FANTASTICALLY CORRUPT COUNTRIES: Buhari tackles Cameron

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 63025

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N200

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

Ajaokuta coming on stream in 24 months, says FG

Militants threatened >>4&13 me on phone — KACHIKWU Shell, Chevron evacuating workers— Oil Union

>>8

8 killed as blood flows in Rivers, Bayelsa again >>5

F A N TA S T I C A L LY C O R R U P T C O U N T R I E S :

Buhari tackles Cameron •CAMERON

We have got some leaders of some fantastically corrupt countries coming to Britain — Nigeria and Afghanistan — possibly the two most corrupt countries in the world.

— BRITISH PM, DAVID CAMERON

It is certainly not reflective of the good work the President is doing. The eyes of the world are on what is happening here. The Prime Minister must be looking at an old snapshot of Nigeria.

— PRESIDENCY

•BUHARI

Story on Page 4 FG to borrow N1.884trn to finance capital projects —DMO •P.8 CAMERON—Britain's Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow (L)introduces British Prime Minister David Cameron (C) to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, as Chris Grayling (2nd R), Leader of the British House of Commons and Chris Bryant (R), shadow leader of the House of Commons, look on during a reception in Buckingham Palace in London, yesterday. AFP photo.

You're ignorant of history, Gowon slams pro-Biafra agitators COLUMNISTS: Chukwuma, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing boss now IMSU Chancellor See Inside C M Y K

Should I report my boss to personnel? •P.27

#PanamaPapers, public integrity and Buhari: Have we

found our redeemer?

•P.17

A decade after

9

Fani-Kayode adamant over N840m campaign fund •P.19

•P.4

Mr & Mrs

2—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016 — 3

C M Y K

4—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

‘Oil firms evacuating workers’

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

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IL producers are evacuating workers from the Niger Delta because of deteriorating security situation in Nigeria’s most important oil-producing region, organised labour has said.

Chairman of Rivers State chapter of Trade Union Congress, TUC, Mr. Chika Onuegbu, who disclosed this yesterday, said evacuation of workers was done in areas the militants attacked, saying operations were ongoing in safer areas.

Onuegbu, also former Chairman of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, said: “The companies whose facilities had been attacked have evacuated staff in some areas.

“Managements and unions are on the alert and monitoring security and other developments in the areas.

“They have cut off crude supplies to Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries. There is also the attack on Chevron Valve Platform in Abiteye; very sophisticated attacks.”

However, none of the spokespersons for the international oil companies, IOCs, when contacted, responded to Vanguard calls, text messages and electronic mails sent to them, including Shell and Chevron, except ExxonMobil, who simply said: “No comments.”

SUMMIT: From left— President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State and Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State, during the Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit in Katsina, yesterday.

Nigeria, Afghanistan fantastically corrupt— David Cameron He’s living in the past, Presidency replies

By Levinus Nwabughiogu, with Agency Reports

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RITISH Prime Minister, David Cameron, has described Nigeria and Afghanistan as “fantastically corrupt” in a conversation with the Queen of England, Elizabeth II. However, in a swift reaction, the Presidency said the British Prime Minister, Mr. Cameron, still had the “old snapshot” of what Nigeria was before the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to have described it as “fantastically corrupt” alongside Afghanistan.

While talking about this week’s anti-corruption summit billed to hold in London tomorrow, where President Muhammadu Buhari will give a keynote address, Cameron said: “We have got some leaders of some fantastically corrupt countries coming to

EFCC docks ex-NAF chief today

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor

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BUJA—FORMER Chief of Air Staff, Mohammed Umar, will, today, appear before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, to answer questions on how he used the funds belonging to the Nigerian Air Force between 2010 and 2012.

Umar’s name was among the 14 top military officers submitted to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for investigation by the Special Presidential Panel set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to review arms procurement by

the three tiers of the Nigerian Armed Forces between 2007 and 2015.

Although the panel submitted that $2 billion and another N29 billion was used for arms procurement by NAF within the period under review, no specific amount has been attributed to Umar.

However, EFCC, which investigated allegations of funds diversion, believes he has a case to answer and has already lined up witnesses.

The arraignment, according to EFCC, follows the conclusion of months of investigation and establishment of sufficient evidence.

Britain— Nigeria and Afghanistan— possibly the two most corrupt countries in the world.”

Asked whether he knew he was being filmed, the Prime Minister said: “There were multiple cameras in the room.”

After Mr. Cameron’s comments, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, intervened: “But this particular President is not corrupt. He is trying very hard,” before Speaker, John Bercow, said: “They are coming at their own expense, one assumes?”

The conversation took place at Buckingham Palace at an event to mark the Queen’s 90th birthday.

BBC diplomatic correspondent, James Landale, described the Prime Minister ’s comments as a “truthful gaffe,” because the two countries involved were widely perceived as having a corruption problem.

Afghanistan was ranked 167, ahead of only Somalia and North Korea, in Transparency International’s 2015 corruption perception index. Nigeria was at 136.

With his remark, the archbishop was believed to have been referring to President Muhammadu Buhari, who won elections last year promising to fight widespread corruption.

The government will host world and business leaders at the summit tomorrow in London, aiming to “galvanise a global response to tackle corruption.”

Speaking ahead of the summit, Mr. Cameron said: “For too long, there has been a taboo about tackling this issue head-on. The summit will change that. Together we will push the fight against

corruption to the top of the international agenda, where it belongs.”

Nigeria reacts

The Presidency, through the Senior Special Assistant to Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said that the remark was not reflective of the anticorruption stance of the present regime in Nigeria, saying “it is certainly not reflective of the good work that the President is doing.

“The eyes of the world are on what is happening here.

The Prime Minister must be looking at an old snapshot of Nigeria.

Things are changing. That, we believe, is the reason they chose him as a keynote speaker at the pre-summit conference.

“Thank you to the Archbishop Justin Welby. We very much cherish the good relationship between our two countries and nothing should stand in the way of improving those relations.”

Precedents

Last year Mr. Cameron was recorded talking about Yorkshire people “hating each other ” and he was previously caught revealing how the Queen “purred” with pleasure when he told her the Scottish independence referendum result.

Asked whether the Prime Minister had apologised to the Queen over the corruption remarks, his official spokesman said the presidents of Nigeria and Afghanistan had “acknowledged the scale of the corruption challenge they face in their respective countries.”

Fani-Kayode adamant over N840m campaign fund

By Soni Daniel

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BUJA—THERE were indications last night that the embattled former Aviation Minister and spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, might not be freed from the custody of the antigraft agency in a short while.

Vanguard learned that the former minister was adamant that the N840 million he got from the Finance Director of the campaign organisation, Nenadi Usman, was promptly used for the specified assignments outlined for him.

However, EFCC is insisting that he produces the records of how the sum was expended and who the beneficiaries were and why they were entitled to such public funds.

To show that it was serious about keeping the former minister in its custody, EFCC, yesterday, procured a remand warrant to further keep the former minister for a long time.

Sources said that FaniKayode was claiming that he did not know that the money he collected came from the public till. He is said to have told the interrogators that he had all along assumed that the N840 million came from private donations for Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which hired him to handle the media for the presidential election.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016—5

POCKET CARTOON

to come up at the court, yesterday , Mr Douglas said he was not sure.

He called on the Police to investigate the incident, expressing hope that work woudld resume at the judiciary today.

PDP, APC trade blames

UBA IN UGANDA—President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni (middle);

Chairman, UBA Group, Tony O. Elumelu (2nd Left); Chairman, UBA Uganda, Dr. Eric Adriko (2nd right); Regional CEO, Anglophone Africa, UBA Plc, Oliver Alawuba (right); and Strategic Business Group Head, Lagos 2, Johnson Agoreyo (left); after a meeting to discuss UBA’s support for infrastructure development initiatives, at the Presidential Palace in Entebbe, yesterday.

8 killed as Blood flows in Rivers, Bayelsa again

By Jimitota Onoyume, Samuel Oyadongha & Davies Iheamnachor

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ORT-HARCOURT—

THE bloodbath in Rivers State continued, yesterday, as five persons were killed in attacks by suspected cultists in different parts of the state.

The state high court premises in Port Harcourt also came under attack.

The attack on the court led to a shutdown of the judicial system in the state.

This came a day after five policemen attached to the 30 Police Mobile Force in Bayelsa State, were killed during a gun battle with suspected cultists at Okobe in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The policemen were

attacked en route their base in Bayelsa from Yobe State, where they went on official assignment.

In the creeks of nearby Bayelsa State, gunmen suspected to be sea pirates and renegade militants in the early hours of yesterday, invaded the coastal town of Foropa in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state, killing three soldiers.

The attack on the soldiers, it was gathered, occurred at 1a.m., at a military check point in the coastal settlement.

In the Rivers State incident, among those killed were two private security men guarding the state judiciary complex. It was gathered that the gunmen invaded the state judiciary complex in Port Harcourt, and killed two guards in the court premises.

IT'S UP TO YOU

BY AYO ADIO

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IFE will present you with a litany of excuses to give up on your dreams and aspirations, but you must show resilience and tenacity not to throw in the towel. The world is counting on your dream to make it a better place. It's up to you.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Some people won’t be happy until they’ve pushed you to the ground. Have the courage to stand your ground and hold on to your power and never give it away —Donna Schoenrock

W

HAT you can learn from the difficult people in your life. Sometimes life deals you a card where you have to relate with, at least, a few people that know how to push your buttons. However, you can learn a lot from difficult people. Whenever you’re stuck dealing with someone you’d rather avoid, use the opportunity to practice being patient.

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE An animal with little babies does not run too fast.

The killers also attacked three civilian security men who were on night duty with machetes and axes in the court premises.

Two of the victims died instantly, while the third person has been hospitalized.

When Vanguard visited the complex, Police patrol vehicles and armed policemen were seen at the two main entrances to the complex.

A female guard, who resumed duty, yesterday morning at the state high court premises, told Vanguard that the victims were killed with machetes and axes.

The lady, who pleaded anonymity, said the killers entered the court compound through the gate and met their victims sleeping.

She said the victims were on night duty when they were attacked, adding that the guards were overpowered.

Also, the Chief Security Officer of the court complex, Mr Tabotubo Douglas, who confirmed the killings, said one of the guards was injured and is receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

He said the assailants used hard substances to club the guards, noting that no gunshot was fired.

“Two were killed, one injured. I came to work after 6p.m., and met Policemen all over the place. Unknown men killed the security men on duty. ‘’The press should verify their news. No gunshot was fired anywhere. No policeman was killed.

Rather, it was our security men that were killed. I don’t know when it happened. We don’t know what happened,” Douglas said.

Asked if the attack on the guards had anything to do with the case involving those arrested in connection with death of late ex militant leader, Soboma George, that was

Reacting to the killings, Cha irman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, Mr Felix Obuah, described the attack on the state judiciary as painful.

Obuah, who spoke in Port Harcourt after his party’s congress in the state, in which he was returned elected as chairman of the party for the second term, said the act was perpetrated by enemies of the state.

The All Progressive Congress, APC, in in the state blamed the state government for the ugly incidents.

The state Police Commissioner, Mr Musa Kimo, visited the scene of the incident with some of his officers.

State Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmad Muhammad, who spoke on the incident, said the Police would unearth those behind the killings at the court premises, adding that the killers did not fire any gunshot.

“The civilian security men at the court were attacked by unknown assailants. We are investigating the matter.

And in no distant time, we will come out with something,” he said.

stopped when we heard of the death in the court,” the source added.

Gunmen kill three in Bori

Three persons were shot dead on Monday night on Polytechnic Road in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Police spokesman, Ahmad confirmed the incident, saying they were shot by suspected hoodlums on a motor bike, adding that the three men were at a relaxation spot when they were killed.

One of those killed was a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the other, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, while the third one was described as a student of the Polytechnic.

The Police could not confirm if the killing was politically motivated.

“On the issue of Bori, they were relaxing when gunmen opened fire and killed them,” Ahmad said.

Another attack near prisons Three soldiers In another attack, killed in Bayelsa Vanguard gathered that gunmen shot for several creeks hou rs on Creek Road, close to Port Harcourt prisons, in the early hours of yesterday.

An officer of the prisons who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the prisons did not come under any threat. The officer said as the gunmen were firing close to the prisons, warders at the prisons had to fire warning shots.

“You know at night when you hear gunshots, they sound very close. So our men had to fire warning shots. It was later we heard that the shots were coming from Creek Road, close to the market,” the source said.

The source confirmed that some inmates linked with the murder of the late Soboma George were to have been conveyed to court, yesterday, adding that they had to stop when they heard of the sad incident at the court.

“We were supposed to have taken inmates detained in connection with the murder of Soboma George to court yesterday. But we

In nearby Bayelsa State, a community source told Vanguard t hat the development had heightened tension in the coastal enclave, with the natives fleeing their homes for fear of possible reprisal attack by the military.

The soldiers, attached to the Joint Task Force, codenamed Operation Pulo Shield,OPS, were reportedly attacked by armed men, who stormed the checkpoint in two speedboats.

It was gathered that the attackers carted away two AK47 rifles, a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) and some ammunition at the checkpoint.

According to a community source, the soldiers were caught unawares by the suspected sea pirates.

“These militants attack security agents ostensibly to steal their arms and ammunition. Criminallyminded youths are stockpiling arms again. This calls for vigilance among security operatives,” he

said.

Coordinator of the Joint Media Centre of the OPS, Col. Isa Ado, confirmed the attack, describing the gunmen as “suspected pirates and renegade militants.”

He said: “At 1p.m., of the day, sea pirates and renegade militants engaged our men at their location in Foropah community in gun battle which was very intense.

Some of our men sustained injuries, while three were killed. There were also casualties on the attackers side, which I can confirm.

We have condoned off the area and the security operation is ongoing.”

Meanwhile, the community led by the Chairman of Foropa Council of Chiefs, Chief Walson Eribini, and the Chairman of Community Development Committee, Pastor Timi Ode, yesterday, condemned the killing of the soldiers and called on the Federal Government to ensure the killers were brought to justice.

Pastor Timi Ode, who spoke with Vanguard after an emergency meeting by indigenes of the community in Yenagoa, said the unfortunate incident had triggered fear in the community.

“The report we heard over the killing of the soldier was sad. We condemned it in the strongest of terms.

And we have sent a SaveOur-Soul letter to the state governor, Mr Seriake Dickson and the Commander of the OPS to ensure that our community and the people are safe,” he said.

17 suspected cultists, kidnappers paraded

Meanwhile, the Nigerian army, yesterday, paraded 17 suspected cultists and kidnappers at the 2 Brigade headquarters in Port Harcourt. Spokesman of the Brigade, Captain Eli Lazarus, said five General Purpose Machine Guns, GPMG, 16 AK 47 riffles, two fabrique national rifles, six Pump action rifles, three G- 3 rifles were among items recovered from them during the operations.

6 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY MAY 11 , 2016

Lagos CJ inaugurates 29 new magistrates, warns relations

By Abdulwahab Abdulah & Onozure Dania

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AGOS Chief Judge, Jus tice Olufumilayo Atilade yesterday warned spouses, relations, supporters and friends against any interference as she inaugurate 29 new magistrate in the state.

The inauguration of the 29 new magistrates, 22 of whom are women and seven men brought to 148 the total number of magistrates in the state.

Justice Atilade who was addressing the new magistrate at a ceremony in Lagos said for them to excel and perform their job adequately, they must stay away from anything that will contradict their oath of office.

Atilade said : “Their work from now on must be a “keepoff zone” for all and sundry.

This is the only way you can assist them to succeed in their new career and protect them from negativity of the profession”, she stressed.

She admonished the new magistrates to refuse all entreaties and requests that will begin to come into the “no-go areas” following their inauguration into the bench.

She reminded the new magistrates that the powers they are now cloaked with under the various laws of the land are enormous and cautioned them not to take such powers with levity as they affect the life and liberty of citizens.

LAGOS @ 50: Soyinka’s appointment thoroughly deserving — GBADAMOSI

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O-CHAIRMAN of the Lagos At 50 Committee, Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi yesterday gave credence to the appointment of Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka to Co-Chair the Committee, saying his clout of experience will come in handy to ensure a worthwhile celebration of the State.

Gbadamosi who spoke to journalists shortly after a meeting of the Committee, said the controversy surrounding his (Soyinka) appointment was unnecessary, adding that Soyinka is not only an authority in the field of arts, but has become a celebrated symbol across the world.

Gbadamosi also assured that the Committee is working hard to come out with a world class celebration that would be to the pride of not just Lagosians and Nigerians, but to the people of the African continent in general.

BUILDING COLLAPSE: Lagos seals 500 fresh distressed buildings Introduces e-planning permit

By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsuru Olowoopejo

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AGOS—THE Lagos State Government has identified over 500 new distressed and abandoned buildings that could collapse any moment in the state.

Meantime, the state Government yesterday, explained reasons for the continued delay in the release of report on the fivestorey building which collapsed at Lekki Gardens, in Eti-Osa Local Government.

Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Abiola Anifowoshe, who disclosed these at the ongoing ministerial press briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, in commemoration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s first year in office, said the discovery was one of the measures adopted by the government to check the incidence of building collapse in the state.

Anifowoshe said; “We have identified over 500 distressed and abandoned buildings. We have identified them and we have evacuated the occupants. The buildings we have identified were the ones we know are dangerous for habitation.

“The marking of the buildings is ongoing. We went round the state to identify distressed buildings. Very soon, we will release another list of distressed build-

BOOK PRESENTATION: From left; Central Council of Ibadan indigene President; Chief Wole Akinwande, Authors wife; Mrs Kudirat Akande, Author; Mr Adams Akande, Representative of Sen. Rasheed Ladoja; Chief Femi Lanlehin; Chairman of the occasion; OlootuDipo Sofowora and Oloye Lekan Alabi during the Public presentation of a book Memorable Quotes written by Mr Adams Akande in Ibadan on Tuesday. Photo: Dare Fasube.

ings in the state.

“We have sealed the buildings and issued three months ultimatum to their owners to take possession or be ready to face the wrath of the law,” he added.

The commissioner lamented, “It cost the government huge amount of money to pull down any building. That was why we have decided to embark on the exercise in phases.” Anifowoshe said other measures adopted by the government to curb collapse of buildings were: “Compulsory integrity test of building and construction materials in conjunction with the Lagos State Materials Testing

Laboratory.

“Identification and removal of distressed/dilapidated buildings, Removal of illegal and non-conforming buildings, inspections and certification of various stages of building construction and evaluation of on-going and completed projects,” he added.

Lekki Gardens' report On the update on Lekki Gardens report, the commissioner said: “We are waiting for the report of the Nigerian Police on the collapsed Lekki Gardens building. When they complete their report, the police will submit their report to the state government

How the economy can weather current difficulties —LCCI

By Naomi Uzor

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AGOS — THE Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, yesterday, said the Nigerian economy has the capacity to weather the current economic difficulties if the policy context are appropriate and robust.

Speaking at the public presentation of the 2016 Lagos International Trade Fair, tagged “Positioning the Nigerian Economy for Diversification and Sustainable Growth”, the president of LCCI, Chief Nike Akande said Nigeria has a large and vibrant market, large and fast growing population, pool of resourceful entrepreneurs and a huge untapped natural resources.

She said with the creation of an enabling environment, the diversification of the Nigerian economy will be realised sooner than later.

“We therefore present the platform of the 2016 LITF for states to exhibit their potentials to investors. More than ever before, states need investors to boost economic activities and support fiscal positions by exploiting the various resources for economic diversification” she said.

Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Mr. Rotimi

Ogunleye, who was represented by the Director of Commerce, Mr. Kazeem Adeniji, noted that, LCCI is assisting the government in promoting investment, trade and commerce in the state.

“The Governor of Lagos State is interested in the fair, having

personally attended last year’s closing ceremony, it is a manifestation that he sees the private sector as the engine of growth. We really want to rejig the real sector because that is where the prosperity of the nation lies” he stated.

through the State Ministry of Justice. The ministry will then advise the state government on the best step to be taken. At the moment, we cannot dabble into the ongoing investigation by the police.”

Introduces e-planning permit In order to keep up with the pace of the transformation in service delivery and e-governance policy as well as embrace global best practices in the way of doing business, the Lagos State Government has introduced the e-Planning Permit platform in order to accelerate Planning Permit processing in the State. The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, TLP Wasiu Anifowoshe disclosed the Ministerial Press briefing.

He emphasised that with this development, application for planning permit by Lagosians can now be made on-line irrespective of their location, adding that the online permit system also allows users to upload design drawings and other prerequisites.

Kashamu, George in struggle for control of Lagos PDP

By Dapo Akinrefon

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AGOS—THE crisis in the Lagos State chapter of the

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP deepened yesterday following indications that a powerful Southwest leader of the party,

EFCC arrests Lagos lawyer, Adegboruwa

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AGOS—A prominent Lagos-based civil rights lawyer and human rights activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, was arrested , yesterday, at his Lekki office by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The commission is accusing Mr. Adegboruwa, one of the lawyers to the ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, of obtaining money under false pretence by knowingly renting out a forfeited asset without due authorization.

Adegboruwa, allegedly conspired with some other persons

to lease a property situated at House 105 NICON Town Estate, Lekki Lagos, to one Shelf Drilling Nigeria Limited at the sum of N61, 631,944.65.

The said money was credited to his Zenith Bank’s account, from where he disbursed it to others.

EFCC officials said that the legal practitioner acted illegally by leasing out a property which is a subject of an interim order of forfeiture by a Lagos State High Court.

Adegboruwa, who is a vocal critic of the Nigerian government, according to EFCC source will be charged to court soon.

Senator Buruji Kashamu has moved to supplant the structure put in place by erstwhile deputy national chairman, Chief Bode George.

This came as there was uncertainty, yesterday, over the conduct of the rescheduled PDP ward congress in Lagos State.

Vanguard gathered yesterday that allies of Senator Kashamu were working with aggrieved members of the party in the state who have scores to settle with Chief George to actualise the dream.

A top party official in Lagos State, however, vowed to resist the alleged efforts of the senator from Ogun State saying that Lagos PDP will not take dictates from Ogun State.

Kashamu’s media aide, Austin Oniyokor in a swift reaction, however, removed his boss from the affairs of the PDP in Lagos State.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016 — 7

OGUN INVESTORS FORUM: From left; Wife of the Ogun State Governor, Mrs Olufunsho Amosun; Chairman, Lafarge Africa Plc, Mr. Mobolaji Balogun and Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun at the 2016 Ogun State Investors Forum at the Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, yesterday.

Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, Alake of Egbaland (left) and Dr Oba Otudeko, Chairman Honeywell Group at the forum.

POOR REVENUE: States should take advantage of FG interventions — OSINBAJO

By Daud Olatunji

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BEOKUTA—THE Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has urged states to take advantage of various interventions by the federal government to develop their agricultural sectors and boost their economies.

Osinbajo stated this at the third edition of Ogun State Investors Forum, tagged: Ogun State is Open For Business with the theme; Environment, Transportation and Agriculture held in Abeokuta.

He said that participants at the National Economic Council held in April have concluded that states ought to be the centres of prosperity in the country.

He recalled one of such collaborations between the federal government and the Kebbi State government in which the Central bank empowered 75,000 small farmers in the state with N 7.5bn loan for the production of rice.

Also speaking at the event the former President of Columbia, Cesar Trujillo, called for increased collaboration between African and Latin American countries for economic development in the continents. Trujillo made the call in his keynote address.

The former Colombian President noted that countries in the two continents had much to learn from each other.

Also, the Minister for Finance, Kemi Adeosun in her address pledged that the federal government would play its role as an” enabler ” in order to strenthen economies of the various states.

She observed that such intervention had been lacking in the past.

Adeosun reiterated the federal government’s determination to lead the nation along the path of sustainable development.

She, however, urged Nigerians to embark on what she described as ‘economic patriotism’ saying

that; “No country develops its economy by creating jobs for other countries. “We have to patronise our own. It may not be the

cheapest but it can eventually become cheaper with time.”

Governor Amosun in his address revealed that the first and

second editions of the State Investors’ Forum had not only earned the State its position as one of the fastest growing investment destination not only in Nigeria but West Africa .

Amosun has revealed that the

state would diversify its economy by effectively harnessing its rich mineral resources by encouraging existing and potential investors in the sector, while it intends to take full advantage of the State’s proximity to the largest market in West Africa, Lagos, including other Southwest States and also the West African sub region.

OPC, Ijaw leader meet to avoid avengers threat to Lagos

By Tare Youdeowei

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AGOS—THE leader of Ijaw Monitoring Group, Comrade Joseph Evah; founder of Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, and the National Coordinator of OPC, Chief Fredrick Fasheun and Otunba Gani Adams respectively, met over the tension brewing between the Yoruba and Ijaws in Lagos as a result of the threat by the Niger Delta Avengers to attack Lagos.

Speaking to Vanguard after the meeting which was also attended

by some Yoruba chiefs and community leaders in the riverine areas of Lagos and Ogun states, Comrade Joseph Evah assured that the Niger Delta Avengers will not attack Lagos, adding that the leadership of the Ijaw nation, as well as the Amnesty programme coordinator, General Paul Boroh, have advised the Avengers to dialogue with government instead of opting for violence.

According to Evah: “We are not taking the threat by the Yoruba self- determination group, Odua Defenders Union, ODU, to attack

Ijaws in Lagos ahead of the plan

by NDA to storm Lagos lamely.

We had bloody war with the Yoruba youths on the streets of Lagos about 15. years ago and it was the Late Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha that saved the situation.

“Despite the intervention of Alamco, we have many widows, fatherless children in Lagos because of that war. Ijaw and Yorubas lost over 100 souls apart from the properties destroyed.”

The Ijaw Leader further said: “The threat by Niger Delta

Purportedly elected officials deny PDP parallel congress in Ekiti

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WO of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, members in Ekiti State, Comrade J. K. Oni and Alhaji Gani Bankole purportedly elected in a State Congress of the party different from the one in which Mr Gboyega Oguntuase, a lawyer, was elected have disassociated themselves from the congress.

Comrade Oni and Alhaji Bankole said they did not take part in any other State Congress of the PDP in Ekiti State apart from the only one authorized by the party and supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) where Barrister Oguntuase emerged as the State Chairman, Comrade J. K. Oni as State Financial Secretary, Alhaji Gani Bankole as Vice chairman (South) among others.

The statement read; “Our attention has been drawn to report orchestrated by some faceless individuals that a State Congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) other than the one in which

Barrister Gboyega Oguntuase was elected took place in Ekiti State today.

“The report also indicated that we, Comrade J. K. Oni and Alhaji Gani Bankole were “elected” as Vice Chairman Central and South Senatorial Districts respectively.

“We wish to state categorically that we did not take part in any other State Congress of the PDP in Ekiti State apart from the only one authorized by the party and supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) where Barrister Oguntuase emerged as the State Chairman, Comrade J. K. Oni as State Financial Secretary, Alhaji Gani Bankole as Vice chairman (South) among others.

“We hereby disassociate ourselves from the so-called congress, if it ever took place and warn that henceforth, on no account should our names be associated with such fraud.

“We are totally committed to the leadership of our governor, Dr Peter Ayodele Fayose and the

success of the Barrister Gboyega Oguntuase-led State Executives of our party that were elected today, May 10, 2016 at Adetiloye Hall, Trade Fair Complex, Ado-Ekiti.”

Avengers (NDA) is causing tension now and anything can happen. We have to avert blood bath. The population of Ijaws from Akwa-Ibom, Rivers, Delta, Edo, Bayelsa and Ondo State in Lagos State is over half a million, especially in the riverine areas of Lagos and Ogun states.

“Ijaws and Yorubas are in good relationship now in the SouthWest and we want to maintain that good relationship,” Evah said.

8—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

Hollande, Biya, others expected as Nigeria hosts regional security summit

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

A MEETING: Minister of Power, Works & Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola (2nd right); Permanent Secretary (Power), Mr. Louis Edozien (left); Niger State Commissioner for Works & Transport, Abdulmalik Usman Cheche (2nd right) and Chief Technical Officer, North South Power, Roland Lwiindi during the fifth monthly meeting of the minister with sectoral participants in the power sector at the Shiroro Hydroelectric Power Station, Shiroro, Niger State.

FG to borrow N1.884trn to finance capital projects —DMO L

By Peter Egwuatu & Nkiruka Nnorom

A G O S — D E B T Management Office, DMO, yesterday, said the Federal Government was expected to borrow a total of N1.884 trillion from domestic and external markets to fund capital projects only.

Director General, Debt Management Office, Dr. Abraham Nwankwo, who disclosed this at a one-day workshop by DMO on “Public debt and the challenge for financing Nigeria’s economic recovery “ organised for Capital Market correspondents in Lagos said: “Amount to be borrowed by the Federal Government as per appropriation bill is external, N900 billion and domestic, N984 billion, and this will be used to provide infrastructure needed to boost productivity and create jobs.

“The DMO is committed to making sure that we raise money to fund the 2016 budget deficit from appropriate sources and through appropriate mix during the fiscal year to make sure that capital projects are funded.

"The present government is not going to use the borrowed fund for recurrent expenditure. So, in that case, there will be greater accountability and monitoring of projects by relevant authorities.”

Nwankwo stressed that the Nigerian debt level was highly sustainable, saying the nation still has lots of idle minerals potential, which the current administration is currently working to harness for effective growth of the national economy.

According to him, while comparative tax revenue to GDP ratio of Nigeria is less than 7.0 per cent, its peer group has a ratio of 18 per cent. He, therefore, stressed

the need to widen the tax net to generate more revenue for the government.

He said: “The debt to GDP ratio is 13 per cent, compared to the 56 per cent of peer group.

So, in that essence, our debt is still very sustainable. In this respect, I am encouraging all Nigerians to continue to make sure that they pay their taxes fully as at when due because our tax revenue to GDP ratio is relatively lower to countries in our peer group.

"As our economy grows, as our GDP grows. As we are collecting enough in taxes from individuals and corporate bodies to be able to fund capital projects, our economy will continue to grow.”

He further stated that debt

sustainability and overall economic sustainability could be significantly influenced by individuals and corporate bodies paying taxes fully.

Economic recession

Speaking on the economic recession caused mainly by unfavourable structural change in the fall of oil prices globally, he said the Federal Government was addressing the challenge through diversified, self-sustaining growth in agriculture and agro processing, solid minerals, manufacturing and information and communication technology, ICT. According to him, in the medium to long term, debt sustainability in Nigeria

hinges on the overall sustainability of the economy, and the overall economic sustainability hinges on diversifying the economy in a sustainable manner.

“That is what the government is doing in agriculture, solid minerals, ICT and manufacturing. And to do that, we need a strong infrastructure base and that is why government is spending what it is borrowing on capital projects,” the DMO boss noted.

He further emphasised the need for revenue base of the country to be enhanced to be able to repay its debts and strengthen the value of naira through reduction in importation and increase in exports.

BUJA — PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari would on Saturday host the French President, Francois Hollande, and his Cameroonian counterpart, Paul Biya, to a regional security summit in Abuja.

Others also scheduled to arrive Abuja on Friday for the summit include Presidents of Niger Republic, Chad and Benin Republic.

Similarly, representatives of the United States, Britain, Equatorial Guinea, European Union, ECOWAS, the Economic Community of Central African States and the Gulf of Guinea Commission are expected at the summit.

The security summit will lead essentially to the successful conclusion of ongoing military operations against Boko Haram in the North-East of Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin.

A statement by the presidential media aide, Mr. Femi Adesina, yesterday said: “The speedy resolution of the humanitarian crises caused by the barbaric atrocities of the terrorist group will also feature prominently on the summit’s agenda."

Ajaokuta steel to come on stream in 24 months — FG Says Ukrainians, Russians, Chinese want to revive plant Why subsidy can’t continue —Kachikwu FG to redefine govt spending —Adeosun range of players. There are

By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief

A

BUJA — THE Federal Government has set in motion strategies to resolve the court action by Global Infrastructure on Ajaokuta Steel Complex to get it operational in the next 24 months.

Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who disclosed this at the Ministerial Town Hall meeting in Kaduna, yesterday, revealed that Ukranians, Russians and Chinese investors have shown interests in the complex..

This came as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, said subsidy on petrol cannot continue, noting that a lot of fuel imported into the country was smuggled out to other countries.

Also yesterday, Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, reiterated the resolve of the Federal Government to redefine spending to get maximum impact.

According to Dr. Fayemi, the Ajaokuta Steel Complex is a priority of the administration which it stands ready to do whatever it takes to get on stream.

He said: “What we are doing, in order to revive Ajaokuta, is in two folds. One, Ajaokuta is caught in a legal conundrum and we will ignore the legal issues and say what we are more interested in is the reviving of Ajaokuta and making it work. It is a priority of government.

“So, the problems at the concession was Global Infrastructure, an Indian company under the Obasanjo administration that was revoked under the Yar ’Adua’s administration, is one that we are resolving with the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation. We are reasonably confident that in no time, maybe in the next six months, we would have been able to resolve that.

“Once we get rid of that, we will simultaneously negotiate with a

many people who are approaching us that they can revive Akaokuta: the Russians, Ukrainians and the Chinese. ‘’We are looking for the best option that would allow us get Ajaokuta back to work within the next 24 months.

Why subsidy can’t continue — Kachikwu

Also fielding questions, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Kachikwu, said subsidy on petrol would not continue because a lot of the fuel imported into the country was smuggled out to other countries.

He said: “You will realise that when we came in, we introduced a price modulation policy which enables us to swing the prices along the prices of crude oil.

"Because we were owing about N600 billion on subsidy at a time, we struggled to pay that and that was why there is no subsidy in the 2016 budget.

“So, price modulation allows us to reflect international pricing.

What I did before was to reduce prices. Now price of crude is trending up to $46 and hopefully, it may get up to $50.

“Why scarcity persists is that we do not have sufficient crude to throw at it and if I do more of that, I will be going into His Excellency’s budget to collect federation crude just to provide you with refined products and he would not allow me do that. He is very tough on such things.

FG to redefine govt spending —Adeosun

Meanwhile, Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, yesterday, reiterated the resolve of the Federal Government to redefine spending in order to get maximum impact.

The minister, who was a guest at Ogun State Investors’ Forum, in Abeokuta, said during a panel discussion on the economy that the current administration is determined to ensure that going forward, government spending in Nigeria achieved maximum impact.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016—9

Gowon to pro-Biafran agitators:

You’re ignorant of history, emulate Zik

By Charles Kumolu & Faith Agbi

L

Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki (middle) at the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

CCT trial: Saraki had 14 cars worth N263.4m before becoming gov 2003 —Witness My assets declaration form was tampered with—Saraki

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

A

BUJA — THE Federal Government, yesterday, told the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, sitting in Abuja that the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, owned 14 exotic cars worth N263.4 million, prior to his emergence as the governor of Kwara State in 2003.

It said the cars were among several movable assets Saraki declared in the form he filled and submitted before the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, on September 16, 2003.

The government made the disclosure on a day Saraki alleged that the asset declaration form he submitted to the bureau the same year was doctored.

He told the tribunal that Federal Government, in a bid to prosecute him by all means, inserted a building he purchased in 2008 into the asset declaration form he filled and submitted in 2003.

At the resumed hearing on the 16-count criminal charge pending against Saraki before the tribunal, the star witness, Mr. Michael Wetkas, said the defendant equally owned landed property worth over N3 billion.

Wetkas, who is a detective at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was the leader of a three-man team that investigated six separate petitions lodged against Saraki in 2014.

He said: “I admit that on April 5, I testified before the tribunal where I disclosed that the former EFCC chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, constituted a special team to conduct investigation into

petitions against the defendant.

“At a point we were asked to work with officials of the CCB. My lord, there is no how you will investigate economic and financial crimes that assets will not be involved.

“In the course of this particular assignment, when CCB volunteered to join in the analysis of the assets that were traced to the defendant, they also brought their copy of the form for us to compare if it was one and the same form the defendant filled upon his assumption of office.

“I know that the original of exhibit-1, which is the assets declaration form the defendant filled, should be with the CCB. I have never seen the original, we only worked with the copy given to us by the bureau.”

However, under further cross-examination by the defence lawyer, Mr. Paul Erokoro, SAN, the witness made a u-turn, saying he actually saw the original of the assets declaration form Saraki submitted to the CCB. He said Saraki signed his first assets declaration form on September 16, 2003. When he was asked when the form was examined, the witness said the stamp had no date on it.

He said: “In the course of our investigation, when we came across 15a and 15b, McDonald Ikoyi, Lagos, we wrote to the Presidential Committee on sale of Federal Government Landed Property. We also wrote to Lagos State Land Registry and they said they don’t have records of 15a & b McDonald.

“The Presidential Implementation Committee stated that the record it has in its system is 15 McDonald which was sold to a company

named TinyTee Ltd and Plot 15, Block 1-4 which was sold to another company, Bitti Oil Ltd. “Our position is that the property bought by TinyTee Ltd belonged to the defendant which we did not see in all the six assets declaration forms that were filled and submitted by the defendant from the time he assumed office in 2003 and the end of his tenure as governor in 2011, as well as his declaration in 2015 as a Senator.

“Whereas the defendant declared that he bought No 15a & b McDonald Ikoyi, Lagos, sometime in 2000 through his company, Carlisle Properties Ltd, our investigation, however, revealed that he bought the said property in 2006 through his company, TinyTee Ltd and not Carlisle Properties Ltd."

My assets declaration form was tampered with — Saraki At that juncture, Saraki’s lawyer, Erokoro, SAN, alleged that 15a & b, McDonald Road, Ikoyi was inserted in the assets declaration form his client submitted in 2003.

He said there was no way Saraki would have in 2003, made anticipatory declaration of an asset that was put up for sale by the Federal Government in 2006, which the defendant subsequently acquired in 2008.

The allegation sparked off a heated exchange between the defence team and the prosecution, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN. In order to douse the tension, the tribunal chairman, Justice Danladi Umar, directed both parties to reserve their arguments till the written address stage.

Meantime, the tribunal adjourned further hearing on the matter till today.

AGOS — FORMER Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd), yesterday berated those agitating for the sovereign state of Biafra, reminding them of the unifying role the late first President of Nigeria, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, played during the civil war, despite hailing from the secessionist side.

He particularly fumed that the youths, who are in the vanguard of the clamour, are ignorant of Nigeria’s history, noting that Igbo youths at the end of the civil war prayed never to experience the kind of suffering occasioned by the war.

Gowon, who said this in the light of the agitation by the Independent People of Biafra, IPOB, noted that what Nigeria needed now is the right political perspective and not self-determination sentiments.

The former leader said these in Lagos at the public presentation of a book entitled: Zik: Testimonies To A Great African, which was edited by Mr. Henry Onukwuba to mark the 20th anniversary of the demise of the late first President of Nigeria, Dr Azikiwe.

At the event which was attended by Senate President; Senator Ike Ekweremadu, represented by Dr. Okorie Uchenna; Lagos State governor, represented by Alhaji Abdulhakeem; First Republic politician, Mazi Mbazulike Amaechi; Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe; Prof Pat Utomi and Dr. Augustine Obiora, among others, Gowon said Nigeria needs leaders, who would priortize the country’s unity like Azikiwe.

How Zik worked to preserve Nigeria’s unity

Gowon, in his capacity as chairman of the event, also explained how the late President, who was the Owelle of Onitsha, passionately worked to preserve Nigeria’s unity during the Biafran secession, irrespective of the fact that he (Zik) was instrumental to the diplomatic recognition of the then Biafran Republic by some countries.

Speakers at the event were also unanimous in their calls on the need to place Nigeria’s unity above personal interests, as Azikiwe did.

Gowon said: “I am particularly touched by the reason the author of the book wrote it at this point of our

national history. Now that the revised edition of the book is being presented at a time our youths seem to have forgotten our recent history and the labour of our heroes past, this, for me, is commendable.

"I think the point that he is making here is seen as the recent hype of the pro-Biafran spirit. I remember visiting the East Central State at the time, from Enugu, Nsukka, Owerri, Umuahia, Abakaliki and then to Onitsha and being met by children at that time who welcomed us so sincerely and they addressed me to say you are our leaders, we pray that no Nigerian child should one day suffer what they went through during that civil war.

"Such call should make any Nigerian leader to provide for their children and make them loyal to their country. That touched me so dearly to think of the suffering that these children went through. What can I say to them? I am sorry for the things that they went through. It is not by design that these things happened and so, I want to assure you that we will do our best for the future.

Nigerians never learned from history

"Unfortunately, it seems as if we Nigerians never learned from history. How many children suffer today throughout the country?

Honestly, something has to be done by Nigerians and I think that is one of the reasons this call by these young people trying to say they want to fight again should be discouraged.

"Do they realize what it takes?

If I have anything to do with Nigeria, as I have said, I will implore all of you to really bring peace to bear by correcting the young people if they are going astray. At this time, therefore, I think the youths seem to have forgotten our chequered history and labour of our heroes past.

"I can assure you that anything that has to do with Zik, is something that all of us must join hands and celebrate.

Celebrating involves his lifetime and his service to Nigeria.

"Nnamdi Azikiwe was one of Nigeria’s greatest statesmen and a true son of Africa.

Today’s event can, therefore, very well be described as the extension of the unending celebration of a great man."

In his remarks, the author of the book, Mr. Henry Onukwuba, said: “Today, 20 years after, I wonder how Zik will be feeling in his grave. I wonder if Zik will not feel betrayed and abandoned by a nation he gave so much to."

10—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

Police nab robbery/kidnap suspect in Lagos

By Esther Onyegbula

O

PERATIVES OF the Lagos state Police Command have arrested a suspected robbery and kidnap kingpin in Ajangbadi, Ojo area of Lagos.

The suspect, Sunday James Ukpe, 33, was arrested yesterday, after policemen attached to Ajangbadi division received intelligence report that Ukpe, a wanted armed robbery suspect/Kidnapper was hiding at number 113, zone 6, Orisha- Imude, Ajangbadi area of Lagos state.

It was learned that the suspect, who escaped from Akwa-Ibom state, had fresh gunshot injuries on his testis and was receiving native medication when he was nabbed.

Vanguard gathered that upon interrogation, Ukpe confessed to have been shot in Akwa Ibom State.

It was learnt that Lagos State Police command also gathered from Akwa- Ibom state police command that the suspect is a serial killer and armed robber, who has been on the wanted list of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Akwa Ibom State.

Police rescue Alvan Ikoku FCE worker from suicide

T

HE POLICE in Imo State, yesterday, rescued a female staff of the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri, from committing suicide.

The woman in her early 40s climbed a water tank stanchion, about the height of a three- storey building, from where she threatened to jump down.

An eye witness disclosed that the woman was shouting at the top of the stanchion before people in the neighbourhood noticed her.

He said the neighbours then alerted two policemen who climbed the facility and pleaded with the woman before she came down at about 6.30 a.m.

The Public Relations Officer of the Imo Police Command, DSP Andrew Enwerem, confirmed the incident.

C M Y K

I kidnapped my Madam’s son, demanded N20m ransom —Driver

By Jimitota Onoyume

P

ORT HARCOURT—A 26year-old driver, Jeremiah Igiri, who kidnapped his employer’s 4 years old son for a ransom of N20 million, was yesterday paraded by the Rivers State Police Command in Port Harcourt.

While he was going about in search of the missing boy with his mother, it was unknown to her that the driver actually arranged with a lady and two other men to abduct her son.

Jeremiah Igiri, who claimed that, it was his first abduction, disclosed to the chagrin of those present at the Police command when he said “I invited a lady and a boy to handle the operation. When the little boy

Mother, Mrs. Telalo Georgina and son. returned from school and was riding his bicycle, the people I arranged came in. So, I asked him to open the gate and that was how the lady picked him.

He added “When my madam came out and was looking for the boy, I also joined her in the search for the boy. The second day I felt bad over what I did as I became troubled seeing my Madam crying and calling the boy’s name.”

Igiri said whenever he wanted

to reveal the truth, “I always see two men standing in front of my madam with strange faces.

“There was a day my madam and her friend took me in her car and as I was alighting, the friend gave me one thousand naira. I wanted to tell them I was behind the abduction, but a strange face again appeared and I could not say anything.”

The driver said he was alarmed when he heard that the kidnappers were demanding for N20million

CAMPAIGN: Onitsha Unit Command, Mr. Paulinus Akpotobo and other Federal Road Safety Command, FRSC, personnel, during the 2016 West African Road Safety Organization Day campaign, in Onitsha, yesterday. Photo: NAN

ransom. “I protested that it was too much.

While revealing that he provided the phone lines used in communicating with her madam, Igiri said I told the kidnappers to collect one million but they said they will collect N20 million. I agreed with the kidnappers that if she paid the N20million that I will use my share to go back to school.

Though the Madam did not pay the ransom, Igiri said he would have been given N7million as his share of the ransom.

The mother of the four years old boy, Mrs Telalo Georgina, disclosed that it was at the Police station where her driver was invited that he confessed he was behind the abduction.

“I am a lawyer and a Minister of the gospel. I prayed with my anointing oil before I interrogated him at the station.

And he confessed to me. “ In a related case, the Police also paraded a 11 year old boy, Chisom Okafor, who was reportedly kidnapped in Anambra state and brought to Port Harcourt in an SUV The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Muhammad, said Police was carrying out stop and search at Eliozu road when the SUV conveying the kidnapped boy suddenly pushed him out and fled.

On interrogation the boy said he was taken hostage at Anambra when he went to buy bread for his guardian.

Wife drags hubby to court for alleged defilement of daughter

A

GUDU Upper Area Court in the Federal Capital Territory yesterday remanded, Uche Uzogora, for allegedly defiling his 11-year-old daughter.

The presiding officer, Alhaji Umar Kagarko, remanded the defendant in police custody, and adjourned the case till July 25 for hearing.

Earlier, Blessing Akarayere, wife of the defendant, told the court that her husband Uzogora raped their 11-year-old daughter.

Uzogora, who resides in Kabusa village, Apo, FCT, however, pleaded not guilty to

a count charge of raping a minor.

The Prosecutor, Urom Otu, told the court that the complainant reported her husband of raping their daughter at the Apo Police Station on May 2.

Otu said the complainant told the police that she left the victim in the care of her husband when she travelled to her village in December 2015 to write an examination.

Egbeda murder: Deceased’s alleged lover absconds from work

By Evelyn Usman

M

ANAGING DIRECTOR of a publishing firm in Ikeja and alleged lover of late Mrs. Ronke Shonde, who was allegedly beaten to death by her husband at their Egbeda home

in Lagos, last week, has reportedly been absent from work since Monday, following his indictment as the cause of the quarrel that led to the tragedy.

A visit to the office located on the ground floor of a two-storey building on Talabi Street, Ikeja,

EFCC detains Kuje LG chair over N17.5 m fraud

By Soni Daniel

A

Mr. Tete Shaban

He added that the defendant allegedly had sexual intercourse with the minor without her consent and threatens to kill her if she tells anyone.

BUJA—THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested the outgoing chairman of Kuje Local Government Area, Abuja, Tete Ishaku Shaban, for offences bordering on obtaining by false pretence and abuse of office to the tune of N17.5 million.

The complainant, Najumudeen Gidado, alleged that sometime in 2014, his company, Trade Executive Network

Limited, bided for the reconstruction and modernization of Kuje Main Market in Abuja.

According to him, his company was awarded the contract and a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, was signed.

Gidado further alleged that Shaban later demanded for the sum of N17, 500,000.00million to facilitate the approval of the contract for his company, which he obliged.

yesterday, revealed that the publishing firm’s MD was absent. Members of staff of the company kept mum when approached, saying that they were not in the best position to speak.

Besides, the late Ronke's husband, Lekan Shonde, who was interrogated by detectives at the Homicide section of the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, yesterday, still maintained that his late wife had a secret relationship with her boss.

He had earlier stated that he over-heard a telephone conversation between his late wife and her boss, (names withheld) where she allegedly recalled their love escapades, adding that his late wife never contradicted the claim.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016—11

PDP Congresses

PDP Congresses

Esiso emerges Delta PDP chairman, says Okowa deserves second term

By Festus Ahon

A

SABA—DELTA State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday

held a consensus State Congress with Barrister Kingsley Esiso emerging as its State Chairman and Mr Val Areyinka as State Deputy Chairman.

The Congress which was held amidst tight security at the Cenotaph in Asaba, the State capital, was peaceful and orderly and saw the emergence of the full

Nwebonyi emerges Ebonyi PDP chair as Gov Umahi lauds party members

By Peter Okutu

A

BAKALIKI—BARRISTER Onyeka Nwebonyi, yesterday, emerged the as the new chairman of the state chapter of the PDP. Nwebonyi, who is the immediate past Coordinator of Mbeke Development Centre,

emerged unopposed like other winners following a harmonization process that forced other contestants to withdraw from the race.

In an interview with journalists at the Abakaliki township stadium where the state Congress took place, Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi state hailed the peaceful

conduct of the congresses in the state, describing it as the best so far in the history of Ebonyi State.

He disclosed the Congress committees were given free hand to conduct the elections and the entire PDP fold in the state was satisfied with the exercise.

He said PDP was preparing to take over the presidency in 2019.

complement of the state exco.

The Congress which commenced at 12:39 after Senator James Manager moved a motion for the dissolution of the Chief Edwin Uzor led Executive had Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, his Deputy, Barrister Kingsley Otuaro and other top government functionaries in attendance.

The new chairman, Barrister Kingsley Esiso in his acceptance speech, said the State PDP governorship ticket would remain in the Delta North Senatorial district till 2023, saying that; “ I will respect the zoning formula of the party.”

Ogun PDP congresses produce three chairmen

By Daud Olatunji

A

BEOKUTA—THE Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun

State, yesterday, held three parallel congresses that produced three parallel state executives.

The separate state congresses

were conducted at different venues by the loyalists of the Senator representing Ogun East, Buruji Kashamu; the member represent-

CONGRATULATIONS: From left, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, congratulating Mr. Kingsley Esiso, newly elected Delta State PDP Chairman. Photo: Nath Onojake

ing Remo Constituency in the House of Representatives, Ladi Adebutu and those of the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, respectively.

Kashamu's group which held its state congress inside the state secretariat produced Chief Bayo Dayo as chairman while the Adebutu faction in its congress conducted inside the amphitheatre of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library produced a twotime member of the Ogun State House of Assembly and former chairman of Ifo Local Government Area, Sikirulahi Ogundele as chairman.

The Bankole faction which held its congress at Ake Palace ground also elected a former commissioner under the Gbenga Daniel administration, Chief Wale Egunleti as its state chairman.

Parallel executives again emerge in Anambra Emeakayi

sworn in as chairman

By Vincent Ujumadu

A

WKA—THE PDP in Anambra State held two parallel congresses, yesterday, even as the committee appointed by the national leadership of the party conducted the exercise that produced Chief Kenneth Emeakayi as the state chairman of the party.

While the 11 –member committee led by Mr. Ladi Edun was at the Marble Arch Hotel conducting the exercise, which was attended by members of the National Assembly from the state, including Senators Andy Uba and Stella Oduah, another group was at the Emmaus House also in Awka conducting its congress with the immediate past chairman of the party, Mr. Ejike Oguebego being projected as the faction’s state chairman by the Chief Chris Uba led faction.

1,171 delegates were accredited for the election of Emeakayi and C M Y K

other officers, though only Emeakayi was voted for as other officers were returned unopposed.

Following a court order given

by Justice B.A. Ogbuli of the Ihiala High Court on July 6, 2015, which was read by the congress

chairman, Mr. Ladi Edun, two other persons who indicated interest in the chairmanship were barred from contesting the election.

Ekpo re-elected in Akwa Ibom

By Chioma Onuegbu & Tom Moses

T

HE AKWA Ibom State Chapter of the PDP yesterday re-elected Obong Paul Ekpo as its State Chairman.

Ibanga Akpabio former Secretary of the party was elected as the deputy chairman while Harrison Ekpo from Onna and Akpadiagha Ebitu from Eket Local Government Areas emerged as Secretary and Treasurer respectively.

The voting by delegates started about 1:30 pm at the Nest of Champions International Stadium immediately after the Speaker Honourable Onofiok Luke moved a motion for the formal dissolution of the former party executive.

All the candidates were, however, returned unopposed.

Onuigbo elected in Abia

By Anayo Okoli

U

MUAHIA—A FORMER Transition Committee chairman of Umuahia North Local Government Area, Chief Johnson Onuigbo was, yesterday, elected the new chairman of Abia chapter of the PDP. A former law maker in the State, Chief Princewill Onyegbu was elected the deputy chairman while Mr. Ibe Nwadioha was elected the State Secretary.

Chief Matthew Ibeh was elected the Vice Chairman, Abia North, Obinna Nwachukwu was elected Vice Chairman, Abia Central, and Chief David Chigbu was elected the Vice Chairman, Abia South.

John Okoro was elected the assistant secretary. Steve Omeoga, St. Moses Ogbonna, Mr. Jerry Uzosike was elected financial while Chief Don Ubani was elected the publicity secretary.

Nigerian Senate to launch Transparency and Delivery Commission sion will work closely with the through legislative reforms.

Senate functions as a scrutiny and Senate and the Senate Commit-

A

BUJA — IN line with the Legislative Agenda approved by the Senate, the President of the Senate yesterday has announced the intention of the Senate to inaugurate an independent Transparency and Delivery Commission to review and improve the oversight systems and tools of the Senate.

The Commission will be led by a working group consisting of a world leading research institution and a partner institute in Nigeria and will be advised by an internationally acclaimed anti-corruption expert.

The independent Commis-

tee on Anti-Corruption & Financial Crimes to draw up a robust oversight scheme and strengthen the internal structuring and capacity of the National Assembly to fulfil its role as an anticorruption institution.

The Commission’s work will be two-fold. Initially it willconcentrate on analysing the processes and tools by which the Senate and the National Assembly in general can, using its legislative remit, assist the anticorruption agenda of President Buhari and more specifically strengthen the institutions

The following medium-term goal is to then deliver recommendations for better ways of working within the Senate and to ensure that it meets the highest global standards including the newly announced Commonwealth Secretariat anti-corruption ‘kitemark’ system.

Specifically, the group will: 1. Map out how the Senate could use its oversight tools to act as a catalyst for greater transparency and anti-corruption in other parts of the Nigerian state both at the Federal and State Levels.

2. Assess how the Nigerian

policy making body and how it can improve in this role 3. Undertake a review of the mechanisms of the Nigerian Senate and identify areas for improvement in Senate efficiency in implementing its legislative agenda and its anti-corruption capacity.

4. Look at international and regional examples of best practice – such as the Commonwealth Secretariat ‘kitemark’ – and suggest tangible reforms the Nigeria Senate could implement to improve transparency and the policy delivery process internally and across government.

12—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

We’ll take over power in 2019 —Wike

By Jimitota Onoyume & Davies Iheamnachor

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ORT HARCOURT— GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has insisted that his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, would take over power from All Progressives Congress, the APC, in 2019.

Wike, who spoke, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, during the PDP state congress, maintained that the party would re-take the Federal Government in 2019.

Meanwhile, Mr Felix Obuah, was returned as Chairman of Rivers State chapter of PDP at the party’s state congress, yesterday, in Port Harcourt.

Some other members of the new state executive council are Vice Chairman, Mr Charles Awotu; Sam Okpoko, Secretary and Caretaker Committee Chairman, Ikwerre Local Government Area, Mr Sam Wonosike, Publicity Secretary of the party.

Meantime, the state chairman, Mr Obuah, in his speech, alleged that APC was behind recent killings and violence in the state, stressing that the party was scheming to achieve a declaration of state of emergency in the state with the alleged sponsored

violence.

Obuah, who lauded Governor Wike for his successes so far, said those plotting the downfall of the government will not succeed.

He said: “We supported the former governor, Mr Chibuike Amaechi, for two

Olu of Warri eulogises Oba Erediauwa

By Egufe Yafugborhi

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ARRI—THE Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ogiame Ikenwoli, has expressed shock over the passage of HRM Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa, the Oba of Benin, describing him as “a most revered monarch.”

The Olu’s condolence was conveyed to the Bini Kingdom yesterday, by an 11-man delegation of the Warri Traditional Council, led by its Chairman, Chief Yaya Pessu, who visited Crown Prince

Eheneden Erediauwa, at the Uselu transitory grounds in Benin City, Edo State.

The Olu’s message, presented

by Chief Pessu, read: “We recall that Omo N'Oba N’Edo Erediauwa ascended the exalted throne 37 years ago. We condole with the Edaiken N’Uselu, the Royal family and the Bini Kingdom on the passage of the Oba. “We understand the gravity of this great loss and how the entire Bini Kingdom is thrown into deep mourning. We and all our people in Warri Kingdom share in your moment of grief.

Alleged N3.9bn fraud: I paid N240m for Badeh Jnr’s house, witness tells court

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

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BUJA—FORMER Director of Finance and Accounts at the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, Commodore Salisu Yushau (retd.), yesterday, insisted that he was the one that negotiated and paid N240 million for a house the former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, bought for his (Badeh's) first son in Abuja.

Yushau, who was further cross-examined yesterday before Justice Okon Abang, of the Federal High Court in Abuja by Badeh’s lawyer, Chief Akin Olujimi, SAN, also admitted that he never made such disclosure to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. He said the reason he did not tell the anti-graft agency anything relating to the property belonging to Badeh Jnr. was because he was never asked such question.

Badeh is facing to a 10count charge the EFCC preferred against him following allegation that he diverted over N3.9 billion from salary accounts of the NAF in 2013.

The former military chief C M Y K

is being prosecuted alongside a company, Iyalikam Nigeria Limited.

Responding to questions from the defence lawyer, the witness said the property in question is situated at No. 8A, Temple Street, Wuse 11, Abuja.

He said: “It is incorrect to say that I was not involved in the purchase of No. 8A, Temple Street, Wuse II, Abuja. My lord, my statement is very clear as to how the property was purchased. I said in

my statement that I was involved in the purchase of the said property. I can identify my statement dated February 11, 2015.

“Yes, I mentioned in my statement that I made the payment of the dollar equivalent of the price of the property. I am the author of the statement.

All that I said in the statement is mine. If any other person was involved in the events described in the statement, I would have mentioned it."

Edo 2016: Oshiomhole’s kinsmen endorse Obaseki

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terms of eight years. Why has he and his supporters deliberately refused to support the PDP government in the state? I am very sad about the recent upsurge in killings in the state, but I suspect the APC is behind the sudden wave of violence in the state."

ENIN—THE governorship ambition of chairman of the Economic Team of Edo State Government and aspirant of All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has received a boost, with delegates from the three local governments in Etsako endorsing his candidacy.

The three councils are Etsako Central, Etsako West and Etsako East Local Government Areas.

The endorsement took place at a meeting held in Jattu, when the APC chairmen in the three councils led their delegates to declare their support for

Obaseki, who is the anointed candidate of their son, Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

The meeting was coordinated by the member representing Etsako federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr Philip Shaibu.

The chairman of APC in Etsako West, Alhaji Abubakar Akokhia, who displayed the signatures and pictures of the delegates to journalists, said delegates from the area have scrutinised all the aspirants in the race and concluded that Obaseki remains the best to succeed Oshiomhole.

It is our prayer that God comforts your hearts. Take solace in the fact that we had a great king much loved and adored by many within the kingdom and the nation at large.”

Chief Yaya added that the Olu had pledged for his kingdom to be robustly involved in the transition rites of the Oba as events unfold.

In gratitude to the visitors, the Edaiken N’Uselu said: “We are touched by the deep show of condolence. Our father has not departed. He is still with us. I draw a lot of inspiration from him and so it is too for all the kingdoms as far away as Nembe in Bayelsa State who draw roots of their kingdoms from Benin."

Compel DESOPADEC to pay us, contractors beg Okowa

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OME aggrieved Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, contractors have called on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to compel the commission to pay their outstanding payments or they would start begging for projects to be funded, even when they have existing payment certificates.

In a statement by Mr. Harrison Omovie on behalf of the aggrieved contractors, they alleged that the commission was carrying out “selective payments not based on merit,” leaving them indebted to banks.

He said since the contracts were awarded in May 2014, “Although I had funds on my budget head, DESOPADEC has only paid me in percentages of 10 and 15,” urging the governor to intervene and save the contractors from further anguish.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016—13

Militant threatened me on phone —Kachikwu Contractors behind Delta pipeline bombing —Ex-militant leader Steer clear of Bayelsa, Ogunboss warns Avengers

By Emma Amaize, Brisibe Perez & Akpokona Omafuaire

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INISTER of State for Petroleum Resources and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Group Managing Director, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, yesterday, revealed how he received threats from a Niger Delta militant.

Kachikwu, who was one of the ministers that attended the Federal Government’s town hall meeting in Kaduna State, lamented the effect of attacks on oil installations.

He described the attacks as a drain on the country’s resources, adding that the government was on top of the situation.

Pipeline surveillance contractors behind renewed bombings —Activist

Meanwhile, there are indications that some pipeline surveillance contractors were behind the recent bombing of oil installations in Delta State, which a militant group, Niger Delta Avengers, had claimed responsibility for.

A Niger Delta activist confided in Vanguard that some leaders of the affected communities know the people carrying out the bombings, but were afraid to speak out because of the repercussion.

An ex-militant leader, Paul Eris, alias “General Ogunboss,” from Bayelsa State, who spoke to Vanguard on phone, corroborated the claim that the people behind the bombing are known and urged government to fish them out.

He said that former agitators in Bayelsa State had warned those behind the so-called Niger Delta Avengers in Delta State not to extend their violent activities to Bayelsa or face their wrath.

But, Niger Delta Avengers, which described itself as a group of “young Niger Deltans, who have support from other parts of Nigeria, namely, Northern, Western and Eastern parts of the country,” in a posting on its website, said it “picked up the struggle from where former Niger Delta agitators left off,” adding that “only the actors are new.”

NDA high command, which comprises agitators from all ethnic groups in the Niger Delta, made it clear that they were not part of the Presidential Amnesty Programme because “the programme is not genuine.”

Contractors behind pipeline bombimgs

Our source, however, insisted: “The militants are working together with the contractors; the contractors use them to blow up the pipelines and bid for the repairs. They employ the militants for the period of the repairs and pay them huge money. When the C M Y K

STAKEHOLDERS MEETING: From left: Former Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Temisan Omatseye and current Director General, Dakuku Peterside, at the stakeholders meeting in Lagos. contract is over, they look for another pipeline to blow up.

“You see, this was how their seniors in the militancy business made money and they want to make big money too. That is what is happening,” he added.

Bombing of Chevron facility politically motivated —Ogah

Also, a Gbaramatu political leader, Isaiah Ogah, has said that the bombing of Chevron facility in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State was politically motivated.

He stated this yesterday during a chat with Vanguard in Warri.

According to him, “Those bombing Chevron pipelines in the pretence of representing Niger Delta people do not have the blessings of Niger Deltans.

The Avengers should first start with Niger Delta indigenes who were entrusted with the development of the area in the past years, who failed us.

“President Muhammadu Buhari is being hasty to punish his perceived political and long standing enemies. That is the reason for the bombing of oil facilities. The Avengers should separate their inimical acts from Tompolo’s decision. They should know that he has the right to distance himself from their activities. The Avengers should tell the Niger Delta people who are they avenging for,” he added.

Ijaw group condemns military siege on Oparoza

But Concerned Ijaw Transformation Ambassadors, CITA, yesterday, condemned the over eight hours military siege on Oparoza community of Gbaramatu in the wee hours of May 8, 2016.

Arerebo Peters, acting

President, CITA, said: “It is highly condemnable. While we would not take sides with the vandalism of oil facilities in the Niger Delta, we are the first target of harassment by troops and security agencies.

“We expressed in clear terms to the Buhari-led Federal Government that sending troops to peace loving Ijaw communities is not the answer to the emerging agitation pioneered by NDA. “The Federal Government must note that the sad memories of the Gbaramatu genocide are still fresh in the minds of the harmless and law abiding people of Gbaramatu Kingdom.

It is also noteworthy that after eight years of a full scale ethnic cleansing launched by the Nigerian Military forces against the peace loving people of Gbaramatu Kingdom, there is still no sign of sustainable rehabilitation of Gbaramatu Kingdom.

“Thus, any further military siege will only evoke the bitter travails of the previous genocide in the minds of the people of the kingdom. We also question the sincerity of the actions of the Buhari administration in sending troops to Gbaramatu Kingdom in a bid to hunt the masterminds of the revived hostility in the Niger Delta, especially as this is coming from a government that has kept silent in the face of serial massacres launched by blood thirsty Fulani herdsmen.

“This goes a long way to prove that the Nigerian government values a drop of crude oil more than a million pints of blood of innocent citizens daily slaughtered at the whims and caprices of Fulani herdsmen.”

Maku-Eyituoyor pleads with militants

Meanwhile, Chairman of Warri North Local Government Area, Delta State, Mr. Francis MakuEyituoyor, has appealed to NDA to stop further vandalization of oil facilities in the council.

The appeal came on the heels of the admission by NDA, of responsibility in the recent attack on a major oil installation at Abiteye in the council.

The council boss called on the militants to explore ways of dialoguing with the Federal Government with a view of engaging them to protect the oil pipelines and facilities in the region.

He lamented that sabotaging them was worsening the economic conditions of people in the council.

He pleaded with them to reconsider their action of seeking to cripple the nation’s economy and remarked that their action will bring untold hardship on everyone, including the militants themselves.

Govt knows the perpetrators —Ogunboss

Ogunboss, who insisted that there was nothing like Niger Delta Avengers, said: “The government knows who is behind these activities. When these individuals were taking contracts and living freely on the streets, did you hear anything like Niger Delta Avengers?

“There is no Niger Delta Avengers, rather, there is an avenger, who is carrying out the attacks on oil installations in the Niger Delta. When Buhari won the election, there was nothing these guys did not do. Some other individuals in the region and myself were called just to ensure that pipelines are tampered with in Bayelsa State, but I was not part of it. I do not want to be involved and I can tell you that no Bayelsan would be involved in that level of illiteracy.”

Groups Tompolo

exonerate

Responding to a recent allegation by an Itsekiri leader that an ex-militant leader in the state was behind the bombing

by Niger Delta Avengers, Niger Delta Security Watch, Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative and Ijaw Human Rights Monitor, in a statement, said the leader in question only exposed himself as a coconspirator.

Directors of the respective groups, Dickson Bekederemo, Austin Ozobo and Fred Brisibe, said: “The truth about the utterances of the said Itsekiri leader regarding the recent incident of pipeline vandalism in specific areas of the Niger Delta is that he has succeeded in exposing himself to the world as an accomplice.

“From his position on the matter, it is clear that he can tell the identities of the heavily masked members of this new militant group, NDA, who claimed responsibility for the destruction of the Chevron oil facilities. The implication of his assertion is that he was there when the Avengers masked up and he knows them.

“This makes him an accomplice. It is baffling that the Federal Government is still on a voyage in search of the perpetrators when, indeed, a party to the offence has confessed to it. DSS, as a matter of urgency, should have invited him for questioning.

“Tompolo, from all accounts, is a helpless fugitive who is hoping on God to deliver him from the current travails.

Linking him with this criminal act shows clear tendencies of phobia towards the Ijaw nation."

Patricia Onyekpe for burial

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RS Patricia Onyekpe, who died February 25, 2016, aged 71, will be buried on the May 13.

Funeral Mass takes place at Immaculate Heart Catholic Church, Umunede, Delta State.

She was a Christian mother and an astute business woman. She is survived by six children, grand children and other relations.

Late Patricia Onyekpe

14—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

THANKSGIVING FOR SHONEKAN AT 80 A special Holy Communion and thanksgiving service for former Head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan's 80th birthday was held at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos. PHOTOS: Lamidi Bamidele.

From left— Chief Shonekan; his wife, Margaret; children and in-laws at the service.

From left— Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State; his wife, Olufunso; former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd); his wife, Victoria, and Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Oluranti Adebule.

From left— Former Vice President, Dr Alex Ewueme; his wife, Beatrice, and Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo.

Lt Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd) and his wife, Senator Daisy.

From left— Yemi Adebiyi, Tunji Benjamin, Dapo Fashanu and Tunji Alapinni.

From left— Mrs Alokolaro Olabisi, Ambassador Modupe Akintola and former governor of Ogun State, Aremo Segun Osoba.

From left— Olori Ladun Sijuwade, Chief Bayo Harold-Sodipo and Erelu Abiola Dosumu.

BOOK LAUNCH AT 20TH REMEMBRANCE FOR DR. NNAMDI AZIKIWE The public presentation of a book, ZIK: Testimonies to a Great African, and 20th remembrance of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, former President of Nigeria, held at Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, yesterday. PHOTOS: Bunmi Azeez.

From left— Director, Executive Education Lagos Business School and author ZIK: Testimonies to a Great African, Mr. Henry Onukwuba; Ambassador Emeka Azikiwe; former Head of State and Chairman of the occasion, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd); Father of the Day, Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, and former Minister of Aviation and guest speaker, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi.

From left— Akunne John Achebe, Akunne Lioyd Offli-Udo and Akinwale Onwuzulike.

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From left— Dr. Okorie Uchendu, Ambassador Azikiwe and Mr. Udeme Ufot.

From left— Mr. Francis Chuka; Mrs. Osinigwe Onukwuba, author’s mother; Onya of Onitsha, Dr. Amaechi Obiora, and Mr. Olisa Nwadiogbu.

From left— Chief Nwachi Melifonwu, Chief Chinyelusu Oranye and Chief Ozomma Onyechi.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016—15

Imo Speaker tasks colleagues on constituency projects

By Chidi Nkwopara

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STANBIC: From left— Head, Business Developement, Stanbic IBTC Assets Management, Mr. Babalola Obilana; Capt Benoni Briggs; his wife, Rosemary, and Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Assets Management, Bunmi Dayo-Olagunju, during the company's client appreciation dinner in Port Harcourt. PHOTO: Nwankpa Chijioke.

IGP sends team to Enugu over herdsmen killings Rights group sues FG for N100bn; town unions advocate compensation

By Emeka Mamah, Chinedu Adonu, Anozie Egole & Nwabueze Okonkwo

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NUGU—THE Inspector General of Police, IGP, Solomon Arase has dispatched a high-powered investigative team to fish out the herdsmen who unleashed mayhem on the people of Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, about two weeks ago.

Arase asked the team to unravel the remote and immediate causes of the carnage.

The newly-transferred State Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Ojukwu, made this known in Enugu, while addressing Area Commanders, Divisional Police officers and other Heads of Department in the state police command.

Ojukwu expressed regret over the loss of lives and properties during the attack on Nimbo, stressing that any person found to have been directly or indirectly involved in the killings would face the full weight of the law.

His words: “A high-powered investigative team has been

dispatched by the IGP Solomon Arase to unravel the remote and immediate causes of the incident and noted that any person found to have been directly or indirectly involved, will face the full sanctions as stipulated by the law.”

Ojukwu, who warned all officers and men to either shape up or ship out, also asked them to live up to their responsibilities of rendering quality service to the people of the state.

He advised officers to embrace the full tenets of community policing, which include partnership, openness, accountability and respect for human rights, pointing out that they should work hard to restore public confidence.

Rights group sues FG

Meanwhile, hearing is expected to commence on Monday, May 16, this year at the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu, presided over by Justice Rosemary Dugbo Oghoghorie in a N100 billion fundamental human rights suit filed against the President Buhari by an Awka, Anambra State based human rights

group, Human Rights & Empowerment Project Ltd/ GTE. In the suit No. FHC/EN/CS/ 59/2016 filed on their behalf by their legal counsel, Francis Gozie Moneke, at the High Court Registry, the human rights group is seeking a declaration of the court that the killing of innocent citizens of Nigeria at Nimbo community on April 25, by the herdsmen, amounts to a violation of the right to life of all those who died in the rampage.

Town unions want compensation for victims

Similarly, town unions in the South East geo-political zone of the country, operating under

FG to harmonise varsity fees

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HE Federal Government will harmonise tuition fees in all federal universities to stop arbitrary charge by some university authorities.

The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, made this known while fielding

Orji tackles Akpabio over comments on kidnapping

By Anayo Okoli

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MUAHIA—SENATOR Theodore Orji, representing Abia Central senatorial district has dismissed the position of Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, that kidnapping for ransom began in Abia State and alleged that it was Akpabio’s administration in Akwa Ibom that used kidnapping to silence political opponents.

According to Orji, what his administration did was to inject C M Y K

huge resources to tackle the menace when it came to Abia from neighbouring states of Akwa Ibom and others.

A statement by Don Norman Obinna, Media Adviser to Senator Orji, alleged that Akpabio fabricated falsehood to shield himself and to “placate the Ibibio People’s Union Inc., and other international monitoring groups who have in their possession, documented lists of kidnapped victims, including

the aegis of Association of South-East Town Unions, ASETU, have called on the Federal Government to find it expedient to take steps to assist the Enugu State Government in compensating the affected families of the recent attack on Nimbo community by herdsmen.

The unions, which expressed their position through a statement signed by the Zonal Chairman and Secretary of the association, Chief Emeka Diwe and Mr. Paully Eze, respectively, commended Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State for “the maturity he exhibited in handling the attack, which was capable of triggering off national crisis.”

expatriates, clerics, politicians and children, numbering over 102 and seven others, including a royal father who escaped kidnap during Akpabio’s era as governor.

The statement said that while Akwa Ibom under Akpabio witnessed high level of commercial kidnapping, Abia State under Orji was busy spending huge resources to combat the spill over of the menace from Akwa Ibom and other states.

questions from newsmen in Abuja, yesterday.

According him, “since the protests started, we have summoned the authorities of the universities and sat down with them and we are going to harmonise everything.

“I think N45,000 is the maximum that should be charged. I know in some places, there has been other arrangements. But the ministry would harmonise everything and I believe there will be no more protests over fees."

It will be recalled that the universities of Lagos, Ibadan and Port Harcourt were recently shut down following students’ protests over increase in fees, lack of water and power supply on the campuses.

Adamu said that the Federal Government was discussing with management of the affected universities.

WERRI—THE Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Chief Acho Ihim, has charged his colleagues to constantly inspect all projects being executed in their constituencies.

Similarly, the Assembly ordered authorities charged with the responsibility of paying workers’ salaries in the state to equally capture the pensioners.

Ihim, who gave the charge yesterday during plenary, said: “The idea behind the oversight function is to ascertain the level of job done and ensure contractors adhere to specifications and contractual obligations.”

The Speaker reminded his colleagues that a lot of projects are ongoing, stressing that there was need for the lawmakers to compel the contracting firms to deliver and handover the projects within agreed time frame.

Symposium

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AGOS Zone of the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, will hold a symposium on National Integration for Global Peace on Saturday, May 14, at the Isis Temple, Ilupeju, Lagos, by 9a.m.

Dr. Douglas Anele of the University of Lagos will be speaking, while special guest of honour is Dr. Kenneth Idiodi, Grand Administrator and Director, Supreme Board of AMORC.

Transition

MRS Victoria Esezobor, 80, is dead. She died March 10 in Lagos.

Funeral rites began on Friday, May 6, with condolence gathering at her residence, LSDPC Housing Estate, Ogba.

Interment is at EsezoborOise family home in Uzebba, Owan LGA, Edo State, on Saturday, May 14, after a funeral service.

16 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11 , 2016

Nigeria’s maritime sector can take over from oil — NIMASA DG

By Godfrey Bivbere & Bartholomew Madukwe

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AGOS—THE DirectorGeneral of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has said Nigeria’s maritime sector is capable of taking over from oil sector as the country’s highest revenue earner.

This is even as the NIMASA boss disclosed that the agency is to undergo structural, cultural and performance reforms as well as put in place a three year developmental plan from 2016 to 2019 to ensure that the maritime industry contributes positively to the economy.

Peterside, who led a delegation to a meeting with the United States (US) Commercial Service, West Gulf Maritime Association and the Texas Southern University (TSU), Houston, Texas, US, Peterside, highlighted the potentials of the Nigerian market, including the vastness of her coastline and huge population.

Calling for greater collaboration with Nigeria’s international partners to grow skilled indigenous manpower to develop the Nigerian maritime industry, Peterside noted that NIMASA will need the expertise of the Texas Southern University in shorebased technical training of maritime sector personnel to improve on its capacity to regulate maritime activities in Nigeria and stimulate the necessary growth the sector requires.

On the planned restructuring of the agency, the NIMASA boss who disclosed this in Lagos at a stakeholders meeting with the theme “Repositioning the Maritime Sector for Greater Impact,” said that the agency will collate the inputs from stakeholders to form its planned three years developmental programme termed “Medium Term Maritime Growth Strategy”.

He said that NIMASA is on a mission of self-recovery towards the actualization of its core mandate for the benefit of the nation’s maritime sector and the country as a whole.

Peterside called on stakeholders to collaborate with the Agency in order to return the maritime industry to its pride of place in the Nigerian economy.

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Nigerians groan as fuel scarcity resurfaces

By Ediri Ejoh, Prince Okafor & Iloaze BlessedOdidi

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ARELY 24 hours after reports indicated the possibility of partial deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector, and days the country had a breather from scarcity, long queues have resurfaced at filling stations across the country, as most of them indulged in product hoarding ahead of the deregulation.

This comes as survey carried out by public opinion poll released

by NOIPolls, revealed that 85 percent of Nigerians are buying the petrol above the regulated price of N86.50, per litre.

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, couple of days ago, had said, its members had overcome foreign exchange, Forex challenges as they have been granted Forex access to import petroleum products.

Also, Major Oil Marketers, MOMAN, disclosed to have more than 10 days stock at the depots, with about four other vessels not yet discharged, averaging 85million litres of petrol.

Vanguard gathered that buyers are again struggling to get the scarce product at whatever cost, leading to traffic logjam on major roads in the Lagos metropolis, while many of the stations visited along Apapa, Badagry Road, Ajegunle, Amukoko and Festac were shut down claiming they had no product.

Specifically, MRS, Mobil, at Festac, Total, and Faweye Oil and Gas claimed they had no fuel and were waiting for delivery soon.

The NNPC and Total at Second Rainbow, Amuwo, and Forte Oil, at Berger were dispensing at regular prices but had very long queues to contend with.

Meanwhile, depot owners in Apapa have refused to sell at the government approved ex-depot price, as a number of the depots in the area were allegedly selling petrol to marketers at about N90 and N95 per litre, far above the approved price of N76 per litre.

Specifically, most of the independent marketers’ depots at Ibafon, such as Acorn Plc, Aquitane Oil and Gas Ltd, Ascon Oil Ltd, Eterna Plc, First Nigerian Independent Oil, Ibeto Petrochemical Industries, Sahara Energy Resources, SEA Petroleum & Gas Company, Taleveras Group of Companies, T-Time Petroleum Services, Zenon Petroleum And Gas, and Total Nigeria Plc, were not selling, as they said they have run out of the commodity.

Meanwhile, according to the latest public opinion poll released

by NOIPolls, a majority of Nigerians, about 85 percent, bought petrol above the official pump price of N86.50; and at an average pump price of N176 per litre in April this year.

LAUNCH: From left; Ahmed Mokhles, Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Nigeria plc; Mr Segun Ogunsanya,MD/CEO,Airtel Nigeria;Ime Archibong,Director of Product Partnership Facebook and Markku Makelainen,Director, Global operator partnership, Facebook at the launch of Airtel Nigeria in partnership with Facebook in Lagos. Photo by Akeem Salau.

The report revealed that the North-East and South-East geopolitical regions of the country recorded the highest average prices of N199 and N194 per litre respectively.

“In addition, amongst the 85 percent who bought petrol above the approved pump price of N86.50, almost 6 in 10 (59 percent) respondents in this category bought the product between N150 and N250 per litre.

“Furthermore, 50 percent of respondents bought petrol from Independent Marketer filling stations, 24 percent from Major Marketer filling stations, and 14 percent from Black marketers; leaving only 12 percent who said they bought the product from Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC filling

stations.”

Petrol for power

The Poll also revealed that perennial power outages contributed significantly to the petrol scarcity as about 73 percent of respondents said they use the product to power their ‘generators’.

“Similarly, 58 percent use petrol to power ‘cars’ and 28 percent use petrol to power ‘Tricycles & Motorcycles’ popularly known as Keke and Okada. Finally, the poll highlighted the mixed opinions expressed by Nigerians on the issue of petrol subsidy, as 48 percent say they support subsidy removal of subsidy, while 52 percent say they do not support the removal.”

Furthermore, the survey revealed that “about 8 in 10 adult

Nigerians (81 Percent) say they bought petrol in April 2016; with about 50 percent of that population buying products from Independent Marketer filling stations despite NNPC being the sole importer of the refined product.

“The South-East zone (68 percent) presented as the zone with the highest in this category.”

Continuing, the report said that “24 percent confirmed that they bought petrol from major marketers and the South-West zone (33 percent) accounted for the largest proportion of Nigerians in this category which can be attributed to the heavy presence of Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) to ensure that marketers comply with the official pump price.

HERDSMEN/FARMERS' CLASH: ‘Those involved not Fulanis, but Boko Haram, foreign insurgents — FG

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

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BUJA—THE Federal Government yesterday described the Fulanis who engage in cattle rearing across the country as very peaceful people who move around with the families in search of water and grasses for their cattle.

The government also said that those involved in clashes with farmers, killings and destruction of property were not Fulanis, but another gang of Boko Haram.

According to the government, the persons who have so far been arrested cannot speak any Fulani or Nigeria language.

It added that those tagged suspected Fulani were foreign terrorists from other countries.

Speaking yesterday during the Public Hearing on perennial clashes between herdsmen and farmers organized by the Senate Joint Committees on Agriculture and Rural Development and

National Security and Intelligence, Minister of State, Agriculture and Rural Development, Heineken Lokpobiri, said perennial conflict was a national and regional security.

He said the problem faced by herdsmen was also faced in Cote d’Ivoire, stressing that the problem was not limited to Nigeria.

He said: “Available statistics to us in government show that contrary to media report that these violent herdsmen are the conventional Nigerian Fulanis, they are not, as none of those apprehended was able to speak any of the Nigerian languages. ‘’This gives strong credence to the possibility of the violent herdsmen to be another form of terrorists in the mode of Boko Haram.

“The problem is not Nigeria, but regional, more so, when the Nigerian Fulani man has always been known to be a

peace loving person.”

Also at the public hearing, there was sharp disagreement between the farmers and herdsmen on grazing routes.

Fulani herdsmen, under the aegis of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, rejected the setting up of ranches and supported the establishment of grazing reserves and called on the government to create Ministry for Livestock Development.

In a 24-page presentation by the Association’s National Legal Adviser, Mohammed Bello Tukur, Miyetti Allah Cattle said: “The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should work with the ‘Ministries of Water Resources, Environment, National Planning, Foreign Affairs, state governments, farmer organizations, and community leaders to demarcate routes and cattle resting points with support from technical and financial partners.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016 —17

Q

UITE some confusion surrounds the “Panama Papers”, the information released by an international consortium of investigative journalists, as it concerns Nigerian public office holders and businessmen. To simplify, it has emerged that the law firm, Mossack Fonseca, helped wealthy individuals and corporations create accounts in Panama, a tax haven previously blacklisted by a number of Western countries for its opaque financial dealings.

Many might claim otherwise, due to the negative perception associated with tax evasion, but the only apparent reason for a wealthy, high profile entity to domicile its accounts in a tax haven is to avoid paying taxes, which in today’s world of crippling poverty, inequality and scarcely funded public services, poses a moral issue as well as a criminal one. Tax evasion is recognised as a crime in most countries, precisely because it deprives a country of revenue and places an unfair burden on the rest of society.

To us in Nigeria, the idea of a social contract between government and citizens is unfamiliar. Many of us don’t pay taxes, our country has always relied on its oil wealth to fund its expenses and we didn’t get satisfactory public services in the first place (quality education, healthcare, roads, etc.), so paying taxes has, for the most part, been a non-issue for Nigerians who believe, in a society regimented by “chop-make-I-chop” that public goods are an entitlement and don’t require any civic commitment in return.

tprincewill@yahoo.co.uk

#PanamaPapers, public integrity and Buhari: Have we found our redeemer? for his resignation, even after he claimed the company was owned by his wife. Less than 24 hours later he was forced to resign due to mounting pressure. Yet, Senate President Bukola Saraki remains, further proving there are two standards of behaviour: the decency and respect for public office the rest of the world holds dear and then the Nigerian witchhunt ideal. Gunnlaugsson was perhaps unlucky; he had no Fayose or Olisa Metuh to sound the clarion call of victimhood.

Offshore accounts often fund crime, terrorism and aid corruption. But perhaps the most dangerous aspect of such accounts are the use of shell companies where ownership is virtually anonymous, meaning that any company can be set up as a front to hold assets and transfer money, all without its real ownership being known to

Politically linked names It is therefore no surprise that we are not all scandalised by the number of Nigerian, politically linked names included in the #PanamaPapers. No taxes, no representation, Americans say.

Yet, we continuously fail to see the correlation between bad governance and our own lack of interest in our civic duties, which explains our inability to hold past governments to account.

The investigation revealed that Iceland’s Prime Minister, Gunnlaugsson was in breach of his country’s parliamentary ethics and rules: non-disclosure of his 50% ownership of a company called Wintris Inc. domiciled in Panama led to calls

Sadiq Khan

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USLIM born son of a Pakistani bus driver elected London’s mayor: what a headline. The world continues to taunt us with tolerance, with greatness and civilization while we respond with bigotry and greed.

The first mayor of Enugu was a Fulani man, lest we forget and this had nothing to do with a “Northern agenda”. May we return to a time where ethnicity and identity didn’t play a deciding role in politics. May we join the rest of the world in broadmindedness, progress, and dare I say, change.

A well established network of corruption and smuggling of Nigerian assets abroad flourishes to this day, resulting in lost possibilities and opportunities for millions of Nigerians regulators who cannot tell which financial flows are legal or illicit.

The US has paid particular

*Headquarters of Mossack Fonseca, the law firm linked to the Panama Papers attention to tax havens in recent years, compelling citizens to divulge their offshore holdings, which culminated in over $8 billion in taxes accruing to the Federal Government. As for politicians who own offshore accounts, they make sure they can justify this by staying within the confines of tax avoidance (which is legal) and not tax evasion (which is not, although both are commonly used interchangeably).

Tax avoidance, is defined as legal steps taken to minimize one’s tax bill by for example, keeping money in a category of savings account which doesn’t incur income tax (also a way to encourage citizens to save which has its own economic benefits).

Tax evasion, on the other hand, concerns mainly corporations and high net-worth individuals who pay lawyers and accountants to forcibly exploit legal loopholes, such as hiding taxable assets by claiming they are owned by an offshore

company, which costs the state millions. The truth is that globally, laws ensuring the rich pay taxes are both poorly designed and implemented. But with the level of public outcry regarding the impression of special rules and consideration for the rich, the impervious nature of the world’s financial system is under scrutiny and Nigeria is finally able to take its place at the table.

The US Treasury Department has new “customer due diligence” rules, which requirebanks for example to identify the real owners of all companies using their services and therefore to know without a doubt who owns (and more importantly profits) from said companies. This applies to shell companies and previously anonymous transactions.

For too long, the Western world has been a safe haven for the corrupt dealings of Nigerian politicians, many of whom allegedly visited the United

States, particularly in the 80s and 90s under aliases and were involved in all manner of illicit trades. A well established network of corruption and smuggling of Nigerian assets abroad flourishes to this day, resulting in lost possibilities and opportunities for millions of Nigerians, the victims of corruption and its corollary, a lack of development.

We should be more concerned about the Nigerians listed in the #PanamaPapers. Where does this money come from? A good number of businessmen in this country merely serve as fronts for political actors. With this background, perhaps Nigerians will understand our President’s travels a bit better.

By attending an anticorruption conference in London this week and pushing for further transparency and disclosure of company ownership information, both at home and abroad, he will help strengthen the capability of local and international law to deal decisively with those criminals who use stolen public funds to buy homes abroad while sponsoring chaos in Nigeria, such as terrorism or the willful sabotage of our army’s ability to defend us.

Enablers of corruption Our politicians exploit the gaps in Western tax rules, which enable them to hide their loot. At this conference in London, such enablers of corruption, both locally and internationally, will be addressed. A strange piece of news went virtually uncommented recently which buttresses the need for such international financial regulation and cooperation.

During the Tiwa Savage and Tee Billz marital drama, it was alleged by some that he fraudulently obtained N45 million from IBB’s niece, routed through Etisalat. No one seems to have asked what the connection is between IBB’s niece (or rather, IBB himself) and Etisalat. Who then are the real owners of Nigeria’s telecoms?

It is no wonder Nigeria has become a breeding ground for insecurity and a cesspool of corruption, if wealth and financial flows continue to be so opaque.

With Buhari we finally have a leader willing to make murky waters clear again.

Ambassador Aminu Wali

T

HE Minister of Foreign Affairs under the past dispensation says he did receive N950 million to pay party agents during the past elections. The declaration has one hesitating between qualifying it as a mindboggling revelation or simply arrogantly nonchalant.

He was quoted as saying: “I immediately disbursed it according to the procedure of our party”. What procedure legitimises using public funds for private affairs? It is all so clear now. Year in year out, Nigerians wallow in poverty and despair.

No wonder, if huge sums meant to develop them are routinely used to “conduct” elections, a euphemism for something much worse. Prof. Sagay has confirmed the special courts: may we never see such wasteful, selfish, horrors again.

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

18 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016 THE Senate is poised to enact a law that will prescribe the death penalty for kidnapping and hostage-taking in the country. This resolve is coming on the heels of the kidnap and rescue of Senator Iyabo Anisulowo. The 65 year-old ex-minister and former lawmaker was kidnapped penultimate week on her way to her farm.

Kidnapping has become a thriving criminal industry of sorts. Prominent and not-so-prominent citizens have been targeted. One-time presidential candidate, Chief Olu Falae; foster father of former President Goodluck Jonathan as well as his nephew and three female students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School, Ikorodu, Lagos, were some of the victims whose kidnaps recently claimed prominent media attention.

Constitutional lawyer and activist, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Chief Okey Wali (SAN) were also subjected to the ordeal.

Senate’s death penalty for kidnappers Available statistics show that 225 kidnap cases were recorded between October and November last year across the 24 states. In all, N85 billion worth of ransom was demanded while N28 million was paid by victims’ families or governments. Those whose relations are unable to pay are sometimes killed. Though arrests are being made, yet the tide of this criminality keeps soaring.

Apart from a handful of states that have imposed the capital punishment on the heinous act, others are still treating it with kid gloves.

The time has come for us to take a serious look at this crime, which is blighting our image internationally.

We believe that what is required to tackle this problem goes beyond the inchoate enactments among the federal and state legislatures. There must be a national action plan against kidnapping which every segment of society must key into. Such a gameplan will examine if the death penalty will solve the problem.

Once it is nationally agreed, all segments of society will pursue it until it becomes unattractive to kidnap

people in Nigeria.

We believe that the death penalty could act as a deterrent, even though it could also spike the number of people who lose their lives in the kidnappers’ dens. Kidnapping is a dastardly crime, and we must send the strong message that those who involve themselves in it deserve no mercy.

However, we must also explore the sociological, underlying factors that drive people to the crime, which include high unemployment rate, lack of welfare for the less privileged and the persistent quest for quick money, which permeates all levels of society.

Besides, the law-enforcement agencies must improve inter-agency synergy and redouble their efforts at intelligence gathering. They must work with the civilian populace to share intelligence to ensure that crimes are nipped in the bud.

We must make it clear that kidnapping, like all crimes, does not pay.

OPINION Of reruns and INEC’s partisan conspiracy

By Nwobodo Chidiebere

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HE political history of Nigerian democracy cannot be complete without outlining auspicious roles being played by the electoral umpire— Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to accelerate the nation’s fledgling democracy. In fact, Nigeria joined highly respected democracies of this world, with democratic ethos and values as a result of INEC’s capability to conduct free, fair and credible elections, which came to international recognition under then visionary and pragmatic leadership of Professor Attahiru Jega.

Prof. Jega’s INEC held Court pronouncements and judgements to its high esteem, and precisely obeyed them. Courtordered rerun elections under this trail blazer never exceeded 90 days before being conducted and concluded without running into logjam of inconclusiveness. But since the present INEC leadership came on board, Prof.

Jega’s hard-earned legacies in INEC are grossly and speedily being battered by undemocratic, biased and partisan actions and inactions of INEC authority led by Prof.

Mahmud Yakubu.

What brought INEC’s conspiracy against our young democracy to limelight is its unfolding partisanship and deliberate delay in conclusion of all the court-ordered reruns across some geo-political zones. It is no longer news that millions of Nigerians spread across Rivers South-West, Rivers East, Rivers South-East, Anambra Central, Imo North and Kogi East senatorial zones, are left

without representatives in the Red Chamber for almost five months and running, as a result of INEC’s inability to conduct elections for respective senatorial seats and federal constituencies. The most striking aspect of the unholy political script being played out

by INEC is that, those Senatorial zones were hitherto occupied by opposition party, the PDP Senators.

For purpose of clarity, Court of Appeal Election Tribunal sitting in Abuja had on 10th and 11th December, 2015, respectively nullified the elections of three Rivers Senators: Osinakachukwu Idoezu (Rivers South-West), John Olaka-Nwogo (Rivers

Can INEC tell Nigerians where it derives this unconstitutional power to delay rerun elections from?

South-East) and George Thompson Sekibo (Rivers East), and ordered INEC to conduct rerun elections in the affected zones within 90 days. The 90 days ordered by Appellate court expired on 10th and 11th of March 2016. In same vain, nine House of Representatives members out of 13 from Rivers State, whose elections were set aside by same Court of Appeal on 12th December 2015, and ordered rerun within 90 days.

Like others, the 90 days expired on 12th March 2016.

In Imo North Senatorial zone, the election that brought Senator Achonu Nneji was nullified on 11th December 2015, by Court of Appeal, Owerri Division and consequently ordered INEC to conduct a rerun within 90

days. The 90 days’ timeline given to INEC by the Appellate Court, which was derived from 1999 Constitution cum 2010 Electoral Act, elapsed on 11th of March 2016.

As regards Anambra Central Senatorial zone, Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, nullified Senator Uche Ekwunifie’s election on 6th of December 2015, and ordered a rerun for within 90 days. Unfortunately, court order expired on 6th March 2016, without any election coming forth thereby leaving Anambra State under-represented in the Senate. INEC went beyond its constitutional responsibility and powers, by disqualifying and barring candidates of certain political parties from being part of the election.

The aggrieved political party approached Federal High Court, Abuja, where it got a court order mandating INEC to include its candidate in the rerun election. Instead of INEC retaining its roles as a plaintiff Party in a politically motivated and ill-conceived appellate suit, questioning the grounded decision of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court on 1st March 2016, which rightly ordered the Commission to include wrongly, excluded parties and their candidates in the court-rerun. INEC absconded and defaulted on its bipartisan mandate as electoral referee, and even descended so low, by aligning with a political party just to frustrate another political party out of the race.

Kogi East Senatorial zone is left without a substantive senator for months, irrespective of the fact that the Appeal Court-ordered election is almost concluded, except for few polling units. The court ordered 90 days has

expired, yet not a word has been heard from INEC in that regard. It is very clear that the only reason, INEC is yet to finalise the election and declare triumphant candidate winner, is because the PDP candidate is leading with wide margin—which makes him presumptive Senator-elect of Kogi East.

The recent rerun election held in Rivers State, passed a vote of no confidence on the electoral commission. For the first in the history of Nigerian democracy, INEC has refused to release, cancel, uphold or reschedule rerun for the yet-to-be-concluded local government areas in state. INEC has resorted to releasing election results by piecemeal against electoral guidelines. The entire three senatorial rerun elections of Rivers State are still outstanding, as well as nine other House of Representatives seats.

The 90-day period given by Appeal Court has elapsed, yet INEC has not even fix date for conclusion of this election.

Can INEC tell Nigerians where it derives this unconstitutional power to delay rerun elections outside Appeal Court stipulated 90 days from? One of INEC’s flimsy excuses has been that River State is not secured enough to guarantee peaceful electoral processes. If INEC under Prof. Jega could supervise peaceful general elections in Bokoharam-ravaged states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, why won’t Prof. Yakubu-led INEC conclude rerun election in only one state of Rivers? If Rivers State is too volatile for elections, what stops INEC from fixing date for rerun elections of Imo North, Anambra Central, and conclusion of rerun election of Kogi-East Senatorial zones?

*Mr. Chidiebere, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Abuja.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016—19 —19 Send Opinions & Letters to: opinions1234@yahoo.com Nigeria May Survive and I had reviewed it.

The job of the reviewer was originally meant for Reuben Abati, then editorial board chair of the Guardian, who couldn’t make it on the intended day. Mr. Amuka had sent his invitation to write through Mr. Uwaifo and it would be many weeks before I would meet him at Vanguard Media in Apapa. As a journalist, editor and writer, his reputation preceded him. He it was who had spoken with me and he couldn’t by any chance be said not

A decade after I

T was ten years ago this week that the first article appeared in this space. It was 13 May, 2006, I think, that the first article was published. Even though I had known for several weeks now that the anniversary of this column would be this week and I had mentally noted the fact and planned to say a word or two about it, the day seems to have come upon me rather suddenly.

It is a testimony to just how harried and occupied one has become in the course of ten years that I had not found the time to check out details of the very first title I wrote here.

By the time I wrote my first piece for Vanguard, I had been writing on a fairly regular basis for different Nigerian newspapers and magazines for at least ten years. Indeed, before I took on the invitation to write for Vanguard I had a similar invitation from an editor of The Guardian in Lagos. But I did not follow up on that invitation for reasons I told that editor just a few months ago after he made references about my failure to take up his offer to a friend he was

with during an event at the University of Ibadan.

By the time I started this column, therefore, I could not be said to be without experience writing in the media. But Vanguard editors still wouldn’t take chances. They didn’t say it but they wanted to be sure, it was obvious, that I could write and indeed do so within a weekly deadline. The invitation to write had come directly from Mr. Sam Amuka Pemu, the publisher. This publisher was not just an entrepreneur.

He was a highly respected writer and editor who has been deservedly praised for his uncanny ability to spot talent. It was at an event, the public presentation of a book compilation of the past columns of a former Vanguard columnist, Mr. Solomon Uwaifo that Mr. Amuka had seen me at the MUSON Centre in Lagos.

Mr. Uwaifo’s book centred around electric power generation, transmission and distribution. You could describe it as a book about Nigeria’s problem with the provision (or the lack of it) of power. The collected articles were published under the title, That

This publisher was not just an entrepreneur. He was a highly respected writer and editor who has been deservedly praised for his uncanny ability to spot talent

to know the trade. He thereafter sent for the editor and handed me over to him.

But as the authorised gatekeepers on ground, the editors were determined to ensure that quality was not compromised. And so they asked me to hand them enough copies to last for at least four or five weeks. This again, it

Libido over learning: A sexual harassment bill to the rescue O

NE of the most socially significant bills to be introduced by a legislator is now before the Senate. Its proponent is Mr. Ovie Omo-Agege, only about three months old in that conclave of self-inflating legislators who crave the bogus adulation of “distinguished senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” By this bill alone, Omo-Agege has surpassed what older tenants of the Senate, some in their third or fourth terms, can ever hope to achieve besides living large and laundering our stolen moneys in offshore tax havens. The object of the bill is prohibition of all forms of sexual harassment of students by educators in tertiary institutions. It defines broadly “sexual harassment” and the all-important term “fiduciary duty” or “relationship of authority, dependency and trust.” The bill seeks to punish offenders with imprisonment for 2-5 years, and any head of an institutions who fails to take appropriate disciplinary steps under Section 12 (not Section 13 as erroneously stated) with two years or a N2 million fine.

Precisely one week ago, I visited OmoAgege in his senate office to congratulate him for the good luck of salvaging his victory from the ferocious jaws of our obnoxious present-day electoral jurisprudence. Pleasantries over, I asked how he had fared so far in a Senate that shamelessly abandons its urgent duties while the country sinks in the quick sand of corruption and maladministration to follow, like a herd of cattle, its embattled shepherd to the court whenever said embattled shepherd is obliged to appear for his trial or seeks to evade it through frivolous appeals. Imagine my delight, then,

when he reeled out his constituency and legislative preoccupations!

Anyone familiar with Nigeria’s tertiary institutions knows that our campuses of supposed higher learning are more or less veritable sexual jungles where academic staff, especially, but also senior

Voting on this bill ought to be unanimous, but don’t bet against those who might find it possible to plead a special mandate from Allah or Yahweh to wear their abominable subordination of women as a badge of piety and courage. By their votes, we shall know them (again) administration staff, are prowling predators. Sex for marks or other favours has become so entrenched as to have acquired the status of a law of nature. Put bluntly, it is as if our university, polytechnic and college of education campuses were sex colonies where rape or any other form of coerced copulation and intimacy may be practised without sanctions. The ungovernable libido of lecturers has led to some harried female students resorting to desperate means of looking sexually unappealing or putting themselves within the assumed safe

was obvious, was to ensure they would be able to keep the column running in the event I ran out of ideas or had a writer ’s block.

Although I obliged them, I sent them updated copy of each of the four or five copies I had handed them initially.

Apparently they didn’t see or just failed to use these. For several weeks they went on using what I had originally handed to them and I just had to wait for them to exhaust what they had in their article bank before I started sending them new copies. My deadline then was Friday even though my column appeared on Wednesday, almost one full week after submission.

Looking back now that looks like a very long time to send in a copy before it is published. But I ensured that I wrote in a manner that kept the topic of discussion still fresh and without any hint of being almost a week old.

Apart from the fact that events are reported at a much faster pace these days, necessitating roundthe-clock updating of news, I have since pushed back my deadline to Sunday and sometimes early Monday morning. The demands on one’s time are so many and enormous.

But I consider writing this column as important as any other task I have to undertake. Many times I finish writing and send off my copy for the week in the very dead of the night or in the early hours of Monday (it’s nearly 3 in the morning as I write this).

Rarely do I write and send off a piece before Saturday now. I take this opportunity to apologise to the editors, especially the sub-editor, for the inconveniences this may cause them even though it has the advantage of ensuring that issues discussed are kept almost oven

bounds of moral and social norms.

Such as w e a r i n g wedding bands even though unmarried; strapping cushions to their bellies to f e i g n pregnancy; foregoing a bath, dressing down and shunning make-up before office visits; pleading the monthly visitation, etc., all to no avail. Always, the sexobsessed lecturer wielding his illegitimate power asks drily: Do you want to pass this course, to graduate, or not? To a lesser degree, horny female lecturers also prey on any male Adonis that overawes their sense of moral restraint.

Truth be told, many a female student have no qualms about trading their bodies for grades. They are the ones who wear to class the skimpiest attire outside a brothel or a “video vixen” musical performance to sit where the lecturer is guaranteed the best view of the wares on display, who would even proposition the lecturer directly where he seems too timid. But as with the famous faux justification for rape — that the female victim was begging for it due to the way she was dressed or because she did not scream STOP loudly enough for the deaf to hear — consent shouldn’t be a defence in a case of amorous breach of fiduciary trust, as the bill rightly provides.

I am heartened by the fact of forty-six co-sponsors of the bill. I looked carefully for one name in vain: that of a certain senator who has distinguished himself as an unrepentant foe of the equal humanity of men and women. Since his specialty is child-brides, especially of North African provenance, I had thought that this bill which covers only females above the age of eighteen would enable him to join the

fresh. Even then, I still find that I sometimes have to send in updated versions of a piece sent earlier.

In the ten years since I embarked on this journey, I have yet to record a week in which I didn’t write my piece. Yes, I have hosted about five guest writers, two of whose articles ran for two weeks. There have also been a couple of times when due to some mix-up (in the early years) when sent copies didn’t appear in print.

Outside these instances, no week has gone in the last ten years without me writing my column. I have yet to experience the disappointment of waking up to the realisation that I had failed to send in my copy for the week. No matter the inconveniences (and they keep mounting these days), no matter where I happened to be in the last one decade I have made every effort to write my column.

It’s not been easy at all writing in circumstances that are not at all friendly. Many times one has to work without electricity (as I do right now), one is often cut off the internet or immediate demands on one’s time simply crowd out any thought that one hasn’t written one’s copy for the week. But in all of this my immediate family has been wonderful.

My wife who knows the nature and demands of my daily activities and who has a clear sense of how strenuous it is writing in the circumstances I often have to write, tries to urge me to write my column within the week. When as I often do these days- when I fail to write before weekend and sometimes forget all about it, she is the first and only one who reminds me of it.

To be continued next week

ranks of civilised humans for once, but what was I thinking!

A few things would need to be done to fine-tune the bill before passage. For instance, it must jettison the loophole of knowledge, reasonable or not, by the predator that his or her attentions would be unwelcome by the student; that they would be deemed offensive, intimidating or humiliating, as in the definition of sexual harassment in Section 2. Or that an “intimidating, hostile or offensive environment” would ensue for the victimised student as in Section 4(3).

Furthermore, Section 7 on commencement of proceedings seems to be in conflict with Section 12(1) on the initiation of a disciplinary procedure by an institution to the extent that the former unreasonably limits a student’s complaint options by stating that a “complaint for (sic) the offence of sexual harassment” has to be made to the Nigerian Police or to the AttorneyGeneral who shall take necessary measures to commence criminal proceedings against the educator.”

The Senate has a shameful record on gender equality but has yet another chance now to prove it is in the 21st Century. Voting on this bill ought to be unanimous, but don’t bet against those who might find it possible to plead a special mandate from Allah or Yahweh to wear their abominable subordination of women as a badge of piety and courage.

By their votes, we shall know them (again).

20—Vanguard, WEDNES DAY WEDNESDAY DAY, MAY 11, 2016

Which kin change be this?

By Bose Adelaja

A

Project to light up Lagos elicits joy, misgivings

CERTAIN Mr Daniel Aransiola who relocated to his home town in Osun State after his retirement from the public service in Lagos got the surprise of his life when he visited the envisaged mega-city last weekend.

Arriving Oshodi late in the night via Agege Motor Road, he could not believe his eyes when he found the entire stretch of the road illuminated by street light. And to the amusement of his fellow passengers, he continued to give vent to his astonishment all the way to his Mushin destination.

Daniel, and indeed all Lagosians, have the Light Up Lagos Initiative introduced by the *Now illuminated...Ikorodu Road inward Ojuelegba Governor Ambode administration to thank for this amazing development in the lighting and take them away from to drive at night. Before now most public sector to private level. Also, roads were death traps because state.

Some of the areas in Lagos we want to strengthen the there was no light to see the many Mainland and suburbs which have backbones of the cables and form potholes and broken down vehicles on the way”. already benefited from the Light the Lagos State Grid,” he said.

Under community electrification, Some road users at IyanaUp Initiative include International Airport to Sango Tollgate, Agege he said: ‘’There are some Oworo said they can now Motor Road, Murtala Muhammed communities that have not had confidently stand at the bus-stop Airport Road inward, 7 & 8 Bus electricity for a long time. An without fear of being attacked, Stop, Charity inward Oshodi, Local example is Ibeju Lekki. We have adding that darkness encourages Airport Road, Agege Motor Road powered 68 communities so far hoodlums to attack people at and Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, and between now and September, night.

Both Madam Orisadare Iyana-Oworo, Berger, Ikorodu we want to take rural electrification Road and Ipaja\ Ayobo inward to Seme and other left out areas in Phelomena and one Alhaji Akerele Garba said the project has Ishefun, Aiyetoro roads, among the state”.

The Commissioner said the reduced criminal activities others. embedded power will take drastically as most criminals On the electricity to homes and supply prefer to operate in the dark. ‘’We Island are electricity 24\7. He said: ‘’A now walk freely without fear of Victoria Island committee headed by the Deputy attacks and molestation. We i n w a r d , Governor has been set up and we indeed thank Governor Ambode Lekki\Epe and are into partnership with Oando for his vision that gave birth to T h i r d Gas, Egbin Power Plant and Disco, this Light Up Initiative,” they Mainland but this will be done in phases. I chorused.

Bridge and want to assure Lagosians that inward IyanaBut some road users expressed Oworo. Also There is no these projects will take care of their misgivings about the continuity electricity problems”. proposed to and safety of the project. For more hide The Public Affairs Officer of example, Madam Adewoyin benefit from Lagos State Environmental Omolola, has this to say: ‘’The the project are out for Seme Border criminals as Sanitation and Special Offences project is laudable but how do (Task Force), Adebayo Taofik, said they protect it from vandals to Badagry, Ikorodu\Sagamu everywhere, the initiatives have reduced crimes lurking around and waiting for in the state. According to him: the right moment to pounce?” A Road and so including ‘’The Lagos State Light Up Marwa operator at 7 & 8 bus-stop, many others.

Initiative is really assisting the Airport road, Mr Chinedu Olisah, S p e a k i n g under Agency as there is no more hide also expressed same fear as he w i t h bridges, out for criminals as everywhere, said: “There are beautiful Va n g u a r d including under bridges, have overhead bridges that have been Metro, the have been Commissioner illuminated been illuminated”. vandalized and no arrest made Indeed, the project has elicited in respect of that. I hope the Light for Energy and commendations from various Up Initiative will not end up the M i n e r a l Resources Mr Olawale Oluwo said community development same way”. the Light Up Lagos Initiative is associations, CDAs, as they see it Indeed the fear so expressed divided into three phases, namely: as a laudable one capable of may well be founded as VM’s street lighting, community enhancing the security of lives and investigations reveal that some of electrification and embedded property. the Light Up installations around power. Under street lighting, he For instance, Mr Bankole Oshodi Bus-stop appear to have said the project will light up all Adeneye, a road user who spoke been tampered with, a existing street lights and create new with VM at the Obalende Bus-stop development some commuters ones. area said he can now drive attributed to marauders usually ‘’Chances are that if you enter confidently at night, something he present in the area.

Lagos from any corner, you will be was always scared to do in the past. welcomed by street light. We want He said: ‘’With the street lights in to introduce technology into street place one can see clearly enough C M Y K

By Ebele Orakpo “OH Chineke God, deliver us from this wahala. Is this what we voted for? The suffering is too much,” lamented Patrick, a commuter in the Apapa-bound bus, in reference to the long queues at petrol stations, often spilling into the road and obstructing the free-flow of traffic.

“Kai, we have never had it so bad. No fuel to drive your vehicle, no fuel to power your generator and no light from the electricity company, PHCN. This na real suffer head. Please what have we done?” asked Lucy.

This government is getting it all wrong. How can you say you are no longer paying subsidy and at the same time fixing price for marketers? It’s not done anywhere.

It won’t work,” said Ken. “How many marketers are selling at the fixed price?” asked Dayo. Replied Ken: “Why should they? You are not paying subsidy, they suffered to source for dollars at almost double the price, and you are asking them to sell at your fixed price? That is callous!”

Said Jide: “We are going through the pangs of childbirth. Before we enjoy, we must suffer. Just bear with this government a little longer and in the end, we will all enjoy. After all, you don’t expect PMB to fix PDP’s 16 wasted years in one year. He is not a magician.”

Retorted Patrick: “Aha, APC defender! Please people are tired of your blame game. We were told PDP was the worst thing to have happened to Nigeria and that APC was going to change everything for the better and we all clapped. As the Hausas say: Ga fili, ga doki (Here's the field, here's the horse). APC, you have the power, go to work. Unfortunately, everything is going from bad to worse. Labour should organise peaceful protests. We no longer sleep at nights because of heat and no fuel to power generators.”

“Shebi everyone is a wailer now. In fact, some even wail more than the original wailers. I dey laugh oo,” said Lucy sarcastically, adding: “We made our bed so we must lie on it without complaints please.”

Narrated Frank: “This change is changing everyone.

Last Saturday, I called one Aboki to cut my nails. I grew up in Kano so I speak Hausa fluently. We got talking and I asked him his state of origin, he said Katsina. I said oh, they are the ogas at the top. To my surprise, his countenance changed and he said to me: ‘Abeg, no talk like that. Buhari has disappointed us. We all went home to vote – almajiris, the lame, blind, children – everyone went to vote because of the wonderful promises he We have made to us. Now, he is not never had it so fulfilling any.’ He said he had not eaten anything that bad; no fuel to day; this was around drive your ve2.00pm and he said he will use the money he will get hicle, no fuel to from his services to eat. I power your began to wonder how many people he will cut their nails generator and to be able to make enough no light from money to afford a decent the electricity meal. I had to give him something to eat. He asked company for old clothes also. He said they’ve not had it so bad.” “Next time when you hear change, you ask what type of change because change get different levels. These days, when you say change, people look at you somehow,” said Frank.

“I was in a bus a few days ago and a commuter asked the driver for change. Another commuter in another bus looked at him and said: ‘Abeg, we no wan hear that word again’.

The man said he was asking for his balance not APC Change,” said Ken. “It has gotten to that. PMB and his team should look for solutions and stop the blame game. If they don’t know what to do, let them copy the things the past government got right and continue from there. In fact, it’s high time he took a break from his worldwide junketing and face governance.

Things are getting out of hand and he is busy going round the world. He should act fast before people take laws into their hands,” counselled Patrick.

Said Frank: “It’s happening already. Ethnic militias are rising everywhere. Since he has refused to tackle the herdsmen, people are working to defend themselves. All we hear is how the military is killing cattle rustlers leaving the killer herdsmen to roam freely.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

— 21

Oil up as Canada, Nigeria problems counter stockpile concern C

RUDE Oil prices rose yesterday, boosted by supply disruptions in Canada and Nigeria that have knocked out 2.5 million barrels of daily production and temporarily eclipsed concern over high global inventories and a looming surplus of refined products.

Brent crude futures were up 39 cents on the day at $44.02 per barrel while U.S. crude futures were virtually flat at $43.38 per barrel.

Stocks of unwanted crude

BRIEFING: From left, Mr. Martin Mabutho, General Manager, Marketing (left), MultiChoice Nigeria; Ms Damilola Ojuri, overall winner and Mr John Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria during a press briefing on the MultiChoice Staff edition of MtvBase Lip Sinc Battle Africa held at MultiChoice head office, Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos at the weekend. PHOTO: Kehinde Gbadamosi .

In spite of output outages from Canada to Nigeria, oil prices are down by more than 2 per cent so far this week, hampered by worries that even hefty dents to production will have little effect on the growth of stocks of unwanted crude. Weekly data on speculative holdings of crude futures has shown investors are cooling a little toward oil.

Global e-payment cards generate $3trn purchase transactions published by The Nilson Report, the top trade newsletter covering the card and mobile payment industries.

The report indicated while the volume of purchase transactions, which includes all commercial and consumer credit, debit, and prepaid cards via the six cards rose by 16.1 percent, the value of transactions rose by 18 percent.

By Babajide Komolafe

C

ONSUMERS around the world used the six global electronic payment cards to make 227 billion purchases valued at $3.11 trillion in 2015.

The six cards are Visa, UnionPay, MasterCard, JCB, Diners Club/Discover and American Express.

This was revealed in the Global Card report 2015

Cash advances on credit cards $ 125.90 0.75 $3,077.00 30.00 $ 16.05

CURRENCY US DOLLAR POUNDS EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYAL KRONA SDR

0.17

$44.06

0.43

$43.38

-0.06

BUYING 196 282.534 223.1264 201.8953 1.8098 0.3223 277.1033 30.0928 52.2583 29.9882 277.1636

196.5 283.2548 223.6956 202.4104 1.8144 0.3323 277.8102 30.17 52. 3916 30.0647 277.8707

SELLING 197 283.9755 224.2648 202.9254 1.819 0.3423 278.5171 30.2472 52.5249 30.1412 278.5777

CBN Exchange rate as at 10/05/2016

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The report stated, “Purchase volume for goods and services, which excludes cash advances on credit cards and cash withdrawals on debit cards, grew by 18.0 percent or $3.110 trillion in 2015.

“Visa cards, which include both Visa Inc. and Visa Europe, accounted for 55.52 percent of all purchase transactions worldwide. Debit cards with the Visa brand continued to account for the most purchase transactions with a share of 35.50 percent, followed by Visa credit cards with 20.02 percent,

MasterCard credit cards with 13.14 percent, MasterCard debit cards with 13.13 percent, UnionPay credit cards with 6.79 percent, UnionPay debit cards with 6.00 percent, and American Express cards with 3.21 percent.

JCB cards with 1.23 percent overtook Diners Club/Discover cards with 0.98 percent.

Commenting on the results, David Robertson, Publisher of The Nilson Report said, “When consumers worldwide reach into their wallets for a payment card, more than half of the time, they use a Visa card.”

“UnionPay continued to have the highest percentage increase in purchase transactions. Last year UnionPay credit and debit card purchase transactions at merchants grew by 47.0 percent. Its year-over-year growth of 9.28 billion transactions topped the 8.09 billion increase for MasterCard but trailed an increase of 13.16 billion for Visa.

“Debit and prepaid cards accounted for 54.63 percent of purchase transactions, up from 54.05 percent in 2014.

Visa purchase transactions were 63.95 percent debit, up from 63.71 percent.

MasterCard purchase transactions were 49.98

percent debit, up from 47.86 percent. UnionPay purchase transactions were 46.90 percent debit, up from 46.00 percent.

“UnionPay debit cards were the most popular payment product based on purchase volume, followed by Visa credit cards, which overtook Visa debit cards. The fourth largest was UnionPay credit cards, followed by MasterCard credit cards, MasterCard debit cards, and American Express credit cards.

“Credit, debit, and prepaid cards in circulation totaled 10.25 billion at the end of 2015, up 8.2 percent over year-end 2014. UnionPay accounted for 53.07 percent of global brand cards in circulation, up from 52.09 percent, followed by Visa with 28.95 percent, down from 30.23 percent, MasterCard with 15.35 percent, up from 14.96 percent, American Express with 1.15 percent, down from 1.18 percent, JCB with 0.91 percent, down from 0.93 percent, and Diners Club/ Discover with 0.56 percent, down from 0.60 percent.

Of the total cards in circulation, 75.94 percent were debit, up from 74.61 percent.

Debit cards in circulation grew by 716.3 million compared to a 61.4 million increase for credit cards.”

“We’ve seen the market slump 10 per cent from the highs since this (Canada) news came in, which suggests that there are other fish to fry at the moment,” Saxo Bank senior manager Ole Hansen said.

“The big reaction to the change in Canada gave an indication that the market has become a bit more focused on selling into rallies...” Oil prices fell on Monday by as much as 3.8 percent at one point, after the wildfire moved away from the oil sounds town of Fort McMurray in the western Canadian province of Alberta.

Outages in Canada, which consultancy Energy Aspects said now totaled 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd), have brought global disruptions to more than 2.5 million bpd since the beginning of the year. This has at least temporarily wiped out a surplus that emerged in mid-2014 and slashed 70 percent off prices before a recovery started early this year.

A series of attacks on Nigeria’s oil infrastructure has pushed its output of crude close to a 22-year low, piling pressure on its finances.

“Despite some significant supply disruptions, most

Outages in Canada...have brought global disruptions to more than 2.5 million bpd since the beginning of the year, while a series of attacks on Nigeria’s oil infrastructure has pushed its output close to a 22-year low, piling pressure on its finances notably in Canada, ongoing bearish fundamentals precipitated a modest retracement in prices,” Societe Generale said in a weekly note to clients. With plenty of crude available, refiners have produced large volumes of gasoline and diesel, threatening to swamp demand despite the coming U.S. summer driving season.

“Crude cannot go up without support from products, and that support is not there at the moment, and more refineries are coming out of turnarounds so there will be more products and tanks are getting full,” said Oystein Berentsen, managing director for crude at Strong Petroleum in Singapore.

22— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

Let’s build Nigerian teachers to rebuild Nigeria — Obiano VOL. 1 NO 67 Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARYWEDNESDAY, 20, 2016 Vanguard, MAY 11, 2016

•IMSU chancellor sitting at the podium

Chukwuma, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing boss now IMSU Chancellor

Page 24

•Imo State Gov’s wife, Imo Gov, Rochas Okorocha; Innocent Chukwuma, IMSU Chancellor and his wife; Ag Vice Chancellor of IMSU , Mrs Obasi at the ceremony.

.as Okorocha crowns Ekenze, best graduating student as Imo govt son

BY NWABUEZE OKONKWO

O

NITSHA — Both Dr. Innocent Chukwuma (OFR), Chairman of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, IVM, Nnewi, Anambra state and Mr. John Ekenze, an indigene of Obowo community in Obowo Local Government Area of Imo State, no doubt, from many perspectives, stole the show during last weekend’s activities marking this year’s 7th Convocation ceremony of Imo State University, IMSU, Owerri.

While Chukwuma was glamorously proclaimed the Chancellor of IMSU by Governor Rochas Okorocha, in the presence of his Nnewi kinsmen, including his elder brother and proprietor of Gabros International FC, Chief Gabriel Chukwuma; his in-law, Chief Louis Carter Onwugbenu, Chairman of Loius Carter Industries Limited, Lagos; his friend, Chief Azuka Okwuosa, one time

Commissioner for Works in Anambra state and the traditional ruler of Nnewi, Igwe Kenneth Orizu with his cabinet members, Ekenze shed tears of joy as he was proclaimed the best graduating student of the institution.

Adorned in his academic gown, thus adding more feathers to his existing credentials, the Honorary Doctorate awarded to Chukwuma by the institution during the event and the adoption of Ekenze as a true son of Imo State government by Governor Okorocha and his wife, Nneoma became the two most remarkable events that featured prominently at the convocation arena.

As the best graduating student of the university, having graduated from the Department of Optometry, under the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ekenze was instantly adopted as a true son of Imo State given automatic employment as a lecturer in the university and at the same time given a scholarship to do his Masters and

•Ekenze, best graduating student sitting in a car donated by Innoson Doctorate degrees in any university of his choice.

Not yet done, Ekenze instantly raked in over N2 million cash and a brand new car from voluntary donors, with Okorocha firing the first salvo with the donation of N1 million to enable him go to any country of his choice and do his masters and doctorate degrees, as he requested.

Gov. Ikpeazu unleashes Bakassi boys to tackle Fulani herdsmen

By ANAYO OKOLI

U

MUAHIA — ABIA State Government has issued a serious warning to the rampaging Fulani herdsmen who have been attacking communities, stressing that they would not attack any Abia community and go free.

The Government has unleashed the dreaded Bakassi Boys to protect the communities.

Already, the Government has embarked on the recruitment of thousands of youths to beef up the existing Bakassi Boys to be deployed to the various communities in the State to protect them against the C M Y K

menace of the Fulani herdsmen as well as other criminals.

The Bakassi Boys are dreaded because of the mystery surrounding their bravery.

The action of the Government has exited the people of the State as they believe that it is only an outfit like Bakassi Boys that could effectively checkmate the heinous acts of the herdsmen.

So following the raging attack on communities by Fulani herdsmen, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has approved more recruitment and deployment of the Bakassi Boys to all rural communities of the State.

The Governor gave immediate directive to all the traditional rulers in the State to

nominate 10 youths and send to the Local Government Commissioner for an intensive training for onward deployment to the rural communities. They would police the rural communities under the supervision of the Police.

And to ensure that the herdsmen don’t smuggle arms and ammunitions into the State, Governor Ikpeazu also mandated the law enforcement agencies to thoroughly search and screen all truck and vehicles conveying live stocks, food items and persons into the state from any part of the country. They were also mandated to search and screen markets and settlements where live stock and dealers Continues on Page 24

Okorocha’s donation was immediately followed by that of Imo state Chief of Staff, Ugwumba Uche Nwosu who donated his one-month salary which he said is equivalent to N500,000 and then Hon. Chike Okafor representing Obowo federal Constituency in the House of Representatives who also donated N500,000 to Ekenze before Chukwuma, the Chancellor wrapped it up with a donation of a brand new IVM Fox car.

At the event, Governor Okorocha while proclaiming Chukwuma as the Chancellor at the podium, by the power conferred on him as the state Governor, noted that he was grateful to Chukwuma for accepting the Chancellorship position of the university because, according to him, Chukwuma has the capacity to establish and run his own private university.

Okorocha who restated his passion for education, hence his introduction of a free and compulsory education policy in the state on assumption of office, he therefore charged Chukwuma to bring his wealth of experience to bear on the institution, to enable it compete favourably with its contemporaries all over the world.

On the other hand, Okorocha who

Continues on Page 24

24 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

Gov. Ikpeazu unleashes Bakassi boys to tackle Fulani herdsmen Continues from Page 23 stay to ensure security.

For those desirous of living

Let’s build Nigerian teachers to rebuild Nigeria — Obiano T

HE Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano has made a case for better treatment and appreciation of Nigerian teachers, saying that no forward-looking society should toy with the affairs of its teachers.

The Governor who spoke at the 59 th Annual National Congress of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) described teachers as the pillars of society who deserve a special attention and consideration from the government and enlightened members of society.

Describing himself as a proud son of a teacher, Governor Obiano said Nigeria’s

leadership “must build the Nigerian teacher to help us build a better society.”

Narrating the efforts of his administration to motivate teachers in the state, Obiano said; “Indeed, we take our teachers seriously in Anambra State.

Anambra teachers are beneficiaries of the 15% increase in salary that we gave to all civil servants in the state.

However, beyond that, last year, we sent 23 vocational school teachers to an onshore training in Singapore to learn global best practices in vocational education. We are very prompt in the payment of their salaries and allowances.

"We pay additional N3,000 to motivate teachers who teach

English Language, Mathematics and the basic sciences while we pay 20% of the basic salary to teachers who accept postings to some hardto-reach locations.”

The governor assured of his administration’s commitment to continue to inspire the teachers so that they would offer their best to Anambra children, saying, “we shall continue our efforts to reposition our teachers in the frame of reference of our people.

"Indeed, my administration will not relent in doing what we can to ensure that the Anambra teacher does not wait to be rewarded in heaven for his good work on earth.”

peacefully, the State Government constituted Farmers/Herdsmen Conflict Resolution Committee in the 17 Local Government Areas of the state to be headed by the Local Government chairmen with Divisional Police Officers in the councils, NSCDC heads, the DSS Local Government Chiefs, Chairmen of Traditional Rulers Council and Heads of Hausa communities in the councils as members.

Governor Ikpeazu was moved to take the drastic action following last week’s clash between soldiers and butchers in Aba which led to the killing of two butchers and almost snowballed into an ethnic clash between Hausa/Fulani and other tribes.

Ability of the Bakassi Boys The Governor’s action doused tension in Aba, known for its combustible nature, as the youths were already spoiling for war.

When the announcement to engage the Bakassi Boys to checkmate the herdsmen was made, the tension calmed because the people have a lot of confidence in the ability of the Bakassi Boys to tackle any crime.

“I have directed that the men of the Abia State Vigilante Services (AVS), popularly known as Bakassi, to commence, with immediate effect, a two week intensive training, for onward deployment to our communities to assist in community policing under the supervision of the Commissioner of Police.

“All Traditional Rulers in the state are required to submit names of 10 youths from their

community to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs from Tuesday 10th to Wednesday 11th May 2016. These youths will be enlisted into the Abia State Vigilante Services (AVS).

“I have mandated the law enforcement agencies to search and screen all trucks and vehicles conveying live stocks, food items and persons into the state from any part of the country. The law enforcement agencies will also search and screen markets and settlements where live stocks and dealers are, to ensure security.

“The Government of Abia State has constituted a Farmers/ Herdsmen Conflict Resolution Committee. The Commissioner of Police will head the committee.

Other members of the committee are: The Brigade Commander, State Director of DSS, State Commandant of the NSCDC, the Naval Commander, Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Duties, State Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Myati Allah and Saraki Hausa.

“The State Government has also constituted Farmers/ Herdsmen Conflict Resolution Committee in the 17 Local Government Areas of the state.

The Local Government chairmen will head the committees in their LGAs. Other members of the committees include; Divisional Police Officers in the LGAs, Local Government NSCDC heads, the DSS Local Government Chiefs, LGA Chairmen of Traditional Rulers Council and LGA Heads of Hausa communities”, the Governor said in a statement he personally issued.

Chukwuma, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing boss now IMSU Chancellor Chief Willie Obiano, Governor of Anambra State and Hajiya Fatima Abdulrahman, National President, All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) during the confederation’s 59th National Congress at the Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka...Tuesday.

(L-R) Hajiya Fatima Abdulrahman, National President of ANCOPSS, Chief Willie Obiano, Governor of Anambra State and Prof. Kate Omenugha, Commissioner for Education, Anambra State.

Continues from Page 23 announced the presentation of a brand new bus to IMSU, charged the staff and management team to embark on more research work so as to produce students who are employable and employers of labour and not job seekers, now that government recurrent expenditures have overtaken capital expenditures to the tune of 70 percent as against 30 percent.

On the part of students, Okorocha declared: “You are the pivot upon which our economy will rotate, adding, my free education policy did not go down well with some people because they did not know that I swore to God and told Him that if He blesses me with wealth and makes me educated, I will transfer the blessing to others free of charge”.

In his speech, the Chancellor, Chukwuma noted that from humble beginnings as a child of challenge, Imo State University, IMSU, Owerri has grown to national repute both in

disciplinary offering and in faculty and students’ intellectual distinction.

THE TEAM Supervising Editor: Chioma Gabriel, Lagos (08052201257) Editor: Emeka Mamah, Enugu email: emekemamah@yahoo.com) Anayo Okoli, Umuahia Vincent Ujumadu, Awka Austin Ogwuda, Awka Chidi Nkwopara, Owerri Peter Okutu, Abakaliki Chimaobi Nwaiwu, Nnewi

Francis Igata, Enugu Nwabueze Okonkwo, Onitsha

Ugochukwu Alaribe, Aba Enyim Enyim, Onitsha Chinoso Alozie, Owerri Chinenye Ozor, Nsukka Eric Ugbor, Aba

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016 — 25

26 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

Nigerians in Germany protesting the killing of civilians in Nimbo, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State by herdsmen.

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State (middle), his wife, Rachel; and wife of the Deputy Governor, Ethel Nnenna Igwe,during the burial of Elder Emmanuel Nweke, father in-law of Deputy Governor Kelechi Igwe in Ikwo on Friday.

Governor Rochas Okorocha (2nd right) congratulating Engr. Emma Ezeonyeasi, Chairman, Imo State Education Trust Fund Committee after its inauguration.

From left— Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, casting his vote at the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, state congress in Enugu. With him are Ndubuisi Nwigwe and Colet Odenigbo.

From left— Prince Iheanyi Njemanze, son; widow, Lolo Ugoeze Pauline Njemanze and Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, during his visit to the family of late ruler of Owerri Ancient Kingdom, HRM Eze Emmanuel Njamanze.

C M Y K

From left— Secretary to Ebonyi State Government, Professor Bernard Odoh (right) and Head of Service, Dr. Chamberlain Nwele, at the special stakeholders summit on rice revolution in the state in Abakaliki.

VANGU ARD, WEDNESD AY, MA Y 11, 2016 — 27 ANGUARD, WEDNESDA MAY

Dare I trust my father this time around?

Dear Bunmi, Y PARENTS split up when I was three years old and my dad moved back to his home-town. He would turn up from time to time to see us, but then he’d disappear again, sometimes for months, sometimes for years.

It made me sad, especially when I got married five years ago and now have two children of my own. My husband is a responsible provider and loves his children.

Re c e n t l y, I g o t a message from a relative of my dad, saying he loved me and would like to get to know me and my new family. Having him in my life would be good for me and the children, but I’d be devastated if he did a

M

Should I report my boss to personnel?

Dear Bunmi, MY BOSS is 22 years older than I am and is married. He’s always laughing and flirting with the women in the office, including me. Then, towards the end of last year, his behaviour towards me changed. Whenever he hugged me, he would hold on for a moment too long. He also started sending me emails telling me personal things. I told myself he didn’t mean anything by it, but at an official party last Christmas, he put his hand up my dress.

The following week, he called me into his office and told me that he was unhappy with my work. He said that if I didn’t improve, I’d lose my job. My work has never been called into question before

If you have to resort to reporting him, go to personnel armed with any evidence, such as e-mails.

You may find it isn't the first such complaint they've had. Why not try talking to him first and see if it gets you anywhere? If it doesn’t, then report him.

and I’m very upset. Do I try to talk to my boss about what happened or should I just report him to personnel?

Miriam by e-mail.

Dear Miriam, I’d be wary of reporting him.

Once you do, there’s no going back. Though he shouldn’t be allowed to get away with this abuse of office and sexual harassment, you want to tackle this problem with a clear head. If you have to resort to reporting him, go to personnel armed with any evidence, such as e-mails.

You may find it isn't the first such complaint they've had.

Why not try talking to him first and see if it gets you anywhere? If it doesn’t, then report him.

Friends advise I have more girlfriends Dear Bunmi, I’m in my late 20s and enjoy visiting friends, reading and watching movies, yet my friends tell me to be more adventurous and have more girlfriends and more sex.

Admitted, I am a bit introverted, but I’m contented with my life and love- life and I am happy. The problem is that I don’t seem able to show

my feelings, so, people tend to think I am cold. How can I be more happy-go-lucky?

Daniel by e-mail.

Dear Daniel, Hang-on, why are you trying to be happy-go-lucky?

And, why should you try to act the casanova you’re not?

Looks to me as if you want to please your friends. But you

really don’t need to. You enjoy what you do and are happy when good things happen to you. So, what if you don’t show your feelings? Be proud to be who you are and not what your friends want you to be. Look around you and you’ll discover people who value you for just being you.

By now she should be over being dumped Dear Bunmi, Y YOUNGER sister has been on her own since her husband left her for his pregnant and much younger mistress. They had no children, so I’m happy for her to join us on my birthday which I always celebrated. She lives in another state and usually stays a couple of days. The problem is, she always drinks too much and ends up crying and showing herself up.

L a s t y e a r, s h e m a d e a pass at my son’s 22-yearold best friend, and it took the two of us to get her away from him and up to

M

bed. When she finally left for home a few days later, I found two empty brandy bottles under her bed. No wonder she was off her head. My next birthday is in a few weeks and she’s already indicated her wish to attend. Now, I pray she get a better offer for that date!

Lara by e-mail.

Dear Lara, It’s unlikely she’ll get a better offer, so be prepared, because she’s coming!

First, you need to find somewhere to hide all the booze you’ll need for the party. If you think she’ll

She’s only acting this way because she’s lonely and hurting. If you see her drinking, take her aside and say it might be a good idea if she had some exotic juice instead, as it will be more difficult if you leave it until she’s actually drunk. When she’s back on her feet, the problem may well cure itself C M Y K

bring some with her, make some excuse to get into the bedroom when she’s unpacking, grab the bottles and say, ‘Thanks, you’ve brought the brandy!’ Since she’s your sister, and you obviously care a lot for her, don’t you think it’s better that ‘she’s behaving badly in your house and not in any Godforsaken pepper soup joint where someone could easily take advantage of her?

She’s only acting this way because she’s lonely and hurting. Try talking to her and telling her how worried you are. We all need a good shoulder to cry on from time to time.

If she feels she can let it all out, then maybe she won’t resort to booze.

If you see her drinking, take her aside and say it might be a good idea if she had some exotic juice instead, as it will be more difficult if you leave it until she’s actually drunk.

She won’t be lonely forever. When she’s back on her feet, the problem may well cure itself

runner again. I want to trust him, but I’m scared he would break my heart if he visited and then disappeared again.

‘Lara by e-mail.

Dear Lara, I suggest you take things s l o w l y. D o n ’ t t a ke y o u r dad’s promises at face value, instead, wait for him to show you by his actions that he means what he says. Thank goodness your kids are still too young to be involved in any problems that may evolve.

I’m sure your husband is already aware of the type of father he was. So both of you should seat back and either watch him shape up or make a fool of himself once again. Only, don’t put too much hope on this ‘reunion.’

Wait for your dad to show you by his actions that he means what he says.

I’m sure your husband is already aware of the type of father he was.

So both of you should seat back and either watch him shape up or make a fool of himself once again. Only, don’t put too much hope on this ‘reunion.’

He cares more for his first family Dear Bunmi, ’VE BEEN with my partner for 15 years and comfortable with the fact that he keeps in touch with his ex-wife. Now, his ex lives just a few minutes walk from us and I’m not h a p p y.

He’s always dashing round to do jobs for her and gives her lifts most of the time. They have three children together and they often come to their mother ’s, making the whole atmosphere as cosy as if they‘ re a family again.

But, we have a daughter of our own who needs him.

Why can’t he spend more time with us?

Sylvia by e-mail.

I

Dear Sylvia, You didn’t say it, but you seem to think your partner is being unfaithful. And, if there’s a whiff of an affair, you would be right to feel angry and betrayed. But ifhe’s simply giving his ex a helping hand and being a g o o d f a t h e r, t h e n h e needs your support. Talk to him about it all - tell him you’re concerned for your own daughter, but don’t turn his love for his children into a contest.

They all need him. Discuss ways of sharing his time and let him know you could find this problem melts away. Maybe if you were married, you would feel more secure.

Share your problems and release your burden. Write now to Dear Bunmi, Vanguard Newspapers, P.M.B 1007, Apapa, Lagos, or bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

28 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

Juventus won´t sign Isco – Marotta

J

uventus could still keep Alvaro Morata but will not be signing Isco from Real Madrid, according to general manager Giuseppe Marotta.

The Serie A champions are poised to hold talks over the future of Morata, with speculation persisting that Madrid will utilise their buyback option on the striker before potentially selling him on to another club in order to fund their pre-season spending.

Talk has grown that Isco could move to Turin as part of any deal for Morata, with the Spain international midfielder having been used sparingly this season by head coach Zinedine Zidane.

•Isco

Vardy ‘happy’ at Leicester

L

eicester City striker Jamie Vardy has given the Premier League champions further encouragement that he will stay with them next season by saying he is happy at the club.

Vardy, who has scored 24 Premier League goals this season and was named player of the year by the Football Writers’ Association, has played a pivotal role in taking his team from 5 000-1 outsiders at the start of the campaign to champions of England.

•Vardy

Hummels signs for Bayern Munich

G

C M Y K

ermany defender and Borrusia Dortmund skipper, Mats Hummels has agreed a five-year contract with the Bundesliga champions, Bayern Munich and will re-join them on July 1 for an undisclosed fee, subject to a medical.

Dortmund announced late last month that their skipper had informed them of his desire to follow the path of Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski by swapping Signal Iduna Park for the Allianz Arena.

And both sides confirmed on Tuesday that the deal has been done, with Hummels to return to his boyhood club, who he left for Dortmund in 2008.

Liverpool’ll field a strong team against Chelsea – Klopp L

IVERPOOL play their final home game of the season today when they host Chelsea in a game that, for once, means very little to either side.

It’s a long time since these clubs were both in mid-table at the business end of the season, but at least Liverpool supporters have next week’s Europa League final to look forward to. For defending Champions Chelsea, the season has been a complete catastrophe.

Despite surely having one eye on the game against Sevilla in Basel, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has already stated his intention to field as strong a team as possible against Chelsea, describing it as “one of the biggest games in world football.”

While this specific encounter may not fall into that category due to the low stakes involved,

Klopp’s point still stands as there is no love lost between the two clubs and over the last decade or so it has turned into something of a grudge match.

Liverpool and Chelsea have played each other so many times, in so many big games over the last 11 years that there is now a rivalry that was never there previously.

It all started with Chelsea’s very public courting of Steven Gerrard in 2005. The clubs met in the final of the League Cup in Cardiff that year, with Gerrard scoring an extra-time own goal in an agonising defeat for the Reds, and it was all a little too friendly between Chelsea and Gerrard that day for many Liverpool fans’ liking.

Man United ready to make £150m Neymar bid

M

ANCHESTER UNITED are leading the race to sign Neymar after Real Madrid ended their interest, according to reports.

Spanish outlet Don Balon report that Barcelona’s big rivals have thrown in the towel in the race for the Brazilian forward.

They have instead turned their attention to two players making waves back in South America - Lucas Lima and Gabriel Barbosa.

It’s a huge boost to the Red Devils’ summer plans as they weigh up a monster £150m bid.

That figure would be enough to trigger Neymar’s release clause which is still in place as talks over a new contract drag on.

Barcelona are said to have reservations about the Brazilian’s commitment to the cause and are yet to fully agree on a new deal.

•Neymar

Murray to name new coach before Wimbledon

A

ndy Murray could appoint Amelie Mauresmo’s replacement in time for Wimbledon after splitting from his coach on Monday.

The pair announced they had ended their ground-breaking partnership ahead of the Rome Masters, after almost two years working together.

Both insist the decision was mutual with Mauresmo struggling to commit the time to their partnership Murray required following the birth of her first son in August.

“There’s a week after the French Open finishes and before Queen’s, so possibly at Queen’s I could try something out,” Murray told the BBC. “I’m not going into a full-time relationship with a coach without having tested it and trialled it. I’ve done that with all of my coaches over the years and you do need a bit of time on the court together to see how the practice and the •Murray communication is going.”

•Chelsea-vs-Liverpool

Watford ready to replace

Ighalo W

ATFORD striker Odion Ighalo is reportedly set to be sold in the summer as the club line up a bid for West Brom star Saido Berahino.

Ighalo enjoyed his first campaign in the Premier League, as he fired home 14 goals to play a huge role in helping the Hornets steer well clear of a relegation battle.

However, the Nigeria international’s exploits have attracted interest from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United, and so Watford are resigned to losing their man.

It’s understood that the Vicarage Road outfit already have a contingency plan and will look to poach Berahino from West Brom.

Reports have also claimed that Watford will try to bring in Isaac Success from Spanish side Granada to further bolster their attacking options.

Watford won’t play soft with Norwich, Sunderlad – Flores

W

ATFORD will not go easy on relegation contenders Norwich City or Sunderland in their last two games of the season, manager Quique Sanchez Flores said yesterday.

The Hornets will play Norwich, currently secondfrom-bottom in the Premier League,today and 17thplaced Sunderland on Sunday.

“We need to be competitive, we need to respect the other team, and other teams don’t need to have any doubts about us because we will use the best players we can,” Flores told reporters.

“I don’t like to play against Norwich and Sunderland because they are fighting against relegation and it’s always very sad, but in this case we are the bad boy in the film. This is our role and we need to play it.” Watford, who achieved an unexpected FA Cup semi-final berth, are 13th in the league and have already guaranteed their top-flight survival, sitting 10 points ahead of the relegation zone with two games left.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016 — 29

Z

ENITH Bank Women Basketball League defending champions, Dolphins of Lagos yesterday qualified for the final of the Final 8 playoffs when they out dunked the Nigeria Customs 74-53 in the first semi-final game decided at the indoor sports hall of the National Stadium in Lagos.

Predictably, the coach Ochuko Okorogu tutored girls led from the first to the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, the defending champions Dolphins will be paying a courtesy call to the Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank, Peter Amangbo on Thursday at their corporate head office in Victoria

Zenith Bank WBL:

Dolphins qualify for final Island.

Organisers of the league, the Nigeria Basketball Federation have announced players who will feature in the All Stars game due this afternoon.

First Bank dominated the list with six players. Team A includes, Upe Esther Atosu (First Bank), Chioma Udeaja (First Bank), Juliet Currency (Dolphins), Nkem Akaraiwe (First Bank), Ojoma Ewaoche (Customs), Idoko Patience (Benue Princess), Blessing Amos (IGP Queens), Gloria Uweh (Plateau Rocks),

Serena sure to win Rome, French Open

Sharon Ogarandiku (Plateau Rocks), Magdaline Ukato (First Bank),Chinwe Okoh (AHIP Queens) and Ruth Udyeyin(Zamfara Babes) with Peter Ahmedu of First Bank as head coach.

They will be playing against Nkechi Akashili (First Bank), Juliet Chinyere (First Bank), Patience Okpe (Dolphins), Nadege Kodjo(Dolphins), Ebere Okeke(Nigeria Customs), Sandra Faaka (Benue Princess), Joy Ebeiga (GT2000), Amarachi Edeh (Coal City Queens), Okoye Ifunanya(First Bank), Uchechi Agbotain (Delta Force) and Tobil Oba Ogedengbe (Oluyole Babes) in Team B. Ochuko Okorowhu of Dolphins will be their coach

W

omen’s No. 1-ranked tennis player, Serena Williams says that despite playing few tournaments this season, she has a chance to win Rome and the French Open once again.

Williams is playing Rome this week after pulling out of Madrid due to an illness.

The 34-year-old has only played three tournaments this season: the Australian Open, where she lost to Angelique Kerber in the final; Indian Wells, where she lost to Victoria Azarenka in the final; and Miami, where she fell in the fourth round to Svetlana Kuznetsova.

She also came into the season not having played since the U.S. Open.

“I feel pretty good,” Williams said. “I wasn’t feeling really good for the past several weeks, and even the past few days. But right now I’m better. I will see how I’m doing when I step on the court for the first time, but overall I think I’m feeling a lot better.”

Last year in Rome, Serena beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the second round before being forced to withdraw with an injury. In 2014 the 21time Grand Slam champion won the tournament, crushing Sara Errani, 6-3, 6-0, in the final.

E

•Rivaldo

S

R

ivaldo, a World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, is telling visitors to stay away from the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro because of the danger of violence.

Rivaldo posted the warning on his instagram account and mentioned to the case of a 17year-old woman killed on Saturday in a shootout.

Ana Beatriz Pereira Frade was shot on Saturday morning by an armed gang on a main road known as the Yellow Line road

connecting the city ’s international airport with most of the Olympic venues.

“Things are getting uglier here every day,” Rivaldo wrote.

“I advise everyone with plans to visit Brazil for the Olympics in Rio — to stay home. You’ll be putting your life at risk here.

“This is without even speaking about the state of public hospitals and all the Brazilian political mess. Only God can change the situation in our Brazil.”

Igiebor

C IfeanyiUbah right back, Chibuzor Okonkwo has said his side will not drop further points in the remaining matches on the half hour calendar.

The Nnewi outfit will host Lobi Stars in midweek Nigerian top flight matchday 16 clash in Nnewi.

Okonkwo said his side have shifted their attention wholly on the match against the Pride of Benue after the 0-2 thumbing at Akwa United.

“We are not dropping any point both home and away in the remaining matches on the half hour mark. “One point from possible nine in our immediate past three matches is not a good score card for us.

Enyimba’s skipper wants top priority for players welfare

Igiebor returns in style after 3-months injury layoff

Rivaldo warns visitors

F

•Chibuzor Okonkwo

•Elephant Girls’ captain, Chioma Udeaja takes an aim at the hoop during their match against IGP Queens yesterday.

Avoid Rio Olympics,

‘No more dropping of points’

uper Eagles midfielder Nosa Igiebor returned from injury with a bang as he came off the bench to score in Maccabi Tel Aviv ’s 1-1 draw at Hapoel Raanana in an Israeli Ligat ha’Al game.

The midfielder had been out of action for the Israeli champions through injury, and made his first team return in almost three months, starting from the bench.

He was however introduced in the 58th minute with the scores goalless, and within two minutes of his introduction, scored to give Maccabi the lead. However, it wasn’t to be for so long as Raanana equalised just five minutes later, ending the game in a stalemate.

Igiebor and his team are five points adrift of Hapoel Be’er Sheva, who parade Nigerians John Ugochukwu Ogu and Tony Nwakaeme, and top the table with 80 points.

nyimba are on a roll of 5 matches without a defeat but captain of the team, Chinedu Udoji believes they are not where they want to be yet.

The defending champions are currently just below the top half of the table but with 3 games in hand – which could see them shoot to the summit if the secure maximum points.

Meanwhile, to keep the momentum for the team and the excitement of the current season, Udoji insists players welfare must be given top priority.

Udoji called on the LMC to ensure the violation of the framework regarding players’ remuneration does not become another cause for concern this term.

•Udoji C M Y K

30 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

•broadband

How FG plans nationwide broadband penetration with new microwave bands *Reviews existing 23GHz band * Introduces 38, 48 new GHz bands

By Prince Osuagwu (Hi-Tech Editor)

F

ederal government of Nigeria is not leaving any stone unturned in its quest to deploy massive broadband connections necessary to give ubiquitous internet experience to Nigerians.

This is considering that Broadband has now become an essential feature of modern life.

It affects everything people do or even aspire to do.

To think that broadband, across the world, is at the heart of quality education, , healthcare delivery, clean water, efficient power supplies or good governance, all ofwhich are essentially scarce commodities in the country.

Investments in this area are bound to yield desirable results for the country.

The first shot the government took at achieving this was the formation of broadband policy plan in 2014. The plan sets out to achieve at least 30 percent broadband penetration in the country by 2018.

Invariably the government also knows that without putting in place proper mechanisms and adequate vehicles, the dream of achieving that mileage may just end a mirage.

So, last week, the Nigerian C o m m u n i c a t i o n s Commission, NCC, rolled out plans to review the channelling plan of existing

23GHz Microwave spectrum band, while opening up two new radio spectrum bands, 38 and 42GHz bands, for use in Nigeria.

Much as these initiatives were practically meant for the country to keep up with international best practices, they were also designed to

help achieve average quantity of broadband traffic needed to bring ubiquity in internet and other related services in the country.

The 38GHz band is the range of Electromagnetic Frequency Spectrum that falls within 37GHz – 39.5 GHz .

The Band has a total of 2.5

GHz Bandwidth and supports an extremely high degree of frequency reuse due to high directivity of antennas.

Meanwhile, the two spectrum bands which are entirely new and have not been opened in the country before, are expected to further open up the Nigerian telecom space.

Announcing the development at a stakeholders consultative forum in Lagos, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Prof Umar Danbatta, said the two developments were necessary considering that the emerging trend in telecommunications market in the Nigeria today is broadband which will certainly require massive deployments in terms of critical infrastructure for Nigeria to achieve the 30 percent broadband penetration by the year 2018.

Danbatta who was represented by the Director Public Affairs, Mr Tony Ojobo, said that besides that, the growth in broadband traffic is on the increase and therefore additional spectrum resources would be required to avoid network challenges.

He listed some of the benefits licensing of these bands would bring to include; addressing the growing demand of spectrum by operators, for high speed and high quality capacity links for data centric services, assisting the commission’s drive for national broadband wireless initiative; reduction of pressure and management challenges experienced with traditional microwave frequency bands as well as helping the Nigerian consumer to lever-

age on the resources to enjoy better broadband services, among others.

NCC said it invited stakeholders to discuss spectrum plan, pricing scheme and licensing of service providers in the 38 & 42GHz bands as well as the Re-planning of the 23GHz Microwave Spectrum band within the Nigerian telecoms industry in line with global best practices.

Stakeholders discussed channel plan, licensing model and pricing at the meeting.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Director, Spectrum Administration of the NCC, Mr Oluwatoyin Asaju, said that the regulatory moves were in line with the commission’s tradition of carrying people along in its decision to accelerate the achievement of deepening broadband penetration.

Asaju,said that the timeline for stakeholders to aggregate their decision based on the document presented and get back to the commission was between three to six months and encouraged strict compliance to the timeline before the take-off of the scheme.

He said the licensing option would be in an administrative method of first come, first serve in three categories: licence spectrum, light licensing and licence exempt.

Recall that NCC also, recently, announced that it was going ahead to auction the 2.6GHz spectrum licence slated for May 16, 2015 in Abuja. The spectrum is offered by the commission on a technology neutral basis and can be used to provide any telecommunications services.

EMC, Dell merger unlocks future of cloud infrastructure

By Emeka Aginam, who was in Las Vegas

A

lthough data security, protection and modernization, among others, dominated discussion at the just concluded EMC World forum held in Las Vegas, the United States of America, major highlight at the forum was how the merger of EMC and Dell would unlock the future of cloud infrastructure in the Information Technology industry.

Meanwhile, after the conclusion of the merger, the new company will be known as Dell Technologies.

With the new development, EMC will have access to Dell’s hardware and the computer maker will have access to the EMC’s enterprise solutions helping to push Dell’s business from the stagnant consumer personal computing market.

EMC World is an annual gathering of its customers, partners, industry analysts and members of the global media.

Meanwhile, EMC Unity solution, a new family of storage system that helps simplify and modernize the data center, multiple new modern data center products and services that are

•EMC World conference fundamental to customers’ modern data center transformation initiatives, Enterprise Copy Data Management (eCDM), that enables organizations regain control of the spiraling costs of storing and managing multiple copies of the same data, among others were solutions unveiled at the forum.

At the forum which had the theme ‘Modernize’, participants were afforded the opportunity to see new products and innovative services from EMC. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EMC Joe Tucci and Micheal Dell, Chief Executive Officer of Dell,

shared their company visions and unveiled predictions for the future of the market place.

In his keynote speech, Tucci told the gathering that the merger will mark the beginning of something great in the global IT ecosystem.

The event had many sessions including, 'beyond boundaries', EMC for the digital era, exploring the conceptual boundaries of transformation, modernizing your data center, unlocking trapped value, modernize your business, data persistence in the new era of container world, among others.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016 — 31

Intermarc's e-revenue expo to entrench accountability in govt

By Prince Osuagwu

AS Nigeria's 95 percent oil dependent economy continues to dwindle, the nation seems to be running from pillar to post to salvage and stabilize the economy.

One of those areas envisaged to quickly cushion the effects of the oil price decline on the economy is to cut cost and plug wastes. However, this can not be done without accurate measurement of income and expenditure of the country's earnings. In equal terms, there is no way accurate measurement can be achieved with the present manually dependent revenue generation and accounting system that is so pervasive among all the tiers of government.

Now, that is where the role of new technology in influencing the way a country’s tax system operates, becomes an issue that needs urgent attention.

Over the years, the federal government has been doing so much in revaluing, restructuring and reforming the Nigerian tax system with the primary objective of making it the main source of

revenue generation for the government as obtained in other developed countries.

Where the tax administration of a country is weak, its economy tends to be dysfunctional. This is why most nations have tried to align their tax systems with the growing trend, which is information communication technology in order to reduce or eradicate leakages and loopholes for corrupt practices while also creating efficiencies in the tax administration.

The realization of this fact has triggered much interest, planning and restructuring in the area of developing taxation, es-

pecially in the developing economies, including Nigeria.

One of such is the e-revenue sustainability conference organised by Intermarc Consulting limited in conjunction with other stakeholders like CBN, Accountant General's office, Remita and Alpha Beta among others.

The event is billed to happen in Abuja next week and will chart a framework by which proper accountability will be entrenched in Nigeria.

According to Intermarc's Adeyinka Adeyemi: "We are going to partner the Accountant General's office. The focus is to bring together all the stakeholders from federal to state and local government who have a function of collecting revenue for the govt. This is also like the transformation of the banking industry and the transition from a cash

‘EFCC ’ll continue with NBC probe despite DSO launch’

By Emmanuel Elebeke

T

he Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that the ongoing probe of the alleged digitization scandal by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC will go on despite the successful launch of the pilot scheme of the project.

The Minister explained that the essence of the probe is to uncover the exact amount realized from the sale of the spectrum to the MTN and what the money was spent on.

His words: "I think the EFCC will continue to investigate any issue they consider proper to investigate and we are not going to micro-manage what they do. The digitization project must go on irrespective of what irregularities have taken place in the past.

“We are not going to disrupt or discourage the anti-graft agency but will cooporate with them. But we know that we do not have a choice than to meet the deadline of June 2017.

Apart from the huge economic benefits that could be reaped from this process, Nigeria will be left behind, if it does not meet the deadline.

“It will mean that all our broadcasts will not be protected from interference from other parts of the world.”

According to him, “the

•lai mohammed EFCC has the constitutional right to investigate any suspected act of corruption but we as a ministry must remain focused and ensure that we do not miss the deadline for digitization and that was what informed our effort for the roll out last Saturday.

“As far as we are concerned, that is not our major preoccupation. Let the EFCC investigate every wrong doing but as a ministry and as a government we have a duty to Nigeria and to the i n t e r n a t i o n a l Telecommunication Union as much as we also have a responsibility to the TV viewers and stakeholders.

On the economic benefits, the Minister said: “It is

interesting to note that all ECOWAS countries are going to use the same standard of Set-Top boxes, which is going to create a huge economic opportunity for Nigeria. This is because those Set-Top boxes will be sold to TV viewers in the ECOWAS sub-region.”

Responding to questions on what is going to happen to Community Radio, Mohammed explained that “this phase of migration from analogue to digital broadcasting affects only Televisions. It has nothing to do with radio. Therefore the community radios will continue to function as they are.”

to a cashless society .

Now we are at the cutting edge of collecting revenue, administering revenue in a non manual way. We now more than ever, need to block all leakages to keep as well as grow our revenue.

Statistically, most State Governments generate only about 15% of their revenue and depend on federal allocation for further sustenance. Unfortunately, this is no longer sustainable. Government therefore needs to focus on a planned strategy for a sharp turn-around from Oil dependence to self-sustainability"

He added that "For Nigeria to succeed during these times of change, we need to define and embrace a rigorous framework for revenue sustainability -- something that goes beyond well-intended but overarching statements and builds a foundation that helps achieve its sustainability and set goals.

The starting point for the measurement of revenue sustainability of a nation should be based on the principle needing to find a way to meet the needs of the current generation without jeopardizing the ability of future

WASPAN to invest in educating mobile subscribers, partner NCC to arrest unsolicited SMS

By Anozie Egole Value Added Services, VAS, Wireless Application Services Providers of Nigeria, WASPAN, has concluded plans to invest more in educating mobile subscribers and help them to be better informed and become savvier in the use of their mobile phones. The organisation said it is also partnering with the Nigerian Communication Commission, NCC, to arrest the situation of unsolicited calls and messages through relevant solutions with a view to protecting and educating subscribers and customers.

This is coming on the heels of barrage of complaints that mobile subscribers have about VAS, such as unsolicited calls and SMS, spamming, forced activations deduction of call credit among others.

Speaking at an event in Lagos, The National Coordinator, WASPAN, Chijioke Ezeh, said that both VAS companies and mobile subscribers have the dual responsibility to double-check services ahead of subscription to reduce incidences of unsolicited calls and messages.

“After due considerations and brainstorming, the following were the resolutions by the trio of WASPAN, MNOs and NCC towards arresting unsolicited calls and messages. We have decided that no marketing SMS or calls before 8am and after 8pm. The Mobile Number operators, MNOs have deployed Do-NotDisturb, (DND), portals that are accessible to all subscribers. Any subscriber who wishes to be on the portal would be requested to SMS stop to any code on any network to get on the DND list. All VAS licensees shall be directed to implement the stop functionality across all short codes. There will be transparent accessibility by NCC to the DND database of each mobile operator when required,” He added that “every month all MNOs shall broadcast how to get on the DND portal to their subscribers. At the end of each quarter, subscribers will be required to renew their DND status by sending, stop to short codes on the network,” he concluded.

MainOne joins global effort for women in ICT Richard Udofia

W

est Africa’s leading connectivity and data center solutions provider, MainOne, has added its voice to the global campaign urging girls and young women to consider careers in the growing information and communications technology (ICT) sector.

The call was made during the International Girls in ICT Day, hosted by E-Business Life Communications Limited in Lagos.

Jumoke Akande, Marketing Manager at MainOne, noted that there is currently a gender disparity in ICT jobs and urged girls and women to pursue ICT-related careers. She said, “We believe that improving the number of girls in ICT careers creates a more balanced and inclusive society. Therefore, it is important that we encourage girls to expand their horizons, to

empower and enable them overcome whatever limiting mindsets and fears they might have regarding pursuing careers in ICT.” She further emphasized MainOne’s support of initiatives aimed to encourage technology careers for Nigerian girls. She said, “At MainOne, our goal is to provide girls of all ages with support, mentorship and the motivation to pursue ICTdriven careers, eventually becoming active role models themselves to the next generation of girls.

Our CEO, Ms. Opeke, is an ITU female role model and believes this cycle is necessary to create better opportunities for our girls and revert the gender imbalance in technology.

In her comments, the Chief Executive Officer of eBusiness Life Communications, Ufuoma Emuophedaro appreciated MainOne for its efforts in expediting digital literary and called on other stakeholders to join hands to further invest in girls and young women by supporting the 'Girls in ICT' campaign and empowering them, giving them the confidence to pursue ICT studies and careers.

32— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

LEISURE

YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 SCORPIO: Challenges of yesterday will today bring you good opportunities along your career/business lines to the betterment of your finances. Seek supporters of powerful ones.

SAGITTARIUS: Think of the best way to improve on your working pattern in order to enhance your career prospects if you listen to your creative self, things will work out fine for you. Be more loving.

CAPRICORN Think of both immediate and far future while you are savouring goodies offered you by mother nature.

AQUARIUS: You should not have it tough while trying to win the needed supports of others. Take good advice from some of your friends who are creatively gifted.

PISCES: Your creativity quotient is enhanced today and if you demonstrating this within your working arena, you’ll earn success and consolidate on your recent progress.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

Rsted

ECENTLY, a journalist acco me and wanted to know from me what my expectation is concerning the new government. My answer simply is:

Limiting Your Expectation I expect nothing special. Before you crucify me, let me ask you. Haven’t we been having new governments

TERROR MUDA

in Nigeria? Government come and go but our problems don’t just remain, they get bigger and bigger.

in “Never say goodbye”

Over the years, I have learned not to expect much from government as well as individuals. My policy is: blessed is he that expects nothing for he shall not be disappointed.

By Kola Fayemi

ARIES; It is important you don’t take things for granted.

Watch carefully what you agree to do.

TAURUS: Better than yesterday. Others will be willing to give you the needed co-operation both at home and within your working arena. This is a good day for lovers.

GEMINI: Those of you who are more enterprising will have much to show for your efforts. The more cooperative you. Don’t neglect love.

CANCER: You will need to re-examine both your personal ideas and advice given to you by other people. Be family minded.

LEO: Provided you don’t allow others to mislead you, things will not go wrong. The more willing you are to take the initiative the better for you. Take your love life more seriously.

VIRGO: Although you will need to be as secretive as you can, your success will attract others’ attention to you to the betterment of your cause. Be ambitious.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Pretty Lunatic’

By Andy Akman

LIBRA: People who more influential than you will be willing to support your cause but you will need to make the necessary move. The more self assertive you are the better.

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

What does future have for me?

Dear Joshua, I don’t want you to publish my data. However, I want to know how the planets lined up when I was born. And which day of the week was I born, would I record success in life ?

When would my success come?

Mike, Benin.

Dear Mike, You were born on a Jupiter ruled day - Thursday.

You’ll succeeded earlier than you think.

Your Horoscope Data DAY OF BIRTH: THURSDAY SUN SIGN = PISCES: SUN IN 25TH DEGREE OF PISCES MOON SIGN: PISCES: MOON IN 21ST DEGREE OF PISCES MERCURY IN 28TH DEGREE OF AQUARIUS VENUS IN 28TH DEGREE OF ARIES MARS IN 7TH DEGREE OF CANCER JUPITER IN ZERO DEGREE OF AQUARIUS SATURN IN 27TH DEGREE OF CAPRICORN URANUS IN 22ND DEGREE OF LEO NEPTUNE IN 11TH DECREE OF SCORPIO PLUTO IN 6TH DEGREE OF VIRGO NORTH NODE IN 6TH DEGREE OF PISCES CARDINAL AND MUTABLE STAR SIGN HOSTED THREE PLANETS EACH, FIXED AND WATER FOUR EACH, FIRE EARTH AND AIR HOSTED TWO EACH. PUSHFUL INFLUENCE = 40% NON-PUSHFUL INFLUENCE = 60% HIGHLY HIGHLIGHTED STAR SIGN = AQUARIUS FINAL DISPOSITOR = SATURN ANALYSIS OF THE HOROSCOPE DATA Saturn as the final depositor-the most influential planet at home when you were born, pointed to you as an ambitious person who must have a well developed career. You are a disciplined person with higher degree of leadership quality in yourself.

Although, you can be emotional, you are stable and reliable. Less than 50 per cent of push-full influence in you is an indication of your being an amiable person. Both your natal sun/moon in Pisces and Aquarius are indications of characteristic of star signs are highly pronounced in your inner-self Having your hands on public pulse will always bring you unexpected success and fulfilment.

Around your 30th birthday an endless cycle of great success and achievements will start for you. Oil-petrol chemicals will feature in your life when the predicted great cycle gets started for you.

VIRGINIA

HOME & ABROAD

dadadekola@yahoo.com

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016—33

Oshiomhole squandered over N1trn on inflated projects —Ize-Iyamu

By Gabriel Enogholase

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ENIN—A Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship aspirant in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has disclosed that the Adams Oshiomhole-led administration in the state received over N1 trillion in the last seven and a half years from the Federation Account and Internally Generated Revenue , IGR, but lamented that the fund was squandered on highly inflated projects that were not evenly distributed across the state.

He also accused the state government of focusing on two sectors of the economy to the detriment of other critical sectors, regretting that the evils of poverty and unemployment were not tackled while agriculture, industry, tourism, sports, housing and other sectors were neglected Pastor Ize-Iyamu, a former Secretary to the Edo State Government, disclosed this in a paper entitled, Edo State Economy: The Way out, he presented at a town hall meeting, yesterday, in Benin, organised by a group, House 2 House Support Initiative.

He, however, commended the Edo State Government for increasing the monthly Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, of the state from N300 million to N2 billion.

According to him, “Edo State Government in the past seven and a half years received over N1 trillion as revenue from the Federation Account and IGR. This is unprecedented in the revenue profile of the state since its inception. This huge revenue was unfortunately not used to grow the economy of the state but squandered on highly inflated projects that were not evenly distributed across the

state.

“They were restricted to one or two sectors to the detriment of other critical areas. The evils of poverty and unemployment were not tackled while sectors such as agriculture, industry, tourism, sports, housing, solid minerals were ignored. Existing factories like Bendel Brewery, Edo Line, Edo Courier, Edo Hotel and Bendel Insurance have been allowed to collapse.

“A government that chooses deliberately to ignore agriculture, industry, tourism, sports, solid minerals, etc cannot be seriously concerned about the economy of the state. The present government has, however, made serious effort at increasing the internally generated revenue of the state from N300 million monthly when they came in to N2 billion monthly. This

BIRTHDAY: From left: Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, Group Executive Vice Chairman, SIFAX Group; Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ooni of Ife; Olori Wuraola Ogunwusi and Mrs. Afolashade Afolabi, during the birthday celebration of the SIFAX Group boss in Lagos.

Edo 2016: APC must take PDP S-South govs' threat seriously —Osagie other South South states to its

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN—FORMER Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Mr Samson Osagie, has urged All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State to take seriously, the threat of the five governors of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the South South to win the state for their party.

He warned that unless a popular and grassroots candidate emerges as the flag bearer of the party, the PDP might have a field day in the September 10, 2016 governorship election.

He stressed the need for the party to put its house in order and eliminate all the bickerings within its ranks so that the party can face the challenges of the election.

Osagie commended the national leadership of the party for sending a committee to the state to resolve the disagreements in the party.

According to him, “Only wise counsel, humility, tolerance, respect for one another rather than empty boast and arrogance by sycophants can guarantee success for the party. I, therefore, call on all the aspirants to close ranks to ensure hitch-free primaries that will be acceptable to all within the party and it is only when the party wins with a popular and

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acceptable candidate that we can have a stake in the government that will be formed in November 2016.

“So, the party must accommodate all interests and

create a level playing field for all those contesting. Our leaders must be concerned about winning this state because retaining Edo State will be a gate way for the APC to bring

fold. The APC government in Edo State has done extremely well therefore, we must not allow crisis to over shadow the successes recorded so far in the state.”

A-Ibom workers protest non-payment of five months salary

By Chioma Onuegbu

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YO—WORKERS at Akwa Savings and Loans Limited, yesterday, staged a peaceful protest over the nonpayment of their five months salaries and other benefits by the state government.

The protesting workers who assembled in front of the firm's Uyo branch on Oron Road about 8a.m., yesterday, carried placards with inscriptions such as “Management confirm our 10 months appointment, ‘No salary no work’, ‘Government please transfer us to Ministry’ EFCC, please come to our aid,’ among others.

Speaking on behalf of the workers numbering over 100, Chairperson, National Union of Banks, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions Employees, NUBIFIE, Akwa Savings and Loans unit, Bassey

Ndede, said: “We are here to protest the non-payment of salaries for five months. Our promotion arrears have not been paid for over two years.

“We are also demanding the confirmation of the appointment of temporary workers who have

worked for several years in this place. We are not happy because we have written to the state governor. We have also talked to some of the commissioners, verbally and some in writing but nothing has been done.”

Abduction of UPU youth President: Police arrest two suspects

By Perez Brisibe

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BRAKA—POLICE officers from the Abraka police division, Delta State, have arrested two suspects in connection with the abduction of National President of Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, Youth Wing, Mr. Ovie Igho.

Igho was abducted last Friday by a gang of hoodlums on EkuOria Rroad, Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State while returning from a youth meeting at Warri in company of

three others.

A police source at the Abraka police station, said: “The suspects are part of a fourman gang drafted to collect ransom for the release of the victim who is still in the custody of other members of the gang.”

Though the source did not give the identities and further details on the arrest, he said: “The suspects had come out to collect the ransom when they were busted by a team of police officers from the division."

Delta bizman petitions COAS over alleged assault

By Festus Ahon

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SABA—A businessman based in Agbor, Delta State, Mr Emmanuel Akoje, has petitioned the Chief of Army Staff over his alleged brutalization, intimidation and harassment by one Corporal S. Auwalu attached to the Nigerian Army base in BojiBoji Owanta, Agbor.

The victim, in the petition by his counsel, U. C. Agboma, alleged that body injuries were inflicted on him by the said Army Corporal as a result of the beating.

Agboma, in the petition, alleged that his client, Akoje, was at Oando Petrol Station to buy fuel on April 23, 2016, where he met the said Corporal beating up a young boy.

Saying that he and other persons intervened to broker peace and asked the boy that was being beaten up who also came to buy fuel to leave the petrol station, the said Corporal went to the Army base and returned with other five soldiers, “armed with guns and other weapons,” called out his client, Akoje, from the queue and beat him up.

“During the beating, Corporal Auwalu unleashed on my client, he sustained several injuries,” the petition added.

PDP Ward, LG congresses worst ever in Delta —Ominimini

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HE just concluded PDP Ward and Local Government Congresses in Delta State have been described as the worst congress that has been organized by the party since its inception in Delta State.

In a statement, Chief Obiuwevbi Ominimini, National Chairman, PDP Aggrieved Group, said the congresses have left the party in pieces. He said that both the Congress Organizing Committee and the Congress Appeal Panel that were sent to the state were nowhere to be seen, while the State Party Working Committee allegedly sent its cronies to the various local government areas to collect names of exco members from the various political office holders.

"We, therefore, call on the national leadership of the party to embark on a state wide reconciliation of the various factional lists of the party exco in Delta State. Otherwise the party shall witness a mass movement of its leaders to other political parties, mostly in Delta Central," Ominimini said.

34—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

550 apply for NB/ARAFINA Creative Writers’ Workshop

By Elizabeth Uwandu

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S THE closing date of May 20, 2016 approaches for submission of entries for the 2016 Creative Writers’ Workshop, the sponsors, Nigerian Breweries Plc and the organizers, Farafina Trust have announced that over 550 entries have been received for this year’s edition.

To enter for selection, applicants are to send an email of a writing sample of between 200 and 800 words of either fiction or non-fiction and a few sentences about themselves to udonandu2016@gmail.com.

The e-mail is also to contain the applicant's name and address with a subject, entitled, ‘Workshop Application.’

The organizers said all materials must be pasted or written in the body of the e-mail and should not include any attachments.

According to them, successful applicants will be notified by June 10, 2016 and accommodation would be provided in Lagos for all accepted applicants who are able to attend for the tenday workshop from June 21 to July 1, 2016.

The 2016 Creative Writing Workshop, which will be led by internationally renowned Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie, will take the form of an interactive class session where participants will be assigned a wide range of reading, as well as daily writing exercises.

Buhari can’t stop Biafra —MASSOB, IPOB

By Peter Okutu, Ugochukwu Alaribe & Chimaobi Nwaiwu

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BA—Over 5,000 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, yesterday, embarked on a protest march in Aba, Abia State, threatening that nobody can stop the actualization of a sovereign state of Biafra.

The group, who wore black attire and Biafra emblems, marched from the Ariaria International Market through Faulks Road to Okigwe Road.

A cross-section of them, who spoke to newsmen, said they were protesting the statement allegedly made by President Muhammadu Buhari that he would crush Biafra.

They threatened that there will be no peace in Nigeria until freedom is granted to an independent state of Biafra.

"We are protesting against President Buhari's statement that he will crush Biafra. We want to assure him that nobody can crush Biafra, not even a thousand Buharis. It will surprise him that Biafra will be actualized during his reign as

Nigeria's President. Buhari supports Western Sahara and Palestine to be granted sovereignty while he continues to suppress Biafra.

The protest, which was peaceful, caused heavy gridlock on the dilapidated Faulks Road causing motorists to move at snail speed while others diverted to other routes.

While the protest lasted, police patrol teams moved around the city while soldiers were on standby to provide security.

Efforts to contact the spokesman of the Abia State

Niger Delta militancy: S’East APC slams ex-President Jonathan

E

NUGU—THE south-east geopolitical zone caucus of the All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, appealed to Niger Delta Avengers,NDA, to sheathe their swords and give President Muhammadu Buhari more time to look into their demands.

A statement made available to Vanguard by the Spokesperson, APC south-east caucus,Osita Okechukwu read:”We are making this appeal taking into cognizance the laudable projects President Buhari has charted and lined up for the Niger Delta region, like clean-up of Ogoniland, completion of East-West road and Calabar-Lagos railway.

“No sane Nigerian will pray for the re-occurrence of the ugly incident of Odi in 1999, ZakiBiam in 2000 and Gbaramatu in 2009. They were unwarranted ugly scenario which the Niger Delta Avengers are consciously simulating.

“It is our candid view that bombing of Forcados pipeline, Bonga Oil field, Chevron trunk lines and other oil and gas installations will neither facilitate the implementation of 2014 national conference report,

funding of the amnesty program, nor the clean-up of the Niger Delta region.

“Therefore, escalation of bombings of the Niger Delta region is an ill-wind which blows no one good; let alone the good people of Niger Delta whom the Avengers claim to avenge their age-long ills.

“Otherwise, may we honestly ask the Niger Delta Avengers, where they were, when our dear former president, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, from 6 May, 2010 to 29 May, 2015 presided over Nigeria? In other words, were the Niger Delta

Avengers in deep slumber when Jonathan for good five years failed to clean-up the Niger Delta, failed to complete East-West road, failed to review oil blocks, failed to amend the constitution to their taste, and failed to build the three greenfield refineries which he awarded?

“In actual fact, if there is anything to avenge, or anybody to blame, the barb should be directed at ex-president Jonathan and his cohorts who criminally neglected the Niger Delta and by extension Nigeria via his planlessness and squandermania”.

Police command, DSP Ezekiel Onyeke, proved abortive as at the time of filing this report.

Similarly, the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra MASSOB, yesterday, stressed that President Buhari and his administration cannot stop the agitation for Biafra state.

Reacting to the President’s statement, MASSOB leader, Comrade Uchenna Madu urged the President to mind the way he talks on issues that borders on Nigeria's diplomatic relations with other strong nations.

“Buhari’s statement can be described as that of a frustrated man, who has lost focus on international policy regulations and charter on self-determination.

“He talks with military mentality of 1960 during Nigeria-Biafra war, not knowing that the methods and strategy of the current Biafra struggle for restoration differs from the old one.

"The world now is a global village and autocratic and tyrannical leadership doesn’t prevail in this present world.

"Biafra struggle is a survival and advancement which Buhari can never stop.

Obasanjo, Yar ’Adua and Jonathan could not stop it.”

Okorocha commiserates with late Eze Njemanze’s family

By Chidi Nkwopara

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WERRI—THE Owerri ancient kingdom has been thrown into deep mourning, following the reported death of their traditional ruler, Eze Emmanuel Emenyonu Njemanze.

One of the earliest callers at the palace of the deceased monarch to commiserate with the immediate family of the late royal father was the Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha.

Governor Okorocha, who was also joined in the condolence visit by his Deputy, Prince Eze Madumere, the Secretary to the Government of Imo State, Sir. George Eche, Chief of Staff, Chief Uche Nwosu, Principal Secretary to the Governor, Dr. Paschal Obi, Head of Service, Mr. Calistus Ekenze and all the Commissioners in his cabinet, was received on arrival at the family house by the wife of the late king, Ugoeze Pauline Njemanze and son, Prince Iheanyi Emenyonu

Njemanze.

In his speech, Governor Okorocha said, the Imo State Government was in the palace to pay special condolence to one of the foremost traditional rulers in the country who had ensured that the dignity of the traditional institution was sustained.

“The death of the traditional ruler is a big loss to both the state and the nation at large. To every sunrise, there must be a sunset and for every man that is born, there must be death someday."

By Bartholomew Madukwe (08102479985) nwamad@yahoo.com

PEOPLE SPEAK

On herdsmen continuos attack on innocent Nigerians

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hy is this government quiet about herdsmen killing of innocent Nigerians? If it were to be Niger Delta, they would have sent Army to eliminate them. Killings everywhere and world governing bodies are quiet. Mr Pobeni Paowei, Worker

W

hat is going on in our country Nigeria, herdsmen every day? Have they changed their name from boko haram to herdsmen?

Can’t our governments do something to stop these killings? Mr Chinedu Young, Self Employed

A

re we cursed or are we the cause? I repeat, the real enemies of Igboland are our political leaders at present. Let us sack the enemies at home. We Igbos are blessed with intellectuals, why do we let charlatans lead us? Miss Ugama Che Che, Graduate

T

hese displaced terrorists that are all over the country calling themselves herdsmen; we are completely tired of you. You have no respect for human life and you cannot create even an ant. Mrs Josephine JoeFadile, Businesswoman

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nugu State, Taraba State, very soon these blood thirsty terrorist in the disguise as herdsmen will ruin this country.

Where are the security operatives of this country? Mr Daniel Ikerionwu, Worker

T

hese rampaging Fulani herders on a killing spree are definitely living in the era of barbarism. The world today and other decent Nigerians are already living in the era of intellectualism.

Miss Nwosu Njideka, Employed

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016 — 35

We must free our people from poverty — BUHARI Tasks govs on lasting solution to farmers, herdsmen's crisis Explains why he chose Tunde Bakare in 2011

By Abdulsalam Muhammad, every country and region of the with Agency Reports world.)

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ATSINA—PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday expressed the commitment of his administration to lifting Nigerians out of poverty, describing employment as “the quickest way to escape poverty.”

The President spoke while declaring open the Katsina Economic and Investment Summit, organized by the state government in partnership with Vanguard Newspapers.

According to him: “Employment is the quickest way to escape poverty. And we must lift our people out of poverty. But for this laudable transformation to occur, every player must do his best, including the Federal Government, but in particular, the people and government of Katsina State. For global players, some of whom I am pleased to see represented here, to take the deep plunge, they must be offered attractive incentives. The Katsina State Government appears to make ''I can’t refuse'' offers to investors through a liberal set of tax incentives, infrastructural support, faster and shorter government responses to business requests.”

He said it was only through massive provision of employment opportunities that all tiers of government could reduce the level of poverty among the people.

President Buhari commended Governor Aminu Masari for offering attractive incentives to local and foreign investors who would subsequently provide employment opportunities to the people of the state.

He reiterated his determination to end poverty through ending corruption, broadly-shared economic growth, investing in the nation’s economy and creating jobs.

The president noted that the overall objective of the summit, was to stimulate local investment and attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the manufacturing sector, agribusiness, solid minerals, power, hospitality industry, and other services.

“Creatively and purposefully applied, these should help to bridge gaps in capital, management skills and technology, where they are most severe, and support the competences of local companies and the workforce towards world standards,” Buhari declared.

He said this would enable both local and foreign manufacturers and service companies alike, to stand with the best in servicing local and global markets.

According to the President, these generous offers were the minimum required to attract the critical investor being courted in C M Y K

For President Buhari; “It is in this context that today’s Summit takes on an additional significance: APC government of my home state has strongly embraced this vision by assembling the world to be part of this summit.

“As I said, Federal Government alone cannot deliver on the high expectations of our people.

Katsina State government and people have shown the way by assembling the brightest and best from the business world. The brightest and the best from the development partner community; the best and the brightest from MDAs and regulatory bodies.

Katsina State is doing its part.”

I chose Bakare to silence ‘bigot’ critics

Dismissing claims by critics that he was a religious bigot, President Buhari noted that “One of the

four attempts to get here (Presidency) was with Tunde Bakare. When people said I’m a religious bigot, I decided to take a pastor so that I can shut their mouths up.

“So, Tunde Bakare has decided to be with me all the time.”

Earlier, Governor Aminu Masari said the essence of the historic summit was to stimulate local investment for direct foreign intervention.

The governor reeled out concessions ranging from tax holiday, provision of free land to prospective investors in the state.

According to him, the state was blessed with natural resources that could move it out of poverty.

How to end farmers, herdsmen's crises

In another development, President Muhammadu Buhari has challenged state governors to find lasting solutions to the persistent cases of farmers/

herdsmen crisis in the country.

He gave the challenge at an interactive session with members of Katsina Elders’ Forum organised by the Katsina State Government in Katsina.

He tasked the governors to go back to a comprehensive study and report carried out by the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund, PTF, on how best to address farmers/herdsmen conflicts.

According to him: “When I was in PTF we did a comprehensive report on grazing reserves and cattle routes across the country.

Grazing reserves were carved out; cattle routes were marked out, dams, water and veterinary clinics were also established with the help of our leaders, traditional and district heads at that time.

Any herdsman, who allowed his cattle to destroy farm land then, would be fined and when he failed to pay his cattle would be sold to pay the fine, and if there was remaining change the amount would be handed over to him.

Lalong signs N146.7bn budget into law

By Marie-Therese Nanlong

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OS—GOVERNOR Simon Lalong of Plateau State, yesterday signed N146.7 billion ‘Budget of Rescue and Hope’ into law.

Of the amount, N73.4 billion is for capital expenditure while N73.3 billion would go for recurrent expenditure.

The governor had presented an estimate of N154 billion to the Plateau Assembly in December 28, 2015 for consideration and passage, saying the estimate was based on oil benchmark of 38 dollars per barrel.

According to him, the House of Assembly after careful deliberations, considering the current economic situation, passed N146.7 billion representing 4.78% drop.

Lalong said the state government would use the budget to address critical development projects and work assiduously to deliver on its five-policy thrust.

LASG sets up 22-man technical committee on village excision

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

INAUGURATION: Members of the Reconstituted Technical Committee on Village Excision, Lagos State. In the middle in black suit is the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands Bureau, Mr. Olabode Agoro flanked on the right by Chairman of the Committee, who is also the Executive Secretary, Land Bureau, Mr. Kayode Ogunnubi during the inauguration of the committee at the premises of Land Bureau, Alausa, Ikeja, yesterday.

Ortom suspends tuition hike in Benue varsity

By Peter Duru

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A K U R D I — FOLLOWING the protest and outcry that greeted the recently-introduced conditional fees at the Benue State University, BSU, Governor Samuel Ortom, yesterday directed an immediate suspension of tuition increment.

The governor, who gave the order in Makurdi, said the economic realities of the time did not warrant such increment.

While regretting the anxiety the policy had generated, he asserted that the government would at the appropriate time summon stakeholders in the state for a collective decision on the matter.

According to him, “Education is a major industry in our state, so the reaction that trailed the recently introduced conditional fees in BSU in order to raise funds internally to meet accreditation and other

commitments due to paucity of funds is not feasible at this time.

Whatever we do as a government should be in tandem with the wishes and aspirations of the

people and since the people raised objections to the new policy of the management of the institution, it is better we stick with the people.''

Youths storm NASS, demand reopening of Kogi Assembly complex

By Caleb Ayansina

A

BUJA—YOUTHS across the local councils of Kogi State, yesterday stormed the National Assembly in Abuja, demanding re-opening of the sealed state House of Assembly.

The Kogi House of Assembly has been enmeshed in a leadership crisis over the removal of the former Speaker of the House, Momoh Jimoh by five members of the assembly, and subsequent emergence of Alfa Imam.

Following the protracted crisis, the National Assembly after a fact finding mission through the House of Representatives, took over the legislative matters of the house and directed the Inspector General Police to seal off the house.

The protesters, on the auspices of Kogi Youth Forum, carried placards with inscriptions such as “NASS Stop Intervening in Kogi Assembly Matter ”, “Kogi is United, No Assembly Crisis”, “NASS Leave Us Alone”, “Open Kogi State Assembly”, etc.

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AGOS State government yesterday inaugurated a newly reconstituted 22-man technical committee on Village Excision, charged with the responsibility of processing village excision and other land resettlement matters in the state.

The committee, led by Mr. Kayode Ogunnubi, also the Executive Secretary, Lands Bureau, was inaugurated by the Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, Mr. Olabode Agoro.

Village excision is a form of compensation through resettlement as stated in the Land Use Act. As such, a review of the procedure became necessary for government projects to be executed unhindered at various locations as well as village expansion to take place where indigenous communities have given way to developments.

Agoro administered the oath of secrecy on members of the committee drawn from allied ministries, departments and agencies of government, charged the new members to be above board in the discharge of their duties.

36—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

SEMINAR: From left— Chief Information Officer, Etisalat, Khalid Almansouri; Vice President, Information Technology, Partner's Healthcare, John Grieco, and President, Global Sales and Customer Operation, EMC, Bill Scannell, during a session on Customer Insight: The Modern Data Centre at the just-concluded seminar in Las Vegas, USA.

OLX/DIAMOND BANK: From left— CEO, Middle East & Africa, Daan Sanders; Country Manager, Lola Masha, both of OLX, and CEO, Diamond Bank Plc, Uzoma Dozie, at the launch of OLX Do it For Me, on Diamond's TV Tech Talks, in Lagos.

NIPR: From left—General Secretary, Thelma Okoh; Chairman, Olusegun Mcmedal; Vice Chairman, Mrs Comfort Nwankwo, all of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, Lagos State chapter, during its exco inaugural briefing in Lagos. PHOTO: Akeem Salau.

FUTA WINS: From left—Michael Omolaja, gold; Mary Akinade, silver; their supervisors, Mr. Ayodeji Afolabi and Dr. Babatope Omolofe; Segun Ofe, silver, and Desmond Dike, bronze, all of Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, winners of the National Mathematical Centre’s 8th National Mathematics Competition for University Students, and will represent Nigeria at the International Mathematics Competition organised by the University College, London, holding in America University, Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria.

MOU: From left— Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Ade Adeogun; Founder, Adeosun Foundation, Mr. Akinjide Adeosun, and GMD/CEO, Meadow Hall Group, Mrs Kehinde Nwani, at the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the Foundation and Meadow Hall School, Lekki, on leadership, in Lagos.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016—37

Nigeria’s Marketing Industry: First Quarter Performances in Slow Gaits

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HERE are three major factors identified by analysts as responsible for the downward trend of marketing activities in Nigeria in the last two quarters of 2015. The cautious take- off of the current Nigerian government, the free fall in crude oil prices leading to the drastic fall in the value of the Naira and the absence of a clear policy direction that could have helped business owners take daring business decisions. Major brand owners had no options than to slice down their advertising and marketing budgets significantly.

Even though globally, experts had predicted a tough marketing year in 2016, many brand owners in Nigeria, especially the FMCGs, were still expected to aggressively launch out their marketing activities to reduce huge consignments stacked in their warehouses caused by the current low purchasing power of consumers.

At the beginning of the first quarter of this year, despite its brouhaha with Nigeria’s Ministry of Communications over an unpaid fine of over a trillion naira, MTN kicked off with the finalization of its acquisition of Visafone, the largest CDMA operator in Nigeria. This deal is expected to increase MTN’s edge over other mobile operators.

Also in the last quarter, the regulatory impasse between the

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country’s telecommunication regulator, Nigerian Communications Commission, and MTN remained at the front burner with the announcement of a payment of N50 billion “good faith deposit” by MTN. After the payment, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Executive Officer, Ferdi Moolman, announced the company ’s decision to withdraw MTN’s law suit against the Nigerian government as they explore other options to settle with the Nigerian government. MTN’s galaxy of challenges has emboldened competitors like Airtel to go after the huge customer base of this market leader. This was the clear target of Airtel’s bold TV commercial released last quarter. Etisalat on her part has promised diverse court actions that would make the remaining quarters of 2016 very interesting. Still in the last quarter, the world’s largest beverage company, Coca-Cola formally announced that it has acquired 40 percent shareholding in Chi Limited, one of Nigeria’s largest juice and dairy company.

Although the financial terms of the Coca-Cola and Chi Limited deal is yet to be disclosed, it is estimated to be about $400m. This investment in Nigeria is Coke’s biggest overseas acquisition since 2012.

Of course, reasons for making acquisitions vary from one company to another. Speed of access to new product or market areas, increase in market share, reducing the strength of competition and acquisition of intangible assets are some of the major motives many firms seek such deal.

The Coca-Cola deal, according to analysts marks the first stage of the company’s plan for near total dominance of the African market by 2020 and redoubles its effort to expand beyond soft drinks and soda segments From the world of advertising, an earth rumbling announcement that will change the face of advertising in West Africa permanently was made in the last quarter. Publicis Groupe, a global leader in marketing and communication with presence in 108 countries is now in an equity partnership with Troyka Group founded by advertising czar, Biodun Shobanjo.

The new move will see Troyka companies aligning with Publicis Groupe specialist agencies in the areas of media, public relations, advertising and digital media.

Insight Communications will now trade as the representative of Publicis Worldwide in Nigeria; The Thiinkshop will function as Leo Burnett and Saatchi & Saatchi in Nigeria. Leo Burnett will also operate as a stand-alone entity representing the worldwide

network in Nigeria.

All Seasons Media, Nigeria’s pioneer independent media agency is now aligned with Zenith Optimedia. Media Perspectives another media specialist shop in the group will operate the Starcom Mediavest Group brand name. Also in the group are The Quadrant Company and HotSauce, these PR and new media agencies respectively will trade as representatives of corresponding brands in the Publicis Groupe – MSLGROUP (PR) and Nurun (New media/Digital Marketing).

Speaking on the depth of the 25% equity stake acquired by Publicis, Mr. Shobanjo explained that, “any brand that Publicis has in any part of the world, we have absolute right to trade with those names in Nigeria. “We have only started out with just six brands; as we go along and identify other brands and services that will serve the needs of our clients, we will not hesitate to set up shops to offer those services as this relationship is just evolving.”

The FMCG segment also witnessed a monumental leap in the first quarter of 2016 when a Tomato Paste Factory that can produce 450,000 tonnes of tomato paste was commissioned by the wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari in Lagos. The factory, which will produce Erisco brand of tomato paste is Africa’s largest and fourth largest tomato paste plant in the world, according to its owners. Eric Umeofia, CEO of Erisco Foods puts it succinctly :” This revolution in tomato paste production will stop the annual

wastage of over 75 per cent of fresh tomatoes across Nigeria.

We as off-takers will produce and process to meet our local demands and export to earn foreign exchange, provided government continues to support us”.

Although most brand owners have come out with tight marketing budgets, observers still expect an exciting marketing turf this 2016. Brands and marketers that want to thrive, grow, and prosper in the remaining three quarters of 2016 must utilize “value-added” techniques to take the edge above competition. For marketing communications players the wisest response to these postulations is delivering quality, impactful ideas on a lean budget, as clients would be on the lookout

for solution providers and game changers, not just service providers.

The digital transformation was not revolutionary in 2015. Many analysts expect the digital platform to take the centre stage in 2016 as more brands would seek to utilize this cost effective platform to differentiate themselves and their brands from competition Franklin Ozekhome, marketing strategist and founder of TINK Africa shares his feeling on this trend.

He feels marketing in 2016 will be driven based on the design of innovative business and revenue models; the creation of cost-effective engagement platforms; and the ability to distill consumer trends and insights as and when they occur,

and apply them in the development of business strategies.

Courtesy: The Advertiser, a marketing information publication of the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN).

38—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY,

MAY 11, 2016

Yuguda defects again ALAHJI Isa Yuguda’s political gyrations have in the past attracted plaudit and disapprovals.

By Suzan Edeh

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INCE the defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the 2015 general election, the party has continued to lose grip with its support base arising from the spate of defections hitting the party.

The latest big name to exit the party is the erstwhile governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Isa Yuguda who left the party on the allegation that the party has lost touch with its supporters and had dirtied itself in the alleged arms procurement fund which was supposedly used to fund the last election.

The former governor’s exit has also been traced to the crisis in the state executive of the party which has led to a division between the chairman, Ibrahim Yaro Yaro and secretary, Sama’ila Burga on one hand arising and the other members of the state exco. The two party officials were reportedly given 12 hours to reply to a query on the alleged abuse of office.

However, before the expiration of the 12 hour ultimatum, Yaro Yaro announced the suspension of some members of the state executive. The exco in turn quickly suspended the chairman and the secretary and appointed Alhaji Musa Haruna Shitu as acting state chairman and Barrister Mukhtar Abubakar as acting state secretary.

He alleged that the funds

generated from the sale of forms for the last election were yet to be accounted for.

Besides the crisis at the state level, Yuguda was also said not to be comfortable with the election of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the new national chairman of the party. A source in the state PDP, the emergence of Sheriff did not go well with Yuguda’s political calculations and hence the conviction for him to leave the party.

There were allegations that Yuguda had earlier planned his

I also want you to know that I am not going to APC as some people are wrongly insinuating exit from the party to the All Progressives Congress, APC before the 2015 general election but was not welcomed by party stalwarts who did not trust him especially given his avowed loyalty to President GoodLuck Jonathan at that time.

However, Yuguda to douse speculations surrounding his exit from the party organized a press conference in which he openly declare his resignation from the party.

•Yuguda: Defects

YUGUDA’S POLITICAL 1999 – Appointed Minister MILESTONES of Aviation as a member of the PDP 2006 – Defects to the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP upon being sidelined from the governorship contest of the PDP 2007 – Wins the governorship election on ANPP ticket 2008 – Marries the daughter of the former President Umaru Yar‘adua 2009 – Defects to the PDP 2011 – Wins second term on the platform of the PDP 2015 – The PDP under his leadership loses all state, federal, governorship and presidential elections in Bauchi State.

Finally on April 23, Yuguda surreptitiously left the PDP announcing his plans during a 30 telephone conference with journalists in Bauchi.

The governor said he was no

longer comfortable with the style of leadership of the party, stressing that he was not retiring from partisan politics.

“I do not believe I should continue to be a member of the PDP because the party cannot

deliver to Nigerians the kind of future they long for and I have my other personal reasons for leaving the party which I cannot give you the details for now” “I also wish to state that am not leaving politics, but I will like to use this period to hold consultations with colleagues on the way forward. I also want you to know that I am not going to APC as some people are wrongly insinuating, but I will discuss with my colleagues and I am sure they will advise me on which party to join.”

The former governor commended President Buhari for bringing the needed change in the country and urged the leadership of the APC to continue to carry the citizens along in all its policies and programmes for the nation. As it stands, reactions has continued to trail the exit of Yuguda from the party.

A PDP chieftain in Bauchi Abdulrazaq Nuhu Zaki said the exit of the former governor would not affect the fortune of the party in the state. He said it was a welcomed development that will rather bring unity of the party in the state, rather than tearing the party apart. “Yuguda leaving the PDP has come as a welcome development. With his exit, a huge yoke has been lifted off the neck of PDP in the state. The party was engulfed by crisis that tore it apart into factions by the leaders who want to take control of the party in the state “ Zaki who represented Ningi Warji Constituency in the House th of Representatives in the 7 Assembly, urged members of the party to remain resolute towards rebuilding the party towards Victory.

Governors need more support to tackle insecurity — Deacon Okey Ogbodo ENUGU PDP stalwart, Deacon Okey Ogbodo, recently bared his mind on burning national issues especially on the bloody attacks by herdsmen in parts of the country. Excerpts:

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By Emma Nnadozie

O you think the governor of Enugu State has done enough to assure the people of the state of their safety given the recent attack by suspected herdsmen in UzoUwani?

The governor that I know, that we have all seen, is a man that places high premium on security of life and property of Enugu citizens and residents. He is known to be ordinarily proactive on such matters and never compromises.

Even with regards to the UzoUwani massacre, it has been revealed that the Governor took concrete steps and, in fact, presided over a Security Council meeting that lasted into the early hours of the day of the attack.

But we must also appreciate the enormity of the handicap of state governors who are supposed to be Chief Security Officers of their respective states, without having commanding powers over the security agencies, namely police,

army, the civil defence and DSS. Heads of these agencies take orders only from Abuja, a situation that leaves the governor virtually as figure-head on security matters. Perhaps, this situation lends justification to calls by some people for establishment of state police.

Governor Ugwuanyi is able and willing to do the needful to keep the peace and safeguard life and property of our people, but only to the extent that he has control.

We need to re-examine our present model to assist governors perform optimally but even in the interim, our governor is working.

How would you rate Governor Ugwuanyi after one year in office?

He has not done badly. I have always maintained that I know this man… he is capable of meeting our reasonable expectations, within available resource.

It has been so tight with revenues, whether federal allocation or Internally-

•Ogbodo Generated Revenue (IGR). Even with those financial limitations, the state government has substantially met its obligations, especially to workers, and in the area of provision of housing, maintenance and creation of new th road networks like the 9 Mile corner double by-pass, etc. It is too early in the day, but the early signs are good.

Has losing the centre – the federal government to APC affected the potency or functionality of PDP in your state?

I don’t think so. Why? Because,

Enugu is PDP right through. But we must not take things for granted.

More than ever before, we have to now look over our shoulders and watch out for our adversaries – our political opponents, who are vigilant and keen to cash in on our mistakes or non-performance.

You are interested in becoming the next chairman of PDP in Enugu State… how optimistic are you?

You can’t even venture into any endeavour if you do not have the conviction that God is able. My God is able indeed.

With the support of His Excellency, the Governor, who is our leader, and our loyal and steadfast party men and women, I am optimistic the project is realizable.

What mistakes for instance, do you think PDP should avoid to remain relevant in Enugu?

In Enugu, we as a political party have not fallen short, so we cannot be talking about mistakes that never existed. But as a political party, we can always get

better as in all other human endeavours. Also, we can learn from experiences of people of other areas where “mistakes” to use your own expression, were made. Justice and equity are both cardinal principles of a fair society but which are often sacrificed on the altar of exigencies.

Any political dealing in which justice and equity have been relegated to the background or ignored, won’t be a fair one. The hallmark of participatory democracy is equitable representation of all component units, whether in the provision of dividends of democracy or sharing of elective or appointive offices. During elections or after, everybody ought to continue to count.

The way you sermonize about justice makes one wonder the brand of politics you play… (cuts in).

My own brand of politics is founded on truth and justice, because am also a minister of the Gospel. I began my political life as a trade unionist where you fight for your colleagues first and foremost and then yourself as member of the group.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016 — 39

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40—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

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VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016—41

Kenya: Wife accused of helping anthrax plot appears in court

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•The atomic bomb dome, a monument for the remembrance of about 140,000 believed to have died in the attack on Hiroshima in 1945.

Obama to visit Hiroshima, as White House rules out apology B

ARACK Obama is to visit Hiroshima this month - the first serving US president to travel to the Japanese city since it was hit by a US nuclear bomb in 1945.

The visit will be part of an Asian trip from 21-28 May that will also take in Vietnam.

The Hiroshima bombing on 6 August 1945 killed 140,000 people. Along with a second bombing on Nagasaki - it is credited with ending World War Two. The White House said there would be no apology for the bombings.

A statement from Mr Obama’s press secretary read: “The President will make an historic visit to Hiroshima with Prime Minister [Shinzo] Abe to highlight his continued commitment to pursuing peace and security in a world without nuclear weapons.”

In ruling out any apology, the president’s

communications adviser, Ben Rhodes,said on his Twitter page that the US would be “eternally proud of our civilian leaders and the men and women of our armed forces who served in World War II”.

He said that Mr Obama would “not revisit the decision to use the atomic bomb at the end of World War II. Instead, he will offer a forward-looking vision focused on our shared future”.

ACEBOOK has denied allegations that its editors have been suppressing news stories of interest to conservative readers from the social network’s influential “trending news” section.

The denial came a day after the popular technology website Gizmodo published a report claiming that Facebook editors routinely manipulated the site’s “trending” list in favour of progressive news stories.

The report was based on the anonymous testimonies of former Facebook “news curators”.

“Depending on who was on shift, things would be blacklisted on trending,” one former Facebook employee, identified as politically conservative, told the website.

“I’d come on shift and I’d discover that Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) or Mitt Romney or Glenn Beck or popular conservative topics wouldn’t

was arrested on April 29 and a court granted police 30 days to hold her for investigations.

Haji appeared in court as police asked for permission to keep her in their custody for an additional 30 days for investigations. Magistrate Martha Mutuku will rule on the police application on May 16.

Police say two of Ali’s alleged accomplices, Ahmed Hish and Farah Dagane, both medical interns in the western Kenyan town of Kitale, have gone into hiding.

Human rights activists

however say the disappearance of the two medics and a third missing pharmacist fall into the pattern of extra-judicial executions and forced disappearances carried out by the police on suspects they are unable to prosecute because of insufficient evidence.

Kenya police have been accused by international, local, the government funded human right groups and opposition leaders carrying out extra-judicial executions on hundreds of suspects found murdered or who have disappeared without a trace.

Khan dismisses Donald Trump’s Muslim ban exception

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ADIQ Khan has rejected US presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s offer to make the new London mayor an “exception” to a ban on Muslims travelling to the US. “This isn’t just about me.

It’s about my friends, my family and everyone who comes from a background

Facebook denies being politically biased

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He said the visit would “offer an opportunity to honour the memory of all innocents who were lost during the war”.

Mr Rhodes added: “The President and his team will make this visit knowing that the open recognition of history is essential to understanding our shared past, the forces that shape the world we live in today, and the future that we seek for our children and grandchildren.”

HE wife accused of assisting her medic husband to plot a biological attack in Kenya and assisting in recruiting for the Islamic State group has been extradited from Uganda and appeared in a Nairobi court Tuesday.

Nuseiba Mohammed Haji, a medical student in Uganda and wife of medical intern Mohammed Ali Abdi, is alleged to have been an accomplice in a foiled plan to launch an anthrax attack in Kenya by a cell of extremist medics linked to the Islamic State group, according to police. Abdi

be trending because either the curator didn’t recognise the news topic or it was like they had a bias against Ted Cruz.” Responding to the allegations, which ironically became a trending topic on Facebook as well as Twitter, social media site’s vice president of search, Tom Stocky, said.

similar to mine, anywhere in the world,” he said.

Mr Khan also warned that Mr Trump’s “ignorant” views of Islam “could make both our countries less safe”.

Mr Trump said he was “happy” that Mr Khan would be leading London.

“If he does a good job and frankly if he does a great job, that would be a terrific thing,” he added.

Mr Khan told the BBC he was supporting Hillary Clinton - who is vying for the Democrat nomination in her bid for the White House, adding: “I hope she trounces him.”

Last year, Mr Trump, the Republican presidential hopeful, called for a temporary halt to all Muslims entering the US in the wake of the deadly terror attack in San Bernardino, California.

Refugees may hold key to Germany’s economic growth—IMF

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ERMANY must accelerate structural reforms to boost growth potential by broadening the participation of refugees, women, and older workers in the labour market, the International Monetary Fund has said.

The IMF recommended that Germany implement several reform measures to help revitalise potential growth and enhance the authorities’ leadership at the European level in the area, a report released on

Tuesday said.

“Additional policies to integrate the current wave of refugees into the labour market, to broaden opportunities for full-time employment of women, and to extend working lives,” the report said.

“A sizable expansion in government spending this year will be partly financed by revenue gains from a buoyant labour market and growing domestic demand."

•R-L:Nuseiba Mohammed Haji who was accused of being involved in the failed anthrax attack in Kenyan talks to her lawyer, Kioko Kilukumi, left, at the Kenya Milimani Law Courts, in Nairobi yesterday.

Angola’s yellow fever outbreak could become global emergency’

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CIENTISTS in the US have warned that the shortage of yellow fever vaccines could spark a global health emergency.

An outbreak of the mosquito-borne viral disease has killed 277 people in Angola sinceDecember,accordingto the UN World Health Organization (WHO).

An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association warns that it could spread to other continents.

The WHO says almost six million people have been vaccinated in Angola, which has a population of 24.3 million.

In April, the WHO said the emergency stockpile of vaccines had ran out.

The virus has already spread to neighbouring Democratic Republic of

Congo, Kenya and China.

BBC Africa’s health correspondent Anne Soy says vaccines take around six months to produce, so there is a time lag in responding

S/African judge to be investigated over race rape comments complaint is dealt with, the

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WHITE South African judge is to be investigated for alleged misconduct after she purportedly said on Facebook that rape was part of black culture.

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) said a top black advocate had lodged a complaint against Judge Mabel Jansen.

The justice minister has been asked to put her on special leave, while the

ZAMBIA: Police arrest four suspects for ritual murders that sparked riots

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AMBIA police said on Tuesday four suspects have been arrested in connection with a string of grisly ritual murders in the southern African nation’s capital that triggered antiforeign riots targeting mostly Rwandan migrants

to a large outbreak like the current one in Angola.

Drug manufacturers globally produce just enough vaccines for routine immunisation, she adds.

in April. The arrested suspects are two army soldiers, a civilian employee of the Zambian Air Force and a traditional doctor, police said. They were to appear in court Tuesday afternoon charged with seven counts of murder.

JSC added.

Judge Jansen was widely condemned after her purported comments went viral on social media at the weekend.

She said, in posts attributed to her, that the gang-rape of babies, girls and women was seen as a “pleasurable” pastime by black men.

The judge said the comments had been made in a private Facebook exchange with South African activist Gillian Schutte, and had been taken out of context.

Ms Schutte said she made the comments public to expose the “deep racism and colonial thinking” prevalent in South Africa.

The JSC said it was confident that the complaint lodged by lawyer Vuyani Ngalwana would be dealt with in a “just and proper” waybyitsconductcommittee.

42 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

•Road show: Some herdsmen leading their cattle

INVASION OF FARMING COMMUNITIES:

Between cattle rustlers and killer herdsmen

By Charles Kumolu

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EFORE July 2015, cattle rustling had been a nightmare to cattle rearers across the core Northern states in Nigeria, but it only took a Federal Government directive for the problem to come to national attention.

Reportedly acting on a request by the Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufia, to address the insecurity occasioned by cattle-rustling, President Muhammadu Buhari summoned a meeting to discuss the situation in the affected states.

At the Defense Headquarters gathering which had security chiefs in attendance, were the governors of Kaduna, Kebbi, Katsina, Kebbi, Nassarawa, Niger, Benue, Zamfara and Plateau states as well as government representatives. All that were deliberated upon at the Abuja closed-door meeting gave birth to Operation Sharan Daji (Operation Sweeping of the Bush), a military task force with the responsibility of checkmating the incidents of ethnic killings, cattle rustlings and farmersherdsmen conflicts.

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A delighted Head of Service of the Federation, Mr. Danladi Kifasi, who coordinated the meeting on behalf of President Buhari had informed Nigerians that the task force had the troubled Northern states as its scope.

“I am quite satisfied with the outcome of the meeting.

Obviously, for security reasons, we cannot discuss operational matters live on television. Farmers, people who have cattle can be rest assured that cattle rustling would be a thing of the past,” he said.

Magnitude of violence Indeed, this was seen as a salutary decision considering the magnitude of violence herdsmen and cattle rustlers had visited upon the residents of the affected areas. And in line with its mandate, the task force commenced its work with successive arrests of cattle rustlers, armed bandits, among others.

Findings by Vanguard Features, VF, show that there is

hardly any fortnight that the media is not awash with stories of successful arrest of cattle

Concerned Nigerians had cried out that the absence of a defined approach to the killings seems to have made the life of cattle appear more important or precious than human lives rustlers and armed bandits, especially in the North West and North Central states.

In the states of Katsina, Kano, Kaduna and Zamfara, criminal camps in the bush are often times

dismantled, while livestock are also recovered in nearly same measures.

In fact, April was significant among the recent successes as troops of 1 Division Nigerian Army under the auspices of Operation Sharan Daji succeeded in clearing suspected armed bandits camps in Zamfara and Katsina states during the period.

In Zamfara State, they raided and destroyed suspected armed bandits camps at Rafe and Ajah forests in Gusau Local Government Area. During the operation, the troops killed four bandits, while some escaped with gunshot wounds. The troops also recovered 5 AK-47 rifles and 11 AK-47 rifle magazine, 205 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition and 25 rounds of 7.62mm (NATO).

Following a tip-off, the troops carried out a joint operation in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State where they arrested 17 cattle rustlers who escaped from Zamfara State. The troops recovered 930 cattle, 210 sheep and 20 machetes.

However, the successes recorded in this task within a short period, further aggravated earlier anger of some sections of the country who felt that priority was given to cattle rustling rather than the massacre of natives by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

To some, the imperative that informed the decision to inaugurate the military task force should also have been applied in

articulating a policy against the serial massacres by suspected herdsmen.

This mood, VF learnt, preceded the latest mass killings in UzoUwani Local Government Area of Enugu State by suspected herdsmen, as concerned Nigerians had cried out that the absence of a defined approach to the killings seems to have made the life of cattle appear more important or precious than human lives.

Alarming scale of violence Such feeling was succinctly captured in a related piece titled: “When Men Die That Cattle May Live” by a former Presidential Adviser, Mr. Reno Omikri.

A socio-political consulting firm, SBM in another report titled: “Death And The Herdsmen”, had while analysing the response to the alarming scale of violence, observed thus: “It also speaks to the value placed on the Nigerian life by the government where a group of people kills other Nigerians with impunity, openly justify the killings as retaliation for grievances of cattle theft and the government does little or nothing to punish the killers or put an end to the killings. The number one thing that legitimises a government is the ability to protect the life of its citizen.”

Continues on page 43

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016 — 43

Continues from page 42 A legal practitioner, Mr. Alex Aidaghese in “Agatu Siege and the Sins of Illiteracy: Balancing Cattle Rustling with Malicious Destruction of Commercial Farmland by Cattle Herders” also highlighted what many think of the attitude of the authorities to the issue. He said: “I bear no grudge against the Governors involved in the cattle rustling talk and the rescue mission spearheaded by the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force.

And I have no reason to. Nevertheless, I find the contrived ignorance on the part of the stakeholders that encapsulates the highly documented atrocities of Fulani herdsmen in the rural communities outside of Kamuku forest over the years provocative and insulting to common sense.

This is big business, guys. Lives are at stake. And when lives are at stake, you leave nothing to chance. ‘’More disturbing is the fact that none of these Governors who, without any doubt, have a good understanding of the principal employers of the errant herders, thought it worthwhile to organise and develop sustainable mechanisms aimed at diluting, and possibly, permanently eliminating the known hazards posed by Fulani herdsmen outside of their immediate enclaves.”

Another move that observers still consider a misplaced priority is the alleged plan for grazing zones across the country for pastoral herdsmen by the National Assembly, NASS.

Prioritisation of cattle rearing Though the NASS had infamously denied having such bill before it in a move believed to have been carried out to douse public outrage, VF findings show that the public sees the proposed law as a prioritisation of cattle rearing against the wanton loss of lives inherent in the art of cattle rearing.

In respective of some merits of the bill which would have made it possible for land to be mapped in every state for grazing, Nigerians are still resolute against it in the light of the constant tales of violence occasioned by activities of suspected herdsmen. To many, that was yet another pedestrian response to the growing national security threats posed by the frequent mass killings attributed to pastoral Fulani herdsmen.

VF recalls that the latest attempt at creating grazing sites through the instrumentality of the law was not the first, as the Federal Government had a technical committee on the issue in the last dispensation.

Like the current general mood, most segments of the society toed divergent lines on the matter, resulting in the fate that befell

*Asking for trouble? A herdsman leading his cattle through a farm

Between cattle rustlers and killer herdsmen the work of the committee which was headed by then Adamawa State governor, Murtala Nyako.

Indeed, the dissenting voices and mixed feelings trailing these supposed official responses were found by VF to underscore the argument that the government which is empowered by Section 14 sub-section 2b of the 1999 Constitution to ensure the security of lives and property, seems to lack concrete work plan on the matter.

That the Presidency in a move termed belated, ordered the Chief of Defense Staff and the Inspector General of Police to secure all communities under attack by herdsmen does not make sense to them.

In the thinking of this section, some of the solutions conceived by concerned authorities are either pedestrian or apathetic to

Government and the security institutions show a lack of will to pursue the protection of Nigerians from this threat; this has emboldened the herdsmen and has won more and more to their cause the monstrous proportion of the incipient anarchy occasioned by activities of suspected herdsmen.

Founder, Civil Society Initiative for Constitutional Democracy, CSICD, and Member Peace and Conflict Initiative, Mr. Ifeanyi

Okwuonyechee, thinks in that direction, as he noted that the crises at hand require more than knee-jerk response. ‘’What we have seen as responses from the authorities smack indifference and aloofness to the dangers at hand. Of course, the problems did not originate in this dispensation but it has got to a head this time, so we expect an explicit and coordinated response, not just a belated marching order, ‘’he told VF. Shedding light on his assertion, he regretted that the seeming absence of a defined response mechanism against what has evolved into systemic mass murder, Okwuonyechee that Nigeria is confronted by yet another alarming security challenge.

Concise response Writing in ’Nigeria’s Next Security Challenge Is At A Tipping Point and Could Be As Deadly As Boko Haram’ on Quartz Africa, Mike Amaza in a piece which largely substantiated VF and Okwuonyechee’s argument, pointed at the failure of successive governments at having concise response to herdsmen/natives clash.

He also did not spare the present government of blames regarding the manner of response to the challenge, even as he stated thus: ‘’President Muhammadu Buhari’s order for an investigation into the attack more than a week after is late, but still a much better response than that of previous administration who did not as much offer a statement when the clashes occurred in same area last year.”

Furthering, his assertion, Amaza said: ‘’The warring sides continually exploit the inability of the Nigerian government to maintain law and order as has already been seen in the early

days of Boko Haram. Successive governments have been unable to end the violence whether it is by tackling its immediate or remote causes.”

A retired Police Commissioner, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav also thinks that the issue of solution to the budding intractable crisis, has not been treated as a subject of national priority. Tsav, whose home state of Benue had been severally attacked by the rampaging herdsmen, opines that crisis of this nature require more than marching orders to security agencies.

Criminal elements While cautioning against profiling criminal elements who may have infiltrated the ranks of the herdsmen Fulani, he wants the government to consider it imperative of unearthing the reasons why the Fulani have taken arms against the people. ‘’It was good that the President gave orders for the suspected herdsmen to be flushed out but we must go beyond that. The government needs to find out why the Fulani have taken arms against the people because the Fulani had lived peacefully with host communities in the past,’’ he stated.

Supporting his position, he declared thus: ‘’The Fulani have no right to be killing people; that is why the government must urgently look into the violence entirely because the past government looked the other way when Boko Haram started until they started killing so many Nigerians’’.

A political appointee, who pleaded anonymity, found Tsav’s assertion worthy, as he told VF that the need for solution is not being approached with the urgency it deserves. ‘’A denial approach or facesaving response will further accentuate the problem. That is even why we are at this point and

same thing is happening. We were witnesses to Agatu and now the South East version has evolved,’’ he noted.

He further said: ‘’Whether they are called Fulani or not does not matter here, it behoves on the appropriate government quarters to rise up to this national security challenge.’’

However, Chairman Legislative Alliance for Accountability, Dr. Hassan Danturaki, is optimistic that the present government would not trivialise the need for definite response. ‘’I am one of those, who call a spade a spade. While I think the government is acting rather very slow on the matter, I’m sure that this administration will end this pattern of violence. I am not in doubt. But that cannot be achieved by circumventing the real issues, ‘’ he told VF.

Security challenge Notwithstanding, the implication of the generality of VF findings is that the government which is empowered by Section 14, sub-section 2b of the 1999 Constitution to ensure the security of lives and property, seems to be treating the matter with kid’s gloves. Hence, the alarming proportion and pattern of the attacks.

The situation was largely summed up by SBM in ‘Death And The Herdsmen’ to the effect that: ‘’The response from the government and the security institutions do not show a clear understanding of this fact. Worse, they show a lack of will to pursue the protection of Nigerians from this threat.

This has emboldened the herdsmen and has won more and more to their cause. Success in their rampaging endeavours has granted increasing legitimacy to their methods amongst those who might have remained antagonistic to such violence within their ranks.’’

44 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

5 Nigerians win Slovakia title F

*Rabiu Ibrahim

IVE Nigerian play ers were crowned league champions with AS Trencin in Slovakia, SuperSport reports.

The winning team defeated Slovan Bratislava 4-0 away to claim the coveted trophy on Sunday.

The Nigerian quintet are Rabiu Ibrahim, Christopher Udeh, Samuel Kalu, Kingsley Madu and Aliko Bala.

I would’ve loved to be in Rio Olympics – Messi

ARGENTINE superstar, Lionel Messi who won the football gold at the 2008 Olympic tournament by beating a Samson Siasia-led team 1-0 in the final has said he would have loved to be in Rio Olympics..

“I would have liked to go because it was a spectacular experience for me to play in the [2008] Olympics, just as it was for the [2005] Under-20 World Cup,” Messi said.

“It was a great experience to stay in the Olympic Village and meet other elite athletes from other sports and to be just another athlete among them.

“That was very spectacular even though we didn’t spend a lot of time in the village.

“The World Cup is great but the Olympics are something special.

Not just because we won, but for the experience I gained,” he added.

Messi provided the pass that allowed Angel Di Maria to chip goalkeeper Ambrose Vanzekin and win the gold medal match.

Instead Messi will be trying to make amends for the missed opportunity to win the centenary edition of Copa America, after losing out to Chile in last year’s final.

Super Eagles midfielder Ibrahim was not listed for the game but the duo of Madu and Kalu started the match, while Udeh and Bala were second half substitutes.

AS Trencin were crowned the Fortuna Liga champions with 75 points to add to their Slovakian Cup title in a season to remember for their Nigeria players.

Benitez could stay even if Newcastle go down R

AFA Benitez is con sidering staying on as Newcastle manager even if they are relegated to the Championship. The Spaniard has had a change of heart in the past 48 hours having previously accepted that he would part company with the club should they go down.

But Benitez has been

swayed by the support he has felt from fans and is convinced that, with guarantees over budgets and control, he can eventually take the Magpies back into Europe.

Indeed, we understand that he has this week been discussing his vision for the club’s training ground and

18th Nestle Milo Basketball:

FCT meet Kwara in Central Conference final In the second semi-fiBy Chinwe Okeke

G

OVERNMENT Secondary School Karu, Abuja and Unilorin Secondary School Ilorin, Kwara State, will meet in the Central Conference Boys final slated for today at the Unilorin Indoor Sports Hall, Kwara State.

Government Secondary School Karu, Abuja narrowly edged out Government Secondary School Minna, Niger State 23-22 to progress to the central conference finals in a keenly contested encounter decided yesterday.

nal, Unilorin Secondary School defeated Success High Grade Model School Keffi, Nasarawa State by 30-13 points to set up Central Conference final with FCT. In the girls category, Government Secondary School Gboko, Benue will confront Queen Amina College, Kaduna State in the final.

Government Secondary School Gboko,Benue State beat Government Secondary School Bida, Niger State with 25-18 points, while Queen Amina College, Kaduna outplayed Government Secondary School Wuse, Abuja by 30-17 points.

Moses, Emenike Continues from BP made a move for an attacker, but also that they are planning another high-profile move later this week.

“We’ve put in a bid today for 30m euros for a player, and other bids will be going in,” Sullivan began. “We’re going to make a £20-25m for a player in England, may be later this week.

“So, whatever happens, we intend to bring a top striker in.”

Speculation is rife as to the identity of the hitmen referred to by Sullivan, with Liverpool’s C M Y K

Belgian flop Christian Benteke and Olympique de Marseille striker Michy Batshuayi— another Belgian—the two names prominently linked with a switch to East London.

This leaves the fate of the Nigerian internationals – Victor Moses, a Chelsea loanee and Emmanuel Emenike, also on loan from Turkish side, Fenerbahce hanging in the balance.

It is understood that Emenike who is yet to net a Premier League goal has not impressed club owners, but the

wants work to begin on improving the cramped North Tyneside complex as soon as possible.

Newcastle will be relegated if Sunderland win at home to Everton on Wednesday and Benitez will be free to leave after a break clause was included in the threeyear deal he signed in March. However, we understand he is now seriously considering the possibility of remaining at St James’ Park but will not make a decision either way until their fate is known and further discussions have taken place.

*Messi

ITTF Premier Lotto Nigeria Open: Nigerians can have always been break the jinx - Toriola ers capable of winning the HE jinx of not win Lotto Nigeria Open but title in all the three ediT ning the title since they have not been able tions of the competition. its inception may be bro- to clinch the title, and It was just that we were ken by Nigerian players at the 2016 ITTF Premier Lotto Nigeria Open.

According to the most decorated table tennis player in Africa, Segun Toriola, there are possibility of Nigerian players dominating the tournament this year.

Twice Nigerian players have made it to the final of the ITTF Premier

highest point of his stay at West Ham was a brace against Blackburn Rovers in an FA Cup game.

On January 31, 2016, Emenike signed for West Ham United on loan until the end of the season with an option to make it permanent.

Moses’ season on the other hand has had his season plagued by injury. He has been on and off the first team and his performance has called to question his place in the club.

But informed sources said the Nigeria international wants a return to his parent club, a choice that corresponds with West Ham’s position.

with just few days to the kick off, former African champion, Segun Toriola believes the title will not be beyond the reach of Nigerian players.

Toriola, a finalist at the 2013 edition of the competition said he is optimistic that Nigerian players have the wherewithal to claim the laurel but three-time winner, Egypt’s Omar Assar has been ‘extra-ordinary lucky’ to have claimed the titles ahead of the local players.

“I think Nigerian play-

unlucky not to have won the title having made it to the final twice. I played the final in 2013 and Aruna Quadri made it to the final in 2015.

Apart from this, Nigerian players have always been making it to the semifinal stage. I believe we can win the title this year because most of the foreign-based players have been doing very well in their various clubs and the skills and talents of the local players cannot be underestimated,” he said.

Ighalo

will pocket •20 million (equivalent of N7.2 billion in Nigerian currency) at the end of his contract.

Watford are ready to cash-in on Odion Ighalo in the summer but no bid has been received, with Nigeria youth international Isaac Success of Granada lined up as a possible replacement.

The 26-year-old has been linked with possible moves to West Ham, Everton and Chelsea ahead of the opening of the transfer window.

Continues from BP are exploring ways to sign Odion Ighalo from Watford in the summer.

The club based in the Persian Gulf are willing to pay 13 million euros transfer fee to the Hornets and will offer the Nigeria international striker a four-year contract. Should the Watford number 24 agree to move to Qatar, he is set for a bumper payday as he will earn •5 million per season, meaning that he

*Toriola

West Ham fans smash Man U bus

M

ANCHESTER United’s team bus was attacked by West Ham fans ahead of Tuesday’s Premier League clash at Upton Park. The match was delayed by 45 minutes after United arrived over an hour later than scheduled.

United’s coach and a police escort were pelted with bottles on their approach to Upton Park, while Wayne Rooney was quick to criticise the home fans’ actions.

“It wasn’t nice,” Rooney told Sky Sports. “The coach got smashed up, but we’re here now, so we have to prepare for the game and go out and do our job."

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016 — 45

C M Y K

46—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016 — 47

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

Qatari club tempt Ighalo with N7.2 billion A

N unnamed Qatar Stars League outfit Continues on Page 44

West Ham to dump Moses, Emenike

BY JACOB AJOM, with agency reports

N

IGERIAN duo, Victor Moses and Emmanuel Emenike are certainly on their way out from West Ham after a not-too-convincing performance at the club during the closing season.

West Ham United cochairman David Sullivan has revealed that the Hammers have made a big-money transfer bid for an unnamed striker.

The businessman not only confirmed that they

Continues on Page 44

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? Victor Moses (l) and Emmanuel Emenike in West Ham’s colours

I would’ve loved to be in Rio – Messi Page 44

•Ighalo

Today’s matches NPFL El-Kanemi Ik. Utd Sunshine Shooting Rivers Utd Nasarawa Giwa FC IreanyiUbah MFM Tornadoes

vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs

Pillars Plateau Utd Rangers Warri Wikki Abia Akwa Utd. Lobi Stars Enyimba Heartland

4pm 4pm 4pm 4pm 4pm 4pm 4pm 4pm 4pm 4pm

EPL Norwich Sunderland Liverpool

vs vs vs

Watford Everton Chelsea

7.45pm 7.45pm 8pm

QUICK CROSSWORD

T OD AY'S PUZZLE ODA

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Respond (5) 5 Dedicate (6) 8 Hurry (5) 10 Compassionate (6) 11 Pitcher (4) 14 Absorbent (6) 15 Teach (7) 18 Fish (3) 19 Tavern (3) 21 Expensive (4) 23 Engine (5) 24 Aperture (4) 27 Entrap (3) 29 Age (3) 31 Matured (7) 32 Cashier (6 34 Otherwise (4) 35 Eatable (6) 38 Loaded (5) 39 Power (6) 40 Not ever (5)

DOWN 2 Bird (3) 3 Opportunity (6) 4 Brows (3) 5 Intense (4) 6 Swerved (6) 7 Robber (6) 9 Portion (7) 12 Sorrow (3) 13 Part (4) 16 Dale (4) 17 Go in (5) 20 Observed (7) 22 Fever (4) 24 Subside (6) 25 Inactive (4) 26 Higher (6) 28 Purity (6) 30 Aye (3) 33 Depend (4) 36 Lair (3) 37 Shelter (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1 Remiss 5, Little 9, Attic 10, Cattle 11, Voting 12, Eaten 14, Sold 17, Mad 18, Mean 20, Speed 22, Ledge 23, Bungled 24, Lurid 25, Tacit 29, Emit 30, Bed 32, Lone 33, Model 35, Sodden 36, Varied 37, Remit 38, Needed 39, Ledger.

DOWN: 1, Recess 2, Mettle 3, Sale 4, Steam 5, Lived 6, Icon 7, Tailed 8, Engine 13, Tangled 15, Opium 16, Debit 18, Medal 19, Again 21, Dud 22, Let 24, Lesson 25, Riddle 27, Coping 28, Tender 30, Boned 31, Devil 33, Mere 34, Late.

How to Play Sudoku

P

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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