FG bars states from bank loans

Nigeria risks ban on export of containerized goods

By Godfrey Bivbere

L

AGOS— A MAJOR crisis is looming in the nation’s maritime industry, as exporters of containerized goods will not be able to ship their

consignments out of the country from July 1 when the International Maritime Organisation, IMO, commences implementation of compulsory Verified Gross Mass, VGM. Vanguard investigations reveal that

less than two weeks to the commencement of the implementation of the global regulation, weigh-stations are yet to be established in the ports in Lagos which handle over 70 percent of the nation’s throughput (import and

...towards a better life for the people

**

VOL. 25: NO. 63050

export). The establishment of weighstations is a critical requirement for the implementation of the VGM. The VGM is a global regulation that requires that all containers must Continues on page 21

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

N200

FG bars states from bank loans

By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief & Babajide Komolafe

A

THE Federal Government has barred banks in the country BUJA—

•Gives condition for release of bonds proceeds •States that meet FSP conditions to benefit from N50bn facility •CBN to announce details of ‘flexible forex’ policy today

from giving loans to state governments.

The decision was taken in line with the Fiscal Sustainability Plan, FSP, which has been agreed to by the Federal Government’s economic

Continues on Page 5

‘WAR’ OVER RELIGIOUS DRESSING IN OSUN SCHOOLS



 Some students of Baptist High School, Adeeke, Iwo, Osun State,

attending classes in different church robes, yesterday. Photos: Gbenga Olarinoye. STORY ON PAGE 41.

Nigeria: Inflation hits 6-year 9 high at 15.6%

Plight of pensioners: Will he ever

We worked like lions, but die penniless See inside

propose after 19 years together?

•P.43

COLUMNISTS:

Ayokunle emerges new CAN 10 president Restructuring Nigeria: A distraction we can’t currently afford •P.17

The Presidency and the power to impose travel ban •P.19

Muhammad Ali: The pugilist as poet and acknowledged legislator of the world •P.19

Mr & Mrs

2 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

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4 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016—5

POCKET CARTOON

AGM: From left, Mr Larry Ettah, GMD; Mr Dan Agbor, Chairman and Mr Godwin Samuel, Company Secretary at the 2016 Annual General Meeting of UAC Nigeria Plc, in Lagos.

FG bars states from bank loans Continues from page 1 team and state governors, to ensure prudent management of sub-national resources.

This comes as the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, will today announce details of the much anticipated ‘flexible’ foreign exchange rate policy.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, Finance Ministry sources said, was disappointed at the manner some past and current governors took loans from banks and misapplied such funds, while mortgaging their states’ finances.

Currently, some states are left with too little to meet even their recurrent obligations, after deductions are made from their monthly federation account allocations.

Gives condition for bond proceeds release

Rather than bank loans, the Federal Government asked states to source funds from the capital market for their infrastructure

development.

It also insisted that funds sourced through bonds must not only be on bankable, measurable projects but must also be released in tranches.

Vanguard gathered that the release of the proceeds of bond issuing will, henceforth, be on the basis of satisfactory utilization of earlier released proceeds.

The FSP aims to improve accountability and transparency; increase public revenue; rationalise public expenditure; improve public financial management; and sustainable debt management.

Specific action points of the reform include biometric capture of all civil servants; establishment of an efficiency unit in each state, implementation of continuous audit, improvement in internally generated revenue, IGR, and measures to achieve sustainable debt management.

States that meet the above FSP conditions can access a new N50 billion facility to

IT'S UP TO YOU

BY AYO ADIO - 08104802192 HARACTER cannot be bought, neither can it be inherited. It can be built but only slowly. The one thing the grave cannot hold is the character of a man. Character outlives a man.

C

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE- O8084919482 Above all, to thy own self be true — William Shakespeare.

W

E are constantly emerging beyond the scripts in the pages of our lives. When we are still, in the silence, is the resonance of music and laughter of love, awakening more to Soul’s eternal nature in the pursuit of happiness which translates into goodness, beauty and truth.

When we contemplate this radiance from within, we let our light shine and allow others to march to their lux and rhythm.

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE

U

NTIL a broken tooth is removed, the mouth must chew with caution

be guaranteed by the Federal Government.

States must be prudent, transparent —Adeosun

At a meeting with state Commissioners for Finance, in Abuja, yesterday, Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, told them that the current economic challenges facing the country left state actors with little or no option than to be prudent and transparent.

According to her, all tiers of government operate in the same national economy and as such, the states cannot continue as if what happened at the federal level is not their business.

She said: “Nigeria’s economy is a confederation of the economies of her 36 states and the FCT. Thus, we recognise the critical importance of developing a broad-based economy, with productive activities in every region and state.

“At the federal level, to create headroom for the urgently needed investment in infrastructure, we are pursuing a very disciplined approach to managing public funds, ensuring the maximisation of revenues and the minimisation of the costs of governance.

“The Fiscal Sustainability Plan, FSP, replicates this farreaching public financial management reform programme across all tiers of government and marks a turning point in the management of state finances.

"By raising the standard for public financial management in the areas of transparency, accountability and efficiency, states will be repositioned to embark on a path towards fiscal independence.

“On the cost side, the pressure is to cut costs, starting with the commitment to eliminate, once and for all, the menace

of ghost workers by BVN checking of payroll and the requirement that all salary payments are made directly to individual accounts.

“This will enable states control the size of their wage bill and ensure that it is affordable. The formal commitments being made to improve expense management, greater efficiency in recurrent spending and prudent debt management will combine to ensure that states can move towards improved long term financial health.

"In the area of revenue, the FSP is based on the fundamental principle that each and every state in Nigeria must be economically viable.

"Accordingly, it recognises the fact that Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, must be maximised and we have extended the definition of revenue beyond the traditional confines of taxes, licences and fees."

CBN to announce details of ‘flexible forex’ policy today

Meanwhile, the CBN will today announce details of the much anticipated ‘flexible’ foreign exchange rate policy.

Acting Director, Corporate Communications Department, CBN, Mr. Issac Okoroafor, confirmed this to Vanguard, yesterday.

He said: “Yes, details of the policy will be announced tomorrow (today)."

The announcement is coming three weeks after the Monetary Policy Committee, MPC, of the CBN decided to introduce “greater flexibility in the management of the foreign exchange market.

“The foreign exchange

market framework, now ready, the MPC voted unanimously to adopt greater flexibility in exchange rate policy to restore the automatic adjustment properties of the exchange rate.

Consequently, all nine members voted to hold and introduce greater flexibility in managing the foreign exchange rate.

"The bank would, however, retain a small window for funding critical transactions. Details of operation of the market would be released by the bank at an appropriate time,” the committee said at the end of its meeting on May 24, 2016.

According to agency reports, sources at the CBN said an announcement by Governor Godwin Emefiele will be made in Abuja, having concluded consultations with various stakeholders on the policy.

As part of the new policy, the CBN will allow market forces determine the exchange rate between the naira and other currencies but may retain a small intervention window to allow it intervene in some instances ‘critical’ to the nation’s economic growth

and will apply foreign exchange at an adjustable rate between N230 and N250, depending on the rate in the market.

Naira to be officially devalued

“The Naira will be officially devalued tomorrow and going forward, the exchange rate will be market-driven as done anywhere else in the world,” a source with knowledge of the policy said on condition of anonymity.

The CBN had set the official rate at between N197 and N199 but the scarcity of foreign exchange due to the crash in the global price of crude oil, which accounts for the bulk of the nation’s foreign exchange inflow, has forced the Naira down at the parallel market (black market) to between N365 and N370, mostly due to speculative trading in anticipation of the implementation of the new policy.

Analysts are positive that the new policy would stabilize the forex market, calm nervous foreign investors and ease the flow of foreign exchange in and out of the country.

Alleged N1.9bn fraud: How Oronsaye, diverted N14bn pension fund —Witness •As Dariye opens defence on alleged N1.126bn fraud, Friday

A

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

BUJA—Trial of the former Head of Service of the Federation, HoS, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye, resumed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, with the first prosecution witness, PW-1, Rouqayya Ibrahim, narrating how the defendant and some government officials allegedly diverted N14 billion pension fund.

This came as erstwhile governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye, who was accused of diverting public funds totaling about N1.126 billion, will on Friday, open his defence before an Abuja High Court sitting at Gudu.

The witness in Oronsaye’s case, who was

led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Adebisi Adeniyi, told the court that the pension fund was siphoned through 66 illegal bank accounts.

The PW-1, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said the fraud was discovered in 2010, within the period Oronsaye held sway as the HoS. Meanwhile, in her evidence-in-chief before trial Justice Gabriel Kolawole, Ibrahim disclosed that one of the methods the defendants used for perpetrating the fraud included payments to “ghost” pensioners and disbursements of funds for non-existing contracts.

She told the court that the

N14 billion pension fund was siphoned through payments of non-existing allowances to fake members of staff and to the National Union of Pensioners and Association of Federal Civil Service Retirees.

The witness said investigations revealed that apart from one firm, Innovative Solutions Uptrach Communications Limited, which seemed to have genuinely executed a contract, other firms were paid for non-existing jobs.

In a bid to further illustrate before the court how the fraud was allegedly perfected, the witness sought to make use of a chart, a move that was vehemently opposed by the defence lawyers.

6—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

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Legendary OJB Jezreel dies 3 years after kidney transplant

By Benjamin Njoku, Kehinde Ajose & Iyabo Aina

How his Silverpoint Studios made many stars

T

HREE years after a kidney transplant operation in India, popular Nigerian music producer, singer and multiinstrumentalist, Babatunde Okungbowa, better known as OJB Jezreel, died in the early hours of yesterday in a Lagos hospital.

He would have been 50 years old next month.

According to a family source, OJB’s kidney had completely failed since last week and he was on dialysis to overcome the relapse before he gave up the ghost yesterday.

The late music producer’s body was deposited in a morgue at the General Hospital, Isolo, Lagos.

He is survived by three wives, Mabel, June and Korede, and eight children.

Last year, it was rumoured that OJB, who featured in a Yoruba movie after he returned from India, had suffered a setback and was in hospital. But the embattled song writer and producer refuted the rumour through an SMS broadcast.

It would be recalled that the dreadlock-spotting producer was flown to India for a kidney transplant in 2013. The surgery was successful and he returned to Nigeria with his wife, Mabel, who donated the kidney.

A statement released online by a family source reads: “It is with sadness in our hearts that we report that Babatunde Okungbowa, known to the world as OJB Jezreel, passed on early this morning, Tuesday, June 14.

“His kidney transplant had failed completely since last week.

He was down with kidney-related disease, and consequently was flown to India for a transplant in 2013.”

Mabel’s praise

After the successful surgery, OJB showered praises on his first wife, Mama J, for being there for him and donating one of her kidneys to save his life.

He had said: “She is a wonderful person because it is one thing if God is telling you to do something but another to do it. It takes a lot of courage to actually do it.

“Even when the doctors came to tell her that they would have to cut her all the way to the back and would have to remove a rib so they could have access to the kidney, she still agreed to go through it. It takes courage to go through with it. So, I will say she is a courageous woman.”

It would be recalled that shortly after his return to the country, OJB set up a foundation called, OJB Foundation, which he used to solicit support for those suffering from kidney-related diseases.

He stated that the foundation would mainly act as a dialysis centre, providing financial relief

OJB Jezreel. With late friend and music star, Nomoloss (above). for patients who spend their life savings on dialysis.

Speaking at the ceremony, the legendary music producer had thanked those who came to celebrate with him and called for support towards his foundation, saying “after surviving the major operation, I thought of how to give back to the society, and this is one of the ways I would love to do that.

I want you all to help make this dream come true.”

Last chat with Vanguard

Recounting the horrible experience, he had, while battling the life-threatening disease in an interview with Vanguard, the respected producer said he was tempted to consider the possibilities of giving up the ghost.

According to him, “what was going through my mind was basically what was going through the minds of over 30 million people that have kidney related problems. Honestly, when you are younger, you do not think about death. But for some reasons, I had to think

and consider death.

“I considered the possibilities that it could happen. And of course, when I start considering the possibilities of dying, everything starts flashing back to me: did I do enough?

What didn’t I do right? If I die now, what is going to happen to my family and business?

“The pressure of the thought begin to increase upon you, as the days go by.

The psychological trauma is bigger than what you can imagine.”

OJB said while the trauma lasted, he did not give up the fight to survive because he was “blessed during that passing phase of his life.”

Colleagues pay tributes

However, since the news of his demise broke, the music producer’s colleagues and friends in the entertainment industry have been paying glowing tributes to him.

K-Solo, a singer and music producer, was the first to pay

tribute to the deceased.

According to him, “All glory be to God Almighty, who gave OJB to us and has taken him.

OJB will never be forgotten in my career.”

Also, Peter Okoye of PSquare fame, said: “Another day, another sad news. You will surely be missed my brother, OJB Jezreel. God knows best.”

COSON said: “We are heartbroken at COSON as we mourn the passing on this morning of our front line member, the immenselytalented singer and producer, OJB Jezreel who worked with 2Face to craft the monster hit, “African Queen.” COSON condoles the family, friends and fans of this music maker.”

Destiny Awanfo, alias Ocean P, said: “OJB is just like the god of the street because he has been there for so many of us. He has written songs for so many great artistes, and produced them. Even when you do not have money for your production, OJB is not that kind of man that would

let you go back to where you are coming from.

“He must give you a reason to smile even when you are just coming up and does not know what to sing about.”

OJB, however, would be remembered for his work with Oxygen, Paul Play, Ruggedman, X-Appeal, Jazzman, 2face Idibia among others.

He produced pop icon 2face Idibia’s classic debut album ‘Grass to Grace’ and the seminal, industry-redefining 2001 rap single ‘Ehen Pt. 1.’

His Silverpoint Studios in Gbaja, a neighbourhood in Lagos Mainland, was for many years a Mecca of sort, for those seeking an entry into the Nigerian music industry.

OJB may not have recorded significant success in his career as a music producer, but he had been the pillar behind the music of most successful Nigerian artistes. Some of his solo hits include “Jah’s is my lite,” “Searching,” “Beautiful as you are,” “Pretete” and “Shitta Anthem.”

Cultists on rampage in Lagos, attack man, pregnant wife

By Esther Onyegbula

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ESIDENTS of Mebamu community are now living in fear of attacks from rampaging cultists, who are on rampage in the rustic community in the denselypopulated Okoko area of Lagos.

A father of three, Steven Boyo, was shot, cut in the throat and fingers. The suspected cultists attacked the community thrice in one week, terrorising residents and shop owners.

Narrating how her husband was attacked, heavily pregnant Ene Boyo, told Vanguard at the hospital are doctors were battling to save his life, that as they were returning home after the day’s business, they heard gunshots at Owoseni Street, “but my husband said it was

Steven Boyo in hospital fireworks and not gunshot.

“I was walking behind my husband when I noticed about 10 boys, all dressed in black, walking behind us; before I could alert him they had surrounded him; I quickly ran into a nearby

compound.

“Few minutes later, I heard another gunshot, and the cultists shouting Aye o, Aye o, before taking their leave. I thought they had killed my husband.

“I ran out after the place

was calm only to find my husband lying down in a pool of his blood. He was shot in the back and stabbed on the neck, with his fingers cut.”

Ene Boyo said she quickly rushed him to a private hospital with the assistance of good Samaritans, before reporting at the Okoko Police Station, while the IPO in charge of the case came to the hospital to confirm the incident the following day.

Ironically, when contacted, Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, Superintendent Dolapo Badmos, said that Okoko Police Division has no case of any Steven Boyo reported and the Divisional Police Officer confirmed that there has been no such case reported in the division.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016—7

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Physically-challegend man, wife, others arrested over serial kidnaps in Ondo the gang leader, Godwin Olanike, Seun Fanegan and Ufoma, was arrested Ayewalehinmi Blessing.

By Dayo Johnson

A

KURE—A couple, Ayodeji and Adebimpe Muyijimi, has been arrested by detectives in Ondo State for masterminding series of abductions, including that of the two Catholic reverend sisters and their driver along the Ore-Shagamu Express way in the state, recently.

The two nuns, Perpetual Apo and Bukola Familade, and their driver Zwugwa Zibai, were later rescued a week after they were kidnapped.

Ondo State Police Commissioner, Hilda Harrison, told newsmen in Akure that

Ayodeji and Adebimpe Muyijimi have confessed to the crimes.

Harrison said they were arrested in Okitipupa town in Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state and would soon be charged to court.

Vanguard gathered that the husband, Ayodeji, who is said to be physically-challenged, often stayed indoors to give information on would-be victims to the gang. The wife, Adebimpe, it was learned, keeps the arms and ammunition used by the gang during their operations.

Vanguard also gathered that

alongside the couple, but presently on admission in an undisclosed hospital in the state.

The Commissioner said: “The couple confessed to be members of the gang that abducted two reverend sisters, Perpertual Apo, Bukola Familade and their driver Zwugwa Zibai, last month.

“The same gang kidnapped one Oluwatimilehin Olatunji in Okitipupa, but the victim later escaped.”

According to her, the suspects were also responsible for the kidnap of other female victims, including Agbeke

The commissioner said efforts are in top gear to arrest other members of the gang.

Harrison added that two other suspects, Arowosomo Sunday and Tubosun Daniel, were arrested when they sent an SMS threatening to kidnap one Omotehinse Akingbade if he failed to pay them N500,000.

He said the two had confessed to the crime and also mentioned other members of the gang and would be arraigned in court at the conclusion of investigation.

Brother Wasiu raped, threatened me— 13-yr-old girl Serial rapist locked up 14-yr-old girl in his room for hours

By Evelyn Usman

A

13-year-old girl, yesterday, gave a chilling account of how she was abducted, raped and threatened with death by a suspected serial rapist arrested, weekend, by policemen attached to Ilasamaja division in Lagos.

The incident, according to the teenager identified simply as Onyinye, a Junior Secondary School 3 student of a school around Ilasamaja area, occurred on May 24.

It took several hours of persuasion before Onyinye’s parents allowed her to tell journalists her experience, as they expressed fears that Wasiu and members of his confraternity would attack them thereafter.

Vanguard gathered that there were several other teenage girls, who had suffered same fate as Onyinye in the neighbourhood.

One of them was a 14-year-old girl, whom he allegedly locked up in his room for several hours.

When the victim (names withheld) attempted to raise alarm, she was reportedly beaten to a stupor before being repeatedly raped.

‘He beat up a good Samaritan’

In this interview, Onyinye alleged that the suspect, identified simply as Wasiu, whom everyone in the area dreaded as he was said to be the leader of a confraternity, accosted her while going to purchase soup ingredients at about 4.30p.m.

She said: “He ordered me to follow him. I was scared and pleaded with him to leave me alone. A passer-by who witnessed it cautioned him but he beat the man up. While the fight was going on, I ran back home and lied to my mother that the woman she sent me to was not around.

“Later that day, at about 7.30p.m., my mother sent me to go and buy a loaf of bread for

Serial rapist, Brother Wasiu the next day’s breakfast. As I was going, someone grabbed me from behind and took me to an apartment where I was raped. I knew it was Brother Wasiu from the sound of his voice, when he

threatened to kill me if I told anyone.

“When he was done, he said he would kill my father and my mother if they dared to challenge him. When I told

him that the N200 I was given to buy bread with was missing, he gave me another N200 note and asked me to leave. As I was leaving, I saw his face clearly.

“But I could not tell my mother. I only confided in a classmate, who told her mother. It was not until Brother Wasiu was arrested that my friend’s mother revealed what happened to my mother. She was scared of being attacked by Brother Wasiu.”

Confirming his arrest, spokesperson for Lagos State Police Command, Superintendent Dolapo Badmus, said: “He has been arrested for rape. He is currently undergoing interrogation with our gender desk unit. He would be prosecuted in court.”

Meanwhile, residents of Ilasa and Isolo went wild in jubilation following Wasiu’s arrest, Saturday.

Police raid cultists’ hideout, brothels in Calabar, arrest 137

By Emma Una & Ike Uche

E

IGHTY-SIX sex workers and about 51 suspected cultists were arrested, yesterday, morning as police raided two notorious brothels and three cultists’ hideouts in Calabar, in an effort to contain the increasing crime wave in the city.

The brothels, Bliss Villa and Vegas Flex located at 26, Bedwell Street and 12, Lord Luggard Street in the central business areas of the city, were raided in the early hours of the day, while the cultists‘ hideouts located along Nelson Mandela Street were stormed at about 1a.m.

The police, according to an eyewitness, stormed the brothels in several Operation Skolombo and Quick Intervention Squad vans and cordoned off the area before moving into the brothels where the sex workers and their clients, who stayed overnight, were arrested.

He said: “I was sleeping at about 5a.m. when I was woken by the sound of several cars revving.

“I looked through the window and saw men dressed in police uniform going into the brothels to bring out the girls and some men and load them into the mini trucks.”

According to our source, the police raided the two brothels located some few yard apart from each other simultaneously.

Woman bathes rapist in acid A

31-year-old businesswoman, Nneka Nwachukwu of Dape Village, Abuja, told a Wuse Zone 2 High Court that she poured acid on Peter Nwogu, because he raped her.

Nwachukwu, led in evidence by her counsel, Moneka Azubike, told the court yesterday that Nwogu, the defendant, came to her house and forced her to sleep with him.

The defendant was first arraigned on April 11, 2014 by the police for the offence of culpable homicide contrary to Section 221 of the Penal Code.

She said that on December 1, 2013, she went to her town meeting at Wuse and came back around 10 p.m.

She said: “When I came back, I warmed my food which I came back with, then I went to see my landlord, Ikechukwu Obi, to pay my house rent.

“I came back to my room and saw Peter Nwogu, who is my church member in my room. He told me that he travelled but could not reach home because it was late.

“I welcomed him as a church member and he then asked me if I have food. I gave him the food I warmed and I went to take my bath.”

The defendant said when she came back from the bathroom, she saw the deceased with only his boxer and he made love advances

to her.

She said: “I tried to stop him, but he didn’t. We argued and in the process he forced me to sleep with him. I was shouting, but nobody heard me.

“I bit him and he bit me too.

He was so strong that I had to pour acid on him. That was in my room. I then ran out to my landlord’s room.’’

She added that she explained to her landlord what had happened and he followed her to her room and saw the deceased, who asked for help.

She continued: “The deceased asked my landlord to give him water. My landlord took his clothes from

my room and gave him and I went to church to tell my parish priest what happened.

“I did not know that the acid I poured on him will lead to his death. I kept the acid in my room because I had been a victim of rape and there have been complaints of break-ins in my area.

“On December 2, I went to Life Camp Police Station, Abuja, to report the matter but I was told that the matter has been reported as the deceased was already dead.”

The prosecuting counsel, Patrick Ogele, cross-examined the defendant and Justice Mamman Kolo adjourned the matter till July 1 for continuation of defence.

8—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY JUNE 15, 2016

Assault on female lawmaker: Reps recommend demotion of Prisons boss

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

A

BUJA—THE House of Reps, yesterday, recommended the demotion of Deputy Comptroller of Prisons, DCGP, Usman Shehu Kangiwa to the rank of Assistant ComptrollerGeneral as a principal actor in the assault of a female member of the House, Onyemaechi Joan Mrakpor, within the National Assembly complex.

The House equally recommended that Kangiwa should be arrested and prosecuted while the Senior Inspector of Prisons who allegedly assaulted the lawmaker, Idaa Odey, was also recommended to be demoted to the next lower rank.

Adopting the report of the House Committee on Interior which investigated the alleged assault of Mrakpor who represents Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency of Delta State, the House resolved that Senior Inspector of Prisons, Odey, and his superiors involved in the assault be tried in accordance with Section16 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act. Also recommended for disciplinary action, reprimand and redeployment from the National Assembly for their complicity in the alleged assault were a female police officer, Corporal Esther Hassan, ASP Sunday Akoh and an agent of the Department of State Security, DSS. Adeboye O. The House further advocated a complete overhaul of the office of the sergeant-at-arms, just as it resolved that all security officials currently manning the National Assembly gates, including staff of the sergeant-at-arms office be immediately redeployed from their duty posts.

Northern senators disagree over location of N/East Devt Commission Senate defers bill's passage over disagreement Bill demands 5% deduction of nation’s VAT for funding

...also 50% of states’ ecological funds

By Joseph Erunke

A

BUJA—SENATORS from the six states of the North East, yesterday, sharply disagreed on where the headquarters of the proposed North East Development Commission should be located, forcing the Senate to suspend passage of the bill seeking its establishment.

Also, the inability of the senators to reach a clear-cut agreement on the source of the commission’s funding was another issue that led to non-passage of the bill, which aims at rehabilitating the North-East's ravaged by Boko

Haram.

Senator Ali Wakili, APC, Bauchi South, who stirred the controversy in his contribution to the debate, and suggested the need to site the commission in Bauchi, his home state, against the recommendation of the Senate Committee on Special Duties, which proposed that the commission’s headquarters be located in Abuja.

But Wakil’s position that the commission’s headquarters be sited in Bauchi prompted another suggestion by Senator Baba Garbai, APC, Borno Central, that the commission be sited in Maiduguri, capital of his home

state.

But this, again, was punctured

by Senator Usman Nafada, APC, Gombe North, who suggested that the headquarters be located in Gombe, his state.

But Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South in Borno State, bemoaned the disagreement among his kinsmen over the location of the commission’s headquarters, saying it was untidy to bring such a matter to the floor when they ought to have resolved it at the caucus level.

Speaking to newsmen after plenary, Senator Nafada insisted that the location of the commission

VISIT: Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara (right), receiving the Nigerian Capital Market Master Plan ( 2015 - 2025 ) from Chairman, Capital Market Master Plan Implementation Council, CAMMIC , Mr. Olutola Mobolurin, during a courtesy visit to the Speaker, at the National Assembly, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan

should be in Gombe.

According to him, Gombe is the centre of the North East region and the most suitable place to locate the commission’s headquarters.

He also argued that Gombe has the same status as Maiduguri, being also a state capital, and hence, there was no reason to consider Maiduguri as a more suitable place to site the commission.

In the same vein, the senators could not agree on the commission’s source of funding as an initial proposal that 15 per cent of federal allocation to every state of the region should be deducted at source for its funding was dropped.

Also, another proposal that 50 per cent of ecological fund meant for each of the six North East states should be deducted at source for the funding of the commission was also rejected by the committee.

Following continued disagreement over the funding and location of the commission, the clause by clause consideration of the bill could not be concluded.

With this development, the Senate stood down the planned passage of the bill and consequently referred it back to its Committee on Special Duties to resolve the controversy and come up with acceptable proposals on the two issues.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki said in a remark that the Senate had reached a consensus on 24 of the 26 clauses of the bill, observing that its passage was only stalled by the inability to reach a consensus on two clauses.

Alleged $40m contract scam: Jonathan’s cousin, wife still at Kuje prison As family seeks variation of bail conditions

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

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BUJA—ONE week after they were granted bail by the Federal High Court in Abuja, cousin to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Robert Azibaola, and his wife, Stella, are yet to regain their freedom from Kuje Prison.

Investigation by Vanguard revealed that the couple, who are answering to a seven-count

criminal charge bordering on alleged $40 million contract scam, has been unable to fulfil the bail conditions handed to them by the trial court.

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba had in a ruling on June 8, granted the defendants who are facing trial alongside their firm, Oneplus Holding Limited, bail to the tune of N1 billion.

They were directed to deposit N500 million each, as well as produce two sureties in the like

sum.

The court maintained that the sureties must be owners of landed property in either Maitama or Asokoro ditrsicts of Abuja, and must produce evidence that they have paid income tax for the past three years.

It stressed that the registry of the court must verify and confirm that all the conditions were perfected, before the defendants could be released from Kuje prison.

He was arrested on March 21

this year by the EFCC. “What the EFCC has not told the world is that the government is actually owing Robert and his company the sum of $4 million for the job he did which fetched the country over N1 billion in revenue.

“We have already filed a plea with the court to soften with the stringent bail conditions so that our brother can return home since he was arrested on March 21 this year by the EFCC.

Ecstasy, as Glo Hamma Millions N5m jackpot winner, others collect prizes

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T WAS pure joy at the received their mouth-watering Harcourt respectively

Globacom headquarters, Mike Adenuga Towers, Victoria Island, Lagos, yesterday as the first set of winners in the on-going Glo Hamma Millions promo, including the winner of the jackpot prize of N5 million,

cash prizes.

Leading the pack of winners was a transporter, Hameed Olatunji, who received a N5 million cheque. Others who won N100,000 each also received their prizes at Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Benin and Port

Expressing his heartfelt appreciation in an emotion laden voice, Olatunji thanked Globacom for making him a multi-millionaire overnight.

He said: “I’ll invest part of this money in my poultry business and also use part of it

to purchase a truck.’’

Dignitaries at the event include, Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly, Suraju Adekunbi; Deputy Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Wasiu Sanni; Acting Managing Director of Bank of Industry, Mr. Waheed Olagunju, Lagos State

Coordinator of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Mr. Fidelis Ajibogun, and the Zonal Coordinator, Lagos Office, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Mr Ikechukwu Aninweke.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016—9

By Emeka Anaeto, Economy Editor

Foreign investors float $2bn Infrastructure Fund in Nigeria

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A G O S — N I G E R I A’ S headline inflation reading shot up to 15.6 per cent in May, 2016, about 1.9 percentage points in excess of the previous month’s record of 13.7 per cent.

The latest record did not only indicate a steady rise since last year (except in August, 2015), but also showed a six-year high point, matching the same level as in February 2010.

Rolling out the current Consumer Price Index, CPI, yesterday, the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, said: “The increase in inflation rates in May relative to April reflects an overall increase in the general price level across the economy as all divisions which contribute to the headline index increased at a faster pace.’’

Giving further insight into what drove the increase, NBS noted that “electricity rates as well as other energy prices continue to manifest as key drivers of the Core component of the CPI.” Core inflation came in significantly higher at 15.1 per cent year-on-year, y-o-y, compared to the 13.4 per cent yo-y recorded in April, majorly driven by an up-shoot in the Utilities and Transport subcategories.

During the month, the highest increases were seen in the Passenger Transport by Road, Liquid Fuel (kerosene), Fuels and Lubricants for Personal Transport Equipment (Premium Motor Spirit) and Vehicle Spare Parts groups.

Food inflation at 70-month high

Likewise, food prices continued to exert pressure on the CPI as increases in both imported and domestic prices pushed food inflation upwards with the food sub-index rising for the seventh consecutive month to 14.9 per cent y-o-y as against 13.2 per cent in April, as all major food groups which contribute to the Food sub-index increased at a faster pace driven by higher food prices in Fish, Bread and Cereals, and Vegetables groups for the second consecutive month.

Reporting on the food inflation,

By Babajide Komolafe

L VISIT: From left: Mr. Kola Ayeye, Executive Director, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON; Dr. Cosmas Kanhai, Chief Executive Officer, Zimbabwe Asset Management Corporation, ZAMCO; Mr. Aminu Ismail, Executive Director, AMCON; Mr. Webster Madera, ZAMCO Company Secretary and Mr. Chatwel Ncube, ZAMCO Head of IT, when ZAMCO delegation led by Dr. Kanhai paid a business visit to AMCON in Lagos, yesterday.

Nigeria inflation hits 6-yr high at 15.6% Food inflation at 70-month high NBS stated, “increased prices of both domestic and imported food products continue to drive food prices higher. The index increased by 14.9% (y-o-y) during the month of May, 1.7% points higher from rates recorded in April.

“All groups which contribute to the index increased with the highest increase recorded in the Bread and Cereals group which increased from 14.5% in April to 16.6% in May. On a monthon-month basis, the Food subindex increased by 1.3% points from 1.3% in April to 2.6% in May. “On a month-on-month basis, the highest price increases were recorded in the bread and cereals; vegetables, and “sugar, jam, honey, chocolate and confectionery” groups.

“The average annual rate of change of the Food sub-index

for the twelve-month period ending in May 2016 over the previous twelve month average was 11.2%, 0.4% points from the average annual rate of change recorded in April," NBS concluded.

At 14.9 per cent food inflation for the month of May 2016 was the highest since June 2010 (70months), as the moderations which had been place due to predominant local content and cheap labour has given way to other cost pressures in the economy.

Economists’ comment

Economists at CardinalStone Partners Limited, a Lagos based investment house, said: “Scarcity of domestic food items has begun to manifest in the form of higher prices, while imported food prices continue to trend upwards (predominantly driven by pass

FG seeks worldwide seizure of assets of ex-President Jonathan's alliesMr. Omokore, who is also an

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BUJA—THE Federal Government, Monday, kicked off legal processes that will enable it TO freeze local and foreign assets of Jide Omokore and Kola Aluko, allies

of former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, who are being investigated in connection with a series of multibillion dollar petrol import and crude export deals.

MASS SACK: Labour moves against Diamond

Bank, 5 others

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

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AGOS—ORGANISED Labour has written to the management of six banks to recall sacked workers and accept unionisation or face the wrath of workers and civil society allies.

The banks include Diamond, First City Monument Bank Plc, Skye Bank Plc, among others.

Investigation revealed that organized labour, on the platform of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and its Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, counterpart have already

through of tight foreign exchange supply).

“The month-on-month trend for imported food inflation shows a faster pace of increase to 3.1 per cent (April: 1.9 per cent) which we believe is a result of the Naira depreciating toN340/US$ in May (April: N320/US$)”.

Economists at FSDH Merchant Bank who had accurately forecast the inflation level in their economic report two weeks ago, said: “The prices of most items were on the increase in May as a result of higher transport costs, following the increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS. “Our analysis indicates that the value of the Naira remained stable at the inter-bank market, while it depreciated at the parallel market by 8.63% to close at US$/N351.00 from US$/ N320.70 at the end of May."

reached out to their civil society allies to strategize on planned assault on the banks and their branches nationwide.

In a notice to the Managing Directors of the six banks, NLC, through its Deputy General Secretary, Mr. Chris Uyot, threatened that after the June 30th deadline, any of the banks that failed to meet both demands would face unprecedented industrial unrest, including ensuring that the bank and all its outfits were closed for business nationwide.

The letter read: “I have been directed to inform you that, it has

been brought to our notice by our affiliate union, the National Union of Banks, insurance, and Financial institutions Employees, NUBIFIE, that your bank is one of those that had arbitrarily sacked a large number of workers in recent times, contrary to laid down procedures and the country’s extant labour laws. ‘’Also, of concern has been that these blatant retrenchments were carried out without recourse to several correspondences, including letters and circulars, sent to you by the union to retrace your steps, in line with bestpracticesinlabourrelationsandlaws of the land."

ally of former President Goodluck Jonathan, is the chairman of Atlantic Energy Concept Nigerian Limited, AEDC, and Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited (AEBD). Both companies were listed as the first and second defendants in the suit.

Atlantic Energy Limited was one of the companies that allegedly received multibillion dollar worth of public assets without due process by the Jonathan administration in 2011.

The company, which was created less than a year earlier and had not produced a droplet of oil, was awarded controlling stakes in two lucrative oil blocks – OML 30 and 34 – for just over $50 million each.

The deal, which was signed by the immediate past Minister of Petroleum, Diezani AlisonMadueke, gave Atlantic Energy Limited a controlling 55 per cent stake in the oil block.

AGOS—A group of foreign investors, led by Pecora Capital LLC of United States, has launched a $2 billion Nigeria Infrastructure Fund for investment in key projects in the country.

Known as the Nigerian Infrastructure Fund SP, the Fund has a seven-year investment horizon with up to two additional years for asset divestment.

The Fund is being managed

by NiFund, an investment management company that targets investment opportunities in high growth sectors in Nigeria.

NiFund will solicit commitments from both qualified private investors and development finance institutions, while Pecora Capital Limited will manage the investment activities of the Fund.

Commenting on the launch of the Fund at the Nigerian British Chamber of Commerce, NBCC, Mission to theUnited Kingdom,AaronSmith, ManagingDirectorofPecoraCapital said: “Investment in the infrastructure sector is vital for the socioeconomic development of Nigeria and we will aim to attract foreign investors to fund critical national infrastructure projects with anoverarchingaimtodeliverastrong return on investments."

NAF denies retirement of AVMs

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BUJA—THE Nigeria Airforce, NAF, yesterday, dismissed reports of plans to retire some senior officers allegedly involved in arms scandal.

NAF, in a statement signed

by Director of Public Relations and Information, Group Capt.

Ayodele Famuyiwa, said there was no iota of truth in the report.

The statement read: ‘’The attention of the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, has been drawn to the publication, titled “Arms Scandal: Air Force to retire AVMs, Commodores." ‘’The publication alleged that the NAF is on the verge of retiring a number of senior officers connected with the ongoing investigationofarmspurchaseunder the immediate past administration. ‘’It is pertinent to state that this story is unfounded and did not emanate from the NAF. The press is, therefore, please advised to always confirm their story with the NAF before publication.’’

10 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY JUNE 15 , 2016

Lagos to execute N24bn ETF through PPP arrangement

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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AGOS State Government has said that it will collaborate with stakeholders, through Public Private Participation initiative for the implementation of N24 billion Employment Trust Fund, ETF, aimed at providing soft loans for indigent entrepreneurs in the state.

Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mr. Babatunde DurosimiEtti, stated this at a Two-Day Summit in Lagos, organized by the ministry, with a view to mapping out strategies for providing employment opportunities for unemployed residents to be independent as well as boost businesses of entrepreneurs.

Lagos government and key stakeholders in the nation’s economy acknowledged the need for PPP to be evolved for the realization of creating employment opportunities for the teeming populace in the state.

According to Durosimi-Etti, the summit, themed: “Strengthening Partnership for Employment Opportunities and Wealth Creation in a Competitive Environment,” afforded stakeholders and government a robust avenue on how to create employment opportunities in the state.

He stressed that the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration is very interested in creating employment avenues for unemployed youths in the state, hence, the earmarking of N24 billion Employment Trust Fund, ETF, aimed at providing soft loans for people who wish to go into their own businesses at a lower interest rate than what any bank would offer.

The commissioner added that the fund would certainly drive the interest rate of banks down as many people would capitalize on the low interest rate of about three percent to borrow money to run their businesses.

Director, Human Resource, Nigeria Breweries Plc, Mr. Victor Famuyibo, who spoke on ‘Leveraging Technology to Re-define the WholesaleRetail’, recommended that there was the need for the government to include Information Technology related subjects in university curriculum and also address employability of the youth.

Ayokunle emerges new CAN president Extends hand of fellowship to all

By Sam Eyoboka

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RESIDENT of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC) and candidate of the Christian Council of Nigeria, CCN, Rev. Samson Olasupo Adeniyi Ayokunle, yesterday emerged the new president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

Ayokunle defeated Elder Joseph Otubu of the Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Movement (MCCSW) who represented the Organisation of African Instituted Churches, OAIC, with 57 votes to 28.

The outgoing president of the body, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, announced the result of the election at about 2:30 p.m. to rousing applause of National Executive Council delegates from different parts of the country who had converged at the National Christian Centre in Central Business District of Abuja.

By the CAN constitution, Prof.

Joseph Otubu, who emerged runner-up in the elections automatically becomes the Vice

President of the Association for the next three years of the soon to be sworn in administration.

According to the schedule, yesterday and today were set aside for the conduct of the election and the ratification of the new CAN constitution which had been completed by a committee set up by the National Advisory Council of CAN about two years ago.

The CAN General Secretary, Rev. Musa Asake told Vanguard that the successor of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor would be elected by a total of 101 NEC delegates made up of 10 members representing each of the five confederating blocs, all the state chairmen plus the Federal Capital making 37, the six zonal leaders, five national directors, the president, vice president, the general secretary and the Treasurer.

“We are on target and we are praying that everything will go as planned because this is an issue about Christians and we hope to finish the entire exercise without any rancour,” he said.

In his acceptance speech

Ambode, Ovia, Alakija, others raise funds for cancer centres

By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsur Olowoopejo

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AGOS—GOVERNOR Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, President of Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Mr. Aigboje AigImoukhuede, Mr. Jim Ovia, Founder/Chairman, Zenith Bank Plc, yesterday, led other dignitaries to raise funds for the purchase of four Mobile Cancer Centres, MCC, for Lagos State.

This came as Ambode called on well-meaning Nigerians to combat the dreaded cancer scourge in Lagos in particular and Nigeria in general.

The fund raising was part of activities to mark 53rd birthday of the governor dedicated to the support of the cause of the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy, CECP, Centurion, held at the State House, Alausa, Ikeja.

Other dignitaries include: Mr. Peter Amangbo; Publisher, Guardian Newspapers, Maiden Alex Ibru; Dr. Christopher Kolade; Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, General Manager/ Editor-in-Chief, Vanguard Newspapers; Dr. Michael Omolayole; Chief Kessington Adebutu; Chairman of Eleganza Group, Chief Rasaq Okoya; former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Niyi Adebayo; Retd Justice Adesola Oguntade; former Minister of Industry and President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Nike Akande; Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye; Mr. Gbenga Oyebode; captains of industries, members of Diplomatic Corps, among others.

Ambode at the event tagged; #GivingTuesday, said that the fund raising to procure the MCCs was the first step towards winning the fight against cancer.

Lamenting the rate at which the terminal disease has claimed thousands of lives in recent times, the Governor said it was unacceptable and therefore called for concerted efforts from all and sundry.

The governor noted that the facilities would be deployed to the three senatorial districts to fight cancer in Lagos State.

Governor Ambode was later decorated as the State Patron of CECP by the organisation’s Convener, Mrs. Adetutu Adeleke.

yesterday, the president-elect of CAN acknowledged that the task ahead is enormous and therefore urged the Christian gathering to bury their hatchets and team up with his soon-to-be sworn in administration to ensure the peace and progress of Christianity in the country.

Sueing for unity in an acceptance speech titled, “My Vision for CAN”, Rev. Ayokunle said: “I am aspiring to lead Christian Association of Nigeria so as to be able to facilitate an

atmosphere where the member churches of CAN can have a more effective fellowship and dialogue on Christian faith, its defence in Nigeria and all over the world. ‘’I intend to facilitate a fellowship where love flows and peace prevails in all the member churches. ''To this end, all would be done to see that CAN is a united body and all wrangling within the body would be addressed for unity of purpose. This would be priority number one.’’

N5.1BN ARMSGATE: EFCC arraigns Jonathan’s aide, Dudafa today

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HE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, will today arraign a former Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to the former president Goodluck Jonathan, Warpamo Dudafa, before a Lagos Federal High Court on 23-count charge bordering on alleged N5.145,004 billion fraud.

He is to be arraigned along one Iwejuo Joseph Nna, who is also known as Taiwo Ebenezer and Olugbenga Isaiah.

The accused persons allegedly committed the offences between June 11, 2013, and June 2015.

In the charge, EFCC alleged that the two accused persons used different companies to commit the alleged offences.

Some of the companies used in committing the alleged offences include Seagate Property Devt & Investment Ltd, Avalon Global Property Development Company Ltd; Iwejuo Joseph Nna and Pluto LUTO Property and Investment Company Ltd; Iwejuo Joseph Nna and Rotate Interlink Services Ltd; Ibejige Services Ltd; DE Jakes Fast Food & Restaurant Nigeria Ltd and Ebiwise Resources.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY JUNE 15 , 2016 — 11

UNREMITTED $13.3BN: We did no wrong, NNPC replies NEITI

By Michael Eboh

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HE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, yesterday, denied any wrongdoing over its failure to remit about $13.294 billion to the Federation account over a nine-year period, stating that the funds were utilized legally in running its operations, while the balance of the funds had been transferred to the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The NNPC was reacting to the latest report released by the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, which indicted it for the nonremittance of $3.8 billion and N358 billion in 2013; and $12.9 billion, being dividends received from the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, from 2005 and 2013.

Speaking at the NEITI Stakeholders’ Dialogue on the 2013 NEITI Oil, Gas and Solid Minerals Reports in Abuja, Mr. Godwin Okonkwo, Group General Manager, Debt Management/Federal Allocation of the NNPC, maintained that the NLNG dividends were never misappropriated or withheld by the NNPC, but that every amount spent from the funds was with the approval of the Federal Government.

He explained that a large chunk of the funds, with the approval of the Federal Government, were used to fund various gas projects in the country, while with the advent of the current administration, the balance of the funds had been moved from the Treasury Single Account, TSA, to the federation account in the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. He said, “Before now, the position is that the NLNG belongs to the Federal Government and the NNPC is an arm of the Federal Government. The NLNG dividends were there and if there was any kobo that goes out of it, it was done with the approval of the Federal Government. No kobo leaves the NLNG dividend without appropriate approval.

“Part of the spending for NLNG dividends was the development of NLNG trains, Brass LNG and Olokola LNG and is not right for anybody to say the money is now missing.''

EFCC raids Obanikoro’s house, carts away cars, other valuables

By Evelyn Usman

CONFERENCE: From left, Representative of the the National Economic Adviser, Mr. Tola Asekun; Executive Secretary, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, Dr. Waziri Adio and the Representative Chairman, NEITI Board, Alhaji Lawan Lantewa during the stakeholders conference on the 2013 Extractive Industries Audit Reports at the NAF Events Centre, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida

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AGOS—OFFICIALS of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC yesterday, stormed the Ikoyi home of former Minister of State for Defence, Mr Musiliu Obanikoro and allegedly went away with some vehicles and other valuables.

Obanikoro was not at home when the agents visited, as he was said to be out of the country.

Obanikoro’s media aide, Jonathan Eze, alleged that the officials harassed occupants of the building, among whom was Obanikoro’s wife.

Eze, in a statement issued to Vanguard at about 7.40pm said “Today, (yesterday) officials of EFCC invaded Senator Obanikoro houses in Ikoyi with unnecessary force and harassment of occupants who are mainly kids, teenagers, his wife and daughters in-law, carting away cars, wristwatches and other valuables.

“This is against the backdrop of the fact that the anti-graft agency has never invited him or his son for questioning beyond the allegations they have been propagating in the media.

''We are using this medium to draw the attention of all Nigerians to yet another infringement on the fundamental and inalienable rights of the Obanikoro family. ''Lovers of freedom should not wait until our democracy is put at irreversible damage. The list of human rights violations and political persecution has reached an alarming rate.

“We see this as a further show of shame of this present administration which is hell bent on politically persecuting its

perceived opponents in other to stoop them and rubbish their hard earned reputation of untainted public services.

“To our chagrin, the vehicles driven away were cars and trucks bought since 2006 and thereabouts, when Senator Obanikoro served as an Ambassador in Ghana among others which obviously has no bearing with the purported investigation they are supposedly carrying out. ''Senator Obanikoro has

consulted with his Lawyers and is prepared to meet them in court to stop this intrusions and persecution.”

Spokesperson for the Commission, Wilson Uwajaren who confirmed the raid, said; “Its true that our men went there today. Its part of the investigation involving Obanikoro and his two sons . But nobody was harassed.

Anybody familiar with the EFCC knows that we don’t harass people. Our men went there to do their lawful duty”.

WORKERS STRIKE: Ekiti PDP accuses APC of planning to wreak havoc No propaganda can break workers' resolve — APC

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

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DO-EKITI—THE Ekiti State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state of planing to cause mayhem in Ado Ekiti in what they term as a solidarity protest in support of workers who are on industrial action in the state.

In a statement by the PDP State Publicity Secretary, Mr Jackson Adebayo, which was made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, he said that some leaders of the opposition party and external forces were behind the latest planned protest.

According to him, “PDP has found out that the meeting where the planned protest was hatched

was held at a former senator’s house which was attended by two former members of the House of Representatives and some political office holders under the past APC government.”

PDP maintained that the statement made by the former senator representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District, Babafemi Ojudu, on the non-inclusion of the state in the Federal Government’s free school feeding programme was a prelude to the planned protest to arouse the sympathy of the public before it was clarified that many state were not ready to participate in the program even including the APCcontrolled states.

The party explained further that a large sum of money was budgeted for the protest at the meeting which was p!aced at the feet of the Minister of Solid Minerals Resources and former governor of the state, Dr Kayode Fayemi, while other leaders were to recruit hoodlums from Lagos and Kogi states for the protest.

PDP also said that all attempts by the APC leadership to enlist the support of the labour leaders had, however, proved abortive as both the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress declined their request.

“As a party, we condemn in totality this latest planned protest

by the APC and this has shown clearly that the opposition party is not sincere with the people of Ekiti state except when they want to dupe the state, “ Adebayo said.

In an earlier reaction to a similar allegation, spokesman for the APC, Mr Taiwo Olatunbosun, had said that; ‘’No propaganda can break workers’ resolve to take their pay The APC was reacting to Governor Ayodele Fayose’s allegation that the party (APC) was behind workers’ resolve to embark on strike to demand for their five months salaries, pension arrears and other allowances.

12—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

Itsekiri accuses N-Delta govs of working with militants •Buhari should lead FG's negotiating team—S-South leaders

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

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ARRI—ITSEKIRI ethnic nationality in Delta State, yesterday, accused some serving and former governors in the Niger Delta, of fraternizing with militants to wreak havoc in the region, only to openly and secretly call on the Federal Government to dialogue and drop the criminal charges against them.

Chairman of Warri Study Group, WSG, the intellectual arm of the Itsekiri nation, Mr. Edward Ekpoko, who made the allegation in a statement, urged the Federal Government not to dialogue with Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, or any other militant group.

“Politicians, including an exgovernor of Delta State and militants have continued to use this neglect to blackmail the Federal Government as a reason for the renewed crisis. But who is to be held responsible?”

This came as South-South leaders, who met at Uyo, AkwaIbom State, suggested that

President Muhammadu Buhari should lead the Federal Government's negotiation team in the proposed dialogue with Niger Delta agitators and stakeholders to reach an acceptable solution to the bombings of oil and gas facilities in the region.

However, Niger Delta activist, Annkio Briggs and other Niger Delta groups, insisted that nothing short of 100 per cent resource control would be acceptable to the region in the dialogue.

According to WSG: “Politicians, especially some governors (both serving and former) and their cronies from the Niger Delta are hands in glove with the militants and are openly and secretly advocating dialogue with them so as to (through them) have criminal charges against them dropped.

“The militants are well known to some of them (governors) to the knowledge of Niger Deltans. Government should keep them under watch. Let us get it right: who are the Avengers? Tompolo has denied them, but do we believe him when they want his account de-

frozen? MEND has denied them, they are used by those who created them.

“To dialogue with them is tantamount to open discussion with corrupt politicians from the region that have forced the pathetic conditions of life that now pervade the Niger Delta.

All they want is to bargain themselves from investigation and trial,” the group said.

On the attacks, WSG said: “We have watched with consternation the renewed violence in the Niger Delta by the Niger Delta Avengers and its affiliates such as Joint Niger Delta Liberation Front, JNDL. Their criminal acts and violence have left in their trail vandalized oil and gas pipelines, other installations and killing of military personnel deployed to guard these facilities.

Avengers, JNDLF have no comprehensible agenda

“Neither the Niger Delta Avengers nor the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Front has clear agenda. Their incoherent agenda ranged from the desire to cripple the Nigerian

economy; unconditional release of Kanu, of the Independent People of Biafra, IPOB, (now standing trial in court for treason) resource control, resumption of academic activities at the Maritime University, Okerenkoko in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State to defreezing of Tompolo’s account. How awkward."

Why Buhari should lead peace talks

The leaders, who met at a closeddoor “Niger Delta Dialogue” in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State, convened

by AA PeaceWorks, a nongovernmental organisation, said, “Dialogue is not a solution in itself to the impasse in the Niger Delta, but can give direction to a meaningful action plan for government and interventionist agencies.”

In a communiqué by former military governor of old Rivers state, HRM Alfred Diete Spiff, who chaired the dialogue, convener, Chief Judith Asuni, of AA PeaceWorks and others, said that President Buhari should personally lead the negotiation, as did his predecessor, former Presidents Umaru Yar’Adua and Olusegun Obasanjo, involving the International community.

RIVERS: INEC

set for re-run elections

By Jimitota Onoyume ORT HARCOURT— Rivers State Resident Electoral Commission, Mr Aniedi Okoiwak, has said that the commission was set for the second phase of the rer-un elections into some national and House of Assembly seats in the state.

Okoiwak spoke, yesterday, in Port Harcourt at a meeting with the various political parties.

He said that the commission was ready for the elections but stressed that it will only go ahead when politicians shunned violence.

“Today, we are gathered to see how we can conclude the legislative re-run elections in Rivers State. We want to find out among ourselves whether or not there is a need to conduct the elections.

“If we are not prepared, it will be a mere waste of human resources, money, time and energy to continue to hold elections that would be inconclusive. We must agree that we must conclude the rer-un elections," he said.

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016 —13

14—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

Immigration recruits shut down Interior Ministry

By Omeiza Ajayi

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B U J A — HUNDREDS of Immigration recruits, yesterday, locked down the Ministry of Interior, Abuja, accusing the Federal Government of playing politics with their employment.

About 2,000 Nigerians were in 2015 recruited into the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, in the aftermath of an illfated recruitment in 2014.

After undergoing the mandatory paramilitary training, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari ordered their dispersal for unstated reasons.

Although the House of Representatives, months ago, passed a resolution directing the Federal Government to absorb the recruits, the Interior Ministry has not effected the order.

At about 12:42p.m., Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Bassey Akpanyong, along with the Comptroller General of NIS, Muhammad Babandede, spoke with the protesters.

FG TO COURT: DSS can’t release Shi’ite leader, Zakzaky

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

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BUJA—THE Federal Government, yesterday, gave reasons why the detained leader of the Shi’ite Islamic sect, Sheikh Ibraheem el-Zakzaky, will not be released from detention, saying it was keeping him to stave off circumstances that made Boko Haram sect turn violent in 2009.

It told the court that Zakzaky was on December 14, 2015, taken into protective custody by the Department of State Services, DSS, following an intelligence report that he was going to be killed.

The Federal Government, which made the disclosure while responding to a N2 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit by the detained Islamic leader, filed through his lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), said: “It is common knowledge that it was after the extra-judicial killing of the former leader of Boko Haram, Mohammed Yusuf, in police custody that the group, which prior to that, had operated quietly metamorphosed into a full blown terrorist group, plaguing the country and has killed thousands of people in various attacks.

“Up till this present time, despite the efforts of the Nigerian Army to quell the activities of this deadly group, the north-eastern part of Nigeria

Traveller, fast or break if you choose to

Q

URAN Chapter 2 verse 185 specifically allows those who are travelling to skip fasting on the condition that they make up for the days missed later.

The journey that permits a traveller to break his fast is the same as the journey that permits a traveller to shorten the length of his prayers.

But who are those that may be considered as travellers in this context? The majority of scholars are of the view that anyone who travels more than 83 kilometres is a traveller.

However, others maintain that a person may be considered a traveller in a society where the means of transportation are extremely primitive with its attendant hardship and discomfort because Allah does not intend hardship on us. But in these modern times, how do we apply this injunction to our modern

situation?

The point is that somebody who is travelling above the specified kilometres with a modern means of transportation without hardship may not necessarily break his fast since hardship is not involved. He may be allowed to skip if he decides to fast later: “Allah wishes to bring ease for you, and He does not wish to place hardship upon you.”

In any case, the matter may be about means of travelling and the ease or hardship accompanying it. The journey between Lagos-Abuja by road is far more than the recommended kilometres by road, but the ease and comfort the air travel affords cannot be compared with that of a road travel in a rickety vehicle and, therefore, breaking fast or not may be determined based on the comfort or hardship accompanying the means of

has been rendered unsafe as terrifying activities of Boko Haram in that area have turned the indigenes of these communities into displaced persons, who now live in camps around the country in the most deplorable conditions.

“The 1st respondent believes that if the applicant, who is the leader of Islamic Movement of Nigeria, one of the largest Islamic groups in the country, is allowed to be killed as revealed in the security report, the country may be plunged into another Boko Haram crisis, which was what necessitated the remand of the

applicant in protective custody until it can be ascertained that he is no longer in such danger.”

Besides, government, through a 13-paragraph counter-affidavit dated June 9, deposed by one Ayodeji Ibitoye, an operative in the Legal Services Department of DSS, told the court that to save the applicant’s life, he was evacuated to the service’s medical facility.

MEETING: From left— Publisher & CEO, EMEA Finance, Christopher Moore; Associate, FBN Capital Limited, Chuma Onwuka; Group Head, Finance, Seven Energy International, Joe Kaye, and Associate, FBN Capital Limited, Oladele Akinjo, at a meeting the United Kingdom, recently.

Youths to take over PDP in 7 days if...

By Ben Agande & Omezia Ajayi

A

BUJA—THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, youths have given the leadership seven days to resolve the leadership tussle or they would take over the party. travel.

In spite of the Quran's injunction and several instances where the Prophet (s.a.w) refrained from fasting, while on a journey in Ramadan, the Prophet replied a companion, who said he finds no hardship in fasting: “Fast if you choose to and break if you so choose.” (By Muslim on the authority of Aisha).

So, if the journey does not constitute any hardship, it is better for a person to fast during Ramadan than other times, as its blessings are unsurpassed.

But if hardship is experienced during the course of the journey, it is better to break the fast and pay at a later time. Allah is generous and knows all things.

Ramadan Mubarak!

Ramadan timing for today City Fajr Iftar/Maghrib Abuja 4:47am 6:50pm Ibadan 5:07am 7:02pm Ilesha 5:03am 7:05pm Ilorin 5:00am 7:00pm Kano 4:36am 6:51pm Lagos 5:10am 7:03pm Asaba 4:56am 6:47pm Zaria 4:42am 6:52pm Maiduguri 4:18 6:33pm Jalingo 4:32am 6:35pm

Please note that at Fajr time, Sahuur ends and Maghrib time, Iftar, begins.

...as Makarfi denies apologising to Sheriff Addressing journalists at the Wadata Plaza party secretariat, youth leader, Aderemi Olusegun, said the party is bigger than individuals and warned its leaders to stop toying with its survival.

He said: “As concerned youths, we deem it necessary to come together to take a firm position in the interest of party members nationwide.

“We believe that we have waited enough on the party stakeholders, since the Port Harcourt convention, to amicably resolve this lingering problem.

“In the last 24 hours, we consulted widely with different youth groups, women and patriots in our party, and we, therefore, after an emergency meeting in the National Headquarters (Wadata Plaza) resolved that we are giving the leadership of the party, which includes the BoT, Governors’ Forum, warring groups and other stakeholders, a sevenday ultimatum to resolve this intractable but avoidable rancour.

“However, if this is not resolved, we shall be compelled to mobilise all concerned youths nationwide to take over the affairs of the party, and we have started putting in place an effective structure to that end.”

Meanwhile, Chairman of the party’s caretaker committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi has said that he neither apologised to Senator Ali Modu Sheriff

nor pledged his support to the leadership of the embattled chairman of the party.

The former National Vice chairman, South-South of the party, Dr Cairo Ojuogboh, had told journalists that Senator Makarfi met and apologised to Senator Sheriff and had pledged his loyalty to him.

However, in an interview with journalists yesterday, Senator Makarfi said though he was open to dialogue towards resolving the leadership tussle in PDP, the deliberate disinformation of an event that never took place was “very fraudulent.”

Put your House in order, APC blasts PDP

In a reaction, the All Progressives Congress, APC, last night, faulted claims by the PDP Caretaker Committee that it was responsible for the crisis plaguing the national leadership of PDP because of the forthcoming Edo and Ondo governorship elections.

A statement issued by its National Secretary, Mallam Mala Buni, read in part: “For the umpteenth time, APC wishes to state that instead of joining issues with the baseless and laughable allegations, it would rather join issues that will bring about all-inclusive development in the country.

“However, it should be put on record that PDP forced on themselves whatever crisis it is troubled with due to its politics of imposition and other undemocratic practices which APC abhors. PDP should put its house in order rather than playing to the gallery.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016—15

Biafra: Police arrest 10 MASSOB members in C'River 7 agitators remanded In Delta As MASSOB demands release of BIM accuses police of killing 3

By Vincent Ujumadu,

Festus Ahon, Chimaobi

Nwaiwu & Emma Una

C

ALABAR—TWO weeks after the commemoration of Biafra Anniversary Day by members of the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, ten members of the group were, Monday, arrested in Cross River State.

Okon Archibong, the spokesman of MASSOB in the state, told Vanguard that the State Coordinator of the group, Samuel Okah, along with nine others whose names he gave as Shedrack Chinelo, Chief Joseph Ekperebi, Michael Adah, James Ekeme, Adah Johnson, were arrested in Ikom and Ogoja, Monday night, and detained at the Ikom police station.

“We have not had any other activity outside the May 30 commemoration of Biafra Anniversary Day, but last night, Police from Ikom Division went to the home of our State Coordinator, Samuel Okah and nine other persons and arrested them.”

Archibong said the police did not give any specific reason for their arrest and that they were taken to the Ikom Police station and detained there.

“I have gone to see them at the Ikom police station this morning and they are in the cell and I asked what offence they committed because during our anniversary march, we did not engage in any confrontation with anybody or group, not even with the police.”

John Eluu, the Police Public Relations Officer for Cross River State Police Command said he was not to be briefed on the matter..

Raising alarm Meantime, the Biafra Independent Movement,BIM, has raised the alarm that the Ikom Division of the Nigerian Police, Cross River State might have killed three BIM members from Obubra

35 detained members

Senatorial District, Chief Samuel Okah and two others, and challenged them to release them if they had not killed them.

In statement issued in Onitsha

by Biafra Director of Information, Mazi Chris Mocha, BIM, said Okah, and the two others had on Monday gone to honour the police invitation in the morning of the fateful day, but had not returned till evening before two of their members went to Ikom Police Station to make enquiry over his whereabout.

“When the duo arrived there for the enquiry, the DPO ordered that they also be detained over separatist agitations in the zone, and since then, the whereabouts of the BIM members are still unknown,” he said.

Those arrested according to the statement, include, Chief Rex Ekperebi, Regional Admin from Ikom Council area and Pastor Shedrach Chinwendu, Zonal Director for Finance.

“They were said to have been transferred from Ikom to State Headquarters Calabar, Cross River State capital where they were detained and kept incommunicado from their relations and friends, informing our belief that they have been killed,” he said.

Demanding release of 35 detained members Also yesterday, the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, called on Governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and Willie Obiano of Anambra State to free 35 members of proBiafra agitators being detained in various prisons in the South East geo-political zone.

In a statement in Awka, MASSOB national secretary, Mr. Ugwuoke Ibem Ugwuoke said 22 MASSOB members have been languishing in Awka and Onitsha prisons since April 2007, while 13 members of the Biafra Zionist Movement, BZM, were being detained in Enugu Prisons since the last two years over what he described as ‘frivolous charges of treasonable felony.’

One of those being detained is a cripple, while two of them were females.

He said: ‘The detained MASSOB members at Awka prison are Sebastian Amadi, Ikechukwu Chikwem, Peter Igbokwe, Uchenna Nicholas, Uche Idika, Casmir Odokara, Eni Kalu, Chidiebere Ezekwem, Chima Asoh (cripple), Ojimba Anyanwu, Ndubuisi Okam, Emmanuel Orji, Micheal Okezie,

Ikechukwu Aghari, Mmaduabuchi Asika, Chinwike Irondi and Chukwuma Kalu.

“The MASSOB members detained at Onitsha Prisons are Innocent Orji, Chukwuebuka Ikenwa, Amah Onu, Okwudiri Basil (female) and Onyekachi Orji (female), while the leader of BZM, Mr. Benjamin Onwuka and 12 others were being detained at Owerri Prisons.

7 agitators remanded In Delta In Asaba, at least seven persons suspected to be members of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, were, yesterday, remanded in prison by a magistrate court, sitting in Asaba for their alleged involvement in the murder of three police officers during the violent pro-Biafra agitations in Asaba on May 30, 2016.

The three police officers are: ASP Genesis Akagha, Sgt. Itoro Thompson and and Cpl. Biosu Onyeka of the Delta State Police Command.

Other charges leveled against the accused persons include cultism, conspiracy, membership of unlawful society and illegal possession of arms.

Insecurity: Abia govt floats rural security outfit

By Anayo Okoli

U

MUAHIA—IN a bid to improve security of lives and property in the rural areas, Abia State government has floated a rural security outfit known as Abia State Community Surveillance Group, ASCSG. A total of 7,400 youths would be engaged and deployed to the 740 autonomous communities in the state to ensure proper security surveillance.

The idea of the rural security outfit was mooted in the wake of the incessant attacks and destructive activities of Fulani herdsmen in rural communities in parts of the country.

Already, the government had set up a six-man committee to screen and recruit the youths to be engaged for the programme. Ten ablebodied youths would be selected from each of the 740 autonomous communities in the state.

Anniversary

T

EN YEARS remembrance of Mrs. Abike Oyedele and Mr. Olawale Oyedele holds today, June 15, 2016, with many activities at 5, Akoni Street, Abule-Iroko, Lagos/Abeokuta expressway, Ogun State Both died on May 6 and June 15, 2006.

Until his sudden death, Olawale was a senior lecturer with Faculty of Arts, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State.

Wale is survived by a Foluke (widow) and children -Ladi and Fela.

PRESENTATIONS: Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, (middle), flanked on the left, by members of Integrated Infrastructure Associates led by Dr. Nkemka Jombo-Ofo, (4th left), and on the right, by Hyundai Engineering Limited delegates led by Byung Chul Moon, (3rd right), after the two groups made presentations, at Government House, Enugu, yesterday.

CAN to Northern govs: Halt the killing spree now

By Francis Igata

E

NUGU—THE Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, yesterday, tasked Northern governors to stop further killing of Christians in the area.

Rising from a joint meeting of the Southern Nigeria Christian Elders’ Forum and the Christian Association of Nigeria, South-East zone, the Christian leaders condemned what they called “the inhuman treatment meted out on

Christians in the Northern part of Nigeria.

“How can Christians be treated like cows and goats in the Northern part of Nigeria with impunity while we claim that Nigeria is a secular state? the group queried, warning that “this is a sign of total Islamization of Nigeria, which is very dangerous to the corporate existence of the entity called Nigeria.”

In a communiqué after the meeting, signed by the group’s chairman, Most Rev.

David Eberechukwu, and Apostle Dr. Joseph Ajujungwa, Administrative Secretary, they called on the Northern governors to protect the entire citizens in the region as a right and responsibility.

It added: ”The beheading of Mrs. Bridget in Kano and the murder attempt on Emmanuel in Kaduna should be the first and last of such because no one man or section has the monopoly of violence and we must do everything to stop

such from recuring.

“That every Nigerian has the right to live anywhere in this country and as well practise his religion in any part of the country.

“That all the Muslims in the South should as a matter of urgency speak to their people in the Northern part to desist because if the killings continue, it will affect everybody both in the North and in the South. If God has brought us together, then let us live in unity."

Late Mrs. Abike Oyedele

Late Mr. Olawale Oyedele

16 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016 —17

E

VERY Nigerian knows just how hard it is to continue to believe in Nigeria: the cost to one’s sanity, the emotional toll for lovers of Nigeria debating with nonbelievers, fighting for the right to continue to believe. When you believe in the right thing being done, you’re labelled a fool as the cynics, the people with the money to subvert progress, accept no challengers of the status quo.

The onslaught of the herdsmen, the Niger Delta Avengers, the Biafra secessionist resurgence seem tied to the “cynics” not getting their way: where do all these groups get arms and funding?

Many would love to see Buhari fail, even some ordinary citizens, as if they were not Nigerians and wouldn’t be affected by the frightening prospect of us all falling short of real change.

Many of us delight in conspiracy theories: why is the President’s illness so relevant? Neither Cameron nor Obama’s illnesses make national or international headlines. You might say this is because they don’t need to seek medical attention abroad.

In our case, the failures of our healthcare system are to blame (why is it still so difficult, in Nigeria, to get a reliable diagnosis, even from some of our so-called best medical staff?). But I wonder, where was our outrage when past leaders gradually destroyed the system? Was it absent because then, we were all awash in patronage? Many hotels today are backed by political money. So many of our financial institutions, rather than lend to Nigerians, lend to politically-connected persons who later default on loans. Our banks are full of government money, hence opposition to the Treasury Single Account. Now deposits are shrinking, have we stopped to consider that the average Nigerian had little or nothing to deposit in the first place? Banks’ real client, or shall I say, sole client, is government. Why were we never critical of all of this?

I wish we’d all woken up sooner. How inconvenient that our awakening should occur only now (there is no more money to deaden our senses, to keep us on a leash). It should have happened when this country was swimming in petrodollars: where was our inner critic then? We all kept

tprincewill@yahoo.co.uk

Restructuring Nigeria: A distraction we can’t currently afford

•President Muhammadu Buhari quiet, watched government such a momentous fight. I after government spend our cannot, however, like many commonwealth on women and Nigerians, reconcile the champagne, praying to be Buhari I knew, or thought I invited to the party. How knew, with his lacklustre ironic that Buhari should find cabinet. A leader of his calibre, us so close minded, so one with his intentions to thoroughly shake-up this country to its core, ridding it of its corrupt intent and foundations, deserves better.

APC as a party can and should do better. Nigeria has no I pity Buhari; I shortage of brilliant minds. cannot, however, Unfortunately, as I have said many times in this column, like many nepotism keeps such people Nigerians, out of powerful circles in favour of those biologically related to reconcile the them, which in itself isn’t a Buhari I knew, or flaw; if only they were as competent as they were thought I knew, connected. Now, the latest with his lacklustre instalment in the “Confuse and Distract Nigerians, cabinet Destroy Buhari’s chances” saga, is the call for Nigeria’s restructuring.

I am in support of true indifferent to the possibility of federalism. However, we living another way, that is, might not currently have the going from “welfare” (corrupt right crop of leaders (read, patronage) to “ workfare” governors) for federalism to (building our infrastructure, function as it should. etc, therefore creating jobs). Development in our states, is I pity Buhari. How frustrating not currently inhibited by our it must be to be so alone in

When will we talk about Sharia

W

E need to have the courage to talk about the roots of religious extremism in this country.

Our Constitution forbids state religion yet for political, populist purposes, several states were allowed religious courts.

Now we’re seeing some fanatics assaulting citizens for blasphemy or for “eating lunch during Ramadan”. Rumours that the House is entertaining awarding more powers to Sharia

courts, are worrisome given the ever present use of religion as political capital, by leaders with no agenda for development. We’re still too immature as a people to see that so-called religious men do not necessarily make the best leaders. Who’ll have the courage for honest conversations with the poorest amongst us: those who do want this will be fought to the death by those who’d rather

federal structure: lack of growth is instead, a direct consequence of parties offering us the wrong leadership and of us voting them in for all the wrong reasons. I wouldn’t venture so far as to say there is nothing wrong with the way we practise federalism but I will say there is definitely a problem with our governors’ conception of governance and our blind acceptance of their very little output. Governors use state assets for their children’s weddings or spouses’ birthdays; their states virtually grind to a halt during the celebrations; they employ countless aides; yet what do we, the electorate, have to show for their excess? We’ve always voted governors in without any concept or real knowledge of either their plans or record in office. We’re still passing nebulous security votes, paying double pensions to governors- turned-senators, and arguing over what zone should produce the “next governor”. So federalism isn’t the problem: we, Nigerians, who allow ourselves to be fooled, are the real issue.

States could grow and function if the majority were led by people who mean well and ultimately, people who have the required talent and creativity to find revenue generating mechanisms. Our governors have counted more on Federal allocation than on their own ability to generate revenue, that is the real issue behind their chronic, now worsening, inability to pay

Army officers retirement and powerful is always called a “ witch-hunt”.

Let’s ask ourselves, how many lives have we lost, due to corruption in the army?

their electorate wallowed in poverty and ignorance, so they can be bought, come election time with a few bags of rice.

T

•House of Reps in session.

salaries. Increasing the percentage of the Federation account that goes to states won’t change this: where are the plans for what to do with the money once it is received?

Let’s not be naively taken in by calls for restructuring coming from the same individuals who’ve always held sway yet did little with huge funds when they themselves were in power (some are even alleged to have corruption cases against them). Let’s not naively believe that handing over more money to the same cabal will magically develop this country. After all, when states were brimming with money, when oil prices were high, what was done?

Ethno-religious conflict in Nigeria is often sponsored, whereas we have enough states in this country to develop every single ethnic group, and to make everyone feel relevant and appreciated if government funds are used correctly rather than diverted.

If proper healthcare and education existed in most states, it wouldn’t be so easy to recruit and arm destitute men. If government funds meant for infrastructural development were properly spent, government wouldn’t need to use the civil service as a welfare tool: citizens would be self-employed, engaging in all sorts of businesses, autonomously.

But we’ve grown accustomed to distorting everything, from public discourse to the economy. The civil service has recruited half-baked individuals for years (all in a bid to mask rising unemployment), it is often incapable of delivering on government objectives, even when governors are wellintentioned. It’s definitely more important, at this time, to recover stolen funds, plug loopholes and opportunities for corruption than to restructure the federation: this will be the inexorable conclusion of our march towards progress but it is neither feasible nor desirable in our current context. Calls for restructuring are a political distraction: let’s not fall for it.

H E a r m y, t h e c i v i l service, have been politicised since time immemorial. We’ve even forgotten why this is wrong, labelling attempts at correcting this “biased”.

“Injustice” towards the rich

*Tabia Princewill is a strategic communications 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, JUNE 15, 2016 THE decision of the Abia State Government to revive the dreaded vigilante group, the Bakasi Boys, attracted some critical comments in some quarters, but Governor Okezie Ikpeazu responded that the local security outfit was not a militia group.

There were speculations that the action amounted to recruiting a local militia to fight Fulani herdsmen rampaging Abia and surrounding states. This came to a climax with the Ukpabi-Nimbo massacre in UzoUwani Local Government Area in Enugu State on April 25 this year.

The State Government had insisted that there was nothing strange in the decision to revive the group which came into existence eighteen years ago. Indeed, the Bakasi Boys formation was a citizen reaction to disturbances by hoodlums in Aba, and the state government later legalised it as a statutory vigilante group.

Due to their celebrated exploits, neighbouring states in the South East

Time to rethink our policing template adopted them to fight armed robbers and kidnappers whose activities apparently overwhelmed the security agents.

Definitely, the measure the Abia State Government took was a proactive response to guard against the heinous crimes that herdsmen perpetrated in Agatu, Ukpabi-Nimbo and other places in Nigeria, where the Police and security agencies failed to respond to distress calls on time or apprehend the hoodlums.

The revival of the Bakasi Boys and the adoption of similar vigilante groups (such as the Oódua People’s

Congress in the South West) are indirect expressions of loss of confidence in the police and security agencies’ ability or willingness to protect the people.

Since section 14(2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution prescribes security and welfare of the people as the primary responsibilities of the government, it is high time we reassessed the extant template to ensure the effective protection of the citizenry.

The Abia State Government’s declaration that the new Bakasi Boys will work together with the Police to provide security, especially in the rural

communities, is a prompter for us to consider creating a new policing system whereby the federal and state police will work together under clearly defined jurisdictional limits to protect the citizens.

This will provide rapid response to crime alerts in all corners of Nigeria and also ensure that the constitutional rights of all Nigerians are protected.

It has become obvious that the Nigerian Police Force as currently structured has apparently lost the will or capacity to protect people at the grassroots. The current recruitment of more personnel into the Force may not solve this problem. We need to involve the grassroots more in securing the nation.

We believe that unless the state’s capacity to protect the citizens is restored, time will come when people might be forced to take steps to protect themselves, and this could spell anarchy.

OPINION

By Law Mefor

T

HERE comes a time in politician’s life when his claim to statesmanship is tested. Such a time now beckons on Senator Ali Modu Sherrif, the immediate past chairman of the People’s Democratic Party,PDP. Senator Sherrif, perhaps for good reason, still sees himself as the bonafide chairman of the PDP, insisting that the Port Harcourt Convention of the Party, which produced the Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi and Senator Ben Ndi Obi-led Caretaker Committee was illegal. To give vent to his position, he procured a court order pending determination of the case.

But it is obvious that Sherrif’s impassioned stand is an afterthought. After all, he attended the Port Harcourt Convention and bolted only when things were not going his way.

Sherrif was brought in four months ago or so, to steer the ship of the Party on interim basis.

His coming was greeted by hues and cries from all the segments of Party except the PDP Governors’ Forum; understandably so since one or two of the governors recruited him. The Party came quite close to disintegration when he took over, but the elders of the Party rose to the occasion and quickly brokered peace and reached the understanding that Sherrif and his team would stay for three months within which to call a National Convention in May - to elect another Party executive. This condition was said to have been accepted by Sherrif.

Sherrif and call to patriotic duty Yet, soon after, the body language of Sherrif showed he was not prepared to go any time soon. Some members of the former National Working Committee equally plotted tenure elongation along with Sherrif. They tried amending the Party’s Constitution and skewed the zoning arrangement to give them the leeway. Sherrif, who confessed he was only prevailed upon by Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, to become the interim chairman, was to be railroaded back as Chairman by such tenuous arrangements.

Many also believed he had his sight set on the Party’s presidential ticket in 2019 just about when Fayose publicly declared himself qualified to be vice president.

It is true that politics is all about self-interest and concentric circles of conspiracies. So, there is nothing wrong with Sherrif’s ambition. He is a juggernaut by every stretch of imagination and imminently qualified to be Nigeria’s President. His tenure as a two-time governor of Borno State bear eloquent testimony as to his capacity to govern well. To say nothing of his stint at the nation’s senate too. Nonetheless, true patriots never lose sight of the bigger picture and national goals. Sherrif himself confessed that his interest is to rebuild and reposition the PDP. What this presupposes is that he would not be a party to any ploy to hamper the Party’s progress. What then could be more harmful than his court processes and

actions derailing the Party?

There is also a moral burden in this. Sherrif stands to gain little or nothing from destroying a Party he would not consider himself a founding member, for he jumped the APC ship only in the wee hours of the Goodluck Jonathan Presidency. It was one of the axes some party stalwarts had to grind with him. One of the splinter groups have argued that Sherrif is in no position to rebuild and reposition the party, given what they say is his variegated antecedents and checkered history.

To be fair to such stalwarts who never saw Sherrif as suitable, at times like this, the arrowheads the PDP needs should be stablising personae, who can strike a reconciliatory balance. Indeed, in times of crisis such as the PDP is going through, the leadership needed is the type that can bring all sides together and not the type to exacerbate or precipitate fresh crisis or be seen to be taking sides. If truth be told, Sherrif does not easily inspire such confidence across party lines. And as if determined to prove his critics right, by the time he was voted out at Port Harcourt, PDP had broken into three factions, with himself leading one. This is unprecedented in the annals of the Party’s history.

Whoever watched the Port Harcourt Convention where Ahmed Makarfi and Ben Obi emerged as PDP Caretaker Chairman and

Secretary respectively, would attest to the fact that all the Party Stakeholders were there – Board of Trustees, all the PDP Governors, National Working Committee and everybody else who mattered in the Party. It was there that the National Working Committee of the Party led by Ali Modu Sherrif was dissolved.

Since it was a duly convened National Convention, and the Party’s Constitution vests in its National Convention its supreme powers, such a decision is validly in order, at least to a lay mind. Sherrif’s argument that he called off the Convention before its commencement, even without a resolution of the National Working Committee, members of which participated actively in the Convection, is a bit out of place. What is more, the National Chairman of the Party does not enjoy any absolute or arbitrary powers and therefore couldn’t have validly called off the Convention arbitrarily and unilaterally.

This is not to say that Sherrif and one or two members of the disbanded National Working Committee still supporting him cannot find some technicalities to hold unto to render the Party ineffectual. But unless their goal is really to destroy the Party as some allege, their continued fight is pointless and capable of inspiring exodus from the Party since the owners of the Party who made him National Chairman in the first place were the same people who said his time was up.

*Mr.Mefor, a journalist, wrote from Abuja.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016—19 —19 Send Opinions & Letters to: opinions1234@yahoo.com

The presidency and the power to impose travel ban N one sense the news that President Muhammadu Buhari plans to impose I travel restriction on Ayodele Fayose and

Nyesom Wike, respectively governors of Ekiti and Rivers states, seems to have come from nowhere. It simply stood out there and you’re left wondering where it came from or what could have informed it. On the other hand, when you consider that these governors or their states appear to be the arrowhead and stronghold of the Peoples Democratic Party, main opposition to the governing All Progressives Congress, then it may begin to make a little sense why such thoughts might be contemplated.

When it’s also considered that Fayose has been an unrelenting critic of both the person of President Buhari and his government, then people might fully understand how, in the Nigerian context, somebody might want to move against such an individual even though a governor. That then is the other sense in which the reported plan of the president to restrict the right of these two men to travel outside the country using the Department of State Security may begin to make some meaning- at least to a Nigerian, not citizens of countries where democracy is the norm and the right of free expression is indeed guaranteed.

Perhaps, the whole idea of a travel ban is nothing but a red herring without any foundation in reality. Which may explain

why Abuja has studiously ignored it without a comment. But to say that may be taking assumption too far because the Buhari government is like the president himselftaciturn. There is always a grey zone to its

Fayose has not always been magnanimous in his criticisms of Buhari; but the president can turn that to an advantage position on issues given its refusal or failure to explain itself. It says little next to nothing and tends to leave unexplained issues that should be clearly explained to the understanding of even the most concerned and best informed supporters to say nothing of the uninterested majority who would nevertheless criticise.

While a responsible government cannot waste its time responding to any rubbish somebody somewhere may choose to make a press war, it must sufficiently avail itself of every opportunity to make its stand on issues clear. Once it does this, it can thereafter ignore any other irrelevancies. But

the Buhari administration has been outstandingly remiss in this regard. And this has more to do with the president himself, his natural disinclination to communicate openly, rather choosing to do so via what people now call body language, than with his press handlers.

Indeed his handlers have a tough row to clear given their principal’s disinclination to talk or choosing to do so via body language which is no replacement for clear, unambiguous explanation. His saying too little many times appears arrogant which may not necessarily be his intention. But who is to tell what his intentions are when there is so little said?

Nobody, much less a leader, should feel too important or unable to communicate with those they lead. Where no explanation is offered the field is left open for all kinds of speculations. Who knows if what the rumour mill is shunning out is just the handiwork of some busybody without the president’s authorisation?

Yet, who is to tell who is up to what when and where all is dead silence? Who can read the mind of the government?

The travel ban proposition is as bizarre as they could come and one only needs to ask what would be the purpose of such restriction and if it would be an appropriate response to the unrelenting criticism of Buhari by Fayose. I’m inclined to think that the inclusion of Nyesom Wike to the alleged plan may be just a mere detail. Ayo Fayose is the target of that plan if such plan indeed exists. But this doesn’t make it any less bizarre. For one, the governor has not been accused and found guilty of any criminal act. Even if that’s the case, Section 308 of the Nigerian Constitution provides immunity cover for him as it does for the president. Which means unless he chooses to wave that right, there is hardly anything anyone can do to him until and unless he leaves office. And if history is any judge, no governor, not even those that like sin have been convicted of one malfeasance or another have ever waved their immunity. Possible reasons for the travel restriction? That Fayose has never pretended to be a fan of the president or this government before and after he/it was inaugurated? Yes!

In the absence of any proven case of criminality or treasonable offence, the only reason anyone in the Buhari administration may want to restrict the movement of Fayose would be because of his constant attack of Buhari. Which still does not make the imposition of a travel ban an appropriate response. For one, the presidency has a vast array of means, far more than anything at the disposal of the governor, through which it could counter any attack, real or imagined, against it. Beyond this to seek to impose a travel ban would seem to suggest that Fayose truly is on point and has always been right about his many criticisms of the government of Buhari. Some of his criticisms have been very correct even when coloured with drama; and so have many been off point especially when they fail to distinguish between the person of the president and his official action. Otherwise, a credible response would not take the form of a gag order through the convoluted means of a travel restriction. This smacks of intolerance which is not a trademark of democracy.

For all we know, Buhari’s mature response to Fayose may yet be the most credible advertisement of his subscription to democratic principles. He could use Fayose as a barometre, a measuring rod for the performance of his government, knowing as many now do that he is one of the most truculent critics of his administration, likely to exaggerate rather than play down the shortcomings of his government. A leader may feel stymied sometimes by the relentless badgering of a stubborn critic but it is the hallmark of a democrat to listen and make use of that which can help enhance his performance. To seek to silence opposition voices cannot at all be helpful to a former military ruler turned civilian president but one who still has a hard time convincing many die in the wool opponents that he is now a democrat both in action and orientation. Fayose has not always been magnanimous in his criticisms of Buhari. But the president can turn that to an advantage. He can pay attention to many of his messages without considering the messenger or the drama that clouds his messages. But above this all, the president can be less humourless.

Muhammad Ali: The pugilist as poet and acknowledged legislator of the world HE quest for an affordable T ticket had landed me with a far longer journey than

necessary—a predicament that all budget travellers of the world know too well! With final destination Abuja, I had first to fly for over three hours from Austin, Texas, to New York, then nearly 6,000 kilometres overnight to Paris, before finally embarking on the six-hour trip home. I scanned the in-flight movie menu. Ali, the 2001 biopic directed by Michael Mann, starring Will Smith, was available! At a running time of nearly three hours, I would spend half of the flying time from Paris to Abuja in delightful diversion.

When news of Ali’s transition to join the ancestors broke, I was, like the rest of the world, saddened but grateful for the extraordinarily achieved life he lived: as a prize-fighter, poet and moral conscience of America during one of its most troubled and shameful epochs, and as a shining example of self-sacrifice and beacon of hope to the oppressed of the world. In the instant before I pressed play, I recalled the two posters of his that graced the walls of my office in the English department at Texas State University until May 2014 when I left academia and returned home. He alone, I must mention, had the honour of two spots on walls that paid tribute to Leo Tolstoy, Charles Dickens, Miles Davis and Che Guevara.

There was, of course, the iconic

one from the second Liston fight where he looms triumphantly over the fearsome but fallen champion (supposed to kill the young braggart this time, having astonishingly failed to do so in their first encounter), right hand bent across just under the twin-rock mounds of Ali’s chiselled chest, his lethal left still clenched, ready to send the prone Liston whom he dared to rise and fight back down if he did.

As a teacher of writing and literature, I couldn’t resist the playful humour and hyperbole of Ali claiming that he, and so his punch, was faster than the speed of light! And, hence, the second poster which memorialised the stupendous boast: “I’m so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark.” It was a variation on the theme of his phenomenal quickness as a boxer rendered unforgettably thus: “Float like a butterfly/Sting like a bee/The hands can’t hit/What the eyes can’t see.” I pressed play.

First thing to strike you is the portrait of the poet-pugilist as a young man — that moment on the bus when Little Cassius is transfixed by the horrendously mutilated body of Emmet Till, the 14-year-old AfricanAmerican boy from Chicago, who, allegedly for talking to or looking at a white lady was in 1955 beaten, murdered and drowned in a river in Mississippi where he had been visiting his

great uncle. Soon, Ali moves closer to the newspaper to memorise, it seems, every detail of that hideously disfigured body.

Did he, perhaps, detect echoes of himself in Till, said to be a cocky, self-assured “negro” boy? The rest of the biopic traces the wellknown highlights of Ali’s life

As a teacher of writing and literature, I couldn’t resist the playful humour and hyperbole of Ali claiming that he, and so his punch, was faster than the speed of light! until the 1974 Rumble in the Jungle fight in Kinshasa where Ali regained his heavyweight championship by knocking out George Foreman, described as “the hardest-hitting heavyweight champion ever” and a “battleship in the ring.”

During Ali’s ban, Foreman had conquered “Smoking” Joe Frazier, Ali’s deadliest opponent.

Amidst the episodes of his love of music and friendship with Sam Cooke, Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam’s influence leading to his dropping the slave name Cassius Clay to his dalliances with women, two others stand out in

the trajectory of Ali’s emergence as a towering moral figure in the world. First was his refusal to be drafted into America’s purely ideological war against Vietnam.

He would not kill or maim people he did not know, with whom he “ain’t got no quarrel,” who had never called him nigger. The result was the unleashed fury of America which, forced to confront its racism and hypocrisy, chose instead to further brutalise the victim by convicting and stripping Ali of his title, banning him from fighting for three of his peak years and extracting from him a fine of $10,000 (to buy more guns for the war?).

It goes without saying that this is the single transformative moment that turned Cassius Clay/Muhammed Ali from a merely handsome and brashly charismatic prize fighter who had stunned and charmed the world in equal measure with his boxing genius and poetic eloquence into the most visible victim of America’s simmering bigotry and a global moral icon all at once. It was reminiscent of Mandela’s 1964 treason trial alongside his co-accused leaders of the African National Congress.

Like Mandela, what Ali lost at

home he gained a million-fold in the veneration of the rest of the world.

Then there is the scene from the 1967 “What’s my name?” fight.

Ernie Terrell, who had been awarded the title stripped from Ali, would, quite harmlessly as it were, refuse to call him by his Muslim name. Not many, Ali’s father included, had got used to the new name and even the venerable Martin Luther King would counsel that “Casssius should spend more time proving his boxing skill and do less talking.” And so Ali’s resolve to taunt Terrell by demanding that he say his name amidst a punishing fury of lethal jabs and hooks. I may be running with the allusions but I can’t help recalling the scene in Beloved, Toni Morrison’s classic novel of slave self-renaming, in which the eponymous character, murdered by her escaped mother rather than let her be recaptured into slavery, returns to compel a reckoning with the past and demands that Paul D, the character most resolved to “forget” the past, call her by her name and “touch her in the inside place.”

Continues tomorrow

20 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

Nigeria risks ban on export of containerized goods Continues from page 1

be weighed before shipment. It was passed by the Maritime Safety Committee, MSC, of the IMO in 2014with the active contribution of all member states.The urgency for the establishment of a means for VGM in the country was first raised three months ago at a forum organized by the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, where it was decided that weighstations should be established the nation’s seaports to beat the new regulation.

Responding to enquiries from Vanguard, Director in charge of Standard Services of the NSC, Moses Oyebola, said that efforts are ongoing to ensure that the country beats the deadline.

He disclosed that relevant stakeholders have held several meetings and implementation of the decision reached at the meetings will commence soon.

He also revealed that Shippers Council has held meetings with terminal operators and shipping lines to ensure that the country is not caught unprepared before the commencement date.

eTranzact rakes in N5.9trn in 2015

By Jonah Nwokpoku

E

CLOSING GONG: From left, Hennie De Waal, Non-Executive Director (South African), BOC Gases Nigeria Plc; Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Executive Director, Capital Market, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Abiodun Alabi, Chairman BOC Gases Plc and Oyeniyi Oyedele Olawale, Non-Executive Director BOC Gases Plc at the closing gong ceremony at the Stock Exchange trading floor, in Lagos.

gone ahead to prepare its own guideline and was educating shippers about it.

But the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety AgenTerminal operators and cy, NIMASA which represents shipping lines the country at the IMO, appears He said both terminal opera- unconcerned about the implicators and shipping lines have as- tion of failure of the country to sured that they would be able to meet the July 1, 2016 deadline.

Deputy Director in charge of provide the verifiable calibration Public Relations of NIMASA, equipment for container weighing but stressed that they are con- Hajia Lami Tumaka, could not be sidering the interest of shippers. reached on phone. She also did Speaking further, he noted that not respond to text messages at one of the measures expected press time. Also efforts to reach from every member country of the the General Manager, Public IMO is the provision of guide- Affairs, Nigerian Ports Authority, lines for the measurement. He NPA, Emmanuel Ebubuogu, said that they are waiting on the proved abortive, as he could not Ministry of Transportation to set be reached on phone and he did up a committee that would pro- not respond to text message sent to him. vide the guideline.

However, a freight forwarder However, he said that NSC has and chieftain of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NA$134.80 -2.50 GAFF, Uche Increase, said “The manning and $3,135.00 supervision of a weigh station should be part of 12.00 NPA Technical services at $ 19.32 -0.22 the Ports. It could be established under joint venture enterprise with NPA $49.57 -0.78 and not Shippers Coun$48.17 -0.71 cil. “Let the lead agency ask for extension of time CURRENCY BUYING SELLING from IMO. This will enable Nigeria to take the right USDOLLAR 196 196.5 197 decision that would lead 277.7712 278.4798 279.1884 POUNDS to full domestication of the 220.8528 221.4162 221.9796 EURO FRANC 202. 7307 203. 2478 203.765 law. Our problem is the YEN 1.8473 1.852 1.856 uncertainties bedeviling CFA 0.3186 0.3286 0.3386 the entire maritime sector.

WAUA 275. 9303 276. 6342 277.3381 No recognised apex body, RENMINBI 29.7502 29.8265 29.9029 RIYAL 52.2583 52.3916 52.5249 in fact every agency is a KRONA 29.6925 29.7682 29.844 lord in its own territory.

SDR 275.968 276.672 277.376 How can the sector grow under such circumstance?

CBN Exchange rate as at 14/06/2016 A law passed since mid C M Y K

— 21

2014 is being attended to by Nigeria after two years. If I were President Muhammadu Buhari, this is enough to fire many or discountenance submission by the agencies at the ports,” he noted.

Vanguard had exclusively reported in March this year that the federal government was planning to construct weigh-stations in the nation’s ports. A senior staff in the ministry of transportation, who disclosed this to Vanguard in Abuja on condition of anonymity then, said that government was considering whether to construct the weigh-stations directly before con-

Let the lead agency ask for extension of time from IMO, this will enable Nigeria to take the right decision that would lead to full domestication of the law cessioning them or construct them on a Public-Private Partnership basis.

The source told Vanguard that the ministry expected the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, to submit recommendations at the end of the seminar on “Transport cost and regional connectivity of African countries” held in March.

An official of the NSC who confirmed this to Vanguard then explained that he could not speak of-

ficially on the issue as they have not sent their recommendation to the ministry but assured that they will work at beating the deadline for the implementation of the new policy.

The NSC official said that they also considered the option of allowing terminal operators to handle the weighingofsuchconsignmentsbut reasoned that the terminal operators may use it as a means of further exploiting Nigerian shippers.

A circular by the MSC of the IMO noted that as a result of the concerns by member states there will not be full implementation of the regulation.

According to the circular, “An MSC circular on advice to administrations, port state control authorities, companies, port terminals and masters regarding the SOLAS requirements for Verified Gross Mass (VGM) of packed containers has been agreed by the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), following discussion on the pending entry into force of the requirements in SOLAS regulations VI/ 2.4 to VI/2/6 on the verification of the gross mass of packed containers on July 1, 2016.”

“Concerns were noted with regards to the application of the requirements to a container which was loaded before July 1, 2016 and then transhipped.

“The Committee, meeting for its 96th session (11-20 May), also noted delegations’ comments that, in the first few months after July 1, 2016, some leeway should be provided in order for any problems resulting from software updates, required for the electronic collection and transmittal of VGM data, to be rectified without causing delays to containers being loaded.’’

-PAYMENT solutions provider, eTranzact International Plc recorded $30 billion, about N5.9 trillion in revenue in 2015.

The Chief Executive Officer of eTranzact, Mr. Valetine Obi, disclosed this while speaking at a press briefing to unveil a new brand identity for the firm in Lagos.

He said, “eTranzact recorded over 110 million transactions valued at over $30 billion in 2015 financial year. We have grown our turnover from N7.1 billion in 2014 to N8.6 billion in 2015, and profit before tax from N0.6 billion in 2014 to N1.1 billion in 2015, signifying a 22 per cent growth in turnover and 76 per cent growth in profit before tax respectively.”

Obi said eTranzact remains committed to its vision of powering payments for its partners across Africa, adding that at eTranzact, “ we believe in using the power of technology to build bridges across continents over the last 12 months, and we will continue to invest in research and build up our capacity to achieve these goals.”

On the rebranding of the company ’s identity, Obi said, “The new eTranzact identity shows how much our brand has evolved since we launched in 2003 and expanded to other countries.

The ‘e’ represents electronic, empowerment, ease and efficiency, showing where our company is today, our vision for the future and our commitment to simplify payments across Africa.

“We have always been at the forefront of innovation, providing complex and powerful technology with simple interfaces to enable efficient, convenient and cost-effective means of payment on all channels.

“With the new and refreshed product offerings for business to business and business to consumer segments of the market, we are committed to our vision of being the leading payment technology provider for individuals and organizations.”

22 — VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

,

However, instances abound were complaints of this nature gravely expose the employee to loss of job and an ultimate price for whistle blowing on ground of the perpetuated illegalities of their employers. The Commission views this as a financial crime

NAICOM restates commitment to supervision using IT

T

HE National Insurance Commission, NAICOM, has said that it is committed to its aim of using information technology to drive the supervision, regulation and governance of insurance business in Nigeria through the e-regulation programme.

Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Mohammed Kari stated this during the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, NCRIB, CEOs conference in Osun State.

Kari said: “Parts of the e-regulation program are the Business Process Management (BPM) Project and the NAICOM Portal which will provide a direct interface with the industry to ensure greater accountability and transparency and would speed up service provision to the industry. The BPM Project is aimed at automating NAICOM’s core business processes covering especially the Authorization & Policy (A&P) and Inspectorate Directorates. The processes majorly cover the registration and renewal of licenses of operators; Approval in Principle (AIP), Attestation and New Product approvals and, On-site Inspection processes.”

Kari said that NAICOM is very committed to these projects and the tremendous value to be returned from their implementation, adding, “There is no doubt that this would bring multiplier effect in the area of efficiency of operation, better reporting and ease of supervision activities.

Supervision activities He said, “It is expedient to note that prior to the recent economic challenges, pressure was building for the insurance industry to be more flexible and to approach business in a more dynamic fashion.

In particular, keep in mind that while insurance has always been a highly-regulated industry, new regulations and legislation are proposed and adopted on a regular basis. Increasing compliance demands from other regulatory bodies require more agile processes that can evolve and adapt on a continuous basis, but that also offer varying levels of control over how they are executed.

“Insurance institutions must find a way to break out of the silo’ed, legacy systems which perpetuate a limited view of the customer. It is this view that impresses on us that we are doing well when we snatch a client from another or when we get on a long list of the brokers of a fat government client, though adding no value at all.

New models of business and enterprise architecture need to arise; where integrating with newer technology solutions and effecting process improvements that leverage the capabilities of existing personnel and applications can become the norm,” Kari stated.

MTN’s insurance automation service to drive performance

M

TN Nigeria says it is offering insurance companies across the country a new tool ‘Insurance Automation Service’ to boost their operational efficiency, decision making and planning.

In a statement, MTN executive, Amina Oyagbola, said the new service will lead to exponential growth in the insurance industry.

According to her, the tool will help in eliminating the manual processes involved in capturing field data and providing insurance managers real-time visibility of field activities. This will ultimately result in faster business decision-making and planning.

Oyagbola said, “This solution will grant access to cutting-edge enterprise technology without the cost burden of owning or maintaining ICT infrastructure. The potential for growth is so huge that many insurance companies have already partnered with MTN to deliver the service.”

Kunle Kuponiyi, Head of IT at Niger Insurance Plc, one of Nigeria’s leading technology-focused insurance companies which recently partnered with MTN on the service said, “Empowerment is one of the attributes we cherish and value in our organisation; and we believe in the power of technology to help us achieve this. That is why we have taken up the Insurance Automation Service – to empower our workforce, customers and brokers/agents to drive efficiency. Also, our field representatives can effectively access our corporate network on the go and get things done more quickly and seamlessly, thus driving higher performance in service delivery to our customers.”

Send comments & enquiries to insuranceandyou@yahoo.com C M Y K

INSURANC

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Companies that refuse to remit deducted pension commit financial crime – PenCom

By Rosemary Onuoha

C

OMPANIES that deduct pension contributions from emoluments of their employees but don’t remit same to the pension accounts of the employees are committing financial crimes, the National Pension Commission, PenCom, has said.

PenCom said that it was informed about the worrisome development where companies deduct pension contributions from the emoluments of their employees but do not remit same, adding that as at 2014, 243 employers that failed to remit outstanding pension contributions and established penalties have been subjected to legal action and are at different stages of prosecution at the National Industrial Court.

Pension liabilities of companies “The employees often initiate investigations into the pension liabilities of companies by way of complaints. However, instances abound were complaints of this nature gravely expose the employee to loss of job and an ultimate price for whistle blowing on ground of the perpetuated illegalities of their employers.

The Commission views this as a financial crime and has accordingly approached the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to collaborate with it to address this situation,” PenCom stated.

Meanwhile the pension regulatory body stated that a major challenge confronting the smooth implementation of the Pension Reform Act 2014, is that the Retirement Savings Account, RSAs, are not funded as and when due.

According to PenCom, other major challenges of implementation of strategies for ensuring compliance with the PRA 2014 are ensuring that

poor compliance culture; weak economy which saw the pension contributions as a huge additional cost of doing business in Nigeria; and difficulty in securing compliance by the small sized companies in the private sector largely made up of portfolio companies.

In a memorandum submitted

by PenCom to the house committee on pensions for the public hearing on the level of compliance on the contributory pension scheme, PenCom noted that its efforts at recovery are not without unpleasant experiences.

Grand collusion to defraud

As at 2014, 243 employers that failed to remit outstanding pension contributions and established penalties have been subjected to legal action and are at different stages of prosecution at the National Industrial Court eligible employers join the CPS; lack of data on eligible private sector organisations; poor wages to accommodate reasonable pension deductions; general

PenCom said, “There abound situations where officers of the Commission and the recovery agents are accosted with hostility in the conduct of their assignments. Oftentimes, some were not assisted with relevant information. Attempts by the Commission to directly intervene often elicit no responses until litigation is commenced. Some organisations often insinuate grand collusion to defraud them of the determined sums meant for their employees. Some of the organisations lay claim to alleged witch-hunt when prosecuted for non-compliance.

“A significant number often indicate intention to resolve the cases outside the court only after the court process has begun.

Engagement of legal services comes with its attendant costs been borne by the Commission.

VISIT: From left, Permanent Secretary, Federal Minstry of Finance, Dr Mahmud IsaDutse; Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Finance, Mr. Ken Aghoghobvia, Deputy Managing Director/ Chief Operating Officer, Africa Reinsurance Corporation (Africa Re) and Mr. Alfred Adogbo of Africa Re, during a courtesy visit of Africa Re to the Ministry of Finance, in Abuja.

VOL. 1 NO 71

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

•CSPD verification in Abia State

Plight of pensioners: We worked like lions, but die penniless

By Chidi Nkwopara, Anayo Okoli, Okonkwo Nwabueze, Francis Igata

T

HE motto of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, NUP, is “Rest is sweet after labour”. This is however, far from reality. The refrain from Nigerian pensioners is that they are constantly treated like outcasts instead of the senior citizens they rightly are.

Stories abound about how some pensioners slump at the venue of verification exercises organized periodically by the state government. It was equally gathered that many pensioners have died without getting either their gratuities or pensions or both.

In Imo state, a retired teacher from Ngor Okpala local council area of the state, who simply identified her self as Lady Stella, put the plight of her family aptly: “You may not fully appreciate what my family is passing through now. We do not have money to feed and take care of our medical bills. Our children that graduated years ago are still scouting for jobs. My husband retired since 2000. He has not been paid his gratuity and his pension had run into several months. We are only relying on whatever we can lay our hands on, to sustain ourselves. This is not we expected at old age”.

According to the angry lady, “some of our retired teachers who disengaged from service in 2013, have only received four months pension, even some of those that retired 2012 have received pensions four C M Y K

months and below. Nothing has reached these affected retirees thereafter”.

The situation got so bad and most unbearable for pensioners in Mbaise that they recently gathered in their respective local council headquarters, crying to God to intervene and rescue them from avoidable penury and death midwifed by non-payment of their pension and gratuity, by the Imo State Government.

Untold hardship At Itu, Ezinihitte Local Government Headquarters, the pensioners cried bitterly over the reported death of many of their colleagues. Those who led the prayers included Monsignor Paul Amakiri, Madam Grace Nwoko, Elder E. A. Nwachukwu, Mrs. Victoria Umunnakwe and the Ezinihitte local council Chairman, Dr. Christopher Nwachukwu. As at the time of going to press, there was no indication that their situation had been made better.

If retirees from other arms of government establishments talk of having received some pension, it is not so with the Imo Broadcasting Corporation, IBC, pensioners. For about ten years now, no IBC retiree has been paid any gratuity.

According to a communique signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the IBC Pensioners Association, comrades Chidi Madu and Richard Nwoko, “our total arrears of pension is 36 months”, adding that “this has brought untold hardship and

miserable death on many of our members”.

It was their considered opinion that the dwindling resources of the state government should not be used as an excuse to starve retirees, while other government activities and projects are duly funded.

“The issue of harmonization of pension for pensioners who retired between 2000 and 2010, in line with the harmonization policy of six percent, 15 percent and the last minimum wage, which attracted 33 and a half percent increase, involving 138 retirees has been ignored. This has kept

Chairman of the Council,Damian Ozoude told South-East Voice in his office that,”Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has been paying pensions to civil service retirees regularly.

But unfortunately, it is not the situation with our counterparts in other parastatals the monthly pension of most pensioners below N15,000 a month. Sadly, many of those affected retirees have died without receiving their due pension, arrears and harmonization,” the IBC pensioner fumed.

While saying that they have exhausted all avenues to get the state government to address their worsening plight, the famished senior citizens therefore resolved to stage a peaceful protest within Owerri Capital Territory on Wednesday, June 22, 2016, to press home their legitimate demand for the payment of their long overdue gratuities and pension arrears, if no payment is made, either in part or whole of the pension arrears.

Enugu Pensioners to Govt: Merge Parastatals with Civil Service In Enugu, the leadership of the Nigeria UnionofPensioners,EnuguStateCouncilhas appealed to the Enugu State Government to quickly merge retirees from the Parastatals withtheircounterpartsatthecoreCivilService to enable them get pensions regularly.

The Union said the merger has become imperative following the sufferings pensioners from parastatals go through occasioned by the obsolete system of payment which had hamstrung the easy payment of pensions.

It further applauded the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who has been regular in payment of pensions to civil service retirees in the state even as arrears of pensions are being paid through the bailout funds.

Chairman of the Council,Damian Ozoude told South-East Voice in his office that,”Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has been paying pensions to civil service retirees regularly. But unfortunately, it is not the situation with our counterparts in other parastatals. Gratuity to retirees from civil service was paid last in 2009. Others who retired from 2010 till now has not been paid gratuity.

“As you know,these gratuities for civil service retirees were owed by the previous administration. It is worse in the parastatals like Water Corporation,Enugu State Broadcasting Service,ESBS and Primary Schools which are paid by the Local Governments. Those are worse hit. Water Corporation pensioners were paid last in 2004.

“ESBS pensioners are owed above 100 months pensions. But luckily,the present Managing Director is showing sympathy for their plight and had paid them for some months now from January to March. We appreciate his efforts. He saved some lives.

As you know,many of the retirees depend on those pensions for survival. The amount though very small, comes handy in shouldering domestic bills.

Salaries of public workers “The Primary School teachers have not been paid their gratuity as at 2002. It has been difficult for them coping with life. Some of them who are still strong,embark on subsistent farming to feed themselves as well as family. There are others whose relatives help them to survive. Some who are lucky,survive through the assistance of their children who are doing well. It has not been easy.

“Coming to the issue of Circular for an increment in pensions after every five years in line with the increment for working staff, it has not been implemented. It is a constitutional mandate. The constitution mandates every government to do so. So, it is beyond circular. The constitution says, whenever salaries of public workers are increased every five years,there should be a corresponding increase in the pensions of retirees.

“This is meant to reflect the current economic situation. That is what the law is meant to address. Unfortunately, it has not been obeyed by most states including Enugu State for decades. The Federal Government implements. There was increases in pension to six percent,fifteen and thirty-three percent. None has been implemented in Enugu State by previous adminstrations till today.

24 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

We are suffering —Abia pensioners I

N Abia, the State chairman of Nigerian Union of Pensioners [NUP], Sir Chukwuma Ndubuisi Udensi said the pensioners are suffering. With a backlog of arrears ranging between 8 to 19 months, depending on ministries and parastatals involved, and an outstanding gratuity for 16 years, pensioners in Abia State are indeed going through painful endurance.

This problem cuts across all sections of the civil service in Abia, with workers who retired from the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, ABSUTH, being worst hit with pension arrears of 20 months.

Records from the State NLC support the claims of the pensioners. The chairman of the Abia State Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Uchenna Obigwe, in an interview confirmed the position of the retired workers of Abia State. He said he was making effort to secure appointment with Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to discuss the matter and see how the problem could be solved.

When South East Voice attended a recent rally of the pensioners in the State, it was indeed a pitiable sight of sickly, hungry-looking old men and women, some of who were brought on wheel chairs to the rally. It was a heart-touching sight.

According to Sir Udensi, the NUP chairman, who lamented the pitiable condition of his members, said many of them now have their children dropped out of school. He also lamented the paltry amount Abia pensioners receive as pensions in the state.

Udensi said that the problem of Abia pensioners escalated because for over 16 years no retired worker had been paid gratuity which is fairly a large amount of money which could enable a retired work to plan for his future before the pensions start coming. “If gratuities were paid to us, our members would have planned for their retirement and would not be passing through this hell. It is unfortunate”, the NUP leader lamented.

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 C M Y K

• Damian Ozoude, NUP Chairman, Enugu State Council

Touched by the pitiable living condition of the pensioners in the state, the NLC chairman publicly brought their plight to the attention of the Governor during this year’s May Day celebration.

Lamenting the huge debt owed pensioners in the State, Obigwe said: “Our governor, this is outrageous more so when one xrays the plight of these pensioners who had spent their youthful age in the development of the state”, and reminded him that “the payment of gratuities were last done in Abia State over 15 years ago”, a situation he said brings fear to prospective retirees in the State.

Prospective retirees When the bailout was secured, the pensioners had their hopes raised that they would benefit from it but Udensi said “no pensioner in Abia State received a dime from the bailout fund.” Udensi disclosed that some of his members still receive ridiculous amounts as little as N450, N1000 and N2000, as pension, because they were not awarded all the previous percentage increments civil servants received as the law demands. “What we are receiving is too small, yet we don’t see it. These are old men and women, they can’t feed, attend to their health needs and of course some of their children cannot go to school. This is our plight here, only God will save us”, the NUP chairman lamented.

According to him, if the State Government has implemented past increments, pensioners in the State would not be receiving as little as N450. Udensi also lamented several failed efforts they have made to meet with Governor Ikpeazu but had always been frustrated by his protocol officers.

However, the State Government said it has the welfare of the pensioners at heart but could not offer immediate solutions because of paucity of funds, saying that the

Government was not deliberately penalising them.

The State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Obinna Oriaku who painted a helpless economic position of the Government, said that as soon as funds are available, the arrears would be cleared gradually. He said some of the pensioners were paid last week.

According to him, the State’s allocation is now around N1.7 billion for a state with a wage bill of N3.5 billion and overhead cost.

In Anambra State, erstwhile workers in the state civil service have lost more than 3,000 members since the year 2000, following non-payment of their entitlements after retirement He said that people ask why the Government was constructing roads without paying salary and pensions, but explained that they owe the contractors too.

“We are drawing on our goodwill we have with the contractors, we owe them, but they know we will pay them when we get money,” he said, and appealed to the pensioners to exercise patience.

Anambra:Nigerian pensioners worked like lions and died without pension In Onitsha, the commercial city of Anambra state and its environs, it has been a recurring decimal and bad omen that pensioners are being neglected in the Nigerian contest. From federal, state and local government levels, down to parastatals, military and para-military, pensioners who are regarded as senior citizens are never remunerated commensurately, by

successive government administrations.

In the old Anambra state, pensioners of the Nigerian Coal Corporation, NCC; and their counterparts in the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC are groaning under unpaid pension arrears. Late Mr. Josiah Okoronkwo who the colonial masters nicknamed Lion Okoronkwo because of his hard work in days gone by at the NRC where he spent all his youthful life before the outbreak of the Nigerian/Biafra civil war in 1967, had to swallow the bitter pill of unpaid pension arrears before his death few years ago.

Though a native of Lokpaukwu community in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, Lion Okoronkwo spent greater part of his life working on a locomotive engine as a linesman in Benue state until the outbreak of the civil war.

Peasant farming When the war ended, they were invited to NRC headquarters in Lagos where they were asked to indicate their willingness to either resume work or retire for pensions.

Some healthy and younger ones chose to resume, while others, including Lion volunteered to retire.

On retirement, he went back home, resorted to peasant farming and waited for the day their gratuities would be paid.

However, they were paid the gratuities and asked to go to Enugu every end of the month to collect their monthly pension which he and his fellow pensioners did for some years before they were owed arrears of pension. They were still owing him many months of arrears before he died and all efforts by his next of kin to collect his pension arrears proved abortive as they tossed his bereaved family members about.

According to his eldest son, Chief Reginald Okonkwo, “when our father died, we went and notified

the NRC management at their Eastern zonal headquarters in Enugu and they referred me to Lagos Headquarters and when I went to Lagos, the then Funds Manager asked me to go back to Enugu and wait for a day funds will be made available.

“Eventually, when I heard that funds had been provided for the pension arrears in Enugu, I went there to collect my father’s arrears and they demanded many documents ranging from court affidavits from all his sons and wife or wives, saying that they want to avoid a situation where after giving me his entitlements, some other person would come up and claim to be his son, second wife or even third wife in the case of a polygamous family.

“By the time I went for all those things, the funds had finished and they collected all the documents, put them in the file for unclaimed pensions and told me to go home and wait for another turn and that is where we are today. So, it is unfortunate that my father worked for Nigeria as a Lion and was denied his pension before and after his death”.

Pension arrears Also Mrs. Okafor, wife of late Mr. Gilbert Okafor, another pensioner who retired in the railway complained bitterly that her late husband’s pension arrears were not paid before and after his death till date, wondering why our senior citizens are being treated with levity.

In Anambra state, erstwhile workers in the state civil service have lost more than 3,000 of its members since the year 2000, following non-payment of their entitlements after retirement.

Leaders of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, expressed regret that for about 10 years, the Federal Government has not implemented the constitutional provision of increasing pensions after every five years.

According to their leaders, “Since their retirement, pensioners in the state who retired since 2000 and beyond have not received their federal share of pensions and gratuities, adding, We have lost more than 3000 pensioners till date. These were people who had not received their benefits from the Federal Government since retirement”.

According to them, other problems facing the former workers include underpayment, omission of names in the nominal roll and fraudulent removal of pensioners’ accounts by employees of the Pensions Commission in Abuja.

They contended that the pensioners had expected the Federal Government to increase the pension rates as they had done for the civil servants, noting that they buy from same markets, pay children’s school fees and settle other bills from their pay.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016 —25

26 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

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CE & YOU

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A major challenge confronting the smooth implementation of the Pension Reform Act 2014, is that the Retirement Savings Account, RSAs, are not funded as and when due

,

A.M. Best upgrades Africa Re to ‘A’ rating

By Favour Nnabugwu

A

DELIVERY: From left, Adedayo Olaniyan, Chief Accountant, Medview Airline; Alhaji Muneer Bankole, MD/CEO; Alhaji Na'Allah Ishaq, Executive Director, Business Development; Lookman Animashaun, Executive Director, Technical and Mrs Senanu Ladipo, Relationship Manager, Corporate Banking Group Infrastructure, FirstBank Plc, at the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 as Med-View Airline took delivery of a Boeing 737-500 aircraft.

The proof of the cases also entails stretching the basis of the contractual relationships with the recovery agents as they are often requested to appear and testify in court, oftentimes after the lapse of their recovery and audit tasks.”

Recall that the PRA 2014 made an upward review of the rate of contribution and the proportion of the rate payable by the employer and the employee. The minimum rate is now 18 per cent of the monthly emolument with 10 per cent by the employer and 8 per cent by the employee.

However, PenCom noted that the revised statutory minimum has been obeyed more in breach by the public sector employers who are yet to revert to the current applicable ratio. “This poses another challenge on enforcement as the affected public

service employer is the various tiers of government which is a critical stakeholder in the implementation process of the established Contributory Pension Scheme.”

PenCom noted that the recovery agents engaged by it examine the pension records of employers, determine the pension liability and compute penalty accrued as a result of the non-compliance.

Validation of the records “The recovery agents subsequently issue demand notices, subject to the approval of the Commission upon verification and/or validation of the records of the employers. Some companies challenge the basis of

the liabilities determined.

However, the disputes are resolved by reconciliation sessions between the employers and the recovery agents.

The reconciliation exercise ultimately strengthen credibility of the processes.

“Employers that fail to remit outstanding pension contributions and established penalties are further approached for civil compliance through administrative mechanisms as set out in the Regime of Sanctions of the Commission. This sanction regime include and are not limited to the issuance of demand letters, letters of warnings, letters of caution and outright sanctions.

Resort to litigation is the last option exercised by the Commission.

Old Mutual to support professional platforms – Emenike

C

HIEF Executive Officer of Old Mutual General Insurance Company, Rachel Emenike has said that the company will consistently support platforms that can promote professionalism.

Emenike stated this while giving reasons for Old Mutual’s sponsorship of 2016 CEOs’ Retreat of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) in Osun State.

Emenike described brokers as major stakeholders in the insurance industry that cannot be dismissed, especially for the role they are playing in the economy.

Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Insurance, Alhaji Muhammed Kari, emphasised the need for practitioners to adhere strictly to the ethics of the insurance profession. He pointed out that rules and regulations are important to drive professionalism, adding that the regulatory body was prepared to

be more flexible in its approach to the industry. The commissioner also called for the rebranding of the industry to appeal to the consuming in public.

“As stakeholders, both the regulator and the operators should be able to work together to enhance industry growth. On our part, we have accepted to be more flexible in our approach to the industry. But we must all admit that rules and regulations are important to drive professionalism. We must do the right thing to appeal to our patrons. If manufacturers and service providers provide what consumers want, they will buy, but if they fail, consumers too will ignore them and whatever they bring to the table.@ Emenike said, “As an association of brokers, NCRIB is a major stakeholder not only to the insurance industry but also to the economy. Over the years, brokers have redefined the industry through effective practice

and sensitisation of the public on the importance of insurance. Who else can we partner to take the industry to the next level if not NCRIB,” she said.

Earlier, the President of NCRIB, Mr. Kayode Okunoren, had described the annual retreat as a programme put together to review activities of operators, networking, learning new things, as well as giving members opportunity to unwind.

.M. Best, a renowned international rating agency has upgraded the financial strength rating to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating to “A”from “A-” of African Reinsurance Corporation (Africa Re).

The upgrade from “A-” positive to “A” stable, according to a statement from the rating agency on Friday, reflects Africa Re’s excellent risk-adjusted capitalisation, consistently strong operating performance, and robust market position in the increasingly competitive African reinsurance sector. Additionally, the ratings factor in the framework in place to mitigate Africa Re’s exposure to the heightened political and economic instability on the continent.

Africa Re’s risk-adjusted capitalisation remains at an excellent level, supported by robust earnings derived from its expansion within its core African market.

Financial flexibility In the same vein, A.M. Best expects the corporation to continue benefitting from its strong financial flexibility, which is derived from the long-term capital support of shareholders, owing to its shareholding structure and status as a PanAfrican reinsurer.

Africa Re’s shareholders consist of member states, African and international (re)insurance companies and supranational organisations.

Prospectively, A.M. Best expects strong internal capital generation, a conservative balance sheet and excellent financial flexibility will likely continue to underpin Africa Re’s financial strength.

Africa Re’s strong operating performance is consistently supported by stable and excellent underwriting results, as per the five-year average combined ratio

of 90.3%.

The corporation’s technical results are attributable to its geographically well-spread insurance portfolio and evolving risk management, which has resulted in strengthened risk controls and monitoring capabilities to support operations.

The technical performance of the South African account remains a partly offsetting rating factor. This reflects the impact of the protracted soft market conditions and the high frequency of weather-related events in this country.

Corporation’s overall earnings Nonetheless, the operating results of the South African business remain a solid contributor to the corporation’s overall earnings.

At the same time, the historically weak technical results of the modest international portfolio continue to have a negligible effect on Africa Re’s operating performance.

Africa Re’s robust market position is supported by its privileged access to business through its compulsory legal cessions, strong reputation in the market and long-standing relationships with stakeholders.

Despite the difficult operating environment overshadowing certain countries across the continent, as a result of low commodity prices, depreciating currencies and increased propensity for political instability, Africa Re has continued to expand in local currency terms as most markets continue to develop.

However, downside risk remains owing to the scenario of a protracted economic slowdown across the continent and its potential impact on reduced insurance demand.

Nonetheless, A.M. Best believes that Africa Re’s welldiversified portfolio (by product and geographic spread) will support its ability to manoeuvre through these market conditions.

PFAs UNIT RATE FOR RSA FUND AS AT 3RD JUNE, 2016

C M Y K

28 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

Rio 2016:

Nigeria Olympic team plan Honduras rematch •Resume training camp today

N

igeria Olympic team are scheduled for a rematch with Honduras in the United States of America.

Dream Team VI, who came from behind to beat Honduras 3-1 at the recent Suwon International Tournament in South Korea, will again tackle the Central Americans on July 27 during their training camp in Atlanta, USA. Nigeria are drawn against Sweden, Japan and Colombia at the Rio Olympics in August, while Honduras are grouped with Algeria, Portugal and Argentina.

The Nigeria U-23s are also billed to face Mexico on July

2 and local side Charleston Battery FC on July 16.

Mexico are in Group C of the Rio Olympics with Fiji, South Korea and Germany.

However, the team are expected to resume training camp in Abuja today, officials

BY SOLOMON NWOKE DYNAMOS Babes of Edo yesterday heaved a sigh of relieve after they recorded their first win in the ongoing 3rd Sam Ocheho-InnJoo International Handball Championship as they defeated the Queens of Abidjan.

The victory is coming after losing two games and drawing one in the first three days of the tournament. Speaking after their victory, boastful coach of the Edo team, Aaron Okojie expressed happiness as he gave kudos to his girls. He said, “We needed to win this match as it will boost the morale of the team having lost two matches and drawing one. My girls played to instruction today. It was a sweet victory, though we have not reached our peak and having won today, we hope to improve on this. My target in this competition is to be within the medal zone”.

He lauded the standard of play and the standard of the competition saying, “the teams are doing well, the performance generally has been okay. I want to give kudos to the organizer of this competition, Sam Ocheho for his love for the game. I believe he has tried regardless of whatever hitches the tournament may have experienced”.

In another development, the Flowers of Benin Republic continued with their winning streak as they defeated Civil Defence Babes 21-20 C M Y K

The Dream Team VI are scheduled to apply for entry visas to the United States and United Kingdom on their return to camp after an initial arrangement to do so earlier

this month was shelved.

The team will train in both the United States and America and England prior to the Rio Olympics in August

Eguma dreams victory over Kaduna Utd

3rd Sam Ocheho-InnJoo Handball tourney:

Dynamos Babes of Edo heave sigh of relieve

have disclosed.

The team went on a short recess after the Suwon International Tournament in South Korea, where they lost to hosts Korea and Denmark, before they defeated Honduras.

•Dream Team

•Eguma

Rivers United technical manager, Stanley Eguma believes his can get a win against Kaduna United in the round of 32 of the Federation Cup. United beat Papilo FC 4-3 in a thrilling round of 64 game in May to reach this stage of the competition.

Eguma wants a similar performance from his charges if they are to progress even further in Nigeria’s oldest football competition.

“It is a very big match for us. The Federation Cup is a unique competition.

“The competition is no respecter of persons.

“Kaduna United is an experienced side as they have played in the (Nigerian top flight) in the past.

“We will not take them for granted,” Eguma told supersport.com.

The Rivers United trainer however expects the lower tier club to enjoy certain advantages over his side in the game.

“Kaduna United have not played quite as many games this season as Rivers United.

“There is also a little bit of fatigue for us (United play five competitive games in the next 12 days).

“We will however fashion out a way to contain them as the target is to win that game,” he said.

Rivers United and Kaduna United will meet in the round of 32 of the Federation Cup today at the Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi.

Enyimba Federation Cup tie against El Kanemi moved will now take place in Benin City instead of Akure.

AF Champions League contenders With the Enyimba/El-Kanemi tie Enyimba have been granted a C postponed, the match between FC postponement of a Federation Cup Round of 32 clash against fellow NPFL side El Kanemi Warriors as a result of their continental date against Zamalek of Egypt in Port Harcourt on Sunday.

The People’s Elephant, winners of Africa’s most prestigious club competition in 2003 and 2004, host Zamalek at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in one of the Day 1 matches of the group stage of the Champions League.

“Enyimba have appealed for postponement of the encounter, and the NFF has granted this plea. They are flying Nigeria’s flag and the NFF has promised to give them all the support in their quest for glory,” said Emmanuel Adesanya, head of the Federation Cup. However, the remaining 15 matches of the men’s competition and eight matches of the women’s competition will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, with Abuja, Makurdi, Enugu and Lokoja hosting three matches each.

The encounter between Plateau United and Dreams FC of Makurdi, earlier slated for Damaturu, has been moved to Abuja, while the Crown FC/Niger Tornadoes clash

IfeanyiUbah and Lobi Stars at UJ Esuene Stadium, Calabar is the only all-NPFL game this week.

Eleven matches of the men’s competition and three matches of the women’s competition will take place on Wednesday, with high– riding Rivers United up against Kaduna United in Makurdi, Enugu Rangers against ABS FC in Bauchi, Shooting Stars testing Almar FC in Agege (Lagos), Kano Pillars up against Prime FC in Lokoja.

The women’s competition is in the Round of 16, and Cup holders Sunshine Queens battle Osun Babes in Ibadan, Delta Queens take on Ibom Angels at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri and Katsina Queens tackle Gift of Life FC in Abuja

•Igbogun

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016 — 29

Lewandowski:

We know Germany very well

Hooliganism:

UEFA fines Russia € 150,000 •hands team ‘suspended disqualification’ Russia have been handed a final warning from UEFA with a ‘suspended disqualification’ from Euro 2016 imposed for their supporters’ disorder during Saturday ’s 1-1 draw with England in Marseille.

Any further instances of

R

•Attack

crowd disturbance inside stadiums at Russia’s matches this summer would see them thrown out of the tournament after the Russian Football Union (RFU) were charged with crowd disturbances, use of fireworks and racist behaviour.

However, the suspended sanction only applies to the trouble inside the stadium. The RFU are permitted to appeal the punishments but have already indicated they do not intend to.

European football’s governing body have also issued the Russians with a £119,000 (€150,000) fine.

Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko told the R-Sport news agency that an appeal would not be forthcoming. Mutko said: ‘The

Evra hails healthy atmosphere in France camp P

•Evra

atrice Evra has hailed the atmosphere in the France camp at Euro 2016 and stressed there are fewer egos than at previous major tournaments.

France have endured their fair share of internal conflicts in recent years, with infighting harming their chances at the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012.

Evra is adamant there will be no repeat of such scenes, though, and has urged his younger team-mates to lead France to European glory.

“The atmosphere in the group is healthier than in previous generations I was part of. I am not going to hide from that,” Evra told Le Parisien.

“The team needs more advice and guidance. There are fewer egos. That has always been the biggest strength of Didier Deschamps’ teams. The team is the star.

“Some of the older players [of the past] are bitter and try to derail the younger players who could take their place. I have won too much in my life to be bitter.

It is not about whether the young players surprise me, I want them to win me the Euros. I am putting the pressure on them.

From Left Osinachi Obi, Naetochukwu AbuchiAwaji, Mmaduabuchi Anichukwu and Kenechukwu Eze (front row); and Chinemerem Ozomgbachi; Member of Taekwondo Board/ Technical Director, FCT Sports Secretariat, Tony Anufulu and Olympic Bronze Medalist/ Taekwondo Instructor Yaga Chukwumerije pose for photograph after a Belt-Grading session at the weekend at Brickhall School, Games Village, Abuja at the weekend

obert Lewandowski has stressed Poland must be fearless in their upcoming Group C game against Germany, who he believes are the undisputed favourites to win Euro 2016.

Poland beat Northern Ireland 1-0 on matchday one to record their first-ever win at the Euros.

They could seal qualification for the next round with a win over Germany, although Bayern Munich striker Lewandowski expects a tough match.

“It will be a special game against Germany. We know each other very well. We met twice in the qualifiers and Germany are the favourites for me, not just on Thursday ( tomorrow) but also to win the tournament. They can go

•Lewandowski all the way,” Lewandowski told Die Welt.

“We know how strong Germany are. But we will fight. Everything is possible in a tournament like this.

“We have to stay calm and act confident. We must play without fear and don’t have any stress. We know it will be hard, but it’s only football and we must enjoy ourselves.

Pogba risks France axe after Romania flop

E

•Pogba

uro 2016 has so far been devoid of shocks, yet the first could arrive tomorrow. Rather than a surprise result, it may come by way of team selection, as France might leave out one of their aces, Paul Pogba or Antoine Griezmann.

Didier Deschamps is a pragmatic coach. He has a long history of making hard-nosed decisions and there is no reason to suggest that this will change during Euro 2016.

If one of his players is not coming up to standard, the 1998 World Cup winner will pay no heed to his stature in the side.The former Olympique de Marseille boss will not distinguish between performances on the field and their influence off it. The two things are united in his view and allow him to fine-tune his selection.

A leader like Patrice Evra, for example, is always in the team because he is a player capable of rallying his squad when they come under pressure.

For the opening match of the European Championship between France and Romania, Antoine Griezmann played 66 minutes and Paul Pogba 78. It was a strong signal from the coach that he finished in a 4-2-3-1 formation, having replaced his side’s two greatest stars, who failed to accomplish their respective missions.

COPA America:

Mexico hold Venezuela to finish top

•Hextor

Porto midfielder Jesus Manuel “Tecatito” Corona scored a superb individual goal as Mexico snatched a 11 draw with Venezuela to qualify for the Copa America Centenario quarterfinals as group winners.

Mexico appeared to be heading for an embarrassing defeat against the Venezuelans, who led through a 10th minute overhead kick by defender Jose Manuel Velazquez at Houston’s NRG Stadium.

A risky gamble by Mexico manager Juan Carlos Osorio looked to have backfired disastrously after he decided to bench most of his first-choice side for a game his team only needed to draw to top Group C. However with time running out substitute Corona picked up the ball from around 40 yards from goal and embarked on a mazy dribble that took him past five Venezuela players before he blasted his shot past goalkeeper Dani Hernandez.

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30 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

Renewable energy:

‘Ambitious energy targets not enough; Africa needs $90bn investment annually’ T

By Prince Osuagwu

HE result of the Economist unit report on Africa’s renewable energy goals, sponsored by mobile telecommunications Infrastructure Company, IHS Towers, has asked the continent to back down its high horse of ambitious energy targets and make some reasonable investments.

Meanwhile, the report also admitted that Africa has the potentials to deliver a renewable power revolution that can replicate the wonderful growth being experienced in the telecommunications sector.

However, that, is dependent on how prepared the continent could rally the about $90 billion investment needed to make meaningful achievement.

The report “Power Up, Delivering Renewable Energy in Africa,” written by the Economist Intelligence Unit highlights examples of successful renewable energy projects across the continent and identifies barriers and promoters of success within the sector.

Key findings The key findings included that: “The case for building renewable energy infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa is stronger than ever and positive experiences in lead markets such as South Africa and Kenya highlight successful strategies and best practices. However, Africa requires up to US$90 billion of investment annually to meet its current energy shortfall”.

According to the report, the African renewables sector resembles the mobile phone sector of a decade ago. It has the capacity to leapfrog heavy infrastructure with a largerthan-assumed market, the emergence of smart business models and improved technology. However, longterm renewable procurement programmes are needed to build the Greenfield infrastructure necessary.

Bits and pieces The bits and pieces that support this finding included that there has been huge growth in technology sales and financing innovation. For instance, the market for picosolar units has grown from almost zero in 2009, to 4.5 million in 2014 and, in

January 2016, Africa saw its first solar bonds, a securitisation financial product for small scale off-grid solar projects.

Ambitious energy targets are not enough. Investors are carefully assessing the technical capacity of host governments, the country’s infrastructure track record and the connection between renewable targets and economic needs.

The report finds that a 680% increase in net renewables capacity deployment is needed if Africa is to achieve the African Renewable Energy Initiative’s ambitious goal of 300 GW of renewable capacity by 2030.

Raw ingredients IHS Towers Co-Founder and Interim IHS Nigeria CEO, Mohamad Darwish, said that “this report reaffirms that Sub-Saharan Africa has the raw ingredients for a vibrant renewable energy market: resource abundance, falling costs of wind turbines and solar panels, smart innovations in end-user equipment and political commitment – by governments and international donors alike”.

PRESENTATION: From left, Carolina Desmeules, Associate Communications Director; Olufemi Arosayin, Chief Commercial Officer; Mohamad Darwish, Chief Executive Officer, and Adeola Olasewere, Head Marketing and Communication, all of IHS Towers, at the presentation of a report commissioned by IHS on renewable energy in Africa and written by The Economist Intelligence Unit, in Lagos.

He revealed that IHS has seen the energy and operational efficiency benefits that come from investing in renewable power solutions, having invested US$500

million in new green energy power systems across its portfolio. “Over the next few years, we plan to become almost diesel neutral across our Zambian portfolio and

we’re assessing solar farm opportunities in Rwanda that could potentially supply power to the national grid in the first energy swap model to be used in Africa” he added.

Foreign IT solutions, killing local capacity, IT professionals lament

By Emeka Aginam

T

HE 2016 IT professionals Assembly of the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria, CPN held in Abuja, was another venue for IT practitioners in Nigeria to stoutly claim that local talents may never get appreciated

until both public and private sector reduced dependency of foreign products.

Participants at the event, maintained that over-dependency on foreign IT solutions and services can never be healthy in building local capacity.

They feared that attaining a dependable and sustainable national IT infrastructure

From left, Prof. Vincent Asor, President/Chairman of Council, Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria, CPN; Mr. Raphael Omosola, National President, Nigeria Information Technology Professionals in Civil and Public Service and Deacon Ojinta Oji-Alala, Provost , College of Fellows during the just concluded 2016 CPN IT Professionals Assembly in Kaduna. Photo: Emeka Aginam.

in Nigeria may be derailed unless Nigeria begins to patronize local IT services and solutions that are comparable to foreign ones.

For instance, most banking software applications used in Nigeria today come from India and Europe.

However, delivering his key note address, the Minister of Education, MallamAdamu Adamu, said that the poor state of Information Technology in Nigeria was due to fraudulent practices and weak supervision.

He reminded the participants that he had witnessed the induction of no fewer than 300 new members The Minister who was represented by the Director of ICT, Ministry of Education, Ike Orji also said that poor IT state in Nigeria could be largely attributed to poor critical IT infrastructure, power and inadequate funding.

The Minister listed other challenges affecting the sector to include poor data, low capacity of teacher to deliver on IT in education, IT curriculum dynamism, among others.

He said that fraudulent practices and weak supervision of IT contracts must be addressed immediately.

To expand the frontiers of IT development in the country, the Minister said that, “We Continues on page 31

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016 — 31

By Prince Osuagwu

W

ithin just two weeks, the N i g e r i a n Communications Commission, NCC has scooped two top awards in two separate regions, for flawless regulatory practices. The first was at the Africa Information Technology and Telecom Awards in Ghana when the Regulator clinched the 2016 “Africa Telecom Regulator of the Year Award” Yet in less than a week after this honour, the Commission was also invited to far away Brussels, Belgium to receive the 2016 European Society for Quality Research Award for Best Practices in regulation. Both awards were handed out in an event with capacity attendance by almost all the countries of the world. For instance, the Belgium event had up to sixty-three countries in attendance.

Receiving the award on behalf of the executive vice-chairman of

NCC scoops 2016 Africa telecom regulator, best practices in regulation awards the commission, Mr. Tony Ojobo, director of Public Affairs, said the recognitions bestowed on NCC speak volumes, in spite of all the regulatory challenges.

He congratulated the EVC, Prof. Umar Danbatta and all the hard working professionals at NCC. Ojobo said that the NCC’s management style, impact on the community that it serves and the professional way it carries out its regulatory activities in supervising a sector that contributes immensely to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

of Nigeria could apparently be part of the considerations for the award.

Only recently, the telecommunication sector contributed 0.5 percent to the GDP despite the negative growth rate recorded by the economy in the first quarter of 2016. Indeed the sector’s contribution stood at 5.00 percent up from the 3.49 percent it recorded first quarter 2015.

Organizers of the award, said the European Awards for Best

•From left: Mr Tony Ojobo, Director Public Affairs NCC, receiving the award from the organizers.

Practices programmes takes a comprehensive look at the initiatives and strategies that business leaders implement in their companies and organisations. It recognizes the efforts of exceptional and talented employers and employees and provide, motivation for continuous progress.

ALTON meets FG, makes 6 critical demands

By Emmanuel Elebeke

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EADERS of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, ALTON last week paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Communications Technology, Barr. Adebayo Shittu, handing over to him, a six point demand, which they said would ease the operations of telecommunications companies in the country.

The association led by its Chairman, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo listed the demands including multiple taxation, closure of base stations without court orders, proposed communications service tax bill of 2015, considering telecom service as critical national security and economic infrastructure and a bill to reduce unsolicited calls and messages to the minister and appealed for immediate intervention.

Adebayo said that to achieve the desired 30 per cent broadband penetration by 2018, he said government must learn to appreciate the need to build more capacity and more viable infrastructure to sustain the success of the industry and

increase in broad band roll out.

“W e require more base stations, more optic fibre infrastructure. Another element to support stable telecom operations, we are facing a number of problems, in particular the inference with smooth operations of telecom services, which requires government intervention through your office,” he added.

Multiple taxation Speaking on what he called the stifling multiple tax system, Adebayo said time has come for federal government to ensure a streamlined tax system to save operators from unnecessary extortion and harassment from

various government agents.

Tax and levies On the approved list for tax and levies collection, Adebayo raised concerns on the recent amendment of the section 1 (2) of the taxes and levies in may, 2015, in which the former minister introduced 14 additional taxes, which he said defeated the purpose for their introduction.

He urged the minister to look into the issue for quick resolution.

Proposed Communications Service Tax Bill of 2015 On the proposed Communications Service Tax Bill 2015, he urged the Minister to prevail on the President to talk the minister of finance that the

new law they are trying to introduce will not help the development of telecoms. And also the proposed telecom service tax 2015 before the national Assembly.

He argued that If passed into law, it would bring additional tax to the end users, who currently pay 5 per cent for VAT, bring a total tax charge to 14 per cent will add to the affordability of broadband services. Such a tax will further increase the digital divide with resultant imp[act on our national broadband roll out objectives.”

Mobile apps to increase customer base of lotto companies

By Onozure Dania

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HE General Manager of the Lagos State Lottery Board, Mr Lanre Gbajabiamila has said that mobile apps are expected to increase customer base of lotto companies.

Gbajabiamila, who stated this recently in Lagos during the launch of the shop level mobile app and web application by Golden Chance Lotto, commended the company for investing in innovative ideas.

Gbajabiamila, said that Lagos State Government and the lottery board will always support innovative ideas that would enhance playing of lotto, while urging Golden Chance Lotto not to relent in coming up with new ideas on how to make the playing of lotto ubiquitous. He also noted that with the new ideas, there would be challenge of ensuring that minors are not allowed to come onboard.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Golden Chance Lotto, Mr Idowu Obasa said that with the innovative solution, people can now play lotto on smart phones, Laptops, tablets and personal computers through its website. “This our web application, which is one of the things we are celebrating today, it is possible to say that this is available to about three or four lotto companies today,” he added.

BankOne empowers 250 microfinance banks

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NE of Africa’s leading Information Technology platforms for Micro finance banks, BankOne, has announced the signing up of its 250th client.

The platform, which was launched by software company, AppZone in 2011, is designed to achieve end-to-end automation of financial institution operations while exposing core services to end customers through multiple alternative channels, nationwide

including ATMs, POS terminals, Internet, Mobile phones, Commercial Bank Branches and independent agents. Group Head, Business Development for BankOne, Mr AdelanaAdewusi, in a brief interview to mark this achievement said: “We are very happy about this milestone, we are proud of BankOne and are grateful to our customers. We will continue to deploy this great product of ours until we are

represented in every country of the continent and have thereby enabled the much needed transformation in Africa’s budding Microfinance sector.”

The company believes that 250 Microfinance banks across the country on its platform further positions the BankOne platform to achieve one of its key goals which is to enable the entire microfinance industry segment remain competitive, achieve

rapid growth, operate profitably, and make significant economic impact.

Built for the African environment, the platform is deployed centrally as a shared service on secure cloud infrastructure to manage operations and enable alternative service delivery channels for small retail banks and microfinance institutions.

Foreign IT solutions, killing local capacity, IT professionals lament Continues from page 30

must address critical national IT infrastructure and professional development as a priority. We must also facilitate technology enabled learning as a way of preparing our youths for the future work place”.

Earlier in his speech, the Minister of Science and Technology and special guest of honor, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu said that Nigeria must change from a consumer to producer nation’.

Represented by Prof.

Muhammad Mamman, Director General, Nigerian Institute for Tripanosomiasis and Onchocerciacis Research, Kaduna State, the ministry told the gathering that Nigeria should strengthen its pursuit of a major producer and marketer of IT hardware, software and services which currently constitute one of the most vibrant, profitable and ever growing global businesses.

“Imagine the quantum of benefits Nigeria shall derive by conserving the foreign exchange

it uses annually in the importation of IT”, he said.

Meanwhile, Diphetogo Clement Mokoko, President, ICTTP, South Africa said that Nigeria has what it takes to build its local IT infrastructure.

Mokoko who was represented

by Seun Adegolu of Institute of Chartered Professionals argued that building the IT infrastructure is not the issue but managing it.

Citing South African example, he said that it is important to have a business plan in asset management as that is the only

way to sustain any infrastructure.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta in his remarks said that there was need for synergy in the industry to sustain and build national IT infrastructure.

The NCC EVC who was represented by Engr. Fidelis Onah, Director, Technical Standard and Networking Integrity said that foreign IT vendors are not better than what we have locally, adding that Nigeria must develop local

content to address local problems.

For the President/Chairman of Council, CPN, Prof. Vincent Asor, the theme of this year ’s IT Assembly was informed by the need for the professionals to gather and discuss their roles in the preservation of and sustainability of Nigeria key national IT infrastructure.

Prof. Asor said that Nigeria has the best human resources in the world to build and sustain its national IT infrastructure, adding that government support was needed.

32 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

LEISURE

YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

LIBRA; This is not the right time to rely on promises made by others. Continue to take matters-of-the-heart seriously. Reason with your reliable associates.

SCORPIO; Tension within the domestic scene will start to ease off. Yet you will need to watch what you do within your base till after 10.15pm tonight.

SAGITTARIUS; Both yourself and other important personalities to you are beginning to see things from same point of view making it easy for you to eliminate unnecessary rift.

CAPRICORN; Venus moves into a positive angle to your Star and encourages peaceful settlement.

Exhibition of maturity on your part will favour you better.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

God is watching

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IGHT from ages man has continued to look for ways of clothing his nakedness. Nakedness does not just mean not wearing clothes alone. It includes covering our evil deeds, wicked acts, ways and

sins etc.

As it was the days of the Biblical Adam and Eve, so it is today.

When we commit heinous crime, we run for cover under the stone,

TERROR MUDA

under the water and under the dark, hoping and praying that we will not be caught.

We live a life. We forget that air bear witness to our cruel act;

in “Never say goodbye”

the sun by our shadow takes our photograph, and our conscience convicts us daily.

Beware, God is watching. Your sins will find you out.

Think about it!

By Kola Fayemi

AQUARIUS; Gradually you are dropping aggressive approach you have adopted in the last few days to the betterment of your cause. Remain practical till after 10.15pm PISCES; Better than yesterday; however that is not to say you should throw caution to the wind.

Improvement on your love life indicated. Try to comport yourself.

ARIES; After a few days of fun you may need to settle down to serious business. Those of you working till very late evening will need to be more careful till after 10.15pm. Reason with your tried and trusted old hands(friends) TAURUS; Venus moves into a positive angle and boost your sparkling personality to the betterment of your cause. Could be a nice day for the-young-at-heart GEMINI; It is important you don’t allow your mind to wander unnecessarily so that minor but costly mistakes would be averted. Avoid late evening confusion.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Pretty Lunatic’

By Andy Akman

CANCER; Recent tension generated by controversy over money will start to ease off. Be more vigilant if you are working late in the evening.

LEO;. Other people will continue to have their says and if you try to indoctrinate them tensed atmosphere will be aggravated. Be patient VIRGO; Entrance of romantic Venus into your Star Sign will enhance your prospects. Both financial and love related success are possible.

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,

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

What’s my financial standing?

Dear Joshua, I want to know about my future, especially what I should expect from my love life both in the immediate and far future. However that is not to say I am not interested in good financial standing.

Awopagba, Jos. Dear Awopagba, The challenge here is inability to hold on to your gains (profits) partially, by the contact made between your natal Saturn and Venus as stated under your career and some other times by your love of easy life.

Although the Saturn influence can be mitigated as I said under your career, the love of luxury comes from your stallion Taurus which must not be totally discouraged but should not be allowed to go beyond your control. Yes envy and jealousy can creep in as indicated by the oppositions between your natal Venus/ Saturn in Taurus and Jupiter in Scorpio, but that is not enough excuse for either failure or manipulation of occult powers against you. Whatever anybody says and/or does GREAT FINANCIAL SUCCESS is your portion.

The most influential planet during your birth hour is Venus-the planet of MONEY and LOVE. You are the romantic type whose magnetic personality and open handedness are sources of big trap to his members of opposite sex. As handsome as you are you truly crave stability in your love life/home. The happiness you desired will be yours.

HOME & ABROAD

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016—33

Dickson inaugurates c'ttee to tackle student cultism, criminality among youths

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By Samuel Oyadongha

ENAGOA—BAYELSA State government has constituted a Students’ Management Committee to tackle student related issues, with a view to reorientating their values for positive development.

The committee's terms of reference include, collaborating with other youth bodies in the state, managing the affairs of students as well as checking acts of cultism and other forms of criminality among the youths in general.

Governor Seriake Dickson, who performed the inauguration ceremony, charged members of the committee to sensitize students on the prevailing national economic challenges and the attendant effects on states.

According to him, as future leaders, it was imperative to incorporate the student body into the activities of the government to enable them be abreast of political and socio-economic issues in the state.

While emphasising the need for effective enlightenment, he condemned the level of cynicism in the region, where people do not believe that something good could come out of their leaders as a result of the long period of neglect and under-development

of the Niger Delta.

He said: “We need to work together and manage our processes of government and the way we carry out our collective businesses so that our society can get out of this crisis.

I want a situation where students and the youth population in general are not misinformed. As future leaders, I want them to understand the real issues that

government and other leaders have to deal with.

“I want a situation where the young people in this state understand the basis upon which political service must stand. For us, political service must mean an opportunity to serve our society first, and one’s self the least. But the reverse is the case.

It is not their fault. It is as a result of faulty foundation and that is

INAUGURATION: Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State (left) and Mr. Ebipatei Apaingolo, Chairman, Students’ Management Committee, during the inauguration of the committee by the governor in Yenagoa, yesterday.

IYC lauds Buhari on dialogue with NDA

By Onozure Dania

ENAGOA—IJAW Youth Council, IYC, Western Zone Chairman, Mr Freedom Atigbi, has commended the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to dialogue to end the attacks on oil facilities by Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, but advised that any attempt to use its military might would rather spell doom for the nation.

The decision, Atigbi said, in a statement, was very timely to save the nation’s economy which is in a state of comatose due to militant groups, who had earlier vowed to reduce oil production to zero by attacking oil installations in the Niger Delta in recent times, coupled with the dwindling oil price in the international market.

He cautioned the Federal Government to be sincere with its decision to dialogue with the militants and also advised government to engage critical stakeholders to end the menace of attacks rocking the nation's oil industry.

“Any attempt by government to play politics with this dialogue might only extend the evil days facing the economy, traumatised as a result of government's inability to face the main issues confronting the region, which has been the case with successive governments, which had opened an opportunity for further agitation in the oil rich Niger Delta region.”

He appealed to Niger Delta

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why our government is solving foundation problems on a daily basis since we came on board.”

Responding, chairman of the committee, Ebipatei Apaingolo expressed appreciation to the governor for the opportunity to serve and promised to deliver on their mandate.

Members of the committee are Evans Baribote, Eteli Tuanam, Atti Moses, Maxwell Obesi and Miss Imoemi Tombofa.

Avengers, to embrace dialogue as the only true process to end the current hostilities in the oil rich Niger Delta region, adding that roundtable discussion with sincerity of purpose will produce

a win-win situation for both parties hence it should be regarded as the best option to be adopted to address the issues that had led to the current hostilities in the region to forestall

further attacks on oil facilities in the region.

“Therefore, government should take the process seriously because much more damage had already been done to the environment through oil spills by oil companies and militants' activities."

BRACED retreat to address economic challenges “It is also being held against

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By Franklin Alli

YO—THE BRACED Commission said yesterday, it was bringing commissioners and policy makers in the region together to address economic challenges facing the states.

The BRACED states are Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta.

A statement by Chuks Ofule, Lead Economist for Director

General BRACED Commission, said that the retreat with the theme ‘Diversifying the BRACED states economy through sub national economic cooperation and integration’ will hold in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State between June 16-17.

“The retreat is being held against the backdrop of change of administrations since 2015 and the appointment of new commissioners and officials.

the increasing economic challenges facing the states, characterized by lower federal allocation as a result of low oil price, high debt, rising unemployment, difficulties in payment of salaries, pensions and other allowances, limited investment and difficulties in doing business in the region, low productivity, shortage of capacity and issues of good governance,” he said.

Delta community charges DESOPADEC on abandoned shore protection project

By Oboh Agbonkhese

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KPAI—THE oil-rich Okpai community of Delta State has sent an SOS to Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC; Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission, DESOPADEC, and the senator representing Delta North, Peter Nwaoboshi, saying it had been abandoned, especially with regard to the shore protection project.

Speaking through its Community Development Committee, CDC, Chairman, Chief John Emordi, during a visit to Mr. Nnamdi Ezechi, representative of Ndokwa nation on the board of DESOPADEC, the community said it was in danger of extinction as the project had been abandoned.

Responding, Ezechi urged them to be patient, saying that the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s

administration was determined to transform oil host communities.

He urged Opkai people, especially the youths, to be protective of pipelines and public property, adding that “receipts from oil and gas were critical to funding DESOPADEC. Therefore, attacks on oil installations negatively affect capital projections.”

NIM tasks FG on good governance

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By Godwin Oghre

PELE—THE Nigerian Institute of Management, has called on the Federal Government to review its economic management policies to avert incessant policy failures in the country.

The institute while reacting to the incessant power failure in the country despite the privatization of the sector, argued that, “The trend is being caused by inappropriate economic policies of the Federal Government.”

The institute’s Sapele chapter Chairman, Mr. Mayor Mogbeyiteren, at its 9th Annual General Meeting in Sapele, said: “The reason why the government has not been able to address the incessant power failure in the country is because, those in policy making position are not abreast with their work and probably do not know that the nation’s power challenge must be addressed from a professionally computerized angle.”

PDP chieftain faults Emami on Maritime varsity location

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ARRI—A political stalwart and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain in Delta State, Olorogun Okwagbe, has kicked against an alleged comment credited to the former Chairman of Delta State Waterways Security, Chief Ayiri Emami that Koko town in Warri North Local Government Area was the original location for the botched Maritime University before it was moved to Okerenkoko in Warri South West LGA. In his statement, Okwagbe described the purported media report as misleading, adding that it could worsen the already volatile environment of the region.

He said that it was wrong for Ayiri with his level of exposure to start playing ethnic politics with vindictive inclinations while his principal, HRM Ikenwoli I, the Olu of Warri was busy building bridges of unity across the neighbouring ethnic nationalities to disperse all forms of distrust among people of the same region.

34—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

Edo 2016: PDP women advocate female Deputy Gov

UNN riot: Police move to avert further breakdown of law

By Francis Igata

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By Dotun Ibiwoye

NUGU—POLICE authorities in Enugu State have moved in to avert further breakdown of law and order at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus following last

I

N advocating a female deputy governorship candidate in Edo State and more participation of women in politics, the International Republican Institute has partnered with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, women in the state in a sensitization forum.

The objective of the forum was to identify the barriers affecting women’s political participation and to identify various strategies to address the challenges.

Speaking at the forum, PDP Edo State Women Leader, Deaconess Lindsay Sorae said the short term strategy was to support the women’s movement within the party to advocate a female deputy governorship candidate once the aspirant emerges as a candidate.

“Second, is to demand for a woman to be appointed as SSG, Chief of Staff or deputy.

"Third, that at least 35 per cent of appointments into the positions of commissioner, Special Assistants and Special Advisers are women," she said On the long term, she said women should be elected into the various elective positions in 2019 and at least 35 percent are elected into party positions in the next congress as contained in the party’s constitution.

Monday’s violent protest by the students over persistent power failure in the campus.

The irate students had given the university management oneweek ultimatum to repair the broken down generator which provided alternative power supply. They were said to have

been experiencing erratic power supply in the past three months which affected Wi Fi services which each student paid N12,000 for.

Vanguard checks at the campus entry gate showed that Police Amoured Personnel Carrier, APC, and about five patrol

Enugu House of Assembly asks Gov Ugwanyi to revoke undeveloped lands

By Emeka Mamah

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NUGU—THE Enugu State House of Assembly has asked Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to revoke all undeveloped parcels of land allocated to individuals and corporate organisations in the urban areas in the state urgently.

The House also asked the governor to either retain the lands when revoked or re-allocate them to those willing to develop them for immediate use.

The resolution followed a motion sponsored by the Deputy Speaker

of the House, Donatus Uzogbado and 22 others.

Uzogbado had while presenting the motion said that undeveloped lands had become breeding grounds for criminals and should, therefore, be reallocated to those willing to develop them quickly, without stating the period of time such lands have to be developed.

“It is disheartening to discover that over a period of time, some people/agencies allocated government lands have either abandoned them or refused to develop them as stipulated in their allocation letters.

“Some have kept such lands for better deals in future. Mr. Speaker, this is not progressive and, therefore, unacceptable. It is worrisome that land agents/ speculators will always position themselves at vantage positions to acquire lands for gains instead of needs,” Uzogbado added.

In his contribution, Sunday Ude-Okoye, representing Awgu North Constituency suggested that the lands to be revoked should not only be lands acquired by individuals but also Federal Government’s agencies.

vehicles with stern looking policemen were stationed around the gate to forestal further breakdown of law and order.

At the transport section of the university, three campus shuttle buses smashed by the rampaging students littered on the entry gate, even as vandalized street light poles also dotted the lecturers' quarters.

While speaking with Vanguard,Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu revealed that police have moved in to ensure that properties and lives were secured.

“The presence of our men is to ensure that further breakdown of law and order is maintained. We do not want an escalation of the situation. Properties have been destroyed in the riot over issues the students have against their management.

"We are bent on ensuring public peace and safety so that people can go about their normal business,” the Police spokesman assured.

Anambra community protests alleged confiscation of soldiers brandishing arms and land illegally entered our land, the warning them not to step into the next thing we saw was a military

By Vincent Ujumadu

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WKA—THE people from Nawfia in Njikoka local government area of Anambra State have appealed to the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano to intervene on behalf of the community over alleged confiscation of their communal land by some officials in the ministry of lands and the state Housing Corporation, with the connivance of some indigenes of the town.

The people said they were initially given the impression that the land was acquired by the Nigerian Army for the construction of a housing estate, adding, however, that their

investigations showed that the hierarchy of the Army was not aware of any military housing estate in Anambra State.

Chairman of Urualor/ Umuejimofor Village Association, one of the villages that own the land, Mr. Chukwuma Obunneme, said hundreds of economic trees in the over 100 hectares of land have been destroyed, and the entire area was being fenced by the speculators without the consent of the people and without paying any compensation.

Obumneme said they were surprised when they went to harvest their crops in the area early this year to see some

land again.

Waving placards and marching along the Enugu –Onitsha expressway with inscription such as “Save us from Nigerian Army invasion please”, “No compensation, no land”, “Army leave our land alone”, “Governor Obiano rescue Nawfia people from Nigerian Army”, “Stop destroying our economic trees”, “This land provides our only source of income”, and “Where do you want our children to live?”, the people believed that only Governor Obiano’s intervention would make the people concerned to vacate from Nawfia land.

He said: “While we were wondering who might have

signpost and since then, they have not allowed us to enter our land. They have destroyed all the crops in the farms, including cassava, yams and plantain and cut down all the palm trees and raffia palms. Most of our women who go to the farm daily have been crying as they are no longer allowed to enter their farms.”

Also speaking, the chairman of Urukpaleri Village, Chief Anthony Nwinyi, whose village also owns a section of the land said that when his people noticed what was going on, he personally went to the headquarters of the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army in Enugu.

By Bartholomew Madukwe (08051019450) nwamad@yahoo.com

PEOPLE SPEAK

On FG’s scrapping of post-UTME

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f a student has passed JAMB adequately and met the necessary O’ level requirements, it is enough for him to be given admission. If he has met all these requirements fraudulently the university system should be good enough to weed him. -Mr. Ime Okon, Lecturer

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ost-UTME is a conduit pipe through which money is siphoned from students, who are genuinely seeking admission into our universities. This policy had made some admission officers to become sudden multi-millionaires. -Mr. Chinedu Chinweoda, NYSC Member

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his problem of university admission could be resolved without any bitterness if a calm, proper debate is allowed.

In the past, anybody doing 'A' Level studies was assumed to be interested in going to the university. -Mr. Okie Darlington, Graduate

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n Ghana, there are no second exams apart from the initial WASC. Personally, I would equally suggest that JAMB should be scrapped as these multiple exams have no better effect. -Miss Udeaku Nwazota, Graduate

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f universities are to subject intending students to oral and written essay tests, how will they mark it? Thousands of prospecting students sit for these exams, how will the universities mark these exams? -Miss Ogbue Immaculate, Graduate

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he post-UTME was proposed to strengthen the quality of new intakes but unfortunately, some corrupt university officials and other non-officials capitalized on it to fleece poor Nigerians. -Mr. Uchenna Azuka, Self Employed

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016 — 35

Ortom seeks judicial commission on herdsmen's killing in Benue

By Peter Duru

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A K U R D I — GOVERNOR Samuel Ortom of Benue State has called on the Federal Government to institute a judicial commission of enquiry into the killings in Agatu and other parts of the state

by Fulani herdsmen.

The Governor, who made the call yesterday in Makurdi when he hosted stakeholders from Apa and Agatu local government areas of the state, said the commission should, among other things, investigate and document the magnitude of the destruction in the affected communities.

He said the state was already compiling statistics on the crisis with a view to forwarding same to the Federal Government for necessary action.

While lamenting the magnitude of the destruction in Agatu, Makurdi, Guma, Tarka, Buruku, Gwer and Gwer West, Katsina-Ala, Kwande, Logo and other councils, Ortom insisted that the devastation exceeded what Boko Haram did in the North East.

According him: “It is obvious that the destruction and devastation in the affected communities is far reaching and as it is, we lack the capacity to rehabilitate the affected areas.”

Earlier, leader of the delegation and Odejo K’ Apa, Chief John Antenyi had commended the Governor for appointing prominent indigenes of the area into the state executive council.

He commended the governor's intervention which brought peace to troubled Agatu communities and provision of relief materials to the displaced persons.

Chief Antenyi also solicited the rehabilitation of destroyed communities, establishment of a military base in the area to forestall further invasion and provision of

By Luka Binniyat

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WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY: Head, Environmental Compliance & Public Relations, Etisalat Nigeria, Seyi Osunsedo; Deputy Director, Lagos State Safety Commission, Aderonke Odeneye; National Information Officer, United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Lagos, Oluseyi Soremekun and representative of the Commissioner for Environment, Director, Environment Services, Dr. Iyabo Philips at Etisalat Sponsored commemoration of 2016 World Environment Day in Lagos.

Plateau to investigate purchase, distribution of vehicles, tricycles Government through the Office

By Marie-Therese Nanlong

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OS—PLATEAU State Government has set up an eight-man committee to investigate the purchase and distribution of commercial vehicles and tricycles loaned to members of the public by the immediate past administration of former Governor, Jonah Jang.

Inaugurating the committee yesterday in Jos, the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mr. Rufus Bature said the investigation was necessary to put the record straight and and for the state to be able to access the expected funds from the federal government to tackle youth poverty in the state.

The SSG mandated the

AFC gets strong credit rating for 3rd consecutive year exposure to economic and

By Dave Oso

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HE Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), a leading investment grade-rated multilateral development finance institution and project developer, has been awarded an A3/P-2 investment grade credit rating with a stable outlook by international ratings agency, Moody ’s for a third consecutive year.

According to Moody’s, this rating has been given to AFC because of its “sound capital adequacy, high liquidity, no nonperforming loans and only a small impairment provision on its balance sheet.”

The rating takes into account AFC’s inevitable expansion over the next few years and also accounts for the natural risks of

Mega Filling Station owners, NNPC on warpath over fuel pump price

political challenges which may impact the rating. However Moody’s also highlights that AFC’s profitability metrics are high compared to those of its peers, providing a substantial return on investment for its stakeholders.

Andrew Alli, CEO of AFC, while speaking on the development, said: “This last year, characterized by the global economic slowdown and weak commodities markets, has not been an easy one. ''AFC has done particularly well to retain its strong credit rating and maintain its status as one of the highest investment grade-rated multilateral financial institutions in Africa.''

“This rating vindicates the quality of AFC’s work, the diversity of our asset portfolio and our ability to deliver a sound return to our investors.''

committee to among others, investigate the number of vehicles purchased by the administration for the scheme, establish the total amount and the source of funds; establish the mode of distribution, names and addresses of the beneficiaries; identify the bank and ascertain the total amount deposited by each beneficiary as loan repayment.

According to him, “You are all aware that the Federal

of the Vice President is introducing some social intervention measures to alleviate poverty and take our teeming restive youths out of the quagmire they find themselves in. ''These include among others, the school feeding, employment of teachers, giving of loans to women and several others. For Plateau to access such funds, we have to put our records straight because it was from such funds that the Tackling Poverty Together programme was funded.

...As Assembly invites two commissioners over grazing reserves

By Marie-Therese Nanlong

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OS—FOLLOWING fresh protest by women groups in Plateau State yesterday, the Plateau State House of Assembly summoned the Commissioners of Information, Communication, Mr. Nazif Ahmed and that of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mrs. Lynda Barau to explain government's position on the Grazing Reserve/Ranches Bill that had generated heated debates and protests in the state.

Some women, who wore black dresses, had earlier stormed the Assembly, calling on the House to reject the planned Grazing Reserve bill in the state.

The invitation of the two Commissioners followed a motion of public importance by the member representing Mikang Constituency in the state Assembly, Mr. Daniel Na’anlong, whose constituency is among the two local government areas earmarked for the said grazing reserves/ranches.

Na’anlong stated that the

people of his constituency were not consulted on the issues only for them to hear that the local government was among those earmarked by the government for such a policy.

ADUNA—OWNERS of Mega Filling Station in Nigeria yesterday, threatened to shut operations nationwide over alleged planned by the management of Nigeria National Petroleum Company, NNPC, to impose lower pump price of fuel price on them.

At a briefing in Kaduna yesterday by the Mega Filling Station Owners of Nigeria, AMFSON, its National Secretary, Kenneth Nwachukwu, claimed the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, who is also Minister of State for Petroleum, had directed that all mega filling stations sell fuel at varying rates of N130.00, N135.00, N140.00 per litre, while their competitors sell at N145 per litre.

According to him: “We are kicking against a directive by the Minister of State for Petroleum that we sell fuel for less than N145 per litre.

We are all marketers and we get supplies at the same source and at the same price. Why should we be made to sell at N130, N135 and N140 per litre while others sell for N145 per litre?

With this pronouncement by the Minister, we foresee a looming fuel scarcity because we may have to shut operations nationwide. ''We also see fuel scarcity because some unscrupulous marketers would rather get their supplies and sell in the black market at N145 than take the fuel to their stations and this will cause another crisis in the retail chain.''

MAN Ikeja 2016 CEOs luncheon to focus on forex crisis

By Elizabeth Uwandu

T

HE effect of unavailability of foreign exchange to businesses and manufacturing sector will be the key focus of 2016 Business Luncheon of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of various companies under the Ikeja branch of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN. Every year, industry captains under the branch gather to x-ray the challenges facing the manufacturers with a view to proffering possible solutions.

The event with the theme: “Manufacturing in a Depressed Economy: The Way Forward,” is scheduled to hold on Thursday,

June 23, 2016.

A renowned economist and Managing Director, Abel Sell Ltd, Mr. Henry Boyo, will be featured as the guest speaker, while the branch chairman, Prince Oba Felix Okojie is expected to give the opening remarks.

In a statement, the Executive Secretary of the association, Mr. Joseph Emoleke, said: “The current foreign exchange crisis has adversely affected the manufacturing sector of the economy leading to downsizing and outright closure of companies. This is because, manufacturing firms can no longer access foreign exchange to bring in raw materials and machines needed for production.”

36 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016 — 37

38—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

What we're doing to restore peace in Niger Delta — Boroh, Amnesty Programme Coordinator THE Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme and Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh in this interview maintains that those bombing oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta have untoward purposes since the Presidency has been very meticulous in implementing the Amnesty programme for the benefit of exmilitants who signed up to it.

•Boroh

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor

I

S it true that some exagitators in the Niger Delta are behind the recent attacks in the region?

The ongoing security challenge we are experiencing in the Niger Delta now is more encompassing because I want to believe that there are criminal elements that are involved in this act because those captured in the amnesty programme, the stakeholders, the leaders have all disassociated themselves from this act.

So the amnesty office is working in tandem with the security agencies to fish out the perpetrators so that they can be brought out for justice.

Appropriation of funds I have always said that if the perpetrators are not brought to account for their action, others would also do the same thing hoping to get away with it. So the truth is that the Amnesty Office and all well-meaning Nigerians disassociate themselves from this act of criminality which should be dealt with holistically by the government.

But you have been accused of not settling the influence moulders who could have calmed those behind the attacks?

Well, let me say that I am not aware of the allegation. But even if it exists, let me say that my duty is first to cater for the over 30,000 ex-agitators, who are captured under the Presidential Amnesty Programme, which is a very sensitive security project that the government is doing everything

humanly possible to implement.

However, if other groups have interest to be captured in the programme, then they should write to the President and Commander-in-Chief to accommodate them. It is the president who has the prerogative to include persons that are willing to disarm and to be captured in the programme. I am only responsible for those currently captured in the programme because it has to do with the appropriation of funds and the fund I have to use is based on the 30,000 that are captured under the programme.

Is it true that you removed some ex-agitators from the programme on basis of poor funding and that you also stopped remittances to students abroad?

There is no truth in the claims.

Let me say clearly that when I took over the office I carried out an appraisal of the entire programme and came up with an exit strategy bearing in mind that the programme is expected to end in two years’ time. By that time, all the beneficiaries are expected to have exited the programme because it can’t last forever being a very expensive programme.

But the exit is to be done in phases.

For instance, by the end of this month, about 5,000 ex-agitators will have exited the programme and that is how it is going to continue. By end of December next year, all other things being equal, the 30,000 captured in the programme would have exited the programme having been empowered and placed in firms that require such skills.

The truth of the matter is that because the programme is

succeeding, more elements who had earlier doubted the success of the PAP, want to be included in the exercise many years after the deadline for surrendering arms had ended.

Unfortunately, I do not have the powers to include them and that is why I advised them to formalise their desire to join the PAP in writing to Mr President who will give the expressed permission either for them to be captured or we would come up with different programme for them. That is the true position of things. No ex-agitator captured under the PAP has been removed

student whose programme has been terminated due to insufficient funds.

You can crosscheck with the respective universities at home and abroad if there is any student that has been withdrawn on account of non-payment of school fees by our office.

Perhaps, what they meant to say was about the payment of intraining allowance for students and the receipt of monthly stipends at the same time. This can no longer continue since it is unethical for beneficiaries to receive in-training allowance and monthly stipends at the same time.

And let me make it abundantly clear that the Amnesty Programme is a programme that has to do with developing skills and making a difference in the capacity building of those that are captured.

The truth of the matter is that because the Non-payment programme is of school fees succeeding, more It is not punitive in anyway. If elements who had it is seen in that light, they will understand that the stipend is to earlier doubted the enable them to develop success of the PAP, themselves in different skills. The want to be included money is given to you to develop yourself in certain areas. in the exercise many How many Niger Delta students are studying abroad years after the and at home? deadline for Well over 5,000 students are benefitting from this programme surrendering arms all over the world. It is a very had ended expensive venture that needs to or denied any benefit as set out under the scheme.

What of the students allegedly stranded abroad since you came?

No, that is not true. There is no

be reviewed because for now it is only Nigeria as a country that is engaged in this type of business. Candidly speaking, a good programme as it were, it needs to be reviewed in order to allow for impact in the Niger

Delta region. We need the review in order to ensure that this phase of the programme is completed and the funds used to physically develop the area for the benefits of more people and create jobs.

Don’t forget that apart from the 30,000, no fewer than 5000 others from oil-impacted Niger Delta communities are also being trained in top universities around the world and in Nigeria.

Are you worried that this continuous blowing up of oil facilities can rob the programme of the money to sustain it?

I am very worried about it and that is why the amnesty office and stakeholders have disassociated themselves from what is happening in the Niger Delta right now. It is pure criminality, which no well-meaning person should encourage.

The office and the leaders of the ex-agitators are prepared to work in collaboration with the security agencies to fish out perpetrators so that they can be brought out for justice. We are worried in the sense that it affects not only the environment where it is happening but the economy of the country in general.

Destruction of the environment So it does not make any meaning for anyone to be attacking the pipelines. And if they have issues whether as individuals or as a group, I strongly advise that such should be handled legally. The bombings do not make the perpetrators to have any sympathy anymore either locally or internationally. You cannot be destroying the environment causing havoc for your generation and your children’s generations and wreak havoc on the source of livelihood of the present and future generations under the guise of any agitation.

It is meaningless.

Some have accused of you alienating yourself from the people and that you do not go round to see things for yourself.

Have you ever gone to the creeks since your appointment?

Look let me tell you, apart from going round the creeks which I have been doing of late, I have also been meeting with Niger Delta elders and major stakeholders to brainstorm on how to ensure peace and overall development of the area. Let me say also that I cannot unilaterally take decisions because two heads are better than one, as our people say.

But let it be made known that no matter the number of times you go to meet with the leaders, if you don’t prepare in terms of funding, you cannot achieve it because each time we meet we spend a lot of money being responsible for their transportation and logistics.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016—39

Sheathe your swords, Okowa tells warring communities Commissions Kefas Road, Law Faculty Complex, others

By Festus Ahon,

Akpokona Omafuaire & Ochuko Akuopha

O

LEH—DELTA State governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday, warned warring Igbide and OkpoloEnwhen communities, Isoko South Local Government Area of the state against further hostilities, saying that they should not continue to kill each other over a mere piece of land.

Speaking while commissioning the Ibrahim Kefas Road handled by Obakpor Engineering Limited, Okowa said that his administration would not condone indiscipline, reiterating that “If the elders cannot control the youths, they should make it known to us, those behind the crisis.”

The governor, who also commissioned the Law Faculty Complex of the Delta State University, Oleh campus, Ofagbe Technical College, Ofagbe and inspected construction works on OwheOlogbo Road, said: “The more we continue to hide them, the more sleepless nights we will have.”

Lamenting the dwindling resources accruing to the country occasioned by the drop

in oil production and prices, Okowa said: “We are praying for greener pastures. As a state, we are praying for our resources to improve.”

He assured the people of Isoko nation that they will not be left behind in his administration.

Managing Director of Obakpor Engineering

Limited, Olorogun John Oguma commended Governor Okowa for the various people oriented projects he had embarked upon in the state since he assumed office.

Oguma while fielding questions from newsmen during the commissioning ceremony, urged Deltans not

to relent in their support for the governor.

On his part, the President General of Isoko Development Development, IDU, Chief Iduh Amadhe thanked the governor for the various projects he had embarked upon in Isoko nation.

SWEARING IN: Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State (left) congratulates Mr. Reginald Bayoko, after he was sworn in as Delta's new Head of Service in Asaba. Photo: Nath Onojake.

‘Late Aikhomu never voted 4 times in Edo 2007 gov election'

By Gabriel Enogholase

B

ENIN—CONTRARY to reports that late Admiral Augustus Aikhomu voted four times during the 2007 governorship election in Edo State which saw former Governor Oserheimen Osunbor of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, emerge as the winner, a study of the electoral results has revealed that late former Chief of General Staff never voted four times.

The study claimed that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, created the fallacy by donating four times the number of voters accredited in Edo Central, which was less than 20 per cent of the total number of voters in the state to the senatorial district, in a bid to ensure that the PDP won the election.

Mr. Frank Ehiosun, whose new book, ‘Chart O’, is stirring controversy as the 2016 governorship election approaches, while speaking at a public presentation of the book to newsmen in Benin City said that in 2007, INEC

created the situation where Edo South which had 60 per cent of the state voting population got less voters compared to Edo Central.

“The voters register for Central was quadrupled such that persons like Michael Tyson,

Michael Jackson who are Americans resident outside Nigerian shores and not qualified to vote or be voted for, were accredited by INEC, which also created the situation where Aikhomu appeared to have voted four times.”

He added that whereas

Aikhomu actually registered once, in Unit 4 of Ward six in Esan Central, INEC accredited twice and recorded his name as number 15, 16, 34 and 39 in the manual and electronic register for the April 14 2007 poll, where he ‘voted’, a record four times, whereas in actual fact the late Vice-President did not.

Benson Idahosa varsity awards honorary this prestigious award. He is the PhD to Olu of Warri 20th Olu of Warri. He is a child

By Egufe Yafugborhi

W

ARRI—THE Benson Idahosa University, BIU, Benin, Edo State will at its 13th Graduation Ceremony next year award HRM, Ikenwole I, the Olu of Warri with the Honorary Doctor of Divinity.

Vice Chancellor of BIU, Prof.

Ernest Izevbigie, who led the varsity’s management

delegation to the Olu Palace, Warri, Delta State, yesterday told Vanguard that, “We are here to convey the ratification of the Governing Council on management’s recommendation that the Olu of Warri be honoured with the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Divinity, Honorary Courser, in our next Convocation, July 2017.

“We think he is deserving of

of God, a man of peace and a widely acknowledged bridge builder. He has led his people well."

Responding the Olu said, “I am humbled at the offer. It is a great honour to me. We will all be there. Whatever comes from BIUcomesfromitsfoundingorgan,the Church of God Mission. To me, this is family affair as I am a deeply involved member of the church."

Only true federalism'll end militancy in N-Delta —OGIASA

By Samuel Oyadongha

Y

E N A G O A — CHAIRMAN, Board of Trustees, Voice of South South, Mike Ogiasa, has said that only the practice of true federalism where the component units

owned and controled their resources and paid tax to the centre will put to an end to the recurring agitation for justice in the Niger Delta region.

Ogiasa spoke in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, against the backdrop of the Federal Government declaration of a two-

week ceasefire in the region to create room for dialogue with the Niger Delta Avengers and other militant groups.

He urged members of the Federal Governmentnegotiatingteamtofocus on true federalism and equal participation among the states on the ownership and control of their recourses.

Count me out of MEND negotiation team —REWANE

L

By Emma Amaize

AGOS—CHIEF Executive Officer of Financial Derivatives Company, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, has denied being part of the negotiation team of Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND. Mr. Rewane,who spoke to Vanguard on phone said that he was not a member of MEND and therefore, could not be part of its team to dialogue with the Federal Government.

MEND had, few days ago, named Rewane as a provisional member of its negotiation team, tagged Aaron Team 2.

Group carpets BEDC over incessant power outages

By Godwin Oghre

S

APELE—THE Sapele wing of Sapele Boma Boys Club, has berated the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, Ltd over what it termed as poor electricity supply to the area in the last five years, noting that the trend has reduced socio-economic activities in Sapele to the barest minimum.

A Save Our Soul, SOS, to the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, by the Sapele Coordinator of the club, Mr Ben Tobi, said: “Please help us by prevailing on BEDC to give Sapele light in the mornings and evenings when it is mostly needed.

Our situation is worse and not the same with other cities that the Managing Director of the company has been citing as examples of where power supply is regular.

“We implore you sir, to investigate our complaints.

We should know why the company has refused to give us regular light for over five years, more so as they have developed a billing system based on rough calculation and estimating, through which they have been using to cheat and extort us with bills we did not consume.

40 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

French jihadist police killer ‘obeyed Islamic State order’

T

HE man who killed a French police couple at their home near Paris was acting on an order from so-called Islamic State (IS) to “kill infidels”, officials say.

Larossi Abballa, who was killed in a shootout with police, was loyal to IS leader Abu Bakr alBaghdadi, they said.A police commander and his partner were stabbed to death at their home.

Their three-year-old son survived.IS has put out a video showing Abballa confessing to the killings.The 11-minute video, on the IS news agency Amaq, apparently shows him in the home of the couple before police stormed in.In it Abballa, 25, urged Muslims in France to target police officers, prison guards, journalists, politicians and mayors. He named several prominent French journalists.

The video is apparently the same as one that Abballa posted on Facebook Live, hours before police killed him, in which he swore alle-

giance to IS.Abballa’s crime was “a terrorist act”, President Francois Hollande said, and France still faced “a significant threat”.The attack happened in Magnanville, about 55km (35 miles) northwest of the French capital.

During negotiations prior to the police assault on Monday, Abballa said he had pledged his loyalty to the IS leader three weeks earlier.

When police stormed in they killed Abballa and found the dead woman, whose throat had been slashed. The little boy was in a state of shock.French media are naming them as Jean-Baptiste Salvaing, 42, and Jessica Schneider, 36.French Prime Minister Manuel Valls called the attack “a watershed in terms of horror - the home, the intimate life of a family, of a couple of civil servants, was targeted”.In 2013, Abballa was jailed for recruiting fighters for jihad in Pakistan.

Bahrain suspends main Shia opposition group

T

HE government in Bahrain has suspended all activities by the Sunni Muslim-ruled kingdom’s leading Shia Muslim opposition grouping. A justice ministry statement cited by state media said the offices of the Wefaq National Islamic Society had also been closed and its assets frozen.

A lawyer for Wefaq, whose leader has been jailed for inciting unrest, said the move had came “out of the blue”. Wefaq has helped lead pro-de-

Australia may expel gay-hate preacher ered a sermon entitled linked to Orlando

A

USTRALIA may ex pel a visiting Islamic preacher who has said homosexuals should be put to death.

British-born Shia cleric Sheik Farrokh Sekaleshfar had lectured near Orlando, Florida in April and was being widely quoted in the wake of Sunday’s killing. He is currently visiting Australia as a guest of the Imam Husain Islamic Centre in western

Sydney. But Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has ordered a review of Sheik Sekaleshfar’s visa. “We have zero tolerance for people who come to Australia to preach hatred,” Mr Turnbull said. “This is a legal matter and has to be dealt with in the appropriate way.”

Sheik Sekaleshfar was born in Manchester, UK and currently lives in Iran. In April he deliv-

How to Deal with the Phenomenon of Homosexuality at the Husseini Islamic Center in Sanford, Florida.

There is no evidence that Omar Mateen, who killed 49 people at an Orlando nightclub, attended the lecture.

During lectures, clips of which were posted online, the cleric has said the death penalty is justified for homosexuals in societies operating under Islamic laws.

mocracy protests in the country since 2011.

That February, demonstrators took to the streets to demand greater political rights and an end to discrimination against the Shia majority.

The following month, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa brought in troops from neighbouring Sunni-led Gulf states to restore order and crush dissent.

The unrest left at least 30 civilians and five policemen dead.

Opposition activists say dozens of people have been killed in ongoing clashes between protesters and security forces, while bomb attacks blamed on Iran-backed militants have left a number of police officers dead.

The justice ministry statement published by the official Bahrain News Agency said it had filed a request with a court to suspend Wefaq to “safeguard the security of the kingdom” A lawyer for Wefaq, Abdullah al-Shamlawi, told the Associated Press news agency that he had been served court papers

on Tuesday morning that alleged the grouping had damaged Bahrain’s national security since its inception in 2001 and also included claims that it caused unrest during the 2011 uprising.

Within hours, the court had approved the justice ministry ’s request, he said. Mr Shamlawi added the court had scheduled a hearing for 6 October to decide whether to “liquidate” Wefaq.

Wefaq is Bahrain’s largest legally recognised opposition political society and says it advocates non-violent activism.

Last month, an appeal court more than doubled the prison sentence of Wefaq’s secretary-general from four years to nine, overturning a trial court’s decision to acquit Sheikh Salman of advocating the overthrow of the government by force.

The appeal court increased the sentence despite what Human Rights Watch saidwas strong evidence that his trial was unfair and the fact that two of the charges on which he was convicted violated his right to freedom of expression.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016—41

HIJAB CRISIS:

How Osun schools turned religious war theatres •As security agencies strive to douse tension

By Gbenga Olarinoye

O

SOGBO — THE threat of religious disorder that would have resulted from Christian leaders in Osun State asking Christian students to appear in church service robes in their classrooms, yesterday, was minimal as a result of frantic last minute efforts by security agencies to douse the tension that it would have generated.

However, the directive was not totally ignored as some students of Baptist High School,Adeeke, Iwo appeared in their schools in choir robes and church garments.

The appearance of students of the school in their different church vestments caused confusion in the school as other students who were in their school uniform hailed them.

One of the leaders of Osun Christian Association of Nigeria OSCAN, who spoke with Vanguard said the directives witnessed partial compliance because of the intervention of the security agencies in the state who held separate meetings with leaders of the two religious groups on the issue.

His words, “ You know the position of Christians in the state.

We are law abiding group of people who will always obey and abide by the laws of the land even under the heat of provocation.

We decided on the second thought not to overheat the system by relaxing our directive that our Christian students who are in the public schools in the state should also attend classes

in Christian robes and garments if their female Muslims colleagues should come to schools wearing hijab. But we allow peace to reign in the state by not enforcing the directive.

You know that we will not leave out the option of appeal as we have already made it clear from the on set after the judgement of the state high court that Christians will appeal the judgement at the appeal court. ‘’Since Muslims claimed that by wearing hijab, they are protecting their faith, so, Christians also are bound to protect and propagate their faith,” the source added.

The source further stated that Christian leaders in the state are meeting in Osogbo this morning to review the whole development

Workers who have been directed to embark on strike over a matter that is still in the conception stage should have a rethink and chart a new course.

At the heat of the judgement of an Osun State High Court allowing Muslim female students to wear hijab to schools,

the state branch of Christian Association of Nigeria , threatened that any attempt to •Secondary schools pupils in Osun State in their Church service robes, yesterday. enforce the law in the state would lead to chaos ongoing. However, when against the State Government on and breakdown of law and order. Vanguard visited Salvation the right of female Muslim Middle School, students in public schools in the While the students, suspected Army to be Christians yesterday wore Alekunwodo around 7:40am, state to use hijab on their school white garments sown into choir Muslim female students who uniforms.

But the Osun State Christian gowns stormed their classes wore hijab were allowed assess without being prevented by their to the school just as some Association of Nigeria faulted the of Christian judgment and vowed to appeal teachers, some female Muslim members students who appeared in veil Association of Nigeria in the state the matter in the higher court. (hijab) equally gained access to were at the school gate to ensure CAN also threatened that it that no Christian student was would direct Christian students the school without restriction.

A visit to the school by chased out of school if seen across the state to be wearing Vanguard saw a male student wearing choir garment. church garments to schools to wearing a white robe before other Speaking, the Principal of Baptist propagate their faith if Osun students arrived the school in High School, Iwo, Mr. Omotayo State government implements their white and purple choir Arowolo said there was no crisis the judgment of Justice Falola.

When Vanguard visited the in the school despite the robes. school last week, Mrs Micha As they were gaining entry to development. said she only ordered the female the school premises unhindered Muslim students to remove their by the security man manning the Religious Hijab and denied sending them gate, some other students crises away from the school as dressed in white robes also appeared in the school. Many He said the teachers were speculated. The principal female Muslim students of the doing their work and the school insisted that Hijab cannot be allowed in a Christian school. school wore hijab on their was peaceful. uniforms and some members of Catholic bloc of CAN: Also The chairman of the State the Christian Association of speaking, the head of Catholic Universal Basic Education Nigeria were in the school to bloc of CAN in Iwo, Catechist Board, SUBEB, Prince Felix monitor the reaction of the Paul Olagoke said they were in Awofisayo in his reaction on the teachers to the strange mode of the school to ensure that no development said that the state dressing of their children. student was chased way. government would abide by the It was gathered that no student Olagoke said: “we are here to judgement of the court. was chased out of the classes for defend the rights of our children. not appearing in their school Since female Muslim students Public uniforms as the teachers were are free to wear hijab, our schools seen teaching every student children are free to wear despite their religious attires. The anything they want to. What He noted that all the public students, on their part were could have led to religious crises schools belonged to the state sighted sitting together was last week averted when the government and that the peacefully while teaching was Principal of Christ African judgement was bidden on all of Middle School, Osogbo, Mrs. them.

Nigerians should hold Micha was said to have sent some female Muslim students Aregbesola responsible -PDP: who used hijab out of the school. Meantime, the Osun state Muslim teacher pleads: It was chapter of the Peoples grown enough to make a decision on religion. He said, “The learned that a Muslim female Democratic Party, PDP, said government therefore cannot teacher pleaded with her to allow Nigerians should hold Governor support or be seen to be support- the students to stay with their Rauf Aregbesola responsible, if ing a particular religion. The hijab but the principal allegedly more damage is done to the state’s education system through government is a democracy, not refused to listen.

When some members of the brewing crises over wearing a theocracy. I believe also that parents and society should com- Muslim Students Society of of hijab in public schools by plement the government in Nigeria heard about the female students.

The party in a statement issued shaping the minds of the pupils development, they mobilised to be receptive to knowledge and themselves with intent to storm in Osogbo by its spokesperson, godly character formation; to be the school but the timely Prince Diran Odeyemi, said sensitive to the need of others, intervention of Osun State Muslims and Christians in Osun the plurality of our society and Muslim Community averted the state have coexisted long before the imperative of mutual tolera- crisis. A judge of Osun State now without crises and blamed tion. They should also be brought High Court, Justice Jide Falola the rising tension on Governor up to be team players, even had recently delivered a Aregbesola, whom it accused of when in a competitive environ- judgement in a case instituted by grand plan to destabilise the state Osun State Muslim Community for some political reasons. ment."

Any student who defaults risks expulsion — Aregbesola

I

N his reaction, the Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, warned that any student found disobeying school rules and regulations risk expulsion. Governor Aregbesola while commissioning the ultra-modern St Michael’s RCM Government Middle School, Ibokun, said all aggrieved parties in the recent court judgement over Hijab should channel their grievances according to the rule of law and not result to self help.

He distanced his administration from the court judgement that allowed female Muslim students to wear Hijab to school, saying the Judiciary is

an independent arm of government, the decisions of which are not subject to any influence by other arms of government. He said, "It is funny for some people to insinuate that government has a hand in the judgement. The government is a democracy, not a theocracy.

Any student found disobeying school rule and regulation risk expulsion from our schools.”

The Governor said it is not the business of any government, through the schools, to lead a child in a particular religious direction. That will be for parents and religious institutions, in private capacity, until the child is

42— VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

Obama attacks Trump’s Muslim launched his strongest ban call assault yet on the man who Pistorius must pay for his crime, HE Muslim ban action. is expected to be confirmed Forty-nine people were as the Republican nominee Steenkamp’s father tells court proposed by T Republican presidential killed when Omar Mateen, next month.

SCAR Pistorius must nominee Donald Trump is a US national with Afghan The president said the US “not the America we want”, parents, opened fire in a gay had been founded on Opay for the crime of murdering his girlfriend club early on Sunday.

President Barack Obama has said.

Treating MuslimAmericans differently will only make the country less safe by increasing division between the West and the Muslim world, he said.

On Monday Mr Trump extended his ban plan to people from all countries with a terror history against the US. He said the deadly Orlando nightclub shootings justified such

Mr Trump said his proposal could be implemented through unilateral executive action, given the president’s power to “suspend entry into the country of any class of persons that the president deems detrimental to the interests or security of the United States”.

But on Tuesday at the US Treasury in Washington, a visibly angry Mr Obama

freedom of religion and having a “religious test” would be against the US Constitution.

He also noted that recent terror attacks in the US had been carried out by people born in the US. Mateen was born in the same New York neighbourhood as Mr Trump.

The president also urged the US to reinstate the ban on assault weapons.

Reeva Steenkamp, which has devastated her family, her father told a South African court on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old Paralympian gold medallist faces a minimum 15-year jail term after his manslaughter convictionforthe2013killing, for which he originally received a five-year sentence, was upgraded on appeal.

Called to testify by the lead state prosecutor in Pistorius’s sentencing hearing, a tearful and trembling Barry Steenkamp said forgiving the runner was very hard.

“It just devastated us, I ended up having a stroke...

I just don’t wish that to anybody in this world,” the 73-year-old said. “He has to pay for his crime.”

Steenkamp said he and

•Barry Steenkamp at the sentencing of Oscar Pistorious in South Africa where he said forgiving the runner for killing his daughter was very hard.

wife June had relied financially on their daughter, and he had hurt himself to try to relive the pain that his daughter went through: “I jabbed myself with needles.”

He asked the court to allow pictures of his daughter to be shown to the world as a deterrent to would-be killers.

Jonathan Scholtz, a psychologist called by Pistorius’ lawyer, told the court on Monday — the first day of the hearing — that the athlete was “a broken man” on medication for depression, anxiety and insomnia who should be hospitalised and not jailed.

Kenyan court orders politicians to be held over “hate speech” support or stoking fears

A

•Jean-Baptiste Salvaing (R) and Jessica Schneider: Victims of an IS-inspired stabbing in France on Monday night.

France to expel Russian fans after violence to establish if any of the

A

GROUP of Russian football supporters have been detained in France prior to their deportation because authorities fear they will cause trouble at Euro 2016 matches.

French officials were checking the identities of 29

supporters at a hotel in Mandelieu-La Napoule near Marseille, and authorities have already decided to take some to a holding centre at the border, local authorities told the AFP news agency on Tuesday.

French police are trying

Russia hacked Democrats data on Trump, says US

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USSIAN government hackers breached Democratic National Committee computers to obtain opposition research on Republican Donald Trump, say officials.

The DNC’s computer network was infiltrated in a “serious” incident, said chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

A cyber security firm has been hired to help, she said, to “kick out the intruders and secure our network”. The hack was first reported by the Washington Post.

DNC officials said the hack did not expose personal or financial information but email and chat traffic had been stolen.

The group says the hackers, two separated “sophisticated adversaries”, have now been expelled from the system, and the breach was first discovered in

April. “Both adversaries engage in extensive political and economic espionage for the benefit of the government of the Russian Federation and are believed to be closely linked to the Russian government’s powerful and highly capable intelligence services,” cyber security firm CrowdStrike said.

Russians are on a list of supporters “considered a risk”, said Francois-Xavier Lauch, a local official in the Alpes-Maritimes area.

It is believed the Russian supporters intended to travel to the northern city of Lille, where Russia play Slovakia on Wednesday.

The checks come after the English Football Association expressed concern that France was not doing enough to crack down on Russian hooligans following the mass fighting between English and Russian supporters in Marseille on Saturday.

UEFA has handed the Russian team a suspended disqualification until the end of the tournament, which could become a full disqualification should the scenes at Saturday’s match be repeated.

French labour reform protest to fire staff. turns violent The AFP news agency

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T least six demonstrators and 20 police officers have been injured in violent clashes in the French capital, as thousands rallied against deeply divisive labour reforms.

Accordingtopolice,some15 people were arrested in Paris on Tuesday during the latest round of protests against a government bill that would make it easier for companies

reported that hundreds of masked protesters hurled objects at police and stormed a building site in the capital.

Sparking months of street protests and widespread opposition, the bill, which was pushed through last month, retains France’s cherished 35-hour working week but allows companies to organise alternative working times.

Kenyan court ordered police on Tuesday to detain eight progovernment and opposition politicians for investigation over alleged “hate speech”, flagging growing tensions more than a year before elections and after weeks of deadly protests.

Ethnic loyalties tend to trump policy matters in Kenyan politics. After a disputed election in December 2007, incitement by rival camps was blamed for stoking bloodletting between major ethnic groups that left 1,200 dead and hundred of thousands displaced.

The 2010 constitution that sought to reshape

institutions and national politics guarantees free expression but expressly outlaws ethnic incitement or “hate speech”.

However, incidents of politicians drumming up

IMF says Angola needs fiscal prudence

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NGOLA needs to maintain fiscal prudence in the run-up to the 2017 elections, an International Monetary Fund (IMF) team said on Tuesday after a two-week visit to the oil producing country.

Angola’s economy grew fast after a 27-year civil war

Cocoa grinders in Ivory Coast, Ghana hit hard by poor bean quality

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OCOA grinders in Ivory Coast and Ghana, the world’s top two bean producers, have slashed output or suspended operations due to a lack of beans fit for processing, company officials said on Tuesday, heightening to the risk of a supply deficit.

Port arrivals in leading grower Ivory Coast are lagging behind last year due to poor weather, while Ghana is set for only a modest recovery from last season’s failed crop.

Ivory Coast is currently harvesting its mid-crop, which runs from April to September. Ghana has yet to fix a period for marketing its light crop this season and is expected to offer grinders discount on light crop beans, determined by their size.

Grinders buy the bulk of mid crop and light crop beans, which are smaller than main crop cocoa, but this

based on ethnic allegiances continue to crop up in recordings or speeches on the internet, worrying many who fear renewed violence in the August 2017 race. [nL8N18Y2ER]

season they have been in short supply.

“Everyone is reducing grinding capacity to be able to keep working, because it costs more to close and reopen than to reduce output,” said the head of one processor in Ivory Coast, which is the world’s biggest grinder.

ended in 2002, peaking at growth of 12 percent three years ago, but a sharp drop in oil prices has sapped dollar inflows, dented the kwanza and prompted heavy government borrowing.

Oil output represents 40 percent of Angola’s gross domestic product and more than 95 percent of foreign exchange revenue in subSaharan Africa’s third biggest economy.

The IMF team said the outlook for 2016 remained difficult, despite the increase of oil prices in recent weeks.

The global lender also warned that economic activity will likely decelerate further, adding that a modest recovery could be expected in 2017 if shortages of dollars are tackled.

Eritrea accuses Ethiopia of being behind UN crimes report

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RITREA accused Ethiopia on Tuesday of having orchestrated evidence in a landmark United Nations report last week that accused Eritrean leaders of committing crimes against humanity including torture, murder and enslavement.

Foreign Minister Osman Saleh told the U.N. Human Rights Council that information had been gathered from “witnesses

organised by Ethiopia” and that an armed border attack on Sunday had been timed “for maximum impact on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Eritrea”. His government, he said, was focusing on human rights and freeing Djiboutian prisoners of war.

Ethiopian Ambassador Negash Kebret Botora took the floor at the Geneva forum to dismiss the statement as “baseless.”

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016—43

Friend who takes and never gives back Dear Bunmi, HEN my friend comes to spend time with me, I pay for everything. Recently, I went to her place and she treated me shabbily. She barely cooked and begrudged me a second piece of meat. One evening, she refused to let me have a bath because she claimed she bought water all the time. She even complained about the foodstuffs I used. Now she’s asking when she can come to visit me again.

What can I say?

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Embarrassed by my toyboy status Dear Bunmi, AST YEAR, I started a relationship with a divorced mother of two, who is over ten years older and a woman of substance, who has helped me a lot in my career. In return, as I don’t have money to lavish on her, I help see that her kids get taken to schools, help wash her cars and run other errands for her.

She has a group of highly sophisticated friends, who look at me with disdain. They believe I’m a gold digger and refer to me as “small boy” when they think I’m not listening. I might not have money to throw around, but I’ve paid my dues with her.

On the odd occasion when her drivers left because of her sharp tongue, I’ve had to ferry her around town to her various meetings. I’ve found a girl that I would love to get married to. I’m afraid to tell her in case she pulls out of the business we now run and into which I have invested heavily. My new girl knows of her, but is quite unaware of how deep we've gone. She wants a

L

lavish wedding, but I’m afraid that if I agree, my lover could

turn nasty.

Robert, by e-mail

As you rightly said, you’ve paid your dues in this relationship and I believe the decent thing to do here is tell your “benefactor” your wish to get married after you’ve got some of your money back.

As for her friends, if you do decide to get married, that would put paid to any relationship you would have with all of them.

Dear Robert, It’s obvious you can’t get married to this older woman and the earlier you started planning ~life without her, the better for your future. Start by gradually disengaging yourself from the business by asking for some of your out-lay plus interest. As you rightly said, you’ve paid your dues in this relationship and I believe the decent thing to do here is tell your “benefactor” your wish to get married after you’ve got some of your money back. Let her know it has nothing to do with her and the respect you have for her.

As for her friends, they are the least of your problems as if you do decide to get married, that would put paid to any relationship you would have with all of them. You did no wrong by falling for a much older woman and you should be free to call things off to enable you move on with your life.

My ‘detective’ work paid off?

Dear Bunmi, FEW months ago, I found a business card with a girl’s name and phone number in my man’s wallet. It was someone in his office and I suspected instantly what was going on. The next time he went away on his numerous business trips, I rang his usual hotel the day I knew he would leave for home. I lied that I was his secretary and I needed to know the name of the colleague he’d stayed with so that I could process their details for the trip.

It was a shot in the dark and I was surprised when the receptionist fell for it.

She gave me what I wanted and the silly girl had not even changed her name. I later phoned the girl in the office and she was so surprised she told me all that was going on.

When my husband tried to bluff his way by denials, I told him his girl had confessed. He just shrugged. He now wants me to turn a blind eye on this affair. I can’t do that, but I can’t leave either. There are our three kids to consider and I want to keep the family together. I saw the other woman a few weeks ago. She’s 20 years younger than my husband - tall, slim and attractive. I don’t know what she sees in him. But despite it all, I still love my husband and I’m going to fight

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to keep him.

Kemi, by e-mail Dear Kemi, It’s good to see you have made up your mind on exactly what you intend to do. The excitement of an affair really is concealment. Now that you’ve blown the lid off his affair, see how far your man will go with his bit-on-theside. His girlfriend would one day grow out of his excuses for

still sticking with his wife and look for a younger man who would offer her marriage. In the meantime, keep building a good home for the family and get on with each other? It is bad enough discovering that your husband is having an affair and quite heart-wrenching when he refuses to give her up.

With a lot of patience, this is one storm you’re bound to overcome.

Will he ever propose after 19 years together?

Dear Bunmi, Y BOYFRIEND and I have been together for almost 20 years and we have two children whom he takes full responsibility for. We’ve discussed marriage but he says with the high rate of divorce and the experience he’s had living in a polygamous home, he doesn’t want the hassle of a divorce if we ever spilt up.

Everyone around me is married, but my man simply refuses. I feel so rejected, we don’t live together. Do you think he’s using me?

Felicia, by e-mail

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Dear Felicia, Your man is not using you;

he has stayed with you for almost 20 years. But he is obviously terrified of feeling trapped. Don’t worry that he doesn’t love you - he prefers not to live with anyone and polygamous experiences could be quite. harrowing for some of the children - and this reflects the way they behave in future relationships. Don’t get upset because everyone else is married - wait a few years.

Either finish things now before you get more hurt, or accept the situation. If you decide to stick with your man, concentrate on the positive side of your relationship, rather than the fact you haven’t got a ring on your finger.

ltunnu, by email.

Dear Itunnu, If you’re inclined to give this woman a second chance, I suggest you get the ground rules established before she arrives.

Outline what you’re prepared to do and pay for, and insist on a sort of kitty for any extras. If she’s not happy with that, she can stay away. Personally, I wouldn’t have anything more to do with someone who denied me basic sustenance and courtesy.

He milks his family for money Dear Bunmi, AM not a rich woman. As a matter of fact, as a widow in her 60's, I find it difficult to make ends meet. I vowed when my husband died 15 years ago that my children wouldn’t lack anything and I am glad to say three of my four children are now independent. My problem is my first son who is in his 30's. He’s often borrowing money from me and his siblings to help him set up one business venture or the other. Unfortunately, his business keeps on failing and there’s been no mention of his returning all the loans he’s got. You can then imagine how shocked I was recently when he came to visit me in a Tokunbo car he just bought! I felt like asking him where he got the money from, but I’m now anxious to get my money back.

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Theresa, by e-mail Dear Theresa, It’s obvious your son knows when he’s found a soft touch! You certainly should have asked him where he found the money for a car when he was always borrowing from you. You don’t need to be offensive about this, just firm and clear. It is obvious that your son’s financial problems are nowhere as great as yours and you should point this out to him.

You should think very hard about lending him anything more in future and you should point out the fact that his business failures in the past have been the result of him failing to manage his finances adequately. Let him know you have other children and encourage him to enquire about loans from his bank in future.

Is he controlling me through sex?

Dear Bunmi, LOVE my boyfriend, but when he wants sex, he wants it right away - whether I’m about to leave for work, I’m getting ready to meet friends or just in a hurry to get something done at home. I used to find this quite a turn-on, but recently a friend has warned me by suggesting it could be his way of controlling me, especially if I’m about to do something that doesn’t involve him. What do you think?

Gladys, by e-mail

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Dear Gladys, No one ever said that sex had

to be confined to the bedroom.

Impulsive passion is offen exciting and satisfying. But if there is a chance that your boyfriend is using spontaneous sex in a deliberate attempt to control or restrain you, you’ve got to talk to him about this. Only you know how insistent he is, but he has to understand that ‘no’ always means ‘no’ and that sometime, sex is not appropriate.

Ask him to see things from your point of view, but if he can’t - or won’t - maybe he’s not the man you think he is, and it could be time to consider the future of this relationship.

Impulsive passion is offen exciting and satisfying. But if your boyfriend is using spontaneous sex in a deliberate attempt to control or restrain you, you’ve got to talk to him about this. Ask him to see things from your point of view, but if he can’t - or won’t - it could be time to consider the future of this relationship

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

44 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016—45

•Obaseki

•Arigbe-Osula

•Airhiavbere

•Ebegue

•Odubu

•Ogiemwonyi

APC elders want all Benin aspirants disqualified

By Simon Ebegbulem

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HE Committee of Concerned Elders Council in the APC has called on the National leadership of the party to disqualify all six governorship aspirants from Edo South senatorial district from this

weekend’s primary contest for supposedly violating the principle of federal character.

The group accused the aspirants of breaching section 20 (2) (iii) of the constitution of the party which upholds the principle of “federal character, gender balance, geographical spread

and rotation of office to as much as possible ensures balance within the constituency covered.”

The six aspirants include the deputy governor of the state, Dr. Pius Odubu, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, Dr. Chris Ogiemwonyi, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere, Emmanuel Arigbe-Osula and

Prof. Amadasun Ebegue.

While arguing that it is the turn of the Edo Central senatorial district to produce the next governor of the state, the elders in a communiqué signed by Elder Collins Omoruyi (Edo South), Elder Steve Okougbo (Edo Central) and Elder Musa

PURCHASE OF PVCs: Odubu wants Oyegun to step in

By Gabriel Enogholase

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R. Pius Odubu has appealed to the leadership of the party to urgently step into stop the alleged buying of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) from delegates which he said was aimed at derailing a free and fair contest.

Odubu, who is the outgoing deputy governor, spoke while fielding questions from journalists in Benin yesterday. He also expressed concern over the alleged harassment and

intimidation of delegates by some of the leaders of the party in the state. “You are not unaware about the latest in town, that some people have been moving from ward to ward, local government to local government, collecting people’s PVCs, for what purpose, I do not know.

“We are watching to see what they will do with it. We have also made known our feelings on this to the appropriate quarters; we hope they will address this unfortunate happening right

now.” Asked if he will accept the outcome of the primary should the party fail to address the issue, he said, “I trust my party they will address this issue of PVC accordingly.”

He said the primary was not between him and the alleged governor’s preferred candidate, but among 12 aspirants.

On the sacking of his allies by the state government, he said: “Mr. Governor is the boss, he has the dossier of every one of us, at every point in time, he has the

Omon-Irabor alleges plot to favour an aspirant

By Gabriel Enogholase

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PC governorship Barrister Casely Omon- Irabor has accused the national leadership of having a secret plan to manipulate the primary to favour the aspirant allegedly being backed by the outgoing governor.

Addressing pressmen in Benin yesterday, the aspirant also accused the Prince Olagunsoye Oyinola peace panel sent to the state of being in cahoots with the national officers to achieve the ambition.

Omon- Irabor, who described the APC as a party of strange bed fellows who would, “neither sleep nor allow their neighbours

to sleep”.

“It started as a rumour, and before we knew it, there was a recruitment of a surrogate aspirant by the incumbent. I and four others met and sent a protest letter to the National Executive Committee of our great party; we were subsequently summoned to Abuja, but the anointed Prince was not in attendance Omon- Irabor said it was most embarrassing that local government chairmen, members of the State House of Assembly, Commissioners among others have been coerced into coughing out money to induce the delegates, adding, “they

shamelessly accompanied their ‘baby’ to Abuja to submit his ‘JAMB’ (nomination forms.”)

“We have resolved with whatever legal or extra-legal means available to us to resist and stop this rape on democracy,” he said.

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CHIEFTAIN of the PDP in Ovia North East, Hon. Solomon Odemwingie has said that Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu remains the key for the party to reclaim the state from the APC. Speaking when he received a

delegation of the Igbo Community in Benin, said IzeIyamu has proved his capacity to dethrone the APC in the state.

He specifically cited the large turnout of the public when IzeIyamu collected his form at the party secretariat as one evidence

A victory for Obaseki, Odubu ’ll factionalise Edo APC — Ogiemwonyi Campaign

By Charles Kumolu

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HE Head of Resource Group of the Chris Ogiemwonyi Campaign Organisation, Mr. Abubakar Yesufu has cautioned party delegates that the emergence of Godwin Obaseki or Pius Odubu could plunge the party into crisis.

While urging the delegates to endorse Ogiemwonyi, he also

Oshiomhole's aide endorses Ogienwonyi

By Simon Ebegbulem

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HE Executive Director, Edo State Poverty Alleviation Agency and a chieftain of the APC, Mrs. Evelyn Igbafe has

Female delegates urged to prevail on children to shun thuggery

By Chinwe Emeluwa

privilege of accessing our performances, and if he is not satisfied, he has the liberty and right to drop anybody at any particular point.

of the impressive support IzeIyamu has in the state.

“The ancient city of Benin was shut down as traders, market women and youths followed his entourage on foot to and fro to collect the nomination form,” Odemwinge said.

Friday (Edo North), warned that they may head to court if the Bini APC governorship aspirants are allowed to participate in the primaries.

According to the communiqué “it is important to note that in most recent Supreme Court judgments, it states that all political parties are bound to adhere by their party constitution and guidelines for the conduct of primary elections” the letter addressed to the national chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie Oyegun stated.

endorsed Engr.

Chris Ogienwonyi for the APC governorship ticket. She gave her endorsement of the aspirant during a parley with female party delegates yesterday.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Joy Ogienwonyi, wife of the APC governorship aspirant has urged women delegates to come out and support her husband at this weekend’s primary saying that he would revive moribund industries in the state, boost sports development and create jobs for the teeming youths of the state.

charged them not to mortgage their future through selling their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, to those determined to stop the emergence of the best candidate.

Briefing newsmen yesterday in Lagos, the former president of the Student Union University of Benin, noted that Ogiemwonyi possesses courage, integrity, profound credentials and is not aligned to any of the forces that are trying to tear the party apart.

His words: ‘’ A victory for either Obaseki or Odubu would further widen the chasm and throw the party into an avoidable conflict that would be difficult to manage before September polls. ‘’Odubu’s 16 years in government and Obaseki’s seven years as Head of the Economic team show they have both reached their zenith in government. Thus, having reached their political and ideological menopause, there is nothing they are bringing to Osadebey Avenue. Only Chris Ogiemwonyi is the tested and trusted technocrat with the will and daring courage to succeed Comrade Oshiomhole.

46 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

Rio 2016: Siasia set to effect changes in squad work assiduously hard, if

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IGERIA’S Under-23 team coaches who were brought down to earth by their players’ dismal outing at the Suwon Invitational tournament in South Korea will rethink their strategy, as the team resumes camping in Abuja today.

Nigeria lost to the hosts Korea 1-0, thrashed 6-2 by Denmark before redeeming themselves with a 3-1 win over Honduras. However, assistant coach Fatai Amao admitted that there will be two or three inclusions.

“We have seen the team

•Ekpolo play in the Suwon tournament and it suggested that we have to

we are to do well in Rio 2016.”

One player the coaches are targeting is Barcelona’s Godswill Elohor Ekpolo who helped the team to a 1-0 win against Brazil hosts of the 2016 Olympics. The player was not in Korea with the team, however coach Siasia hinted that Ekpolo is being expected in camp with the rest of the team ahead of the Olympics.

“Yes, Godswill Ekpolo is in my plans for the Olympic Games and will attend the training camp,” said Siasia.

Samoura cleared to resume as FIFA secretary general

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ENEGALESE Fatma Samoura will begin work in her new role as Fifa secretary general on Monday after successfully passing an eligibility check.

Football’s world governing body has confirmed its independent review committee has

cleared Samoura to replace Jerome Valcke.

Samoura spent 21 years working for the United Nations and becomes Fifa’s first female secretary general.

The 54-year-old will work alongside new president Gianni Infantino.

FIFA is desperate to

CAS to decide Sharapova’s fate July 18

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OURT of Sports Arbitration will rule on Maria Sharapova’s two-year doping ban, after the Russian tennis star launched an appeal.

She is seeking an expedited ruling to be issued next month ahead of the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Sharapova filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport seeking to overturn or reduce the suspension imposed by the International Tennis Federation last week after the Russian tested positive for meldonium at the Australian Open in January.

CAS said both sides agreed to an “expedited procedure” which will allow the court to issue its ruling

by July 18, at the latest.

The timing means that, if the suspension is thrown out, Sharapova would be eligible to compete at the Rio Games, which open on Aug. 5.

CAS said it hasn’t decided whether to hold a hearing or not.

LATAN Ibrahimovic has agreed provisional terms with Manchester United and will finally complete his move to Old Trafford after Euro 2016, sources close to the deal have told ESPN FC. Ibrahimovic, 34, will be a free agent when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain runs out this summer, but both United and new manager Jose Mourinho had been in contact with the striker about a prospective move from as far back as March.

The Portuguese gave his approval to the signing

repair its image following a series of corruption allegations under previous president Sepp Blatter and Valcke.

Blatter has been suspended from all football-related activities for six years and Valcke has been banned from all football-related activities for 12 years.

Bale taunts England stars

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ALES star Gareth Bale does not care what England camp thinks of his pre-match attacks and is only thinking about securing a famous victory over them in Lens.

The 26-year-old Real Madrid forward lit the blue touch paper ahead of the Group B fixture when he claimed that Wales have more pride and passion than their English

Ibra agrees terms with United

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•Samoura

then, and both manager and player were enthused by the idea of working with each other again after winning the Italian title together at Inter Milan in 2008-09.

•Bale

counterparts, and also accused the Three Lions of arrogance.

England manager Roy Hodgson responded by calling Bale “disrespectful” while Jack Wilshere stated that England have better players and a better team.

“It’s good that they bit,” Bale said Tuesday.

“I never said that they didn’t have passion and pride, I just feel in my opinion that we have more,” he added.

“I’m sure they have their opinion that they have more also. I’m happy with my comments. I feel we’ve got a massive team spirit, one of the best I’ve seen and that’s just my opinion.

“People can say what they want. Someone said I disrespected England, which wasn’t the case.

“They’re entitled to their opinion. I really don’t care what they say to be honest.

If they feel they have the better squad, good for them.

“We know we’re a good team and we know we can beat them on our day.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016 — 47

Amodu’s last letter to Gov Oshiomhole Continues from BP contained in the last letter written by the late Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in a letter he addressed to Governor Adams Oshiomhole dated October 2015.

It would be recalled that a cousin to the late soccer tactician, Nkuri Afegbua, had said the former Super Eagles coach died of frustration.

Reacting yesterday, Chief Press Secretary to Edo Governor, Peter Okhiria acknowledged that late Amodu submitted a memo for claims to the office of the Secretary to the State Government but noted that it was not up to N25 million. ‘’The memo was being attended to before he died. I don’t know the exact amount but it ‘s not up to N25 million’’, Okhiria insisted.

Afegbua, who granted interview to journalists at the Stella Obasanjo hospital mortuary where the remains of the late coach were kept before being moved to his home

town of Okpella, for burial, said Amodu was being owed by both the Edo and Federal governments.

Afegbua said Amodu was in Benin over money owed him by the Edo State government.

According to Amodu’s letter, the amount owed him included, N1million for outstanding sign-onfees for 2013/2014, for consultant/technical adviser, N3 million, for House rent for two years (2012-2014 and 20132014) at N1.5m per year while the balance of N16million was for the payment for the coaches and other support staff for the period of August 2014 – July 2015.

The decision of late Amodu to write the letter was based on the alleged governor ’s refusal to meet or discuss with him in spite of various entreaties he made to the governor in the past.

According to the letter, “Your general body language and attitude towards me in the last few months clearly indicate

that there may have been some misconceptions/ misrepresentations which you have not given me the opportunity to clear.

“Sir, I have made several efforts through telephone calls and text messages to you to enable me sort out issues that may have been misconstrued, but to no avail. I also tried to reach you through your close subordinates, but got no response.

“The only option was to relinquish my appointment and walk away as I have always done in offices where I experienced similar treatment in the past. But this will amount to disrespect to your office and disregard to your care for me and my family when we most needed it.”

Amodu had reminded the governor how he told him of similar appointment being offered him by the Government of Ondo state, the same time he was approached by him, but chose to serve his home state instead.

He also recalled the support he got from the Governor in terms of accommodation, transportation as well as the necessary financial backup which enabled him to settle down for business quickly.

He said the programme was however, suspended in the face of hardship being faced by the coaches and players owing to none payment of their emoluments.

He also expressed his frustration that his monthly salaries were stopped with effect from June 2015 for no justifiable reasons.

“This brought hardship to me and my family.

Thanks for the understanding and patience of my landlord; I would have been thrown out of my rented apartment for failure to pay my house rent in the last two years.

“I have come to the sad conclusion of taking the part of honour by respectfully resigning my appointment as consultant/technical adviser of Football Development Programme in Edo. “Although technically, my appointment seems to have been terminated by the Accountant General by the stoppage of my monthly salaries since June 2015, this official resignation takes a retrospective effect from September 30th, 2015,” he stated in the letter.

It would be recalled that the late Super Eagles coach died in his sleep on Saturday, June 11, 2016.

Reps Continues from BP the development of he country.”

The House in a consolidated motion sponsored

by Rep Samuel Onuigbo representing Ikwuano, Umuahia North/ South Federal Constituency of Abia State, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Comrade Philip Shaibu representing Etsako Federal Constituency of Edo State, on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, also told Chris Giwa to give peace a chance and allow Amaju Pinnick to finish his tenure as NFF president.

Rep Onuigbo in his motion noted that late Keshi and Mahmoad EL-Gohary, an Egyptian were the only Africans that had won the Nations Cup both as players and coaches with Keshi winning it in 1994 as a player and in 2013 as a coach, adding that the late national coach was an international gaffer, having coached Togo and Mali national teams.

The lawmaker further

Brazil Continues from BP firmed by the team’s official Twitter feed yesterday, bringing an end to the World Cup-winning captain’s second spell in charge of the national team; football journalist Graham Ruthven relayed the information.

noted that late Amodu was the national coach on four different occasions during which the team, Super Eagles, won Bronze medals twice at the AFCON (African Cup of Nations) in Mali 2002 and Angola 2010. He also qualified the Super Eagles on two occasions for the FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan 2002 and South Africa 2010.

The Abia State born lawmaker who reminded the House that Amodu was the NFF Technical Director until his demise, noted with dismay that going by information, the late Amodu was being owed arrears of salaries running into many months and was allegedly being owed by Edo State Government, having worked as Director of the State Youth Football Development Agency, a position he resigned from last year.

“These iconic Nigerians who exercised leadership in football administration and impacted positively on the nation and the world in ways that their outstanding accomplishments brought happiness to Nigerians even in the periods of economic and political adversities died at a time like this when football as a sport enjoyed by Nigerians is taking a nose dive,” Onuigbo stated.

In his motion, Rep Shaibu canvassed that the Federal Government and the NFF should set up a monument to be named after Coaches Amodu and Keshi and that Jersey No. 4 should be retired for Keshi as a mark of respect.

Olympic Continues from BP Nantes, France.

After trailing for most of the contest, Ezinne Kalu hit a three-pointer with 4.6 seconds left to play to rescue Nigeria from a potential elimination.

Kalu converted a threepoint play with 2:51 remaining but that was just the beginning of a stretch that saw four lead-changes until the final buzzer sounded.

Korea paid the price for getting little production from their bench players who contributed only 11 points against Nigeria’s 37.

By scoring 11 points off the bench for Nigeria, Kalu not only turned out to be a game-changer but also her team’s new hero.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

Edo state govt owes late Amodu N25m •Amodu’s last letter to Gov. Oshiomhole

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

F

ORMER Super Ea gles coach, late Shaibu Amodu is being

*Oshiomole

owed N25million in salaries, sign-on-fees and house rent by the government of Edo State before his death last weekend.

Sports Vanguard gathered that the issue was

Continues on Page 47

*FOREVER UNITED: Late Keshi (L) and Amodu at Mali 2002.

Reps order NFF to pay Keshi, Amodu’s entitlements to families

Olympic Qualifier: D’Tigress •Call for immortalisation of duo edge out Korea in thriller •Tell Giwa to give peace a chance

N

IGERIA reminded everyone that they aren’t ready to go home without a fight and that mindset paid off as they rallied to beat Korea 7069 in the closest game so far at the 2016 FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Continues on Page 47

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

T

HE House of Rep resentatives yesterday mandated the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, to immediately pay the entitlements due to the families of the late

two National Coaches, Stephen Keshi and Shuaibu Amodu so as to cushion any pains and financial pressures their death would cause the families.

The House also called on the Federal Govern-

Continues on Page 47

B

RAZIL have sacked manager Dunga following the team’s abject performance at the Copa America Centenario.

The news was con Continues on Page 47

QUICK CROSSWORD

*Elonu

TODAY'S PUZZLE

ment to immortalise “these outstanding football icons who had served the country selflessly, so as to encourage the younger ones to always give their best for

Brazil fire Dunga

YESTERDAY'S ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Collision (6) 5 Courteous (6) 8 Insinuate (8) 9 Liability (4) 10 Male (3) 12 Feeling (5) 15 Damp (3) 17 Wrath (3) 18 Beer (3) 19 Horse (3) 20 Fluctuate (5) 21 Spot (3) 22 Colour (3) 23 Loiter (3) 24 Groove (3) 26 Recover (5) 29 Fish (3) 33 Revise (4) 34 Control (8) 35 Felt (6) 36 Vent (6)

DOWN 2 Madness (5) 3 Greedy (4) 4 Torment (5) 5 Iron (5) 6 Woman (4) 7 List (5) 10 Collier (5) 11 Darkness (5) 12 Drain (5) 13 New (5) 14 Premature (5) 15 Jam (5) 16 Sum (5) 25 Below (5) 27 Helped (5) 28 Lariat (5) 30 Elude (5) 31 Pace (4) 32 Landlord (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Pass 4, Sip 6, Cite 8, Solace 9, Revolt 10, Met 12, Health 14, Train 15, Loyal 18, Delete 20, Orange 24, Tutor 26, Spill 28, Brace 30, Yes 32, Morose 33, Tinned 34, Cede 35, Lap, Earl.

DOWN: 2, Above 3, Startle 4, Seem 5, Pert 6, Cover 7, Talking 11, Era 12, Hod 13, Hot 16, Yet 17, Lot 19, Explode 21, Rob 22, Arrange 23, Eke 25, Use 27, Loose 29, Cheer 30, Yell 31, Stop.

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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