PDP govs sack sheriff

C M Y K

PAGE 2 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016

Ijaw coalition raises the alarm over military molestation of Gbaramatu indigenes •Urges UN, CDHR, Utomi, Uranta, others to intervene

BY DAPO AKINREFON

T

HE Coalition of Ijaw Youth Leaders (COIL) has raised fresh concerns over the activities of the military in Gbaramatu kingdom of Delta State.

The coalition said the military, under the pretext of looking for Niger Delta Avengers, has been engaginginwantonhumanabuseandgrossmolestationofinnocentandlawabidingindigenes ofGbaramatukingdom.

In a statement signed by Dr Clarkson Raphael, Comrades Fred Brisibe and Fred Afoegba, the coalition’schairman,secretaryandnationalcoordinatorrespectively,COILsaidmilitaryisexpected to be professional in its dealings with helpless masses.

Thestatementreads:“COILdecrythewantonhumanabuseandgrossmolestationofinnocent and law abiding indigenes of Gbaramatu kingdom by the military under the pretext of looking for Niger Delta Avengers.”

While condemning pipeline vandalism and criminal activities in the Niger Delta, the coalition said it is opposed to human degradation and ill-treatment.

It stressed that, “Coalition condemns strongly the acts of pipeline vandalisation and every other criminal activities in Delta. However, we object to a situation where the innocents, artisan and all law abiding indigenes are beaten up, manhandled, molested and subjected to crass and gross inhuman treatments.

Candido takes over as AMAC new chairman •Says he will not rely on government’s ‘Bail Out’

BY GRACE UDOFIA

A

BUJA- The newly elected Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, Abdullahi Candido, yesterday took over the mantle of leadership, with a vow to restore sanity.

The new Chairman, who noted that he would ensure transparency in line with the cardinal objectives of the President Mohammadu Buhari-led government in consonance with the change mantra, said he would put in place policies that would bring about the dividends of democracy.

He, however, stressed the need for a collective fight against corruption, which he said had eaten deep in AMAC. The new Chairman said, ‘’If there are policies that were lopsided or anti-people in the past, we will correct them. ‘’I will be chairman to all the people of AMAC, therefore, I pledge to operate in fairness and justice; I will not promote religious or tribal agenda, no village or group of persons have my exclusive attention as I am here to serve everybody.”

He, however, urged the people of the area council to be patient and pray for him.

According to him, everyone in the council must be ready to work, stressing that those who are not prepared to key in, should otherwise, go to the commission and seek transfer or be ready to tender their resignation letters because, “I will not condone laziness of any kind here”.

In his remarks, the outgoing chairman of AMAC, Hon Micah Jiba, stated that he was very happy to hand over to the incoming chairman, having fulfilled the core objectives of the local government system.

He listed the objectives to be primary health care, scholarship, agricultural enhancement, electrification projects, sanitation, the general well-being of the people as well as other infrastructural needs.

Bode George loses mum

M

RS Remilekun Violet Phillips – George, the mother of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader, Chief Olabode Ibiyinka George, is dead, aged 91.

Mama passed on to eternal glory on May 4, 2016.

According to burial arrangements, Christian Wake-keeping and service of songs hold on Tuesday, May 24, at City Hall, Lagos.

Funeral service is scheduled for Wesley Methodist Church Cathedral, Olowogbowo, Chapel Street, Lagos, on Wednesday, May 25, to be followed by interment at Ebony Vaults, Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Reception holds at Harbour Point, near Naval Dockyard, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Ogbe Ijoh denies militants’attack BYEMMAAMAIZE

C

HAIRMAN of Ogbe Ijoh Clan Governing Council, Ogbe Ijoh Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, Chief Alex Akemetubo, yesterday,said the attack by militants on Friday was not in Ogbe Ijoh town, but in the riverine part of the kingdom.

Akemetubo, in a statement, said: “The newspaper report to the effect that the attack on the NNPC gas pipeline happened around Ogbe-Ijoh Town, headquarters of Warri South west LGA is not true.”

“The incident happened in the riverine parts of the Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom, along the Warri to Escravos river after the Warri Refinery. The distance between the scene of the incident and Ogbe-Ijoh Town is a substantial distance. “ This clarification is necessary to correct the wrong impression created that the incident happened around the headquarters of the Warri South West LGA, Ogbe-Ijoh Town.”

From left: SUPOL Samuel Nko; Assistant General Manager, SIFAX Haulage and Logistics Limited, Mr. Olusola Ajayi; SUPOL Asuquo Okpo; General Manager, SIFAX Haulage and Logistics Limited, Mr. Saheed Lasisi and DPO, Ijora-Badia police station, Mr. Ayeni Kayode Samuel during the presentation of a Toyota Hilux Patrol van to the Ijora-Badia police station by the company.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016, PAGE 3

C M Y K

PAGE 4 — SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 22, 2016

IBRU’S DAUGHTER’S TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE

The traditional wedding ceremony between Miss Iruose Tosan Ibru, daughter of the late Mr Alex and Mrs. Maiden Ibru , and Edema Awani, son of the late Chief Dan Edo and Mrs. Stella Awani, was held at the Landmark ,Victoria Island, Lagos, yesterday. Photos: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor

•From left: A former Governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, groom’s mother, Mrs. Stella Awani, Olorogun Oscar Ibru, representing the bride’s father, the groom, Edema Awani,

his wife, Miss Iruose, bride’s mother and Chairman, Guardian Newspapers, Mrs. Maiden Ibru, and Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Lagos State, representing the Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Lola Akande

•From left: Co-Chairman, African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN Plc), Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu, Senator Daisy Danjuma and Gen. T Y Danjuma

•From left: Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, Mrs. Victoria Gowon, a former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, and Mrs. Adelusi-Adeluyi

•From left: Alh. Aliko Dangote, President Dangote Group, Pastor Paul Adefarasin and his wife

• Chief Mike Inegbese and his wife

•From left:Prof. Grace Alele-William, Very Rev. Mogsinor E. Bayo, Chief Kofi Kartey, Chief Felix Esisi and Chief [Mrs] Rita Lori-Ogbebor • From left: Olorogun Oscar Ibru, Mrs. Maiden Ibru and Dr Oba Otudeko • From left: Mrs. Oyinkan Badejo Okusanya, Stellar Awani, groom’s mother, and Erelu Abiola Dosumu

•From left: Mrs. Tobi Odunaiya, Chief (Mrs) Cecilia Ibru and Mr. Victor Hammond C M Y K

•From left: Mrs. Ndubuisi Kanu, Chief (Mrs}Nike • Mrs. Maiden Ibru (left) and Chief Mrs. Derin Osoba Akande and Chief [Mrs] Jokotade Akin-George

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016 — PAGE 5

OPPOSITION PARTY’S PEACE MOVES

PDP govs sack Sheriff •Elect Makarfi as caretaker chairman •Ben Obi is national secretary •Gana welcomes devt, says it will lead to reconciliation

By Emmanuel Aziken, Jimitota Onoyume, Ben Agande & Dapo Akinrefon

F

ears of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, formally splitting were assuaged, yesterday, after warring party leaders, meeting in factional conventions in Abuja and PortHarcourt, made common ground with the sacking of the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff executive of the party.

Following the surprising sack of Sheriff by his one-time supporters in Port-Harcourt, a caretaker committee with Ahmed Makarfi, a former governor of Kaduna State, appointed to superintend over the affairs of the party.

Sheriff, however, was unyielding as he had earlier in the day, in an attempt to stave-off the pressure on him to step aside, canceled the convention. This was after a stormy meeting with the governors who had backed him.

Sheriff cited court orders restraining election into the offices of chairman, secretary, and auditor, as his reason for canceling the convention.

Earlier in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, Concerned Stakeholders led

by Prof. Jerry Gana, meeting in Abuja, failed to appoint a factional caretaker committee as they had vowed but, rather, appointed the duo of Senator Ibrahim Mantu and Prof Tunde Adeniran as co-chairmen.

The move, Sunday Vanguard gathered, flowed from discussions between the Gana group in Abuja and concerned party stakeholders in Port-Harcourt who had reached a quiet understanding not to elect officials in either of the two venues to allow for peace.

The convention in Abuja was largely boycotted by serving National Assembly members and governors, and members of the outgoing National Executive but was populated by former governors, former ministers, and former senior officials of the party. The major surprise was the presence of the outgoing National ViceChairman, South-South, Dr. Cairo Ojugboh.

ABUJA CONVENTION The convention in Abuja, which held at the M and M Event Centre, started at about 10 am and ended within two hours after representatives of the party from the six geo-political zones gave speeches.

Among the former governors present were Achike Udenwa of Imo, Garba Umar of Taraba and Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa.

Professor Jerry Gana, who set the ball rolling in his welcome address, said the PDP was formed on the principles of human rights, human values, and human dignity.

“We are driven by values of principles, integrity, and honour, respect for human rights, and we will not tolerate any thing that takes away human values,” he said.

In his remarks, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, a former deputy president of the Senate, said recent events in the party indicated that “the culture of impunity, disdain for democratic norms and utter disregard of our party constitution, behaviours that brought us to the 2015 loss, are rearing their ugly heads again”.

He noted that “the action of the National Executive Committee of the party in selecting Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as Chairman, was in gross violation of the established procedure for the selection. Senator Sheriff was not nominated by any caucus and hence not qualified to be selected”.

Goodwill messages were also delivered by Aisha Maina, Senator Grace Bent, Bala Mohammed, Ahmadu Fintiri, Remi Adiukwu, John Odey and Tanimu Turaki.

BAD SIGNS FOR SHERIFF IN PORTHARCOURT Signs of untoward times ahead for Sheriff emerged when, at the scheduled time for the commencement of the convention, most of the major actors including governors, and senior party officials were nowhere to be seen.

By 10 a.m., the appointed time for the convention, it did not start.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that the decision to sack

Sheriff had been taken the night before upon submissions by some of the governors, but the move was said to have been resisted by the host governor, Nyesom Wike.

Wike, however, caved in upon overwhelming pressure from his colleagues. Getting Sheriff to step aside gently was, nevertheless, an issue.

At about 11.00 a.m., Sheriff had summoned a press conference at his Le Meriden Hotel base but just as newsmen arrived, he stormed out of the hotel to join the party’s governors at the Government House.

Information available to Sunday Vanguard suggests that it was at that meeting that he got the message to step down in favour of a caretaker committee.

But Sheriff, apparently, did not buy the idea as he quickly returned to his hotel to announce the postponement of the convention.

Addressing the media, he said: “We are confronted with a lot of challenges, (and) the challenges are mostly court cases to stop our convention from taking place. After seeing the challenges confronting our party, taking into account the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, not to supervise the elections to the office of chairman, secretary, and other offices, based on the order of the court... On account of the fact that our party is responsible, law abiding, with high respect for the judiciary and courts, we do hereby state and put off the national convention of our party from taking place.

“We have suspended it until when all the court cases are resolved. The issues are so many. We have about three different court cases. From

L-R: A former Gov. of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi; Gov. Nyesom Wike, Gov. Olusegun Mimiko and Sen. Ike Ekweremadu at the factional PDP National Convention, held in Port Harcourt ,yesterday.

Abuja, where it says that the tenure of the 17 members of the National Working Committee has not expired, it will be expiring on the 17 of June 2017; and another one in Lagos which says that the tenure of the chairman, secretary and auditor will expire in 2018. INEC also wrote that it will not supervise the election in PortHarcourt.

“Taking into consideration all these, if we go out and conduct elections in PortHarcourt, the NEC of the party will be charged for contempt of court. We have asked for stay of proceedings in Lagos yesterday (Friday), and the court denied that also.

“Therefore, the best and safest way is to put off the convention. Therefore, we have suspended the convention until all the court cases are resolved. We will then announce another date for the convention.”

He then advised the delegates to return to their states.

His stance was, however, quickly renounced as party chiefs summoned delegates to the convention ground where the deputy national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, presided and formally opened the convention. As the convention opened, Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill

Akpabio, moved a motion for the dissolution of the NEC and the appointment of a National Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the party and conduct elections into all offices within a period of 90 days.

His motion was seconded

by Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State.

The committee is also to reconcile all factions of the party under one umbrella.

The Senator Makarfi-led national caretaker committee has Senator Ben Obi as secretary and Senator Odion Ugbesia, Senator Abdul Ningi, Bar Kare Usman, Prince Dayo Adeyeye and Mrs. Aisha Aliyu as members.

The new leaders of the party are not to contest any of the elective offices of the party in the elections they are to conduct.

Governor Wike called for a voice vote in support of the nominees for the national caretaker committee and the vote was unanimously carried.

Following that, a chieftain of the party in Rivers State and Commissioner for Housing, Barrister Emma Okah, administered the oath of office on the members of the caretaker committee.

The new National Chairman, Senator

Markafi, promised to work for the growth of the party.

The convention was brought to a close upon a motion moved by Senator Sam Egwu and seconded by Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State.

Prof.

Gana, who championed the move to oust Sheriff and led those who convened the Abuja parallel convention, welcomed the moves against Sheriff yesterday in an interview with Sunday Vanguard.

He said it had opened the way for reconciliation in the party.

“Yes, they told us, that is fine with us. We hope they will dissolve the NWC and then put in a caretaker committee to reconcile all of us and then have a proper convention.

“Definitely, we do not want to break the party; we only wanted to draw attention to something that was wrong, and they have now seen that it was wrong, and they now are taking a decision. A convention is the highest body that can take that next decision and we are hoping that they will put in a very balanced, very trustworthy, very good caretaker committee to reconcile all the forces within the party and prepare for a unified convention at which a new leadership will emerge

How the drama unfolded in Port-Harcourt

By Dapo Akinrefon

8:00am PDP delegates arrive the Sharks Stadium for accreditation Tight security in and around the stadium 10:00am—Convention Planning Committee members and security agents cordon off entrance to the stadium 10:15am Party members, delegates and journalists shoved aside by security and some Convention Planning Committee members 10:30— Delegates’ tags yet to arrive convention venue 11:00—PDP national chairman, Senator Sheriff calls a press conference at Le Meridian Hotel, PortHarcourt 11:15am— Sheriff storms out of venue of the press conference to consult with PDP governors and party leaders at Rivers State Government House 11:30 a.m. News of likely cancellation of PDP convention fill the air 12:00 p.m. Journalists still waiting for Sheriff’s arrival 12:05 p.m. David Mark, Sule

Lamido arrive for a meeting with Sheriff 12:10 p.m. Party leaders arrive Le Meridian Hotel to wait for Sheriff 12:25 p.m. Some delegates who got wind of cancellation start leaving for their states.

12:45 p.m. Delegates leaving the convention ground 12:47 p.m. PDP national secretary, Prof Wale Oladipo arrives the Le Meridan Hotel 1:00 p.m. PDP scribe, Prof Oladipo leaves 1:15 pm: Sheriff’s stormy meeting with PDP governors over. Chairman adamant on retaining position 1:40pm: Sheriff returns to hotel, has lunch 2:10pm: Sheriff addresses the press , says he remains chairman and cancels convention 3:30pm: PDP governors storm convention centre 4:30pm: Governor Segun Mimiko and Senator David Mark deliver goodwill speeches 4:45 p.m. Austin Opara moves motion for the dissolution of the National Executive Committee It was seconded by Emeka

Ihedoha 4:50pm: Governor Nyesom Wike announces dissolution of the NWC 4:50pm: Babangida Aliyu moves motion for the zoning of the presidency in 2019 to the North and he is seconded

by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.

5:00 p.m. Senator Godswill Akpabio moves for the formation of a National Caretaker Committee and he is seconded by Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo 5:15: Caretaker Committees led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi named and sworn-in 5:20: Members take oath of office as Makarfi delivers speech 5:30 p.m. Governor Ayodele Fayose moves motion bringing the convention to an end, while Senator Sam Egwu seconds MEMBERS OF THE CARETAKER COMMITTEE Senator Ahmed Makarfi —Chairman Senator Ben Obi —Secretary Senator Oyom Obazie Senator Abdul Lingi Barrister Kabir Usman Prince Dayo Adeyeye

Mrs Aishat Aliyu Senator Odion Ugbesia

ROLL CALL Governor Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo) Governor Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti) Governor Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa) Governor David Umahi (Ebonyi) Governor Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta) Governor Ben Ayade (Cross Rivers) Governor Nyesom Wike (Rivers) Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe) Senator Ike Ekweremadu Deputy Senate President Senator David Mark Senator Ben Murray Bruce Senator Andy Uba Senator Godswill Akpabio Prince Uche Secondus Alhaji Babangida Aliyu Emeka Ihedioha Austin Opara Mrs Mulikat Adeola Senator Theodore Orji Senator Sam Egwu Sule Lamido Mrs. Kema Chikwe Gabriel Suswam

PAGE 6 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016

Herdsmen invade Ekiti, kill two

Kidnapped Kwara APC chiefs regain freedom

•Community accuses police of demanding N12,000 before operation

By Rotimi Ojomoyela, Ado-Ekiti

O

ke Ako community in Ikole local government area of Ekiti State was, on Friday night, thrown into chaos after suspected herdsmen invaded the village, leaving two dead and several others wounded.

An eye witness told journalists that the incident occurred at about 8:00 pm on Friday. The eye witness, who identified herself as Mrs Grace Olofin, during a telephone chat, said the herdsmen stormed the community in large numbers, adding that the invaders were armed with guns, bows, arrows and machetes. Olofin said the villagers fled into the bush to escape the attack.

She said the invaders shot sporadically into the air and killed one Lekan Arosanyin and a yet to be identified person, while four others sustained injuries and were said to be receiving treatment at a private hospital in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

Another eye witness, Adebayo Ajayi, described the incident as a reprisal attack as he said the herdsmen had previously fallen out with the villagers over their grazing activities in the community.

He explained that the villagers had been resisting the use of their farmlands as grazing fields by the herdsmen.

The Divisional Police Officer in the area confirmed the incident, noting that he could not ascertain whether the attack was armed robbery or herdsmen invasion.

Meanwhile, the villagers blamed the police in the area for failing to act swiftly when the case was reported to them.

One of the residents, Muyiwa Olukosi, whose wife sustained matchete wound, told newsmen that the police demanded for

N12,000 before they could move to the scene as he said they complained of no fuel in their van.

According to him, soldiers from the Nigerian Army, Akure were deployed to the village even before the arrival of the police in the area. Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Dr. Kolapo Olusola, visited the town, yesterday, saying the state government would take all necessary steps to avoid reoccurrence.

“We won’t allow strangers to destroy our lives and property at will. This is a sad development that we must tackle to ensure justice and peace reign in the state”, he stated. Olusola, during a condolence visit to the bereaved Arosanyins, prayed God to be with the family.

n organisation, Delta Ijaw APC, has condemned the attacks on oil installations in the Niger Delta by the militant group, Niger Delta Avangers, and called on security agencies to bring the situation under control even as it appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to support the take-off of the Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State. It also commended the president for extending the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme beyond the December 31,2015 terminal date set by the PDP-led Federal Government and the continued funding of the Niger Delta Development Commission and Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs inherited from the Jonathan administration. This was part of its communique at the end of its meeting last week. The meeting, hosted by Pastor Power Ziakede Aginighan, a former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta

T

JSK Etiquette Consortium, last week, sponsored Olajumoke Orisaguna for Etiquette & Personal Development Program. From left: Ojuolape Amodu; Mrs Janet Adetu, Managing Director / CEO of JSK Etiquette Consortium; Olajumoke Orisaguna; Kemi Onadiran, and Sarah Wusu, during the program.

NLC in crucial meeting today

By Victor Ahiuma-Young,

Assistant Labour Editor

EADERS of the L Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, led by

Ayuba Wabba, will meet today in Abuja, to critically review the ongoing nationwide strike and protests to force government to reverse the N145 pump price of petrol to the pre-Wednesday 11 price of N86.50.

The meeting is coming following appeals by the President of Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki; Speaker of the House of

Representatives, Alhaji Yakubu Dogara, and the National Leader of All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to them to call off the industrial action and return to negotiating table with the Federal Government.

The Wabba faction of the NLC, alongside the Joint Action Front, JAF, had, since Wednesday, May 18, embarked on a nationwide strike and mass protests.

The action had so far recorded low turn out with workers in Lagos State, the economic nerve centre of

the country, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and Rivers State, shunning the strike.

On Thursday, the leadership of the National Assembly, in a meeting with the factional leaders, appealed to them to call off the strike.

Speaking with Sunday Vanguard, General Secretary of NLC, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, said they would be meeting today to review the situation and determine the next line of action, saying, “We will be meeting tomorrow (today) to review the situation to determine

the next line of action. After the meeting, a communique will be issued on the outcome.”

Equally, leaders of JAF will meet in Lagos today to review the situation, but have resolved to continue the action tomorrow.

A text message by Mr. Abiodun Aremu, JAF Secretary, said the meeting would take place at 2 pm to plan how to re-strategise the protest and mass action to force government to reverse the hike in the pump price of petrol and electricity tariff.

Lagos welcomes Buhari on two-day working visit

P

r e s i d e n t Muhammadu Buhari begins a two-day working visit to Lagos State tomorrow.

A statement issued by the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, said this is the first time, in

Delta Ijaw APC condemns attacks on Development Commission, oil installations was attended by State Party

A

By Demola Akinyemi

Executives, Local Government Party Executives, Chairmen and Secretaries of all the Wards in the Local Government Areas of Ijaw extraction as well as prominent chieftains of the Party in the State of Ijaw extraction.

...Advises residents on traffic diversion about 15years, that a sitting President will be visiting the state on a working visit and is a testimony to the landmark achievements in the last one year of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode as well as the good working relationship between Lagos State and the Federal Government.

Ayorinde added that Buhari, during the visit, would commission the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Rescue Unit in Cappa Oshodi, built by the state government to ensure prompt and swift response to emergency situations.

He said the President would thereafter commission the newly constructed Ago Palace Way, Okota, Isolo after which he will pay homage to the Oba of Lagos, Oba Babatunde Rilwanu Aremu Akiolu at the Iga Iduganran, Lagos Island.

The Commissioner disclosed further that the President would later in the day be hosted to a reception rally by the state government at the Tafawa Balewa Square, (TBS) Lagos where he will also commission and hand over security equipment and vehicles contributed by the

Governor Akinwunmi A m b o d e - l e d administration to securities agencies to beef up security in the state. The release added that activities for the first day of the President’s visit would be rounded off with a State Banquet in his honour at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island.

The President will on Tuesday participate as the Special Guest of Honour at a breakfast session with Corporate Lagos to be hosted by Governor Ambode at the Lagos State House, Marina, after which he will have a short session with the public service at the State House, Alausa-Ikeja.

Four FUTA students killed in auto crash, eleven others injured Dayo Johnson, Akure

OUR students of the F Federal University of Technology Akure,

FUTA, yesterday, lost their lives in an auto crash on Ilesha/ Akure expressway.

Eleven others reportedly sustained serious injuries in the crash. They were reportedly returning from a religious programme held in Ibadan, Oyo State.

An eye witness said the accident occurred at

Ibulesoro town in Ifedore council area of the state.

Identities of the deceased students could not be ascertained at press time but sources in the institution confirmed

that they were students of the university.

The accident, according to the eye witness, occurred when a bus conveying the deceased students skidded off the road while the driver was trying to avoid crushing a motorcycle which crossed the expressway carelessly.

He explained that the driver of the bus, who was on high speed, could not control the vehicle when the motorcycle crossed and ended crashing, killing the students.

Confirming the incident, Ondo State police spokesman, Femi Joseph, said policemen and Federal Road Safety Corps officials responded swiftly to the accident and rushed those injured to hospital.

The Public Relations Officer of the University, Mr Adegbenro, said the students were on a private

religious trip when the accident happened.

He said the management of the university was already aware of the accident and was in touch already with the Police on the matter.

He commiserated with the families of the deceased students and their colleagues.Also, the University Student Union

President, Segun Oladele, said those injured are responding to treatment while the identity of those that died are still not known.

he abducted Chairman of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Kwara State, Hon. Ishola Balogun- Fulani, and the party ’s Secretary, Chief Bode Adekanye, have been freed.

The APC chiefs were rescued by men of Kogi State Police Command at about 6.30pm yesterday.

Kwara State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alh Sulyman Buhari, broke the news of the release of Balogun- Fulani and Adekanye in a telephone interview with Sunday Vanguard last night.

He added that the freed men will pass the night in Lokoja and return to Ilorin today( Sunday). Buhari said no ransom was paid contrary to the claim by a relation of one of the abductees that they offered to pay N10m when the abductors demanded N50m. “Our Chairman and the Secretary have been rescued. Thank God for the spirited efforts of the men of the Kogi State Police Command. We expect them ito arrive Ilorin today, Sunday. Let me also say that no ransom was paid because of the means through which they were rescued “.

NN foils cross border vandals, attempt to export 66,000 litres of petrol

By Evelyn Usman he Nigerian Navy T Ship NNS Beecroft , the operations base of

the Wester n Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, has foiled on attempt by some suspected crossborder vandals to export 66,000 litres of petrol out of the countr y.

Recovered were three boats in which the product was stored in over 2000 (25 litres) cans. Also recovered were four out- boat engines.

No arrest was however made as the suspects were said to have jumped into the river to escape, on sighting the personnel.

The recovery was made barely 24 hours after the command handed over four suspected vandals arrested while loading 218 jerry cans with siphoned petroleum products, at the Suntan Beach at Igbologun area of Badagr y, to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps.Briefing newsmen on the latest

arrest, yesterday, the Command, NNS Beecroft, Commodore Abraham Adaji, explained that the recovery was made Friday morning around Tongeji I, on the fringes of Nigeria’s western border with the Republic of Benin.

C M Y K

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016 — PAGE 7

From left: Chief Fagbohungbe, Chancellor of Ilesa Anglican Diocese; Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, Guest Lecturer ; and the Diocesan Bishop, Rt Revd Sowale of Ilesa, at the 2016 Synod of the Diocese, last week.

Hon. Minister of Power, Works & Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN (right), Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele (2nd right), Deputy Governor, Economic, Policy,Directorate of the Central Bank of Nigeria,Dr Sarah Alade(middle), Managing Director/Executive Officer of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET), Mr Rumundaka Wonodi (left) and the Ag.Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Dr Tony Akah(2nd left), during the Fourth Batch Disbursement of the CBN Loan to the Nigerian Electricity Market Stabilisation Facility, held at the CBN Conference Room, Victoria Island, Lagos on Friday.

How we burst syndicate smuggling expired tyres issue of expired tyres, going into Nigeria —AIG beyond that, I must tell you

•Police arrest one suspect, traces others to Dubai

By Bashir Adefaka

M

ARITIME Police Command, under Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Alhaji Musa Katsina, covering 21 states with coastal lines across Nigeria, has arrested a suspected clearing agent allegedly working for a syndicate that specialised in smuggling.

During a press briefing in Lagos, the AIG said the suspected agent (names withheld) was arrested along Ikorodu Road, Lagos when his men, working on intelligence, trailed a truck conveying a 40-foot container he moved out of the ports at midnight.

Although he said the agent was cooperating with the command, names of the container’s owner and other details declared on the documents the suspect was holding were said to be fake. It therefore occurred to the police topnotch that the man would need to prove why the police should not believe he was the arrowhead of

the syndicate that was said to be operating from Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE).

In the meantime, Katsina stated that the said agent would be treated as a principal suspect even as the police boss stated that investigation was on to uncover how the 40-foot container left the port at midnight without being checked by Customs.

Sunday Vanguard investigation also revealed that the agent claimed to have bribed some Customs officers at different points at

the ports who then let him go with the container said to holding four cars including a Jeep, Mercedes Benz car and a Toyota Camry car, which was declared as a 2001 model on paper as against the 2010 model that it truly was. Also in the container were about 500 tyres the AIG said expired five years ago.

The AIG Maritime Police Command said: “How they found their way into the Nigerian territorial space is what we are investigating.

But let me tell you that this

ATHOLIC Bishop of Ekiti, Most Rev Felix Femi Ajakaiye, has pleaded with the abductors of the Vicar General of Catholic Diocese of Otukpo, Benue State Fr John Adeyi, two sisters, Perpetua Apo and Bukola Familade, and their driver, Zwugwa Zibai, to release them.

“These unfortunate incidents are not palatable at all. Indeed, apart from the two described stories of abduction, there are still other cases pending, both known and unknown. I humbly appeal to all sincere and purposeful Nigerians, within and outside government, and genuine friends of Nigeria to fashion out practical lasting solutions to this spate of abductions”, Ajakaiye said in a statement, yesterday.

He went on: “We must stop

•I didn’t get N15m— Former gov •You got it —Yuguda

By Soni Daniel

A

row has broken out between a former governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Mamuda Shinkafi, and a former Minister of State for Finance under the Jonathan regime, Alhaji Bashir Yuguda, over the disbursement of the state’s share of the N450 million from the N24 billion campaign money, allegedly given by a former Petroleum Minister,

PIPELINE BOMBINGS: Militants weigh Delta govt intervention

By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, SouthSouth and Perez Brisibe

T

HE leadership of the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, the militant group which has claimed responsibility for recent attacks on oil and gas installations in Niger Delta region, was believed to be evaluating, weekend, the overtures from the Delta

*Otuaro committee makes inroad *MEND not part of renewed hostilities – Jomo Gbomo State Government’s Advocacy Committee, headed by the deputy governor, Mr. Kingsley Burutu Otuaro, to stop further attacks.

Sunday Vanguard learned that though distrustful of government’s real intention, the militant group had been

Ekiti Bishop pleads for abducted Catholic priest, others

C

that if we had not intercepted the container, these tyres would have gone into an illegal secret processing area where they would subject them to all forms of recycling only for them to appear as new.

They would therefore present them to the market as new tyres only for me and you to take our money to buy our own coffin. You fix it into your vehicle, you ply the road, the next thing you hear is a deafening bang of a burst tyre and the next thing you see is obituary made possible by this crime.

•Full interview tomorrow

N24b polls cash: Ex-Gov Shinkafi, Jonathan’s minister trade claims over N450m alleged bribe

chasing the shadows.

Really, whenever somebody is abducted, it is sickening to hear state governors prepared to give millions of Naira to anybody or group with any information on the whereabouts of the abducted. Let such governors look inward and do the needful.

“As Nigerians, we need to make our beloved country, Nigeria, habitable for all, where we shall uphold true love, justice, peace, harmony and development. More than ever before, we are to promote and encourage hard work. Nigeria belongs to all and we must manage our resources properly for the benefit of all.

‘Anybody could be you.’

In this light, I call on all well- meaning Nigerians to

appeal to the abductors of all the people still in captivity, including the abductors of Fr John Adeyi, Srs Perpetua Apo and Bukola Familade, and their, Mr Zwugwa Zibai”.

monitoring the utterances and body language of the deputy governor and members of his committee since they ventured into the creeks in the last one week.

Otuaro committee had not made any formal contact with the Avengers because the members have remained mysterious, but the intelligence command of the NDA, said to be keeping a tab not just on the team but also the Joint Task Force, JTF, in the Niger Delta and other government agencies, has reportedly given a preliminary report on its findings.

“The militants are considering whether to heed the appeal by the deputy governor to cease

further vandalisation of pipelines and give his committee a chance to open a window for dialogue with the appropriate authorities or otherwise”, source told Sunday Vanguard.

“They also want to know if his boss, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, just set up the committee or he has the blessing of President Muhammadu Buhari on what he is doing. They noted that the National Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brigadier General Paul Boroh (retd.), reneged on his decision to follow the Otuaro committee to the creeks and would want to know what is amiss.”

Ondo 2016: APC warned against imposition of candidate

By Dayo Johnson, Akure

A

GROUP within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, under the auspices of Sunshine Movement For Change , yesterday, canvassed free and fair governorship primary of the party in August.

A statement by the group in Akure kicked against any form of imposition of any of the aspirants “as it was done in the 2012

governorship election.”

The statement, signed by the Coordinator of the group and Secretary, Nelson Mafo and Omopariola Odusola respectively, said imposition will disintegrate the party and bring about protest votes.

“Our primary must be credible, transparent and acceptable to majority of party member and the people of Ondo State “

They reiterated their support for the existing delegates of the party to be used in choosing the party’s flag bearer for the November election.

Any attempt to alter and undo the present executives both at state and local government levels they said, “ will bring unbearable crisis that the party would not be able to manage till the election proper.”

Diezani Alison Madueke, to prosecute the 2015 polls.

Yuguda had reportedly told operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that Shinkafi got N15 million from the money but the former governor disputed the claim, insisting that he was merely told of the money but did not receive it.

The former Finance Minister said, in writing to the EFCC that the former Secretary to the Zamfara State Government, Aminu Ahmed Nasiha, and one Alhaji Mallaha signed for the money which was shared in his (Yuguda’s) house.

However, when Shinkafi and Nasiha were summoned to the Zonal Office of the EFCC in Kano, yesterday, they denied the former Minister’s position and pleaded with the commission to free them.

The two men were, however, being detained by the EFCC in Kano as of the time of this report and it was unclear if they would be granted bail at the weekend. The former SSG admitted that he got N2 million as against the N5 million claimed by Yuguda and told the EFCC that he had since refunded the cash.

EFCC, Sunday Vanguard learnt, was trying to establish how much each of the suspects may have collected with a view to taking steps to retrieve the money.

The operatives were working hard to establish from Shinkafi if indeed he got a share of N15 million as alleged by Yuguda.

Other beneficiaries listed

by Yuguda are a former senator, Zamfara PDP Chairman and his executive members who reportedly received N5 million.

Also on the list are 13 Zamfara Local Government Councils, N26 million each totaling N338 million.

PAGE 8—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 22, 2016

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

E

do State is upbeat ahead of the Septem ber 10, 2016 governorship election. Understandably, the tension has been more in the All Progressives Congress (APC) because it is the ruling party in the state and any who gets the ticket has strong belief of victory particularly when the party has Governor Adams Oshiomhole leading the onslaught against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the poll. The APC is parading the deputy governor of the state, Dr Pius Odubu; a former Minister of State, Works; Engr.Chris Ogienwonyi; the Chairman of the Economic Team of the state government, Mr Godwin Obaseki; Gen.Charles Airhiavbere; a former governor of the state, Prof.Osarhiemen Osunbor; Mr Kenneth Imasuagbon; Prof.

Frederick Ebegue Amadasun and Chief Don Pedro Obaseki. So far, Odubu,Obaseki, Ogienwonyi, Imasuagbon and Airhiavbere are the frontruners in the race and have unleashed their arsenals with a view to win the about three thousand delegates of the party.

Interestingly, three of the APC governorship aspirants are from Orhiomwon Local Government Area of the state. They are Odubu, Ogienwonyi and Amadasun.

Amadasun, though a grassroots politician, may not have the financial muscle to sway the delegates in his favour Odubu and Ogienwonyi, meanwhile, have all it takes to pick the ticket of the APC. Imasuagbon and Osunbor are both from the Central District which, after the impeachment of Speaker Victor Edoror, who is from the same district, they had a genuine cause to demand for the governorship ticket from the ruling party. But the headache of these contenders is Obaseki from Oredo Local Government Area of Edo South who openly declared his governorship ambition last Friday. Obaseki’s declaration was an eye opener to many of the aspirants as they now know that the technocrat cannot be considered a neophyte in this race. Obaseki is armed with the dogged support of his boss Oshiomhole, and to crown it all, his Director General, Osarodion Ogie, who is the state Commissioner for Works, is the arrowhead of the Oshiomhole political family. Aspirants such as the deputy governor were earlier waiting to slug it out with Ogie but there was a somersault when Oshiomhole, who is the leader in the politics of the state today, decided to throw up Obaseki and asked his political son, Ogie, to suspend his governorship campaign and back Obaseki, strategy which has solidified Obaseki’s ambition.

Ogie’s influence on the political scene became obvious following the thunderous applause that erupted in the hall when Obaseki announced him as the DG of his campaign. The taciturn political strategist has the capacity to unmask whatever strategy the oppotion may decide to adopt both within the APC and the opposition PDP and that is why his commitment to the Obaseki project will be a great concern to the opposition .Aside Ogie,

EDO 2016 Why we are backing Obaseki – Oshiomhole political family Obaseki is armed with the dogged support of his boss Oshiomhole, and to crown it all, his Director General, Osarodion Ogie, who is the state Commissioner for Works, is the arrowhead of the Oshiomhole political family

Obaseki is enjoying the support of maverick politician and political adviser to the governor, Chief Charles Idahosa, Speaker of the state Assembly, Elizabeth Ativie, L awrence Orka, Osakpanwa Eriyo and Tony Adun (alias Kabaka). He equally enjoys the support of members of the state Executive Council and other Oshiomhole foot soldiers across the 18 Local Government Areas. It did not come as a surprise therefore that it was endorsement galore when he declared his ambition at the traditional Urhokpota Hall, to succeed Oshiomhole.

Speaking at the occasion, Ogie said, “I speak for the Oshiomhole political family, we have a good product. You cannot build your house and abandon it for a tenant

to take over. People are shouting ‘continuity, continuity’, what are you going to continue, it is Oshiomhole’s work. Who is the best person to do the work? Obaseki.

The game just started, we will not abuse anybody but anybody that abuses us, we will reply. I speak for Oshiomhole political family.

We have endorsed Obaseki and the game has just began”. Contrary to the insinuation that Obaseki is a new comer on the political scene, Ogie explained: “Right from day one, Obaseki has been with us. He mobilized for the Comrade Governor from Lagos and, when Comrade became governor in 2008, he automatically became the Chairman of the State Economic team. And that is why whatever progress we have made today, Obaseki has been in the picture. He is equipped with the experience and the wherewithal to become the governor of this state”. Ogie’s comment opened the flood gates of endorsement as leaders from the three senatorial districts, youths, ALGON and market women declared support for the aspirant.

Expressing joy for the backing Obaseki reeled out his plans, stressing the need for APC delegates to pick a candidate that will surpass Oshiomhole’s record in terms of infrastructure and positive governance of the state.

While asking the people to help him thank Ogie for accepting to lead his campaign, the financial expert said: “ Since 2006, from the background, I have supported the renewed efforts to rebuild and reconstruct our Edo State, which was vandalized and almost dislocated by previous administrations. By the Grace of God, I have held the invisible and hitherto, little known position of the Chairman of the Economic and Strategy Team of Edo 3 State Government for the past seven years and half years supporting the effective

leadership of the Comrade Governor of Edo State, Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole. This is a position I have held without salary or compensation. This role has allowed me to understand the challenges facing Edo State and it has also given me the opportunity to serve and contribute to the development of our beloved State. Today, low price of crude oil has reduced the amount of foreign exchange Nigeria earns and our economy is in bad shape. Edo state now gets a lot less from the Federation Account . Consequently, our reality today is Nigeria has to take severe measures in order to fix its economic and social challenges. And Edo State is not an exception. 6 In the face of this challenge, we need leadership with fresh and original ideas to take on these new challenges, so that we can build on and deepen the successes of the current administration. There is only one course of action- we must be courageous and determined, we must build on and extend the successes of the current administration to achieve the aspirations of Edo State. I stand before you today on the shoulder of the success of the Comrade Governor. “ Over the last 7.5 years we have transformed Edo State and achieved what was said to be impossible, however the Edo Project is still a work in progress and we are at the most delicate part of this journey. We cannot afford any reversals or slowdown in the pace of the achievements we have made to date. There is a lot more that still has to be done- we still have to construct thousands of kilometers of road into rural communities and farms; scores of schools still need to be renovated; we need to further strengthen our service delivery to our people by training and equipping our civil service; we need to address the issue of massive unemployment especially amongst our youths by providing sustainable jobs; we need to give our people more and better access to healthcare if fact there is still so much more to be done. It will be a huge risk for all of us if we revert political power to those who lack deep understanding of how to link the achievements of the last 7 years with the current situation in Nigeria. What Edo State needs 7 today is someone who has the capacity to raise and access the investments required to build on the past in order to realize the vision. I am very proud and happy that I have been an integral part of the success and challenges of the last 7 years. The knowledge I have garnered in the last 7.5yrs puts me in a unique position to understand what is required to take Edo State to the next level. After 7.5years in the policy cockpit of Edo State, I believe I can fly Edo State higher What Edo needs today is a leader who in addition to political sagacity, has the managerial and intellectual experience to manage the State of Affairs in the difficult and precarious situation we find ourselves. It would be a sin against God and my people to walk away from Edo State with all the knowledge and understanding I have gathered over the last 7.5yrs. It would be unpatriotic not to stand up to be counted because as the saying goes, “When the going gets tough, only the tough get going”.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016, PAGE 9

By Funmi Komolafe

E

vents in the last couple of weeks or probably months have centred around unprecedented scarcity or nonavailability of petrol in all parts of the country.

This was followed by an official announcement that Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, is to sell for a maximum of N145 per liter.

Government said it could no longer afford to subsidize PMS. Almost immediately, the queues disappeared from filling stations and motorists could drive in and buy petrol though at a price well above the former official price of N86.50 per litre.

While the scarcity lasted, the number of man-hours wasted as a result of long queues in fuel stations is better imagined. Not only did the nation lose man-hours, lives were also lost.

Workers, who have not been paid salaries for months, were compelled to purchase petrol at exorbitant prices.

In Lagos, a litre of petrol sold for as much as N250 to N300 a litre.

It got to a point that people were willing to buy even at higher prices out of desperation but the product was not available.

Unlike previous occasions when we had to bear the pain of long queues and non-availability of petrol , this time , marketers exhibited so much impunity that one would ask if, indeed, there was a government in place. Marketers

OIL PRICE WAR:

No winner, no loser took prices to the roof without any significant check on them.

At this time of pain, no one , no organization spoke for the people.

Labor’s position

The issue of the deregulation of the down stream sector is one that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has resisted since 1986. Deregulation, to Labour and, indeed, many Nigerians, is synonymous with price hike. Hence, it consistently opposed it.

The NLC Committee on Deregulation, in its report published in 2010, quoting the government team, stated, “Currently, government claims that it paid out N1.2trillion in the period 2006 to 2008 and about 600billion in 2009 as subsidies to meet the shortfall between the costs of imported petroleum products and their selling pries locally in Nigeria.

“Government claims it pays out an estimated N600 billion annually and that

amount of subsidy has increased dramatically over the years”.

The NLC Committee then faulted the claims: “The question we should ask is, where do the figures of government come from ?

“More worrisome is the claim that the amount government is spending is increasing.

“The problem with this claim can be further exposed when we look at the quantity of Premium Motor Spirit ( PMS) that is consumed in Nigeria .

Existing Data shows that the amount of subsidy claimed by government cannot be supported by the quantity of PMS consumed “.

However, leaders of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers ( NUPENG ) and the Petroleum and Gas Senior Staff Association ( PENGASSAN) have never been fully opposed to the deregulation of the downstream sector.

One recalls that a former President

of PENGASSAN ( names withheld) once said the union was interested in deregulation because it would create more job opportunities and encourage competition in the industry. According to him, the union had always insisted that government must make local refineries work for deregulation to benefit all.

He said oil unions were merely tagging along with the NLC strike so as not to be seen to be working against the interest of the organized labour.

Government position

Over the years, government had insisted that subsidy was not sustainable.

Officials argued that deregulation would attract more investors, make the sector more competitive and create more job opportunities.

On both sides, it’s been the same old argument.

Even on the side of government, one wonders why the Buhari government cannot boldly embrace deregulation fully .

It seems obvious that the issue of fuel price hike will raise its ugly head again.

For this latest strike, government seems to have had the upper hand in communicating with the people. It sounded it so loud that Nigeria is broke and can no longer afford subsidy.

Apart from this, government has kept singing that our refineries are now working though not in full capacity.

This is one of the conditions of the organized labour to accept deregulation..

Continues on page 10

PAGE 10—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016

Continued from page 9 How long this will last is another issue.

Oil price war: No winner, no loser

Deregulation: The rich gets richer and the poor poorer?

The recent scarcity of petrol, which saw Nigerians from the South to the North, including the oil producing states, bearing the pains of long queues and purchase of petrol for as high as N300 a litre with the attendant consequence of business paralysis, may have forced many people to have a change of attitude to deregulation.

Another factor, which became quite pronounced, is government’s claim that it could no longer sustain subsidy essentially because the nation’s oil earnings have taken a downturn .

Besides, the public seems to have accepted the view of those who suggest that subsidy fraudulently enriches the rich at the expense of the masses.

Dismissing claims of subsidy as far back as 1986, the NLC through its then General Secretary, Dr. Lasisi Osunde, placed an advertorial titled, “Oil subsidy: Lies not Facts”.

While the scarcity lasted, security men who were supposed to ensure that people had access to the product , became agents of corruption collecting bribes from consumers .

Even fuel dispensing attendants saw the scarcity as an opportunity to get rich quick. After selling for as much as N250 per litre, they would demand bribe as a right from the customer especially those who needed to purchase in plastic containers for generators.

This scarcity was recorded at a time the country experienced unusual heat and power was also not available.

During the period, the nation was in darkness for as long as 20 hours a day.

Wage earners had to pay more to report for work. Many were frustrated but had no option but to pay high fares to get to work, especially as the alternative could be job loss. Watching workers in states where salaries are owed pay exorbitantly for petrol prompted many to ask if anyone was protecting the interest of the people.

The reality is that Nigerians residing outside Lagos and Abuja have, for a long time, been purchasing petrol at prices far above the official price.

All of these factors prompted a new public thinking on the issue of deregulation.

People began to ask how long were they going to continue deceiving themselves?

And for how long will the organized labour and civil society groups insist on official price that majority of our people do not benefit from.

The fuel crisis confirmed that Nigeria had been paying subsidy to those who claim it is not profitable to sell at official price but it is profitable to claim subsidy even for products that were never imported.

Worse still is the fact that some of these marketers are so unpatriotic that they import the fuel, take delivery and then divert to neighbouring countries.

Strike/ Protest

The NLC strike, last week, failed to take off in many states, including the nation’s commercial capital, Lagos .

Even Abuja recorded little or no compliance. In major cities like Kano and Port-Harcourt, the strike was not effective.

In some states like Delta, Osun and Imo, the strike took effect but this many not be unconnected with domestic labour issues there.

A few states recorded partial compliance especially as the Trade Union Congress (TUC) declared it would not be part of the strike.

To set the records straight, it was not the first time that the TUC will fail to join the NLC to go on strike.

For the leadership of the NLC, it is not the time to blame anybody or group of persons.

Rather, it should critically examine its role in the failed strike with a view to devising a realistic way of gauging public opinion and reviewing its mobilization strategy Also the issue of lack of unity in the NLC is also not new. What is new, the effect this time around.

In 1988 when the Babangida regime increased the prices of petroleum products and the NLC was split ideologically into Democrats and Progressives, there was a strike.

The Democrats, who were fewer in number, believed in market forces and so they did not go on strike.

They opted to dialogue with government.

The Progressive, who were in the majority, called for a strike to resist the price hike and the strike was successful.

Then the NLC secretariat was on the side of the Progressives. Government had no option than to dialogue with them and it was not until then that the strike was called off.

The surprising issue about the latest strike is that the majority side, fully backed by NLC secretariat, could not muster enough support to make the strike effective.

History seems not just to have repeated itself but has also made a uturn.

Suddenly , what was supposed to be a national strike was reduced to protests by activists and some members of the NLC The explanation for this is not farfetched.

The intervention of organized labour came too late. It came at a time the people had gone through the pains of long queues, nonavailability of petrol and, more importantly, high prices.

In a struggle like this, time is of essence. To ask for a strike when people had begun to drive in and out

of petrol stations without stress even at the price of N145, without attendants and security agents insisting on bribes was a great relief.

It also appears the NLC did not engage in effective mobilization or enlightenment of the people.

The leadership assumed that people would just tag along.

Before now, the NLC, which enjoys media support than any other labour center in the world and this is a fact, failed to use the media to reach out to the people.

However, the other faction seems to have gauged the mood of the people correctly.

One wonders why labour leaders could not have brushed their differences aside to engage government in a struggle with a united front.

Another issue that may have forced a change in public perception of deregulation is the slow activity in the informal sector. The informal sector has been battered by the high exchange rate of the Naira which has pushed prices up.

No civil society group spoke for that sector. Consequently, the informal sector and indeed some workers saw no reason to heed the strike call.

Even sachet water, which used to cost N5 now is N10. A loaf of bread is now N250 up from N200 . Generally, prices have shot up and sales on the downward trend.

So, the informal sector would rather be at work than stay back at home.

On the part of the NLC, the leadership failed to realize that one its major allies, in such struggle, the National Association of Nigerian Students ( NANS) can no longer be relied on.

NANS has lost ideological focus As for employers, especially under the auspices of the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association ( NECA) , they have always been in support of deregulation. This is also the position of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria.

Another factor, which might have weakened the strike, is that the Buhari administration seems to have warmed its way into the hearts of the people with disclosures about how people in high places have been looting the public treasury.

Consequently, the masses got fed up with subsidizing the oil cabal.

In spite of these factors that seemed to have worked against the strike, the leadership of NLC cannot be accused of insensitivity to the plight of the people.

In his May Day address this year, the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba

Wabba, said, “ One of the enduring symptoms of the crisis of our neocolonialist economy is readily manifested in our continuing inability as a country to refine enough petroleum products especially petrol, diesel and kerosene to meet domestic consumption.

“This is because our governing elite and their business counter parts find the importation of refined petroleum a quicker short to amass primitive accumulation of illegal wealth through the manipulation of the import and distribution process. For the above selfish reasons, our country has been unable to sustain an effective, efficient and functional existing four refineries and to plan for the establishment of additional ones when it became clear that for strategic national requirement, new refineries are a necessary imperative”.

Social partners must dialogue

However, it must be stated that anyone celebrating the failure of the strike is short sighted.

The increase in the price of petrol, or is it guided deregulation as some prefer to call it, forms the basis for the agitation for pay raise.

This is where Labour would bounce back.

It would nevertheless, need to work hard to educate the public on the necessity for a pay raise.

This isn’t going to come easy as employers, government or private, could also insist that “ ability to pay” must be considered.

Labour would also need to convince its members that such a pay raise would not lead to loss of jobs.

Right now, with the state of the economy, more and more people are losing their jobs.

For the leadership of the NLC, it is not the time to blame anybody or group of persons. Rather, it should critically examine its role in the failed strike with a view to devising a realistic way of gauging public opinion and reviewing its mobilization strategy.

Labour must not just insist on palliatives but one in which the management or disbursement of it would have labour representatives fully involved.

It must not be a failed project like the Labour Transport.

On the other hand, perhaps , this unpleasant experience may cause the organized labour to strictly mind its own business .

That is , focus on issues that affect workers . In the course of previous struggles, some labour leaders have expressed the wish that labour minds its own business. It simply means labour should concentrate on work place issues , which have direct bearing on the worker.

This, however, will not be in the interest of the larger society.

A developing country like ours needs a vibrant organized labour.

Labour must be in a position to call the government of the day to order in the interest of the people.

Government, on its part, need not feel triumphant. It should be ready to face the struggle for pay rise among others. In my opinion, this set back does not in any way mean that labour has become irrelevant. Far from it.

For as long as capitalists control the economy of our country, for so long will the struggle of the classes remain.

The struggle surely continues. *Komolafe reported labour and labour-related issues for over 30 years.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016, PAGE 11

FUEL PRICE HIKE

How NLC leaders’ rivalry crippled nationwide strike — Factional president, Joe Ajaero

By Victor Ahiuma-Young, Assistant Labour Editor

B

ETWEEN last Wednesday and Friday, the Nigeria

Labour Congress, NLC, faction, led by Comrade Ayuba Wabba, and some members of the civil society, allies of the organised labour, went on a nationwide strike to force the Federal Government to reverse the N145 pump price of petrol.The strike did not enjoy the support of the Comrade Joe Ajaeroled faction of NLC or the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, which pulled out at the last minute.In this interview, Ajaero gives an insight into what led to both factions of the NLC going separate ways and how agreements were reached with the Federal Government, among other issues.

How did both factions of the NLC end up negotiating separately with the Federal Government?

Government had held the first meeting with the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and the Ayuba Wabba group was invited. I think after the meeting, NUPENG told government that it does not belong to the Wabba camp of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC. On the basis of that, invitation was extended to the leader of its faction. Equally, since the issue involves energy, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, side, the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC, was invited because the issue of tariff was also to be discussed. But on sighting me, Wabba threatened that he was not going to be in the same meeting with me and that he was going to pull out. I remained calm and, for almost two hours, they were consulting on what to do. They now arrived at a decision to meet with his group separately because NUPENG had equally said it would not meet with him since he did not want the factions to cooperate and discuss in the same meeting. So, they met with him for almost five hours and we were patient. After they finished meeting with them, the government team also met with us up till 3 a.m. and we adjourned till later in the day. The Ayuba group was scheduled to meet with government side from 3 to 5, or 6 p.m. and we would enter our own meeting. But his faction did not come as scheduled, so government met with us from 6 to around 7.30 or 8 p.m. We then had some understanding. So, when they came, they went into meeting with the government team. I was not privy to what they discussed and I had thought that if our agreement or understanding was not far reaching enough, they would get something better. I only read in the newspapers the following day that they walked out without reaching any agreement.

Why did the meetings take up to two days before understanding was reached?

C M Y K

I think it was because of the hard line positions. Even when government met with my group, we insisted that we wanted to know how they arrived at the price or how they got to the level without consultations. We asked so many questions including wanting to know if what they did was price fixing or deregulation.

There was a whole lot of issues.

The Minister of State for Petroleum gave the whole explanations and all that. We could not reach an agreement that first day. The government side equally asked us to consult further with our people and come the following day and bring proposals on the way out.

That was why we left and came the following day. You know in negotiation, to a very large extent, it is give and take. There are lots at stake, like all these committees that were set up. We were insisting on reporting back in one week, but after much talks, we agreed on two weeks.

Those were some of the issues that led to the delay that took us to the second day.

Now that the so-called agreement had been reached and information has it that the technical committee will be inaugurated Monday (tomorrow), how are you going to hold government to the agreement?

This agreement is a means to an end, and not an end itself. If you look at the three positions, the bone of contention is the price of N145 per liter that was fixed . If you remember, some years back, the late Barrister Bamidele Aturu went to court and got a ruling that it was only the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, that has the constitutional right to fix the prices of petroleum products, that what government did then was illegal. Based on that, we looked at it and said even if you compel government to reduce the price to N50 or labour and government decide to fix it at N50 or even the N145, that does not remove the illegality committed. For over four years or so, the PPPRA Board has not been reconstituted. It was based on that we reached the agreement that the Board should be reconstituted with two weeks for it to start playing its role. You can be accusing somebody of being illegal, by the time you use your power or muscle to achieve certain things, that does not remove it from the illegality. So, that agreement was reached that the Board should be reconstituted within two weeks.

Now, even if we reconstitute the Board tomorrow, that has not addressed the issue of the price hike because there is a template we have to work with to arrive at the price.

In that Board, NUPENG, or labour and other stakeholders are members. I think it is almost a 25member Board.

Then, if you have their backing, why it should be N3 or more, it will be agreed. It will now be that the Board discussed with members and,

•Joe Ajaero

This agreement is a means to an end, and not an end in itself. If you look at the three positions, the bone of contention is the price of N145 per liter that was fixed by the time they come out with whatever price, it will be a product of a legal body. That was the discussion we took and, in actual fact, we were so hard that this amount was so high. We told them that it was not sustainable, but we have to do it legally. So, that was why we adopted that option.The other issue was minimum wage. You know that this is not entirely a product of this increase. Before now, even as at last year, my group had started talking about N90,000 minimum wage and in April, ahead of the May Day, we re-emphasized that.

The other group proposed N56,000 minimum wage. Now, if you add this to the sudden inflation created by this petrol price increase and even the anxiety that followed it, you discover that the issue of minimum wage becomes appropriate. Now, it could be a relief to the worker who goes to work or who buys fuel. However, the issue of minimum wage, you know, takes a tripartite committee to negotiate.

So, we agreed that the tripartite committee should be set up within this period to go into negotiation.

The committee comprises of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, the Governors’ Forum who are the other employers and labour to discuss it.Now the other one that affects people outside employees is the issue of palliatives which was captured in this year’s budget.

The amount captured is N500billion. We insisted it should not be left in the hands of the people in government alone and that it should include labour, civil society organizations, political parties and so on. That they should be part of the process of determining how the money will be disbursed and that we do not want it to go the way of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SureP, that did not impact on the people

positively. That amount is targeted at social investment and there was an agreement that labour, stakeholders and others should be part and parcel of the process that would manage this money.

All we have done is to get the guideline towards the attainment of all these things and not to decree them into existence.

What do you tell those who argue that your faction and TUC decision not to participate in the strike against the hike in the pump price of petrol has done irreparable damage to labour’s ability to call a national strike in the future?

From the discussion we have been having, if the people who said they did not want to see me, knew that maybe my faction controls the critical sectors of the economy and that even if one of them takes an action, it has the tendency to affect the nation and they decided to treat us with disdain, and said they were not going to sit and meet with government team with us, we did not have any other option than to meet government alone. We gave government up till 12 midnight of Tuesday to engage critical stakeholders and meet with labour for us to know the way forward after the announcement of the N145 per liter. I can recall that you asked a question that, at the expiration of the ultimatum, what would happen?

We stated that we would set up a committee and start meeting with our stakeholders. We never announced Wednesday May 18 as a day to commence a strike. Now, as a group which believes in labour solidarity, we did not, on our own, because the other group had said Wednesday, say Monday or Friday so that Nigerians would still not see it as discordant tunes from NLC. We never met with the other group, they never consulted us or discussed with us to agree on the Wednesday day for an action. Wednesday was the day the group set to take an action.

To worsen it, even if there were to be an understanding for it, they said they did not want us. If you were in our shoes, what would you do?

Would you go and join a battle in which you were not wanted or go and assist the group that did not want you? We did not fix the strike notice for Wednesday and the people that fixed it said they did not want us, tell me what you would have done if you were in our shoes? So, whether it had dealt a damaging blow to the group who did not take the interest of Nigerians or labour movement at heart in treating others with disdain, I do not know. Maybe history will take a note of it and see how far it has affected the movement. But I am not in a

position to judge. The people who said they did not want a united labour against an opposition are in a better position to say why they took that action.

How does this unfortunate situation affect the efforts to reconcile the two factions?One of their representatives was on the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, and said that they were bidding for time on us. Therefore, they never believed in reconciliation. If you watched, last year, NLC veterans told them not to conduct state councils elections until the issue was resolved. They went ahead and conducted state councils elections.

That was what led to the formation of two NLC councils executives in states. If they had given the veterans one month and they finished at the national level, we could have conducted one election in the states.

You would have seen this division probably at the national level alone and, by that time, it would be easier for it to fizzle out. But they disobeyed the veterans. Which means they did not believe in the veterans. Again, all the 13-point agreements or resolutions that were reached by the veterans, they refused to implement any of them up till today.

Even the last one we had before May Day, you would discover that these people do not believe that we should do anything together. If you recall the resolution when Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and other veterans brokered peace was that we should have an all-inclusive NLC. But they did not obey it. They have kept doing things their own way. To such an extent that this year’s May Day, they had their May Day committee separately, sew their May Day dress differently, submitted proposal for N56,000 minimum wage separately without consulting or even informing us. So, all that they did was in contrast and a breach to all the agreements and understanding. So, they never had the intention for a resolution of the crisis.

Where does this leave your faction?

It leaves my group in the position that we will never be deceived and we equally remain united and remain purposeful in our resolve to defend, protect and fight for our members, Nigerian workers and masses to the best of our ability.

Will your faction continue to bear the same name as NLC as the other faction?

We have not decided otherwise. If there is need and when we decide, we will let Nigerian workers and other members of the public know.

Page 12 — SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 22, 2016

Delta APC will welcome Ogboru, Ochei, others in June but … Emerhor

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

T

here has been unease in Delta State Labour Party, LP, since serial governorship candidate, Chief Great Ogboru, said he might collapse the structure of the party in the state, on which platform he ran for governorship in 2015, to now move same to the All Progressives Party, APC. In this chat with Sunday Vanguard, the 2015 Delta APC governorship candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, affirms that Ogboru and a former state House of Assembly Speaker, Victor Ochei, will be admitted into the party in June, but that the move does not amount to a merger.

Delta APC is hoping to admit high profile politicians from rival political camps in its determination to capture the state in 2019? How is APC making this happen?

It is no surprise that APC as the national ruling party is attracting expected interest of critical political players in Delta who share the common mission of dislodging the PDP that has misruled the state for nearly 17 years. We are excited at the decision of the opposition leaders and former PDP power brokers now joining forces with us in this endeavour. In particular, Chief Great Ogboru is leading the LP in Delta to join us.

A former Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Victor Ochei, aside being the state leader of Accord Party, also set up a statewide structure to pursue his then governorship aspiration while in PDP. Ochei is also collapsing his structure into the

*Olorogun O’tega Emerhor

Nigerians must exercise more patience and continue to support President Buhari. From my personal experience in corporate restructuring, most times, things do get worse before they start to improve APC. There are equally former commissioners, other top government appointees and PDP stalwarts who have joined us or are warming up to do so.

As it affects Chief Ogboru, there was a controversy which saw his party, through its state Chair man, Chief Tony Ezeagwu, denying LP’s involvement in any merger talks with the APC or any intention to do so. The party even went

as far as suspending Ogboru and a number of other members. How do you overcome this threat to your merger talks?

To start with, LP got it wrong.

APC was never in any merger talks. Mergers don’t take place at the state level. In any case, APC merger with other parties ended in July 2013 when the party was born. The discussion with Ogboru/Labour was to fuse his LP structure in Delta into the APC. They are to join the APC, not merge. Two, it is common knowledge that Ogboru, with his group, is the soul of the LP in Delta. There was no tangible LP until Ogboru led the then DPP members to populate Labour and there will be no LP once Ogboru and his group leaves the party as it’s bound to happen.

Obviously, Chief Tony Ezeagwu’s real intent is out to halt the emergence of a more robust and formidable APC in Delta. This is a time-weakened political tactic. We at the APC are not falling for it. We know the purported controversy is contrived, so we are going ahead with our arrangements with Ogboru and his people. Be reminded that Ogboru has resigned from the LP and together with his people formed a new group known as Light of Labour. This is how we will relate with them going forward.

To the larger Delta APC, how welcoming are these arrangements with Ogboru and Light of Labour, against reports that the existing APC State Executive Committee (EXCO) is to be dissolved to give way to a Caretaker Committee that will accommodate the new en-

trants?

That is not true. Our existing EXCO will not be dissolved until new congresses are held in future. Delta will not be different. Across the country, individuals and groups are joining the APC daily and affected state EXCO are not dissolved. What the APC in Delta did was to set up a Welcoming Committee to handle all issues of individuals and groups wanting to join. The nine-man committee is headed

by Hon Fred Okpowhoro. However, in recognition and appreciation of the capacity each individual or group is bringing into the party, as in the case of Ogboru, Ochei and others who are bringing in strong groups and impacts, the committee is empowered to reach arrangements that will provide them comfort and sense of belonging and to let them have a say in the affairs of the party.

How does the party plan to achieve these ‘accommodation and comfort’ for the new members without offending existing members?

A key arrangement by the party is to put in place a Leadership Council with membership from existing and new entrants. We are looking at an expanded caucus of the party to accommodate new entrants. This will be done at the state, council and ward levels to ensure that a high level of integration is achieved throughout the state. This organ will act to accommodate all views and work in harmony with the state, LGA and ward EXCOs to entrench the party. Further arrangement involves setting aside minimum two weeks for intensive registration exercise for

new entrants.

What’s the timeline for making all this arrangement happen?

In a week or two from now, the expanded State Executive Committee (SEC) of the party will meet to approve the arrangement reached with groups joining the party; in particular, the Ogboru, Ochei and PDP groups.

At that meeting, timetable for welcoming the new entrants will also be approved, including the period for intensive new entrants registration, visit to the national leadership of our party, and a grand rally to receive the new members and groups. In touch with our party at the national level,. the indications we are getting is that this total package will likely happen in June.

How unified is Delta APC as you prepare to receive the new members? Chief Adolo Okotie Eboh’s faction already expressed exception to these moves?

We have only one APC in Delta. We do not have any faction.

The EXCO headed by Prophet Jones Erue, is the only one duly recognised by the party at the national level. Yes, Chief Adolo heads a group consisting mainly of his former executives in the defunct ACN that merged to become APC. What we know is that he went to court to challenge his loss at the state congress held in 2014 that saw the emergence of the current EXCO. The case is currently at the Appeal Court. No known leader or party stalwarts are with him other than a few of his old ACN EXCO.

Delta Govt implementing PDP programmes with sincerity – Hon. Oborevwori Everybodyhashisareaofstrength ments cut across the three senatorial on.

Sheriff Oborevand support. Ogboru has his area; I districts but the appointments in the H wori is member reprehave my own. In my constituency, I Central is very high. Another thing I senting Okpe constituency in Delta State House of Assembly.

He is one of the strong voices in the House and has been able to influence some projects to his area in less than one year in the legislature.

In this interview, Oborevwori speaks on his activities in the House, the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa government and the removal of fuel subsidy.

How has it been since you joined politics?

I have been in active politics for over two decades now and it has been very exciting.

When did you conceive the ambition to run for the state House of Assembly and what motivated you?

First, I was a councillor over two decades ago and I have passion for my people; it is my desire to impact on them positively and the only way to do this is through holding political position. I nursed the ambition to run for the state House of Assembly seat to represent Okpe constituency in 2006. The man that was there then is my friend and I supported him during his election but when they said there was no third term, I decided to run but I didn’t get it then. I ran again in 2015 and I am here today serving as legislator.

Considering the fact that you are Urhobo where you have strong opposition in Chief Great Ogboru. What gave you the confidence that you were going to run for the House of Assembly seat and win the election under the PDP?

C M Y K

am well known and I am a grassroots man. The issue of Ogboru running had nothing to do with my own election or even with the governor’s electioninmyconstituency,andthat is why in the last elections, I tested my popularity and we insisted that we must use the card reader and, at the end of the day, we won overwhelmingly. We won in nine of the ten wards in my local government.

Since you came into the House, what have you done differently from your predecessor?

Apart from the business of lawmaking for the good governance of the state, I am doing my best to attract government projects to my constituency. My priority is to make my people feel the impact of democracy in the true sense of it.

Ihavethesupportofmycolleagues in the House and because of this I have been able to move motions to impact on my people even within this very short period in the House.

What are some of your achievements in the last elev-

en months going to twelve now?

I can tell you confidently that despite the fall in revenue, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has actually done much in my constituency in terms of projects for which we are very grateful to him. Within this short period of less than one year, there are several ongoing projects like the Orerokpe Modern Market; Orodje Road; Ejirere Road; Omonigbo Road; Okotolor Road and even the resurfacing of the Jeddo and Ughotor roads. I remember during my campaigns I

My priority is to make my people feel the impact of democracy in the true sense of it.

could not pass some of these roads but now some of them are very motorable while others are ongoing.

I must commend the governor, because I don’t know how he manages to get the funds. I think the Governor has tried for us in Okpe in this last one year and I know he will still do more for us.

And our part as a constituency, we will continue to support him.

Talking about Okowa, what would you say are some of his achievements in the last one year?

LikeIsaidbefore,thegovernorknows the needs of the people. One of the major problems we have in this country is unemployment and he came out with his SMART agenda which created this youth empowerment programme where over 1,300 youths were selected across all the local governments, trained and were given starter packs.

There are several projects completed and ongoing across the state. Another

•Chief Sheriff Oborevwor area the governor has done well is the payment of worker’s salaries. Despite thedwindlingrevenue,hehasbeenconsistent in the payment of salaries. He has also been supporting the local governments. He gives them over N600million on monthly basis.

As an Urhobo, will you say the ethnic nationality is having its fair share under Okowa’s administration?

Yes, one hundred percent. Since over 25years that I have been in politics, I haveneverseenthetypeofappointments the governor has given out to the Urhobo before. In my local government, we have over 12 persons appointed into various positions. But in the past, after they appoint a Commissioner, maybe a Special Adviser and few Board members, no more appointments goes to that area. But in the case of Okowa, I will confidently tell you that these appoint-

like about the governor is that if you work for him you will never regret it.

Those that sincerely worked for him were given appointments and that is what a good politician ought to do and I tell you if we run election today in the Central he will still win.

What is your take on the choice of Barrister Kingsley Esiso as the state PDP Chairman?

Barrister Kingsley Esiso is someone I know very well. There were many qualified contenders, but everybody cannot be party Chairman at a time. So the people preferred Esiso at this material time and, frankly, he is a very good and popular choice.

Talking about the job creation programmes like the YAGEP and STEP, how have you been able to influence youths in your constituency to participate?

I ensured my youths keyed into the program. A large number of them benefitted. One thing that make these programs outstanding is the sincerity with which the Governor is pursuing it.

In another three years, over 4,000 youths would have been taken off the labour market. Okowa wants to put an end to joblessness by creating wealth for the people.

Do you see this step as a good step towards tackling youth unemployment?

Yes. Those who participated are now gainfully employed. As a starting point it has helped and many more will be meaningfully engaged through this.

May 29 is around the corner, the governor will be marking one

Continues on page 13

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 22, 2016, — PAGE 13

Fasoranti turns 90 VIEWPOINT TRIBUTE IN BRIEF An elder statesman joins the nonagerian club

C

HIEF Reuben Famuyide Fasoranti, O.F.R.,turned90onMay11.Born in Akure, Ondo State in 1926, he attended Ondo Boys High School from 1941 to 1945. He proceeded to Yaba Higher College,Yaba,Lagosin1945. In1948,he wasadmittedintotheUniversityofIbadan fromwherehegraduatedwithB.A.(Hons) in English and Geography in 1952. He elected to adopt the teaching profession aftergraduationandtaughtatOndoBoys High School until 1955 when he

proceededtotheUniversityofHullinthe United Kingdom. He obtained a DiplomainEducationfromtheUniversity of Hull in 1956. He obtained a certificate in Development Education from University of Macquarie, Australia in 1972.

An educationist, Fasoranti was the founding Principal of Iju-Itagbolu Grammar School, 1957-1971, and was subsequently Principal at Baptist High School, Iwo-1972, Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo-1972-1975, Christ School, Ado-Ekiti – 1975-1978.

Upon the commencement of civilian rulein1978,hebecameoneoftheleaders of the Unity Party of Nigeria and was appointed Commissioner for Finance

undertheadministrationof thelateChief AdekunleAjasin.Severalindustrieswere established under his supervision as the Commissioner for Finance, including Oluwa Glass Industries, Ifon Ceramics Industries,IreBricksWorksandIle-Oluju Cocoa Industries. Financial entities such as Confidence Insurance Co-operatives and the Owena Bank (which recently mergedwithotherbankstoconstitutethe present Heritage Bank) were also establishedunderhiswatch.

Upon the prohibition of party politics in 1983, Fasoranti found employment in educational publishing as he was appointed the Managing Director of BookRepresentationCompanyLimited, aprivatepublishingcompanythenbased

in Ibadan, repres-enting several overseas educational publishing companies.

Fasoranti foundedAkure HighSchoolin 1976 as a private initiative but subsequently handed over the school to Ondo State government in 1980. He however continued to run Omolere Nursery and PrimarySchool,Akurewhichhefounded in1967andSt.FrancesAcademy,Igoba, Akure,whichhefoundedin1993;bothas

privateinitiatives,inwhichuptilldate,he still plays a daily supervisory role.

He was one of the leaders of Afenifere and the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) during the military interregnum from 1993 to 1998 and was the foremost leader of Afenifere in Ondo StateuponthedemiseofChiefAdekunle Ajasin. He was appointed Acting Leader of Afenifere in 2006 under the leadership of the late Senator Abraham Adesanya and was subsequently confirmed as the substantive leader in 2008 upon the demise of Senator Abraham Adesanya.Fasoranti married Mrs. Frances Oladiwura Fasoranti in 1952; she unfortunately passed away in 1991.

Theywereblessedwithfivechildren,one of whom is also now deceased.

Chris Ogiemwonyi: Edo youths need a hero, a father figure and a model VIEWPOINT

By Abdul Momodu

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF A governorship aspirant’s agenda

O

N this day 40 years ago, Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi had just finished his final year exams and was contemplating three job offers even before making a decision on the colour of his tie for the graduation ceremony. Today, Edo youths, in the thousands, are being churned out of our tertiary institutions annually with no form of engagement or incentive.

While government has acknowledged its limitation in the numbers they can employ, it is the private sector that has been lagging behind in recent years, but then we

VIEWPOINT

By Uche Anichukwu VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF A governor’s handling of killings and his critics

OR Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, it has been a true F tale of uneasy lies the head that

wears the crown. He was caught in the web of preventable killing of his harmless subjects in Nimbo by suspected herdsmen; no thanks to a systemically weak security system.

Unfortunately, rather than face the real issues, some people made him the butt of their fit of rage, while political detractors made political capital out of the sad incident.

Some even took their criticism to a ridiculous level. For instance, I listened to a senior journalist who appeared on a radio current affairs programme at the time. He felt so offended that Ugwuanyi wore his signature agbada dress to the Villa to brief Mr. President. In his view also, Ugwuanyi should have dressed in military camouflage or worn shorts, body-hugging T-shirt, and jackboots as well as snubbed the President’s handshake to underscore his grief and seriousness.

Talk is cheap!

can all agree that an enabling environment for business is the root cause. While the number of cases on corruption and financial schemes have been increasing, our core values of integrity and hard work has steadily been replaced by get rich quick attitude and indiscipline whilst the spirit of camaraderie has eluded our communities all together.

For those who our society still deem the future of tomorrow, they honoured theOgiemwonyicampaignteamwith a courtesy visit to raise some of their concerns and worry over the direction of the economy and the state of leadership. As students of various universities across Edo State, they collectively highlighted how little progress had been made in provision of employment after school as well as the low level of intelligent youths involvement in governance. They

questioned some of the ethics of politicians who deem it fit to share envelopes and food food stuff during election season only to forget their constituents on assuming office.

Comrade Uwadia Daniel, student and youth liaison officer for the Ogiemwonyi campaign team further raised concerns as to the use of young ones in the act of election manipulation, rigging and thuggery citing that some politicians were setting bad examples for the younger generation only for their selfish interest and political ambition.

In his response, a leading governorship aspirant in Edo on APC platform, Ogiemwonyi, lamented how on the average, there are about three unemployed graduates in every home. He attributed the level of idleness and poverty to his main purpose of coming out of retirement

to serve his people. He guaranteed that his economic team had designed policies to facilitate an enabling environment for private businesses to flourish assuring the students that at least two industries and/or factories will be established in each of the 18 LGAs in the coming dispensation. He explained that economic geology research had shown Edo State to be rich in solid minerals such as feldspar, quartz and limestone while Agriculture will become the major home stay of Edo State. Seizing the initiativetobeginhistaskofrebuilding Edo State’s economy, he added that he had resumed contacts with a number of foreign investors from South Africa and China eager to invest and to that effect MOU’s had been signed on a recent trip to the United States of America last month.

Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi also noted that top of his agenda on his

first day in office is the re-orientation and transformation of Edo State. He said ‘growing up as a child, there were some core values that were instilled in me, and it is to this that I owe my success. I would like an opportunity to serve as a role model, and perhaps a father figure to our younger generation’. In a closing remark, the students lauded his generosity, assuring him that they will take his enthusiasm for youth development to their various campuses and with the vibrant discuss coming to a close, some of the students entertained the campaign organisations with songs and a photo shoot session while Engr.

Chris Ogiemwonyi encouraged them to use the new media as a means to disseminate their information.

•Momodu is based in BeninCity.

Herdsmen, Ugwuanyi, and the issues Worse still, as shown by the reaction of the Northern Senators Forum to the herdsmen malaise, we easily pitch ethno-sectional and religious tents even in the midst of human tragedy, finding it difficult to outrightly condemn what is condemnable.

However, now that emotions have mellowed, maybe it is time to begin to address the real issues here, especially our knock-kneed federal system and the awkward unitary policing if foisted on us.

Ugwuanyi told the world that there was a reliable intelligence revealing an impending attack. The governor summoned a security meeting comprising heads of all security agencies in the state where the intelligence was shared.

Importantly, he mobilised them with the requisite resources to ward-off the attack. Yet the attack was successfully executed. What, therefore, should bother us is: How on earth was this possible despite all this?

Truth be told, this practice of one big man (Police IG) sitting in Abuja pretending to be in control of internal national security via the

unitary police force or the idea of a governor (supposedly Chief Security Officer) depending on a Commissioner of Police who is answerable to the Police IG, who is in turn answerable to the President and Commander-in-Chief, has never worked. It will also never work.

Ugwuanyi would have more likely had a ready, well-equipped, and motivated security manpower at his disposal to foil the planned attack if Enugu had its own police as obtainable in other developed federations we pretend to be copying. He would only have called for reinforcement from the federal forces, if need be. All the well-known support such as patrol vehicles, etc. he has given to the federal police and other security agencies since he assumed office would have been enough to fund a state police that is more committed to the people. But, here he was at Nimbo, watching with horror, a preventable tragedy.

We can now see that the governor must have wept out of helplessness.

Meanwhile, a comment posted in reaction to a story on herdsmen menace on the website of a major

national daily suggested that the best way to handle the herdsmen menace “is for all of us to arm ourselves and declare these subhumans ‘public enemy number one’ in all communities all over the country”. This is informed by the maxim Si vis pacem, para bellum (If you want peace, prepare for war) and is dangerous. Yet it portrays the growing frustration and anger on the part of citizens over the inadequacies of our security system.

That is why those who were angry that Ugwuanyi did not curse, swear, and throw tantrums were merely judging a goalkeeper by the number of goals scored rather than the saves. What happened in Nimbo was systemic. Ugwuanyi should be judged by his efforts to prevent the attack within his constitutional limits.

He should be judged by his ability to prevent reprisal killings in the state, which could have most likely spiraled into killing of Ndigbo in other states.

He should be judged by his farreaching consultations with critical stakeholder- political, traditional, town union leaderships in the State now leading to legislative, policy, and town-based measures to prevent such

occurences. We should judge him by his ability to mobiise humanitarian support to ameliorate the suffering of the affected community. He has also set up a commission of enquiry to unravel the whole stories behind the incident.

Even Nimbo community, the people that bear the brunt, have been commending and praying for Ugwuanyi. South East traditional rulers and governors, presidency, APC governors, notable clergies (including Catholic and Anglican Bishops of the area), diplomatic community, among other well meaning Nigerians, are full of commendations for his maturity in the thick of this challenge.

I am for the sobriquet “Si vis pacem, para pacem” (If you want peace, prepare for peace), which in this instance entails decentralizing our policing system in line with the federalism so as to entrench a reliable, proactive, well trained, wellequipped, and well-motivated security system for the safety of citizens. We cannot build a train, put it in the ocean, and expect it to sail.

•Anichukwu is resident in Abuja

'Delta govt implementing PDP programmes with sincerity' Continued from page 12 year in office, what will be your word for Deltans?

My advice for Deltans is to continue tosupportthegovernor.Withinoneyear, even with the low revenue, he has been able to manage the state very well; the state does not owe workers salaries and projects are still being embarked upon; some completed; some ongoing. I believe that if the economy improves, Okowa will do more.

What is your assessment of the administration of President Mohammadu Buhari in face of the recent fuel hike?

C M Y K

The President ought to have consulted with stakeholders including the Nigerian Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and the civil society organisations before removing the fuel subsidy because we don’t even have the money to fund it.

And since we don’t have the money, the best option is to remove it but the process was wrong. This is not a military regime; let’s face reality. I think the APC does not have plans to rule Nigeria or rather they were not ready for governance. Perhaps they didn’t know they would win the presidential election; so managing the victory is a prob-

lem.

In looking at what President Buhari has done so far, do you think that the PDP will be able to wrest power at the national level from the APC in 2019?

The PDP is still very strong. I can tell you that APC doesn’t have structure, they are trying to stabilize. What they are trying to do now is to make money and empower their people ahead of 2019.Youhavetoplan,youhavetostrategize. Looking at Delta State, they don’t have structure on ground. It is not a matter of going on the pages of newspaper to make noise.

PDPdoesn’tmakenoiseinDeltaState but come anytime; Delta State is a PDP state. You don’t even need much campaign because what the Governor is doing now is campaigning for him; it is campaigning for all of us. Are you telling me we will not win elections in Okpe? We will surely win because the government is constructing roads, they are building markets and a lot of things, there are lots of empowerments. So it is not about giving out money; leadership is about what you have done that you will be remembered for; your legacy, when you leave tomorrow you must havesomethingto show. Butif youdon’t

have structure, you didn’t make any impact there is no way; you would have failed. As a leader, as a governor you must have something to show. Let me tell you the few things that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has done, few months ago, I raised a motion on the floor of the House on matters of urgent public importance on the Sapele/Benin road. I was travelling and I was stock there for about three and half hours, it was really terrible and what did I do, in the next sitting, I raised a motion, matters of urgent public importance on that road (it is a Federal Government road) urging the governor to intervene and the governor intervened.

PAGE 14—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016

I started tutelage of auto business at six – Jetvan boss M

R. Oluwatobi Ajayi is, unarguably, the youngest chief executive officer in the Nigerian automobile business. The Managing Director of Jetvan Nigeria Limited, which specialises in the marketing of MercedesBenz Sprinter, though quite young, exhibits the maturity of a 50-year-old.

Intelligent but respectful, Oluwatobi is an example of a focussed young chief executive, who is set to change the way things are done in the sector. But one should not just be deceived by his age.

Probably in his late twenties’ or early thirties, he said he has two decades of experience on auto business.

Hear him: “Though I am quite young, I started knowing about automobile business at less than six years when I use to accompany my dad, who was a car dealer, to the office.”

Tobi recalled that his father was the founder of Squadron Motors Nigeria Limited, a dealer in Peugeot cars and others, even before he was born.

He said: “My father was into automobile business before I was born, so he used to take me to his office at the tender age of six. As the first born of the family, I used to accompany my father to the office and run errand for him like delivery of vehicle documents and later writing receipts for the customers So I grew up watching my dad do car business.

“With my experience in my father’s company, I was able to understand the terrain even before I set up my own.”

Though Tobi knew about automobile before setting up Jetvan, he disclosed that his full entry into the sector was by accident.

Education The Olabisi Onabanjo University graduate of Soil Science and Farm Mechanisation, said he realised his full dream at Weststar Associates Nigeria Limited, distributors of Mercedes-Benz, Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler products in

S

ECOND hand vehicle buy ers always look forward to acquiring vehicles that will give them value for money. Since they cannot afford to pay the huge price for brand new cars, they always look for vehicles that would be easy to maintain, durable, reliable, with array of comfort features and attractive to the eyes.

Most used cars, come with some challenges as most owners sell them due to one problem or the other. Often times, some of these cars have seen more than one decade and it is usually left to the buyers to fix them to their taste.

Some of the problems could be engine, gear box, engine cooling system, air-condition related problems. The unsuspecting buyer could be unlucky if the car has more than one of this listed faults.

Then he should be sure that he C M Y K

•Oluwatobi Ajayi, MD, Jetvan with Mrs. Elizabeth Itegbe, GM, Weststar Associates, during the commissioning of Jetvan in Lekki.

Nigeria.

Tobi said: “As a young graduate, I joined Weststar some years ago. At that time, they were looking for young graduates who had technical capacity to configure trucks and with a degree in Farm Mechanization, I fitted into what they wanted. I was later saddled with the responsibility of handling the Van Division in Weststar, which was a very big challenge because we needed to compete with some established models from Japan.

“In as much as we don’t see them as competitors because the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is a better, stronger, more reliable comfortable vehicle with top-notch safety features, we needed to prove to Nigerians that we have a higher quality product in the Sprinter for the segment.

“It was from marketing Mercedes Vans that I realised the need for the brand to expand its business and market in Nigeria.

With the experience and understanding of the market, we were

able to set up Jetvan. We created the vision and where we wanted the company to be, which is to provide unbeatable customer satisfaction.”

Tobi explained that his stint at Weststar broadened his knowledge in the sector, especially his contact with the Managing Director of the company, Mr. Mirko Plath.

According to him: “If you work under Mr. Plath, you would learn a lot in few months. He has qualities you hardly could find in any managing director and is always ready to train you and make you become a better staff if you are ready to learn. I give him credit for my achievements so far.”

But the youthful managing director confessed that he joined Weststar to achieve his dream of becoming a farmer.

“I did not join the auto industry or Mercedes-Benz for a carrier,” he says with a smile. I wanted to become a farmer because I knew, as necessity people must eat and I went to Weststar for the love of

Mercedes (truck) which is best all rounder. As a mechanised farmer, I wanted to build trucks; that was how I found myself at Weststar. I wanted to put what I learnt in school to practice by building specialised trucks for Nigerian farmers. I got recruited in the truck division, but was transferred to Van Division few months later.

“At the Van Division, I found my real love; the Mercedes Sprinter, a van with no equal and rival.

Why dealing only on Sprinter.

“When I was transferred to head the Van Division, I discovered that the Sprinter van has outstanding qualities that you can’t find in other vehicles in its category. It is very versatile, rugged, comfortable to ride in, safer, cheaper to maintain, very fuel efficient, among other qualities.

“Ever since I discovered the Sprinter, I have been working to make it the clear leader in its segment,” he added, explaining that they were gradually achieving this goal of taking over the mar-

ket with the Sprinter bus. The Jetvan boss listed corporate organisations, transporters and schools as his major customers, saying they were beginning to know the Sprinter’s outstanding qualities.

Why office in Lekki “We selected Lekki because we saw that in future this axis will be the major commercial centre of Lagos and the country too because of the proposed international airport and free zone,” he said, adding that they had already started reaping some benefit of siting the head office there because of the high network customers living around the location.

“From here we can deploy our mobile workshop to anywhere in the South West and South East without being hindered by Lagos traffic,” he added.

He explained: “MercedesBenz Sprinter is the best van in the world at the moment, made with very high quality materials.

For business, it is the vehicle that takes you to higher heights because of the lower total cost of ownership, longer service interval which saves the owner maintenance cost and keep the Sprinter on the road all the time.”

According to him, the Sprinter has the best in class features. It has higher roof than any bus in its category, thereby giving the occupant enough headroom to move inside the bus. It also boasts highest ground clearance in its segment as well as higher capacity air conditioning system.

It comes standard with automatic transmission and handles like pleasure car. Its suspension system is reinforced, while its ergonomic design ensures high comfort for occupants.

The Sprinter also offers 200,000 kilometre or two years warranty, the highest in its class.

Safety-wise, the Sprinter boasts better braking performance in wet condition. It has comfortable seats with three point seat belt. It comes in leather and fabric seats.

What to look out for when buying used cars would be having regular visits to the mechanic workshop. Most buyers in Nigeria today are getting wisers as they would insist on scanning and diagnosing the used cars before putting down their hard earned money.

Often times, the vehicles are accidented from their original owners, which might affect the chassis. This cannot easily be detected except an experienced mechanic has to look at it. In some cases, the vehicles could be victims of flood where they are coming from in Europe, America and Japan where water could have entered the engine and caused severe damages. Have you thought about some cars whose steering wheel have been converted from right to left to

suit our left drive system in Nigeria?

Automobile technician In most cases, the conversion is poorly carried out using wrong and inferior kits, thereby exposing the owner to unforseen dangers.

What about people who bring cars in bits and pieces and re-assemble them while wielding the chassis. This is another dangerous trend that is common among importers.

So, caution should be applied while buying used cars, preferably with an experienced and honest automobile technician who can carry out necessary checks on the

car. Some people are easily carried away by the look of the car they want to buy. They consider the cleanliness of the car and the beauty of the interior and exterior designs. I have seen people laying emphasis on the colour of the used car they want to buy. But the question I always ask is, what if the colour you like does not have good engine or has faulty gearbox or has been accidented? So colour should not be the major consideration but the state of the engine, transmission, shocks, rust-free cooling system, among others.

Having said this, my advise is that when buying used car, avoid one-in-town cars. If you are the only one using the car, bear in mind that you are using the wrong car

because it would be difficult to source the parts. Buy cars that you can always source the spare parts no matter where you find yourself in the country. Cars that are commonly seen on the road should be your best bet. People sometimes describe such cars as “pure water”. But don’t forget that pure water would always quench your thirst. Let me conclude by telling you this encounter with a colleague of mine who wanted me to get him a used car. He told me his budget, and I knew what that could buy was a good Volkswagen Golf.

But he insisted on buying a large sedan with the budget and ended up buying a Ford Scorpio. This was years back. But he spent more time with his mechanic rather than enjoying his car.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016 — PAGE 15

C M Y K

PAGE 16—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22 , 2016 Benjamin Njoku njokujamin@yahoo.com

How I keep away from tempting female fans — Van Vicker

O

n screen, he’s known as a ‘ play boy’, following the romantic roles he plays in most of his movies. Meanwhile, in real life, he’s the best thing that ever happened to his wife. Ghanaian actor, Van Vicker, isn’t just a family man, but also a good friend of his wife, Adjoa.

The actor met his wife as far back as 1993.

However, they did not marry until 2003 and the marriage is blessed with two daughters, J-dyl and J-ian, and a son, VJ. Despite being in the business of meeting beautiful girls on daily basis, Van proclaims his faithfulness to his wife,insisting that no matter the kind of temptation that comes his way, he belongs to her. He also reveals what keeps his marriage going.

C M Y K

How they met I met my wife while we were in secondary school in 1993. We dated for 10 years before we got married in 2003.

Attraction She’s a beautiful lady, very respectful and she honours me as a man. She has always been a pillar of support to me.

Her fears She doesn’t entertain any fear of losing me to another woman. I did my first film in 2004 and I got married in 2003. I have been in the showbiz industry for 12 years now. It doesn’t change anything. I have been in the

I’m not denying that nobody is perfect. I always face temptations from the opposite sex but I’m faithful to my wife.

My female fans know better industry and I am still married to my loving wife. I haven’t gone anywhere and I do not intend to go anywhere without her.

Temptation I am a man, I’m human.

Temptation is everywhere, but it’s what you do about the temptation that is the problem. I think I have been out of the pages of newspapers and blogs for a long time. And I intend to keep it that way.

Proposal She was not surprised when I proposed to her. In fact, she saw it coming. We planned it.

Back in the days, I used to envy young couples and I told myself then that I would want to get married while still young. And, truly, I got

Continues on page 17

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22 , 2016, PAGE 17

•Vicker and family

How I keep away from tempting female fans —Van Vicker Continues from page 16 married when I was 25 years.

Hanging out I am not always in Ghana, where I reside with my family. But whenever I’m back home, I ensure that I spend enough time them. I adore my wife and would do everything for her when I’m home, just to make up for the lost time.

What keeps marriage going Communication and love have been the strength of my marriage. We try to refresh our love every now and then. Refreshing every love affair, I think, is very important without which you are bound to have problem, along the line.

Disagree to agree Many times, we have disagreed to agree. But it doesn’t change anything. We disagree on family

issues many times, but she wins.

To me, that’s one of the things that have helped my marriage. My father told me while I was growing up that women enjoy winning.

They love winning all the time. But let them win for you to have peace.

Succumbing to temptation I’m not denying that nobody is perfect. I always face temptations from the opposite sex but I’m faithful to my wife. My female fans know better.

Absence from home Well, it’s the price I have to pay.

My wife also understands that she’d go through nine months of trouble and pains. That is the price she has to pay to deliver her baby.

I’m working for my family and I’m enjoying what I’m doing for a living. It’s one of the prices I have to pay for not being there always for my family.

I gave 2face his name — Blackface

By TOFARATI IGE hmedu Augustine Obiabo aka Blackface and Innocent Ujah Idibia, popularly known as 2face used to be very close friends.

As a matter of fact, they both belonged to the same wave-making pop group, Plantashun Boiz, before things fell apart between them.

It should be recalled that Blackface was recently thrown a stinker by 2face’s team who accused the ‘Hard Life’ singer of trying to milk 2face dry with his accusations of copyright theft. This was after Blackface claimed that he co-wrote the song, ‘Let Somebody Love You’ in which 2face featured American act, Bridget Kelly, in his ‘The Ascension’ album.

Blackface was on HipTV during the week, and he recalled how he went out of his way to help 2face, and how he gave him his stage name. According to Blackface, “In life you just have to do what you have to do. I helped 2face early in his career, and I didn’t have to go about telling everybody about it. 2face didn’t have to beg me before I helped him. I was thinking of going solo when I met him…I even gave him his name” he said.

A

PAGE 18—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016

healthy living

KIDS SAVED MIRACULOUSLY

‘No more holes in their hearts’ Demola Akinyemi

T

hree kids: David Adeyemi, 5; Ibrahim Mohammed, 3; and Ibrahim Mohammed Sambo , 4, with holes in their hearts, can live following open heart surgeries performed on them at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH).

Head of the surgery team of the teaching hospital, Dr Peter Adeoye, told Sunday Vanguard that the children were discharged on Monday, May 9, after the successful surgeries. They are in stable condition.

“They were given given routine medication after the surgery and are expected to check back after a month,”Adeoye said.

“Evaluations were carried out on the three kids which confirmed that the defects were no more there”.

The doctor announced that Nigerians should look forward to such opportunity for open heart surgery in the teaching hospital in the next six months .

Mr Adeyemi, the father of one of the kids, David, who spoke on behalf of the parents, expressed appreciation to God and the team involved in the hole in the heart surgeries.

He was particularly grateful to the hospital management that the cost was even far below the discounted amount which made it affordable for the parents.

An excited Chief Medical Director of the UITH, Prof Abdulwaheed Olatinwo, said the open heart surgeries were performed on the kids by a combined team of medical experts from Apollo Hospital, India, led by Dr Neville Solomon, and that of the

The doctor announced that Nigerians should look forward to such opportunity for open heart surgery in the teaching hospital in the next six months teaching hospital, led by Adeoye.

He said the cost of the surgery ranged between N700, 000 and N1.

8million, adding that the parents could not afford the fees, hence the hospital subsidized it as they only paid less than 20% of the cost.

Olatinwo also said the UITH’s collaboration with Apollo Hospital, India to carry out open heart surgery started with the first one performed on two young girls in July 2015.

The CMD said the Medical Director of Apollo Hospital, Solomon, was a renown cardiac

surgeon who performs over 3, 000 heart surgeries free around the world in a year.

Olatinwo, who said the UITH would soon become a one-shop heart facility in Africa, stressed that three doctors from the hospital were on the verge of completing training in heart surgery in India.

He said the vision of the hospital was to be the best heart centre in Africa before 2018, hence the resolve of the management to send the three doctors on training.

According to the CMD, what the hospital has been doing for the past five years borders on medical tourism.

“As part of our vision, we want to make the hospital a one-stop heart facility which we believe, with this in place, anybody with heart problem in Nigeria, Africa and West Africa can come for treatment,” Olatinwo said.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016, PAGE 19

people

By Charles Kumolu

A

t a time when the principle of right and wrong has become endangered in Nigeria following poor leadership, Pastor Wale Adefarasin is concerned about how to bring back those things, govern social behaviour in the country. To achieve this value re-orientation, Adefarasin, who is the General Overseer of Guiding Light Assembly, a non-denominational church with branches in Lagos, Abuja and London, says, in this interview, that the collapsed family system in Nigeria must be repaired. To this end, Adefarasin and a life-coach, Lanre Olusola, have concluded plans for specialised family oriented master class. The pastor reveals some defining stages in his life.

You are a notable pastor. At what point in your life did you develop interest in building people and capacity?

It is one of the things I think I was born with but, when I gave my life to Christ, it was accentuated.

Tell us about your defining moments and the lessons you think can be learnt from them?

I had always wanted to stay in business and, at the same time, I knew God was calling me to be a pastor. Then God reassured me that he will take care of me by sending to me someone who did not know about my internal dilemma but I knew what he was talking about. The day we finished the roofing of the church auditorium, we found that going further was almost an impossibility considering who we were and what we had. I remember people bursting into tears when they entered the auditorium.

Is it the same passion for building leaders that will change their world that actually informed the specialised marriage workshop (Mind the Gap class)?

Mr Lanre Olusola and I had a discussion about the state of our nation and we both came to the conclusion that our nation is where it is because there has been failure of families to sustain the values that are needed to produce the kind of leaders that a nation like Nigeria needs. And so we felt that a lot of people are getting into marriage not knowing what to do in the marriage, how to behave in the marriage and what marriage is. And so that is the reason for this Mind the Gap. It is to talk to people about marriage because marriage is an essential part of family life. Just imagine, a child that grows up in a dysfunctional home is not only just going to be dysfunctional for himself or herself,he is going to pass that dysfunctionality to his or her children and this thing can keep on going. For instance, if alcoholism steps into a family, it causes all kinds of issues in the family and, before you know it, the children become alcoholics and dysfunctional.

Specifically, was there something or things that happened that ignited the urge for this?

We just met and Mr. Olusola asked what my burden was and I said my burden was for the family. We both have the same burden, so if that is one incident, then it is fine. I am and he is also much burdened about the transformation of our nation because this nation has been so abundantly blessed by God, we are not realising the potentials of this nation. And I think that no matter what economic policies we practice,

Adefarasin •Adefarasin

I want to save collapsing marriages – Pastor Adefarasin

Just try and paint the picture of the calamity that we will have in the society if we continue in this valueless way we have to get back to our value system which comes in the home. That is what informed it. It is not the kind of things you do once in a while.

This is supposed to be something that we can see change happening in family life.

What are these specifics that you are introducing to change

the value system?

During the first episode, we dealt with the foundation and pillars of marriage because a lot of people don’t understand marriage. And we talked about the various things that make marriage successful. The next episode holds on June 4, 2016, and we are going to deal with marriage and finance. A lot of marriages fail not because people don’t have money but because they don’t know how to apply the money that they have. And we want to teach people about money, about how to handle money, about how to invest and budget among others.

this. Note that you can drag a horse to the river but you cannot force the horse to drink water. The idea is that if people come, they need to get a revelation that changes the way they think because only changed thinking will produce changed behaviour. And those are the things we need to do.

Yes, as a rule, because of the overriding influence of our environment, people have done things the man’s way and now what we are saying is there are ways we can look at life, we can look at marriage and begin to do things in a way that will make marriage successful.

Your programmes is a novel one but there have also been concepts in the past geared towards successful marriages, yet statistics indicate that the number of failed marriages are on the increase in Nigeria.

Now, what are those challenges you indentified as affecting the success of marriages in Nigeria?

First, I think we need to sustain our campaign to restore healthy family life. So we need not just do it this year, we need to continue with something like

The absence of mechanism for follow-ups on initiatives like this has been indentified to have contributed to the failure of some interventions that would have brought about enduring change in Nigeria.

Are you going to put up any feedback mechanism to monitor the success of this intervention?

We have five episodes this year. And for those who seek help, who seek further help, there would be opportunity to have one-on-one counselling

and that counselling will not be a one-off thing. Certainly, they will have the opportunity to come back for follow-ups.

Since it appears that the collapse of the value system in Nigeria is fuelled by the failure to prioritise value orientation, beyond the everyday rhetoric about value reorientation, how best can the society can be brought back to the path of excellence?

It is very simple. You learn values in your family at home.

A child’s character is all but formed by the time the child is 10 years old. So you have a window from zero to 10 in which to put values into a child. But a lot of people are not taking advantage of that.

People are so busy working and they see their children as too little to teach them simple values, so they are neglecting that area. And the children are beginning to learn from the environment. The second thing is that you cannot teach values unless you exemplify them.

Telling your child to do this and not doing it yourself is going to confuse the child. So we need to have parents understand that it is not just teaching the values but living the values.

Just try and paint the picture of the calamity that we will have in the society if we continue in this valueless way.

Traditional African practices and Western culture conflict in some areas thereby contributing to the challenges being experienced today in marriages in Nigeria. How do you handle this?

Not all cultures are bad.

There are some good practices in our various African cultures but one thing about biblical principles is that they are transcultural. When you come up with a practice in your African culture that contradicts biblical principles, biblical culture should override. I am saying that from a Christian perspective but I am sure the same applies to Muslims in a way that an Islamic culture overrides a native culture.

PAGE 20—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

L

ife Coach, Lanre Olusola, in this interview says Nigeria needs to commence action to bring the country back to the path of value system. He also offers insight into how he intends to carry out the mandate alongside Pastor Wale Adefarasin. Olusola, who works with individuals, organizations and government agencies to transition from where they are to where they desire and are designed to be, believes that if families are successfully transformed, Nigeria’s transformation will become a reality.

Assisting people discover and rediscover their life goals are quite familiar to you, was that the reason for the Mind the Gap marriage programme?

Last year, based on my assessment of the clients that I had and the frequency of the issues that came to me that were family related and relationship related, I did an assessment and realised that there is a serious problem in family life and marriages. I decided to sit down and ask myself what I can do to help people solve their family problems besides people coming to me. I thought about a concept that would highlight peoples’ challenges and how to resolve those challenges in a group setting rather than one-on-one.

And we thought about what to call it and decided on Mind the Gap. Based on the challenges I personally witnessed during my coaching of individuals, I realised that there are many gaps. So how do we begin to bridge the gap? Last year we had a programme for people that were dating, married and engaged, who came together to talk about the issues that affect them. And we did research to identify the top critical areas that they were having issues in. We created a theme for each of those critical areas. So at the end of the year, I was happy for what we were able to do. At the beginning of 2016, I asked God about the area he wants to channel all the gifts, blessings and knowledge he has given me and the Lord said he wants me to focus on family and marriage in 2016. And I met with Pastor Wale after that and he said why don’t we meet to discuss about how we can add value and transform this country Nigeria. I came over to his office and asked him what his burden was and he said his burden was around family because if we could equip and restore families which are the heartbeats of our nation, things will be better in our country. It is the family unit that creates the community and it is the community unit that creates the states and it is your state that creates your nation and it is the combination of nations that come together to form a continent and it is the continent that forms the world.

On concept of change Imagine if we are able to transform families in Nigeria, we would have successfully transformed Nigeria. With this concept of change, we asked how we can do our part because we are not in politics but where and how can we make our own contribution and how can we make sure that the contribution is felt.

So we sat down and developed five themes for 2016. So every other month there is a programme that we are running.

In March we did the first one that is called the foundation and the five pillars that you

Our plan to transform Nigeria through the family – Lanre Olusola

will build your home and your family on. On June 4 2016, we are doing a second one called Family, Marriage and Financing. There are other three themes which are; fertility, children and how to bring children up within your home and your family. There is also another one that we are doing where we are dealing with emotion, we are dealing with conflict, and we are dealing with relationships with people in the society. And the last one we are going to do is a couples retreat in December to access how 2016 has been and how to set goals for 2017. At that stage, we will begin to equip them on how to do it.

•Lanre Olusola

Having identified the peculiar marriage challenges in your findings, how best can they be addressed towards the development of impressive value system?

The first one is ignorance. A lot of individuals that get into marriages are ignorant. They are ignorant about who they are, they are ignorant about why they are here, they ignorant about the problems that God sent them to this world to solve as individuals and they are confused. They don’t know where they are going to and they don’t know where they are coming from.

So they take this confusion and then confuse each other in an environment called marriage.

With two confused dysfunctional people, they create a dysfunctional environment and then they produce children in a dysfunctional environment.

Eventually, they create a dysfunctional family. Now a dysfunctional family relates with dysfunctional families and create a dysfunctional environment. And then there is dysfunctionality in the country. The second thing is selfishness. A lot of individuals that get into marriage are selfish. Marriage and family are institutions where only selflessness breeds the right outcome. The third thing is infidelity. A lot of homes are experiencing infidelity because of societal pressure. The fourth thing is finances. Money and pursuing money brings about problems. It does that directly and indirectly. It happens when both of them are running a local government by providing power, security and others. So they have to work.

Both of them have to stay out till 10 pm because they are pursuing money. Each one of them is focused on pursuing money and that is where their hearts is. By virtue of that, their hearts are not in the marriage and their partners. And so they lose focus of the most important things which are their home and marriage. Another one is that when the money starts to come it brings about conflict between both of them. Money that they thought would be solution to their problem becomes the heart of their problem. They don’t know how to manage thereby losing the money, and then they have disunity about

people what to do with it in terms of handing over the money to their children.

On emotional intelligence Another one is lack of emotional intelligence. They are unable to manage their emotions and stress, so they go out there to look for money by the time they come back they are stressed and they transfer that stress to their spouses and talk to them anyhow. And the spouse may be the type that suppresses emotions and they do it always and one day they will decide to explode. Suddenly, you will hear stories of husbands of killing their wives. It is as a result of lack of emotional stability or lack of emotional intelligence. A lot of those issues are at the heart of where the challenges come from. Also, a lot of people are not psychologically balanced in terms of mental and emotional health. People need to go and check themselves out because many are not okay. By the time you are in traffic for six hours every day and come home to a house where there is no light, you are afraid for your life because of armed robbery attack, and you don’t have the wherewithal to move away from that environment to another environment, you become stressed. These things will create a lot of issues if they are not tackled.

Do you see divorce as the best way of resolving marital challenges that defy solution? Is it really an option?

Yes, it is and I am sure a lot of people will be wondering why I, a Christian, who is supposed to be a role model is saying yes. If both individuals are unaware and they don’t want to be aware and they are unwilling to make sacrifice because marriage is about sacrifice, unwilling to be selfless, unwilling to commit themselves to the handwork that is required, they will transit from that position to a position where they will begin to abuse each other. Through that, they will be creating a dysfunctional environment that will cause more harm to their children.

If they have got to the point where they are about to destroy each other, what is the purpose of staying in that marriage when your lives will be destroyed? God does not want the destruction of lives. If to get your life back on track is to be divorced or separated, if that is going to get you back to your purpose, if that is going to get you back in line with what God has ordained for you, then the option becomes necessary. A lot of people have wrongly got into marriage and a lot of people have married the wrong people and their destinies are being shipwrecked. Such people should reassess and see if they made a mistake but if you are unwilling to resolve the issues, then it’s okay to go different ways.

We recommend separation until both have got help individually. So, we recommend separation that can lead to restoration, we recommend separation that can lead to divorce if the couple are aware and unwilling to make sacrifice for restoration.

Much has been said about the dearth of value system in Nigeria and the government’s failure in that respect. What are the things you think should be done differently to achieve good results?

There is nothing called government, they are individuals that make up the government. Unfortunately these individuals are our leaders, they have families as well.

They need to go back to the basics and understand what the real values are and what their standards and God’s standards are. We are not talking religion, whatever religion you practice, you serve a god and that god that you serve has a standard. Who instituted the concept of family, government and governance? Is God. So we have to go back to God’s standards of governance, family and marriage. When we all go back to the basics, we will begin to live those basic standards. We need to indentify behaviours and habits that are leading us away from these standards that I have indentified and we need to go back to those behaviours that are in line with God’s standards.

We need to ask ourselves if we make policies that are beneficial to the masses, if not we need to go back and ask ourselves if really we are a government for the people and elected by the people.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016, PAGE 21

people

By Soni Daniel

S

trong ambitions run deep in this family.

And the dreams are always for positive reasons. Young Emily Oluwatoyin Nkanga is only keying into success story of the family she was born into 21 years ago. The brilliance, success and the ‘we-can-do-it’ spirit of the members of this family have marked it out and endeared them to many in the community and beyond. The pace-setter and Emily’s father, Air Commodore Idongesit Okon Nkanga of Ikot Nya, a tiny faming hamlet in Nsit Ibom Local Government of Akwa Ibom State, is a well respected political leader in the state. He dreamt big, aiming to become a pilot at a time when the knowledge of such a subject was not only very limited but was almost unknown to the average rural family in the then South Eastern State. Those who knew about piloting as a career must have considered it to be for the ‘white men’ and not for a poor rural boy like Nkanga, whose parents laboured stridently to be able to pay his secondary school fees at the time. Notwithstanding the hurdle, the young man, surmounted all the hurdles and set a new record in his school by recording 6/6 in his WAEC School Certificate, meaning that he scored A1 in all the six subjects: English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Additional Mathematics and Biology.

Buoyed by the performance, he went ahead to pass all other examinations and graduated from the Nigerian Defence Academy, joining the elite corps of pilots in Nigeria. He schooled in many first class air force training institutions across the globe and ended up as the Commander of the Presidential Air Fleet, PAF. Apparently riding on the crest of her father’s history, 21-year-old Emily, who speaks both Yoruba and English fluently, is aiming for something that will also shoot her out like her father. But unlike her father who flew aircraft in the skies and stood out like a colossus, Emily is holding something else in her hands, desiring to use it and influence lives, change situations and circumstances with a view to altering society’s mood for the better and recording history.

The tool in her hand is the camera, which she has been joyously fiddling with in the past five years now. The instrument is now part and parcel of Emily’s life and she has come to reckon with the reality as she learns to make the most out of photography and film-making.

When her parents dispatched her to study at the prestigious American University of Nigeria, AUN, Yola, little did they know what nature had deposited in their daughter. As she arrived in Yola and settled in for studies, it became clear to her that nature has endowed her with the gift of taking wonderful pictures and interpreting roles in films, just like Joseph was equipped by God with the gift of interpreting dreams. And she grabbed the opportunity with two hands and has never looked back.

To get her fully prepared for the job she has chosen for herself, Emily studied Communications and Multimedia Design (TV/Film) and ended up with a good grade by the time she left the school. As a proof that she knows her onions, many individuals and groups are already angling for her photos.

Like my pilot-father, I also dream to conquer the world

– 21-yr-old Emily Nkanga

The ability to find a particular theme, subject, place, etc., dig into it and create something special is what sets me apart She proved her mettle even as a student by visiting the Internally Displaced Persons by Boko Haram insurgents and making tear-dropping albums that have been displayed in far-away University of Liverpool as part of her school project. As an ensign of endorsement of her work, the project has been accepted and hosted by Tailor and Francis, one of the most prestigious publishing

journals hosted by the University of Connecticut in the USA as a research material.

Miss Nkanga, who is now serving as an NYSC member for her compulsory one year service with Bantus Studios, a famous Photography House in Abuja, has also compiled many albums on fashion and other subjects now on display even though she is yet to host a formal exhibition.

“The camera has been instrumental in helping me to make friends with people from different walks of life,” she admits. According to Emily, photography gives her some sort of adrenaline. She says she draws most of her inspiration from everyday activities and fine art. For Emily, it not only about talent, it’s about the willingness to work tirelessly.

“The ability to find a particular theme, subject, place, etc., dig into it and create something special is what sets me apart. This is consistent with other photographers whose work people admire,” Miss Nkanga said.

As she sets her eyes on the future, Emily says, she wants to be

so professional and thorough that the world will look in her direction whenever the issue of photography and cinematography is mentioned. “I want to become a professional photographer and filmmaker. I want to be so good that when people see my work, they will immediately remember Pablo Picasso and Michael Angelo, two of the world most revered artists. I want it to be that every time they have to give reference to photography or film making in Nigeria, they always have to call my name. Actually it might sound like a cliché but I want to be the best I can actually be because I don’t want to just come and when it is time to leave the earth, my name just goes or they just said, oh, yes I remember she used to be.

“To be honest I feel good when I look at where I am today and considering where I was about four years ago. So I really think that if at this point if I have achieved something like this, I don’t think there is anything that is impossible; I just need the drive the more in order to succeed.

For Emily, everything seems to be working in her favour and the

sky appears to be the only limit. As she forays into the world of photography and cinematography, her parents are on her side giving her all the necessary encouragement and support to fly higher. The young artist says: “I am actually very happy for the kind of parents that I have because they are very supportive. They are not the type to tell you this is what we expect you to be, or that but actively support me as long I am able to do well, as long as I have the passion for it and as long as it is nothing negative. They are in full support of it”.

Given her experience in life and school so far, Emile gives an idea of what drives her always and where she is going. “I want to advise young Nigerians to see hard work as a way of life: they should also be able to work smartly because even though even though you work hard and if you don’t work smart, you will still have some lapses; so hard work is the key.

“After every job, I always think of ways to improve myself, to make sure that I am not found wanting in any aspect of my career. People say that when talent doesn’t work hard, hard work beats talents. So I believe to an extent I am talented so I want to put the talent and the hard work together. I don’t want any of them to overshadow the other; so that is actually what has been my drive.

“In terms of quality I think there is always room for improvement but for now I think, I am on a good side. But in terms of creativity, I personally don’t think creativity is a competition. As long as you can appeal to a certain audience, I think you are fine.

Where the problem lies is where you have creativity and you cannot even express it and maybe your quality of images or how you deliver this body of work. ‘’To pave the way for her to perfect her talents, the faircomplexioned Nkanga, who is an introvert, plans to go for a Masters Degree in Cinematography and film production. She says, “After my masters, I will face the film making side where I actually want to end up. I think photography is just one of the many stair cases I am climbing. My actual goal is to be a film maker. So photography as a step and then I do my masters in cinematography, then I can now start film making proper”.

She has a simple advice for her peers: “Don’t waste your precious time if you have anything to do; go ahead and do so. Whatever you have to do, start now,” she counsels.

“And in terms of wasting their time, I see a lot of people on social media using it for negative things. I actually think they can use it for positive things. Apart from word of mouth, what also helped me was the social media. I see people make money off social media everyday and I see people who just wallow and waste their time on social media. So I think it can be used for other beneficial things. ‘’When I started photography I had times when I needed to put out a project, it was challenging but I didn’t let this challenges actually pull me back. I tried and tried and tried. I think they should start now and shouldn’t say I still have to do NYSC and I still have to do this thing and that; you would do those things but you can also do some things by the side’’.

PAGE 22—SUNDAY

Vanguard, MAY 22, 2016

the gallery

08116759757

ILL -F ATED HOLID AY IN NIGERIA ILL-F -FA HOLIDA

Jealous wife of native doctor bathed me with acid — Nigerian woman based in Spain SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN CITY Marbel Mark, 31, from Edo State but married to a Delta State indegene, has petitioned Edo State Police Command, urging investigation into the acid bath she suffered in the hands of some persons at large.

The incident,Sunday Vanguard learnt, happened in October 2015, when the victim, based in Spain, with her seven year-old daughter, visited Nigeria.

Trouble reportedly started when she was said to have visited a native doctor at Sakpoba Road, Benin City shortly after her arrival in Nigeria. Though Sunday Vanguard could not ascertain the relationship between the woman and the native doctor, it was said that the wife of the latter became jealous of the alleged 'close relationship' between the Marbel and her husband and engaged Marbel in a shouting match. She accused her of having an affair with her husband but Marbel refuted the allegation vehemently, explaining that the relationship between her and the husband was purely business.“But of course the wife did not believe her story and continued to protest. Neighbours told Sunday Vanguard the wife feared Marbel may be using her connection abroad to make her husband dump her. Sunday Vanguard learnt that the situation took a turn for the worse when the native doctor’s wife called Marbel’s husband in Spain to report the matter to him. It was gathered that the incident caused problems between Marbel and her husband.

Tragedy struck, however, when Marbel went to the salon to fix her hair, as unknown persons stormed the place and bathed her with acid. The incident caused pandemonium as people ran helter-skelter, a situation which gave the suspects the opportunity to escape. Marbel was rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) for treatment before she was flown back to her base in Spain for surgery. It was amid this tragedy that the victim was said to have sued her husband for divorce, which was said to have been granted by a court in Spain. Though the reason for the divorce is unknown, it was gathered that Marbel’s husband and the native doctor’s wife continued their communication to the discomfort of the victim.

However, Marbel, who is still receiving treatment in the C M Y K

Spanish hospital, is appealing for justice from Edo State Police Command. Speaking to

Sunday Vanguard on telephone, the victim lamented:“ I have spent so much hospital bills to

save my life due to the wickedness of somebody. I have petitioned the state Police

Command through my lawyer. I am only appealing for justice.

The police must apprehend the person that bathed me with acid and those that sent them. I have spent all I have on hospital bills so I cannot equally be denied justice in Nigeria. I only came on holiday but look at what I got in return. I need the prayers and help of everyone, particularly the police so that those behind this will be apprehended. I am in pains and those behind this should not go unpunished. And I appeal that the investigation should be accelerated because justice delayed is justice denied. Life has become so frustrating but I thank God for his mercies Sunday Vanguard learnt that the matter is being investigated by the homicide section of the Edo Police. It was said that the wife of the native doctor has been interrogated and some other persons questioned also.

Spokesman for the state Police Command, Abiodun Osifo, who hinted that detectives were investigating the matter, described the attack on the victim as wicked, assuring that the suspects will be arrested in due course. “We appeal to members of the public to help us with useful information because, without information, the police can do little or nothing. This is a crime against God and humanity and we must not condone it. How can somebody bath a fellow human being with acid? Even if the person is your enemy, does that make sense? Such people must face the law no matter where they are hiding. You cannot run forever.

I believe the police will uncover the suspects and bring them to justice”

They demolished my Lekki property, Ex-Ekiti gov contender laments

By Etop Ekanem

O

n Monday, officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning demolished an event centre/green house belonging to a one-time governorship aspirant in Ekiti State and businessman, Kayode Otitoju.

The event centre, located at the setback

by Cable Point Estate, in Lekki Phase 1, had been subject of disagreement between Murhi International Nigeria Limited, with its owner, Kunle Gbadeyanka, claiming that since his company owns the land just after the setback, automatically, the setback belongs to his company.

However, speaking to Sunday Vanguard in his Lekki Phase 1 office, Otitoju said nothing could be farther from the truth.

Showing documents, he said the setback was leased to his company, Jukot Nigeria Limited, by the New Town Development Authority, NTDA, in 2001, adding that initial lease was for 15 years which lapsed this year and he has since applied for another 30-year lease.

He said: “It is strange these guys are claiming that they own the land. The New Town Development Authority, NTDA, leased the land to my company via a letter with reference number NTD/PPD/002/ Vol.II/88 dated February 16, 2000. While the lease was granted for 15 years, I was, however, told that there should not be physical structure on the land.

“To demonstrate that the land belongs to the government, a canal was built along that setback some few years ago. Besides, the government had decreed that no permanent structure must be erected on the setback as government might have a need for the land any time. That was why the event centre and green house was

•Kayode Otitoju constructed with iron rods and corrugated aluminium sheets which could be pulled down any time”.

Meanwhile, officials of the Building Control Agency, Ministry of Physical Planning as well as the NTDA issued stop work order on the building which was almost completed. The irony of it all was that the three government agencies gave different reasons for the stop work order. While the NTDA, which allegedly leased the land to Otitoju’s company in the first place, said it was Murhi International Nigeria Limited’s land, the Department of Physical Planning said it was a green zone.

After series of unfruitful meetings between Otitoju and Murhi International on one hand as well as officials of the Physical Planning Ministry on the other, Otitoju decided to take a legal step. He said: “I decided to go to court after the minutes of the meeting did not reflect

the resolutions There was no time I agreed that the structure be demolished but that was what they officials of the Physical Planning Ministry wrote in their report. What shocked me was that they discountenanced all the documents, which they themselves asked for, proving that the setback in question was actually leased to by government to me. Rather, they said I agreed that the structure be demolished. How could I have done that.”

Otitoju approached the courts but not before some prominent citizens had intervened in the matter, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was said to have got in touch with Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on the issue.

It was when the suit was still pending, and first hearing fixed for May 19, that the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning came down on the structure on Monday, May 9, and demolished it.

Otitoju said his grouse was not the demolition but the fact that a case on this matter had already been filed in a competent court and all the parties involved, including the body that came for demolition, had already been served papers.

According to him, he did not expect such to happen under a democratic government, not to talk of a state under the All Progressives Congress, APC, to which Otitoju, ironically is a member.

He has, however, filed another suit which seeks to cause the respondents to restore the structure to pre-demolition state. The motion, with Suit Number LD2625LMW/16, seeks an order of “mandatory injunction compelling the defendant to re-erect and/or rebuild the claimant/ applicant green house/events centre hitherto standing on the claimant’s portion/parcel of land situate, lying and being at Plot 2 and 2A of the green area air-marked for horticultural purposes in Lekki Peninsula Scheme 1 demolished by the defendants on 9th May, 2016 during the pendency of the claimant’s suit and motion for injunction.”

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 22, 2016, PAGE 23

the gallery

08116759757

The secret of effective representation, by Mutu, Chairman, House of Reps Committee on NDDC

By Harrison Akamule

I

t is expectation of every parent seeing his child goes on in life to become successful.

One of those who benefited from parental commitment, dedication, good character, integrity, dignity and concern, and did not allow where he was born and the environment to deter him from fulfilling God's purpose in his life is the Rt. Honorable Nicholas Ebomo Mutu, a five-time member of the House of Representatives, representing Bomadi/ Patani Federal Constituency.

If not for God, and the commitment of the parents, how could it have been possible for the lawmaker, raised in Girinya and Ebegya communities in KontoKarfi Local Government Area of Kogi State but shot into limelight

from the rural setting. Ebegya in Ebira Konto language literally means an inland of nets where fishermen and women congregate for work.

With this advantage of growing up in the North, Mutu speaks Hausa, Ebira and some other Kogi dialects. Put side by side with his ancestral home in Akugbene, Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, another fishing community, the two backgrounds have never drawn him back in achieving his political dreams as a young man and fulfilling his destiny in life.

The young and versatile Mutu shot into political limelight when he contested election and became the Chairman of his Bomadi LGA in 1997 and, after a brief spell, he felt he could move into the national political waters by contesting

election into the House of Representatives in 1999 on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) to represent Bomadi / Patani Federal Constituency. Since his debut in the Reps, he has never looked back. He has been returned to the parliament for five consecutive terms.

His winning streak has become a matter of public debate as some politicians feel he should give way to contenders from the Patani axis of the federal constituency. But to him, it is God that decides where one

should be.

Mutu does not see himself as better than those who had vied for political office with him, rather it is the mercy of God that has given him the opportunity to assume public office.

The Chairman, Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC ) in the House disagrees with those who think the secret behind being in the House of Representatives for the fifth time is because he is h i g h l y connected, saying it is God that made it possible.

Many observers who do not understand the inner workings of effective representation believe that because he is rather taciturn and publicity shy, he is not representing his people well in Abuja. On the contrary, Mutu has been a silent operator working through committees and producing democratic dividends for his constituents.

His effectiveness lies in the ability

How to make students pass UMTE — Educationist

By Lawrence Adenipekun

T

he major reason accounting for the failure of candidates in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is the inability of many schools to make e-learning a priority, thus making it extremely difficult for candidates to manipulate computer in the exam hall. This revelation came from the Chief Learning Officer of Mandate Private Schools, Akesan, Igando, Lagos, Rev. Sunday Attah. This, according to him, arose from the failure of many schools to anticipate the introduction of computer- based exam in the country. His words: “The reason our students pass UTME excellently well every year is because we were able, far back as 2008, to predict the introduction of computer-based examination in Nigeria and we immediately made e-learning from primary school to SS3 a top priority.

At a forum in South Africa in 2008 which I attended and was organized by the Nigeria based Accelerated Learning Group, we did a 5- year projection on educational development where we predicted the adoption of computer-based examination in Nigeria given our assessment of the situation in other parts of the world. There

•Rev. Sunday Attah and then I decided to introduce computer– based examination in my school which I implemented on returning to Nigeria from South Africa .Thus, students of Mandate Private Schools were already doing computerbased examination even before JAMB introduced it.

The first step we took was to transform our SS1-SS3 classes to e- learning classrooms.

Each of the students has laptop and teachers’ notes are transferred to students’ laptops

through wireless devices. We have given ourselves a time frame to introduce the intensive ICT education to our primary section, which will make pupils/students from Primary 1 to SS3 computer literate and internet friendly. These pupils and students are taught by competent computer teachers in the use of word processing, multimedia, internet, e-mail, desktop publishing, networking and computer aided designs.

Their familiarity with computer gives them emotional and psychological stability in the JAMB-conducted computer-examination. This accounts for the high figure of about 95% of our students who gain admissions to various universities every year. I must quickly add that the reason for the failure of many students across the country in the examination is their lack of exposure to computer from their secondary schools.

Expectedly, such students will lose selfconfidence in the examination hall. Any student who is jittery in the examination hall as a result of his or her inability to operate computer will fail woefully.’’

This claim of overwhelming success

in the UTME, says the school proprietor, is underscored by the large number of the school’s former students who have graduated as well as those who are presently studying in different universities around the world. The list of these undergraduate students, according to him, include Aminat Abolade who is studying Medicine at Obafemi Awolowo University, IleIfe; Bola Owate also studying Medicine in the University of Lagos; Favour Attah is reading Management Information System at Covenant University, Ota, Ogun state, and Ashifor Oghene who is studying International Relations and Diplomacy at the University of Benin.

The Chief Learning Officer continued: “We also have Jerry Ogwo and ‘Kemi Omotade both of whom are studying Medicine in the University of Ukraine. Emmanuel Ichebi is reading Electrical Engineering at the University of Agriculture, Makurdi while David Ogwo and Ebenezer Chiazor are studying Computer Science and Electrical Engineering respectively at Covenant University. On their part, Praise Attah and Laurel Chiazor are students of International Relations and Economics respectively at Benson Idahosa University, Benin City while Adnan Mojeed is reading Aeronatic Engineering at the University of Ilorin.

10 policemen to be recruited from each LGA — Rep Oladele *Empowers 400 constituents

By Bashir Adefaka

T

he best of empowerment, many have said, is to teach people how to fish and not to continuously give them fish. It is not clear if this popular saying prompted the member, House of Representative representing Irepo/Orelope/ Olorunsogo Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Honorable Bosun Oladele when, as a departure from the culture of giving out money for temporary benefit by politicians of his clime, the federal lawmaker, by way of his constituency project as captured in the 2015 Budget, decided to empower his constituents in a way that they would be able to carry on with their jobs at hands in a more productive way.

Oladele is won election to represent Irepo/Orelope/Olorunsogo Federal Constituency in Abuja as a resilient

C M Y K

•Bosun Oladele All Progressives Congress (APC) faithful during the March 28, 2015 general elections.

On Thursday May 5, 2016 he dazzled 400 people drawn from the three local governments that make up his federal constituency with massive empowerment resulting from distribution of materials worth of N35 million to justify his representative function at the Green

Chamber of the National Assembly.

At an event helt at Tafoo Event Centre, Igbeti, headquarters of Olorunsogo Local Government Area of Oyo State, Oladele, a constitutional lawyer and former Oyo State Commissioner for Informationa and Orientation, said the empowerment scheme was the first phase of the Oladele Youth Alliance for Progressive Agenda. He noted that the empowerment scheme was part of the report and dividends of democracy brought for his constituents who voted for him to represent them in Abuja, adding that it would be a continuous exercise, “because I must keep on reporting to you from time to time.”

On what informed the empowerment programme, Oladele journalists: “The first thing that informed the empowerment is need.

I was telling people there is always the need to do what is called 'needs assessment.' Igbeti or Irepo/Orelope/ Olorunsogo Federal Constituency is

God has given to him to negotiate and lobby to attract development to his constituency from Abuja. His massive influence within successive administrations have earned the constituency he represents employment for the teeming youths while empowering men and women. He also influenced infrastructural development to his constituency and gave scholarship to students.

One great attribute of Mutu is the passion with which he invested massively in the work of God. And he never jokes with the traditional rulers in his constituency who he always accorded due respect. A man who believes politics should be devoid of violence and thuggery, he goes to his constituency ahead of elections to pay his dues to the old and young, and organise mosquito campaign from door to door and village to village.

Mutu believes that he is human; therefore, there was no way he would have not made mistakes along this journey to greatness. So, he strives to right the wrongs. He said his dream is to translate the experiences he has gained to render quality service to his people and the nation in general.

His five terms should not be seen as a waste, but judiciously used to bring development to the constituency.

different from the cities. And what you will require if you are from Ibadan or Lagos will be different from what you will require if you are from an agrarian community like this.

Number one, in each of the three local governments that make up this federal constituency, we have at least 105 villages, farm settlements and people need to get there. So, the most comfortable, available and accessible means of transportation becomes motorcycle. The people are basically farmers, who need to go to their farm.

Most of the farm centres, you can only navigate them through motorcycle and so motorcyle becomes priority need,” he said.

Highlighting some of his contributions, the representative said, “I am also working hard to ensure that the abandoned Badagry – Sokoto Road and some other roads and infrastructural projects are completed for the benefit of our people.”

Smith urges Ijaw youths to support Okowa

A

member of Delta State Wa terways and Land Security Committee, Ambassador Godday Smith (alias Bounanawei), has urged Ijaw youths in the state to continue to support the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in order to attract more infrastructural development to Ijaw communities.

Smith, made the call at the inauguration of the new executives of Meinbutus Federated Communities, Ogbe-Ijoh, led by Comrade Lot Loyibo, held recently in Warri.

He also advised the new leadership of Meinbutus Federated Communities to always maintain law and order in carrying out its activities and dealings with government, relevant agencies and multinationals operating in Ijaw areas.

“I urge you to support Okowa’s government and always consult with Ijaw leaders on crucial issues to get a positive results.”

PAGE 24—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 22, 2016

•FIRS headquarters in Abuja...Inset:Chairman Babatunde Fowler

The tax man goes after corporate defaulters

BY LAUJU KOLAPO

E

ventful. That is the word that captures the last one and a half weeks for the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

During the period, the FIRS sent out enforcement teams across the country to get companies with tax liabilities to pay. The enforcement came after the FIRS had given a six-week notice to such companies. The notice, however, was ignored.

On May 11, one of the enforcement teams, led by Mr. Emeka Obiagwu, closed down three offices of a major telecommunications firm for failure to remit N24.3billion in Value Added Tax (VAT). The same day, it also sealed the premises of Erin Petroleum (formerly Camac Petroleum Limited) which, allgedly, owed N107.3million and $10.6million respectively. The exercise continued the next day in Lagos, Abuja, Owerri and Kaduna. In Abuja, two companies said to be owned by Jimoh Ibrahim, were sealed. They are NICON Luxury Hotel and NICON Insurance.

FIRS Warrant of Distraint alleged that NICON Luxury Hotel was sealed for owing about N392, 623,765.00 tax.

The service said the amount was made up of unpaid/unremitted liabilities of the hotel in Company Income Tax, Education Tax, Withholding Tax and VAT between 2009 and 2013.

The management of the hotel, led

by Mrs. Ogunlusi Abimbola, initially insisted that the company was not owing such a huge sum, putting the tax arrears of the company at N24 million. She added that of the sum

she quoted, the company had paid N6 million.

Mrs. Abimbola, however, admitted that the hotel was aware of the tax liability, but explained that a tax consultant to the company had written the FIRS to complain about the claim and that the hotel was already discussing with the FIRS on ways of resolving the matter.

She failed to produce the correspondence between the hotel and FIRS, leaving the enforcement team with no option than to seal the premises.

The sealing off of the hotel led to the closure of the other offices and three bank branches located within the hotel.

The team evacuated the premises, forcing some members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, holding a stakeholders’ meeting in the hotel to park their vehicles outside the premises as the team locked the gates.

From NICON Luxury Hotel, the team moved to NICON Insurance, where the enforcement team sealed the third, fourth and ninth floors of the building occupied by the company.

FIRS’ Distraint Warrant alleged that NICON insurance was owing N182,685, 036 million in unremitted Withholding Tax and VAT from 2008 to 2012.

Several notices have been served on the companies and I believe several moves were also made to compel them to remit their tax. But most of these companies turn deaf ears; that is why we usually give them long rope In Lagos, the FIRS sealed the premises of Swift Networks, an internet service provider, and Pan Ocean Oil Corporation Nigeria Limited.

Swift Networks, which has its office on 31, Saka Tinubu Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, allegedly failed to remit N702 million to government.

Chief Operating Officer of the firm, Chuma Okoye, pleaded for a period of grace but was told by Obiagwu that his company should have complied

with the laws governing business in the country. Obiagwu added that FIRS has obligations to fulfill.

“Several notices have been served on the companies and I believe several moves were also made to compel them to remit their tax. But most of these companies turn deaf ears; that is why we usually give them long rope,” he disclosed.

Okoye explained that his organisation had started working on how to fulfill its obligations to government.

At the office of Pan Ocean Oil Corporation, the enforcement recorded some drama, as the company’s security men attempted to prevent FIRS officials from carrying out their duty.

It took the intervention of some staff to restrain the security men for the enforcement to take place. The management of the firm was told to send representatives to the FIRS office to discuss how to remit the $29.2million allegedly owed in VAT. At Century Energy Services Limited, Lagos, the staff were told to vacate their offices and the building was sealed.

In Kaduna, FIRS officials sealed the office of System Properties Development Company Limited located at Shehu Crescent in Kaduna North Local Government Area for the company ’s alleged failure to remit over N20 million. The same fate befell Mutunci Company Nigeria Limited located at Plot 5, Kudenda Industrial Layout, Kaduna.

The company allegedly failed to remit over N42 million.

The owner of the company, an Indian whose, name was given as

Mr. Vora, insisted that he was up to date in the payment of tax and went ahead to show his 2016 VAT clearance certificate due to expire in December.

His explanation, however, was deemed unsatisfactory, as he was told by the enforcement team that there were discrepancies between the expected payment and the actual payment of over N42 million.

Mr. Suleiman Abubakar, the leader of the enforcement team in Kaduna, said the exercise was to get defaulting companies to remit tax.

“Today, we have invoked our statutory provisions and sealed off System Properties Development Company Limited and Mutunci Nigeria Limited, who have outstanding tax liabilities which run into millions.

“The companies will remain under lock and key unless and until the affected companies clear and liquidate their liabilities,” he said.

Abubakar disclosed that the tax enforcement exercise was going on across the federation.

In Owerri, Imo State, the offices of Imo Transport Limited and Holidays and Tours Limited were sealed. The companies allegedly owed N36,407,775.42 and N2, 411, 523.72 respectively. In Aba, Abia State, the office of Dan Dollars Motors Limited was shut over alleged tax liability of N3,557, 361.16, while that of De Okafor and Sons Limited was shut over alleged tax indebtedness of N2,270, 722.00.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 22, 2016, PAGE 25

Over-reliance on oil cause of economic hardship in Nigeria,

by Dr Alim Abubakre, TEXEM CEO In this interview with Dr Alim Abubakre, CEO, These Executive Minds, TEXEM, he talks about the need for visionary and focused leadership, especially in an atmosphere of dwindling resources.

Specifically, Dr. Abubakre discusses the coming executive programme being packaged by Alliance Manchester Business School and TEXEM, and why business, political and leaders of thought need to participate.

Excerpts:

In Africa, government is the largest customer for most organisations and when government has dwindling revenue this affects all stakeholders within the economy

W

hat are some of the strategic Leadership issues facing Nigeria?

A strategic leadership issue facing Nigerian executives is poor vision, sometimes when leaders have visions those visions are unrealistic. Another is indecision and limited capacity to make good decisions. Sometimes when decisions are made they are usually devoid of fundamentals but informed by sentiments. Also, lack of self-awareness and poor communication skills is a strategic leadership deficit that many Nigerian executives face.

Another is poor succession planning and lack of continuity.

If strategic leadership issues are addressed, the country has huge potential to add immense value and move beyond jobless growth to inclusive growth that creates real value and provide quality jobs for its citizenry.

Tell us about Texem?

TEXEM (These Executive Minds) is a service based social enterprise focusing on executive education. By partnering with major global enterprises and top universities, TEXEM has developed a series of educational programmes that address the challenges facing business and government today, in terms of African organisations.

Tell us about your forthcoming programme Our forthcoming programme is in partnership with Alliance Manchester Business School who are the largest business school in the UK and are also the most global having centres on 5 continents. This programme is on

•Dr Alim Abubakre Strategic Leadership for Superior Performance in Turbulent Times, between 31st of May to 3rd of June. For more information, please visit www.texem.co.uk This inspiring upcoming executive education programme, will help executives to develop the competencies that they require to effectively address the challenges of leading in a complex and fast changing landscape. These skillsets include knowledge needed to manage risks for better results, ability to develop winning strategies in turbulent times and enhanced capacity to provide authentic leadership in critical times.

How does this programme help executives to achieve Strategic Leadership?

Strategic Leadership in Turbulent Times at Alliance Manchester Business School would help executives to address contemporary issues that organisations face by addressing themes on: embracing ambiguous situations, better decision-making in ambiguous and uncertain times and moving beyond survival: Leading at a time of dwindling oil revenues. Others are Strategy alignment and implementation, building and sustaining relationships in crises and beyond and positioning the business for growth and accountability.

Who are ideal participants for this programme?

The participants would be

senior executives from a range of diverse organisationsThey may include Legislators, Chairs of Board, CEOs, Government Ministers,Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries, Directors, Entrepreneurs, Partners and Senior Partners in Consulting firms, Lawyers, General Managers and Editors.

What kind of companies? Size, sector would attend this programme.

They may include large multinationals, small and medium sized companies; Local Government, State and Federal Government parastatalsFinancial services, real estate, Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s , Government and NonGovernmental organisations.

This is because the solutions to the strategic challenges that organisations face may not onlybe found from learning from their peers within the same sector or type of organization. For example, the oil and gas industry may be able to learn about cost efficiency from the airline industry in the USA. What do you think should be the preoccupations about the present day senior executives? Is it about domestic growth?

International expansion? Is it about innovation? Is it about trading with Asia?

It should be about Strategic leadership. This would entail innovating in the board room in challenging times- it should be

about better board decision in turbulent times, better strategic oversight in difficult times, better risk oversight in uncertain times and effective compliance and more ethical considerations in difficult times, What are the big changes that will happen in 5-7 years that executives shouldworry about?

(Threats and/or opportunities)

Challenges-The fragile external business environment partly due to Nigeria’s over-reliance on oil and the consequence of the unpredictable price of oil since this may affect government revenue. Also, in Africa, government is the largest customer for most organizations and when Government has dwindling revenue this affects all stakeholders within the economy.

Another is high political and regulatory risk plus high cost of doing business.

The opportunity is the windfall that could come from developing other sectors of the economy such as agriculture and mining as well as its value chain plus investing in infrastructure e.g. roads, railway networks and refineries.

What are the current issues that senior executives have to deal with that are preventing them from focusing on preparing for those 5-7 years changes?

The fragile external business environment partly due to overreliance on oil and the consequence of the unpredictable price of oil. High political and regulatory risk. High cost of doing business.

How would you define success of this programme?

This programme would be successful as we believe that it reflects what is relevant to the external environment, offers an opportunity for participants to explore peer to peer learning and enhance their social capital. Also, we believe that this course will

The road to fiscal stability through confidence in Naira – CBN Gov. Emefiele

BY UDEME CLEMENT The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has called on Central Banks within West African subregion to safeguard banknotes, by initiating policies to prevent money laundering and counterfeiting, while adequately meeting the demand for money by the public.

The CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, made this known in a keynote address, at the opening session of a regional workshop on, banknote and currency management, organised by the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM), in collaboration with the CBN, in Abuja.

Speaking through his representative, the Deputy Governor, Operations, CBN, Alhaji Suleiman Barau, he said, “When confidence in the currency is strong, it fosters monetary and fiscal stability in the system, which is a precondition for achieving sustainable economic growth.

•L-R:

The Director, Macroeconomic management department of WAIFEM, Mr. Chris Kedze, Director, branch operations, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mrs. Olajumoke Fakiyesi, Director General of WAIFEM, Prof. Akpan Ekpo, Deputy Governor, operations, CBN, Alhaji Suleiman Barau, and the Director, currency operations of CBN, Mr. Olufemi Fabamwo, at the regional workshop on, banknote and currency management, organised by WAIFEM in collaboration with the CBN, in Abuja. opportunity losses and enhances “Forecasting the demand for smooth functioning of the banknotes is vital, as strategic banking system”, he said. management of currency is He went on: “Currency impossible without accurate management relates to planning, forecasts of the demand for designing, issue and withdrawal banknotes. A balanced approach of currency, ensuring its integrity, to currency management reduces

availability and the maintenance of quality. It is not only cumbersome with attendant complex logistic arrangements but also very expensive. For currency managers, note design presents a series of interlocking challenges. New design must win public acceptance, incorporate requisite security features and meet durability and machine processing standards. For example, some Central Banks have moved from paper substrate to polymer notes, in line with technological developments.

“Polymer banknotes tend to be cost-efficient and durable. The proliferation of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) also has a considerable impact on note design and sharpened the focus for both commercial and Central Banks. For example, the growing network of ATMs has affected the compositional shift from lower to higher denomination notes. In most cases, banks do not find it commercially viable to stock their machines with lower denomination notes, because they run out sooner and increase both capital and operating costs.”

enable executives to maximize their full potential for strategic leadership, which is key to Nigeria realizing its great prospect as a top twenty global economy in the next few years. By equipping these senior managers with the tools they require to shape strategy and improve organisational performance, everyone wins.

Furthermore, we always have satisfied customers as exemplified by 60-70% of our delegates being repeat participants.

Based on what did you choose those topics? In other words why do you think those topics are important for your clients?

After speaking extensively with our clients and other influential stakeholders we believe that these programmes reflect what senior executives experience and the skill gaps that they need to push the boundaries and create sustainable success for their organizations in these challenging times.

More generally what are the objectives of the programme?

The aims of the course are to introduce participants to the importance of good leadership in strategic management and achieving superior performance from modern organisations when facing turbulent times. Alliance Manchester Business School and TEXEM has considerable expertise and depth in its faculty who deliver inspirational insights into managing change and achieving success. The objectives include to add value to the delegates, enhance the organisations performance and have impact. The objectives include introduction of participants to methodology for problem analysis that enables decision makers to feel more certain about their options.

Another is to offer participants some insights into leadership in organisations facing turbulence and uncertainty where new solutions are needed to the problems being faced.

Furthermore, upon completion of the programme delegates would be able to investigate ways in which thinking more strategically can assist in formulating better strategic plans for the future.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Director General of WAIFEM, Prof. Akpan Ekpo, said, “Integrity of a currency and its efficient supply are clear indicators of a wellfunctioning Central Bank. In the eyes of the people, this fundamental function of the Central Bank must be effective, efficient and present no issues that may hurt the reputation of a country. Our particular concern is the issue of counterfeiting, which is as old as money itself, and continues to present a potential danger to national economies and financial losses to consumers.

The major challenge to protect currencies from counterfeiting has increasingly become more dependent on partnership between law enforcement agencies, financial institutions and Central Banks, as well as with the security of printing industry, and highgrade supplier ’s community.

Meanwhile, WAIFEM also trained policy makers from the Central Banks of Ghana, Gambia and Liberia, Budget office in Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Finance Abuja, monetary policy department of the CBN, research department of CBN, Bauchi State Planning Commission, among other financial institutions in the sub-region, on basic econometric methods for policy analysis, held in Lagos.

PAGE 26—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016

24-hr report

Ogechukwu

Igunu

Abandoned by families. Left to roam the streets. Waited to die!

•VVF survivors’ ‘hell on earth’ tales

By Chioma Obinna

I

t was an afternoon of tears and testimonies at the National Centre for Obstetric Fistula, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State when some survivors of the lifethreatening disorder, Obstetric Fistula, recounted their stories of the ailment medical experts say is preventive and treatable.

One after the other, they narrated their stories. Tears flowed freely as they recollected how they were abandoned by their families, left to roam the streets and waited to die.

The occasion was a visit to the facility by a group of journalists on a field-trip organised by Engender Health and FistulaCare Plus.

The survivors narrated how they lost pride of womanhood.

One of the survivors, Mrs. Lucia Ofoegbu, who claimed to have lived with the disorder for 50 years, said life had been hell for her. She told the story of how she lost her twins and was diagnosed with Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF). An abnormal fistulous tract extending between the bladder and the vagina, VVF allows the continuous involuntary discharge of urine into the

Faced with the challenge of uncontrollable urine and faeces, Lucia was thrown out of her matrimonial home by her husband. As if that was not enough, the husband married another woman few months after

vaginal vault. Apart from the medical complication, VVF has a profound effect on the patient’s emotional wellbeing.

Married off at the age of 13, she never had inclination of what life held in store for her

until that fateful day when she fell into labour.

Like every other woman, she was happy that the journey of nine months was coming to an end but little did she know that it was the beginning of her travails.

“I laboured for three days.

Getting to hospital, my bladder ruptured. That was the beginning of my problem which I have managed for almost 50 years now”, she stated.

Lucia lost her babies and came down with Obstetric Fistula. Fistula is the hole between the bladder or rectum and the vagina characterised by continuous and uncontrollable leakage of urine or faeces following childbirth.

Faced with the challenge of uncontrollable urine and faeces, Lucia was thrown out of her matrimonial home by her husband. As if that was not enough, the husband married another woman few months after.

“It was due to the intervention of my fellow women that I am back in the house but, since then, I do not have a child of my own.

I am fine and no longer leaking. I will continue life the way God has designed it.”

Nweke Blessing

Ogechukwu, 27, is also down with the condition. On the day of the visit, she had not been repaired of her condition. She was however hopeful that she will be fine after surgery. She started leaking urine after she was delivered of her first baby.

Her words: “I am not finding things easy now but have been hopeful since I came here because they told me that, once I am operated, I will be okay. When I came and saw other women, I believed God will do it,” Nweke said.

On her part, 41-year-old Mrs. Oluwabunmi Igunu, who came all the way from Badagry, Lagos, narrated how she almost lost her baby due to long labour which started early morning till she was finally operated at about 11pm. “Since then, I have been leaking faeces and urine. I have been with this problem for over three years until one doctor, Dr. Akinode, directed us to this place.”

For Ifeoma Peter Nwachukwu, 40, her woes started after a prolongedlabour which led to Caesarean Section, CS, but, unfortunately, she lost the baby. “After the surgery, I noticed there was water all over the place even under the bed. I asked and they told me

it was urine. They said it will stop but it did not. I have been to many hospitals without solution until I was brought here. Although I have not been repaired, I have been given hope that all will be well at the end of the surgery.

“By the grace of God, my husband and other family members are treating me well. I have one child.”

Reacting to their tales of woes, the Chairman, Medical Advisory Council of the Medical Facility, Dr. Kenneth Ewedike, represented by a consultant gynaecologist and fistula surgeon, Dr. Yakubu Emmanuel, said the number of fistula cases treated at the hospital this year shows a decline when compared to the number treated last year at the same time. He said the centre will ramp its awareness activities in the neighbouring states of Enugu, Benue and Anambra.

He blamed most of the cases of fistula treated at the centre on unplanned pregnancies.

“What we do is to allow couples to have planned and desired pregnancies. We counsel them to ensure that they make informed decision”. Ewedike said.

“This year, we have done over 40 surgeries. The number is actually dropping.

In 2008, we had about 81; in 2009, we had 214, 2010, 319; 2011, 269; 2012 324; 2015, 246. This year, the number seems to have gone down.

But we cannot make any conclusive statement yet,” he explained.

The Matron at the Fistula Centre, Mrs. Nwaofe Veronica, who spoke on how the facility is using family planning to tackle fistula, said: “Family planning is a measure to prevent fistula. It helps repaired fistula patients to keep away from intercourse and pregnancy for at least one year.

“Patients are advised after surgery to wait for six months before having sex and another six months before pregnancy for total healing.

Family planning helps these patients from having a relapse because their systems are yet to recover from the trauma of the former pregnancy.

“My advice to women is that they should plan their families very well, have children by choice and not by chance. You need to do family planning so that whenever your husband comes, you would not refuse him and he will not be promiscuous and there will be faithfulness in the marriage. Then you have time to train the children you have produced and the society will be okay”.

Giving insight into the challenges facing the centre, the Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Stella Nwaojiji, said they revolve around inadequacy of funds. She said patients mobilisation was another big challenge. Her words: “Mobilising patients through the media takes some money. Since we don’t have the finance, it is difficult for us to use the well - known media. What we now do is to write letters to state governments for assistance.”

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016, PAGE 27

PAGE 28–SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016, PAGE 29

PAGE 30— SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 22, 2016 Onikoyi68@gmail.com

Burna Boy’s many controversies

BY KEHINDE AJOSE

D

AMINI Ogulu a.k.a Burna Boy is known for his exceptional musical talent, aside that, he has over the years, created a reputation for himself as a controversy magnet. He has had diverse face-offs with bloggers, fellow artistes and fans. Burna Boy is currently involved in a fresh controversy for allegedly impregnating one Uju Stella. The lady accused him of impregnating her and not taking up his responsibility.

In 2015, he threatened to cause physical harm to bloggers who, he claimed, were writing false stories about him. “‘These bloggers been writing shit

thinking it’s a game until I see you all face to face one day and hospitalize or murk you.”

In June 2015, he posed with a gun and posted the picture on Instagram. In the caption he wrote: “This is not a movie or music video. Trust me, daddy”.

He got severely criticized for posting that picture .He later bowed to the pressures of his fans and deleted the picture.

Early in 2015, he threatened Buffalo Soulja, a Zimbabwean artiste after they were reportedly involved in a pool side fracas in South Africa.

Some weeks back, Orbeat, the producer of his hit song Soke accused him of owing him production efforts and allegedly releasing the single Acting Bad without his consent.

Singer Blackmagic in magical moment in new video

•Burna boy

Falz, Skales, Tekno headline MTN’s Pulse relaunch I

T was a night of music, fun and social networking at the Echo Club, Victoria Island, Lagos on Tuesday when premium telecom company MTN invited upwardly mobile youths, celebrities, and fun seekers for the relaunch of the MTN Pulse for the youthful subscribers on its network.

Music stars, Falz, Tekno and Skales were on hand to thrill the invited guests who had the special opportunity of having person to person interaction with the stars.

The new MTN Pulse is a revamped package that allows the youths be whatever they choose to be. Subscribers on the Pulse plan can enjoy unlimited streaming of the latest and

exclusive hit jamz on Music+

Beyond the exciting data package, MTN Pulse is an enabler that empowers the youths with relevant offerings fit for their daily academic and lifestyle needs, according to Richard Iweanoge, General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN Nigeria.

In his words: “MTN Pulse is much more than a tariff plan; it’s a lifestyle and a movement of individuals who want to stand out from the crowd, proud of their originality, pacesetters, and trendy. With MTN Pulse, you can enter into an unlimited world of possibilities.”

MTN Pulse also debuted a short movie and a hit track featuring the trending trio of Falz, Skales and Tekno, which has since dominated the social media space and air waves.

•At Pulse party, Falz, Tekno and Skales

E

arlier last week, Afro-centric superstar, Blackmagic, posted some photos on his instagram which he indicated were from a shoot he recently did for his trending single “Wonder” released earlier this year.

The Repete crooner has had a good start in the year with two singles “Wonder” and “Loyal” which have been enjoying airplay on popular radio platform s across Nigeria .

Known for his creativity and ingenuity one can only Wonder what Blackmagic has in store for his fans in his first video in 2016 as he teases us with some great artistic shots.

•Blackmagic video

Love meets art in Simi’s ‘Love don’t care’ video

BY JULIET EBIRIM

S

igned to X3M music label, singer and song writer, Simi has continued to climb the ladder to the top in the music industry. Again, she woos her fans with her artistic talents in the new music video of ‘Love Don’t Care’.

Known for her comedic storytelling lines with evocative messages, Simi showcased her artistic taste in this new video. The use of space and African prints in the video perfectly balanced the folktale imagery of the song. The video follows similar narratives, carefully making the characters glued to their part without direct communication with the singer.

Simi also dazzled her fans with her ballet dance steps, proving once more that she is multi-talented.

Released this year, on Valentine’s Day precisely, the love ballad speaks of a love that soars above tribal and social prejudices. Since its release, the ballad has received massive air-plays due to its compelling narrative and beautiful harmony of the traditional instrumentals.

Directed by Clarence Peters, the video is subtly embellished with iconic images of Nigeria’s history, reminding us that in our diversity lies our unity.

•Simi

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016, PAGE 31

bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk 08056180152, SMS only

Teenage children who bring out the worst in you!

J

oyce is a childhood friend I see often. When I called on her a few months back she looked visibly flustered. I was at a loose end and and had gone to see her for our usual natter. “Am I glad to see you,” she said, ushering me into a chair in the kitchen where she was making up different mouth-watering dishes. I certainly had called at a good time. I patted myself on the back, as I tucked in with relish.

“Henrietta is back,” she informed as we ate. I looked blank. “You haven’t forgotten all about her have you?

Mercy ’s second daughter!” The penny finally dropped.

Mercy is Joyce’s first cousin. She’s always been close to Mercy’s mother, Louisa, who is her big aunty. A womanof-the-world, Louisa is the proud mother of three children from three different fathers. Nothing unusual these days where couples exchange partners like goods from a super-market, the snag is that the first and last ‘husbands’ were rich while Henrietta’s father couldn’t be described as a silver-spoon kid.

Henrietta knew she wasn’t the apple of her mother ’s eyes and she behaved accordingly.

“Her nasty father is fetish and must have used juju on my daughter,” Louisa had said any time she had the opportunity. “Why else would Mercy give in to a rough-neck like that” Look at Henrietta’s two siblings. Mercy’s first daughter, Tina, the daughter of a renowned structural engineer, is a proper lady and her father sent her to the best public school as soon as she finished secondary school here. She’s a real lady, thanks to her dad’s impeccable pedigree.

Pity his snooty selfcentred wife refused to even think of him taking on Mercy as a second wife ... When Mercy met Henrietta’s father, Joyce wasn’t exactly shouting for joy. The only advantage is that he agreed to marry her and

be a step-dad to Tina,” Joyce had told me. “But Tina’s dad told him he should forget it - Tina had a dad who was proud of her. Anyway, they got married.He was a divorcee with two children and lived in the seedy part of the city.

Still, Mercy, who was then a top personnel manager in a huge firm agreed to come down to his level because of love.

In no time at all, the beast showed his claws and by the time Henrietta was only six, it was obvious they hated each other. It was inevitable that the marriage crashed and Mercy relocated abroad, leaving Henrietta in her mum’s care.

“Louisa couldn’t hide her distaste for the poor girl. Any time she put a foot wrong, she shrieked at her. ‘The horse behind always takes a running cue from the one in front’, she used to say. ‘If you are blind to see how fast the front horse is running, shouldn’t you look at the horse behind you in case it catches up with you?’ This rear horse is Mercy’s third child, a longed for son she had for another colleague just before she

left for England.

Thankfully, the lad’s father took her in, thanks to his wife’s ‘understanding’ nature, and the poor boy wanted for nothing.

He later went abroad with his dad’s family.

Henrietta was the only child left in the country, but Mercy promised she could come to stay as soon as she finished secondary school.

“Henrietta, who’d made some friends on her previous annual holidays abroad in the tower block her mum lived in quickly fit in with her old ‘gang’ when she came to England. So for the next couple of years, whilst Henrietta studied for her “A” Levels in preparation to getting into a university, Joyce regaled me with her escapades with the ‘Jammo’ boys on the block. “They are nothing better than yobs,” she used to complain.

“They wouldn’t go to school if they could get away with it and their parents couldn’t make them!

Henrietta had been caught smoking once or twice, and I’m sure it would be a matter of time before she tries the hard

stuff if care is not taken.”

Now, Henrietta was back.

So what happened?

“Hump,” Joyce sighed dramatically, “her mother happened to catch her, and one of her roughnecked friends having sex at the bottom of the staircase! She’d come early to get some medical details she left behind to meet this shocker. She was enraged to say the least. She yelled at the lad who’d quickly scampered, then virtually hauled Henrietta to the flat, nearly beating the daylight out of her in frustrated anger. The next day, when Mercy came back from work, the police had already been, leaving a message she should call at the station as soon as she could.

Mercy was puzzled as to why the police would want a word with her, but she went anyway.

“She told me she thought she wasn’t hearing right when the Police told her Henrietta had lodged a complaint with them that she’d been physically assaulted.

‘We’re talking about my daughter here,’ she napped.

‘How I discipline her is none of your business.’ But what

Mercy failed to realise then was that the law in Britain regarding how you deal with your child is different from the law in Nigeria. By British law, a child is owed a duty of care by his parents up to the age of 16. The parents have so right to kick out their children no matter how bad their behaviour and if a parent laid their hand on any child, that child had legitimate recourse to the law - and the law would take its course. Which is one of the reasons why teenagers are virtually throwing stones at neighbours and vandalising properties with only their writs slapped by the authority.

“Mercy was lucky, she was seriously cautioned and the caution was recorded. When next she was violent with her own daughter, she would be charged. She came home to find a sullen Henrietta. The fool smirked as the mother said nothing. In the meantime, she raked up all the money she’d managed to save for a rainy day, telling herself the rainy day was here.

She then told Henrietta they were going to Nigeria’ on’ a short visit during Henrietta’s firstterm holiday. She lied that her grandma had died and they were going for her funeral. When Henrietta arrived Nigeria and saw that her granny was alive and well, she knew she’d walked into a trap.

She was over 16, the legal age in Britain where you can walk out on your parents without them making you go back home. If she’d known, she could have run to the authorities who would provide her with t e m p o r a r y accommodation. She could even move in with any man over 16 if she so wished without anyone insisting she goes back home. Louisa her granny was far from happy at seeing her. ‘Blood would smell,’ she sniffed, ‘you’re the true daughter of your good-for-nothing father!’

The next day, Henrietta called her father and he promptly came to the house to insist Henrietta spend some of her holiday with him. Mercy had no choice but to agree as Henrietta clung to her father like an ally.

Now the dad is saying that over his dead body would he allow Louisa who never married, and Mercy who’d had three relationships that resulted in three children, raise her only daughter. That Henrietta misbehaved, he said, was due to the bad example set by these two wayward women. Can you imagine the affront? A man who, never bothered to chip in to Henrietta’s keep abroad, because, according to him he never encouraged her to go! “Mercy has since gone back, but heaven only knows what Henrietta’s future now holds ... I told her things would work out now that Henrietta is with her father and her halfsiblings. Things are complicated enough without anybody wanting to rush in with solutions that are not needed at the moment.

P AGE 32– SUNDAY Vanguard , MAY 22 , 2016

Is it safe to keep it in the family?!

B

lood is thicker than water, right? This belief was put to the test when Judith met her husband’s elder brother for the first time. She’d been married to Bernard for seven years when Kingsley returned to the country after years of studying and working abroad. “Kingsley is a couple of years older than Ben and it was obvious they were very close when he finally called at the house,” explained Judith. “They spent time together watching football or going to the clubs - making up for lost time.

“The brothers, in spite of their closeness, were very different. Ben, my husband is the aggressive type whilst Kingsley was what you would call a real man - strong and able to handle himself with no aggression whatsoever - no hint of the bully his brother was. It was Ben who helped him clinch a deal on an empty flat in our neighbourhood and as soon as he moved in, he visited more . frequently. It was thanks to him that I started taking more interest in how I looked as he was always liberal with his compliments. He made an effort to look well too, splashing on exotic aftershaves and wearing sexy clothes. The admiring look in his eyes whenever I let him in made my efforts worthwhile. It was obvious that a sexual tension was simmering between us even though I tried to smother the feelings.

“One evening, I was relaxing at home when Kingsley called unexpectedly. “Ben is not here,” I told him as I let him in. “He’s at his office’s sendoff do for a member of staff.” “I know,” he replied quietly, “he told me when I called him.” I felt this crazy excitement as I looked up at him. ‘It’s you I’ve come to see,’ he continued, ‘I need to know if you’ve realised what you’re doing to me …’ I didn’t know what to say. But he took me in his arms and all the pent-up emotions of the past month erupted. As we made furious love on the sofa, he confessed he was in love with me. I couldn’t help telling him there was no future for us as Ben would kill us both if he found out. My kids would be heartbroken, devastated and confused if we were to end up with their uncle.

“Unfortunately, no amount of sensible thoughts could erase the love (lust more like) that had grown between us. In the months that follows, we contrived any excuse to be together. Ben couldn’t care less that Kingsley and I went shopping together or picked up the takeaway for our weekend treats. And because I worked shifts, it was easy to slip round to Kingsley’s flat, enjoy a couple of blissful hours in his flat.

“Ben was so complacent it would never have occurred to him that his brother and his wife were both betraying him in the worst possible way. The

him ‘dad’. And do you think Ben would let us live happily together? No way! He’d see us dead first. On and on we talked and in the end we agreed that our hopes of a new life was ashes before they’d even begun. So I made the heartbreaking decision to terminate the pregnancy before Ben suspected a thing.

“After the termination, it was an excuse for Kingsley and I to put an end to this mad relationship, but strangely, our shared disappointment brought us even closer.

“It’s been months since that tragic event but we’re still

fact that I took more interest in my clothes and make-up didn’t bother him.

“And then the unthinkable happened - I discovered I was pregnant. The problem was that Ben and I hadn’t had sex for months - he was usually far too drunk to stay awake at night. When I broke the news to Kingsley, his first reaction shocked me. Pure joy shone in his eyes. ‘A baby! That’s fantastic!’ he squalled, his imagination running away

with him.. His only child is with his British wife and she wouldn’t even consider

Kingsley bringing him. ‘At least now we can be a real family,’ he gushed, ‘make a fresh start and take your two boys to live with us’.

I begged him to stop right there. ‘We’d be outcasts,’ I told him. ‘The worst sort of cheats.

And the children would wonder why they were living with their uncle and calling

living our double lives. So, here I am playing the role of good mum and wife whilst Kingsley is the kind uncle the kids adore. Only, we remain passionate, cheating lovers whenever opportunity arises.

The pregnancy would have been a good reason to pitch my tent with Kingsley, but that kind of taboo doesn’t even bear thinking of - it was too scary.

Now there is no hope for us to have a happy-ever- after ending. I’ve urged Kingsley to look for a suitable partner so he could plan a future with a wife and kids. He would make a wonderful husband and father. But my pleas are halfhearted. I genuinely love Kingsley. He is a refreshing break from the brute I’m married to and it will break my heart when the loving feeling eventually ends ...

08052201867(Text Only)

Science researches Yoga

A

CCORDING to re s e a r c h psychobiologist and I y e n g a r Yo g a t e a c h e r, Ro g e r C o l e , “ y o g a a n d science go together very, very nicely.”

A scientist with a doctorate in Health Psychology, Cole’s studies involve the interface between physiological and psychological processes, specialising in research and biological relaxation, restoration, and biological clocks.

A gymnast when he was in high school, he has been practising for over 20 years and says that yoga offers “a vast storehouse of wisdom” about the body and mind that modern science can draw upon.

In his work as a researcher, Cole has documented the effects of various yoga postures on brain waves particularly relaxation poses such as Viparita Karani (Supported Inverted Pose) and Setubandhasana quickly manifested the data brain waves associated with deep relaxation.

He has also delved into

the physiological effect of inverted poses, which he says dramatically affect hormone levels, brain arousal, blood pressure, fluid balance and a host of other factors among other changes.

When the body is turned upside down, the heart rate slows and the blood vessels dilate.

The extra blood in the trunk stimulates the baroreceptor nerves in the aorta and neck, which in turn signals the central nervous system to lower blood pressure and slow down brain waves.

Modern science offers Yoga, Cole says, a precious way of observing and qualifying such subtle phenomena, thereby broadening the body of yogic knowledge. “Some people look at the system of

The Shoulderstand

yoga as static-they think its perfect as it is,” says Cole, who teaches at the North country Yoga Studio in San Diego, California, USA. “But yoga is still evolving and we are still inventing yoga today.

“Science can manipulate matter and energy but it doesn’t discriminate between what is beautiful and sacred and what is not,” he enthuses. “Yoga brings that beauty, turning our investigation into a living art.”

The shoulder stand Technique: Lying on your back, draw up your knees, and place both hands at the back with the thumbs to the hips.

With a bit of momentum, raise the legs up and point the toes skyward. For the beginner, a halfminute in this posture will do until over the longhaul you can say for upwards of two minutes.

The Bridge Technique: Lying on your back, draw your knees up a bit, placing the hands by the lower flanks raise the body and support it on the elbows, shoulders and back of the head.

Retain the pose for say half a minute, rest and repeat a few times.

Yoga Classes STARTED Physical Therapy Centre @ 32 Adetokumbo Ademola, Victoria Island Lagos.

10.00am — 11.00am on Saturdays

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016, PAGE 33

metro

Buhari govt’s plan for women, children, physically challenged — Minister Alhassan

*Rallies Dein of Agbor’s support THERESA UGBOBU

T

Sex, illicit drugs and the Enugu girls of the night

By Francis Igata, Enugu isitors to some hotels in Enugu V metropolis are having a hard time trying to ward-off desperate

teenagers dressed in skimpy dresses to attract prospective customers.

You also find the teenagers around the Otigba Junction, Rangers Avenue, Presidential Road, New Berries, Obiagu, among others, where they peddle drugs and sex for fees ranging from N500 and N2,000 per night or home service.

Sunday Vanguard investigation also showed that some banks recruit beautiful girls to scout for large deposits from men. Expectedly, the girls seduce the men to meet their mandate.

Findings showed that the teenagers usually arrange themselves in groups of four or five and book rooms in hotels that charge N5,000 – N6,000 per night. Decked in seductive attires, the teens mill around the hotels, smoking cigarette and drinking alcohol. They pounce on you once you make eye contact, revealing cleavages and curves to lure you into the hotel room.

Further findings revealed that illicit drug substances like Crack, Marijuana, brown and white powder are increasingly in circulation in Enugu metropolis which many of the teens use and peddle.

Sunday Vanguard, in an undercover operation in one of the hotels on Nza Street, met ‘Chi’, not real name, canvassing sensually for customers.

“I thought you signaled to me!” “I did not”. “But you would miss a lot if you do not want me”. “Like what?” “A romp with me will make you leave your...hahaha. It will not cost you much. It is only N500. I have a room here. I will, at once, notify my colleagues that I have a customer and we will be in a world of our own”.

Continuing, she beckoned in confidence,”Try and see. You will crave for an all night long. Shall we...” “No, am not in the mood”.

“Why? I told you N500 because of the excruciating economic hardship in the country. This is what I do to fend for myself and send money to my family in the village. I hoped to further my education but the present Nigeria’s economic outlook has eroded that dream. I do not find joy doing what I do. But I cannot fold my arms and watch my parents and siblings in the village die of hunger”.

“How much do you think you can make?” “Well, before this government

took over, the business was good. I was having 20 - 25 customers in a day. But now, you hardly get five customers. If you get more than that, it is because it is a festive season, public holiday, weekend, etc. You do not need to spend money on extraneous things like beer, pepper soup and the rest. We go straight into the business”.

Corporate prostitution Garbed in suits with inner shirts that reflect the bank’s colour, beautiful female marketers chase male customers to their bedrooms, obviously to solicit that they open accounts with the bank.

A victim told Sunday Vanguard that the ‘corporate prostitutes’ pounce on you once they believe you are worth more than N500,000.

“I was leaving my bank after a transaction on Okpara Avenue. Before I could open my car, this damsel accosted me, radiating confidence and beauty. I muttered, ‘I can’t recall ever meeting you’. She told me she was a marketer”, he narrated.

“She requested for my phone number which I obliged. The following day, my phone rang around .6.30a.m. The caller introduced herself as the marketer I met at the bank the previous day. She romantically demanded for my residential address promising to give me a warm home treatment. As a bachelor, I had nothing to lose. I quickly gave her my home address.

At exactly 8.18 a.m., my security guard rang me on my intercom, to confirm if I was expecting a visitor.

“I told him to send her in. She drove

in with a chauffeur, an indication that it was a bank driver. Still recovering from the hangover of the previous day, I turned the sitting room’s key and the door swung open and the marketer strolled in. The perfume she applied rented the air.

“The marketer was in tune with the weather forecast of the previous day, from any of the news platforms. What she wore will tempt even a pastor. I offered her a seat, she sat down. Her hand disappeared into her hand bag and reappeared with two account opening forms. She stood up and approached me where I sat, balanced herself on my laps and the rest was history. I eventually opened a savings and current accounts that morning.

She collected a cheque for the accounts opening and other things I could offer her”..

Drug peddlers The activities of drug peddlers are on the increase in many relaxation spots in Enugu metropolis. The peddlers recruit youngsters who do the leg walk, selling Indian hemp, white and brown powder in alleys, streets and even offices.

A wrap of Indian hemp goes for N100 while a pinch of white powder goes for N2,000. Many of the teens hanging around dark spots in the metropolis use drugs. The situation, it was learnt , may not be unconnected with what an insider called the increasing number of psychiatric inmates at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu even as female enrollment indicators in tertiary institutions in the area are said to be on a downward slope.

he Minister of Women Affairs, Senator Aisha Alhasan, is pleading with royal fathers for collaboration in fighting the cause of women, children and physically challenged persons. Alhassan made the remark during a visit to the palace of HRM, Dr. Benjamin Ikenchuku Kiagborkuzi I, Dein of Agbor Kingdom.

“We have chosen to come to the palace to tell our royal father about the laws that have been passed on how women and children will be taken care of in our society as the palace is the head of the community”, she told the monarch.

The Minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Alhaja Binta Lami Bello, said: “In recent past, government has implemented the law on violence against persons which include men and women. These laws have been implemented in four states across the country. “We have visited Delta State House of Assembly to appeal to them to implement the law in the state. We also met with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa who spoke through the deputy governor, Barrister Kingsley Otuaro, and promised that any government policy will be implemented.

“We need more women in politics because when a woman is empowered, you have empowered a nation, but when a man is empowered, you have empowered an individual”.

Responding, the Dein of Agbor, represented by Chief Charles Neyiaba, expressed gratitude to the Minister ’s delegation, saying, “Our monarch is a lover of children and women. This message will be carried beyond where it is expected...”

Spor ts VVar ar sity lands in Delt Sports arsity Deltaa

BY FESTUS AHON

A former member of the House of Representatives, Prince Ned Nwoko, has been commended for his human and infrastructural development efforts while in the National Assembly.

Making the commendation, a PortHarcourt-based businessman and native of Idumuje-Ugboko, Mr Mike Uwagwu, said Nwoko has demonstrated his development efforts through the establishment of the first sports university in the country in IdumujeUgboko. Uwagwu said the former lawmaker is consistent in his commitment towards a better life for his people.

Noting that Nwoko attracted projects to the area as the first representative of the people of Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, Uwagwu said he (Nwoko) fought to ensure the construction of the Ewohimi/Idumuje-Ugboko?/Onicha-Ugbo Road to link Abuja with the South-East.

Buhari Urged To Revisit Privatization Of PHCN

C

hairman, Association Of Online Media Practitioners, Wole Arisekola, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari, to revisit the privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

The former power generating and distribution company, Power Holding Company Nigeria (PHCN), was privatized under the government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

But Arisekola, who is also the publisher of Street Journal, an online news magazine, in a press release issued at the weekend, said the exercise has not done the nation

any good, saying it has not achieved it’s objective.

“Besides enriching themselves, taking over government’s huge investment at almost nothing, there is nothing the Distribution Companies (DISCOs) have got to show for the exercise”, it stated.

He further alleged that beneficiaries of the exercise grabbed government assets and ran away from several liabilities including PHCN debts to some contractors even as he blamed them for “the sack of numerous Nigerians and replacing them

with family members and friends of officials”.

The publisher further accused some of those who took over the remains of PHCN of buying new vehicles with government money they found in the accounts immediately they took over the new PHCN. “One of the top four reasons why Nigerians voted for Buhari was my conviction then that he will undo this fraud and robbery called privatisation. If anything, the situation has been worse since the fraudulent privatization”, he stated.

PAGE 34—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016

By Emmanuel Una There is one thing that modernity, Christianity and education have not extricated from the psyche of some communities in Cross River State and that is the proclivity to settling scores and disagreements with machetes and guns.

The state, fondly referred to as “Paradise City” because of its endowment with vast arable land which is rich in natural resources of all sorts that makes it the cynosure of many eyes, is a haven for communal conflicts. Its land stretching thousands of kilometres through forests, hills, mountains and rivers still pride in some portions that are still virgin and have not been touched by human activity since creation. Any visitor to the state cannot help but wonder when the state would be able to develop or put to use all the vast land it possesses.

Notwithstanding the fact that the average community has vast portions of land on which people cultivate farms mostly on subsistence and shifting cultivation pattern, virtually every village is pitched against its neighbours for land and, in most cases, the land in contention is a strip that can hardly accommodate a farm to feed a family for a season but communities are willing to engage one another in a fight which could destroy lives and property.

Interestingly, apart from the Adadama, Amaku conflict and the Ukele, Izzi conflict which are between the people of the state with Ebonyi communities, most squabbling communities are nothing short of kith and kin. They are people who share same ancestral bonds, customs, traditions, traditional names, family ties, trade in the same markets and have interacted and intermarried for several decades. Often, these similarities are not taken into consideration when squabble for land is involved. Most worrisome is the fact that some elites and educated members of these communities actively take part in the fights which are seen as a show of strength and demonstration of superior prowess when combatants come back with fresh human heads, decapitated from the bodies of “enemy” community members.

For instance, Nkim and Nkum communities are Ejagnam speaking villages in Ikom Local Government Area of the state. The villages located along the Ikom –Ogoja highway have a contiguous living pattern and claim to be the off springs of the same man. Apart from the “u” in Nkum which changes to “i” in Nkim, there is nothing to separate the two villages yet when they took on each other it was as if they were complete strangers. Lives were lost, property destroyed and the enmity subsists several months after the “war”.

The preponderance of these conflicts is worrisome even to the authorities particularly during the planting season which stretches between January and May. In just 2016, there have been over ten communities at each other’s throats feuding over land. For example, 2016 opened with the Oyoba village in Wanikade and their Ehetezi neighbours of Wanihem all in Ukele, Yala Local Government Area taking up arms against each other. The conflict which raged for four days was only put to rest when soldiers from the Brigadier Ally Batallion in Okuku near Ogoja were drafted to the area to sop hostilities. The police contingent that first went in could not stop the fight because of the high caliber weapons used in the combat. Needless to say that during those four days many people died, several wounded, farm produce destroyed and houses set ablaze.

Next on its trail came the Inyima, Onyadama conflict in March where women, children, the aged and the entire houses in Inyima were set ablaze. The conflict which has become a recurring decimal was first fought in 2008 then 2014 and now in 2016. The cause of the war is as bizarre as it is weird. An Inyima man was said to have harvested cassava in a disputed portion of land with Onyadama community and since the first outbreak of the conflict many years ago, there have continued to be bad blood and recurring skirmishes which have kept the two erstwhile sister communities at daggers drawn.

While the Inyima, Onyadama conflict raged, their friends in far away Ogoja, Ukpe

metro

CROSS-RIVER

10 villages where scores are settled with machetes and guns

•One of the scenes of conflict and Mgbegede communities took up arms against each over a piece of land which has been in dispute between them for some time.

Yams and other farm crops already planted were excavated and destroyed while those in yam barns were set on fire. Incidentally, these two communities speak the same dialect, Ishibori, which speaks volume of their blood ties and ancestry. The blood ties notwithstanding, they both drew blood from the bodies of each other with machete cuts and gun shots. It took the spirited effort of the police and the Ogoja chiefs before normalcy returned to the area.

A week after the Ukpe, Onyadama conflict, the fiercest of them all erupted- in the central senatorial district-the Nko, Mkpani “war” where sophisticated weapons were used in combat leading to the killing of several people including soldiers, pastors, women and children while educational institutions, hospitals and residential houses were set alight.

Incidentally, this conflict involved the community of the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Ibok Ette, the Minster for Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Usani on one hand and that of the former governor of the state, Chief Clement Ebri on the other hand..

In Obudu where the state governor, Senator Ben Ayade, comes from, two communities, Kutia and Okurtong, are in

battle over a piece of land. The two villages fought a bitter war in 2012 over the land in dispute and to forestall another outbreak of full blown skirmishes between them, Senator Ben Ayade, the governor convened a meeting of leaders of the two communities in his office to sort matters out.

Owing to the plethora of these conflicts, the police and other security agencies seem overstretched an unable to do much to end skirmishes. When the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Henry Fadairo visited the Inyima and Onyadama communities at the peak of their conflict to seek to cessation of hostilities, angry combatants almost mobbed him. It took the gallant effort of his personal security before he was taken out of the place. Reacting to the incident, the Police Commissioner told Vanguard that the police alone cannot instill and maintain the peace in the several flash points in the state and that community leaders should play a more active role in curtailing the excesses of their people.

The Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani, in an interview with Sunday Vanguard, said he was ashamed of the many communal conflicts in the state which, he said, are acts of criminality which are being given the coloration of political strife. He called for decisive action against communities engaged in war.

Succour underway in Ibeju-Lekki

By Benjamin Njoku

T

he people of Ibeju-Lekki, along the Lekki-Ajah expressway, Lagos, are bound to heave a sigh of relief as a foundation that would launch them into the mainstream development agenda of the area gets under way. The foundation, powered by Prince Ademuyiwa Oniwonlu, a descendant of the ruling clan in Ibeju Lekki, is being established to take development to the grass roots. Specifically, the foundation will serve as agent of transformation and a bridge between the influx of investors in the area and the natives. Scheduled for launch on Thursday, May 26, Oniwonlu said Ibeju Lekki, which was one of the four local government areas created in 1990, in Lagos State, by the then Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, has witnessed tremendous development over the years. This followed the state government’s decision to make the area its next investment destination. While intimating the press last week about the foundation, Prince Oniwonlu expressed his heart-felt love for his people. He disclosed that his decision to set up the foundation was borne out of the need to reunify his people as well as re-establish their collective objectives for the sake of their future and that of their unborn children. “After several and extensive consultations with our royal fathers including, the Onibeju of Ibeju, HRM Oba Rafiu Olusegun Salami; the Onilekki of Lekki, HRM Oba Olumuyiwa Ogunbekun; the Onise of Ise land, HRM Oba AbdulGaniu Adebowale Adegbesan; the Onimedu of Orimedu,HRM Oba Hamzat Atiku; the Onitedo of Itedo, HRM Oba Tajudeen Elemoro and members of our community, such as civil servants, political figures among others, it was popularly accepted that a common platform and front for our people is long overdue. This necessitated the glorious formation of the Ibeju-Lekki Development Foundation,”he said.

Onuesoke condemns bombing of oil pipelines in Delta •Urges N’Delta Avengers to embrace peace

eoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Chief Sunny Onesoke, P has lashed out at the Niger Delta

Avengers which claims responsibility for recent attacks on oil pipelines in the Niger Delta.

Rather than destroying pipelines and sabotaging the economy of the country, Onuesoke advised the group to embrace peace by going into negotiation with the Federal Government on the possibility of passing the Petroleum Industrial Bill (PIB) and withdrawal of oil blocks from their owners in order to create a balance. He viewed the acts of vandalism by the militants as economic sabotage capable of stunting oil production and electricity generation in the country.

Onuesoke, who described the reemergence of militancy in the Niger Delta as a sad development and a threat to the unity and progress of the nation, said, “We condemn in its totality the recent attack on Chevron’s oil facility and wish to advise the perpetrators of the dastardly act to embrace the amnesty programme”.

He argued that it would be out place for the militants from the Niger Delta to destroy pipelines which consequence is the degradation of farmlands, pollution of water amid other effects on the environment.

CU seeks active Christian par ticipation in politics participation

T

he annual convention of the Christian Union NIFES Alumni Association (CUNAA), UNIBEN/UBTH, ended in Benin-City with participants calling on serious-minded Christians in Nigeria to actively participate in politics to save the nation from collapse.

In a communique at the end of the three-day reunion meeting, held under the theme: “The Reality”, CUNAA argued: “As salt of the earth and light of the world, the participation of Christians in politics is key to solving Nigeria’s political problems. Christians must be informed, shun their apolitical posture and actively participate in politics as against the wrong mind-set of divorcing the Church from politics.” The communique stated that a major challenge of Christians vying on the current existing political platforms in Nigeria is compromise, stressing: “However, where Christians in politics derail, fellow believers should not berate, condemn and run them down, rather we should rally around them and help them to stand. Christians should build political platforms that should inculcate strong political culture for Christians to truly shine as light in the Nigerian political environment”.

On security challenge in Nigeria, the CUNAA convention called on the Federal Government to pay attention to the new security threats and avenues for loss of lives and properties caused by the activities of Fulani herdsmen across the country. The convention x-rayed the realities in Nigerian homes, insisting that the family remains the unit of society and that if family fails, society crumbles. The convention also agreed that irrespective of the current life challenges/ circumstances, every Christian should hold on to what God says. The communique was jointly signed by Dr. Henry A. Okeri, CUNAA President; Rev,.

Dr. Omadeli Boyo, Vice-Chairman, Board of Trustees; Dr. Ehiyamen Osezua, Communique Committee Chairman, and Dr. Ndubuisi Obasi, Communique Committee Secretary.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016, PAGE 35

AYO ONIKOYI 08052201215

Former NNPC Direct or celebrat es 70 Director celebrates

F

amily, friends and well wishers stormed Lagos home of Engr. Ajibola Agboola, a retired Director of NNPC, to celebrate with him his th 70 birthday.

The celebration was a grand one as guests were treated to sumptuous dishes, exotic drinks and music.

Photos by Diran Oshe

L-R: Mr. Bolade Agboola , Mr. Gbenga Adudiore and Snr. Apostle Olusanya Jegege.

The celebrant, Engr Ajibola Agboola and wifewith their friends

Mr. Oluwatominiyi David (l) and Mr Fafowora Akinlolu.

Olubadan promotes Olo an Alabi Oloyye Lek Lekan L-R: Mrs Ogunsola Arogundade (wife) of Lanre arogundade, Engr & Mrs. Ajibola Agboola, and Mr. Lanre Arogundade.

L- R: Mr Abiola Agboola (son); Engr. & Mrs Ajibola Agboola and Mr. Gbenga Agbola (son).

New Balogun Musulumi At the wedding of Mr for Sagamu Central and Mrs Iwuchukwu Mosque Muobike

The newly turbaned Balogun Musulumi of Sagamu Central Mosque, Sagamu, Remoland, Alhaji Chief Nurudeen Chanca Ogunlesi (3rd right) with the Deputy Imam, Alhaji Fadelat Sheik Abdul Quadri Junaid (1st right) and other officiating Islamic clerics

L-R: The Ewusi of Makun, Remoland, HRM Oba Ade Akinsanya with the newly installed Balogun Musulumi of Sagamu Central Mosque, and his wife, Alhaja Ola

Queens School Old Girls. Oby Onwe from extreme left, Chioma Odeghe, Ada Adibe Nwosu, Chioma Ezenwata, UK Iloha, Sylvia Okoye, right after the couple, Nneka Aroh, Ebele Nduba and Benita Ezinne Nwizu

L-R: Mrs. Anene Okpala, Dr Hezekaiah Muobike, Mrs Ozioma Ezechukwu, Mr and Mrs Iwuchukwu Muobike (couple), Engr. Frank Muobike, Mrs Ngozi Onyemaobim and Mr Nnaemeka Muobike.

T

he Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Aje Ogunguniso I, on Friday, May 13, 2016 promoted Oloye Lekan Alabi, a senior traditional chief of the town, from Aare Alaasa Olubadan to Agba-Akin Olubadan.

Alabi,a journalist, author, PR consultant was Press Secretary to four former governors ( one civilian and three military) of old Oyo State ( present Osun and Oyo States). His new position as Agba-Akin Olubadan of Ibadanland is at par with the position of his great grandfather, Sanni Ajangbe 111, the Agba-Akin Balogun of Ibadan, during the reign of Olubadan Shitu Omo Aare Latosa in1914.

L–R: Oloye Alabi, the Olubadan of Ibadanland and Chief (Mrs) Adetokunbo Alabi.

L–R: High Chief Eddie Oyewole Foko, Ashipa Olubadan, Chief (Mrs) Adetokunbo Alabi, her husband, Oloye Alabi and High Chief Rasidi Ladoja, Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland.

PAGE 36—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016 Edited by EMEKA AGINAM Email: emekaaginam@yahoo.com 08057538314

D

irk Henke, is the Manging Director, Emerging Markets, Criteo. At the just occluded Mobile West Africa 2016 conference held in Lagos, he unfolded the company’s plans for the African markets and explained that while buying online with desk top is declining, buying online through the mobile phone will help a lot in driving the growth of e-commerce in Nigeria. Excerpt: Operation in Africa, Nigeria So far, we have been operating in Africa and Nigeria for about two to three years already, so we have clients here and this is similar to how we started in Europe in new markets.

Our offerings Performance marketing is what Criteo does. We work with advertisers on the one hand which are mainly e-commerce players and then everyone who is selling a lot online. It could be pure e-commerce players who are just operating online or still a lot of brick and mortar businesses who are starting to sell more and more online. On the other hand, we work with the publishers where we buy the media and the impressions in order to place the ads. But what is special about Criteo is the technology in between. Every single ad that we display is customised to the user. We don’t

Buying through mobile phone will grow e-commerce in Nigeria — Dirk Henke, MD, emerging Markets, Criteo reproduce the ads; we produce them in the moment. We work with publishers like news sites and what we do is for instance, you go online and look for fashion products or electronics, you don’t buy them and leave the site, may be because, you got distracted and could not make the final purchase to read some news. So you leave the site to read news or check your email, we will recognise you again, we will know that it was you that searched for that fashion products before and now that you are on the news site, we will actually show you a banner ad that is exactly related to what you have been looking for before. So we will show you, in the banner, products that you have looked at before or complimentary products. For example, you have looked at running shoes and you actually bought them as well, we will not show you the shoes again before you have already bought them but we will show you products that will be matching or relevant to what you have bought, may be sports clothing, sports watch etc. Or you have bought a video camera and then we will be showing you a bag for the

camera or the memory device for the camera. The interesting here is, it sounds quite easy and trivial but when you look at some of the e-commerce clients that have some thousands of products; it is not easy to know what the relevant products are as well.

We provide our ads in real time.

So, this shows how important our advertising technology is getting as well. And the key point of what we do is that we help advertisers to drive sales. So it’s not just that we show nice banners and we hope that something is helping our clients but the idea is to show a banner customised for you because it really contains interesting products for you. If you really want to buy, you will click and go back to our clients and you buy there.

Every single ad that we display is customised to the user

Auction process for 2.6GHz Spectrum produced one qualified bidder—NCC T

he Director of Public Affairs, of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Mr Tony Ojobo, at the weekend disclosed that the auction process for the 2.6GHz Spectrum produced one qualified bidder.

According to the Commission, “In line with Information Memorandum (IM) on the auction of 70 MHz in the 2.6 GHz Spectrum Band published on February 25, 2016 the Nigerian Communications Commission, on behalf on the Federal Government of Nigeria, wishes to announce that the auction process, which closed for

submission of applications on April 29, 2016, produced one Qualified Bidder.

“The Qualified Bidder expressed an interest to bid for Six (6) Lots out of the Fourteen (14) Lots on offer and paid the bid deposit as specified by the Information Memorandum on the Auction “Therefore, the need for an auction event no longer arose as the IM, stated that “If the aggregate demand from Approved Bidders is less than, or equal to the number of lots on offer, the Commission will provisionally award the license to the party/parties at the reserve

price”.

“Consequently, the Commission is currently undertaking a due diligence with a view to issuing a letter of award of license for the cumulative 30MHz in the 2.6GHz Frequency. Upon approval, the Qualified Bidder will be required to pay a total US$96,000,000 (Ninety Six Million US Dollars) for the license.

“The Commission wishes to express its profound gratitude to all telecom stakeholders for the interests shown in the auction process for the 2.6GHz Spectrum Band”

How we play in the Nigerian market Nigerian market is really interesting. I would say this is because of a mixture of size and maturity in Africa when you compare it to other markets.

Nigeria this year has a larger internet •Dirk Henke audience than even countries like G e r m a n y.

With about 69 million online users, its much bigger. But already with a certain of people are still not online. maturity, you will see that with With mobile, this will even all the players that are already change the whole ecosystem in here including Jumia, Konga, particular, when you look at eetc, it is a very interesting market commerce and online buying.

When i started with Criteo, and for us, of course when we look at new opportunities and everything in e-commerce was geographies earlier, it was an happening on the desktop PC because no one was buying interesting market. through the mobile phone.

But now, globally, all of the Challenges The biggest challenge that our more than 10, 000 clients of clients have is that they have a Criteo, run 39 per cent, all their lot of viewers who go into the site purchase are already coming but they do not buy. But 90 per through mobile phones. For us, cent, globally, it’s a common Africa just for statistical reasons, problem that our clients have. its about 32 percent of all They go into the shop without transactions of our clients are buying. This is because online, coming through mobile. And that it is so much easier to leave and accounts for just South Africa, go somewhere else and compare Nigeria and Egypt. the service, the price, etc.

Solutions for small and For some of our clients, the ecommerce players that need to emerging online shops We do have solutions that we deal with logistics, delivery, payments, these are not introduced sometime for small challenges that are not as big as and medium online retailers. This they are maybe back in Europe is because indeed, the smaller or US but then, in my markets, they are yet, the less we are able they are just normal challenges to help them, technically. we but even some of the challenges have a global solution that addresses the needs of those I see them as opportunities. small and medium sized players.

We are rolling out now in two or Online markets in the world Nigeria is becoming among more countries and eventually it the ten biggest online markets would get to Nigeria at some in the world in terms of online point. users but you know the majority

Motorola boosts Nigerian market with game changing solutions

ommitted to building local C knowledge and understanding in the Nigerian

market, one of the leading provider of innovative missioncritical communication solutions and services, Motorola Solutions, Inc has given boost to the Nigerian industries with the launch of next-generation communication solutions. The solutions showcased in Nigeria during the Channel Partners engagement sessions held yesterday in Lagos offers suite of new communications tools for Nigerian market including radios, software and services.

New products including nextgeneration Mototrebo radios and interoperability communication solution Wave 3000, the technology provider said would be available through Motorola Solutions’ experienced Nigerian partners.While Motorola Solutions continues to build local knowledge and understanding in the Nigerian market, working

with dedicated partners whilst supporting their growth, Laurent Tribout, Director of Sales Channels for Motorola Solutions Africa, said that, “We are committed to providing best-inclass products, solutions and services to the Nigerian market by building upon our 40 years of doing business across Africa.

“Our trusted partner network provides service and support for our high-quality products to ensure customer satisfaction.”

Also speaking, U z o n n a Izugbokwe, senior regional sales manager, Motorola Solutions Africa, said that, “The features and functionality, as well as scalability of our products, reflect the needs of customers for e n h a n c e d p r o d u c t i v i t y, efficiency and worker

safety,” “For example, worker safety features such as man-down alerts and indoor tracking which are crucial for working in hazardous areas.”

Increased Productivity Across Industries Motorola Solutions’ latest Mototrebo digital radios use WiFi connectivity to update, savings hundreds of hours of lost productivity. For a group of 350 workers, updating devices can mean 400 lost hours. Mototrebo radios update seamlessly without the need to drop off devices, a n d

coupled with 29 hours of battery life, the new line keeps workers in the field or on the job instead of waiting for new software.

Collaboration made easy for commercial users Responding to rising demand for flexible two-way radio solutions, Motorola Solutions introduces Mototrebo capacity max, a scalable solution with significant advantages in capacity, performance and manageability. Capacity Max can be scaled from single-site system to projects that demand up to 3,000 users per site for voice and data-intensive deployments. It also supports the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) standard for multi-vendor interoperability, including the Tier III mode of operation.

Next-generation Mototrebo also

includes the SLR 8000 series, a high-power repeater that amplifies a signal to help extend coverage for communication networks such as Capacity Max. The SLR 8000 is built on the same platform as the popular SLR 5000 series and allows customers to deploy systems that cover wide geographical areas. SLR 8000 features a flexible architecture enabling customers to easily configure the repeater to meet their system deployment needs for extreme reliability.

Simple and seamless collaboration solution Motorola Solutions also presents Nigeria with its WAVE Work Group Communications for enhanced connectivity, interoperability and collaboration. WAVE Work Group Communications is a broadband push-to-talk (PTT) solution that delivers real-time voice and data securely over any network, using any device.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016, PAGE — 37

Ex-govs in Buhari cabinet can aid Nigeria's return to true federalism – Ogbeni Banjo Ogbeni Lanre Banjo is a three-time governorship candidate in Ogun State. A Certified Public Accountant (Chartered) with wealth of experience in both government and governance, he had served as a Treasurer for a member of the United States’ House of Representatives, Mayor of the District of Columbia, and a Council member.

A

s a member of the All Progressives Congress, what can you say about the governance style of the Federal Government led by your party?

I will quote my brother, Babatunde Fashola, “May our loyalties never be tested”. If in bondage of destiny, mine is tested, I will prefer to remain loyal to Nigeria, my future, the future of my children, and, of course, with the interest of my principal at heart. Why? President, governors, all elected officials will go one day, political parties can be dismantled anytime, whatever we make of Nigeria shall stare all of us in the face. So if I am loyal to a political party sacrificing Nigeria, I will live through it. I spoke on that premise because this is not about my party, it is about Nigeria. The change cannot be brought about by President Muhammad Buhari alone. The President means well, but most of the governors are not doing their best. They create more problems for the future of our children than preparing a good future for them. They do not allow local governments to function as they should and designed by founders of democracy.

Suggestions to government for change If Nigerians have to struggle to generate power for themselves, maintain their own roads, practically perform the function of a local government, and now you get on the road, we are further frustrated by police who often require you to show the chassis number on the engine of your vehicle when each car has Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), I think if this administration establishes rules and regulations to stop this nonsense, people will begin to feel the change we all voted for.

If members of the National Assembly or even the Houses of Assembly in the 36 states make it illegal for the Customs to ask for Customs papers on registered vehicles, we would be begin to feel the change.

For every vehicle registered in Nigeria, Customs papers are submitted. We only water corruption when we allow Custom officers to stay on the road to collect bribe because of vehicles Customs papers. An arrangement that simplifies the registration of companies at the local government level instead of going to Abuja would make Nigerians feel

C M Y K

•Ogbeni Lanre Banjo

We cannot be praising looters and murderers among us and think President Buhari and others who mean well will be encouraged to fight corruption

change. These are rudimentary changes that government can quickly establish for Nigerians to feel. To export food out of the country, police, Immigration, NAFDAC, Customs have roles to play just to frustrate and encourage corruption that the administration is fighting against at the national level.

These are prerequisite changes that can be established. Since we are all Nigerian citizens and we only cede our rights to those in position of leadership because all of us cannot occupy those elective positions, we must exercise our rights to protest if we feel any pain resulting from government policy.

There has been no improvement in power supply and Nigerians are not paying

less. What is your view?

Recently, Babatunde Fashola presented an 'electricity lecture' in an interview carried by Sunday Vanguard. Really, I appreciate him taking me through 'electricity 101 to 505'.

However, I disagree with him on the issue of increase in tariff.

It is unfair for any government to allow investors to charge for services not rendered. Take his example of Ragolis water, and I quote: “The logic behind it is like ten people are thirsty and there is one bottle of Ragolis water and they ask the seller to buy more Ragolis water when the cost of production has increased and they are not ready to pay for the difference, they won’t get enough Ragolis water to quench their thirst.” His example assumed that Nigerians are not ready to pay for “the difference”. That is insulting to Nigerians. The prudent and business approach is for the Ragolis water seller to identify demand and borrow money, if he has to, in order for the demand to be met. Our fathers and mothers who never stepped into primary school did this very well before Western education came. Once you borrow money with interest, you can dictate the price; if those thirsty people have no choice, they would have to buy. The telecommunication cartel dictates and rip off Nigerians today, are we not paying? In as much as supply is available, consumers would be glad to pay or they would not have access.

To increase the tariff for services that are not available to enable availability does not make any economic sense.

The other issue that bothers me is the issue of true federalism. I believe former governors who suffered from unitary system and who have now become ministers should find a way to ensure the evolvement of true federalism, but that is not the case. On Jan 5, 2008, the then Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) insisted on true federalism as the basis for true national integration. On that day, he

said, “The truth is that the Federal Government is an artificial corporate entity created by the Constitution. The powers that it holds reside with the states which are at liberty to withdraw such powers”.

On Aug 25, 2008, Fashola, while in Abuja, called for the downward review of the number of items reserved for the central government in the Exclusive List as a means of achieving true federalism in the country.

Fashola, who spoke at the three day annual conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, also asked the NBA to think seriously of how to bring the various laws made without legislative competence into conformity with the Constitution.

On February 29, 2012, as reported by Olasunkanmi Akoni, Monsur Olowoopejo & Oamen Areguamen of Vanguard, the then Governor Fashola said, “There was urgent need for true federalism for the country to achieve its potentials as a nation, even as he said the state government would in the next few months commence house numbering exercise, as part of measures to improve security in the state.”

Since I am jobless, I keep track of what these people say which is different from their practice.

He is now the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, serving what he described as “artificial corporate entity”.

Can’t he maintain that the President has too much and powers, and that the Federal Government should be backed by law that empowers her to give grant to states to be in charge of their own electricity?

My brother is now wearing Babariga, and he is avoiding his loyalty being tested. In Islam, when we pray, we will bend down and rise from what is called “Ruku” to say “Semi allahu Limani amidahu” meaning only God knows who worships him. I am glad Fashola says that each time he prays in Islamic way.

All the southern former governors serving President Buhari are guilty of the same thing. Look at my smooth operator brother now Senator Akpabio and Uncle Chris Ngige who as a governor was almost overthrown in a civilian coup backed by Federal Government police. Is Ngige doing anything to ensure true federalism?

Kayode Fayemi wears Awo’s cap, speaks like Awo but refuses to act like Awo. I did not mention any of my brethren governors from the North because, to them, if it is not broken, you don’t need to fix it.

So tell me how change would come if we concentrate on praying without action. If Buhari, like many governors, is surrounded by Ministers and advisers who are economic slaves to their jobs, how could there be change? All these folks are just deepening unitary form of government.

On herdsmen’s aggression.

This issue goes to the core of

federalism, and I pray that Nigerians would not kill Buhari because of unnecessary pressure and I also pray that the President himself sees reasons with the practice of true federalism so that every Dick and Harry would not continue to blame him for all the vices in Nigeria. I agree with Governor Ajimobi and a few governors who had spoken against the commissioning of grazing area but I do not hear all of them proffering solution. Fulanis are bona fide citizens of Nigeria who have the right to move about and do their business in a legitimate manner. If you are coming to my state to do business, you must be ready to obey the law: Lease a piece of land, if you cannot afford to buy one, where your cattle would be fed with water and food, sell your cattle there, period.

Your opinion on Fayose’s position?

Brother Peteru Ayodele Fayose may be seen as brazenly crazy and lousy, but I have seen where a mentally-ill person drew the attention of the public to someone who was supposedly dead and buried but still alive.

There were many things that happened under President Jonathan that, if it happened under President Obasanjo, those involved will regret. We need such people in our society. If Baba could say “CAN my foot”, CAN knew better than to mess with him throughout his days in power.. What Peter is saying is simple, 'This is my state. I have the duty to protect my citizens, and I will protect them by any means necessary'. Fayose is simply saying 'I am not Governor Mimiko under whose watch Chief Falae was kidnapped by Fulani and his security guard later killed and the governor called on the President'. Fayose is saying 'I am not Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu under whose watch scores of my brothers and sisters were killed and he and other South East governors regard it as a national problem and expect Buhari to solve the problems'.

Fayose is saying 'I am not Samuel Ortom of Benue State under whose watch the Agatus are being wiped out and he is expecting Buhari to come and help'. He is horrible and brash in my own opinion by making his strategy public, but the message is clear. If we have crazy governors like Fayose, true federalism will probably be achieved. Now, the Federal Government is winning the war against Boko Haram. Are we sure Boko Haram is not changing strategy by using herdsmen to start killing people? Have we ever wondered why these herdsmen are so bold, moving around with rifles that average people cannot afford?

Where are they getting their weapons? If I were a governor, I am not going to wait for Buhari to come and protect those who will and may not vote me.

These are citizens that I am vested with the power to protect.

PAGE 38—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 22, 2016

rexmarinus@hotmail.com

Buhari’s Policy Summersaults

I

n 2012, the Federal government of Nigeria under the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan announced plans to end the regime of fuel subsidies in Nigeria. It led to public protests and an organized action led by the political opposition to challenge Jonathan’s oil policy with regards to subsidies.

Among the key figures that publicly opposed the removal of fuel subsidies were the now incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, one-time minister of Petroleum in his military administration, Dr. Tamuno David-West, a former Professor of Virology at the Ibadan Medical School, Bola Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos, and of course, the current regime spokesman, Lai Mohammed, amongst many. Their argument, when they made it, was quite correct and unimpugnable: the government of Nigeria has no business removing subsidies because in fact, no subsidies exist.

The so-called removal of subsidies is an indirect form of energy tax routinely imposed on Nigerians, who do not derive the direct benefit of such high taxation on

petroleum products.

Besides, in fact, this question of subsidy removal has become a round-robin policy for N i g e r i a n administrations. Each starts from where the other has left to confuse Nigerians with an unending question about oil and subsidies.

Government’s economic policies and its literatures are often crafted not to reveal itself and enlighten Nigerians, but with the sole purpose of “mumufication” – that is to make “mumu” out of a vast number of Nigerians until they succumb willynilly to the pressures of government. Part of the process of the “mumufication” of Nigerians is to overwhelm them with such force that the great number begin to ventriloquize the single word and the single idea behind causes and the effects that the government of the day wishes to press home and achieve.

One of such pressures have always come with these cyclic ideas to tax Nigerian in their use of energy: it is called “subsidy.” Nigerians also routinely forget, in the loud and raucous debates and disagreements that

Too Good to Cut 'Cake Etiquette'- Part 2

F

or many young men and women their desire is to have a glorious wedding celebration that is fun, exciting and memorable.

Without a doubt the wedding cake plays a huge symbolic part of that ceremonious day. If anything at all the same amount of emphasis and attention is given to the cake as is the wedding dress. Good wedding cake designers get fully booked during peak wedding seasons, so pay prompt attention to detail and don’t leave your cake choice to the last minute.

Last week I started my 10 tips on Cake Etiquette Savvy I hope you will find the time to read them if you have not already.

Here is the continuation of the cake etiquette tips promised. ………Cake Etiquette Tips Continued #5 CAKE TASTING

It is important to make an appointment with different cake designers to taste their different cakes and flavours. You should be looking out for:• Texture: Moist, Firm.

• Flavour: Vanilla, Chocolate, Almond lemon, orange, coffee or chocolate and many more.

•Type/Texture: - Fruit, Carrot, Sponge • Fillings: Cream, Jam, Butter cream • Decor: Flowers, edible/non edible •Design: Cupcakes

Tiers or

#6 DISPLAY OF CAKE Remember the golden rule that your cake is the center of attraction. You have spent so much on

often accompany the announcement of another “oil subsidy removal,” that the Federal Government has removed all the oil subsidy there is to remove, and that there is no more subsidy to remove.

Ibrahim Babangida was actually the first to announce the removal of the oil subsidy in 1988. The Petroleum subsidy removal announced by the Military regime under the administration of Ibrahim Babangida spiraled into public riots and street protests led by students of Nigerian Universities, and it started, I should say from the University of Jos in 1988. I am proud to say that I was one of the organizers of that protest as an undergraduate for which we were accused by General Babangida in his national broadcast, of a “civilian attempt at Coup d’état.” Universities were shut down for three months – in the case of Jos, for four months, and a human-hunting of the organizers commenced by the ‘Six Six Six” as I used to call them: the old SSS, until reason prevailed, and the regime relented.

But those were the years when undergraduates of Nigerian universities knew the issues, organized radically, read the great writings of the great revolutionaries in histor y, were ideologically clear, and took themselves seriously as agents of humane change in their society. It was the years that produced my dear friends and the poets Olu Oguibe now a Professor of Contemporary African Arts at the University of Connecticut – who as University Valedictorian at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, boldly took on Admiral Augustus

Aikhomu, the chief guest at convocation, and gave him a bitter tongue-lashing; he had to be smuggled out of campus by the likes of the now late Chima Ubani, who took over from him. Or Oga Ifowodo, who led the protests a year later again during the Petroleum subsidy riots at the University of Benin, for

Nigerians understand that they could never trust their leaders on this matter of petroleum subsidy because too many lies have been told in the name of subsidy. Too much stolen from the public

which he was suspended at the University of Benin by the Vice-Chancellor Grace Alele-Williams in 1989.

Now Ogaga is an APC party member, and I wonder what he’d say now in response to Adams Oshiomole, his current party ally– who says he no longer backs Labour on its current position on the fuel subsidy issue.

Oshiomhole was for years leader of the Nigerian Labour Congress.We also should not forget that Obasanjo removed the oil subsidy too in 2003. Nor that President Buhari, who was vehement against subsidy removal by

Jonathan, had been Chairman of the Petroleum Tax Fund.

PTF was the result of the excess income derived from Sani Abacha’s own removal of the subsidy, and his attempt to create an independent Fund out of the derived excess to invest in public infrastructure. It does seem that each turn of events lead us to the same point of departure, until there is no departure, or a return, except in the case of Umar Yar Ardua, who returned pump prices to N65 per litre, and the heavens did not fall.

It is important to really note that the key figures of the current regime were publicly opposed to Jonathan’s policy to remove oil subsidies, and in hindsight, the first wave of public disenchantment with Jonathan, who came with the fresh and at that time different public profile: an educated man; a minority president, and so on, began with the announcement of the plans to remove subsidies. The public protest organized in Ojota which drew a huge crowd was forcefully dispersed, and Jonathan’s street-cred began from that moment to thaw. Nigerians take this oil tax seriously.

Nigerians understand that they could never trust their leaders on this matter of petroleum subsidy because too many lies have been told in the name of subsidy.

Too much stolen from the public. Nigerians suspect that this subsidy issue, always put to policy after every meetings between Nigerian policy makers and the IMF is a form of

taxation without benefit.

Pressed to address this question, however, Nigeria’s Minister for Information said Nigeria was removing subsidy because “Nigeria is broke.” Nigeria did not become broke today! But even as Nigeria is broke, government officials still enjoy high levels of privilege unknown anywhere else in the world: free accommodation, large retinue of official cars, travel allowances that are beyond generous; and so much indeed that governors still have “security votes” that are simply too ridiculous to contemplate, especially as they are not required to render any account about the use of the “security vote.” Nigeria is not broke, or why would Mr. Lai Mohammed want to travel to Beijing, China for a “Conference on Tourism for Development?” Please!

No minister of any serious nation would be found in this conference, except Nigeria’s.

And for this middling conference Minister Mohammed sought to borrow money from the Broadcast Agency under his ministr y. In what universe can this not be called corruption? Well, only in Nigeria, where all things sane have flown out of the window. It is quite clear what is happening: President Buhari’s policy summersaults – we are told he’ll soon announce the devaluation of the Naira – the fact that he has broken every promise he made in his election campaign, and reversed every position – indicate a level of confusion in his administration that should have Nigerians really worried and prepared for the worst.

clean manner, this is encouraged for class, style and hygiene.

The cake may be taken away and cut into pieces by the cake designer or unidentified person.

Guests take a piece and cut cake for a tray serving the cake in a prepackaged box it goes for hygiene purposes. They also serve as great take away gifts wrapped with ribbons and labelled with the names of the bride/ groom and wedding date.

the royal food of the day, the last thing you want to do is hide it. Ensure that your cake designer positions your cake strategically for all to see.

Even when the cake is to be cut leave enough room for photographers to get that best shot. The table on which your cake is set should also be well decorated and attractive preferably with the colour scheme of the day. #7 CUTTING THE CAKE The cutting of the cake is usually announced by the Master of Ceremony for everybody’s attention.

Traditionally this takes place midway or three quarters into the reception program. The idea is that most guests would have eaten lunch/ dinner and a couple of dance series would have taken place. It is customary for the groom to place his right hand over that of the bride to cut the lower level tier.

The knife is decorated in a fancy and attractive manner. A piece is cut and placed onto a side plate. Usually a cake moderator will conduct the cutting with or without music. #8

EATING

THE

CAKE The first to taste the cake are the couple. The bride takes a piece and places in the mouth of her groom.

This is spectacle during weddings usually full of fun and laughter. The bride feeding her husband is a major role she will play as a married woman.

Sub sequentially the guests are given a piece of the cake to enjoy in the eating.

In today ’s modified wedding celebrations, couples tend to have the cake ready cut and packaged into miniature cake boxes for the guests in a neat and

#9 PHOTOGRAPHY Remember that your photographer needs to be in certain places at the right time. They must catch the right moments of the cake cutting process. Your choice of photographer is paramount as a picture speaks a thousand words. You only get one opportunity to pose for the best pictures on your wedding day. #10 SERVING THE CAKE

Whether your cake is petite or humongous it is my wish for you to have a great wedding day.

Enjoy!

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY, 22, 2016, PAGE 39

personal assistant.

09090432229 •Okiemute-Sylvester, from Delta state, needs a driving job in Port Harcourt.

08108153377 •Augustina Chukwu, just gained admission into Obafemi Awolowo University, needs kind hearted Nigerians to help in sponsoring her education. 08105135626

serious relationship.n 07032865629,08148184195 •Amorosa, 24, undergraduate, beautiful and sexually provocative needs an older man aged 48 and above for a wonderful r o m a n t i c relationship.09094659472 •Grace, tall and sexy, needs a mature and caring man, who can take care of her, aged 40-70. 08136627966 •Vera, a student from Owerri, needs a responsible and matured man, for a serious relationship.

08148184195 •Clara, 24, loving, kind, God fearing, sexy, busty and hot, needs a hot and sexy man, for a relationship.

08144615704 •Cynthia, 24, a businesswoman and a single mother of one, needs a husband that will care for her and her son.08184855704 •Ronke, 28, neat, matured and good looking, needs a matured and honest man, for marriage, aged 35-48.

08037740 •Ngozi, 56, a nurse, needs a widower, who is Igbo, a graduate, God fearing, a Catholic, with good job, aged 55 and above for marriage.

08179014151

Searching Male •Praise, 24, tall and handsome, from Delta state, but resides in Lagos, needs a older wealthy Networking/ Sponsorship and wise lady for a relationship, •Grace, from Delta state, aged 30 and needs someone to sponsor her above.09050448957 in setting up a trade.

•Sheldrake, 34, resides in 07011923573 Warri, needs a mature lady, for •Ifeoluwa, 19 and a student, a relationship. needs a kind hearted person 07052222187 to sponsor her school •Man, 34, average height, dark project.08178662690, in complexion, a Muslim, Friends 08130101773 employed and resides in Searching Female •Chris, 24, needs kind Enugu, needs a lady, who is a hearted people who will •A lady, 34, resides in Benin, Muslim, employed or into needs female friends, who sponsor him through a four business, aged 24-38. months apprenticeship in a are Deeper Life or Lord’s 08079917110 Chosen Church members. fashion school in Lagos to help •Chuks, 25, from Benin, 08109395432 him realise his dreams. employed and needs a lady who 08066574265 is endowed and busty, aged 15•Nelson, 22, needs kind Searching Male 24 for a romantic relationship.

•Anthony, 48 needs female hearted persons to sponsor his 08147699042,09035467535 education and animal farm friends aged 18- 45 who •Jonah, 45, tall, fair in resides in Lagos. business Zenith Bank, complexion, employed and 2081164310, Elijah 07058882575,08034091818 from Delta state, but resides in Chukwuagbaogwu Nelson.

Benin City, needs a lady for a Lovers 08088449310, 08060356334 serious relationship.

Searching Female •A guy, 25, a student and 07058951993 resides in Sapele, needs caring •Helen, 23, busty and •Jerry, 26, chocolate in and rich men and women, aged charming, needs a man, who complexion, cute and resides in 30-80, who can buy him a is hot in bed for a serious Benin City, needs a cute, relationship.08104859639 Nokia Phone, in Sapele, endowed and romantic lady, for Mosogar, Oghara. •Olina, busty, needs a man a relationship.07065511561, who knows how satisfy a 09024490631 07059502127 •Yomi, mature, respectful and woman, for a relationship.

•Collins, from Imo state but 0 8 1 2 2 6 8 7 6 2 5 , an easy going person, needs resides in Lagos, needs a lady, someone to employed him as W h a t s A p p 0 8 0 2 3 5 6 3 7 6 0 aged 18-30, that is ready for a •Nancy, needs a mature serious relationship that will man, aged 35-40, for a lead to marriage.07037842149 •Isibor, needs a mature lady, for sexual satisfaction.

Dear readers, please note that we neither operate, nor are we an affiliate of any match–making agency in 08081399570,09086719598 or outside the country. Any reader who transacts business with any one claiming to be our agent does •Idowu, 52, needs a God so at his/her own risk. Our mission is only to provide a platform for social networking. fearing, nice and romantic lady, Also note that neither Vanguard, nor Yetunde Arebi will be liable for any error in the publication of for a relationship, aged 30-40. requests which may result in any form of embarrassment to any member of the public. We therefore 08035537915 request that text must be sent through at least one of the numbers for contact. This notice is necessary to •Stanley, employed, from Imo enable us serve you better in our refreshingly different style. You can send your requests to 33055. For state but resides in Lagos, enquiries, text or call 08026651636 needs a lady that is good

DISCLAIMER!

looking, decent, for a very intimate relationship.

08038443555,09080638083 •Obas, from Delta state, but resides in Benin City, needs a God fearing lady, for marriage.

0 7 0 3 8 8 8 5 1 3 5 , 09026938859,07062043024 •Emmanuel, 27, a graduate from Rivers state, needs a lady, aged 22-33, for a serious relationship, that will lead to marriage.

08032687741 •Tochukwu, 28, tall, well built and loving, needs a caring and loving lady, for a serious relationship.

0 8 0 3 7 1 5 9 9 6 3 Whatsapp.07085189470BBM PIN534B9BA4 •Benny, 33, form Delta state, needs a loving lady for a serious relationship.

08134532432 •Ovo, 29, employed and from Delta state, needs a pretty lady, for a serious relationship.

08068267998 •Sam, 53, Yoruba, needs a God fearing, nice and romantic lady for a relationship aged 28-40 08055598203 •Hilary, 45, tall, fair in complexion, quiet, smart and good looking, employed and resides in Abuja, needs a serious, good looking, fair, in complexion, smart and intelligent lady, not short nor fat, for a serious relationship.

08053393155 •Truman, 51, tall, fair in completion, from Delta State needs a lovely lady, from Delta State only, who is either separated, divorced or widowed, for sexual relationship, aged 35-65.

08092027558

COMMON SEXU AL PR OBLEMS AND THEIR NO VEL T Y BASED SOL UTIONS (AD VER TORIAL) SEXUAL PROBLEMS NOVEL VELT SOLUTIONS (ADVER VERT Sometimes when I get an erection, my testicles become painful. I have done tests and I have no sexuallytransmitted disease – Ogadi Ogadithere are many things that can be responsible for testicular pain. But testicular pain that only comes with a prolonged erection is often due to fluid congestion in the testicles also known as vasocongestion. Simply put, when you get an erection, your body expects sexual relief.

When it doesn’t get that sexual relief, it expresses disappointment through the pain you feel. It happens to some males and is commonly referred to as Blue Balls or m o r e appropriately,Epididymal Hypertension. Anyway when it happens again and you don’t get sex, masturbate. This will give the body the relief it expects and make the pain go away.

There is no medical cure for this – Uche Can you help me? For a long time now, whenever I ejaculate, the semen that comes out is small. I will get married soonand I am worried about how this will

affect my ability to father a child– James There is really no need to worry. It is not as if you have tried to father a child and failed. Besides you don’t even need a copious amount of semen to get a woman pregnant. What matters most is your sperm count.

However, just for your own peace of mind, I can recommend a supplement for you that will increase the volume of your ejaculate when you climax. It is called Volume Pills. It is a natural supplement that is taken daily and it boosts semen increment by 500% and also increases motility. Volume Pillsalso enhances sexual enjoyment especially during climax – Uche Do you have Encounter Orgasm Gel for women? It remains my favourite Orgasm Gel. Also, can I get a good rabbit vibrator from you? Thanks – Ifeyinwa You can call the numbers here for both products. For the rabbit vibrators, ask for Ovo K5 RabbitVibrator or Elegante Vibe by Elan.

They are both very good – Uche Do you have movies on sex

positions; I mean serious stuff and not the ones showing missionary position? Solomon Yes we do. Call and ask for101 Sex Positionsor Adam & Eve’s Legendary Sex Positions DVD – Uche I experience vaginal dryness and because of this I don’t enjoy sex. It is usually painful. I hear you can help – Bimpe Vaginal dryness can be caused by a variety of things such as inadequate sexual stimulation before intercourse,medications that contain antihistamines and menopause.

In any case, a common cure for it is the use of Lubricants. Get Hydro Play Lubricant or Smooth and Slick Lubricant. Apply it on the vagina before intercourse and it will get rid of the dryness and pain and ensure enjoyablelovemaking – Uche I am interested in penis enlargement and I hear that the slow working ones are the best.

Please which brand will you recommend? Thanks – Chijoke Extenze Plus is very good and so isExtenze Maximum Strength.However you must use them with a Nigeria. For enquiries email us at custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com - Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

PAGE 40—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 22, 2016

Standing on the graves of Agatu before crisis turns to tragedy—2 “A journalist should be pursuing a fair rendition of truth without regard to popular moods; the journalist should not be swayed by public opinion, only by the pursuit of truth, as close as he or she can get to it. Malvin Kalb 1997.

(VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ, p 109). he main reason why no African nation had launched a spacecraft on its own and might never launch one is our inability to reason logically and allow facts, as they emerge to guide us.

All the sciences are basically logical and logic is an integral part of Philosophy which Nigerian universities don’t teach as an elective course. And they should. Most American universities make Philosophy a compulsory course for all students. The results are there for all to see. Americans are not more intelligent than other people, they just reason better.

The second reason we might never excel in anything requiring quantitative analysis is the

T

African predilection for willful and stubborn ignorance,as well as laziness – even among extremely well-educated people. In Nigeria, it had taken almost one hundred years to get Southerners to understand that all Northerners are not Hausa/ Fulani, and Yoruba people to get it into their (thick?) skulls that all the people inhabiting areas east of Ore are not “Kobokobo”. Yet, in 1967, taking a course in African Politics in the university in the USA, it took me only twenty minutes to correct a class including Americans, Spanish, Israeli and Australian students that there were more tribes in Nigeria than Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. They were happy to be corrected.

Last week, I remarked that I spent seven years in the North as a cattle owner; had two co-workers who were also cattle owners; we engaged herdsmen and women, many of who were not Fulani. The first text message I received on Sunday was from a Nigerian university graduate who exclaimed

Let's say no! No to domestic violence "When a child hits a child, we call it aggression.

When a child hits an adult, we call it hostility.

When an adult hits an adult, we call it assault.

When an adult hits a child, we call it discipline."— Haim G. Ginott n my column on December 20, 2015, I wrote; Men do suffer from emotional abuse. It seems they are more men who experience emotional and physical abuse than they dare admit. It generated a lot of debate and I do hope this one on domestic violence would do likewise. The subject of domestic violence is an uncomfortable one, it is uncomfortable to discuss and, not just because of the nature of the violence but there is a wall of silence when it comes to getting people to talk freely about domestic violence. I told my sister, Sola that I was going to write about domestic violence she was worried on how it would be received.

I

I know it is time to have that discussion even if it is not a popular subject matter. If anyone is affected by the content, I will be discussing below, please contact: Lagos State Domestic and sexual violence response team (DSVT)@info@dsvrtlagos.org or @dsvrt or 0813-7960048 or be signposted a local equivalent.

I am sure that everyone has heard of the case of the husband who allegedly killed his wife and the pictures of the dead body was splashed across the media. The case is of course, in the courts as I write.

What was shocking was the way that many people reacted in the defence of this case and the others below; that perhaps, the victim had antagonise the perpetrator or maybe she had cheated!

No matter what the case may be, it is wrong to use violence. No matter the reason, we can and should not advocate or excuse violence.

The statistics on domestic

“Don’t tell me the herdsmen are not Fulani”. My reply was to ask him if he ever talked to any herdsman/ woman. Silence followed.

Unfortunately, that sort of willful and stubborn ignorance, which has kept Africa underdeveloped, is pervasive and in the most dangerous place – the Nigerian media; especially print media. And, it is easy to pin-point how we landed in this mess which would make the peaceful resolution of the herdsmen/ farmers disputes more difficult. And ensure that the victims of Agatu and other places would have died in vain. So permit me to engage my own constituency – the print media.

The Nigerian press, especially the leading newspapers, is stacked against Muslims and Northerners. Among the leaders, in alphabetical order, DAILY TRUST, GUARDIAN, NATION, PUNCH, SUN, THISDAY and VAGUARD, only the first one, DAILY TRUST has an editorial staff which is not predominantly Southern and Christian.

Even the NATION, whose publisher is a Muslim, parades about seventy per cent Christian reporters, editors and especially columnists. Unknown to them, they wield enormous power over public opinion on matters of vital importance and as Malvin Kalb had told the journalists (I am not a journalist), they are expected to be impartial commentators and judges on every matter.

Generally, they try to be.

But, the minute a serious matter arises which pits Muslims against Christians or Southerners against Northerners, the biases

show up immediately. A black African in Apartheid South Africa had a better chance of receiving justice in court than a Fulani or Hausa Muslim accused by a Christian Southerner from our newspapers. At least, the black person in South Africa was taken to court and given a chance to defend himself.

Our reporters, editors, and columnists, most of who have never met or talked to a

violence in Nigeria, is shocking- according to National Population Commission (NPC) [Nigeria] and ICF Macro.

2009. Nigeria has one of the highest rates of domestic violence in Africa. I am quite sure that this is a surprise to many. It is said that as many as two thirds of Nigerian women are believed to experience physical, sexual and psychological abuse at the hands of their husbands. A small scale study conducted in Oyo and Lagos states indicated that 65% of educated women are abused and 56% blue collar or market women experience similar attacks.

The African Journal of Reproductive Health in 2005 referring to Nigerian men:" a husband has the liberty to "violate and batter" his wife if he feels she has not adequately fulfilled her obligations".

And Amnesty International calls Nigeria's rate of domestic violence "shocking," and has called on the local governments to do something to stem the violence that: “On a daily basis, Nigerian women are beaten, raped and even murdered by members of their family for supposed transgressions, which can range from not having meals ready on time to visiting family members without their husband's permission.

Domestic violence affects not just the victim but

indirectly all those who witness the violence; children, family, relatives and witnesses to the physical abuse and violence. It predisposes the children to trauma and other psychological problems throughout their lives and worryingly, they may learn to become future or victims abusers later on in life and

The excesses of the herdsmen in March are still fresh in Agatu LGA in Benue State, a carnage that reportedly left over 400 people dead and their communities confiscated herdsman had condemned him in his absence. They have even proclaimed judgment and punishment. They have also been joined by the clergy; some of who bear false witness without a qualm. Let me give two examples of this sort of intervention in this crisis.

Cardinal John Onaiyekan reportedly escaped death when his car was shot at on the notorious Benin-Ekpoma

Domestic violence affects not just the victim but indirectly all those who witness the violence; children, family, relatives and witnesses to the physical abuse and violence hence the way the cycle continues. Incidences of Domestic Violence cuts across social and economic background and although women are mainly victims and men, mainly are perpetrators of Domestic Violence, women, are increasingly becoming perpetrators of domestic violence too. According to the National Demographic and Health Survey in 20018, over a quarter of the population of all women in Nigeria have experienced domestic violence. This is staggering and shocking.

The recent case of Lekan Shonde, the man who allegedly killed his wife has his case in the courts as we speak. Then there was the case

Road. The man of God did not accuse any particular person or group of making the attack. Ask anybody, people are attacked on that road virtually every day. Yet, one Moses Ihonde, a member of the National Christian Elders Forum, NCEF, in a report placed the blame on Fulani herdsmen. Did Pastor Ihonde provide any evidence? None was provided. The reporter being a Christian probably never doubted his fellow Christian. But how on earth can anyone defend this failure to find out if there were Fulani herdsmen in the vicinity at the time the attack occurred? Unless cows have started eating asphalt, it is hard to imagine why herdsmen would want to take over a road without grass on it.

Did the Editor of the paper request for a reaction from the Fulani community in the area? It is doubtful. Indeed, why bother, when “they” are guilty anyway. As Mark Twain, 1835-1910, had remarked about white men trying an American negro, “Are you going to hang him anyhow and try him afterward?” (VBQ p 85).

Just as Ihonde declared without proof that Fulani herdsmen are Jihadists, another newspaper on May 6, 2016, in its editorial was just as full of “Christian charity ”.

The title of that editorial tells the reader what to expect in the rest of the leader – which fell only just short of asking that Fulani herdsmen should be rounded up and shot without trial. The newspaper gave as one of its reasons for suggesting

this mass annihilation of fellow Nigerians the story of Agatu. According to the paper, “The excesses of the herdsmen in March are still fresh in Agatu LGA in Benue State, a carnage that reportedly left over 400 people dead and their communities confiscated.”

That is Nigerian journalism for you.

As it turned out, I was in Agatu on the day the paper was advocating for the mass extermination of Fulani herdsmen. Reading the statement properly, the reader would quickly observe that the paper had not been to Agatu and I can confirm that. It relied on hearsay from sources unknown. Last week, I published the list of names of the Agatu 33. Today, two pictures from the lot are reproduced. Most of the people have returned to their, admittedly wrecked, homes. It is a wicked lie to say that the communities were confiscated. Who confiscated them? I am ready to lead any number of truth finders to Agatu. At any rate, the Agatu invasion was not about grazing land but a raid by mercenaries engaged by land speculators – who are not Fulani herdsmen.

Incidentally, none of the “bleeding hearts” crying over Nimbo, Agatu etc had offered them any assistance. Only the State Government had provided relief materials. Perhaps my Christian brothers had forgotten about the Good Samaritan. If all he did was to wring his hands and write clever and unresearched stories in papers, he would never have entered the Holy Book as an example to follow.

If this is journalism I am happy not to be a journalist.

of Oyelowo Oyediran Ajanaku, a 38 year old, killed by him Ibadan.

There are also cases abroad with Nigerians as well such as the former Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam who was arrested by the Metropolitan Police. His wife, Yemisi had called the police report in violence.

Domestic violence is taken seriously here in the UK but it has been long time coming and Nigeria will have to do more to take the calls of spouses seriously and have a better way of dealing with victims of domestic violence. In the UK, they have dedicated staff and police who are trained in supporting victims of domestic violence.

The way we treat domestic violence is deplorable and disgraceful and it is high time, that there is a review and a robust public education aimed at households, universities, hairdressers, barbers,marketp l a c e s , h e a l t h centres,institutions, workplaces,communities and through to government.

This has got to be a top to bottom approach and many a times the reason why a victim dies and it was not reported is that they are ashamed, they feel that they cannot tell anybody their problems, and if they do tell, they are likely to be told, that it is the victim's fault and they

should bear the pain. People believe that there is prestige in a violent marriage rather the victim fleeing the perpetrator. Of course there is the economic reasons why people stay; because they will lose a roof over their heads, financially worse off and that society does not value a woman who leaves her husband even if it is to save her life and those of her children.

Let us be clear, spousal violence is not particular to Nigeria, no, it happens across the globe but the high level of violence towards women is not acceptable and we can no longer pretend that it doesn't happen. One out of four people in Nigeria has been a victim or is a victim of domestic or spousal abuse.

Men become abusive because they have learnt violence in their families and mainly women tend to gravitate towards abusive men because they saw their mothers being abused. So the cycle is repeated unless there is a break in the cycle.

Research has shown that, in time of economic hardship, the incidence of domestic violence increase exponentially and close to half of the victims was abused because of: they were late cooking the food, burning the food, arguing with husbands, going out without permission, neglecting the children, refusal to engage in intercourse

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016, PAGE 41

Ethnicity in Nigeria’s governance

O

n Thursday October 4, 2012, the Taraba State House of Assembly impeached the then Deputy Governor of the state, Sani Abubakar Danladi. His unproven misconduct which was serious enough to the legislators to warrant his impeachment was that he allegedly used his office to attract favours and development to himself and his local community. In other words, Taraba legislators relied on nepotism, another word for zoning, as an impeachable offence–a rather common short coming of every Nigerian politician. Thus, a few people saw the impeachment as suspect. In earnest, ethnicity is one of the ‘settled’ issues of our federalism hence every President we have had, usually went to his ‘place’ to register and to vote during elections, notwithstanding that the entire nation is his constituency.

It is also an open secret that the state of origin of

every Nigerian has remained the most important ticket for getting anything. At youth level, many Nigerians are favoured or deprived by the quota system of admission to schools- a system which accepts a scenario where two pupils of the same school write the same examination for admission into the same college and it is the pupil with the lower score that gets admitted because of his state of origin! At adult level, the situation is no less alarming. The other day, I read the story of an engineer in one organization complaining that his assistant was lifted to become his head of section.

In the past, that could only happen where the position concerned was political.

Now that there are examples of the trend at a technocrat and purely professional position there is cause for worry. But our politicians are not worried because to them, political expediency covers anything under the sun. For instance, PhD,Depar tment of Philosophy, University of Lagos 08116759758

Sense, nonsense, and commonsense (1)

A

sizeable percentage of Buharimaniacs who swallowed lock, stock and barrel the dizzying propaganda of change from the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2015 elections, especially the presidential contest, now regret that they voted for President Muhammadu Buhari. Their hyperbolic expectation that once Buhari takes over their existential condition will improve has been blown to smithereens because the APC has cunningly repudiated virtually all the populist promises it made to Nigerians during the electioneering campaigns, which implies that the party just wanted power and never really intended to fulfil those promises. Some of us that tried to remind Nigerians of the Janus-faced antecedents of candidate Buhari and key leaders of the APC were excoriated and subjected to vicious obloquy by supporters of the party who had a worshipful admiration of the retired military head of state. For fanatic Buharimaniacs, former President Goodluck Jonathan is the very embodiment of corruption, ineptitude and mediocrity, whereas Buhari personifies integrity, discipline and incorruptibility. If you argue

that it is wrong to believe that every member of Jonathan’s government accused of corruption must be guilty without first waiting for judicial verdict on the issue or at least hearing from the person in question, you will be tagged with all sorts of derogatory labels as if you committed an abomination for insisting on fair hearing. But no matter how convenient or self-validating media trial and sentencing might be, the principle of justice embedded in the idea of fair hearing must guide our attitude to the largely onesided war against corruption by this administration because today’s accuser could be tomorrow’s accused.

Now, a dispassionate appraisal of the performance of the APC administration thus far after one year in office in comparison with the tantalising promises of the party chieftains would confirm a very disturbing trend in our higgledypiggledy democratic experience. The trend I have in mind is the increasing tendency of politicians, irrespective of party affiliations, to take Nigerians for granted by treating them as mere means for actualising their

in October, 2011, 1800 Nigerian citizens in the Abia State Public Service were “back-loaded” to Anambra State. The state government told critics that Imo State had earlier dismissed all Abia indigenes in its public service in 2002. What makes this example apt is that although different ethnic groups are guilty of such discrimination, Abia, Anambra and Imo states are all Igbo speaking.

Nigerian citizens are

It is also an open secret that the state of origin of every Nigerian has remained the most important ticket for getting anything. At youth level, many Nigerians are favoured or deprived by the quota system of admission to schools subjected to differential treatment like nonindigene students paying fees different from those paid by the sons of the soil in the same public schools.

The reality therefore is that Nigerians love their tribes or ethnic categories more than their nation but everyone mouths the pragmatism of patriotism.

An average Nigerian in a leadership position usually rationalizes the location of vain political ambitions. Put differently, our politicians in general are only interested in public office to satisfy their bulimic appetite for primitive accumulation and manipulate gullible Nigerians to protect the current unjust status quo that actually alienates and pauperises them.

Remember, “Change” was the key word, the organising principle on which APC mounted its vuvuzela campaign against the shambolic Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In otherwords, Buhari and other kingpins of the APC promised to bring about positive change in the country; they exploited the disenchantment of Nigerians to dislodge the former ruling party. In fact, APC’s call for change resonated with people nationwide. During the campaigns, the party promised, inter alia, to combat corruption, revamp the economy and improve electricity supply within the shortest possible time, pay five thousand naira stipend to unemployed Nigerians, provide at least one meal a day for primary school children, bring naira to parity with the dollar, increase Nigeria’s share in the international oil market, rescue the missing Chibok girls and defeat Boko Haram. Because Nigerians were disenchanted with the lacklustre performance of the PDP and desired change desperately, their critical acumen went on holiday as APC, through skilful manipulation of misinformation, projected Jonathan’s administration as the worst since Nigeria became independent in 1960 and warning them of the dire consequences of returning PDP to power.

Meanwhile, ardent APC

government projects in his part of a state especially where it is an institution of higher learning. This probably explains why Keffi and not Lafia the state capital of Nasarawa state was seen as the best site for the state university when a Keffi indigene, Abdullahi Adamu was governor. When Ekiti was carved out of the old Ondo state, the then Governor Adebayo Adefarati, easily located the state university in his domain– Akungba Akoko. Later, a second institution in the state-the University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa was piloted by Okitipupa-born, Governor Segun Agagu.

Former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani was similarly well positioned to settle the Enugu State University in his own Agbani. Osun State University was set up by Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola at Oke-Baale in Osogbo, the state capital, but those in power did not lose out as the university was structured to have 5 campuses. One of them was established in Okuku, Oyinlola’s home town, while another was put in Ipetu-Ijesha, the home town of Erelu Obada, the former Deputy Governor.

Edo State has an interesting scenario.

During the Gowon military era, the Midwest Institute of Technology (MIT) now the University of Benin was established by the Beninborn General Samuel Ogbemudia. He also set up

a Polytechnic which was still being nurtured in Benin City, when Governor George Innih (late) relocated it to Auchi as soon as Ogbemudia was overthrown in the 1975 coup. During the Second Republic a state university was established by Professor Ambrose Alli, the then state governor. It is now named after him. In later years, a teaching hospital was set up by the Federal government of President Ibrahim Babangida in Irrua, a few kilometers from Ekpoma. The then Vice President, Augustus Aikhomu hails from Irrua.

Again, a few kilometres from Irrua, President Goodluck Jonathan towards the end of his administration approved a National Institute of Construction Technology in Uromi, the home town of Chief Tony Anenih, a man acknowledged in PDP circles as Leader.

In the last few months, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the current edo governor has been working assiduously to establish another university also for edo state in his own village-Iyamho. What this suggests is that the Comrade Governor contrary to popular beliefs can fit squarely into the league of ethnic champions who use their positions to attract favours and development home. The existing Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma cannot in any way compete with the new Iyamho University

whose structures are patently intimidating.

Indeed, the Tayo Akpata University of Education, Ekiadolor which was conceived by the same governor at the same time as that of Iyamho is still in its dilapidated previous primary school-like buildings. Meanwhile Iyamho has more than buildings. On the basis of what the National Universities Commission calls “the formal presentation of the relevant gazetted law, Academic Brief and Physical Master Plan and satisfactory report from the Advisory resource assessment visit” the university has been approved as the 41st State University and 142nd University in Nigeria As a role model to many, the Comrade Governor has unwittingly confirmed that in heterogeneous societies, competitive ethnicity is inevitable and that political leaders can hardly rise above such chauvinism. The Tayo Akpata University is located in Edo South, the Benin area with the largest population and land mass in the state. It is also the area from where the bulk of the state’s revenue is generated. As the people get set to elect a new governor in a couple of months, the Iyamho University story no doubt tells the Benin people that as the majority, they should not cede the position to any other minority candidate no matter how eloquent such campaigners are .

supporters failed to notice that the very people promising them change also contributed in various ways in different capacities to the gradual but steady depredation of the country.

Recently, I criticised an APC chieftain by pointing out the

Muhammadu Buhari became our President.

Whereas some people claim that it is too early to judge his performance, others see nothing wrong in voicing their opinion about how well or badly he has performed.

Ironically, government officials such as Lai Mohammed and Garba Shehu and ardent Buharimaniacs are fond of praising the President for doing “excellently well,” and insist that it was too early to criticise him whenever someone points out areas where things have gone from bad to worse since May 29, 2015. Buhari himself occasionally pleads with Nigerians to be patient and endure escalating hardships as a patriotic duty and the price they have to pay for repairing the country. Lai Mohammed and other ministers who praised the President’s “body language” for the brief improvement in electricity supply few months after his inauguration later turned round to blame Jonathan when supply declined below the level it was when the latter left office. In my opinion, the argument that it is too early to criticise the President’s performance is dishonest: it implies that it is right to praise Buhari at any time and wrong to criticise him unless at “the right time” as determined by his spokespersons. It is ludicrous that APC chieftains and Buharimaniacs eagerly credit President Buhari with improvement no matter how marginal in any aspect of our national life, and then claim that it is too early to judge him whenever someone presents evidence that the existential condition of the masses has worsened since he assumed office.

Never mind the exculpatory arguments of officialdom: it

is never too early to judge the performance of government. The validity of such evaluation depends on the issue under consideration, the promises the new leadership made to the people while canvassing for votes, and the antecedent conditions under which a new government came into office. Consequently, it is possible to reach a reasonable tentative judgment about the performance of a new administration at any time, depending on the complexity of the issue under consideration and one’s knowledge and capacity for imaginative thinking. A reliable assessment of government can be carried out after a week, a month, hundred days, a year and so on. The most important requirement for doing so is objectivity and willingness to “let the facts speak for themselves” without the distorting influence of bias and preconceived notions. In that regard, since it is about one year the present administration came to power, there is enough material to serve as basis for appraising it.

For a reasoned objective assessment of President Buhari’s government, it is important to say a few things about the state of the country before May 29, 2015. To be candid, although I preferred Goodluck Jonathan to Muhammadu Buhari as President for reasons I articulated in this column before the elections last year, the former President did not perform so well in some key areas such as security, fight against corruption, prudent management of the economy, and job creation.

Ardent APC supporters failed to notice that the very people promising them change also contributed in various ways in different capacities to the gradual but steady depredation of the country

increasing hardships ordinary Nigerians are facing since President Buhari came into office. He reminded me that APC promised change and that change can be positive or negative. Of course, his response was insincere but instructive: it brought home to me the fact that without clear conception of the type of change people want and well articulated relevant parameters for ascertaining and measuring both the direction and quantum of change over a given period, ‘change’ can be used as a political weapon to deceive the citizens into thinking that the promise of change is equivalent to actual meaningful progression from a bad situation to something better.

It is about one year that

To be continued

PAGE 42—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016

Apapa Family celebrates sustaining change at 25

By Sam Eyoboka

A

PAPA Family of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, started as a parish at Roxy Cinema, Apapa, in 1991. Twenty-five years later, that mustard seed has blossomed into about 1,500 churches within and outside Nigeria and to mark the silver jubilee, the current leadership has perfected plans to host its yearly music, worship, and impartation programme tagged Excel 2016, at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos on Sunday, June 5.

This celebration, according to the head of Family, Pastor Idowu Iluyomade, is very significant because God has kept and sustained the group of churches, the work and the vision for the past 25 years, stressing "we are celebrating 25 years of existence of the Apapa Family."

The theme for this year's edition is 'Sustaining Change' "because one of the things that can best describe Apapa Family is change. We have been talking about change for so long---transforming lives, transforming society and doing things that endure.

"So, we are so excited that God has kept us together as a body and that 25 years on, we are still relevant in the scheme of things," he said, noting that this year’s celebration will start on Saturday, June 4, with a musical conference featuring "some of our members; those that were in the music department and choir when we started; Nathaniel Bassey, Chioma Jesus, Wale Adenuga, Cobhams Asuquo and many other guest artistes."

According to the Regional Evangelist in charge of Region 20, the Saturday event will last about three hours which is expected to be awesome. Then, the main celebration on Sunday, June 5, which is the Excel celebration service featuring the Geneal Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, who was the one that gave the vision and started the Apapa Family 25 years ago.

This will take place at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos, by 7.00 a.m.

In a recent interview with newsmen in his church office in Victoria Island, Lagos, Pastor Iluyomade said: "We are expecting some of our members… for example, last yerar, we had both the Vice President, Prof.

Yemi Osinbajo, who is a member of Apapa Family and the Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode.

We are expecting them to be there with various other dignitaries and members from all over the globe because we are now all over the globe.

Signature Project "We are going to continue with our signature project. Every year, we have a signature project, which is a Community Social Responsibility (CSR) because we are strong on CSR and we believe that churches should be giving back to the society. So, we have institutionalized some of the things that we are doing.

"For example, we feed 60,000 people every week in Lagos and this has cost us well over N3 billion in the past three years. And that’s just an aspect of what we are doing. We have soup kitchens all over Lagos and we want to up that by having a food bank.

"We also have rehabilitation centres.

Over the years, we’ve been doing all kinds of things. We have the prison ministry too; ‘God’s Children Got Talent’ for children between the ages of 5 and 21, (a talent hunt that the church is also doing and right now,

we are in Season Six). We seek to change the face of the lyrics and songs that are out there through this by ensuring that they are songs that edify, inspire and encourage. We have our own record label called Excel Record Label. Every year, we encourage children all over the globe to participate in the talent hunt and runs on DStv Channel 154 and other media houses as well as online.

"As part of the celebration, on June 30, we will be having the grand finale of the talent hunt and the winner will go home with N5

powered lights in the whole of Kirikiri Town; and we have found out that it reduced crime and increased commerce--night trading in these areas.

That is why we are so glad.

We identify with what the Lagos State governor is doing by lighting up the whole of Lagos. It is a good and laudable initiative.

We also partnered with our General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye and we endowed a Professorial Chair in mathematics in his name in five universities in Nigeria at the sum of N250 million and we do it every year. The fifth one was done last year and it is called Pastor E.A. Adeboye Professor-ial chair in Mathema-tics.

We realized that about 30 million Nigerians were in need of dialysis intervention and the nation needs about 12,000 machines but has less than 200 operational ones presently *Pastor Idowu Iluyomade, Head of Apapa Family

million. It doesn’t stop there; we also encourage them, mentor them and wax their musical piece on our record label."

Eight Spheres of Spiritual Governance In the sphere of education, our project for this year is to equip 500 public primary school libraries in Lagos State in partnership with the state government. It started last year and we have equipped about 300 schools and believing God to complete the remaining ones before the celebration.

We are a group of people that reach out to the less privileged in the society and we are operating under what we call the Eight Spheres of Spiritual Governance. We make impact on Social; Healthcare; Education; Media; Business and Economy; Art, Culture and Entertainment; Government and Politics; and Sports.

It is instructive that we have a professional football club and our women are in the Premier League.

We are not only focusing on playing, we are about transforming that space.

We realized that about 30 million Nigerians were in need of dialysis intervention and the nation needs about 12,000 machines but has less than 200 operational ones presently.

So we established a hospital that has 10 dialysis machines to contribute our own quota to the nation's healthcare system. Every month, we offer 30 free dialysis sections. We have partnered with some hospitals and foreign partners and we have done not less than six kidney transplants. We have a cancer screening centre in Surulere, Lagos

to screen people where we also treat people at a very subsidized rate.

For those that cannot visit our hospitals, we have mobile clinics. We go to schools. We go to hinter-lands to give free medical care to people. On the day of the Excel celebration service for the 25th anniversary, there will be free feeding for everyone that comes, free medical check-ups and free transportation all over Lagos to bring people to the event.

What projects do you have to equip people to fend and sustain themselves?

We also have various other projects like leadership school and we have bible training school. Then, we have various other programmes that teach people about skill acquisition. Within the next one week, we will partner with Microsoft and they are going to give free training for those who are interested in up scaling their skills in Information Techno-logy sector.

We are strong on teaching because through it, you can transform a lot of lives and build leaders for the nation.

Virtually, all Apapa Family churches have a skill acquisition and improvement scheme under their wings. ARISE Women Confer-ence is a teaching conference. All our churches have various asp-ects…for example, there was a lead-ership programme recently with the theme: “Leading Women Leading Change”.

Is access to the dialysis and other medical facilities open only to church members or for the general public?

Secondly, how do you raise funds for these projects?

Everything we do is for the people--Christians, Muslims or anybody that is in need. We do not discriminate. We feed and treat all and sundry, and there are people that have been referred to us for free medical treatment which we took care of.

Our church members fund all these things we do but something happened

when we wanted to start the Mobile Clinic. We bought the first one but because of the impact and also the publicity we get in what we do, corporate organizations like Shell, Cadbury, MTN, Indomie, First Bank and others that normally discri-minate or do not want to partner with religious organizat-ions, they started partnering with us because they feel that we are transparent.

They checked us out and found out that we are really doing a good work. For the other mobile clinic that we bought, some partners put down some money, about N28 million to buy it. I think the culture is changing and once corporate organizations see corpora-te governance and transparency and the fact that we are truly doing the work, they come in. And this helps us to increase the amount of people that we touch.

Are these projects designed purely for Lagos residents only?

Apapa Family is in five continents of the world and we replicate what we are doing all over these places.

We have feeding programmes and many other things. Anywhere there is an Apapa Family church, whether it’s in Ibadan or in Abuja, you see them being replicated in all these places. So it is not limited to Lagos. We have about 1500 churches under the family, it is a critical mass and that’s why there is a lot going on here. The bible says that we should be witnesses first in Jerusalem, then in Judea and then to the uttermost part of the world. And as they say, “Charity begins at home”, and that’s why there is a lot of concentration here in Lagos.

We have done traffic lights in so many locations in the state. We have done street lights in five streets in Mushin; we have installed solar-

Can you expatiate on your role in media and entertainment?

The media space is very important and for the past 12 years, we had Heaven’s Gate, an evangelical soap that was showing on television. The current one that we have now is called Oasis, and it’s one of the number one soaps on television and our next plan is to shoot a movie so that we can have a greater reach. We are working on some movies now. For example, we are work-ing on a movie on Bishop Ajayi Crowther, the Oasis movie, which would help impact that space.

The God’s Children Got Talent is also not left out and it is an inter-vention in the area of media and entertainment. The winner last year has produced her own CD under the Excel Record. We sign gospel artistes from everywhere. You know that it ‘s essentially whoever has the record label that controls whoever is singing, and in the world, you find out that maybe the record label is making 80 per cent of the money and giving the artiste just five, 10 or 20 per cent. All that we want to change; so, we are changing the culture in that area and our record label is becoming quite a force.

We are open to all gospel artistes that will come and they will get a better deal using Excel Record label than all the other labels that they have been using.

Alternative route If you came in from Ligali Ayorinde, the dual carriage way that connects the road to our church was done by us. We also contributed to the alternative route that comes into the church through Lekki axis. Anywhere Apapa Family Church is planted, we impact in that society, because we believe that if your church has to close down and people rejoice that you have gone, that means that you did not impact in that society. But if they miss you, it means that you touched lives there.

So anywhere that we are, it’s either we sink boreholes, clean the gutters, do roads or put street lights. We put our footprints in anywhere that we go.

Other highpoints of the 2016 celebration, according to Pastor ID, as he fondly called, include Provincial Football Tournament, Musical Concert, Completion of the Book Library Project, Excel and 25th anniversary thanksgiving service.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 22, 2016, PAGE 43

I

KNOW you were taught that the devil deceived Eve at the dawn of creation.

But that is because our timeworn teachers have not grasped the full import of what happened in the Garden of Eden. It was not so much that the devil deceived Eve as that God deceived the devil. God deceived the devil into deceiving Eve. One of the biggest mistakes the devil ever made was to deceive Eve. If Eve had not been deceived, the devil would not have received God’s death sentence: “(Her descendants) will always be (your) enemies.

One of hers will strike you on the head, and you will strike him on the heel.” (Genesis 3: 15).

Hunger for God The scriptures are a litany of people thirsting and hungering for God often without knowing it is God they need.

Collectively, they are one long, persistent and incessant cry for salvation. Accordingly, Paul cries: “What a miserable person I am. Who will rescue me from this body that is doomed to die?” (Romans 7:24).

It is God himself who was the architect of man’s predicament. He put yearnings in the heart of man that the world could not meet. Once Adam sinned, God unfolded a plan of salvation designed to teach us an eternal lesson. This plan included sending the seed of Abraham into Egypt where they would be in bondage for over 400 years. Then God sent a deliverer in Moses who succeeded in giving the Israelites tests they did not pass and commandments they did not keep.

There came many other

HOLDING CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE: HOW GOD DECEIVED THE DECEIVER saviours. There were saviours who helped to keep the Philistines at bay; saviours who helped to deliver the Jews from the hand of their enemies. There were saviours of all kinds and descriptions. But these saviours were mere men and therefore severely limited. These saviours also needed salvation. These saviours could heal the body but not the soul. These saviours could neither save from life nor save from death.

Finally a Saviour is born, whose coming had long been foretold by the prophets, and whose arrival was heralded by angels. What would be the big deal about this particular Saviour? Why would his arrival bring “good tidings of great joy” not only to the Jews, but also to all people? (Luke 2:10-11). Why are we still be talking about this very Saviour today, 2000 years later?

It is because this Saviour is no mere mortal. This Saviour is Christ the Lord. This Saviour is Jesus; the only begotten Son of God.

Stumbling stone Nevertheless, Jesus himself turns out to be the biggest trap of all; not only for men but also for Satan. The bible had

It was not so much that the devil deceived Eve as that God deceived the devil into deceiving Eve prophesied about him: “He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble; they shall fall and be broken, be snared and taken.” (Isaiah 8:14-15).

In this regard, the crucifixion of Jesus was the outcome of a monumental set-up by God. Time and again, the devil tried to get Jesus killed, but he always managed to escape. When Jesus was born, the devil caused Herod to kill all the children in Bethlehem from two years and less. But before this heinous act could be executed, the angel came and told Jesus’ “parents” to flee with him to Egypt.

Much later on, the devil tried to get the Jews to throw Jesus down from the brow of a hill, but he easily escaped by passing through the middle of the crowd. This hide-andseek continued, leading the devil to the conclusion that

all he had to do was to kill Jesus in order to short-circuit his ministry.

And then one day, Jesus allowed himself to be arrested. Then he allowed himself to be killed. And suddenly, the devil discovered that he had been suckered into working for God all along. Suddenly, he discovered it was always God’s plan for Jesus to be killed.

Comeuppance The wisdom of God meant that the greatest defeat of the devil was in the very victory he sought. Thus Paul says: “We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (I Corinthians 2:7-8).

The devil and his cohorts killed Jesus and they ended up with one, two, many

Oh! God, save Nigeria, cries Lagos CAN

By Sam Eyoboka & Olayinka Latona

B

OGGED by continued oppression of evil forces against Nigeria, Lagos State Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, on May 10-12, proclaimed fasting and prayer for God to save the nation from current multi-faceted slide.

Representatives of the Lagos State government including

Home Affairs Commissioner, Dr. Abdullateef Abdulazeez, Permane Secretary, Mrs. Grace Ebun Oladimeji and several others joined the leadership of the state CAN to offer prayers to God for deliverance.

The CAN chairman, Apostle Alex Bamgbola told reporters that God mandated him to proclaim the three days of "fasting and prayer for this state and nation and that He will hear us."

"When men and women fear God, all will be well with the nation and we all know that all is vanity. What legacy are we going to leave for our children, that is what people will talk of when we are gone," he argued, stressing that late Chief Obafemi Awolowo introduced free education in the West "which I benefited from. How can I forget such a man? But the current generation of rulers, I did not know what they are

looking for? I am appealing to them to fear God because the day they are dead, nothing will be put in their hands."

On the election of a new CAN president, Bamgbola said: "God will put our leader.

Some are politicking in the church, and doing the things that are happening in the world but God will give us our leader and the Church will be stronger again. If the Church is right, this nation will be right."

NUC can't regulate Bible Colleges, Theologians argue

By Sam Eyoboka

S

EVENTY-NINE year old protégé of the famous Macaulay family of Lagos, Prof, Augustus Macaulay has narrated his ordeal at the hands of operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Matters Commission, ICPC, for “operating an illegal university.”

Macaulay, a member of many professional bodies in and outside Nigeria; one of two Nigerians who tested the first Peugeot car assembled in Nigeria by Peugeot Automobile of Nigeria, PAN, in 1975 was whisked away on April 27 by two operatives and an armed Policeman and detained for three days without access to his medication.

Narrating his ordeal, the British-trained automobile engineer, who is also the president of Association of Christian Theologians, ACTS—a Christian and

theological regulatory body in the nation—accused the Federal Government and its agents including the National Universities Commission, NUC, of making deliberate efforts to halt theological education in Nigeria.

According to the proprietor of United Bible University, Ojodu, Ikeja in Lagos the Federal Government has no business interfering with Christian and religious education because it does not fall into the category of education to be regulated by NUC. “Our education provides knowledge, skills and expertise for Christian scholars and church workers for the growth of the growth of the work of God in Nigeria.

Our researches are based on the opt of improving quality theological education and Christian professional efficiency,” Macaulay argued.

“Considering the secularity of Nigeria, we believe that the Federal Government including its agents have no con-

stitutional rights to decide what the Church in Nigeria should teach and preach and how Bible colleges should train, grade and certify Christian experts and church professionals like church managers, church administrators, church planters, evangelists, pastoral careers, Christian counselors and theologians,” he further argued.

He therefore noted with embarrassment that the NUC is complaining “about Bible Colleges awarding degrees and offering professorship to their scholars without finding out the disciplines concerned.”

Macaulay stated that Theology, Divinity, Mission, Church management, and Administration and Christian education do not come under the purview of the NUC and as such cannot be considered secular education.

“It is essential to state that we do not see the need to submit to NUC’s accredi-

tation because the Nigerian Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion in S. 38 (i). In order to operate, we do not require the licence of any governmental agency.

Our university is a religious and theological institution, which offer intellectually spirit-filled education designed for people who are involved in the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ through preaching and teaching,” he further stated.

Macaulay therefore warned the Federal Government against its plan to close degree-awarding Bible Colleges, saying that such move would adversely affect over 2,000 bible colleges with a staff strength of over 15,000 people who will become jobless and over 400,000 students who will not only be stopped from achieving their aims in life but will join the league of miscreants to make Nigeria ungovernable.

“Jesuses” in the form of regenerated believers. They killed the Lord of glory, but in the very killing was the redemption of mankind. God used the plans of the devil against him and to his comeuppance.

Everything the devil did against Jesus turned out to be for the benefit of Jesus’ ministry. Thus, Jesus’ apostles would later testify to God in prayer: “For truly against your holy Servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever your hand and your purpose determined before to be done.

(Acts 4:27-28).

It is not surprising therefore that Jesus himself encouraged Judas to go ahead and betray him without delay.

(John 13:27). Judas’ betrayal was treacherous, but it was intended. His betrayal was heinous, but it nevertheless fulfilled the purpose God purposed for the salvation of mankind. Through it, the devil, like Haman, was hoisted on his own petard.

Redemptive honour God has been more honour-

ed in man’s redemption than would have been the case if there had been no fall of man.

Through the redemption, the Lord displayed the majesty of his justice and the glory of his grace: “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.” (Ephesians 3:10).

Forgiven and regenerated, under the moulding influence of the Holy Spirit, the believer is now capable of virtues to which we could never have attained had we never sinned. Adam could not have hated sin with the same abhorrence as today’s man or woman with a renewed heart.

Thanks paradoxically to Adam’s sin, we now behold with open faces the redemptive glory of God. God in Christ did not dwell in Adam.

But now Christ is in us, and he is our hope of sharing in the glory of God. (Colossians 1:27). Thanks to Jesus, death; the penalty for Adam’s sin, has now become our means of escape into the bosom of our heavenly Father.

If Eve had not been deceived, we would not have become partakers of God’s divine nature. If Eve had not sinned, we would not now be blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ.

If Eve had not been deceived, we would have remained marooned in a garden. Redeemed, we are now enthroned in a city; the city of God. If Eve had not been deceived, a man would not now be in heaven, seated at the right hand of God. This man, Christ Jesus, is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh.

CONSAT partners Mount Zion TV

L

OVERS of Mount Zion Faith Ministries evangelical movies will from today have an opportunity to enjoy a 24-hour real time entertainment as a privately owned digital satellite television company, Continental Satellite Limited, CONSAT adds to its array of channels, the Mount Zion Television, MZTV, reports Sam Eyoboka.

Mount Zion Television is the brainchild of the Mount Zion Faith Ministries International, Nigeria, a full time Christian drama and movie production organisation.

Spearheaded by Evangelist Mike Bamiloye in the last 30 years, Mount Zion Film production has become a household name, known for educational and inspiring gospel movies and theatre productions.

With globally acclaimed productions such as Agbaranla, Mount Zion Faith Ministries is fulfilling its calling to propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ to all who need its healing with the launch of its television channel, exclusive to CONSAT. Director of Content, CONSAT, Ms Addy Awofisayo said: "We are thrilled to be partnering with Mount Zion Faith Ministries, CONSAT is committed to supporting indigenous content and sourcing fresh and compelling programming for our customers. We are confident that MZTV is going to be delivering just that at high

quality. The channel is clearly highly anticipated by Mount Zion fans so it's a great scoop to be the exclusive carrier of this channel."

On his part, Evang. Bamiloye said: "MZTV will be a 24/7 dedicated Christian movie channel. It shall not project any sermons or preaching from churches and organisations, nor shall it feature any secular drama and movies from the entertainment circles. It is definitely the pride of the church of God and the society at large to have a TV channel that puts forth inspiring drama and movies at all times of the day. The first such channel in Africa and exclusive to CONSAT.

Minister Sam holds worship concert

M

inister Sam, a gospel artiste’s musical concert, An Evening of Worship, holds May 29.

The event is slated to hold at Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG,Cornerstone Parish, 126 Okota road,Isolo by 5pm.

The programme according to Minister Sam, a worshipper who believes God can do much more than what we think and ask, will feature some of the best worship leaders in Nigeria.

PAGE 44—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 22, 2016

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 22, 2016, PAGE 45

46—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 22, 2016

Giwa has no court order to take over NFF – Dalung

By Jude Opara, Abuja

M

*Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Shehu Dikko (l), NFF President, Amaju Pinnick (r) with the new FIFA Secretary General, Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura after a breakfast meeting, in Abuja on Thursday.

INISTER of Sports and Youth Development, Barr Solomon Dalung, has clarified that the ruling of the Jos Federal High Court did not empower Chris Giwa to take over the running of Nigerian football as the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Dalung who spoke while appearing before the House of Representatives Committee on Sports in Abuja also revealed that he was the one who deployed the men of the Nigeria police Force (NPF) to protect the NFF Secretariat from possible

Channels National Kids’ Cup Season 8 kicks off

By Solomon Nwoke

N

ATIONAL primary school, Yaba, one of the two schools representing Lagos state in this year’s Channels National Kids’ Cup will square it up with their counterparts from Nasarawa state at the Teslim Balogun Stadium Lagos in the opening match of the National U-13 championship which enters its season eight this year The tournament is strictly for pupils currently in primary school and not above the age of 13 at the date of commencement of the football event.

Supported by the Lagos State Football Association (LSFA), the 2016 edition retains the 16team format with players from other regions of the federation

converging on Lagos to compete for the trophy.

The tournament which is aimed at discovering young talents and promoting the game of footbakll at the grassroots level is a corporate social responsibilty programme of Channels Television.

EAMS in the final of the 2016 MRS U-12 Kid Cup will jostle for the N2m prize money at stake. According to the organisers of the tournament, National Youth Soccer Association, the winners in the male and female categories will take home N250,000, the runners up will take N150,000 while the third place winner will take home N100,000. The prizes will be accompanied with gift items courtesy sponsors, MRS Oil and Gas Group.

The success of the annual MRS U-12 Kid Cup competition organised by the National Youth Soccer Association has worked positively for both the sponsors and the organisers.

The Managing Director, MRS Oil and Gas Group, Andrew Gbodume stated this

grassroots. According to Judo, “Our task is to make it possible.

Our mission is to provide practical step by step assistance, participating in grassroots sport like football keeps students focused on school work and being part of a team”.

AFN shifts golden league meet for Warri Peace Marathon medical fitness before they Nigerian could run. Though we are “There is a clash of date here THLETICS Federation of medically prepared for coaches Nigeria is prepared to shift and so we might move our meet A eventualities we have to take its golden league meet in Ilorin to accommodate the race in precautions to minimize or even reject Giwa Warri.

It is all for the good of on Saturday as it has clashed prevent causalities. with the Warri Peace Marathon scheduled to hold on May 28.

AFN president Solomon Ogba disclosed that the meet in Ilorin may be put on hold as equipment and officials will be in Warri for the 10km race.

MRS U-12 kid cup: N2m prize money up for grabs

T

Speaking at a press briefing to announce the commencement of the competition, Chairman of the Main Organising Committee, Steve Judo confirmed the commitment of Channels Television in supporting school sports and football at the

attack and vandalism.

“After seeing the situation, I was the one who ordered the police to move and occupy the complex and protect the property since certain forces have been mobilising to occupy the place.

“Nobody can exercise authority except as provided for by the constitution, meaning that every authority in Nigeria must be derived from existing laws. There is no other force allowed as a process of acquiring power. I moved the police in to protect lives and property “However, the drama continued and I immediately consulted widely with so many stakeholders across the country, reaching out to some people at the headquarters of the world soccer governing body, FIFA for a more advanced advice on how to handle this situation. The ministry is standing between the devil and deep blue sea” added Dalung who equally said the FIFA Statutes must be domesticated before lasting peace will return to Nigerian football.

He nevertheless expressed his confidence that if the two men leading the struggle for the soul of Nigerian should remove personal ego the crisis will be resolved.

in Lagos at the weekend while presenting trophies to the organisers, ahead of this year’s final slated for Campos mini-stadium, Lagos May 27th.

Speaking on the gains made by the competition, which is in its 4th year, Gbodume said, “two of the kids discovered in the last edition of the competition are now with the national U-13 team, while the overall objective of taking the kids out of the streets and identifying them early has been achieved.”

He also stated that the company decided to extend the competition to girls as a way of giving them equal opportunities as their male counterparts.

“The competition started in March and winners will emerge on May 27,” said Paul Freeman, Chairman, National Youth Soccer Association.

the sport and when, most especially, the Peace Marathon is the maiden edition,” Ogba remarked.

Meanwhile athletes are warming for the race meant to promote peaceful coexistence amongst the communities in the Warri area. Over a 1000 forms have been collected and returned so far just as the organizers have insisted on presentation of an authentic medical report before athletes could contest for the prizes at stake.

“Athletes must sign a caveat of

Galadima Continued from B/P

and just waiting for the goahead from the minister to submit the report any time from next week.

We had to talk to a lot of stakeholders including (Amos) Adamu, (Dominic) Oneya, (Aminu) Maigari and Austin Mgolu to give us their opinion on the way forward,” he said.

Continuing, the former chairman of the Kano sub-seat of the FIFA World Youth Championship tagged Nigeria ’99 stressed that the problem with Nigerian football was more of the structure as well as legal.

By Jacob Ajom

N

•Ogba–AFN President

“The problem of our football is that of structure and we have to restructure it, we have to get it right from the local government level through the state to the national level. Until we do it, we will be going round in circles. Legally, we also need to know whether it is NFA or NFF. The committee’s work is timely now that the FIFA president is coming, with the reforms going on in FIFA, we have to follow suit,”Alhaji Galadima stressed.

He however, added that their work is more of advisory and “it is left for the minister to implement our recommendations or not.”

IGERIAN Football Coaches Association has stated in unequivocal terms that it only recognises the Nigeria Football Federation headed by Amaju Pinnick.

President of the association, Bitrus Bewarang stated in a chat with Sports Vanguard that, there was no controversy over who the President of the Nigeria Football Federation is, insisting that his body recognises Amaju Pinnick as the duly elected president of the NFF. “As the umbrella body of Nigerian coaches, we want to declare our allegiance to the only recognised NFF led by Amaju Pinnick. We can never be part of the Giwa group because we want the development of football in our country. That is why we are in support of the NFF board led by Amaju Pinnick.”

The coaches association boss said they would remain grateful to the Amaju Pinnick led board for the considerations they have given local coaches and threw their weigh behind the various national team coaches. “We will support them in whatever way we can to ensure they succeed,”Bewarang concluded.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 22, 2016 — 47

Champions League: Koke gives Atletico team-mates tips on final M

IDFIELDER Koke issued a rallying cry to his Atletico Madrid teammates on Saturday ahead of next week’s Champions League final against Real Madrid.

The midfielder told a news conference that the players have to face the final in Milan on May 28 as if it were the last they would ever play in.

“You are not more nervous, you play like all your teammates,” Koke said.

“You have to take on the final as if it was the last one you’ll play, you never know,” he added.

“If you win you have this feeling that you’ve nourished since you were little and you feel it more.”

The Spanish midfielder said Atletico’s strategy would be to play tight at the back and try to pounce on any mistakes made by Real Madrid.

“I think we have to defend well and take advantage of their errors, because in these games they commit very few,” he said.

Striker Antoine Griezmann responded to his coach Diego Simeone’s claim that he was one

For Wikadson, what goes around, comes around

S

•Koke in action for Atletico Madrid. of the best three players in the world.

“That’s nice, no?” he said. “The truth is I try to give my best in every game and every training session. My teammates and the coaching team do everything so that I can be at this level, I hope that I can continue like this.”

The Frenchman, who will lead his country’s attack at next

month’s European Championship, was asked if he dreamed of playing in the Champions League final when he was a boy.

“It was too far off, I was very small and I just wanted to play or score goals like I saw on television,” he said.

“Thanks to my efforts and working hard, day in, day out, I will play a Champions League

Kano Pillars won’t be easy, says Plateau Utd’s Bala

The annual Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Marathon Race, tagged Corporate Challenge held in Lagos recently. Photo from right shows Health & Safety Director, Larfage Africa Plc, Graeme Bride, Director, NSE, Jalo Waziri jointly presenting the third runner-up, John Bosco with his medal.

P

LATEAU United forward, Reuben Bala has said his side are warming up for a difficult match against former Nigerian champions, Kano Pillars.

The Tin City landlords will host the Pyramid City side in today’s Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) matchday 19 clash at the Rwang Pam Stadium in Jos.

Both sides enjoy mixed fortune coming into the last day first term match while the hosts, Plateau United had a heartwarming goalless draw at Heartland in Owerri the Kano warlords were benched 1-2 at newcomers, Niger Tornadoes.

Bala said his side are buoyed with the draw at Heartland to chance claiming the whole three points at stake against Pillars.

“We know it won’t be easy against Kano Pillars just coming back from a 1-2 loss at newcomers, Niger Tornadoes in Lokoja.

“We are preparing for the hardest match on the season’s calendar but a game we will smile at the end of hostilities.

“Our singsong right now is ‘Pillars must fall’ and we are determined to see the dream become a reality.

Barca agree kit deal extension with Nike

B

ARCELONA have agreed an extension to their kitmanufacturing deal with Nike which Spanish media reported was the most lucrative arrangement of its kind in the world.

The Spanish champions issued a statement saying details of the contract will be specified at their next general assembly.

Barcelona-based daily newspapers Diario Sport and Mundo Deportivo reported that the deal could be worth 155 million euros

($174 million) a season and would run until 2026.

“FC Barcelona and Nike, Inc. have extended their

current sponsorship deal, which was due to end on June 30, 2018,” Barcelona said on Saturday.

NFF in talks with Ireland-based Akinade

T

HE Nigeria Football Federation is monitoring the highly-rated Bohemians striker Ismahil Akinade, with a view to handing the young star a call up in the not too distant future.

The Irish Mirror claims that the officials of the NFF have made contact with Akinade regarding representing one of

the national teams but have not firmed up their interest by contacting his Irish club.

Akinade was born in Ibadan 22 years before relocating to the Republic of Ireland, meaning there is a strong possibility that he could represent the European country if he is not cap-tied to Nigeria.

OUTH African reggae crooner, the late Lucky Dube sang that if you don’t have something good to say about somebody, you better shut up because what you say today may turn around to hurt you tomorrow. The same way that what one does today may turn around to hurt him tomorrow.

That is exactly what has happened to one who had a future in the business of football in Nigeria. Plateau-born Victor Wikadson was coach of an amateur club in Jos, the Plateau United Feeders Football Club. He had a future with the amateur side, so he thought.

They competed in the lower rung of the Nigerian league, the third division Nationwide League and were jostling for promotion with another team, the Police Machine team of Yola and each side needed a win to gain promotion.

They ended up recording scandalous scorelines against their opponents. While Wikadson’s side, Plateau United Feeders FC beat Akurba United of Lafia 79-0, Police Machine score 67 unreplied goals against Babayaro FC of Gombe.

Any football federation worth its salt won’t bait an eyelid to sanction the culprits of such actions which brought disrepute to the game.

So after thorough investigation, all the dramatis personae were handed life bans from football.

A total of 67 players from the four clubs were affected. Plateau United Feeders FC had 18, Police Machine 18, Babayaro 16 and Akurba United had 15. A total of 18 officials from the four clubs were equally affected. But today of all the players and officials affected by the life ban, only Wikadson has been again drawn to the spotlight. Why? May be Wikadson thought that because it is often touted that in Nigeria we do not keep accurate records or don’t keep records at all, his shameful act was not recorded or the records could have been thrown away or destroyed.

If the banned coach has forgotten or thinks the Nigeria Football Federation has no record of his misdeed, what would one say of Plateau United Football Club of Jos, the parent club of the Feeder team Wikadson handled and perpetrated the fraud with just three years ago?

May be in a hurry to replace their coach, Zakare Baraje who was given the boot, the Plateau side quickly appointed Wikadson as his replacement, oblivious(?) of the life ban hanging on his neck.

However, the NFF through its secretary general, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi promptly reminded the Jos side that its ‘new’ coach was still under life ban and therefore cannot be appointed.

However, if the club insist on keeping Wikadson, which I hope they won’t do, the repercussion could be costly for them. For the records, in case Plateau United goes again to draft any of the officials banned alongside Wikadson into its fold, the other banned officials for the records are Sani Mohammed and John Dabo, both assistants to Wikadson, Shuaibu Usman, Welfare officer, Garba Mohammed, Masseur, Babayaro Sambo, Curator and Danladi Bala, the Team Manager of the fraudulent Plateau United Feeders FC. It also hoped that all the 18 players of Wikadson’s team as well as players and officials of the other three clubs who are also under life ban, are not smuggled through the back door into any football club like Plateau United wanted to do before the NFF drew their attention to it.

It is on this note that one is forced to say that Plateau United Feeders FC, Akurba United FC, Police Machine FC and Babayaro FC had the boldness to fix their matches because when two other clubs, Akwa United and Calabar Rovers did it earlier, in 2006 to be precise, no serious sanction was imposed on them by the football body.

It could be recalled that Akwa United and Bussdor FC were involved in a promotion race at the time and Akwa United had a game against Calabar Rovers and needed to beat Rovers by 12-0 to sail through. They got it and added another goal to make it 13-0 to be doubly sure the promotion won’t elude them.

The sanction then was like a slap on the wrist. The result of the Akwa United 2006 fraud, was the 2013 upgrade in the show of shame by Plateau United Feeders FC, Akurba FC, Police Machine FC and Babayaro FC. It is therefore good for the NFF to always be on top of their game by not bending the rules no matter whose ox is gored. And so they must be commended for stopping Wikadson who threw professionalism to the wind and brought football into disrepute because of momentary and pecuniary gains.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 22, 2016

F/Eagles pip Burundi 1-0 T

HE Flying Eagles yesterday in Bujumbura made a winning start to the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations qualifying series, beating hosts

Man U get FA Cup consolation •Beat Crystal Palace 2-1

T

E N - M A N Manchester United defeated Crystal Palace 2-1 in extra time to lift the FA Cup Final at Wembley yesterday.

Second half substitute Jesse Lingard’s volley earlier into the second extra time period secured Louis van Gaal his first silverware with the Old Trafford club in what has been a rocky two seasons with the Premier League giants.

Juan Mata forced a strong save from Wayne Hennessey in the 22nd minute. From a fortunate deflection in the box, his low, left-footed shot from the right was pushed out of danger by the sprawling keeper.

United carved out a quality chance minutes later from a corner, but Marouane Fellaini’s close-range header took a deflection before going well wide of the goal.

Yannick Bolasie then forced a save from David De Gea on 27 minutes with a curled effort from outside the box.

The FA Cup is a consolation for Luis Van Gaal and his boys for a woeful season when they could not even finish among the top 4 in the league.

Burundi 1-0. The half time scores stood at 0-0 but it changed when the Flying Eagles grabbed the winning goal in the second half through exGolden Eaglets star Agor Chukwudi who broke the deadlock in the 64th minute of the contest at the Prince Louis Rwagasore Stadium.

The Emmanuel Amuneke-led side will face the Burundi U20s at the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar in the return leg next month.

Nigeria are the defending champions of

IGERIA winger Ahmed Musa’s CSKA Moscow have won the Russian Premier

•Musa

F

ORMER Nigeria Football Association, NFA Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima has said the 7-man committee on the NFF set up by Youth and Sports Minister, Barristwer Solomon Dalung which he heads is a reformatory rather than a reconciliatory committee as most

Nigerians think.

Speaking on telephone from his base in Kano yesterday, Alhaji Galadima disclosed that rather than reconcile any group of people in the football family, he and

his colleagues on the committee are saddled with the responsibility of seeking ways to reform football administration in Nigeria so as to be in tune with the rest of the world. “Most Nigerians

have been saying that our committee is for reconciliation. It is not true, we were given the task to map out a way forward for our football and we are almost winding up our job. We are at the binding stage

Enyimba surge ahead, beat Nasarawa 1-0

Continues on page 46

HAMPIONS Enyimba continued their surge up the

NPFL Matches today Abia Warriors v Sunshine Akwa Utd v 3SC Enyimba v Nasarawa IfeanyiUba v Tornadoes Lobi v Rivers Utd MFM v Giwa Plateau v Pillars W/ Wolves v El Kanemi Wikki v Ikorodu

C

See solution on page 3

Nigeria league table after they edged past Nasarawa United 1-0 yesterday.

Enyimba are now eighth on the table with 27 points from 15 matches.

Both Enyimba and Nasarawa have been involved in continental competitions and hence their backlog of matches.

The unlikely match winner was leftback Chima Akas, whose free kick from 25 yards in the 31st minute went past goalkeeper Suraj Ayeleso to separate the two teams.

Enyimba star striker Mfon Udoh was forced out of the game early in the second half after crunching tackle. He was replaced by Joseph Osadiaye.

League title after defeating Rubin Kazan 1-0 away on the last day of the season on Saturday.

The only goal of the game was scored by Alan Dzagoev in the 19th minute.

The win means CSKA finished top of the table on 65 points, pipping Rostov who finished second on 63 points, after they beat Terek Grozny 2-0 away.

CSKA have now won the Russian Premier League title 13 times.

AFN shifts golden league meet

NFF crisis: Our task’s reformatory, not reconciliatory — Galadima

By Patrick Omorodion

•Amuneke

Musa’s Russian champion with CSKA

N

CELEBRATION . . . The lid of the FA Cup goes flying as Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick lift the famous trophy at Wembley

the Africa U20 Cup of Nations after beating Senegal in the 2015 final.

—p.46

Giwa has no court order to take over NFF —p.46

FIXTURES

COPA DEL REY Barcelona

v

5pm 5pm 5pm 5pm 5pm 5pm 5pm 5pm 5pm

Savilla

8.30pm

RESULTS NPFL

Enyimba FA CUP Man Utd GERMAN CUP Bayern FRENCH CUP Marseille

1

Nasarawa

2

Crystal Palace

0(4) Dortmund 2

PSG

0 1 0(3)pen.

4

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Advert Dept: :01- 7924470; Hotline: 01-4544821; Abuja Advert Hotline: 09-2921024.

E-mail website: sundayvanguard@yahoo.com, editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, sunvanguardmail@yahoo.com. Advert:advert@vanguardngr.com.

Internet: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: JIDE AJANI. 08111813023 All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.