tell me that they had more clout than the then Minister of Transport; and I’d shake my head in disbelief.

Sensitive context I found it hard to believe that a Head of State would turn a blind eye and adopt an Anything Goes stance within such a sensitive context.

If Akpobolokemi and Tompolo are found guilty, Jonathan’s already tarnished reputation will take yet another huge hit. And what a pity that will be.

A friend who, like me, is also

from the Niger Delta and also once vigorously supported Jonathan sadly made the following comment the other day: “Jonathan was the first President from our zone and we wanted him to be our Knight In Shining Armour and a Great Leader to all Nigerians.

But he turned out to be a big disappointment. Little did we know, when we were throwing our weight behind him and looking up to him, that we were giving our Ferrari to a vulcanizer!”

Ah well. Never mind. At least Jonathan will be forever remembered for graciously handing over to Buhari without making trouble, when he lost the 2015 election.

CCORDING to a recent re port in The Will, an online publication, the Minister in charge of Solid Mineral Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has disclosed that state governments are now free to explore and exploit mineral deposits in their domains, with or without private sector partners, provided they go about such in a legal manner that will not interfere with locations already given to other stakeholders.

I was absolutely delighted when I heard this good news.

Nigeria has been excessively dependent on Niger Deltan oil for too long. And we need to diversify, especially now that oil prices are plunging and unlikely to recover anytime soon.

It is time for other parts of the country to become more dynamic and more productive.

And Dr Fayemi certainly has the brains, integrity, imagination and enterprising instincts to help those who are serious about solid mineral development projects to fulfil their potential and boost our national income.

Dr. Fayemi Responses to: donzol2002@yahoo.co.uk or to 0802 747 6458 OR 0811 675 9752 (texts only).

PLEASE KINDLY NOTE THAT UNLESS YOU REQUEST ANONYMITY, YOUR COMMENTS MAY BE PUBLISHED, WITH YOUR NAMES AND CONTACT DETAILS ATTACHED.

18 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016 It has been an annual ritual for January 15, of every year to be remembered in special ways by various political interest groups, including the Nigerian Armed Forces. The reason for this is not farfetched. Apart from the day Nigeria was amalgamated in 1914 and the day she got her Independence from the British colonialists, January 15, 1966 was the day that the destiny of Nigeria was totally and painfully redefined. It was the day a bloody coup that ended the First Republic and brought in the military also triggered a counter-coup that plunged Nigeria into its historic civil war.

Instructively, it was also on January 15, 1970 that the civil war formally ended with the surrender of Biafra to the Federal Military Government led by General Yakubu Gowon. Today, January 15th is set aside to honour the

Remembering January 15, 1966 valorous exploits and sacrifices of the Nigerian fallen troops in the various military conflicts for the preservation of the territorial integrity of Nigeria and maintenance of peace around the world.

This year marked the 50th anniversary of the first coup led by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu. It was unique in that some of the leaders killed during the coup, particularly Chief Samuel Akintola, the late Premier of the old Western Region and Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh, the late first Finance Minister of the Federa-

tion, were also honoured with fanfare in their respective home states. This was a departure from the past when more attention was beamed on such political giants, as late Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, late Premier of the defunct Northern Region, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello and others who lost their lives in the coup.

It is gratifying to note that the ethnic and sectional venom that this date (and the counter-coup date of July 1966) elicited have generally reduced. Though painful, we must see them as part of

our history. We should see this date as a moment for sobre reflection on the travails, trials and triumphs Nigeria has gone through on our way to nationhood. We must bear in mind that no nation exists on earth which does not have its own rough road to greatness. Nothing good comes easy.

Having used the civil war to illustrate our collective decision to remain one country, we must commit ourselves, both as individuals and groups, to making Nigeria work. It is in the interest of all Nigerians that this nation works because Nigeria contains the fabric of uncommon greatness waiting to be fostered.

The history and lessons of January 15th 1966 should be carefully harnessed and taught in our schools in a manner that will commit our future generations to the actualisation of the Nigeria of our dreams.

OPINION Delta’s deplorable roads

By Bobson Gbinije “If you shut up truth and bury it under the ground, it will but grow, and gather to itself such explosive power that the day it bursts through, it will blow up everything in its way” Zola Emile (1840-1902) J’ accuse O be frank, we state without slips of clarity that the fundamental objective and directive principles of the Uduaghan’s administration was the cause of the arrested development of Delta State. An anecdotal portrayal graphically reveals that our roads are like Ojukwu’s Bunkers, Molotov cocktails and reflects the deplorable ugliness of a deserted Siberia.

The Delta State Government said two months before leaving office through its then Commissioner for works, Mr. Funkekeme Solomon at the 21st National Council of Works held in Asaba that, the Delta State Government had spent well over N40 billion to fix more than 300 kilometres of Federal Roads in the State. The Federal Roads included the 149 kilometres Asaba-Ughelli Road which the government made into a Dual Carriage Way. He said the Uduaghan Government constructed 2,000 kilometres of roads and drains, of this figure 345 kilometres of Urban Roads were completed, while 152 kilometres were ongoing. The Government had spent

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N62 billion on 167 kilometres of completed Rural Roads, while 202 kilometres costing N47 billion were ongoing.

He further claimed that “under the Government’s Highway Programme 659 kilometres of Roads were completed while 265 kilometres were still ongoing. He added that N16.8 Billion was spent on the 17 bridges that were completed, while N23.7 Billion was spent on two ongoing bridges. The two flyovers government constructed in AsabaWarri cost N7.7 billion. A third flyover bridge in Warri was constructed for N3.6billion”.

The empirical evidences on ground in respect of some of these projects was put to test and trial by members of The Mandate Against Poverty (MAP) Warri. Our findings showed that some of the so-called Road Projects were not there or have been partially constructed but now dilapidated and have fallen apart. The claims are outrageously bogus and the whooping sums of money expended on the projects are not true. The projects are a simply mirage and do not have any semblance with reality.

This is not politics, this is all about altruistic and patriotic commitment to the nuts and bolts of good governance calculated to alleviate the sufferings of the people

Though the bridges were actually constructed, but are already getting rickety.

The claims on Federal Roads from Koko junction to Asaba remains frightening. The Uduaghan Government through its Commissioner for Works Hon. Funkekeme told Deltans, nay Nigerians these audacious half-truths. This is a blatant breach of the Oath of Office, section 14(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

We need no ghost to tell us that 70% of Federal, State and Local Government roads in Delta State are down and out, not motorable and totally in a state of disrepair.

In Warri, the commercial centre of the State, Effurun, Ekpan, Jakpa, express Roads through Ugbuangue to Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) through Ajamimogha, Ekpen, Okere Market, Esisi through G.R.A to Robert Road, Omoine, Okandaji, Ometan, Eboh, Father Haley, Erejuwa (upper/lower), Radio Road, Old Welfare, Giwa Amu, Polokor, Cinema Site, Emibiren, Ojabugbe Ekurede (Itsekiri/Urhobo), Airport Road that had good and undulating surface has now been scrapped, excavated and scooped by overzealous contractors thereby making the road worse than it was The menace of Uduaghan’s BRT Project continue to constitute a death trap to motorists and to compound the situation the present Governor, Dr. Okowa has now terminated the contract.

In Sapele it is the same story from Amukpe, Ugbeyeyi junction through Ogorode byepass to Adeola, Okpe, Fonseca, Abeke, Cemetry, Reclamation, Mcpherson, Ikomi,

Boyo, Oghene, Crudas, Hausa, Urhobo, Itsekiri, Benin, Pontoon Road by Staduim, Akintola, Awolowo, Commercial Avenue, Labod, Urban Area Roads, Ogodo Road etc.

In Asaba there is marked improvement on roads because it is the seat of Government.

In Okobia, Evwriyen, Orerokpe, Ughelli, Isoko Areas, Abraka, Agbor and Ukwani Areas the story is the same.

Indeed, the roads in Delta State now constitute death traps and a spectacularly unthinkable eyesore. The inability of the Uduaghan administration to construct a Central Drainage System (CDS) has left Warri and major towns in the State submerged in water during the raining season. The flooding of littoral towns and the water front settlements is a dramaturge pastime in Delta State.

These palpable truisms are beyond politics, propaganda hypes.Okowa made public during his address to the Delta State House of Assembly that the past administration left a debt of over N636 billion.

This is not politics, this is all about altruistic and patriotic commitment to the nuts and bolts of good governance calculated to alleviate the sufferings of the people.

We call on our Governor Okowa to do total surgerical work to salvage Delta State from the labyrinth and quagmire of death traps and Molotov cocktails called roads.

He must chart a new course on road construction in the State.

•Mr. Gbinije, president of Mandate Against Poverty, (MAP), wrote from Warri, Delta State.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016— —19 Send Opinions & Letters to: opinions1234@yahoo.com

Labouring tto o ac kno wledge ackno knowledge Hitler

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URKISH leader, Tayyip Erdogan decided to change his country ’s ceremonial Presidency to an executive one. So he told his countrymen: “There are already examples in the world. You can see it when you look at Hitler’s Germany. There are later examples in various other countries”. But he came under international criticism for allegedly casting Adolf Hitler in a favourable light. He immediately began a series of summersaults saying the governance system in Hitler ’s Germany was not an effective one and that “if the system is abused, it may lead to bad management resulting in disasters as in Hitler’s Germany”.

But was the German governance system really ineffective? The mere mention of Hitler, if not followed by condemnation, immediately invokes international attacks.

Famous Nigerian musician, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti sang “Teacher, don’t teach me nonsense”. The victors of the Second World War should stop teaching us nonsense about that war amongst greedy Europeans and their allies.

Hitler was a product of Western democracy; he democratically ascended the German

Chancellorship and was reelected in the March 5, 1933 German federal elections by wider margins. In that election, his Nazi party, NSDAP, won 288 seats in the 647-seat Reichstag parliament, or 43.91 percent of the votes while their main rivals, the Social Democrats won 120 or 18.25 percent.

Hitler, a decorated World War I soldier, was primarily the product of European greed for colonies, money and vendetta. After that war, rather than work for global peace and development, the victorious allies decided on the path of greed and revenge; in June 1919 they imposed on defeated Germany, the Treaty of Versailles.

It was so bad that the then German government of Philipp Schedman rather than sign, resigned. But the allies gave hapless Germany a twenty four-hour ultimatum either to sign the bloody treaty or be invaded. The new government of Gustav Baur had to sign.

Under the treaty, Germany was forced to admit guilt for World War I and disarm. It was to have no more than 100,000 troops and undertake not to produce armaments like armoured cars

and tanks. Already experiencing starvation, it was forced to pay for the war costs of the victors by being fined $31.4 billion ($442 billion by 2016 estimates) Germany’s inability to pay all the money led to French and Belgian troops occupying and exploiting parts of German territory as colonies.

Germany and Austria were forbidden to merge without the victors approval, and 65,000 square kilometres of German territory were seized and shared to countries like Poland and France.

The German city of Danzig was seized as a collective war booty.

German coal at Saar was seized and given to France as compensation for its coal loss during the war.

Europe had developed mainly by colonising and exploiting parts of the world; the colonies resources were looted,their people forced to produce raw materials and provide market for European goods. The victors decided to deprive defeated Germany of its

Germany won, the post-war narration would have been different; Hitler might have been a war hero not the villain

The leader Ndigbo does not need

By Clement Udegbe

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HE importance of good leadership in Igbo society is amplified by the saying among Igbos, that it is usually calamitous when the spring water is polluted from the source. The question of Igbo leadership trumps up another Igbo proverb that says “when the black ant bites the buttocks, the buttocks learns some sense”. The experience of Ndigbo with their leadership since the past over 51 years especially from after the civil war makes it necessary that some lessons learnt, should be put to use.

Igbo earlier Patriarchs like Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, Dr. Akanu Ibiam, Michael Okpara, to name a few, joined others from other ethnic groups to lay the foundation for building a strong nation called Nigeria, with economically powerful regions within a well bonded Federal unit that coordinated the regions.

But when the game was changed by the north through their reactions to the 1966 military coup, Igbo leaders did not quite catch the game, thus the genocide that followed took them quite unawares, and their defeat in the civil war that followed from 1966 to 1970 complicated the situation of Igbo leadership.

Our late Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu, rose to the occasion, and lead Igbos through to the end of that war, at huge personal costs to himself and his family estate, but lost the war due to the mixed feelings and mind set of the Igbo leaders even in the face of such an exterminating threat to them, as that war and most Igbo leaders are still in that state of mind today.

The level of mental disarray in Igbo political leadership can best be learnt from C M Y K

the experience of APGA, the one political party supported by late Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu. APGA once controlled Anambra and Imo States, hoping subsequently, to close up on Abia, then Ebonyi and Enugu states.When Dim Ojukwu was around, those who wanted to exploit him and Ndigbo for their personal aggrandizement, trouped to wherever he went, sang his song for him, and promised one and united Igbo front to him. On prime television, they all pledged to admiration of the simple minded, that they would uphold Dim Ojukwu’s political tenets of putting Igbo land first, in all they would do, but in less than two years after Dim Ojukwu's death, almost all of them, abandoned same APGA for other political parties, scattered themselves all over the place in search for one thing- to stuff their pockets, and acquire mundane things!

To them Biafra is a no-go area, because they are contented with the situation of development of Ndigbo and Igbo land and cannot afford to displease their ogas-ontop by demanding for a renegotiation of the terms of continuation in this country as agreed in the National Confab Report.

Ndigbo cannot trust such persons

colonies by sharing them as war booty. So Togo and Cameroun were given to France and Britain; Namibia to South Africa;Rwanda and Burundi to Belgium, Tangayika (now Tanzania) to Britain and Northern Mozambique to Portugal. In Asia, Shandong in China and the Pacific North went to Japan, and the German territories in the South Equator to Australia.

Hitler’s rise was primarily his rejection of this treaty, and campaign to restore the German economy, pride, military, and, retake its territories and colonies.

He restored the Germans pride and belief in themselves by telling them that they, the Aryans are the chosen race and are superior to all other people including fellow Europeans. In March 1935, he violated the treaty by rebuilding the armed forces. One year later, he retook the demilitarised zone in the Rhine, and in March 1938, the Austrian-born Hitler sent his troops into the welcoming hands of Austrians and reunified both countries contrary to the dictates of the treaty. Next, he marched into Poland and Czechoslovakia retaking seized German territories. At this point, Britain declared war and the Second World War commenced.

The colonised peoples of the world had no choice in that war; they were forced to fight on both sides. They were conscripted to fight in far away places like Burma, forced to offer free labour and pay taxes towards so called war efforts.

Emergency regulations were imposed on them including detention without trial.

For at least three years, African countries like Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya, Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia, were devastating theatres of that war. Some of the most infamous battles of that war like the Battle

These leaders are shameless political carpet crossers, and would spite anyone including Ndigbo matters, to do anything to acquire pecuniary gains.They are high net worth persons, own banks, estates, industries, conglomerate international businesses, properties, and most of them, have issues running or suppressed with the national anti-graft agencies! They live in huge awesome opulence in homes and estates, drive exotic cars through bumpy, dusty erosion threatened or damaged highly cratered roads in their home towns, and villages in Igbo land.

They are the ones who often champion the idea that Igbos do not have kings, and quote the saying “Igbo Ama Eze” meaning Igbos don’t know kingship” When newly acquired wealth hit them, after the civil war, they bought jeeps and named them “ Okwu oto ekene Eze” meaning with their wealth, they greet the king standing shoulder-toshoulder with the king. But all that is the display of arrant nonsense, lack of knowledge, and understanding of the true Igbo custom and culture.

I for one grew up in the knowledge and experience of a traditional Ezeship institution, that existed since the 18th century in Ihite-Owerri, Orlu LGA of Imo State, as the Obi of Orsu Ala Mmiri. Those who want to know, should visit that palace in Abo Ihite-Owerri and see for themselves, they should also visit or read-up the traditional Ezeship stools of the Nri, Agu-Ukwu, and Aro peoples of Igbo land to name just a few.

Ndigbo therefore have and respect Ezes and traditional ruler ship and customs from time past.

We should not mind these people who are determined to sell, and be-little Ndigbo for their own selfish gains.

When they get into political power, they decimate their states and societies by creating atomisitic autonomous communities, entrenching confusion and Ezeship tussles the entire place.

of El Alamein were fought in Africa while the famous German war general, Erwin Rommel got his sobriquet “The Desert fox” in the North Africa campaign.

Interestingly, when that war ’s casualties are compiled, Africans are usually lumped under European figures and vaguely referred to;such as “commonwealth” casualties and losses. Little mention is made of African civilians who died, were maimed or turned into internally displaced persons or refugees. The colonised people were simply, expendable shells.

The Second World War was a conflict either side could have won.Had Germany won, the postwar narration would have been different; Hitler might have been a war hero not the villain.

Doubtlessly, Hitler was a racist, but which of his European cousins was not?

From the perspective of an African; what is the difference between the bloody German colonisation of Namibia which witnessed the first genocide in the Twentieth Century, and the Belgian colonisation of the Congo which saw greater atrocity? What differentiated Hitlerite Germany from the French colonisation of Algeria which turned that country into rivers of blood? How was the holocaust fundamentally different or worse than the British genocide against the Aborigines in Australia? The later was actually worse.

The colonised people were victims of the Second World War; the colonialists on both sides,chose our enemies for us and showed us our friends. We had no say in the matter. The colonialists were both sides of the same coin, therefore, the colonised or marginalised should not labour under the yoke of condemning everything about Hitler.

Yesterday, they all came to prominence and great wealth under the umbrella of the PDP, and today, they are either chasing after or carrying brooms of the APC, dancing the dance of APC, to President Buhari and his followers, who incidentally need the support of Ndigbo, in order to appear nationally accepted by all the federating regions.

I often cannot help to wonder what could be going on in the mind of President Buhari, who lived as an Ex-Military Head of State, Petroleum Minister, Petroleum Trust Fund Chairman, with only less than a total net worth of less than about N100 million, when he wines and dines with these men who live large and loud just after becoming governors for less than eight years, or less.

Does Buhari avert his mind to the stupendous wealth accumulated by these men and women or does he tolerate them for political purposes? Could it be that these type of persons are not in his agenda for now, or that he chose to overlook them and their conducts because after all they are Igbos, willing cronies and instruments for political gains?

Fortunately, in Igbo land, there is a saying that, it is only the stranger that you can deceive by wearing the trouser, because all your kinsmen know the size and shape of your legs. I am persuaded to believe that many discerning Igbo minds and observers know and can follow the antecedents of these men who in power also treat the same Igbo subjects as slaves. They find it embarrassing to support a non-violent constitutional quest for self-determination of Ndigbo.To them Biafra is a no-go area, because they are contented with the situation of development of Ndigbo and Igbo land and cannot afford to displease their ogas-on-top by demanding for a re-negotiation of the terms of continuation in this country as agreed in the National Confab Report. Ndigbo cannot trust such persons. *Mr Udegbe, a lawyer, can be reached at ceeaai@yahoo.com.

20 — VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016 — 21

FG, UNIDO in talks over continuity of country’s projects

By Franklin Alli, with agency report

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HE Federal Government and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have agreed to extend their collaboration on initiatives to help create employment opportunities, encourage inclusive private sector development and promote environmentally sustainable industrial practices in Nigeria.

Welcoming the Managing Director of UNIDO Programme Development and Technical Cooperation Division, Philippe Scholtes, to a meeting with senior government officials, Aisha Abubakar, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, said the Ministry is keen to key into sectors “where we recognize the importance of strategic collaboration with UNIDO.” According to her: “Our expectation is for the speedy fulfilment of initiatives in Nigeria to deliver tangible outcomes. These programmes that provide for skills development, youth and women’s empowerment, agro-based processing industries and the policy on quality are very important.” Ongoing projects include the National Quality Infrastructure project that helps ensure local products comply to relevant international norms and standards; the Staple Crop Processing Zone

programme that supports the export of Nigerian processed agro-products; and the newly-established Investment Technology Promotion Office in Nigeria that works to attract foreign investment to the country, as well as to disseminate best practices and best technologies.

The meeting also highlighted such areas for continued collaboration as supporting the implementation of the National Industrial Revolution Plan, which helps boost the contribution of the manufacturing sector to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, and the National Skills Gap Exercise, which aims to improve the labour market in Nigeria.

UNIDO’s Scholtes said, “UNIDO works to support inclusive and sustainable industrial development and one important aspect is to find a way to help countries build their technology and, through skills development, to innovate and continue progress-

VISIT: From left, Mr Olawunmi Gasper, Executive Secretary, Lagos State Technical Vocation Education Board (LASTVEB); Waheed Olagunju, Executive Director, Small and Medium Enterprises, Bank of Industry (BoI); Benjiamin Olabinjo, Special Adviser to Lagos State Government on Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives; Rasheed Olaoluwa, Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Bank of Industry; Prince Rotimi Ogunleye, Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives; Mr Olalekan Akodu, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives; and Mr Bolaji Balogun, General Manager, Lagos State Agricultural Input Supply Authority (LAISA) during a courtesy visit by the BoI team to the ministry. ing. The African Union’s Agenda 2063 has confirmed the importance of industrialization to drive development.

This need to be done in an inclusive manner – not leaving women and children behind, and benefiting rural

populations – and it should be sustainable in that we leave to our next generation a planet that is as good as we enjoyed it ourselves.”

Scholtes added that UNIDO is hoping to collaborate with the Ministry on hosting the

2016 International Food Safety Forum in Nigeria, participating in the Heineken Watershed Corporate Social Responsibility programme, and enhancing environmentally friendly cement production technologies.

Women’s jobs at risk in fourth industrial revolution T

HE Fourth Industrial Revolution will have a disproportionately negative impact on the economic prospects of women, although the emphasis on talent brought about by sweeping changes caused by disruptions to the labour force will result in more women progressing into senior positions, a new study by the World Economic Forum has found.

According to The $112.55 -3.10 Industry Gender Gap Report, published $2,818.00 -116.00 yesterday in Davos, the burden of job $14.33 -0.42 losses that will result from automation and disintermediation as $29.86 -0.90 a result of the Fourth Industrial Revolution $27.38 -1. 08 will impact on women and men relatively CURRENCY BUYING SELLING equally, with 52 per cent of the 5.1 million US DOLLAR 196 196.5 197 net job losses ex277.4772 278. 1851 278. 8929 POUNDS 213.8752 214.4208 214.9664 EURO pected globally be195. 4722 195. 9709 196. 4695 FRANC tween now and 2020 1.6817 1.6861 1.6903 YEN affecting men, com0.3056 0.3156 0.3256 CFA pared with 48 per 269.9362 270.6248 271. 3134 WAUA 29.7809 29. 8573 29.9338 RENMINBI cent affecting women.

52. 2597 52.393 52.5263 RIYAL However, the fact 28.6495 28.7226 28.7957 KRONA that those women 270. 97 271.6613 272.3525 SDR make up a smaller CBN Exchange rate as at 21/01/2016 share of the workforce

means that today’s economic gender gap may widen even further than the current 40 per cent.

This blow to gender equality can be explained by the fact that some of the roles most at risk from automation and disintermediation are those that are performed by a larger pro-

The burden of job losses that will result from automation and disintermediation as a result of the Fourth Industrial Revolution will impact on women and men relatively equally

portion of women; for example, in the Office and Administrative” job family. However, it is also partly a result of the fact that women are relatively under-represented when it comes to jobs that are expected to have the most growth in the next five years; for example, the Computer and Mathematical and Architecture and Engineering job families.

Another way of looking at this, according to our analysis, is to consider that, given women’s low participation in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematical) professions, one of the fastestgrowing areas of job creation, women stand to gain only one new STEM job for every 20 lost across other job families, whereas the ratio for men is one new job for every four lost elsewhere.

This new data illustrates the urgency with which leaders across business and policy must find new ways to ensure that the full talent pool of men and women is educated, recruited and promoted. And there are encouraging signs that this is already being addressed. According to our survey, while traditionally employers have struggled to re-

tain women colleagues beyond the junior level, respondents expect to see an increase of 7-9 percentage points in the share of women in mid-level positions by 2020 and an 8-13 percentage point rise in the number of senior positions being held by women as retention becomes ever more important in the face of key global talent shortages.

The expected increase applies to all nine industry sectors assessed in the report, although to varying degrees.

The three that will see the most significant increases of female workers across all job categories between now and 2020 are: Energy (22%-30%); Basic Industries and Infrastructure (20%-27%) and Healthcare (41%-48%). In all three, the number of women in senior roles is expected to double, albeit from a low base.

The Media, Entertainment and Information sector is the only one that will see a reduction in the number of women in the next five years, with female composition expected to drop across all job levels, from 47 per cent to 46 per cent.

22—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016

Licensed Customs Agents want FG’s intervention in STOAN, NSC tussle Stories By Godfrey Bivbere

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ATIONAL Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA, has called on the Federal Government to intervene in the legal tussle between Seaports Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria, STOAN,shipping companies and the nation’s Port Economic Regulator.

DEPUTY President of tNCMDLCA, Uchu Block, said that the delay in conclusion of the case against the Port Economic Regulator, PER by STOAN and shipping companies is hindering the government agency from performing its duties.

Block who spoke to Vanguard in Lagos, explained that the delay of the case is taking its toll on effective port operations and causing port users to lose billions of naira daily.

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Effective port operations The NCMDLCA chieftain pointed out that Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, appointed by the government as the PER, has remained almost inactive as a result of the court case and therefore called on the relevant government agencies to work with the judiciary to ensure quick conclusion of the case.

He noted that it is deliberate effort of the terminal operators and shipping companies to keep the case in court while they continue exploiting port users. He said a similar thing happened when Ade Sarumi, was the Executive Secretary of NSC and alleged that the case was never concluded.

He noted that the appointment of NSC as the port economic regulator was a welcomed one by most operators but that terminal operators and shipping companies ensure that the government agency could not function by dragging the

•From left: Dr. Amy Jadesimi, Managing Director of LADOL and Managing Director of NEPZA, Gbenga Kuye, during the visit of NEPZA boss to LADOL facility in Lagos.

NSC to court and therefore they are now doing whatever they pleased..

He pointed out that unless there is speedy completion of the case, the illegal collection of charges and levies in the sector will continue unabated. The absence of the economic regulator over the years some say has resulted in the

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country losing over $80 billion annually due to arbitrary charges slammed on consignments by port operatives. Some of the charges are terminal handling ranging from N45,000 to N47,982; import delivery, N1500 to N40,000; customs examination, N2,500 – N11,667; fast track cargo fee, N1,500; documentation, N150-

N10,000 and N3,500-N5,500. Others include transfer of container, N20,000-N31,500; royalty, N5,680N6,181; release and documentation, N1,443.75-N20,000; shipping agency fee, N15,000 – N37,400; container cleaning, N1,500; service charges N2,500-N5,000; among several others.

We want to be industrial hub for West Africa — LADOL boss

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ANAGING Director of Lagos Deep Offshore Logistic Base, LADOL, Dr. Amy Jadesimi, has said that the company intends to make the facility the industrial hub

Onne port sets up Port Security Committee Iheanacho Ebubeogu, GnerANAGEMENT of Onne port has constituted Port Security Committee comprising representatives of the various agencies and stakeholders involved in port operations to tackle the security challenges facing it.

The Onne Port Manager, Durowaiye Ayodele, who disclosed this when he hosted students of Senior Course 38/2015, Department of Warfare, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, also commended the Nigerian Navy for its effort at bringing peace to shipping operations in the Niger Delta area.

The Port Manager noted that the committee has provided an avenue for stakeholders to share information on security challenges that are unique to the port and to jointly proffer solution to such challenges.

Corruption rate in port operations higher now — NAGAFF

al Manager in charge of Public Affairs in a statement made available to Vanguard, noted that the Port Manager said that the relative peace enjoyed in the Niger Delta region of the country has brought comfort to shipping and attributed same to the on-going cordial relationship between the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Nigerian Navy.

He further stated that the operation of Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) can only be guaranteed in an environment of peace, noting that these were very strategic assets for the nation’s economy.

He pointed out that NPA as part of its collaboration with the Navy procured fast moving security boats for the Navy which underscores Managements commitment to support its surveillance of the nation’s territorial waters.

for West African sub-region.

The LADOL boss stated this when the company hosted the management team of Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, NEPZA, led by its Managing Director, Gbenga Kuye. Jadesimi noted that at completion of all the clusters at the LADOL free trade zone, maritime and all other forms of industrial activities are expected to take place there.

This, she continued will led to increase in fabrication demand for Nigerdock and other companies involved in similar business in the country.

According to her, “the development we are doing here will increase the local demand for fabrication four folds. Now that we can receive Floating Production, Storage and Offloading, FPSOs, Service Support Boats in LADOL, that increases the demand for Nigerdock, Saipan, Avron, etc.

“You have a place located for vessels to berth, you have a location where all the fabrication pieces built throughout Nigeria are assembled, and that gives you an advantage and means that you can now begin to domestic these projects by not just 10, 15 or 20

percent but even 70 percent.

“70 percent domestication is what Brazil had and that is one of the things that drove Brazil to join the G20. So our location enables us to accommodate large vessels, it enables us to assemble manufactured pieces that can be manufactured all over the country. So all the yards in Nigeria will have increase demand because of the facilities in LADOL.” She pointed out that the facility is capable of handling the biggest vessels in the world and further said that the cashless process helped developed by the United State Trade and Development Agency, USTDA, makes transaction at the zone easier and faster.

NEPZA Managing Director, Gbenga Kuye, commended the management of LADOL for the level of development since his last visit over a year ago and noted that the facility would help in technology transfer and skill acquisition for Nigerians.

He expressed satisfaction with the level of work done so far at the facility and said that the project will open up direct, indirect and induced jobs.

HE National Associa tion of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF, has said that the rate of corruption in port operations in the country has increased drastically.

Making the claim in Lagos, Boniface Aniebonam, founder of the association, said that there is ambiguity in the port operating system, especially in Customs operations.

Aniebonam, who was a guest at the roundtable forum of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria, MARAN, stressed that there is “need for transparency in customs operations,” He said there is need for the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Alli (retd), to convene public hearing of stakeholders to deliberate on the issue of transparency and the way forward.

The NAGAFF founder pointed out that there is no uniform duty on the same item imported into the country from different ports, yet such goods find their way into the same market, creating advantage for some.

Body language According to him, “Corruption rate in port operation is higher now than before; the body language thing is no longer working.”

He said the rate of seizures of imported goods in the port is alarming and this is at a time when oil prices are sliding. He wondered why consignments cleared by Customs officers in the port are re-arrested by other Customs officers outside the port, resulting in the seizure of some of such goods, while the officers that released the goods in the first place are allowed to go unpunished.

He explained that the Customs law empowers the Service to collect additional revenue on any consignment that it does not confirm, wondering why Customs is seizing such goods and auctioning same for peanuts.

On the way forward, Aniebonam noted that Customs regulation of clearing agents should be done away with, the operational guideline of the Service should be streamlined and officers should be made to pay for any short fall on consignments they clear from the port. Although he blamed some of the problem on noncompliance by importers, he also frowned at the operational guideline of Customs.

VOL. 1: NO. 17

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22 , 2016

By Gbenga Olarinoye

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EWLY crowned Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, served another master stroke with his unscheduled visit to Oyo, last Sunday, to felicitate with Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi on the occasion of his 45th coronation anniversary.

The exit of the immediate past Ooni, Oba Okunade Sijuade in July last year, to many, foreclosed the slightest possibility of Oyo Empire reuniting with the source of the Yoruba race.

But the unassuming Ooni Ogunwusi, one of the youngest to be crowned monarch of the most important town in Yorubaland, is cleverly making mincemeat of many man-made encumbrances that had limited interactions between the throne of Oduduwa and its children across the globe.

Before the historic Oyo visit, Ooni Ogunwusi had shocked the world when he graced “Akoraye Day” held the last Saturday of 2015 to raise money for the development of Modakeke, a next door neighbour to Ife. The physical appearance of an Ooni within the confine of Modakeke town not only spoke volumes of how much Oba Ogunwusi cherishes peace, but it also underlined how much the big progenitor of Yoruba race now cares about his children, regardless of what might have transpired in the past.

Giving his opinion on the historic visit to Oyo after many years of frosty relationships between the two towns, Oba Ogunwusi, said he does not care what it will cost him to unite the Yoruba race.

Speaking through his Media Aide, Moses Olafare, in a statement issued on the historic visit to Oyo town Ooni Ogunwusi stated his readiness to work with Alaafin to unite the race.

The statement noted that Ooni, while speaking at the thanksgiving service to commemorate the anniversary explained that though he was not invited for the event, his major agenda since becoming the Ooni is to unite Yoruba sons and daughters all over the world.

The statement reads: “I am here today though not invited, but as the Arole Oduduwa, the onus is on me to felicitate with

Ooni’s visit to Alaafin:

What the Yoruba stand to benefit •Alaafin of Oyo and Ooni of Ife during the latter's visit to Oyo town all sons and daughters, wherever they are and to show my solidarity.

“I am ready to damn any consequences or insinuations from anywhere; my mission here is to preach peace among nations of Yoruba both home and abroad and I am ready to work with Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Olayiwola Adeyemi to project the unity and love which we believe is existing in days of our forefathers.”

Ooni of Ife who was accompanied to Oyo by about 100 monarchs across Yoruba land, expressed the belief that with the support of all royal fathers in Yoruba land, there will be unity in Nigeria and by extension there will be

unity and peace all over the world, adding: “Oduduwa is father of all nations and his spirit abides with all of us as the symbol of our progenitor.”

1937 visit Earlier in his remarks, Oba Olayiwola Adeyemi, who expressed joy over the presence of Ooni and all Obas in Yoruba land, maintained that "if monarchs in Yorubaland are united, there will be tremendous progress in Nigeria. This special visit was done last in March 1937, that was the first time the kings in Yorubaland met in Oyo town and today history was made with the visit of Arole Oodua Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II

This special visit was done last in March 1937, that was the first time the kings in Yorubaland met in Oyo town and today history was made with the visit of Arole Oodua Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II

IN THIS EDITION MILITARY PANEL: Plot attempt to dupe Fayose fails •Page 25

How complimentary card saved gov aspirant from kidnappers •Page 26

and I feel delighted to host you and to reassure you that I will be ready to work with you.

“I have a tight relationship with Ooni Adesoji Aderemi and I did not want to relent my bound with any Ooni of Ife that assumed the post but everybody has his own little differences”.

The statement said monarchs in the entourage of Ooni include, Orangun of Ila, Ajero of Ijero; Timi Of Ede, Akinrun of Ikinrun; Olu of Yewa, Alara of Aramoko; Oore of Otun and Alayemore of Efon Alaye among others.

The General Secretary of Ife Development Board IDB, Mr Kola Adetunbi, in his comment on the visit of Ooni Ogunwusi to Alaafin of Oyo, noted that the unity between the two royal fathers would end all the crises bedeviling the Yoruba nation.

He noted that the foundation of the crises in yorubaland today has its roots in the

Continues on page 24 C M Y K

24 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016

EKITI STATE

•Benedict Ola Idega and Abdulsalami Leader

MILITARY PANEL:

Plot to dupe Fayose fails We only used those documents to beat security so that we can get access to the governor. We didn’t have a sinister mission, nothing to achieve. We didn’t demand for money from the governor

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

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O Benedict Ola Idega and Abdulsalami Leader, who claimed to be President Muhammadu Buhari’s private security aides, exploiting Governor Ayo Fayose’s fear and anxiety over the outcome of the military probe into the alleged partisanship of its members in the 2014 Ekiti governorship election, as an avenue to make some money, was a done deal, but they got more than they bargained for.

The Governor out-smarted them, by personally handing them over to law enforcement agents in the state.

Governor Fayose, who had just returned from a week and half holiday in Dubai and had retired into the peace and serenity of his country home, Afao-Ekiti, was holding court with his political associates and members of the state executive council in the community, which is about 15 minutes drive from the state capital, when his attention was called to the presence of two strangers, who had come all the way from Abuja to see him with a strange and interesting proposal.

The two men claimed to be President Buhari’s private security aides and staff of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), with influence over the report of the military panel set up to probe the alleged partisanship of some military officers in the 2014/ governorship election in Ekiti and Osun.

The two men, claimed that they already have the preliminary report of the military panel and that with the cooperation of the governor, they could manipulate the final report, if necessary.

They also said the army panel report was targeted at some top army officers that the Federal Government wanted to punish.

Uncomfortable with the men’s claim and very suspicious of their real intention, Governor Fayose informed the State Commissioner of Police and Director of the State Service, and the former swung into action by stationing men of the State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on standby.

The two men, presented to Fayose, a purported photocopy of page three of the preliminary report to show that they meant business. The paper bore the logo of the Nigerian Army.

The governor led them on, with the impression that he was satisfied with all that they said and asked them to wait at his waiting room for him to show

appreciation.

He then called in the Commissioner of Police and DSS Director, who in turn asked their men to move in and arrest the two men.

The identity card found on Abdulsalami Leader H bore “GMB SECURITY” and it was stated at the back that he (Abdulsalami) is the security of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari with Number 34, Lobitto Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja as issuer ’s address and

088133636478 and 08057010255 as telephone numbers. Benedict Ola Idega was with identity card bearing Federal Capital Development Authority.

Some of the Governor’s aides who confided in South West Voice confirmed that the arrested fraudsters were actually agents of the Federal Government, sent to the state to feel the pulse of the governor, in case of any eventuality.

When the suspected fraudsters, who are currently facing charges at the magistrate court in the state, were being paraded by State Police Command two weeks ago, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Etop James told journalists that the document with the letterhead ‘Nigerian Army Force’ and a 57-page document ‘supposedly’ from the office of Special Adviser, Ethics and Values, were obtained under false pretences with intention to obtain money from Fayose.

“They confessed that they intended to defraud the governor. They confessed that they were formally employed as private security guards by one Abdullahi Maikano and were attached with the Muhammadu Buhari Campaign team during the political rally.

“Investigations into their activities are still ongoing while being tried in court to be able to get more evidence “, the CP pointed out.

While being interviewed by the Journalists, Benedict denied ever attempting to dupe Fayose, saying he was only in Ekiti on a mission to see the governor, which he said was successful.

“We only used those documents to beat security so that we can get access to the governor. We didn’t have a sinister mission, nothing to achieve. We didn’t demand for money from the governor. Our mission was just to see him,” asserted.

When asked why the governor got them arrested, if truly they were out to show him how to escape impeachment as being rumoured, Benedict said: “We had discussion with him and when he suspected that those documents were forged, he decided to call the police “.

At the Ado-Ekiti Magistrate Court last week, the Police preferred a two-count charge against the accused persons, which are conspiracy and forgery.

The presiding Magistrate, Idowu Ayenimo, ordered that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody pending the next adjournment date.

Ooni’s visit to Alaafin: What Yoruba stands to benefit Continues on page 26 disunity among the Yoruba traditional rulers adding that an end to all these crises will signal progress and rapid development in Yorubaland.

His words: “if our traditional rulers could close their ranks and fight for the unity of Yoruba race, it will be better

for our generation and generations yet unborn”.

Mr Adetunbi stated that currently the Yoruba race has no acceptable leader since the demise of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, adding that “it is high time we focused on the unity of Yoruba people rather than on what

can divide us”.

While commending Ooni Ogunwusi for taking the bold step of visiting Alaafin in his domain, Adetunbi stressed that there is urgent need for the Yoruba people to close ranks and fight on a common front as a nation.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016 —25

ONDO STATE

By Dayo Johnson

The interesting aspect of the kidnap saga was when the victim hid his complimentary cards which indicated that he is a governorship aspirant from his abductors so as not to pay huge ransom

T

HE abduction of the former Speaker of the Ondo state House of Assembly and the governorship aspirant of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Hon Victor Olabimtan barely 48 hours after he publicly declared his interest in the October governorship election was dramatic.

His abductors did not set out to kidnap him but they saw an ample opportunity and grabbed it.

The boys, many of them graduates, set out as armed robbers but after a successful operation, the eyes of one of them caught an exotic latest Model Toyota Jeep.

The armed robbers in military and Police uniforms there and then asked for the owner of the posh car having calculated that they could cash in on the opportunity and make some “ cool money.”

Olabimtan, who was a former member of the Federal civil Service Commission immediately owned up and that was how he was whisked away and ended up spending five days in their den. His family had to cough out N3m before he regained his freedom.

That was how the guys who set out as armed robbers suddenly migrated to become kidnappers a jiffy.

Three other persons were abducted alongside the former speaker on Kwali road in Abuja.

With four persons in their custody, they were sure of making some millions of naira that would last them for a while before they embark on another operation.

Incidentally, one of those abducted was the Ondo State Chairman of Muslim Welfare Board, Alhaji Abdulrashidi Ajifowowe, who was also traveling to Abuja in a separate vehicle on that ill fated day.

Olabimtan played a fast one on his abductors by hiding his identity from them. The kidnappers also never knew that they had a big fish in their custody.

When the issue of payment of ransom commenced they put a tab of N20m on his head only for the family to ask for a review downward. But the family later negotiated and paid N3m.

The kidnappers, according to Olabimtan, are unemployed graduates roaming the streets many years after graduation.

The interesting aspect of the kidnap saga was when the victim hid his complimentary cards which revealed his governorship candidate from his abductors so as not to pay huge ransom.

Narrating his experience exclusively to South West Voice at his Alagbaka GRA residence, Olabimtan said: “It was exactly 6:35pm, we got to a spot on Abuja road and I was hearing gun shots and the gun shots were so much and I asked my

How complimentary card saved gov aspirant from kidnappers •Victor Olabimtan narrating his ordeal after his release driver, what was happening .

“When I saw those who were shooting, they were in camouflage uniform of the army and the police, I thought it was the Police and the Army that were exchanging gun fire , it was later I discovered that they were armed robbers operating on the expressway.

“When they got to my vehicle, they asked for what I have and I gave them what was on me and they asked us to lay down and and said “where is Oga, where is Oga” and as they were saying where is Oga, they saw me where I was lying down beside the car ,

they said “na you be the owner of this car ” and I said yes because at that point, he was pointing a gun at my head and there was no way I would not own up.

“That is when they asked me to stand up and one of them started dragging me into the bush and when I wanted to resist, they gave me a dirty slap and I had to obey them and followed them.

"The following day one of them came to me and asked , “How much do you have” I said I don’t have money , he asked again, “How much is in your bank

account”? I said there is no money in my bank account that if you want to know, my phone is with you, bring my phone I can check my account there and you will see my balance there.

“He said okay, “Who do you know that can give you money to bail you out? “ He said my ransom is N20million, another person, they said his was N10million, another person , N5million.

“Then I asked, How can my own ransom be N20million, and they said “Na you be oga nah, you no see yourself, you no see the car wey we take you from, na you be Oga , say who you be

sef”.

“When we were in the bush in the night I discovered I had this my complimentary cards with the inscription “governorship aspirant” boldly written on. I had a rubber band, that has my picture and my name on it, I removed it and while we were still in the bush in the night, I cut some leaves and hid the complimentary cards underneath the leaves and left them there because I didn’t want them to know my identity, because if they knew they would prove very difficult and be requesting for a ransom of N100 million and that could be very disastrous.

“When they asked I said okay, I have people I can call, let me call my son. They said okay, they gave me my phone and said call your son, and what I did was that, when they gave me the phone, I was trying to send a message to my son instead of calling, they just took the phone from me .

“After sometime they came back, and said who do you want to call? I now gave them a number, they now called, the number and started negotiating, the only time they called my attention was when they said my family was not cooperating."

Ogun PDP Congresses: Kashamu, Bankole fight over structure

By Daud Olatunji

A

S the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogun State goes to the polls to elect its new leaders from the wards to local government and state levels, there seems to be unease within the camps of some power blocs in the party.

The PDP has about three power blocs struggling for either continuous control or total take over of the party in the state.

The power blocs are being led by the representing Ogun East Senatorial district and a chieftain of the party, Buruji Kashamu, former Speaker of House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole and the former

governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.

Now, the PDP is being controlled by Kashamu who successfully installed the outgoing executive of the party from the wards to the local government and state levels.

Barring a last minute change of mind, the PDP may hold its congresses February to usher in new leaders to paddle the canoe of the party for the next four years According to the PDP constitution, all National, Zonal, State, Local Government Area and Ward Officers of the Party shall hold office for a term of four years and shall be eligible for re-election for another term and no more.

“The election of National Officers shall be at the National Convention, while that of those at the lower levels shall be at the respective congresses”.

Chapter seven of the party constitution which dealth with mode of election of officers of the party stipulated that “the National Convention, the Zonal, State, Local Government Area and Ward Congresses shall meet to elect the officers of the party at the various levels of the party structure as specified in this constitution except in the Federal Capital Territory where officers of the party shall be elected based on geo-political zones. “ Every registered member of the party who has satisfied the

requirements for nomination and election under this Constitution, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or any other law, rules or regulations in force shall be eligible to contest for any of the offices of the party.

“The guidelines for elections to any office of the party shall be approved by the National Executive Committee of the party in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution”.

Meanwhile with the situation of things, only Kashamu and Bankole seem to be warming up for the forthcoming congresses as the Daniel

Continues on page 26

C M Y K

26— Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016

LAGOS STATE

By Monsuru Olowoopejo

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HE face-off between residents of Ibasa/Ijegun community, Oriade Local Council Development Area, LCDA and tank farms in the community has worsened, after the residents vowed to embark on a continued shutdown of the tank farms' operations until their demands are met.

Meantime, the residents under the aegis of Ibasa/Ijegun Egba Youths Movement alleged that the state government had compromised in its responsibilities, saying “the environmental agencies of the State have failed to yield to their demands to investigate the activities of the tank farms.”

The residents under the aegis of Ibasa/Ijegun Egba Concerned Youth Association recently, shutdown activities at the tank farms while protesting the continued pollution of the community by the tank farms.

Some of the tank farms are: Wosbab Energy Solutions, AA Rano, Star Oil, Emadep, First Deep Water Oil, Chipet Pure Energy Ltd, First Royal Oil and Mao petroleum among others.

Chairman of the Ibasa IjegunEgba Youth Association, Mr. Babatunde Akinyanmi, said that to avoid the crisis in the Niger Delta and the recent crisis that rocked the Lekki Free Zone,

Tank farms, Lagos community face-off lingers The environmental agencies of the State have failed to yield to their demands to investigate the activities of the tank farms

coming in of about 20 oil companies to the community in the last 10 years, "we have experienced oil spillage, environmental degradation, and deplorable roads due to movements of heavy trucks and tankers of the companies."

•Tank farm LFZ where the Managing Director of Lekki Worldwide, Mr. Tajudeen Disu, was killed, the oil companies must be ready to sign a fresh Memorandum of Understanding, MoU. He noted that the MoU signed

between the Community and management of First Deep Water tank farm, was signed on December 9, 2011, lamenting “but the tank farm has failed to comply with the MoU.” Akinyanmi explained that the

Ogun PDP Congresses: Kashamu, Bankole fight over structure Continues from page 25 camp seems to be indifferent to the congresses .

However, in his bid to take over the structure, Bankole has begun hosting party members across the state.

Bankole who organised a new year party under the aegis of Dimeji Bankole Movement for his loyalists in the party, warned that he may quit the party if the coming congresses are manipulated.

According to the former Speaker, I am still in PDP, if they repeat the same manipulation they did at the last congresses, we will react.

"The event in the next few months will determine our actions”.

But, in a bid to sustain his control of the party, Kashamu has inaugurated coordinators across the state.

Kashamu who played host to hundreds of party leaders and members at Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State, during an empowerment programme for PDP members in the state under his Omo Ilu Foundation, announced his plans to donate cars to all the coordinators numbering about 100 in the 20 local governments.

According to Kashamu, C M Y K

•Bankole

•Kashamu

five coordinators in each local government would be given cars while about 4000 people would be given various empowerment packs.

He however, denied any plan to manipulate the forthcoming congresses, saying, "the era of sitting in your room and writing the names of the delegates and executive members of the party has gone."

Kashamu also ruled out the idea of harmonisation and reconciliation of different emerging power blocs in the party.

He noted that each group should embark on massive mobilisation and sensitisation of their members ahead of the congresses.

Kashamu said he would not

be a party to any form of manipulation during the congresses, which would hold at ward, local government and state level.

He urged the leaders of the different power blocs to play by the rules of the party.

He said: “There is no need for any harmonisation of groups, let us not make that mistake. We can only come together after congresses. Let each group bring its candidates and allow voting to be done transparently.

“But the only thing I cannot do is to sit in my room and start writing names of the delegates and the executives from ward to the state level. It is not possible.”

MoU stated that whenever the company wants to recruit, the percentage of workers needed must be shared equally with the residents of the community.

“Infact, we have several graduates in the community, who are eligible to be employed in the farms.”

He alleged that the oil depots had not employed any of the youths in the community, adding that most of the promises made by the oil companies had not been fulfilled, stating that there is no Corporate Social Responsibility benefit for the communities.

According to him: “We have approached the oil companies on how to protect, restore and reverse land degradation and halt bio-diversity loss and create an agenda that will enhance prosperity for all as part of the new sustainable development goal 2015, United Nations(UN), climate change conference held on September 25 2015.”

Akinyanmi added that the youths have sent letters to all the oil depots within the community, stating that, the first letter was dated November 16, followed by 23rd and finally 30th November requesting for meetings between the youths and oil depots.

He lamented that since the

Memorandum of understanding Akinyanmi explained that the protest was to seek means of signing memorandum of understanding with the oil depots after several letters written to the companies to have talks on how to move the community forward proved abortive.

While lamenting the absence of schools, recreation centres and potable water in the community, the President said that they had approached the oil companies to see how they can end poverty, protect the environment and provide social amenities for the benefit of the community.

A resident of the community, Mr. Sunday Lawal, said that the poor state of the road was due to the activities of hundreds of tankers which ply the road daily, saying, “they have been using the road for years, but they are yet to give back to the host community.”

Responding, a manager of Wosbab Energy Solutions, said that the company was deliberating on the issue and would soon be meeting with the host community.

He noted that the companies were aware of their obligations (CSR) to the community and have concluded plans to invite their representatives for a meeting.

THE TEAM EDITOR: Adeleke Adeseri 08054682557 (sms only) CORRESPONDENTS: Ola Ajayi Gbenga Olarinoye Dayo Johnson Dapo Akinrefon Daud Olatunji Olasunkanmi Akoni Rotimi Ojomoyela Monsuru Olowoepejo

Ibadan Osogbo Akure Lagos Abeokuta Lagos Ekiti

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016 — 27

Compiled by Richard Okotie 1 1 6759 759 081 6759759 08

Distraught Geoffrey Edelsten complains to Police claiming wife Gabi Grecko launched ‘blackmail’

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ISTRAUGHT businessman Geoffrey Edelsten has complained to Melbourne police claiming estranged wife Gabi Grecko attempted to extort $35,000 by threatening to expose naked pictures of him. The 72-year-old late last year discussed the allegations with police

officers saying he received emails from the 26-year-old Maxim model in New York demanding US $25,000 ($35,000 AUS) in return for naked pictures he says she took of him in bed and showering.

He says police are examining the authenticity of emails sent demanding cash before they are able to lay a charge against the Miamiborn bombshell.

The Melbourne-based former medic told Daily Mail Australia: ‘She [Gabi] has been trying to blackmail me from America and I won’t have it. ‘She says she has taken naked pictures of me taken without my knowledge for blackmail purposes and will expose them unless I give her $35,000.

‘Unfortunately, charges have not yet been laid as there has been some confusion about the address the emails have been sent from. He

added: ‘I don’t know when she took them because I mostly always wear underwear in bed, I like Bonds.

‘It’s blackmail and is giving me sleepless nights and has left me very upset indeed.’ Gabi, however, maintains she hasn’t sent any emails to her ex insisting they have not been in touch since they split in September.

Geoffrey says that on 12 November she emailed him saying she needs money and is in debt. ‘When I was in Los Angeles several weeks ago she asked me for 1,500 US dollars because she was struggling to make ends meet and I transferred the money to her via MoneyGram.

‘At that stage I thought we were back together, but clearly this was a lie to get me to give her money and what husband wouldn’t want to take care of his wife? I just don’t know what to believe anymore.’

Chinese woman’s secret lover spends the night on a narrow ledge seven floors up after climbing out the window to escape her angry husband

A

MAN in China spent the night on a narrow ledge seven floors up when his lover’s husband came home early.

He escaped out of the apartment window in Shishi, Fujian Province, in the early hours so that the unknowing spouse didn’t catch them out.

The cheating wife only called the fire service to rescue her stranded lover once her husband had left for work the next morning.

The man originally denied knowing how he had come to be on the ledge, reports Yahoo! News, but the cheating wife soon confessed.

She admitted to bringing the man home as her husband was away on a business trip.

However they were very nearly caught out when he unexpectedly came home early.

Luckily for the man, he was fully clothed when the husband returned, and so he didn’t get too chilly out on the ledge. According to a fire brigade spokesman, the man had ‘been

Desperate single men wanted

C M Y K

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drinking a fair amount’ which may have given him the courage to jump from the window to the ledge during his escape. But when he had sobered up by the morning, ‘he realised it would be extremely foolish to attempt to climb back [into the flat]’ said the spokesman.

For several hours the man managed to crouch between a couple of air-conditioning units on the

WO university students have generated a lot of attention by publicly advertising to be ‘rent-a-girlfriend’ to single men in need of love and affection.

The unnamed girls put on the popular stunt on January 2 while visiting the shores of West Lake in Hangzhou, east China, one of the countries’ major tourist destinations, according to People’s Daily Online.

Holding up signs for hundreds of visitors to see, the women

narrow ledge until his lover’s husband had left for work. The unfaithful wife then called the fire brigade who came to his rescue. When the firemen were unable to rescue him with a ladder, they attached a rope to him and pulled him back through the window to safety.

offered multiple ‘accompanying services’ including going to the movies, shopping and dinner dates for an unspecified monetary price.

When asked by passers-by, the pair claimed to be business-savvy students who wanted to make some extra income in their spare time. Seeing a gap in the market for single men in desperate need of female company, they figured that offering themselves as temporary girlfriends would do

the trick. West Lake was packed with visitors over the four-day New Year holiday last week and the girls took their chance with the big crowds, with pictures of their antics going viral on social media.

Many commenters on Weibo were quick to praise the beauty of the girls as well as their gogetting attitude and entrepreneurial spirit, with many offering to pay for the specified services.

28—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016

BUDGET: N795m for website update a fraud—Rep

By Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

A

BUJA—SOME members of the House of Representatives, yesterday, poured condemnation on alleged ostentatious items in the 2016 budget proposals of the Federal Government, saying it was incompatible with the frugal claims of the new administration.

The lawmakers also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to apologise to Nigerians for the embarrassment the country suffered in the eyes of the international community over the alleged smuggling of 2016 budget into the National Assembly.

The members spoke during

contributions to the debate on the general principles of the budget presented by President Buhari.

Making his contribution on the floor of the House, the member representing Egor, Ikpoba, Okha Federal Constituency of Edo State, Johnson Agbonayinma, said he did not see the first budget that was laid before the House on December 22, 2015 by President Buhari.

He said it was his right to know the contents of the first budget document and the second one and that the President should apologise to the nation over the embarrassment the alleged smuggling of the budget document caused the country,

adding that the budget had made a mockery of the country.

Although, he was interrupted by the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, who presided over the plenary during the budget debate, Agbonayinma contended that it was a ‘monumental fraud’ for a supposedly frugal administration to earmark about N800 million to update the website of the villa.

He also wondered the rationale behind the budgeting of N322,421,971 million to link cables from the drivers’ rest room to another section of the Villa and yet another N213,873,957 to link cables from the Villa Guest House to the General House.

He told Vanguard: “He is our President, so he should apologise because major TV stations like CNN, Aljazera are

talking about Nigerians; castigating us.”

Also commenting on the budget, Julius Pondi, representing Burutu Federal Constituency of Edo State, said the 2016 budget would not be realistic even as he described it as unfriendly.

Pondi wondered why the government should budget N4 billion on Aso Rock Clinic even when the few privileged Nigerians working there always travelled out for medical treatment.

For Segun Adekola, government should have included the recovered funds as funding window in the budget.

He said: “Everyday we hear that money is being recovered, this should be part of the funding of the budget.”

Edo professionals fault tribunal on Etsako West ruling

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ENIN—A group, League of Young Edo Professionals, LEYEP, has faulted the Election Petitions Tribunal and Appeal Court ruling, which sacked Mr. Gowon Jerry as member representing Etsako West 11 Constituency in Edo State House of Assembly.

The group noted that the replacement of Jerry of All Progressives Congress, APC, with Mr. Sylvanus Eruaga of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on technical issues and not on electoral malpractice or loss of votes was a great disservice to the people of the constituency, who endured harsh weather conditions and intimidation to cast their votes.

In a statement by its Secretary-General, Dr. O s a t o h a m w e n Nosakhare, the League noted that it stood reason on its head for the tribunal to declare a candidate, who garnered 4,001 votes, winner against that of a candidate that polled 14,373 votes.

It said: “The league of Young Edo Professionals finds it discomfiting that the Tribunal relied on mere technicalities to annul the 14,373 votes legitimately won by Mr. Gowon Jerry and rather gave victor y to Mr. Sylvanus Eruagha, who polled just 4,001 votes.

“While we admit that APC may have erred as it failed to meet the required 21-day set by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to hold its primaries, we make bold to say that the candidate who went through the full electoral process should not have been made to suffer the negligence of a few.

“The reliance on technicalities to nullify the 14,373 votes freely given to Gowon Jerry by the good people of Etsako West II constituency is, therefore, a travesty of justice.”

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016— —29

The President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

Sir,

OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT

W

E the people of Okerenkoko Federated Communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State thereby wish to express our gross disappointment over the recent recommendation made to the National Assembly by Chief Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transport, Federal Republic of Nigeria to scrap the Nigerian Maritime University (NMU) Okerenkoko for reasons not clear to any reasonable citizen of the Niger Delta.

Suffice to say that the Nigerian 1999 Constitution in Chapter Two under the Fundamental Objectives and Directives Principles of State Policy, specifically Section 18 highlights the importance of provisions of Education to its citizens by the government.

It is based on this constitutional provisions and the negative multiplier effects that scrapping the school for non tangible reasons that we hereby condemned in totality the statement of the Honourable Minister as we view it as a deliberate attempt to undermine the peace loving people of Gbaramatu Kingdom whose natural wealth is being use for the daily running of the entire country.

We dare say that the Minister of Transport’s proposal to scrap NMU which is the only visible project capable of brining unquantifiable development to the people of the South South region from the last administration and therefore not unacceptable.

Permit us to pontificate that almost 50% of construction works for Lecture Theatres, Classrooms, Administrative blocks have been completed as at the time of writing this letter. Note also, that the formation of this school scaled all the requisite hurdles by the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) before it was certified to take off.

The last administration in their wisdom who knew the value of peace over conflict in the Niger Delta granted license for the establishment of the school had intentioned the maximum benefits of the school in training senior man power for the Marine Sector of the Nigerian economy which hitherto being undertaken abroad.

We know that if the school had been in place, several beneficiaries of the Amnesty Programs who have been sent abroad for training would have been trained in this school, thereby saving the Federal Government a huge chunk of its resources.““ ““As the first University to be sited in the riverine areas who are producers of the national wealth, it is therefore evil for the school to be recommended for scrapping just to score political points. We can say with authority that it is the only maritime university in the country and it is sited in the appropriate location The call for scrapping of the school is political, and an evil way of paying the people whose natural resources is being used to run the country and also to

see Gbaramatu people as enemy of the Nigerian state.

The recommendation by the Honourable Minister is a subtle way of declaring war or undermining the contribution and importance of the Gbaramatu people to national development.

It will be a waste of time to enumerate the uncountable positive effects that the school will have on the development of the region vis-à-vis the gains by the marine sector in terms of supply of qualified manpower. The recommendation can therefore be generally viewed as a call to anarchy because of the negative multiplier effects such actions will produce in the long run.

We are therefore calling on the President and the National Assembly to jettison such recommendation and prevailed on the Minister of Transport to rescind his decision because the school is not only in the interest of Okerenkoko people of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta State and even the entire Niger Delta region alone.

Suffice to ask, why is the government scrapping it? Is it because it was approved by the last administration? Is it because it was set up in Gbaramatu Kingdom against several interests?Assuming President Muhammadu Buhari sets up a University in the North and his tenure elapsed, does that warrant scrapping the institution?

The Minister who says that no one will go there to school, is Port-Harcourt safer than Delta State? Without prejudice, Port Harcourt is more porous security wise than Delta State. Is the Minister trying to create more problems in this country? Are there no security problems in where the Minister comes from? With all the security problems in Port-Harcourt, has it stopped people from schooling there?

If the reasons given by the Minister for the recommendation for the scrapping of the school is to be adopted it means by now, NNPC, the three refineries, NOSDRA, Custom, FRSC, and many other agencies of the government would have be scrapped for failing to meet up to standard at one time or the other.

The Ijaws of Niger Delta, the Ijaws of Gbaramatu, are peace loving Nigerians who have contributed and sacrificed so much to the development of this country and should not be treated as conquered people.

We will advise the Honourable Minister as a public servant to put aside his personal anger with certain persons in the Niger Delta region and think of developing the region. He should as a matter of fact visit the permanent site to assess the level of work done personally before making recommendations and not based on hearsay of his party members in the area.

We guarantee to continue to contribute our quota to national development anytime as we promise to protect the institution and watch it blossom to achieving the said purpose.

Signed by:

Comrade Ernest Bebenimibo

Chief James Tangbowei,

Joel Ekpebide,

Secretary

Chairman

P.R.O

30—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016

IMMUNISATION:

Putting an end to vaccine-preventable deaths

By Josephine Agbonkhese & Anino Aganbi

N

EWBORNS inherit specific antibodies from their mothers, which help them fend off a galaxy of diseases.

Experts however say that from six months of age, these antibodies start to diminish and by the time a child is one-yearold, would have completely disappeared.

In the ideal situation, babies should start to make their own antibodies, as they increasingly become susceptible to diseases such as poliomyelitis, measles, diphtheria, serotype b infection, hepatitis, meningitis, mumps, pertussis, rebella, tetanus, tuberculosis, yellow fever, ad nauseam.

Hence the need to immunize them with vaccines that would strengthen this immunity, especially as immunisation has been identified as the most effective intervention for protecting babies from infectious diseases, after access to clean water and breastfeeding.

Unfortunately, approximately 30% of children who are signed up for routine immunization from birth, in Nigeria, never complete the schedule. Not to mention the millions of children born out of hospital, who never get signed up.

Needless deaths This hasn’t been without consequences, ranging from life-changing diseases and impairments, to even death.

Albeit progress is being made with increased awareness and more children maintaining their schedules, the gap already created still remains outrageously wide and as such, Nigeria still remains the second largest contributor to under–five mortality rate in the world.

According to the United Nations Children Fund, UNICEF, the country loses about 2,300 under-five year olds every single day with 22 per cent of these deaths caused by vaccine-preventable diseases.

Why mothers shun, skip immunization

It is not exactly clear why some mothers do not adhere religiously to their child’s immunization schedule even though these vaccines are said to be administered free-ofcharge, thanks to international and local NGOs and the Nigerian government itself.

However, factors such as ignorance, religious belief, and poor access to health facilities (in the case of rural dwellers) seem to play a major counterproductive role against aggressive immunisation campaigns done over the years.

“I once had a friend who was advised by her mother not to immunize her children because she believed government was using it to

Unfortunately, approximately 30% of children who are signed up for routine immunization from birth, in Nigeria, never complete the schedule

check child-bearing”, a middle-aged woman who spoke on anonymity told Lipstick.

But in the case of urban dwellers, ‘negligence’ caused mostly by ‘forgetfulness’, takes the upper hand, as a literate fabric merchant confessed.

“Most times, I forget the date of immunisation.

When my child was three-month-old for example, I entirely did not remember she was due for immunisation, and the date passed. I eventually took her for that vaccine the following month.

“I’ve however learned to keep her immunisation card within reach, so I don’t forget.”

50% of mothers interviewed also revealed to Lipstick that

An infant undergoing immunization

they had missed at least two immunisation schedules.

An intervention by current President Muhammadu Buhari is however working to ensure 100% compliance by deploying a software, Wemunize.

Wemunize is an automated immunisation scheduling and

notification platform which reminds and persuades mothers (and their relatives) to keep to their child’s immunisation schedule using sms and robocalls. Its level of reach and reliability however remain to be ascertained, especially as access to mobile

phone, and even telecommunication network, remain big dreams for most rural dwellers, and also some urban dwellers.

Undue charges: Contrary to the Federal Government’s intention however, another Continues on page 31

Out-of-hospital birth, a major challenge —Bolaji Margaret, Researcher Associate Researcher, United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, and radio presenter, Bolaji Margaret is working assiduously to enlighten young girls in Northern Nigeria on immunisation, as well as reproductive health issues.

She shares her experience in this telephone interview.

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OW would you score the awareness about immunisation in your part of the country?

I reside basically in Zaria, and in most of its communities, girls are married off after primary school. In fact, recently, a man here gave out his eight and ten year old daughters for marriage. So, majority of them understand absolutely nothing about HIV, puberty, family planning, immunisation and much more, by time they get married. Even while teaching

them about family planning, because of their sensitivity, we restrict our lectures to issues around menstruation. We still often get accused of teaching them promiscuity. Now, what we do is involve the boys and men, as well as traditional leaders in the community. …and what’s their attitude toward child immunisation like?

Fairly commendable, especially with the ones that have passed through Safety, our girls’ club. They now understand what it means to attend antenatal, post natal and even go for immunisation. They also in turn disseminate this information to their families and communities.

Prior to the arrival of the Safety Club, what was the situation?

The infant-maternal mortality rate was Continues on page 31

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016—31

Right girl, wrong dress NO doubt, 2015 was a good year for fashion and style, but not without a few slips. Here are the most outrageous…

nightie for this event. Worse still, she paired the hideous dress with platforms, chunkifying her look even further. The big, careless hair did not

help matters, and didn’t someone hint her dark colours work better for ladies of size?

Verdict: Fire the stylist

1

. Annie Idibia- African Magic Viewers’ Choice Award Beautiful better half of pop veteran Tuface Idibia turned up at the screen event in a strange coloured evening dress that looked cheap, tacky and definitely borrowed, considering that the length was far too much. Her nice, athletic figure popping out of it screamed “wrong”, not to talk of the hideous accessories. Verdict: Change the stylist, period!

Can a woman rape a man?

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2

. Bukky Wright- Headies Sweet siren of the Yoruba screen Bukky Wright did well to turn out at the last Headies awards, but she might well have stayed home for all the damage her maroon outfit must have done her rep.

Verdict: perhaps planning well ahead could save the day on the next occasion.

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. Banke Meshida LawalFifty Lagos premiere After making all the ladies gorgeous, the make up artist then forgot to get out of her

•Annie Idibia

•Banke Meshida Lawal

•Bukky Wright

IMMUNISATION: Putting an end to vaccine-preventable deaths Continues from page 30 mother resident in Lagos who simply identified herself as Mrs Okafor, revealed that one reason some mothers do not adhere strictly to immunisation schedules is financial constraints.

“In public health facilities, it is not totally free as claimed. I use Igando General Hospital and there, mothers are mandated to pay a N100 for hand gloves and an extra fee ranging from N100 upward for the cost of transporting the vaccines to the hospital. They claim government does not make provisions for that,” Mrs Okafor said.

Nurses’ nonchalance The attitude of nurses is also said to be a deterrent.

A nurse and mother told Lipstick:

“When you go to government hospitals and see how their nurses’ handle these things with levity, you would not be encouraged to go back for the other appointments.

Poor vaccine storage As a trained nurse and also a nursing mother, I could not take my baby to the hospital where I work because of distance, so, I went to a nearby government hospital.

“There, I discovered that the vaccines, which should have been refrigerated, were stored in coolers without ice, which is even risky on children being immunized.

“The carelessness on the part of nurses discourages you from taking your baby for these vaccines. You would even discover that vaccines that should be given to babies between the ages of six months and above are not administered because

they are not made available by God knows who.”

While there is need for further investigation into the storage of vaccines once they arrive health centres, the disposition of health personnel, however, does not negate the importance of strict adherence to routine immunisation. In fact, progress achieved with poliomyelitis stands as an excellent example of the enormous benefits of immunisation. Nigeria which was one of the only three polio endemic countries worldwide, last year, celebrated one year without a new case of the Wild Polio Virus, WPV. That’s not all.

The country stands to receive the World Health Organisation, WHO, polio-free certification in a couple of months if this progress is maintained.

Out-of-hospital birth, a major challenge Continues from page 30 outrageous. Of course, this has reduced. Out-ofhospital birth has also not helped but the challenge is that majority of the women practicing this do so on their mother or mother-in-laws’ advice, on the claim that they had their own children right there in the house.

Their fathers and husbands also insist on this on the argument that a male doctor will attend to them at the hospital.

Is access to health facilities a problem?

It should be a factor because only two of out of the

nine communities here have primary healthcare centres. Those from the other seven communities have to go through a 30 to 1 hour drive to access these health centres.

Proportion of women going for child immunisation Though this is on the increase, compared to the number of infants in the communities, it is insignificant. More still needs to be done to improve awareness and ensure more mothers adhere to immunisation schedules.

HENEVER rape is mentioned, the picture that comes to mind is that of a man having sexual intercourse with a woman without her consent. That is why laws and policies often seek to protect women against men.

For example, S. 258 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011 states that any man who has unlawful sexual intercourse with a woman or girl without her consent is guilty of an offence called rape and is liable to imprisonment for life.

This section makes it clear that it is only men and not women that can commit “the offence called rape”. On other hand, Section 259 of the same law defines sexual assault by penetration using the words “any person” who penetrates sexually any opening in the body of another person with apart of his body or anything else without consent is guilty of a felony and liable to life imprisonment.

This is what the law says. Practically, can a woman physically overpower a man and sexually assault him by penetrating an opening in his body? Can a female force a male to have sexual intercourse with her?

Health related treatment Sometime last year three Zimbabwean women were charged with raping about 17 men at gun point. They were accused of using drugs and keeping the men’s sperm in condoms for health related treatment.

Similarly in Mexico, a woman was said to have tied up a burglar and kept him as a sex slave for 3 days.

While more women report cases of rape and sexual assault, it is not uncommon to hear stories of young boys who were seduced by their older female domestic servants.

In this case, it is called statutory rape and is recognized under the law as a crime.

However, older female bosses are also blackmailing younger male employees into having a sexual relationship with them.

Some of these women drug these younger male employees and force them to have sexual intercourse.

A man raped by a fellow man finds it difficult to tell the story. Just as female survivor of rape is stigmatized by the society, a male survivor who was raped by another male is also stigmatized.

Can a woman rape a man? If yes, will he be able to talk about it? Can a man be aroused against his will? Can his arousal be interpreted as consent?

What do you think? Please send your comments to Lipstickmc@yahoo.com

32 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016 with

PRINCE OSUAGWU

08050498513 princeosuagwu@gmail.com

to S O x i em R n o O N y t i C v i t TE duc o r p e g chan PCs Android

Customers thronging the new iFlux store

iFLUX set to illuminate Nigeria at reduced cost

By Prince Osuagwu & Laju Iren HE Light Emitting Diode, LED technology was a major talking point at the 2015 global climate conference held in Paris for obvious reasons. LED lights are not only environment friendly, but have a reputation of long life and low power consumption. It is no wonder then that at the Paris conference, world leaders revealed plans to install ten billion LED bulbs across various countries of the world. Only recently, the Lagos State Government also intensified efforts to adopt this new technology into the state through the Light Up Project, an initiative aimed at providing adequate illumination across the state as promised by the state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode,during the 2015

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gubernatorial elections.

Hong Kong based LED company, iFLUX seems to have got the ‘LED memo’ as it recently opened its flagship store in the country at Alaba international market, Lagos. The company is already making a statement as it is the first lighting brand in Africa to focus on premium LED lighting products with two years warranty.

Modern light designs The store opening showcased iFLUX range of high end LED light products, which the company boasts is stylishly crafted by some of the world's best engineers in modern light designs and attendees to the event expressed their satisfaction with the products in-store.

The Alaba international market store is just a starting point for iFLUX as it plans to open at least ten (10) more chains of similar iFLUX brand stores across Nigeria in 2016. Speaking at the store opening, the Managing Director and Marketing chief of iFLUX, Mr Teddy Lee, said the brand hopes to help provide better lighting for hard working Nigerians and the rest of Africa.

His words: " A lighted Africa is achievable and that is what our focus is at iFLUX and we're glad to say today that we are doing that now and we'll continue to do so into the future." In terms of economic sense, iFLUX products are the way to go. Take for instance in Nigeria today, the rising cost of self-power generation and monthly energy bills are putting an already weakened middle class back at the fringes.

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NDROID is arguably one of world’s most used operating system (OS). With over 1.6 million mobile apps at the fingertips of users, the operating system cuts the bug among mobile smartphone makers.

However, so many people still consider it to be best suited for consuming rather than creating content -an all play, no work platform.

When it comes to PC-level productivity most people rely on the WindowsorMac operating systems that traditionally power the desktops and notebooks that are used to get real computing tasks done. So, simply put for most people, productivity should have a desktop feel to it.

That yearning was answered to, recently when Tecno mobile debuted with Remix OS. The platform combines Android ecosystem with desktop productivity features Remix OS combines the familiarity and power of a desktop operating system with all of the apps in the Google Play Store Remix OS is designed to be familiar to desktop or laptop users because it has a Start menu command for apps, a taskbar interface, the ability to have multiple re-sizeable windows, and all the keyboard shortcuts that are used on a PC. CES 2016:Jide Technology showcases TECNO as a partner, furthering the opportunity to connect the next one billion users.

LG offers 10-year warranty on core-tech home appliances

By Laju Iren

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LG Twin Wash

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HILE some brands might be struggling to meet up with the oneyear warranty norm, some others seem to be going ten steps further. LG electronics for example, says that the core technologies in some of its home appliances are now backed up with 10-year warranty. First of its kind in home appliance category in Nigeria, the products with 10 years warranty include the refrigerators with inverter linear and smart inverter compressors, chest freezer, washing machines with inverter direct drive motor, charcoal lighting heater in charcoal microwave and cordless vacuum cleaner with smart inverter motor. General Manager, Home Appliances Division, LG Electronics, West Africa operations Mr. Hyunwoo Jung commenting on this feat said: “At LG, we understand that durability is just as important as strong performance. A large range of our products are backed by 10-year warranty, ensuring worry-free operation year after year.

LG Electronics is the first electronic brand in Nigeria to offer a decade-long warranty of reliability on a large gamut of its product

offerings. The 10 year warranty offering covers only specific parts of the selected products from the date of purchase”.

LG’s revolutionary Inverter Linear Compressor which enables the refrigerator to consume 32 percent less energy and produce 25 percent less noise. Employing a linear piston drive instead of a conventional reciprocating drive, LG’s advanced Inverter Linear Compressor generates less internal friction than other compressor systems.

Compressor systems The LG game changing Smart Inverter Compressor technology has set a new standard in the industry helping to make lives smarter and better. It has taken a revolutionary leap in compressor technology.

The smart inverter compressor is one of the most advanced and energy efficient compressor. The LG Chest Freezer is the only brand in the market with 10 year warranty on its compressor; one of its unique features is the 3D cooling; these features enables even and fast circulation of cool air

inside the freezer due to the in-built fan. The LG Inverter Direct Drive Motor washing machine allows precise movement control insides the washing machine due to direct rotation of the blushless motor inserted into the drum directly unlike the conventional type that has belt connection between the motor and drum, this new innovation offers consumer’s energy saving, less noise and vibration and a durability of 10 year.

LG Cordzero vacuum cleaner is a powerfully designed cleaner employing smart inverter motortoguaranteemaximumperformancewith high efficiency and durability in compact size.

LG’s Lightwave Technology equate cooking with an art giving a natural deep even cooking within a shorter time and saves up to 55% time and 30% energy while pre-heating all this and preserving the nutrition to ensure it gives healthy food. Charcoal Lighting heater Microwave with Lightwave technology offers a multi-heating system designed to cook healthier, tastier, gourmet-standard food with the minimum of fuss. By letting food retain its natural flavors, Lightwave oven makes dishes that are crispy on the outside and irresistibly juicy on the inside.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016—33

I remain Bayelsa Assembly Speaker —Benson

By Joseph Erunke

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BUJA—CONTRARY to reports that he has stepped down as Speaker of Bayelsa State House of Assembly following an alleged court judgment to that effect, Mr Konbowei Benson, has said that he remains the Speaker.

He described as “untrue and a lie of the highest order,” a claim that an Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, had on December 9, 2015, nullified his election into the state Assembly.

Addressing newsmen, yesterday, Benson insisted that he was not only still the Speaker of Bayelsa Assembly, but also the member representing Southern Ijaw Constituency 4.

Benson, who noted that the said judgment was delivered in his favour, added that he had sufficient proofs to that effect.

The lawmaker stressed that contrary to interpretations from his political opponent, there was no enrolment order from the court asking him to vacate his seat.

He also said that there was no order that he should meet the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for a different date for election as

being alleged by his political opponents.

He said, “INEC has not informed me of any notice of enrolment or whatever that they have also received. There is nothing.”

Benson described the alleged judgment against him as just a purported claim by a party with the intention to cause confusion.

“The falsehood being circulated in the social,

electronic and print media by members of the APC should be disregarded as it represents the desperate ambition and interest of only the peddlers of this falsehood.

“What transpired in the open court was that the case was dismissed for lack of merit by the presiding Judge of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ejembi Eko represented by Justice Muhammed Garba.

“This judgment was

delivered in the presence of several lawyers, including my lawyers, lawyers of INEC, that of the APC and several others who were in the court for other matters on December 9, 2015.

“Therefore, a judgment delivered in the open court could not have been given a counter judgment secretly and handed over only to the lawyers of the APC who are in possession of this purported judgment.”

VISIT: From left: Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru Usani; Minister of State, Prof. Claudius Daramola, and President, Ijaw Youth Council, Udengs Eradiri, during the visit of leaders of the council to the ministry, in Abuja.

Court vacates bench warrant against Rep

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN—AN Edo State High Court sitting in Benin, yesterday, granted bail to House of Representatives member, representing Etsako federal constituency of Edo State, Mr Philip Shauibu.

Trial judge, Justice Esther Ikponmwen, had last week issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the All Progressives Congress, APC, lawmaker after he failed to appear in court last week.

Shuaibu was charged before the court in 2013 by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, over alleged false tax declaration.

However, Shuaibu, who appeared in court yesterday with his lawyer, Mr Ken Mozia, explained that he was held up by traffic gridlock at Lokoja, Kogi State, for over four hours after he left Abuja 4a.m., in order to meet the court proceedings.

His counsel, Mozia, apologised to the court and appealed that the bench warrant issued last Thursday be vacated since his client’s failure to appear in court last Thursday was not deliberate.

Justice Ikpomnwen, after listening to the counsel of the accused, vacated the bench C M Y K

warrant and granted the lawmaker N3 million bail with a surety resident in Edo State.

She, however, dropped the

state Commissioner of Works, Mr. Osarodion Ogie, as surety to the accused, explaining that “I don’t like when lawyers practicing or

not practicing stand as sureties for people. So, I will request the accused to get another surety to stand in for his bail.”

Delta lawmaker commends Okowa on youth empowerment

By Festu Ahon

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SABA—A member of Delta State House of Assembly, Mr Daniel Yingi, has commended the state governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, for his commitment to the empowerment of youths of the state to be entrepreneurs through his SMART agenda.

Yingi, who represents Burutu 1 constituency, in a statement in Asaba, said that the Delta Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme, STEP and Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurs Programme, YAGEP, were designed to make youths selfemployed and job creators in the state.

The lawmaker, who is the chairman, House Committee on Environment, Oil and Gas, noted that the 771 youths who graduated as the first set of trainees of the STEP and

YAGEP programmes have been provided the ladder to climb to greatness, particularly with the provision of starter packs to enable them take off effectively.

Yingi said empowerment

and mentoring programmes were key to the prosperity agenda of the state government and congratulated the graduates for successfully completing the training programme.

Okowa urged not to scrap Oleh campus of DELSU

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HE Chairman, Ellu Town Union, Warri branch, Mr Thomas Omoviye, has appealed to Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, not to take action on the purported scrapping of the Oleh campus of Delta State University, Abraka.

Omoviye, who addressed newsmen in Warri, lamented that the negative effect of such an action cannot be quantified in terms of

infrastructure and financial loss, stressing the importance of the satellite campus in Oleh to Delta South senatorial district and the Isoko nation.

Omoviye expressed worry over the matter, even as he warned that the move will do more harm than good, as the Oleh campus, constitutes the Faculties of Law and Engineering, which were among the most valuable faculties of the university.

Pipeline bombings: Ijaw, Itsekiri not ready for another crisis —Biukeme

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By Lucky Oji

JAW leader and former governorship candidate in Delta State, Chief Afro Biukeme, has warned that the Ijaw and Itsekiri were not ready to be involved in a fresh crisis over the recent pipeline bombings by suspected militants in Warri South- West Local Government Area of the state.

Biukeme, in a statement yesterday in Warri, said that most victims of the then Warri crisis have not recovered from the losses they suffered, therefore, any individual or group instigating a fresh crisis must desist forthwith.

He said: ”As leaders, we should be concerned about how to proffer lasting solutions to the continued sufferings faced by our people because many of our Ijaw and Itsekiri riverine communities are lacking basic amenities such as roads, potable water, schools, hospitals, among others” Biukeme also expressed dissatisfaction over the inability of Delta State Government to provide adequate security for lives and property in the state, as the cases of kidnappings, killings and robbery were threatening the peace and economic development of the state.

Ijaw youths celebrate Evah’s degree in Law

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JAW youths in Lagos have described the law degree bagged by Comrade Joseph Evah during the recent convocation of the National Open University, as an inspiration to the younger generation.

According to the youths, it will encourage the younger ones to see education as the best legacy.

Speaking at a youth event which Evah attended in his graduation robe, the President of Ijaw Youth Development Association, IYDA, Mr. Eperetei Fiyebo, saluted Evah's courage for finding time to pursue his degree programme in the university despite his very busy schedule as an activist.

He said: “We thought that with Evah’s achievement as a former journalist, he would not bother himself to study further, but today, with this degree in Law, his determination has proved us wrong.”

34 — VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016

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VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016— —35

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36—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016

BRUTALISED JOURNALIST: From left—Victim, Mr. Yomi Olomofe; National President, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Alhaji Waheed Odusile; Chairman, NUJ, Lagos Council, Mr. Deji Elumoye, and NUJ Lagos council lawyer, Mr. Jiti Ogunye, during the briefing on last year's assault on Mr. Olomofe at Seme border post of Nigerian Customs, at Ladi Lawal Press Centre, Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: Bunmi Azeez.

GOV AREGBESOLA: From left— National President, Jama'at Ta'awun Muslimeen, Sheik Daood Imran Molaasan; Professor Olosupo Oladipo; Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State; Head, South Africa Committee in World Assembly of Muslim Youth, MAMY, Abdulrahman AlJammami, and Provost, Al-Hummah College of Education, Dr. Qosim Muhammed Tijani, during a visit to the governor in Osogbo.

VISIT: Senator Oluremi Tinubu (left) and Ambassador of Finland to

Nigeria, Pirjo Suomela-Achowdhury, during the envoy's visit in Abuja.

WEDDING: Senator Theodore Orji (right), Attorney General of Abia State, Umeh Kalu (2nd left) and other guests at the wedding ceremony of Umeh's daughter, Nnnena, at Grace Villa, Okigwe Ohafia Abia State.

VISIT: Ondo State All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship aspirant, Dr. Michael Abraham (middle), presenting a cheque of one million Naira to the Senior Girl of Otun Ireti School for the Handicap, Ikare Akoko, Ondo State, Esther Gabriel (left), and the Senior Boy, Ayodele Ademiyegun, during a visit to the school, yesterday.

UNILAG ALUMNI: From left— President, University of Lagos Mass Communication Alumni Association, UMAA, Mr. Vincent Oyo; Chairman, Board of Trustee, BoT, Professor Idowu Shobowale; former President, Chief Lawson Omokhodion, and ex-Officio, Mr. Ted Iwere, during a luncheon towards the association's 50th anniversary celebration in Ikeja, Lagos.

CIPM: President, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria,

CIPM, Mr. Anthony Arabome (sitting middle), the institute's council members and committee members of Management of National Unemployment Challenge, during a focus group discussion on Management of National Unemploment Challenge in Nigeria organised by CIPM in Lagos. PHOTO: Diran Oshe.

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FLAG OFF: From left— Head, Administration, Bariga Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Olabode Adedeko; Executive Secretary, Bariga LCDA, Mr. Kolade Alabi; Chairman, All Progressives Congress, APC, Bariga LCDA, Otunba Dengel Anifowose; resident of Omo Alade Alafia Street, Mrs. Felicia Oni, and Chairman, Omo Alade Alafia CDA, Olanipekun Shonubi, during the flag off of two of the 114 road projects by Mr. Alabi.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016—37

Parasites defecting to APC should be watched — AKANDE CHIEF Bisi Akande, served as deputy governor of the Old Oyo State in the Second Republic and was at the beginning of the Fourth Republic in 1999 elected governor of Osun State. He subsequently emerged as national chairman of the Action Congress, and the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, one of the political parties that merged to form the All Progressives Congress, APC and served as the new party’s interim national chairman before he voluntarily bowed out.

On the occasion of his 77th birthday last Saturday, he spoke in an interview on several issues of national importance. Excerpts: •Akande: Tinubu and I are in good terms with Buhari

By Gbenga Olarinoye

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HAT is your reaction to the continuous defection of politicians from the PDP to APC? The situation is like bringing together two pieces of wood to make furniture. If the wood is weak, the furniture will not be strong enough. It is true that we put the party (APC) together in a hurry and we put it together by merging political parties but before it became a political party, and glued into one, election had come and we seemed to be more concerned with election than the making of the party.

government, I don’t know what goes on in the government because I am not a part of the government, so, as to know whether the budget was put up in a hurry or not, I wouldn’t be able to tell you but, you would know that budgets are departmental product and there are numerous departments in the federal government.

If you look at what they call budget, it’s a paper of about 300 pages or more or even thousand

Duty of elders Immediately after the election, indiscipline set in and definitely, with such a situation, there will be bickering from here to there.

It is the duty of elders including myself to remove the bickering and bring the party together in a stronger form and we are going to achieve that.

It seems the president put the budget together in a hurry?

The party and the government are not the same thing. The government is a product of the party and it’s like a factory making a product, once the product gets to the store, you don’t ask question as to how the product is made.

The party has produced the

pages, because a budget of a department can be about 15 or 20 and about 1,000 departments, you are having about 1000 pages, so how does it get missing? I don’t want to go to that because to me, it’s a peripheral issue. The main issue is, is the government doing it in the right direction and which is the right direction?

The government promised three major things which are: the government promised that it was going to fight corruption, it was going to confront terrorism and it was going to reduce unemployment. If there was no peace, you can’t do anything so, the government started by removing terrorism and creating peace, which is the right direction.

Removing terrorism

Only we in the APC should be careful, the defection is not a strange thing but I know it’s always done by parasites. I have always remained in one line of politics

If there is corruption, there will be no infrastructure, if you give out money, three billion to go and make a road, if the money is stolen on the way, you won’t have roads and there will be unemployment.

So, the government followed immediately by confronting corruption, the beginning of solving the problem of unemployment is the result of the budget, the budget was placed before the National Assembly no matter what the peripheral stories as to which paper got lost and which did not.

What particular thing would you put in place to make a difference in Nigeria should you have the opportunity of leading the country?

So, if I were to be president of Nigeria today, I will look at the circumstance and the situation on the ground but I think as an observer and as a leader, what I think should be done is to concentrate on how Nigeria will feed itself. If its by force, I am ready to join the army of people that will go back to the farm, enough of riding Okada all over the streets, we must all go back individually to make sure that we are able to feed ourselves.

In the olden days when we were young, the patriarch of a home, as soon as a child becomes of age and ready to marry, they give him a portion of land where he would start cultivating, from the first harvest, he will start feeding his family, no more taking from the father.

Do you still believe Fiscal federalism and how can it be attained in Nigeria?

Well, I belong to the old school which never believed in 36 states.

The old school which I belong believes in maximum of 18 states and minimum of six. In other words, the whole Yoruba states will be one state because I believe in the creation of state according to cultural unity of the people and the strongest element of culture is language.

If you are talking about fiscal federalism, I don’t know, one way

or the other, merging would start because I will support it anyway because fiscal federalism means living according to your earning, live within your means and every state will have to find money to manage its own self and it won’t be wrong then if my state is having t h r e e commissioners.

Your own state might have seven, the next state might have ten and the other might have fifteen; it’s just like when you are getting money from federal government because the idea of fiscal federalism came because of the sharing of the crude oil money, I don’t believe in that, I believe in sharing money by derivation; whatever I contribute from my state into the federal treasury should come back to me.

There are insinuations that Buhari is trying to edge you and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu out of political reckoning?

As for me, I know that I am in the best of terms with Bola Tinubu and I am in the best of agreement with Buhari. What Buhari is thinking about me is a question you have to put forward to Buhari but as at last Monday, I was still talking to the presidency.

Idea of fiscal federalism So, I don’t feel marginalised and I don’t think anybody is marginalising me but whether anybody is planning it or not, is a question you are going to put to the right quarters.

Do you support the agitation for Biafra?

Well, those who were born when the idea of Biafra was first muted would be in trepidation seeing anybody talking about Biafra today. If Nigerians want to disintegrate and they can do it by negotiation, well, what can anybody do about that? But if Nigeria would try to separate the way Biafra demanded between 1967 and 1970, it might be too bad. I was alive then. I was wise enough to know that war was not good and I will not pray that what befell the first Biafra should befall

Continues on page 39

38—VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016

Why I'm now disenchanted with APC — ONOKPASA JESUTEGA Onokpasa, APC chieftain, lawyer and public affairs commentator was a veteran of the June 12 struggle and pioneer member of the Campaign for Democracy. In the build up to the last elections, he was noted for his supportive stance behind the All Progressives Congress, APC at both the national and at home in his native Delta State. Onokpasa in this online interview, however, expresses reservations with the pace and pattern of the Buhari administration.

military atrocities bothering on crimes against humanity while simultaneously provincially displaying a preference for people of his home region in key branches of governance.

Must our party win everything?

Was there even a remote way of the APC winning Bayelsa? Must everyone go to Boudillon to bow down to a so-called lion that resides there? In Niger Delta, there are sharks and whales that can swallow any lion.

Was there even the slightest chance that Timipre Sylva could have defeated Seriake Dickson in Bayelsa? What did Sylva do?

He is a failure. The people voted for Dickson both because of what he had done and because of President Jonathan. Must Tompolo join our party or be hunted down like an outcast.

No one in the entirety of

Nigeria ever opposed or criticized Tompolo as my humble self during the last elections.

As a Deltan, what in your view

Embarrassingly, the APC has so far only proved to be just as bad if not even worse than the PDP and you cannot begin to imagine how embarrassed many of us are with this promising party that does not keep its promises

is the problem with Delta APC? What is wrong with Delta APC is what is wrong with APC national. It is now a question of “I want to rule, I want to rule” – “oya rule” and when it is given to you, you simply keep groping in the dark.

Can I say I regret joining the APC, I really don’t know. I can however say that I became so disgusted with Delta PDP. It is O’tega Emerhor who coopted me into APC. To be fair to him, I was entirely exasperated with PDP and had seen the APC as a credible alternative.

Unfortunately, O’tega remains unwarrantedly committed to the execrable platform he induced me to join.

You seem very angry?

If you are a Nigerian and you are not angry by now then you are not a patriot.

BUHARI’S VISIT TO UAE:

The major takeaways

By Garba Shehu

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•Onokpasa: I have no regrets leaving the PDP

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S someone who decamped from PDP to APC, would you say it has been worthwhile?

Unfortunately no. I probably would still be a committed PDP member but for the shameful shenanigans that PDP members shamelessly brought to bear on the state chapter of the party in Delta.

That is life – Nigerian style for you– and so I left the PDP for the next available viable platform, being the APC. Embarrassingly, the APC has so far only proved to be just as bad if not even worse than the PDP and you cannot begin to imagine how embarrassed many of us are with this promising party that does not keep its promises.

We feel stuck with a clueless political franchise that has all but entirely disintegrated under the relentless onslaught of its internal self-inflicted and selfconflicting contradictions. In retrospect, I have no regrets leaving the PDP even though I am very much tempted to regret joining the APC. Can it really be that bad given your earlier enthusiasm for Buhari?

To be fair to Mr. President, his administration is still too young to reliably assess it. You cannot imagine how hungry I am to see our President succeed.

Nevertheless, I cannot shy away from the fact that the current APC administration has left so much to be desired that even diehard APC members are beginning to wonder if they made a mistake all along when they keyed into what may now be validly described as the APC’s phantom change agenda.

Unfulfilable promises Unfortunately, President Buhari, himself has not helped matters much in this regard. He allowed himself to be misled into making unfulfilable promises by his Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, handlers to the extent that his administration is fast becoming a byword for broken promises and outright lies.

In many and indeed the most important and resonant ways, President Buhari now ever increasingly comes across as a dictator, willing to condone

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari spent the first three days of this week visiting the United Arab Emirates, UAE, the first by a Nigerian leader since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two states in the early 80s.

As part of his visit, President Buhari held talks with the effective head of the government, His Highness Sheikh Muhammad Bin Zayad AlNahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the UAE armed forces. Apart from the bilateral talks at which critical issues such as trade, investment, security, war against corruption and energy were discussed, the President participated in the World Future Energy Summit, itself dominated by climate change and energy issues. The visit was also packed with a wide range of business meetings with business leaders in the UAE to attract investments leading to jobs creation and the larger goal of economic development in Nigeria.

On Tuesday before his departure home, the President addressed a group of African Ambassadors, had a session with Nigerian professionals before meeting a larger group made up of members of the Nigerian Community in the UAE. At the meeting with the Nigerians in that country, President gave a resounding off-the -cuff speech in which he addressed the major issues of security, trade, war against corruption, challenges in foreign exchange transfers as part of the larger issues affecting the economy and as to be expected, employment and opportunities for diasporas back at home.

When he ended his speech, the highly impacted audience

members rose to their feet to give him a standing ovation.

The high point of the President’s visit was the signing of a wide range of agreements.

These agreements are the first by the Buhari administration since it came into office and are on the threshold of the major policies of government, namely security, economy and corruption.

It is noteworthy that in the nearly-thirty years of the existing relations between Nigeria and the UAE, only three Memoranda of Understanding, MOUs were signed at various times in the past. This was the first time an agreement was signed and it is historically important that there were six of such agreements put on the table from the start. Four of these are agreements on Mutual Legal Assistance, MLA and the balance of two, relating to trade and investment.

Criminal matters The one that immediately caught public attention is the agreement on criminal matters to facilitate “ the widest measure of Mutual Legal Assistance” to improve the effectiveness of both countries in the investigation and prosecution of crime, and the confiscation of criminal proceeds.

Under this agreement, proceeds of crime were defined to include “any assets derived or realized, directly and indirectly, by any person as a result of criminal conduct or the value of any asset, “asset” itself defined as “ money and all kinds of moveable or immovable or tangible or intangible property, and include any interest on such property.”

With this milestone agreement, it is expected that stolen assets such as the ones by a high-profile

•President Buhari banker who was jailed by the EFCC a few years ago, estimated in billions of Naira in real estate and shares held in Dubai may be returned to Nigeria. Now, there is a legal basis to ask for the return of such assets.

The second MLA on criminal matters, which is equally expected to bolster President Muhammadu Buhari’s war against corruption is the agreement on extradition between the two states.

By this, each of the states has agreed to “extradite to the other,” upon request and subject to the provisions of the agreement “any person who is found in the territory of the Requested Party(say UAE) and is wanted in the Requesting Party (say Nigeria) for any prosecution or trial or execution of a sentence in respect of an extraditable offense committed within the jurisdiction of the Requesting Party.” The agreement defines extraditable offenses as those that are punishable under the laws of both countries by a term of imprisonment of not less than two years “or by a more severe penalty.”

•Garba Shehu is the Senior Special Assistant to the President, SSAP( Media and Publicity).

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016—39

•Muturu: Ex-militant leader

Amnesty has given us better orientation — Muturu, ex-militant leader THE benefits of the ongoing amnesty programme granted Niger Delta ex-militants by the Federal Government, has been described as an eye-opener to youths of the Niger Delta area.

In this interview with the Delta state chairman, Phase 2 exmilitants, Mr Kingsley Muturu, he disclosed that the programme is a plus to the Nigerian government and its people, particularly Niger Deltans. Excerpts:

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By Innocent Onoja

AN you briefly tell us about the implementation of the amnesty programme, from its inception to the present moment?

Well, I can say the programme is progressing because there are a lot of success stories to tell, which you media people are aware of. We have had

orientation over the struggle; we have had better ways to approach issues regarding the Niger Delta struggle for fair treatment from the government at the centre.

In fact, the amnesty programme has sharpened our sense of reasoning and better orientation on the Nigerian state.

Can you compare the former government and the present one in terms of its implementation?

The former administration which office was chaired by Kingsley Kuku tried its best in carrying out re-orientation and training programmes, as well as payment of stipends to exagitators.

Kuku really tried his best with considerable achievement in the execution of the programme, though he might not have satisfied everybody which is a fact, that one cannot satisfy everybody all the time.

And talking about the present management, Brig. Gen. Paul Boroh (rtd) is doing his best, most especially in the area of training of youths, and that ongoing efforts will establish the programme to create job opportunities for many of us. We have seen him as somebody who has pains over the state of the Niger Delta in the discharge of his assigned duties.

Talking about the 2016 budget as presented to the National Assembly, how would you react to the amount appropriated for the amnesty programme, which is below the usual amount appropriated previous years?

Well, we have already reacted to that through an Open Letter to the President, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, recently.

As I said before, President Buhari is known as a man of integrity and that implementing the amnesty programme has to do with integrity on the part of government.

We express the hope that His Excellency the President will see the need to re-visit the amount as appropriated in the budget, because I am not of the opinion that the President has ill-will towards the training programme for ex-agitators of the Niger Delta.

I am neither of the opinion that the amnesty programme will be mishandled under President Buhari’s government.

Parasites defecting to APC should be watched — AKANDE Continues from page 37 the new Biafra.

What’s your reaction to Abike Dabiri’s comment that the spate of defection from PDP to APC being shameful?

You know, in a country where most leaders are parasites, a parasite, when it kills the original host, it will have to go to another host and kill it. Only we in the APC should be careful, the defection is not a strange thing but I know it’s always done by parasites. I have always remained in one line of politics.

I wasn’t a politician before, it was Baba Ayo Fasanmi in 1977 who took me to Chief Awolowo and introduced me to him. If I would use his words and the words of Chief Awolowo, Chief Awolowo said he was rejected in Ila before that time, and he had not been in Ila since the beginning of the military and that he wanted to come back to Ila through me, he wanted me to be his friend.

I felt flattered and humbled and I didn’t know how to reply him but I put some questions to

Awolowo which he answered satisfactorily, and from that time, I came back to Ila to work very hard to see that Ila people accepted Awolowo and I am happy that Ila people have accepted Awolowo since then and they still accept Awolowo till today and that is why I belong, to the Awolowo school of politics.

Since that time, I never defected and I will never defect, I will remain in that progressive school of politics.

Political parasites But those who are defecting from one party to the other, by nature, they are political parasites, they have killed the original hosts which was PDP and they are now coming to APC which is the new host, and it’s for APC to guard its own loins and prevent the parasites from killing the party because a parasite has no root of its own but feeds on the little food that the host is having.

So running away from PDP to APC, APC must be careful in dealing with those parasites. But, that may not prevent true democracy because it depends on how we define democracy, the type of democracy in Nigeria is not anywhere in the world, it’s a moribund democracy.

Would you advise the Federal Government to implement some of the recommendations that were made during the 2014 National Conference?

I don’t know what is in the report of the conference and I don’t believe that the way the conference was set up was Nigerian. That conference never included APC which is at least the largest party as shown by election; so, if the largest party is cut out of a conference, the result of the conference to start with, is not tenable but I don’t know what the report says, therefore I cannot tell you if the report should be implemented. I refused to read the report because I didn’t believe in the setting up of the conference.

Biafra: FG is too soft on Nnamdi Kanu — BANKOLE-HAMEED Mr Shehu Bankole-Hameed, author, politician is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Bankole-Hameed, a member of the Lagos Forum in this interview, faults the agitation for Biafra. He also bares his mind on other sundry issues. Excerpts:

By Dapo Akinrefon

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0 years after the truncation of the First Republic, do you Nigeria has learned lessons?

My first reaction is that the activists who truncated the First Republic were men of questionable character in the fine profession of the military.

That was when a few soldiers mostly of the then Eastern Region massacred prominent political and economic leaders of Northern Nigeria and Western Nigeria only.

This singular dastardly act resulted in deep division and distrust among the three major actors in the Nigeria political space; Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo, who had the responsibility to get the project going.

The death of Hausa and Yoruba leaders in the hands of the Igbo officers created big economic and political gaps in these regions. What followed was what we are still witnessing today.

Decimation of minorities Another aspect of the ill conceived coup is the decimation of minorities. I don't think we have acted out to show if we as a nation have learned anything.

There are growing concerns over the president's continued refusal to obey court orders, what is your take on this?

I'm not going to say that I don't think that the President is a party to the court proceedings. EFCC I believe is the institution that is on trial as regards court orders, but to be fair to them, explanation as to how a new arrest is effected has been given.

It was established in the case of Dasuki for example,that he had new criminal cases for which he was re-arrested.

What is your reaction to the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu?

I think this is truly an interesting development. Here is someone who knows that what he did embark on was nothing short of terrorism.

What does he expect of the authorities?

Body massage, hotel accommodation or what? He is lucky Nigeria is not interested

•Bankole-Hameed in capital punishment, otherwise he may be so charged. I think the government is even soft on him.

But do you think there should be a negotiation with the South East over Biafra?

This is a very good question.

What is Biafra, who are the agitators and how is the cry for it being funded? I will attempt to define Biafra as best as I can and from the perspective of average Nigerian.

There was an attempt by Ojukwu now late, to steal away and enslave non Igbo of the then Eastern Region, while taking over the oil in the region. He got his own people to buy into the act, there was no justification for the declaration then, which made the concept of Biafra ineligible for negotiations. What needs to be done is to amend the Constitution to allow for legal agitation, where structured steps are laid out for such discourse.

Many countries have such provision. There should be no force or coercion in Union .

Right now, activities related to agitation for Biafra is tantamount to terrorism.

Do you think each region should agitate for autonomy?

The question of regional autonomy may be discussed at state levels, where various local communities agree that what is needed is the granting of legal, financial and economic autonomy.

Then the next step is to convince the federal assembly on the need to amend the Constitution to that effect. How many of the existing states can survive being autonomous?

40

— Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY

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“Maybe they’re business travelers,” suggests Lachowyn, “and when they come home from a long day of meetings, or work, or conferences, or whatever, they might want to crash [in front of] a big screen TV.” Yeah, but how many times have we ever seen a hotel housekeeper — or anyone else for that matter — clean a remote control?

“How often do I clean my remote control at home?”

Lachowyn asks herself. “Now that I think about it, possibly never.”

That could be one thing her place has in common with top-ranked hotel.

New study finds expensive hotels ‘unhygienic’ C

leanliness is one of the things travellers check out for when booking hotels, especially a five star hotel, but a new study by travel planning website Travelmath has shown that the more you pay for a fancy hotel room, the dirtier it’s likely to be. The new study titled “Hotel Hygiene Exposed,” shows that the average hotel room is teaming with more icky bacteria than a typical home, airplane, or school.

“We’re definitely not trying to scare anyone,” Emily Pierce, project manager for Travelmath, which conducted the study, told Yahoo Travel. “We wanted to know just how many bacteria we could find on common surfaces in the hotel rooms.”

Teams armed with cotton swabs, plastic bags, and strong stomachs tested rooms in nine different hotels. Three-star, fourstar and five-star hotels in a variety of locations were included in the study.

They tested for a range of bacteria including bacilli and cocci (which can cause diseases such as food poisoning and systemic infections), yeast, and Gram-positive rods (bacteria that can cause skin infections and pneumonia) and Gram-negative rods (bacteria to blame for respiratory and other infections).

The results of the test are measured in colony-forming units (CFU), which measure the number of bacteria that are able to multiply in the area per square centimetre.

The result? Not only did Travelmath find that hotel rooms had ample populations of those microscopic creepy-crawlies, they discovered that four-star and five-star hotel rooms tend to be dirtier than less luxurious threestar hotels.

“That was definitely a kind of C M Y K

surprise for us, because the fivestar hotels are known for those extra amenities, the extra service, the extra luxury,” says Cristina Lachowyn, outreach manager on behalf of Travelmath.

“So one would assume that the extra money you’re spending for those extra stars would also go into housekeeping!”

The results prove that luxury doesn’t necessarily buy cleanliness. Here’s a breakdown: Bathroom counters: A study cited by WebMD found the average household bathroom had 452 bacteria per square inch.

But Travelmath finds hotel bathrooms are far dirtier: threestar hotels have an average of 320,007 colony-forming units (CFU) per square-inch; four-star hotels an average of 2,534,773 CFU per square-inch; five-star hotels an average of 1,011,670 CFU per square-inch. The overall hotel average is 1,288,817 CFU per square-inch.

Travelmath found the bathroom counters in three-star hotels were the cleanest of the bunch (with clean, of course, being a relative term where bathrooms are concerned).

Lachowyn speculates that the ornate, intricate bathrooms you find in four-star and five-star hotels — with their designer sinks that look like artistic sculptures — might be harder to clean than the basic counter of your average three-star hotel.

“In most of the hotels I’ve been in, the bathroom counter is pretty simple,” she says. “It’s a flat, open surface so it’s very easy with a swipe of disinfectant to clean it.”

Pierce suspects maybe these three-star hotels are just cleaned better.

Remote controls

You’d think that with the variety of luxury amenities offered in fourstar and five-star hotels, everyone would be too busy being pampered and fed to watch TV. But it seems like lots of grubby hands are handling remote controls. Like bathroom counters, Travelmath found the remote controls in some luxury hotels tend to be on the gnarly side.

Consider that University of Arizona researcher Charles Gerba

We wanted to know just how many bacteria we could find on common surfaces in the hotel rooms

tells News.au that the average household remote has a bacteria count of 17,000 per square inch.

In contrast, hotel remotes, according to Travelmath’s study, rated as such: three-star hotels have an average of 232,733 CFU per square-inch; four-star hotels an average of 1,400,027 CFU per square-inch; and five-star hotels an average of 2,002,300 CFU per square-inch. The overall hotel average is 1,211,687 CFU per square-inch. Once again, it appears the higher up the hotel luxury scale you go, the dirtier the remote controls gets. Why are so many people watching TV in their luxury hotel rooms? (And, seriously, what are they doing with their hands before they change the channel?)

F

Akinboboye, others win African Travel Times 2015 Award frican Travel Times, Nigeria has announced the founder of La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort, Lagos, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, as its Tourism Personality 2015 and Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, the Most Resilient Performance Award in the Hospitality Industry for the second year running.

Announcing the winners of its second edition annual award winners, Lucky Onoriode George, Publisher/Editor, of the publication said that the award

Hotel phones Unless you’re Don Draper calling John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, and Holly Golightly to meet you at The Rainbow Room in 1961, you’re probably not even using your hotel room phone at all. “We have cell phones now,” says Lachowyn. “People just aren’t touching the [hotel] phones.”

Travel bookings website launches Discover Africa Campaign lyBoku.com, a Nigerian travel bookings website,

A

The desks You can put your laptop on the hotel desk but think twice about putting your sandwich there.

Desks can get filthy, especially if you stay in four-star hotels.

Travelmath found: three-star hotels have an average of 4,687 CFU per square-inch; four-star hotels an average of 1,800,003 CFU per square-inch; and fivestar hotels an average of 40,030 CFU per square-inch. The overall hotel average is 604,907 CFU per square-inch.

Once again here, three-star hotels came out the cleanest. But strangely enough, four-star hotels were the dirtiest by far.

is to recognize “excellence” in the travel and tourism sector in Nigeria that will extend to other African countries, saying that a genuine and respected award in the industry was long overdue, especially in an industry that is service based.

He noted that, “asking the travelling public that lacks the technicality and experience of how the travel and tourism industry works to select the best hotel, restaurant, and even the best airline in an operating environment is wrong.”

was recently launched in Lagos

by Ashton & David Travels, a renowned travel agency. The website offers services such as flight reservations, hotel accommodation, protocol services, travel insurance, tour packages, visa assistance and car hire in Nigeria.

Speaking at the launch of the website, Mr Abiola Lawal, the founder and chairman of Ashton and Dave Travels and Flyboku.com. said “ We are into travel solutions. We are into travel experience and tourism. We are into making sure that every Nigerian has a digital travel agent without paying an arm and a leg. That is what Mr. Boku is here to do.

Mr. Boku is a character that is created in the Nigerian parlance.”

42

— Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY

22, 2016

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OFFOR—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Isamiben Ine Offor, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ine Isamiben Felix C. Amaechi. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ODOM—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Chinasa Philipa Odom, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Chinasa Philipa Nwachukwu. All former documents remain valid. GTBank and general public please take note.

C O O K E Y — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Cookey Adata Rawlinson, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adata Felix Odumo.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

IDOKO—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Mary Ocheme Idoko, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Mary Ameh Iberi. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

O B I A N K O ELECHI—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Elizabeth Chanyan ObiankoElechi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Elizabeth Chanyan CharlesChuku. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

AZUBUIKE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Azubuike Chioma Uchechi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Chizi-Wopara Chioma Uchechi. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

UNEGBU—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Onyinyechukwu Joy Unegbu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. C h i e d u Onyinyechukwu Joy. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

KO L AW O L E — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Salawu Bukola, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Kolawole Salawu Bukola. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OLANREWAJU—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Olanrewaju Esther Damilola, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Akanbi Esther Damilola. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ENIH—I, formerly known and addressed as Enih Matilda Amaoma, now wish to be known and addressed as Enih Matilda Jacinta. All former documents remain valid. U.B.A Plc and general public please take note.

DAKPOKPO—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Peace Onopa Dakpokpo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Peace Onopa Oladipupo. All former documents remain valid. Mountain Top Schools and general public please take note.

KADIRI—I, formerly known and addressed as Mariam Adama Kadiri, now wish to be known and addressed as Mariam Abdullahi Kumar Musa. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHRISTOPHER—I, formerly known and addressed as Rosemary Christopher Eno, now wish to be known and addressed as Rosemary Christopher Udofot.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ONYEKE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ega John Onyeke, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ega Iboro Ige-Edaba.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

M A D U B A — I , formerly known and addressed as Onyeka Maduba, now wish to be known and addressed as Sarah Onyeka Edom. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OGUIKE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Oguike Augusta Ebere, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Nworisa Augusta Ebere. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OWOH—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ifeoma Julieth Owoh, now wish to be known and addressed as Miss Ifeoma Julieth Chime.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Confirmation of Name This is to confirm that Felicia Obiageli Mbamalu and Theresa Obiageli Mbamalu is one and the same person, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Felicia Obiageli Mbamalu-Onyebuchi. All former documents remain valid. GT Bank and general public please take note.

Confirmation of Name This is to confirm that Ii am one and the same person known and addressed as Olusegun Victor and Adegbola Olusegun Victor, now wish to be known and addressed as Adegbola Olusegun Victor. All former documents remain valid. The Nigerian Army and general public please take note.

I Z E - I YA M U — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Hilda Iroghama IzeIyamu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Hilda Iroghama SayoAdebayo. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

DAPPA —I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Dappa Lolia Iyingierego, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Idu Chika Iyingierego Lolia. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ABDUL—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Adeola Abdul, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Adeola Adebumiti-Best. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OLOTU—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Olotu Ifeoluwa Omobolanle, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Adekoya Ifeoluwa Omobolanle.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

AYARA—I formerly known and addressed as William Akpan Ayara, now wish to be known and addressed as Williams Mfonobong Ayara. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

KANDE —I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Kande Loveth Ediri, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Okeoghene Loveth Ediri. All former documents remain valid. Authority to whom it may concern and general public to please take note.

A F O L AYA N — I , formerly known and addressed as Olaide Comfort Afolayan, now wish to be known and address as Olaide Comfort Apo. All former documents remain the same, general public take note.

Tompolo: 'APC govt clueless, fighting everybody'

By Tare Youdeowei

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HE NIGER Delta Patriotic Alliance, NPDA, has urged the Federal Government to refrain from what it called “the harassment” of High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, a.k.a Tompolo, asserting that “the All Progressives Congress, APC, led government must realize it cannot fight everybody at the same time.”

Addressing newsmen, yesterday, in Uyo, the group through its spokesman, Offiong Udo, asserted that “just as we witnessed between 1983 and 1984, our nation is fast disintegrating into a lawless era of arbitrariness and cluelessness powered by an abysmally weak grasp of what it takes to govern a modern nation.”

Asserting that “it is extremely fool-hardy to be stuck with Boko Haram in the North-East while opening up new fronts with IPOB, MASSOB, Shiites, Yoruba elders and now Niger Delta militants at the same time,” the group claimed that “finally, those who claim to be best suited to rule have now exposed themselves as too provincially minded for the challenges of the modern world.”

According to the group: “The present administration appears clueless, just staggering from one missed step to another, utterly incapable of turning around our impending economic woes, and instead, pretending it is doing something and pushing our country into a quagmire of national crisis, by fighting everyone that does not agree with it.”

Elder Eriobu is dead

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LDER MATTHEW Eriobu (Onye Zobe Njoya), is dead, aged 67.

Wake-keep is scheduled to hold in his compound, Okpuno, Ibolo, Oraifite, Ekwusigo Local Government Area, Anambra State, on January 25, followed by a funeral service/ condolence visit, on January 26.

FOR ENQUIRIES, CALL ADVERT HOTLINE: 01-4544821, OR 08028289689, 08033163424.

Late Elder Eriobu

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016—43

Muslim SoulMates Do you seek a Muslim life Partner?

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ELCOME to Muslim SoulMates in Vanguard. A unique platform for single Muslims who wish to find their potential marriage partners on this page. We have designed it to help you find perfect soul mates every Friday.

We will also give counsel where necessary in order to keep with the halal standard. Our aim is to further develop couples that could be blessed, compatible, enduring following Islamic injunctions. It promises to be a rewarding service just as we will treat all inquiries and submissions in confidence.

Send your profile, contact and details of who you want, not more than 75 words to isholaism@yahoo.co.uk. Names and contacts will not be published.

Rabiul-Thani 12, 1437 A.H.

A Muslim's obligation of Love for Allah (2) Continues from last Friday OVE of Allah triggers sweetness of faith The prophet had said as narrated in both Sahih hadith, “Whoever possesses the following three qualities will taste the sweetness (delight) of faith: the one to whom Alláh and His Messenger become dearer than anything else, the one who loves a person and he loves him only for Alláh’s sake, and whoever hates to revert to disbelief, after Alláh has saved him from it, as he hates to be thrown into the Fire.”

Love of Allah can keep us away from sins Today, when the hearts of most of us are filled with lusts, desires, temptations and fantasies, we need to remind ourselves that it is not possible to have those take room in the same heart where we want to plant our love for Allah.

Always ask yourself whether what lives in your heart makes you neglect Allah, and is worth more than the love of Allah? When we start replacing the lusts, desires, and fantasies that live in our heart with Allah’s love, then we will see ourselves regaining that love back from Allah.

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Positive mental states Ibn Taymiyyah said, “the more the servant loves his Master, the less will he love other objects and they will decrease in number.

"The less the servant loves his Master, the more will he love other objects and they will increase in number (Majmu Fatawa [1/94])."

Let’s, therefore, take stock of how much we love this life’s objects versus how much we love Allah and His Prophet.

Stimulates our emotions: The vagaries of this life generate emotions which must be channeled appropriately for us to retain our positive mental states. No matter how we express and channel those emotions to various people in this life, there are emotions trapped in our system that we simply can’t express with an open heart to even the most beloved of His creations. But it is different with our creator. When we do succeed in planting that love for Allah in our hearts and build that relationship, it can make our repressed emotions pour out with a pleasing force. The relationship that we establish with our creator out of that love for Him and His love for us can make us say what is in our hearts, complain about our situations, express profuse

apologies, and so on – all without worrying about demeaning ourselves because He is our creator and sustainer who controls everything in this universe. In fact, what we humans go through and what manifests as hidden emotions can come flooding back when we sit in front of our creator with that love for Him. This can help us in reconciling matters within ourselves and, most important of all, lets Allah respond and listen to us. Thus, the more we love Allah, the better we will be able to engage with Him at this level and the better we will be able to feel and expect his mercy in return.

When we love Allah, He will put our love in others’ hearts Many of us spend a lot of our efforts to gain the love and pleasure of others and sometimes we may do that at the expense of disobeying Allah’s commands.

We should realize that such tactics are short lived (even if achieved) and earn us nothing but Allah’s displeasure. On the other hand, if we focus on planting Allah’s love, then we will not only get His love but He will instill our love in others’ hearts as well. Allah says in the Quran: “Verily, those who believe [in the Oneness of Allah and in His Messenger (Muhammad SAW)] and work deeds of righteousness, the Most Gracious (Allah) will bestow love for them (in the hearts of the believers)” (Surah Maryam: 96)."

How do we get love of Allah in our hearts and lives?

Finally, knowing that love for Allah brings about happiness, His pleasure, and keeps us from indulging in temptations, we can focus on factors that increase our

Whoever possesses the following three qualities will taste the sweetness (delight) of faith: the one to whom Alláh and His Messenger become dearer than anything else, the one who loves a person and he loves him only for Alláh’s sake

love for Allah in our hearts. Ibn Al-Qayyim had indicated 10 such ways to bring about the love of Allah and they are mentioned below: *Recitation of Quran with reflection and understanding of its meanings and what is intended by it. This also enables us to know Allah using His own words. *Optional acts of worship, after the obligatory ones, can get us closer to Him and furthers the love of Allah beyond what is achieved through the sincere worship through obligatory acts. *Constant remembrance in every circumstance by the tongue, the heart, actions and (one’s) condition (based only on sanctioned forms of remembrance as described in the Quran and Hadith), so that a person’s share of love is in accordance with his share of this remembrance.

Nikkah ceremony

Miss Nusurat Adebimpe Ayodele, (bride) with her better half, Mr Abdullateef Bello, (groom) during their Nikkah ceremony held in Odogunya, Ikorodu, Lagos recently.

Fundamental pillars *Preferring Allah’s love over your own when desires overcome you and climbing to reach His love, even if the ascent is difficult. *The heart’s comprehension of His Names and Attributes, witnessing them and having knowledge of them, to immerse himself in the garden of this knowledge and its fundamental pillars. Whoever knows Allah by His Names, Attributes and Actions, will, no doubt, love Him. *Witnessing His generosity, His benevolence, His favors and blessings, both hidden and open, for these things call to His love. *The heart’s total defeat and humility in front of Allah, the Most High. *Being alone at the Time of the Descent of Allah (during Tahajjud) for having private conversations with Him, reciting His Words, investigating the heart, displaying the manners of servitude whilst in front of Him and then to seal all of that with seeking forgiveness and repentance. *Sitting with the truthful lovers (of Allah) and gathering the good fruits (arising) from their speech, just as one picks out the best of fruits; however, you do not speak except when the benefit of the speech prevails and when you know that there is a betterment for you and benefit for others in it. *Keeping distant from everything that comes between the heart and between Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic.

Iqrasence Concluded

Miss Nusurat Adebimpe Ayodele, (bride, middle) with her parents, Mr and Mrs AbdulRahman Ayodele during the Nikkah ceremony.

Gr oup tasks stak eholder 16 hajj Group stakeholder eholderss on 20 201

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By Agaju Madugba

HE Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR) has urged stakeholders in hajj operations in Nigeria to ensure early implementation of the 2016 hajj policies as enumerated by the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) during a recent programme on, pre-hajj activities at the National Mosque, Abuja.

“Early implementation of such laudable policies will definitely lead to a more successful hajj exercise this year,” the group said in a statement Wednesday.

According to the statement signed by its National Coordinator, Ibrahim Muhammed, and Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Mahmoud, “ we are calling for early implementation of those farreaching policy decisions outlined

by NAHCON and other stakeholders, especially those that have direct impact on the welfare and comfort of pilgrims.

“Some of the policies outlined, are a proposal for the establishment of hajj training

institute, capacity building for hajj officials, developing new medical guidelines for hajj 2016, unification of processes of pilgrims’ registration, remodelling of pilgrims’ enlightenment format and the call for provision of facilities at some of the airports among others are to be pursued vigorously.

“The NAHCON should also heed the advice of the Emir Kano, His Highness, Muhammad Sanusi II, and start to enlighten prospective pilgrims on possible increase in this year’s hajj fares due to sharp fall in the price of crude oil that may compel Saudi governmentnottosubsidiseanyhajj services as well as the fluctuation in exchangeratethathasweakenedthe Nigeriannaira.”

The statement also urged the Commission to facilitate a process that will ensure uniformity in the amount each state pilgrim pays for a hajj seat as the group argued that, “we want NAHCON to look at the possibility of having standard hajj packages for all the states."

44—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016

“Maybe they’re business travelers,” suggests Lachowyn, “and when they come home from a long day of meetings, or work, or conferences, or whatever, they might want to crash [in front of] a big screen TV.” Yeah, but how many times have we ever seen a hotel housekeeper — or anyone else for that matter — clean a remote control?

“How often do I clean my remote control at home?”

Lachowyn asks herself. “Now that I think about it, possibly never.”

That could be one thing her place has in common with top-ranked hotel.

New study finds expensive hotels ‘unhygienic’ C

leanliness is one of the things travellers check out for when booking hotels, especially a five star hotel, but a new study by travel planning website Travelmath has shown that the more you pay for a fancy hotel room, the dirtier it’s likely to be. The new study titled “Hotel Hygiene Exposed,” shows that the average hotel room is teaming with more icky bacteria than a typical home, airplane, or school.

“We’re definitely not trying to scare anyone,” Emily Pierce, project manager for Travelmath, which conducted the study, told Yahoo Travel. “We wanted to know just how many bacteria we could find on common surfaces in the hotel rooms.”

Teams armed with cotton swabs, plastic bags, and strong stomachs tested rooms in nine different hotels. Three-star, fourstar and five-star hotels in a variety of locations were included in the study.

They tested for a range of bacteria including bacilli and cocci (which can cause diseases such as food poisoning and systemic infections), yeast, and Gram-positive rods (bacteria that can cause skin infections and pneumonia) and Gram-negative rods (bacteria to blame for respiratory and other infections).

The results of the test are measured in colony-forming units (CFU), which measure the number of bacteria that are able to multiply in the area per square centimetre.

The result? Not only did Travelmath find that hotel rooms had ample populations of those microscopic creepy-crawlies, they discovered that four-star and five-star hotel rooms tend to be dirtier than less luxurious threestar hotels.

“That was definitely a kind of

surprise for us, because the fivestar hotels are known for those extra amenities, the extra service, the extra luxury,” says Cristina Lachowyn, outreach manager on behalf of Travelmath.

“So one would assume that the extra money you’re spending for those extra stars would also go into housekeeping!”

The results prove that luxury doesn’t necessarily buy cleanliness. Here’s a breakdown: Bathroom counters: A study cited by WebMD found the average household bathroom had 452 bacteria per square inch.

But Travelmath finds hotel bathrooms are far dirtier: threestar hotels have an average of 320,007 colony-forming units (CFU) per square-inch; four-star hotels an average of 2,534,773 CFU per square-inch; five-star hotels an average of 1,011,670 CFU per square-inch. The overall hotel average is 1,288,817 CFU per square-inch.

Travelmath found the bathroom counters in three-star hotels were the cleanest of the bunch (with clean, of course, being a relative term where bathrooms are concerned).

Lachowyn speculates that the ornate, intricate bathrooms you find in four-star and five-star hotels — with their designer sinks that look like artistic sculptures — might be harder to clean than the basic counter of your average three-star hotel.

“In most of the hotels I’ve been in, the bathroom counter is pretty simple,” she says. “It’s a flat, open surface so it’s very easy with a swipe of disinfectant to clean it.”

Pierce suspects maybe these three-star hotels are just cleaned better.

Remote controls

You’d think that with the variety of luxury amenities offered in fourstar and five-star hotels, everyone would be too busy being pampered and fed to watch TV. But it seems like lots of grubby hands are handling remote controls. Like bathroom counters, Travelmath found the remote controls in some luxury hotels tend to be on the gnarly side.

Consider that University of Arizona researcher Charles Gerba

We wanted to know just how many bacteria we could find on common surfaces in the hotel rooms

tells News.au that the average household remote has a bacteria count of 17,000 per square inch.

In contrast, hotel remotes, according to Travelmath’s study, rated as such: three-star hotels have an average of 232,733 CFU per square-inch; four-star hotels an average of 1,400,027 CFU per square-inch; and five-star hotels an average of 2,002,300 CFU per square-inch. The overall hotel average is 1,211,687 CFU per square-inch. Once again, it appears the higher up the hotel luxury scale you go, the dirtier the remote controls gets. Why are so many people watching TV in their luxury hotel rooms? (And, seriously, what are they doing with their hands before they change the channel?)

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Akinboboye, others win African Travel Times 2015 Award frican Travel Times, Nigeria has announced the founder of La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort, Lagos, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, as its Tourism Personality 2015 and Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, the Most Resilient Performance Award in the Hospitality Industry for the second year running.

Announcing the winners of its second edition annual award winners, Lucky Onoriode George, Publisher/Editor, of the publication said that the award

Hotel phones Unless you’re Don Draper calling John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, and Holly Golightly to meet you at The Rainbow Room in 1961, you’re probably not even using your hotel room phone at all. “We have cell phones now,” says Lachowyn. “People just aren’t touching the [hotel] phones.”

Travel bookings website launches Discover Africa Campaign lyBoku.com, a Nigerian travel bookings website,

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The desks You can put your laptop on the hotel desk but think twice about putting your sandwich there.

Desks can get filthy, especially if you stay in four-star hotels.

Travelmath found: three-star hotels have an average of 4,687 CFU per square-inch; four-star hotels an average of 1,800,003 CFU per square-inch; and fivestar hotels an average of 40,030 CFU per square-inch. The overall hotel average is 604,907 CFU per square-inch.

Once again here, three-star hotels came out the cleanest. But strangely enough, four-star hotels were the dirtiest by far.

is to recognize “excellence” in the travel and tourism sector in Nigeria that will extend to other African countries, saying that a genuine and respected award in the industry was long overdue, especially in an industry that is service based.

He noted that, “asking the travelling public that lacks the technicality and experience of how the travel and tourism industry works to select the best hotel, restaurant, and even the best airline in an operating environment is wrong.”

was recently launched in Lagos

by Ashton & David Travels, a renowned travel agency. The website offers services such as flight reservations, hotel accommodation, protocol services, travel insurance, tour packages, visa assistance and car hire in Nigeria.

Speaking at the launch of the website, Mr Abiola Lawal, the founder and chairman of Ashton and Dave Travels and Flyboku.com. said “ We are into travel solutions. We are into travel experience and tourism. We are into making sure that every Nigerian has a digital travel agent without paying an arm and a leg. That is what Mr. Boku is here to do.

Mr. Boku is a character that is created in the Nigerian parlance.”

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016—45

With new US Consulate PUS, comes a relief to Nigerian visa applicants

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By Vera Samuel Anyagafu

HE US Consulate has introduced an online Photo Upload System to save time for visa applicants and also control the enormity of activities that may necessarily constitute long waiting time at visa interviews. The newly introduced photo upload process is said to be simple, as visa applicants are expected to first obtain a digital photo that meets the required specifications which will be found on the consulate’s website.

According to the Consulate’s Non-Immigrant Visa Chief,Gary Westfall, who stated that the required photo specificationsis obtainable from http:// travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/general/ photos.html, advised visa applicants to ensure they follow the guide to processing the Online Photo Upload System in order to receive satisfactory results.

Required PUS specifications: Gary told the meeting that visa applicants’ photos, which should be taken in front of a plain white or off-white back-ground, must be in color and meet the size requirements.

Among other requirements explained to visa applicants on the Consulate’s website, applicants may either scan a hard copy of a photo or take one with a digital camera or phone. Applicants should also complete their visa application online, after which the system will prompt them to upload photos and submit their applications.It is worthy of note also that applicants will be required to attempt to upload the photo three times and if they are unsuccessful, they are quickly advised to carry a hard

copy of their passport photo to the US Embassy or Consulate for uploading there.

Seeking visa to US: •Ambassador James F. Applying for Entwistle various categories of visas to the United States of America is reportedly more efficient and easier now, following some re-structuring and or re-establishment that is expected to bring satisfactory results to Nigerian visa applicants to US. With the recently launched online system,the US Mission in Nigeria is bent on ensuring that Nigerian visa applicants get the best of US visa processing without hassles.

“Applicants for nonimmigrant visas can now upload their passport photo themselves when completing their online application. This will reduce the time that they spend at their visa interview.US Mission Nigeria is offering this system in an effort to provide visa applicants with better customer service”, Gary said. Continuing, he added “We are constantly striving to find ways to better serve visa applicants, and we believe that they’ll appreciate this new photo upload system. It will save them valuable time when they apply for a U.S. visa and they can now begin uploading their own photos immediately when they complete their visa application at http:// www.ustraveldocs.com/ng.”

46 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016

Eagles must keep working hard – Adepoju F

ORMER Nigeria international Mutiu Adepoju has advised the Super Eagles never to relent should they hope to end the 2016 African Nations Championship on a high.

After a drab first half, Sunday Oliseh’s men put up an awe-inspiring display to silence Niger Republic 4-1 at the Stade Régional Nyamirambo to lead Group C with three points.

As the team prepares to face the Carthage Eagles who chase their first win in the tourney today, the midfielder nicknamed ‘Headmaster’ insists the team must work hard to silence Henryk

Kasperczak’s side.

“They played very well in the second half [against Niger] and they scored goals - they were beautiful goals and well planned in for which I think the team is improving,” Adepoju said.

“I’m sure the Niger win will motivate them. I just think they shouldn’t relax.

“They should continue working hard because the next match won’t be easy as the last one because the Tunisians will want to come out and win so that they can qualify, so they won’t find it easy as they are up for what they did in the last game, they should try and improve on it.”

CONTEST: Midfield contest in the Nigeria v Niger match. Nigeria won 4-1.

will look to Niger eye Guinea’s scalp NIGER avoid their NOGIG 2016: Teams jostle for final second consecutive 2016 day afternoon.

80th minute. However, Zakari Adebayor Vic- Nigeria scored twice in tickets 8.30. To qualify for the 4 goal difference, while African Championship NNPC on the other Nations (CHAN) Group torien Adje pulled one

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FTER a weeklong league, four teams – NLNG, Shell, NNPC and Total qualified to slug it out for tickets to the final of the football event of the 2016 Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Games coming up in March.

The semi final matches will hold this morning at the Legacy Pitch, National Stadium, Surulere Lagos with the opening match featuring NLNG and Shell. This encounter begins at

semi final, Shell placed second in Group C, behind Total while NLNG topped Group B. The other semi final which commences 10 am at the same venue will see the defending champions, NNPC take on Total. This match has been dubbed the final before the final because of the pedigree of the two teams in the competition.

Total topped group C with 6 points, scoring 6 goals in the process and a plus

Eagles Continues from BP Kigali.

Tunisia are one of the few teams yet to lose a game since the inception of the competition – and they would be buoyed by this to stop the rampant Nigerians.

Kasperczak’s team boast of players from the top Tunisia clubs and the man to watch out for is Etoile du Sahel’s forward Ahmed Akaichi who scored a brace in their first game against Guinea.

The Super Eagles must improve on their first half performance and be more clinical in front of goal. And they should be wary of the skilful north Africans whose strength is in their counter attacking play.

Coach Sunday Oliseh will surely stick to his 43-3 formation with Chisom Chikatara, Usman Mohammed expected to get a starting shirt after pulling off an a p p l a u d i n g performance against Niger.

Players like Osa Okoro, Paul Onobi, goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa are expected to keep their shirts while the likes of Alimi and misfiringTunde Adeniji may lose their starting shirts to their more productive substitutes.

The Super Eagles who started the tournament on a sound footing must do everything right to keep the sleek Tunisians at bay.

hand topped Group A with the same points and a plus four goal difference. Pundits say the winner of this tie is likely to win the final and ultimately the gold medal.

The third place match and the final come up at the Teslim Balogun .

C defeat when they clash with Guinea at the Stade Regional Nyamirambo in Kigali today.

The Menas were hammered 4-1 by the Super Eagles of Nigeria in their opening Group C game at the Stade Regional Nyamirambo last Mon-

back for Niger in the

Tunisian official Continues from BP achievable, but was quick to add that “it will be tough.” “It is going to be difficult to beat Nigeria because they have very good players in their team.”

President Buhari

Continues from BP D’ Tigers who against all odds won the Afro Basketball championship in Tunisia. They got N600,000 each.

Another set of Nigerians, members of the silver winning FIBA U-16 Women Championship in Madagascar were not left out of the national appreciation. They were given N400,000 each.

Interestingly, Willington Jighere, champion of the World English Language Scrabble Championship in Australia as well as Olarenwaju Durodola who won the WBC Cruiser Weight Title.

Willington got N1.5 million naira while his coach was given N1.2 million.

The President did not forget the contingent to the 2015 IPC Asian Open International Powerlifting Championship in Kazakhstan. Each gold

winner got N600,000 while silver attracted N450,000.

Bronze medalists at the 2015 World Wrestling championship are now richer by N1.2 million while their coaches had N600,000.

Addressing the crowd President Buhari said it gladdened his heart to play host to the victorious athletes and officials who have consistently done the nation proud at various international competitions.

“Nigerian athletes, despite prevailing challenges, have always proven to the rest of the world that the Nigerian spirit is indomitable.

“On behalf of all Nigerians, I wish to specially express my appreciation and indeed that of the nation to our athletes and officials for the consistency, determination, willpower

the remaining minutes to seal a 4-1 win.

and penchant for success being witnessed in the sports sector in recent times. I urge the managers of this sector to keep up the momentum.”

While promising to ensure that Nigerian athletes get their due ahead of championships the President said; “I am particularly concerned about our participation at the forthcoming Rio 2016 Olympic Games. We must not allow a repetition of the unsavoury experience at the London 2012 Olympics where Nigerian athletes failed to make it to the podium.”

Buhari while expressing his delight in rewarding the 1985 class, 30 years after, regretted that one of the players, Kingsley Aikhionbare died and subsequently directed that his reward be given to his next of kin

The official admitted that the absence of their key players will affect the team’s chances of getting a win over Nigeria in the highly anticipated Group C clash this afternoon.

“We are here in Rwanda with our second team,” he said at the team’s Lemigo Hotel in Kigali.

“Some of our best players are not here because they were busy with their teams and some are also injured.

Esperance duo; Ben Yousef and Yacine Khnissi, Saber Khalifa who plays for Club Africain as well as Etoile du Sahel stars, Hamsa Lahmar and Hamal Jmal are some of their key players who failed to make it to the competition due to club engagements and injuries.

The official informed that the Carthage Eagles are in Rwanda with a weakened side and it will be difficult for them to beat Nigeria.

“If they are all here, things would have been different for us, but I believe those who are here will give their best.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016 — 47

Nkwocha interprets football to Afghan refugees

Don’t support illegality, Toro cautions Dalung F

ORMER secretarygeneral of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ahmed Sanni Toro is unhappy with the Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung over his decision to hold a crisis resolution meeting, when there is no crisis.

Dalung, brought NFF current president Pinnick Amaju and his challenger, Chris Giwa to discus a matter, which many football enthusiasts assumed to have been put to rest by the previous administration.

But Giwa and Pinnick were closed to throwing blows and the meet was deadlocked.

Toro argued that the meeting was uncalled for since all matters relating to the emergence of Mr. Pinnick as NFF president on September 30 2014 was ratified by FIFA.. “ It is really unfortunate because in the first instance that meeting was uncalled for. The timing was wrong; Chris Giwa and his group were called by the secretary of the government in the past and if they wanted to be part of the elections (2014) they knew the rules.

They went to the Tribunal,

FIFA and even CAS and before that there was a court ruling. “ We shouldn’t ridicule ourselves, we know the rules. I would advice the Minister strongly he should distance himself from Giwa’s group because FIFA is watching and it could evoke certain sections of the statutes which could have serious consequences,” Toro told footballlive.ng However, Dalung allayed fears of FIFA sanctions.

“FIFA is an umbrella body for football, to ensure that federations operate within their rules and within global practice. “When you fear FIFA, it means you have something to hide. We have nothing to hide. So, FIFA is a father, a big brother and we will relate with FIFA in a friendly way,” he said.

F

Onazi

Onazi set for Swansea switch S UPER Eagles midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi may join Swansea in the January transfer window in a bid to revive his career, which has lost steam at Lazio.

Onazi, struggled for Serie A starts this season and he is hopeful of leaving to start anew in Swnasea. It was reported that Swansea are preparing a €5 million bid

Aussie Open: Murray dominates Groth, as Ferrer sends Hewitt into retirement

N

O. 2 seed Andy Mur ray extended his unbeaten streak against Australian players with a dominant 6-0, 6-4, 6-1 second round win

Andy Murray

over big-serving Sam Groth on Thursday at the Australian Open.

After the 91-minute match, the Scotsman paid tribute to the retiring Lleyton Hewitt: “He was someone I loved watching growing up. His attitude toward competition I loved,” Murray said. “He fought, well, fights extremely hard to this day. He still has the same passion to win.

“He was an idol for me, I actually named one of my dogs after him because he was someone that I loved growing up.”

Murray, who is an expectant father, with his wife due to have the baby next month, has made it known that if his wife goes into labor during the tournament, he will fly home immediately.

Murray’s next opponent in the third round is the 32nd seed Joao Sousa. Murray assess his challenger:

Rainoil Ikoyi Club Tennis Masters: Edwards upsets Ebijimi nent scampering from side

M

ARYLOVE Edwards, 14 & Under champion of the ITA Junior Tennis Circuit, justified the wild card given to her by the organisers by comprehensively beating Pauline Ebijimi from Niger State ranked No.6 on the Nigeria Tennis

Federation list 6-1, 6-0.

Edwards who had been fearless but erratic against former national champion, Blessing Samuel, in her first round robin match appeared to have fine-tuned her strokes and confidently and consistently sent her oppo-

ORMER Super Falcons captain, Perpetua Nkwocha is using football to make life easy for Afghanistan teenagers who are seeking a new life in Sweden.

Nkwoach, a veteran of Nigeria female football with the part-time coaching project is hoping to make living easy for teenagers who are part of thousands of refugees seeking a new life in Europe.

The four-time Africa women footballer of the year is a player-coach for

to side with well placed double handed topspins.

“I wanted to enjoy myself knowing I had nothing to lose. I am very glad I played very well. I hope I can play as well against Christie Agugbom in the final round robin match.” Edwards said.

for Onazi as new Head Coach Francesco Guidolin looks to bolster his squad Onazi is represented by compatriot and ex-Lazio striker Stephen Makinwa.

Makinwa said: “The situation hasn’t changed much. He’s a valuable player, it’s normal to have a lot of interest. We’re considering things, there still isn’t a concrete offer.”

Onazi has made only six Serie A appearances in the

2015/16 campaign, and is said to fear he will lose his Nigeria place if he does not find first team football.

Makinwa said: “He’s tied to the environment in Rome, but he’s young and wants to play and have space, like all footballers.

“He wants to stay in the Nigeria team, he wants to do well: he’d like to do it with Lazio, but if that’s not possible then it’s better to try with a different team.”

Clemensnäs IF a forth division side in the Swedish women league.

“I feel that it’s similar which is why I have to try to make them happy, because I knowwheretheycamefrom,” she told the BBC. “I feel so glad that I connected with them and we started this project together.

“We try to make them feel welcome, try to make them feel happy, try to make them get friends and associate with other Swedish [people].”

The project, started in November 2015. It was set up

by Clemensnas IF, in co-operation with the local football association and the Swedish church.

“It is really a way of giving these immigrants and refugees something to do during the day,” said Jens Karlsson, the chairman of Clemensnas.

“If they love soccer they can come here and practise with Perpetua, who is a great soccer player - so that’s the purpose of the whole thing, to help in the immigration of these guys.”

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016

President Buhari rewards Eaglets, D’Tigers

I

T was all smiles and glamour yesterday at the Banquet Hall of

CHAN: Eagles chase quarter-final berth

BY JUDE OPARA, Abuja the Presidential Villa, Abuja as President Mohammadu Buhari rewarded members of the victorious national U-17 team who won the FIFA World Cup in Chile last year and the Class of 1985 who won the first

Kick off: 2pm

T

•Chikatara

Don’t support illegality — Toro cautions Dalung — Page 47

HE Super Eagles will take on Tunisia in their second game of the 2016 African Nations Championship in Rwanda this afternoon.

Henryk Kasperczak’s boys will be hoping to grab a maximum three points against the Super Eagles in order to boost their chances of making it to the next round after a worrisome 2-2 draw against debutants Guinea in their first game.

For the Super Eagles, they will be hoping to book an early flight to the quarter final after a commanding 4-1 defeat of Niger Republic in Continues on Page 46

PROMISE KEPT: President Buhari in handshake with captain of the 1985 Golden Eaglets Nduka Ugbade at the Villa yesterday. Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung looks on. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida

Continues on page 46

CHAN Results DR Congo Cameroon

Nigeria ‘ll be difficult to beat –Tunisia official

A

top official of the Tunisia Football Federation has said that

beating the Super Eagles in today’s Group C cracker at the ongoing

African Nations Championship is Continues on Page 46

edition of the cadet championship in China.

Each of the players from the Chile 2015 set got the sum of N1.2 million naira, while Chief Coach, Emmanuel Amuneke was given N900,000. His assistants got N600,000 each.

The 1985 class were given N2 million naira each while the coaches got N1.5 million naira each.

Before now successive governments in the country had failed to honour the team despite the promise of then Head of State, General Buhari who had promised to host them before his exit from office.

The Samson Siasia tutored national U-23 team who won the African U-23 Nations Cup last year were each blessed with just N500,000.

President Buhari also rewarded members of the national basketball team,

4 0

Angola Ethiopia

2 0

Today’s Matches Tunisia Niger

vs vs

Nigeria Guinea

2pm 5pm

QUICK CR OSS WORD CROSS OSSWORD

T OD AY'S PUZZLE ODA

FRI DAY'S ANS WERS FRID ANSWERS

ACROSS 2 Feeling (5) 7 Demon (5) 8 Of towns (5) 10 Jacket (5) 12 Consume (3) 13 Pointed (5) 15 Gave (7) 17 Led (6) 19 Married (3) 20 Erased (7) 23 Greedy (4) 25 Cupola (4) 26 Coaxed (7) 30 Intelligence (3) 31 Proper (6) 34 Spanned (7) 37 Cash (5) 38 Each (3) 39 Sag (5) 40 Enquired (4) 41 Principle (5) 42 Rate (5)

DOWN 1 Contradict (5) 2 Located (5) 3 Evaded (6) 4 Spoke )4) 5 Feared (7) 6 Subsequently (5) 9 Club (3) 11 Cringed (7) 13 Onwards (5) 14 Sorcery (5) 16 Entrap (3) 18 Dedicated (7) 21 Twelve (5) 22 God (5) 24 Loitered (7) 27 Dance (3) 28 Relegate (6) 29 Accident (5) 32 Managed (5) 33 Not ever (5) 35 Kind (3) 36 Ooze (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Close 5, Clever 8, Enrol 10, Parade 11, Arid 14, Nature 15, Haleyon 18, Pep 19, Van 21, Deft 23, Revel 24, Poor 27, Rag 29, Pet 31, Layette 32, Dealer 34, Lane 35, Eluded 38, Alder 39, Defend 40, Deity.

DOWN: 2, Lea 3, Search 4, End 5, Clan 6, Exited 7, Repeat 9, Recover 12, Rap 13, Dupe 16, Alto 17, Naval 20, Negated 22, Flat 24, Padded 25, Opal 26, Relate 28, Secure 30, Ten 33, Read 36, Led 37, Eft.

How to Play Sudoku

P

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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C M Y K