Senate threatens to veto Buhari on 2016 budget

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 63012

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FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016

Fuel scarcity: Depots dry up P.14

Legendary singer, Prince, dies at 57 43

Senate threatens to veto Buhari on 2016 budget

By Henry Umoru, Charles Kumolu, Emman Ovuakporie, Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Joseph Erunke

•Dismisses outrage against its purchase of 36 exotic vehicles •Saraki remains innocent, until proven guilty — Reps

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BUJA—THE N a t i o n a l Assembly leadership was last night set to meet President Muhammadu Buhari to stave off a constitutional logjam over the 2016 budget that has seen senators threatening to override the budget bill. The threat of veto override

Continues on Page 5

US has shared needed intelligence with Nigeria on finding Chibok girls —Envoy 5 Mr & Mrs CLOSING GONG—From left: Executive Director/Chief Financial Officer, Union Bank, Mrs Oyinkan Adewale; CEO, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Oscar Onyema; MD/CEO Union Bank, Emeka Emuwa; Chairman, Union Bank, Cyril Odu, at the sounding of the Closing Gong and Union Bank facts behind the figures, yesterday.

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See inside C M Y K

COLUMNISTS:

How bloodbath was averted in Ondo

OWEI

LAKEMFA

The Golan Heights of war and peace

Jonathan’s cheerleaders •P.17

CCT TRIAL: Saraki kicks as FG applies to amend charge

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2 — Vanguard, FRI DAY FRIDAY DAY, APRIL 22, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016 — 3

C M Y K

4 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016

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POCKET CARTOON

US ENVOY—President Muhammadu Buhari (right) welcoming the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Jane Power (M) and the US Ambassador to Nigeria, James F. Entwistle (left) during an audience at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

Senate threatens to veto Buhari on 2016 budget Continues from Page 1 could be triggered from next Tuesday upon the lapse of the 30-day constitutional window given the President to sign the bill tomorrow.

The vow in a closeddoor session of the Senate came as senators across party ranks rose in uproar against the alleged actions of the chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje in mutilating the inputs of the Senate committees on the budget. Sources said that several senators demanded Goje’s resignation from the position.

Meanwhile, the Senate has dismissed the public outrage against its purchase of 36 exotic vehicles supposedly for committee work at the cost

of N35.1 million each, saying that senators were of higher dignity than ministers and other officials of the executive who it claimed drive superior vehicles.

The vow by the senators to override the President’s apparent veto on the 2016 appropriation bill, they claimed, was in line with constitutional provisions requiring the President to sign the budget bill within 30 days of receiving it or have his veto overridden.

The prospect of the National Assembly overriding the veto was, however, a matter of contention yesterday.

Vanguard gathered that the closed-door meeting which lasted for one hour, thirty minutes, presided over by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu was characterized by uproar as

IT'S UP TO YOU

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BY AYO ADIO

EVER take seriously, anyone that vehemently criticizes anything he has never handled.

Opinions are cheap. It's up to you.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Destiny is not a matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited, it is a thing to be achieved —William J Byran

W

HAT is your life purpose, maybe you know it and are living your best possible life. But really to live a fullfilling life comprise mastering your gifts, talents, desires and challenges. Your destiny is what you do best, combined with what you want and what challenges you most. The process is the means to an end...as you overcome challenges and develop character strengths. You’re unfolding into greater opportunities in mastering your destiny.

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE

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F they tell a man a proverb and he demands an explanation, it means that the dowry paid on his mother's head is a waste.

senators shouted on one another following some irreconcilable differences.

A source at the meeting disclosed that there was a very sharp disagreement between members of the Appropriations Committee who complained that the committee chairman, Senator Goje, APC, Gombe Central, hijacked the entire budget process and outsourced it to his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin.

According to the source, some angry Senators were said to have accused the President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki of appointing Goje as chairman of Appropriation simply because he was a loyalist of his and a number of other senators also called for his removal from the position.

“We have decided to go and beg President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the budget into law and after which every other correction and amendment will be done,” a source present at the session said.

“We have resolved that time is ticking and if he fails to sign it within the stipulated thirty days in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria it will be assumed that the President has withheld his assent and the National Assembly will have no other option than to override him, thereby furthering the conflict between the Executive and the Legislature.”

The 2016 Appropriation Bill was forwarded to the President on March 23, 2016.

Following the closeddoor session, Senator Ekweremadu summed up the proceedings thus: “The Senate in a closed

session deliberated on issues relating to the 2016 Appropriation Bill and the way forward for the quick resolution of all the matters related to the early implementation of the budget in the best interest of our nation.”

Vanguard learnt last night that the National Assembly delegation is expected to counsel the President on what is constitutionally expected of him in the face of the crisis. The leadership, it was gathered, would ask the President to sign the budget as passed and send an amendment bill immediately to address the issues of concern to the Presidency.

Yesterday, Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN proffered his counsel on the issue.

Speaking with Vanguard in a telephone interview, he said: “The budget issue summarily calls for give and take. It calls for collaboration between the National Assembly and the executive. If there are injections by the joint committee of the NASS into the budget, the NASS can retrieve the budget from the President and remove the injections and resend to the President for assent.”

Meanwhile, Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume who amplified on issues in the legislative body following the closeddoor session said that President Buhari has not returned the approved 2016 budget to the Senate but agreed that the grey areas had been communicated to the National Assembly.

He said, “We have seen the President already on the budget, in fact meeting the President by the Senate leadership is not a big deal. It is not true that the budget had been sent back to the National Assembly. I am also not aware that there is any communication from the President on the issue.

“What I know is that areas of concern to the Presidency are now with us here. We are talking with the Presidency to resolve all the issues.”

But when asked to speak on the call for the removal of Senator Goje as C h a i r m a n , Appropriations Committee, Senator Ndume denied the claims.

On the outcry on the Senate’s decision to purchase N35.1 million vehicles for its members supposedly for committee work even after collecting car loans from the public treasury less than a year ago, Senator Ndume said: “A minister who is appointed, not elected, drives a convoy of four cars.

Permanent Secretaries, Directors, Commissioners, House of Assembly members, and Council chairmen all drive official vehicles. Are you all saying federal lawmakers should not have official vehicles? As a senator I can ride in any means of transportation including Keke NAPEP, if it will take me to my destination."

House spokesman, Abdulrazaq Namdas also confirmed that the House had received the P r e s i d e n t ’ s communication on his concerns on the budget as passed by the National Assembly.

He, however, declined to reveal the grey areas listed by the President, as he avoided questions on whether the CalabarLagos rail line project was included in the letter.

Lending credence to rumours that both the Senate and the House of Representatives had not

yet agreed on how best to go about the controversies surrounding the budget, Namdas confirmed that both chambers would meet within the week. ‘’We need to reach a consensus with the Senate and harmonise our position. The joint team will then meet with the President this week and we hope after the meeting, the budget will be signed,’’ Namdas said.

He said the House wanted the rule of law to take its course in the trial of Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

“On the trial of Senate President, we believe in the rule of law and every Nigerian remains innocent until proven guilty,’’ said Namdas, who is chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity.

The National Assembly had on Wednesday, March 23, 2016 passed the 2016 Appropriation Bill submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari in December last year.

The budget passed was N17,002,641,773 billion naira lower than the figure of N6,060,677,358,277 trillion naira presented by President Buhari to the National Assembly, just as the 2016 fiscal document, contained the estimates of revenue and expenditure of the federation for the 2016 fiscal year in the aggregate sum of six trillion naira.

US has shared needed intelligence with Nigeria on finding Chibok girls —Envoy

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

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BUJA—UNITED States government said, yesterday, that it provided Nigeria every information and intelligence needed to rescue the over 200 missing girls abducted from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.

This came as the federal government reiterated its commitment to find the

girls, saying it remained its priority.

The US government spoke through its P e r m a n e n t Representative to the United Nations, Samantha Jane Power.

Fielding questions from State House Correspondents after a private meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, Power, who was on a tour of the troubled spots in the North East of Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad, stated that the

US would not rest until the girls were rescued.

Power added that the recent video was actually a proof that the girls were still alive and to essentially enable the families of the girls engage with the government.

She said: “The issue of the Chibok girls and other adaptations is of huge priority to the U.S. And it was the issue I discussed at length with President Buhari today."

6 — Vanguard, FRIDAY APRIL 22 , 2016

Return slashed funds for polio immunisation, N'Asembly told

By Chioma Obinna

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A G O S — STAKEHOLDERS in the nation’s health sector have called on the National Assembly to restore the budget allocation for routine immunisation and polio eradication in the 2016 budget as submitted by President Mohammad Buhari to save Nigerian children from avoidable deaths.

The N8 billion proposed by the executive for routine immunisation and polio eradication in 2016 was slashed by 50 percent by the Legislators.

Operating on the platform of Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health, PACFAH, the concerned stakeholders described as worrisome the action of the lawmakers as the funding was tied to two international commitments.

At a briefing in Lagos, spokesperson of PACFAH and Coordinator, Africa Health Budget Network, Dr. Magashi Garba, insisted that the NASS must return the money before the President assents to budget.

Navy hands over suspected pirates to Police

By Evelyn Usman

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HE Nigerian Navy, NN has handed over six suspected pirates that were arrested during the rescue of a Saudi Arabian-owned hijacked ship, MT MAXIMUS, two months ago, to the Police for further prosecution, even as it said activities of vandals in Arepo, Ogun state, Ikorodu and Atlas Cove areas of Lagos state had reduced following an intensified operational measures aimed at curbing crude oil theft.

Recall that the suspects were arrested 290 nautical miles away from Nigeria with the content of the ship intact, while one of them (suspects) was shot dead during the rescue operation.

Former Flag Officer Commanding FOC Western Naval Command, Apapa, Rear Admiral Rapheal Osondu , dropped the hint while briefing journalists, after a farewell parade in his honour at the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Beecroft parade ground.

N'Assembly cannot be opposition to APC govt — DOGARA ...Says budget crisis'll be resolved this week

By Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

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BUJA—THE National Assembly will not project itself as an opposition to the All Progressives Congress, APC-led administration by overriding a veto on the 2016 budget, the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara said yesterday.

Dogara said this, just as he questioned constitutional stipulations reserving the preparation of the budget with the executive arm of government.

Speaking when he received a delegation of APC elders and stakeholders from Kwande/ Oshongo federal constituency of Benue State in the National Assembly, Dogara said no matter the level of provocation from some persons, the executive and the parliament will not have any fight over their differences arising from the 2016 budget as passed by the National Assembly.

He said the National Assembly and the Executive would likely resolve issues surrounding the 2016 budget this week.

Noting issues arising from passage of the 2016 budget, he said: “But in this situation we are

not there, even there are discussions and people instigating a fight. We know that as leaders, our responsibility is not to fight. It is one government and this government will take the active collaboration of the judiciary, legislature and the executive to be able to deliver on the mandate.

Dogara said: “We cannot form an opposition within the same government. The executive cannot constitute itself into an opposition within the system in the same government, neither can the parliament, even though it is a bipartisan one.”

“We know our people cannot wait forever for the budget and as a responsible government, we cannot afford to go and sleep on this.

“As we speak to you, I know that the executive has sent their observations on the budget, areas they termed “grey areas”. We have taken delivery of that document, we are looking into it and in collaboration with the senate, the entire National Assembly, we have arrived at a decision which I will not announce here because that one is for

NUJ urges FG to end fuel scarcity

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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AGOS—MEMBERS of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, have expressed concern over the lingering fuel scarcity across the country and called on Federal Government to find a lasting solution to end the hardship being faced by citizens.

NUJ in a communiqué at the end of its first quarterly National Executive Council, NEC meeting, hosted by the Lagos State Council, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to quickly end the sufferings of Nigerians occasioned by the fuel scarcity.

Members said they felt dissatisfied “at the avalanche of promises to end the imbroglio of fuel scarcity without success.”

The meeting, presided over by the National President, Alhaji Waheed Odusile, was attended by members of the Central Working Committee, chairmen and secretaries of councils, with Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, ex-Ogun State Governor, Chief Segun Osoba, Lagos State Information and Strategy Commissioner, Mr. Steve Ayorinde and Corps Marshal of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr. Opeyemi Boboye in attendance at the opening ceremony.

Court deposes Lagos Oba

By Abdulwahab Abdulah

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AGOS—JUSTICE Iyabo Kasali of the Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere has ordered Oba Micheal Gbadebo Onakoya not to parade himself as the traditional ruler and Orijeru of Igboye in Epe Local Government Area.

The court which deposed Oba Onakoya also declared that his previous nomination to the stool of Orijeru of Igboye was illegal and of no effect.

The trial judge gave the order in a judgment in a suit filed by the representatives of Ewade Ruling House who were contesting the nomination and crowning of Onakoya.

the ears of the President only.

“It is in the overall national interest, we know that we have to find a solution and sooner than later, within this week, I believe that as leaders, having put on our thinking caps, we should be able to come up with a solution that will address this problem.”

The Speaker, according to a

statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, said the National Assembly was well within its powers to make amendments to the budget before passing it because the role of the executive stopped at providing estimates to the legislature which prepares it into an Appropriation law.''

Protect voters against intimidation, violence, LASIEC urges security agencies

By Charles Kumolu

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AGOS—THE Chairman of Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, Justice Afolabi Adeyinka ,retd, has called on security agencies to protect the electorate against intimidation and other forms of election related violence to avoid voter apathy during the forthcoming local government election.

This came as stakeholders urged the commission to consider establishing an election offences commission to prosecute electoral offenders as a matter of urgency.

The observations were made in

Lagos at a forum convened by LASIEC as part of its sensitization towards a credible conduct of the election.

Adeyinka, who commended security agencies for collaborating with the commission during the last exercise in the state, stressed the need for synergy among the security agencies for a successful poll.

Speaking at the event, Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, urged security personnel in the various security agencies to share information to ensure security of lives and property before and during the exercise.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016 — 7

OGUN REFERENDUM: Two injured as hoodlums hijack ballot boxes ...As three journalists escape death

By Daud Olatunji

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BEOKUTA—THERE was pandemonium, yesterday, when some suspected political thugs invaded two polling units in Abeokuta North local government area of Ogun State during a referendum for the proposed Afon Local Council Development Area, snatching two ballot boxes meant for referendum.

Violence broke out at 9:30am when officials of the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission arrived Ita BaaleAgo-Keesan and near market Obada polling units to conduct referendum for the proposed Afon LCDA as stipulated by the state House of Assembly.

The state governor, Ibikunle Amosun had sent a list of 37 proposed LCDAs to the state assembly for its approval in addition to the 20 local government areas already in existence.

The state assembly after holding public forum ordered the State Electoral Commission to organise a referendum for five LCDAs ahead of the passage of the bill for the creation of 37 LCDAs. While attempting to conduct referendum for Afon LCDA, a clash broke out between youths of Afon and Imala, at the polling units, which left two persons seriously injured.

The youths, who were armed with various dangerous weapons such as guns, cutlasses, cudgel, broken bottles and assorted charms had a field day as they attacked each other and those perceived to be their enemies including journalists.

The violence almost consumed three journalists; Dimeji KayodeAdedeji of Premium Times, Sulaeman Fasasi of Nigerian Pilot

and Daud Olatunji of Vanguard as they were attacked by hoodlums.

One of the journalists, Fasasi was unlucky as he was beaten black and blue and lost some valuables to the hoodlums during the violence for allegedly taking their pictures.

According to the returning officer for Obada-Owode-IdiAyun ward, Onsa Aliu-Adio,

N a bid to chat a new course for global leadership, which stems for greater development, three out of 50 most impressive leaders of the year from multiple areas of endeavour, set to enlighten the world on need for vibrant global leadership.

According to Fortune magazine, representing Francophone Africa, Congolese surgeon and gynaecologist, Denis Mukwege, despite censorship by the Congolese government, attacks, and an assassination attempt, has campaigned fiercely worldwide to bring the military use of sexual violence to an end.

Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, acting as the point person for the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, has helped link the segregation

Adetayo Ajayi described the action of the government to hold referendum for Afon in Imala territory which belongs to Abeokuta North local government.

But in his reaction, a community leader, Jide Ogunesan said there was nothing new about the move to conduct referendum in those two areas, noting that elections had been conducted there since.

60TH BIRTHDAY THANKAGIVING SERVICE: From left; Former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel; Senator Oluremi Tinubu; National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; former Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Mr Olawale Edun and his wife, during the 60th birthday thankagiving service of Mr Olawale Edun, at Methodist Church of the Trinity, Tinubu Square, Lagos.

S-West PDP leaders insist on nat’l chairmanship position

By Dapo Akinrefon

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EADERS of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the South West, yesterday, insisted on producing the national chairman of the party ahead of its forthcoming national convention, saying it is based on equity and fairness.

The leaders, who gathered at an extraordinary Summit of the

Nigerian minister, others chart new course for global leadership

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“We heard that there was an attack in Obada axis and two ballot boxes, ballot papers and other electoral materials were snatched away at gun point.

Some policemen, who were drafted to the scene could not curtail the violence as they were helpless during the violence.

Speaking with newsmen on behalf of the people of Imala, the Ashipa of Imala, Chief

between developing countries and First World nations, and by September all member states signed on to 17 goals related to wiping out poverty and tackling climate change.

Also, Bright Simons, a Ghanaian, who is saddened by the fact that in 2013 more than 120,000 African children died because of poor-quality anti malarials and counterfeit drugs, has taken the task of bringing up an initiative that checkmates the validity of drugs, by sending mPedigree, a text message with the special 12-digit code marked on their drug packet.

Now mPedigree currently active in 12 countries in the world has its labels on more than 500 million packets, with clients including giants like, AstraZeneca and Sanofi.

South West PDP, including former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George; former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel, former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Erelu Obada; Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Senator Bode Olajumoke, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja; former House of Representatives Leader, Mulikat Akande- Adeola; Oloye Jumoke Akinjide; Dr. Doyin Okupe, among others, said the zone was adequately prepared for the coveted seat.

In a 14-point communiqué read

by Chief Olateru Olagbegi, the leaders declared that the South West zone was equally well qualified to lead the party, “given our rich antecedents of history,

knowledge and culture.”

They also resolved that a powerful delegation of “Yoruba people should be mustered to demand for the position of the chairman of the PDP.” The PDP leaders, argued that the region would no longer be relegated to the background adding that they will not be treated as orphans within the PDP. While they faulted the Senator Buruji Kashamu- led group, which said the South West was not interested in the national chairmanship of the PDP, they said, “those who renounce the position of the National Chairmanship of our party, do not speak for the Yoruba people.”

Attitudinal change, solution to corruption in Nigeria — ROTARY

By Olayinka Latona

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HE Governor, District 9125, Rotary International, Dr. Mike Omotosho has called on Nigerians to embrace attitudinal change in order to eradicate corruption in the country.

Making the appeal while briefing newsmen on the Rotary International book project tagged: “My Dream Nigeria” at Rotary International Centre, GRA, Ikeja Lagos, Omotosho stressed the

need for attitudinal change, selfless service to humanity among Nigerians for the country to make progress and also experience the long awaited change that most Nigerians have been clamouring for.

On the book project, the governor explained that the book would be the bulkiest ever, with nearly 12,000 pages and that the book project seeks to recreate Nigeria and make it what it should be within the context of the club’s Four-Way Test.

ONDO: APC loses bid to stop tomorrow's council poll

By Dayo Johnson

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KURE—EFFORTS by the All Progressive Congress, APC, in Ondo State to stop tomorrow’s local government election failed as the Federal High Court sitting in Akure struck out cases, instituted by the APC, for lack of jurisdiction and abuse of court process.

In her ruling, Justice, Folashade Olubanjo said the Federal High Court does not have jurisdiction of cases involving the conduct of local government election under the purview of state governments and its relevant agencies.

Olabanjo added that it would amount to judicial pettiness to proceed with the suit when issues on the dissolution of the former councils was still pending before the Supreme Court.

BEDC signs pact with govt to reconnect Ondo South

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0 months after towns and communities in the Ondo South Senatorial district were disconnected from the power grid, an agreement between the Ondo State government and the Benin Electricity Distribution Plc (BEDC) was on Tuesday signed to reconnect affected communities.

This was contained in a statement issued by BEDC yesterday.

Secretary to the Ondo State government (SSG), Dr Aderotimi Adelola signed on behalf of the Ondo State government, while the Chief state head, Ondo and Ekiti states of the BEDC, Mr. Ernest Edgar, signed on behalf of the BEDC at a ceremony held in the office of the SSG, Government House, Akure.

Speaking shortly before the signing, the Mr Adelola said the signing was the first step in ensuring that power is restored to hundreds of affected communities in the southern parts of the state, assuring that the state government would fulfill its part of the agreement with the BEDC. He described the day as a new dawn in the lives of the people of Ondo South, appealing to the management of the BEDC not to renege on the terms of the agreement

8—Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016

$2.1bn cash: EFCC detains ex-Finance minister Usman ExPermSec Iloh too

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor

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COURTESY VISIT: From left, ECOWAS Commissioner for Finance, Sesay Allieu; Managing Director of Ecobank, Mr Charles Kie; President of ECOWAS, Marcel Alain de Souza and Ecobank Deputy Managing Director, Foluke Aboderin, during a courtesy visit by the management of Ecobank to ECOWAS Secretariat in Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

Reps summon Prisons boss, Dambazau over assault on female lawmaker

By Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

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BUJA — THE House of Representatives, yesterday, summoned the ComptrollerGeneral of Prisons, Peter Ezenwa Ekpendu, and the Minister of Interior, Abdulraman Dambazau, to appear before its Committee on Interior over assault on a female lawmaker, Onyemaechi Mrakpor, within the National Assembly complex.

Also summoned to appear before the committee are the security agencies within the National Assembly, such as Department of State Service, DSS; Nigeria Police; Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC; Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, and Sergeant-at-Arms, who were said to be watching when the alleged assault took place in the presence of the Prisons ComptrollerGeneral.

The House mandated the committee to expedite action on the investigation so as to submit its report on Tuesday, April 26, 2016, even as it called for the immediate sack of the CGP, despite its resolution to give him fair hearing.

How it happened

Mrakpor was said to have been slapped by an officer in the convoy of the CGP for allegedly not giving way to the convoy of the CGP who had come to the National Assembly on invitation by the Uzoma Nkem-Abonta-led Public Petition Committee over allegation of fraud against him by an officer.

It was gathered that when the vehicle of the lawmaker overtook the CGP’s convoy, she was flagged down and as she stopped and wound down the vehicle glass to know what was the issue, the aide allegedly slapped her in front of the CGP who was said to be inside his vehicle watching the assault.

The House in its resolution on

a motion of urgent public importance, sponsored by the Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, said the action of the CGP, who is expected to commence terminal leave in a few days, was tantamount to assault, battery, inflicting of bodily harm as well as violation of the right of the woman.

The Minority Leader, whose point of order was on issue of privilege, said the assault of the member was in breach of Section 16 of the House rules.

Ogor described the scenario as embarrassing to the National Assembly and that in the spirit of fair hearing, the CGP should be invited to explain why he should not be relieved of his duty.

Contributing to the motion, the House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, said Mrakpor, who represents Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency of Delta State, was crying when she called to inform him of the incident.

He said: “This is the time we need to rally behind her not just because she is a member but because she is a human being and a woman.

"I am not interested in the issue of fair hearing. The man, as far as I am concerned, is guilty of assault, battery, bodily harm and violence against women.”

Also, Nnena Elendu Ukeje, representing Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, said what happened to the lawmaker

Onyemaechi Mrakpor was a typical example of what women and the entire Nigerians pass through in the hands of those in uniform.

My ordeal —Mrakpor

Speaking to Vanguard, Mrakpor explained that she was going for mid-week service at about 4 pm, adding that because there were two lanes, she decided to overtake three green vehicles.

She said as her vehicle overtook the convoy, some of the vehicles in the convoy moved to her right side and told her she was supposed to give way for the convoy of the CGP. According to her, “initially, I thought that my vehicle hit them, then I just wound down to apologise. When they saw it was a woman, they called me a useless prostitute, don’t you know that this is the convoy of the Comptroller General of Prisons.”

BUJA— FORMER Finance Minister, Mrs Esther Nenadi Usman, was yesterday, taken into custody by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly receiving N2.5 billion of the N4 billion taken out of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, on the orders of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, in the heat of the 2015 election.

Usman was the Director of Finance of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign and was said to have access to huge cash, some of which the EFCC said came from the CBN. Also arrested by the EFCC was former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour, Mr. Clement Iloh, for obtaining a questionable N316 million from public account.

The two former top public officers were being quizzed over what an EFCC top source described as serial acts of corruption by EFCC

operatives last night.

According to findings, the former minister is being quizzed over various sums of money which were paid into her account during her tenure as senator.

She was said to have received N2.5 billion of the over N4 billion which was transferred out of CBN into various individuals and company’s accounts.

Illoh, on his part, was arrested by the EFCC after N316 million was traced to his Zenith Bank account.

During the investigation, EFCC is said to have discovered that N14.1 million was paid to Clement & Bob Associates, a company in which Dr. Illoh is the sole signatory.

It was further discovered that the sum of N49 million and N13 million were also paid into Clement & Bob Associates account from the now defunct Subsidy Reinvestment Programme, SURE –P. Dr Illoh has been unable to provide satisfactory answer on how he came about the said N316 million in which he has the sum of N200 million in fixed deposit and over N16 million as balance in Zenith Bank.

...arrests ex-Bauchi gov candidate over N6.5bn fraud

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor

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BUJA — YEARS after declaring him wanted for alleged fraudulent practices, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has finally arrested former governorship candidate in Bauchi State, Abdullahi Usman Adamu, over a N6.5 billion fraud.

A complainant, Fengquai Zhai, a Chinese, alleged that Adamu duped him of the said amount after appointing him a shareholder with 30 per cent share in his company, Solid Units Nigeria Limited, in partial fulfillment of the mandatory requirements for incorporation of a company in Nigeria.

Adamu, who is also the

Managing Director of Guroje Mining Company Limited, allegedly fleeced another Chinese company, Zhou Shanqing, of $550,000 (N176 million).

According to EFCC, the suspect, who had been declared wanted at different times, was arrested on Monday, April 18, 2016 by the Force Criminal Investigation Department, CID, in Bauchi and handed over to operatives of the commission for alleged criminal conspiracy, fraud and obtaining money by false pretence.

The complainant further alleged that the suspect forged several documents at the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, in an attempt to take over the company from him.

Russia faults Fayemi, expresses readiness to complete Ajaokuta Steel

By Omeiza Ajayi

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BUJA — THE Russian Federation has faulted local media reports alleging that it told the Nigerian government that the Russian company, TyazhPromExport TPE, which originally built the Ajaokuta Steel Complex was no longer interested in completing the steel mill.

Russia, consequently, affirmed

the interest of TPE as willing technical partners to complete the steel mill.

Speaking at a book presentation, “Whither Nigeria” and a dinner to mark Prof. Pat Utomi’s 60th birthday in Lagos, Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, had explained the rationale behind his decision to jettison the original builders of Ajaokuta Steel Complex, TyazhPromExport (TPE) of Russia.

He said the Russian ambassador had told him that the Russians were only interested in offering consultancy services to the steel mill.

But the minister’s revelation did not go down well with the Russian Embassy in Nigeria which in a statement responded on its website, affirming TPE’s readiness to send down a team of experts to conduct the needed technical evaluation before embarking on the resuscitation of the steel mill.

According to the embassy, the steel mill “is critically important to the industrial development of Nigeria.”

Entitled “Russian companies interested in Ajaokuta’s steel plant rehabilitation,” the statement said: “The Russian Embassy in Nigeria officially confirms that the original builder of Ajaokuta Steel Complex, Tyazhpromexport Company (TPE), is ready to reengage in the process."

Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016 — 9

C M Y K

10—Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016

Police foil vandals' operation, recover 3,600 litres of petrol

By Evelyn Usman

A

BOUT 3,600 litres of petroleum products were in the early hours of yesterday seized from pipeline vandals by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command attached to the Festac Division.

It was learned the vandals had stormed the Aquatira area in 1st Avenue, around midnight with different polythene bags with which they siphoned petroleum products from the burst pipeline belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

Vanguard gathered that they resorted to the use of polythene bags to store the siphoned products in order to deceive security operatives as well as using it as measure to curb fire incident.

But luck ran against them as the Police operatives, who were alerted by residents, swooped on them. On sighting the policemen, the vandals reportedly managed to escape, abandoning their boats and siphoned petroleum product.

Police sources hinted that activities of vandals in the area were usually carried out at night.

“Most times when we patrol the area they won’t be there. They would wait until we leave. But through community policing we will be able to curtail their activities.”

Dolapo Badmos of Lagos State Police Command, who confirmed the recovery, said: “The fuel was stored in 36 large polyethylene bags of about 100 litres each. They were further concealed in sacks.

Efforts are ongoing to arrest the vandals.”

Number of IDPs frightening —Buhari ...says compilation has begun

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

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BUJA—PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has described the number of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs and Nigerian refugees as frightening.

He, however, said his administration had begun the process of a comprehensive compilation of their data to speed up their resettlement.

The President spoke when he received the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Samantha Power, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.

He added that the compilation of the IDPs and refugees was being done by designated Federal Government agencies, the military and other security agencies.

“We have frightening indices of the number of people and the situation in the IDP camps across the country. And in spite of the government’s efforts and the hospitality of individuals and organizations, the situation needs better handling.

“A large segment of the IDPs are mostly women and children.

Some of the children are orphaned and don’t know where they came from.

“Now we are working on getting a comprehensive data of

who were into farming before they were displaced by Boko Haram, would be mobilized and assisted by the Ministry of Agriculture to return to their farms.

Fulani herdsmen kidnap Delta varsity staff, demand N5m ransom

By Ochuko Akuopha

O

LEH—A non-academic staff of the Delta State University, Abraka, Mr. John Ogeleke, was yesterday kidnapped at Kwale, Ndokwa West Local Government Area, Delta State by suspected Fulani

Suspected robbers paraded by Kaduna State Police command to journalists, yesterday. Photo: Olu Ajayi

herdsmen.

Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, Celestina Kalu, who confirmed the incident, said Ogeleke was heading towards Ogume from Kwale in his Nissan Pathfinder jeep when he was abducted at gun point.

She explained that four men of Fulani extraction armed with guns and sticks emerged from a nearby bush, forced the vehicle to a stop, seized the 54 years old Ogeleke before taking him into the bush.

Kalu said the Police in the Kwale division, vigilante team members, men of Dragon 25 police patrol team and reinforcement from nearby divisions were already searching the vast bush.

According to her, the Fulani leader in Kwale, Alhaji Mudi, has also been informed “to assist in the search as several Fulani camps are located therein.”

Meanwhile, a dependable source in the community told Vanguard that the herdsmen have demanded N5 million as ransom for the victim’s release. The source, who preferred anonymity, lamented that Ogume Road had become a hot spot for kidnappers.

Court jails septuagenarian 7yrs for rape in Osun

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N OSUN High Court in llesha has sentenced a septuagenarian, Moses Adeniyi, to seven years imprisonment for raping minors.

Adeniyi, in his 70's, a Chief in Ilesha, with the chieftaincy title, Loja Araromi Otokobo, was accused of raping two girls who were 13 and 14 years respectively in his hotel in the town.

Adeniyi, who was first arraigned on March 28, 2011, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Judge, Justice Kudirat Akano, in her judgement, said the prosecuting counsel had proved

his case beyond reasonable doubt.

Akano said the convict was guilty of the charge and consequently sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

The Prosecutor, Mr. Tijani Adekilekun, said the offence of rape contravened Sections 358 and 360 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 vol.11 Laws of Osun State.

Adekilekun said that the convict raped the minors in his hotel in Ilesa in May 2010 after giving them a lift on their way from school.

“The minor accepted the offer because one of the girls’ parents

Police nab robbery kingpin in Lagos

By Esther Onyegbula

“the kingpin of a criminal gang that has been terrorising Mushin, Oshodi and its environs and has been involved in the murder of several persons in the past.”

T

HE LEADER of a notorious gang, involved in the killing of 16- year-old Seun Babalola at Idi- Araba, Mushin area of Lagos State sometimes last year, has been arrested by operatives of the State Police Command.

The suspect, Wasiu Akinwade, a.k.a Oloriesho, it was gathered, led the hoodlums that shot the young man, in the head, as he was busy reading for his West Africa School Certificate Examination in his

all the people in the camps so that the government and NGOs will be properly briefed on where and how to support them,” he said.

The President said that IDPs,

From left,Wasiu Akinwade accused of killing Seun Babalola. grandmother’s shop.

While parading the suspect, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni , described Wasiu Akinwade as

Suspect's account Denying the allegation, Wasiu Akinwade said: “If two factions are fighting, there will be allegations here and there. If I am lying, may I not get out of it, by the grace of God. “I did not kill the teenager you talked about. I don’t know anything about it."

was once neighbour to the convict.

“But the convict instead of dropping the girls at their homes, took them to his hotel, Prince Way Hotel, Ilesha.

“He ushered the girls into one of the rooms in the hotel and told them not to shout, warning them that if they do, they will die.

“The convict thereafter raped the minors in turns after which

he wiped their vagina with a white handkerchief and warned them not to tell anyone otherwise they will die,” Adekilekun told the court.

He further told the court that the secret became opened when one of the girls’ mothers was informed by another student that a man gave the two girls a ride on their way home from school the previous day.

Assailants kill sculptor in Delta

By Ochuko Akuopha

O

LEH—THERE was confusion in Oteri-Igbide community, Isoko South Local Government Area, Delta State, yesterday as a 48-year-old sculptor, Mr. Emmanuel Maskoli was allegedly clubbed to death by some assailants.

It was learned that the assailants, numbering two, had a long-standing disagreement with the deceased over his alleged role in their ejection from a one-room apartment they were occupying in the Igbide community.

Sources said the sculptor was headed from Egbo quarters of the Igbide kingdom to a building

site at Oteri-Igbide, where he was working, when he was accosted by the boys who seized his bicycle after an argument over the matter.

“The boys accused him of instigating the owner of the house to eject them on grounds that they converted the house to a brothel,” a source, who sought anonymity, in the community, said.

He said the deceased was the caretaker of the building, adding, “the owner, who lives in Warri came to the community about two months ago after he was alerted on the activities of the suspects and threw their belongings out of the apartment.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016 — 11

12—Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016

Alleged murder: Court remands ex-Rivers LG boss in prison

By Davies Iheamnachor

P

ORT HARCOURT—A Port Harcourt Magistrates’ Court in Rivers State, yesterday, ordered the former Chairman of AsariToru Local Government Area of the state, Mr. Ojukaye Amachree, back to prison till May 4, when it would receive legal advice from the Director, Public Prosecution, DPP, on the the murder charge against him.

Amachree is standing trial for alleged murder of one Mr. Smart Soberekon in his council.

He also doubles as a chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC in the state.

Chief Magistrate, I. O. Agbesor, on Wednesday, remanded Amachree temporarily in prison till yesterday, when the issue of jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter was ruled on.

At the resumed sitting, yesterday, Agbesor, in his ruling, held that the court does not have the jurisdiction to entertain the matter, adding that the charges were capital offences.

He said that he has, however, been empowered by the Criminal Miscellaneous Procedure Law of Rivers State section 3 and 4, to remand the accused person pending a report from the DPP. The chief magistrate ordered that the original case file be sent to the DPP

through the court registrar, while the accused person was remanded in prison till May 4.

But counsel to the accused person, Mr Ken Atsuete, said the ruling of the court was misconstrued.

Atsuete, who addressed newsmen shortly after the ruling, said it was wrong for an accused person to be remanded without plea being taken.

He said: “The court has given a ruling and the ruling of the court is clearly that the Magistrate Court does not have jurisdiction, but said, never-the-less, that he has the power to remand under the Criminal Miscellaneous

Procedure Law of Rivers State.

“The magistrate said he has exercised that power and that he has decided to order that the accused be remanded even though we feel that it is a wrong decision because the plea of the accused has not been taken. This means that the accused has not said whether he is guilty of the allegation or not and that is the law.

“And where the Magistrate orders that the accused person be remanded without the plea of the person taken, that is a very wrong step but we will address it legally. I think it is a legal issue and it will be handled legally.”

Senate crisis: Reconciliation may suffer setback

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

A

BUJA—DETERMINED to see an urgent end to the crisis that has polarised it, the Senate, yesterday, inaugurated a reconciliatory committee constituted.

However, as the committee was being inaugurated, there emerged a serious treat to its success, following insistence by senators who have pending issues in courts against the Senate not to withdraw such cases.

Deputy Senate, President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over Wednesday’s plenary had

pleaded with senators who had pending cases in court against the Senate to withdraw them in the spirit of reconciliation.

An inside source confided in Vanguard that during a closed session held earlier to discuss the delayed signing of the 2016 budget by President Muhammadu Buhari, the senators, who he could not mention, insisted on going ahead with their suits to their logical conclusion.

They said that the issue of withdrawing their suits as announced by the Senate deputy President, was not part of their discussion, wondering why a committee was set up on it.

Police hunt for ex-militant leader, Ndigbara

By Jimitota Onoyume & Davies Iheamnachor

B

ARELY 48 hours after the House Committee on Army visited the residence of ex-militant leader, Solomon Ndigbara, allegedly destroyed by soldiers in Yeghe, and families of victims allegedly killed by soldiers in Ogoni communities, Rivers State, the state Police Command has declared the ex- militant leader wanted.

The Police, in a statement by its spokesman in the state, yesterday, Mr Ahmad Muhammad, said that the ex-militant leader was C M Y K

wanted in connection with a property he allegedly organised to be razed in Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of the state.

He said: “The Rivers State Police Command has declared one Solomon Ndigabara “m,” a native of Yeghe community of Gokana council, Rivers State. He is wanted for the alleged arson he planned and executed on 22/02/2016 on a property worth millions of naira in Bori, Khana council.

“He is dark in complexion, about 5.9 inches tall and in his early 50s. His last known address is Yeghe community of Gokana council, Rivers State. Any

person or group of persons with useful and actionable information as to the whereabouts of the wanted person should report to the nearest police station or call Police distress lines.”

The ex-militant leader went into hiding after soldiers invaded his residence in Yeghe community and also sealed off his residence in Port Harcourt.

His counsel, Eugene Ode, had told the Committee that his client, Ndigbara will be ready to make himself available to the committee if he gets an assurance from the Federal Government that he will not be arrested, adding that there were threats to arrest his client.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016—13

Oshiomhole to Edo Assembly: You're usurping my powers

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

ENIN—GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has told the state House of Assembly that they usurped the powers of the executive arm when they directed the chairmen of the 18 local government areas of the state whose three years tenure expires today, to hand over to the Heads of Service in the councils.

It will be recalled that the House had, on April 18, 2016, passed a resolution directing the chairmen of the councils to hand over administration to their respective Heads of local government at the expiration of their three years tenure today.

But countering the resolution, the governor, in a letter, described same as inappropriate and unacceptable.

The letter read: “My attention has been drawn to the resolution of the House asking council chairmen to hand over administration on April 21, 2016.

The resolution is a usurpation of the powers of the executive. The House does not have the power to give such directives “I have already directed the council chairmen to submit their handing over note and transmit

same to the office of the governor.”

Reacting, yesterday, on the floor of the House, the member representing Akoko Edo constituency 1, Kabiru Adjoto, insisted that the resolution of the House was in order, saying: “Mr Speaker, I want to state

clearly that the House has the powers to make laws for the state and any other matter not included in the exclusive list.

“We did not dissolve the councils. What we did was to remind them that their tenure expires on April 21, 2016 and directed them to hand over

administration to their various heads of councils as there can be no vacuum in government. I want to move that the Attoney General and Commissioner for Justice, Henry Idahagbon, be invited to explain why he has misinformed the governor on constitutional matter.”

STERLING AGM: From left— MD/CEO, Yemi Adeola; Chairman, Asue Ighodalo, and Company Secretary, Justina Lewa, all of Sterling Bank Plc, at the 54th annual general meeting of the bank in Lagos. PHOTO: Akeem Salau.

Oloibiri at 60: MPI plans Oil, Gas Research Centre

By Samuel Oyadongha & Emem Idio

Y

ENAGOA—A nongovernmental organisation, Mothers For Peace Initiative, MPI, and the Host Communities of Oil and Gas, HOSCOM, yesterday, marked the 60th anniversary of Nigeria's first oil well at Oloibiri, with a town hall meeting in Bayelsa State.

The occasion, held at Ogbia Brotherhood Hall, in Ogbia Town, headquarters of Ogbia Local Government Area of the state, about one kilometre away from Oloibiri, was also used to re-echo the under- development of the area and the need to mobilise support for the rapid infrastructural development of the neglected area.

In her speech, President and Founder of MPI, Mrs. Ethel DieteSpiff, who described the Niger Delta region as the most polluted area on Planet Earth, said that the occasion offered the rare opportunity to build empathy for the hurt of the past and share encouragement for the fears and struggles of recent years while building a resilience of hope for a better future.

According to Mrs Spiff, the discovery of crude oil in Oloibiri in 1956 had brought hope for rapid growth and greatness for a young nation but regretted that 60 years after, the dream has remained tales of woes and retrogression.

She disclosed plans by her organisation in conjunction with C M Y K

HOSCOM and other relevant bodies to build a world class epicentre for research and development of renewable energy in Oloibiri, with focus on how to avert the mistakes of the past and make amends for the present while planning for the

future.

Spiff said: “Our common dreams of equity, justice and greatness have turned to a living nightmare of poverty, youth restiveness, corruption and environmental degradation.

“Today’s realities present several challenges, one of which is the dwindling relevance of oil to the global economy. The immediate collateral implication of this is the loss of the traditional platform for organised agitation for improved living in the Niger Delta."

Rivers Assembly swears in 11 lawmakers ...drops APC lawmaker in compliance with court order

By Jimitota Onoyume

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ORT HARCOURT— MEMBER-ELECT, Port Harcourt Local Government, constituency 1, on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, Victoria Nyeche, was not sworn in yesterday, alongside 11 other members-elect who won in the first phase of the re-run elections for legislative seats in the state.

It will be recalled that the Appeal Court that sat over election petitions from the state in Abuja, ruled in December last year that she be sworn in as the rightful winner of the House of Assembly elections for her PHALGA constituency 1.

Meantime, Speaker of the Rivers state House of Assembly, Adams Dima, before administering oath of office on 11 of the member elects, yesterday, read out a court injunction restraining the House from administering the oath of office on Nyeche.

According to the Speaker, Justice Adolphus Enebeli of a Rivers State High Court on April 20, granted a restraining order halting the swearing-in of Nyenche, pending determination of a suit by Mr Livingston Wechie, accusing the memberelect of impersonating a mem-

ber of the state House of Assembly in a petition she wrote to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, in a letter headed paper of the Assembly against the confirmation of Justice Adama Iyayi-Lamikanra as substantive Chief Judge of the state.

Ugborodo: Community begs govt, oil firms to support new leadership

By Egufe Yafugborhi

W

ARRI—UGBORODO people in Warri South West Local Government Area, Delta State, have implored government and oil firms in the area to support their newly constituted Interim Management Commitment, IMC, in steering the community from years of setback caused by leadership strife.

At a gathering convened by the Ugborodo traditional authority in Aruton, communal heads, elders, women and youths of the community stressed that IMC became

imperative in light of challenges posed by the leadership vacuum in the community.

The Olajori (Spiritual Head) of Ugborodo, Benson Omadeli, said that the EPZ Interface Committee appointed by Federal Government to broker peace over the internal crisis relating to the Gas City Project in the area cannot lead the administration of the community.

“The entire Ugborodo people constituted IMC to run affairs of Ugborodo to avoid any vacuum pending formal appointment, approval for a new Community Trust by the General Assembly," the community said.

Edo 2016: Edebiri insists on Ekweremadu Report as standard

A

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship aspirant in Edo State, Dr Solomon Edebiri, has said that he is a symbol of the rejuvenated PDP as documented by the Senator Ike Ekweremandu report with the target for a people-based positive change in the state.

Speaking in Benin after attending the marriage of the daughter of one of the party’s leaders, Chief Edebiri said he is an apostle of the Ekweremadu report which is set to make the party peoplefocused.

He said: “I believe strongly that democratic governance is all about the people, it is for the people and by the people.

The people are supposed to be the owners of government while those in offices are employees.

“This whole idea of making politics and governance people-based should also be reflected in the process leading to the nomination and election of individuals into office. The process should be free and fair and left in the hands of the people to make their choice without undue manipulation.”

Edebiri who preached peaceful and violence-free processes in regime transitions, noted that the Ekweremandu report which will be ratified at the party’s national convention later this year in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, underscores the way the party can help build the country and earn the love of the people through internal democracy and delivery of good governance.

Madam Agbarha dies at 122

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ADAM Onukuodjoune Agbarha, of Umiaghwa, Oria-Abraka in Ethiope-East Local Government Area, Delta State, is dead, aged 122.

She died on October 6, 2015.

A statement by the family said she will be buried today according to the doctrines of the Catholic church.

Late Madam Agbarha

14—Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016

We shared intelligence with Nigeria on finding Chibok girls —US envoy

A R I BRIEFING:

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

A

BUJA—UNITED States government said, yesterday, that it provided Nigeria every information and intelligence needed to rescue the over 200 girls abducted from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, in April 14, 2014.

This was even as the Federal Government reiterated its commitment to find the girls, saying it remained a priority.

The U.S government spoke through its Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Samantha Jane Power.

After a private meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, who was on a tour of the troubled spots in the North-East of Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad, Power told newsmen that the US would not rest until the girls were rescued.

Operators threaten court action, as FG moves to set up shipping line

By Godwin Oritse

T

HE FEDERAL Government has concluded plans to establish a new shipping line, even as indigenous ship operators threaten court action if they were not carried along.

Disclosing this in Lagos yesterday at the Maritime Technical Summit, Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, said the Federal Government had set up a committee to look into the viability and modalities of the proposed national carrier.

He said Nigerian and foreign investors would fund the project.

Meanwhile, indigenous ship operators, led by the founding Chairman of the Nigeria Shipowners Association of Nigeria, NISA, Chief Isaac Jolapamo, told the Minister that his group would go to court if they were not carried along.

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From left— Counsel, Mr. Emeka Nwigwe; Managing Director, Mr. Chris Ndulue, and Chairman, Sir Joseph Ikhide, all of Arik Air, during the briefing on grounding of their operations by Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Wednesday, over alleged indebtedness to FAAN in Lagos.

Fuel scarcity: Depots dry up

By Sebastine Obasi, Michael Eboh & Ediri Ejoh

T

HERE are uncertainties about the availability of petrol, as most depots are without stock, while marketers have reportedly not been importing due to scarcity of foreign exchange.

According to a major marketer, who chose to remain anonymous, “we cannot be talking about stock level because there is no stock at all.

No depot has up to 5,000 metric tonnes of petrol, which is about 200 trucks. Once there is supply, it is distributed immediately.”

This was corroborated by sources at Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, who told Vanguard that the nation cannot boast of any stock level now, as products are sent to states the moment they are imported.

However, Nigerian National

Scarcity's a mystery—MARKETER Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, yesterday, stated that 1,120 truckloads, comprising 36.957 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS (petrol) had been distributed across the country.

DPR threatens sanctions

This was even as DPR read the riot act to petroleum products marketers across the country, warning that it would deal severely with any marketer found sabotaging efforts by Federal Government to address the fuel crisis currently witnessed across the country.

The DPR, in a statement by its Director, Petroleum Resources, Mr. Mordecai Ladan, maintained that marketers must ensure that petroleum products get across to Nigerians timely and at the regulated prices, especially as every effort is being made to

ensure that petroleum products supply and distribution situation in the country is normalised.

According to him, the security agencies in collaboration with DPR will arrest and prosecute any errant marketer involved in sabotaging government’s commitment at making petroleum products readily available to Nigerians.

On the supply situation across the country, NNPC said six NNPC and marketers vessels are currently discharging at various depots/jetties nationwide, while seven NNPC import/ shuttle vessels had been programmed to do Ship-toShip operation for onward discharge to inland depots.

total volume of 830.1 million litres had arrived in the month of April for NNPC. Giving a breakdown of trucks dispatched to selected states on Wednesday, NNPC said 405 truckloads of petrol were dispatched to Lagos; 130 trucks, Abuja; Kano, 13; Port Harcourt, 54 and Kaduna, 21.

Anambra and Ondo received 13 trucks each, while Sokoto, Borno, Katsina, Plateau and Kogi received nine, six, 15, seven and 17 trucks, respectively.

Others are Ogun, 53; Kebbi, 34; Bauchi, 18; Delta, 34; Bayelsa, nine and Benue, 11.

NNPC had also stated that it had 17 days sufficiency, up from three to four days in March at the peak of petrol shortage.

Wednesday’s distribution

Meanwhile, when Vanguard visited depots at Apapa, there were little or no activities, as they complained of depleted stock.

A depot marketer, who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity, said: “Nigerians are being conned to believe scarcity will disappear. How is this possible when we have less to sell to marketers?

“How is it that NNPC distributes about 36.957 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, and yet we are still left with nothing at the depots? The mystery is far from our grasp.

“However, what we were asked to do is to help government with our trucks to ease the dispatching of petroleum product across the country.

“For now, we are practically out of business because there is no Forex to import and until there is Forex, we are practically rendered handicap.

“We are supposed to provide the balance of the 40 percent component, while NNPC handles 60 percent, but that will only end up becoming a dream due to Forex challenges.”

NNPC also stated that 20 import vessels laden with a

FG gives 2-week ultimatum to FAAN, NAMA on Arik Air indebtedness

By Favour Nnabugwu & Lawani Mikairu

T

HE Federal Government has issued a two-week ultimatum to Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, and the Arik Air Group to resolve all indebtedness of the airline.

This came on a day Arik Air said it had paid the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, N18.9 billion of its indebtedness to the agency and had resumed services after Wednesday’s disruption of its operations by unions in the industry.

The Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, gave the directive at a meeting with the management of Arik

Air in Abuja yesterday.

He directed the parties to report back to him after the twoweek ultimatum, with a resolution on the amounts owed, payment plans and the way forward.

The Minister noted that all airline operators must conform to industry rules and regulations, including payment of applicable fees and fines as at when due, stating that the well-being of an airline was measured by its ability to pay for services rendered it.

On his part, the Chairman of Arik Air, Sir Arumeni Johnson, who described his airline as a responsible corporate citizen that was always ready to meet its obligations to its passengers and service providers, lamented the shabby treatment of the airline by the unions.

Meanwhile, Arik Air said yesterday it had paid the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, N18.9 billion of its indebtedness to the agency.

The airline’s Managing Director, Mr. Chris Ndulue, said at the time labour unions disrupted operations, there was a substantive case at the Federal High Court, Lagos, instituted by FAAN to verify and reconcile the claims of N18.9 billion owed the agency.

Ndulue added that FAAN acknowledged through a letter that Arik Air had paid N11.4 billion as at June 30, 2015, and that the agency also acknowledged receiving money in its bank account.

We don't have products—Marketer

Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016—15

L-R: Messrs Fola Adeyemi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Lagos State; Ayeni Adekunle, founder, Nigerian Entertainment Conference; Tony Ojobo, Director Public Affairs Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); John Ugbe, Managing Director Multichoice Nigeria during the 2016 Nigerian Entertainment Conference in Lagos

L-R, Registrar/Chief Executive of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Mr. Rotimi Omotoso; Auditor General of the Federation and member, Governing Council of ICAN, Mr. Samuel Ukura; 51st President of ICAN, Otunba Olufemi Deru and member, Governing Council of ICAN Mr. Sunday Bammeke during the award of certificates to ICAN accredited tertiary institutions and tuition centres in Lagos

Tension in Anambra community over sale of communal land by youths community, but rather take refBy Vincent Ujumadu

A

WKA—TENSION is mounting in Oba in Idemili South local government area of Anambra State following alleged forceful acquisition of communal land in the area and selling same to land speculators by some youths in the town.

Worried by the development, the leadership of the community, yesterday, took the matter to the State Commissioner, of Police, Mr. Hosea Karma, urging the

state police command to intervene before the matter got out of control.

The community leaders, who were led by the president -general of the town union, Chief Ifeatu Uzowulu, also complained that the youths have been terrorizing the people and making life difficult in the area.

According to Uzowulu, “these youths have continued to intimidate, harass and beat up the owners of the land and selling same to buyers who are mainly land

grabbers and speculators from the commercial city of Onitsha.”

He regretted that the youths were getting support from few prominent people and land buyers who sponsor them by providing them the fund to challenge the land owners even in court.

Uzowulu said that following the development, many prominent people in Oba no longer sleep in the

Rep empowers Oyi constituents

By Enyim Enyim, Onitsha

S

UCCOUR came the way of the people of Oyi and Ayamelum federal constituency when their representative in the House of Representative, Mr Gabriel Onyeweife, distributed millennium development goal, MDG empowerment items to them.

The items were 10 pieces of tricycles (Keke), 11 motorcycles, five grinding machines, 10 generating sets, 28 weaving machines, 28 designing machines and 190 sewing machines.

Speaking to journalists at Umumbo shortly after the distribution of the items Onyeweife who is the chairman, House committee on freedom of information reforms said the MDG zonal intervention empowerment project was an entitlement of every lawmaker and expressed surprise that his predecessors for the past 16 years had not accessed it.

He said the people of his constituency would continue to enjoy full blast democracy dividend as long as he remained in the National Assembly. A repre-

sentative of Governor Willie Obiano, and special adviser on internally generated revenue, Mr Charles Okafor praised Onyeweife for attracting the democracy dividend to his people and enjoined other lawmakers in the state to emulate him.

He said, “ It is a welcome development. These items are what the people in this area have been lacking. I must say that with Onyeweife in the national assembly we have a quality representation.

Traffic offenders will henceforth show proof of tax payment in Imo

By Chidi Nkwopara, Owerri

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MO State Government, yesterday, warned that all traffic offenders in the state would first show proof of payment of income tax, before being allowed to retrieve their vehicles from the custody of theState Traffic Law Enforcement Unit, ISTLEU. The Commissioner for Internally Generated Revenue and Pension Matters, Dr. Vitalis Orikeze Ajumbe, who disclosed this when he briefed newsmen in Owerri , said, “Government is solidly behind the State Traffic Enforcement Unit.

Anybody contravened for any traffic offence, will be made to first of all clear his or her personal tax liabilities or face the risk of being arraigned in court for tax offences.”

The Commissioner said that this was one of the strategies laid by government to track down all tax dodgers in the state. He added, “This is one solid way to apprehend tax dodgers in the state. The way Imolites dodge the payment of personal income taxes is most annoying.”

He said the “Ministry will not leave any stone unturned in the process of achieving set revenue target for internally generated revenue”.

uge in neighboring towns for fear of being attacked by the youths.

He informed the CP that their visit to the police headquarters received the blessing of the traditional ruler of Oba, Igwe Peter Ezenwa and requested the police to provide the people with adequate security, arguing that

unless something was done urgently to deal with the situation, there might be total breakdown of law and order in Oba. Responding, the Commissioner of Police commended the delegation for adopting peaceful approach to the issue, rather than taking the law into their own hands and assured them of adequate police protection in carrying out their legitimate duties.

16—Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016

Enugu House moves to remove IMT Rector

By Francis Igata

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NUGU—THE Enugu State House of Assembly, yesterday, resolved to boot out of office the Rector, Institute of Management and Technology, IMT, Professor Michael Iloeje, over his stance to run the institution as a sole administrator.

Professor Iloeje had allegedly defied the House’s invitations to appear before it with his management team, to furnish the House with documents relating to contract awarded by the institution from his inception in office without supervision from the Commissioner of Education, Professor Uchenna Eze. The House had, last week, unanimously passed a resolution, urging Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to dissolve all boards of parastatals, departments and agencies for their abysmal performance in monitoring, evaluating and policy formulation of the departments and agencies under their supervision.

CJ to Judge: Continue hearing on forgery suit against Gov Ikpeazu

By Anayo Okoli

U

MUAHIA—AGAINST speculations that Justice S. M. Shuaibu has been stopped from hearing the alleged tax forgery case against Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, has said that the judge should continue and conclude the matter.

Consequently, Justice Auta has directed Justice Shuaibu to return to Owerri and continue with the suit instituted by a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,

chieftain and the party ’s governorship aspirant in the last election, Chief Friday Nwosu, who is accusing Governor Ikpeazu of submitting fake tax certificate to Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. The speculation that Justice Shuaibu was stopped from handling the matter was fuelled by an alleged statement by the governor’s lawyer to the effect that with the Supreme Court judgment in favour of Ikpeazu, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court has allegedly stopped Shuaibu from going ahead with the matter.

INEC tasked on parliamentary re-run in Abia, Anambra, Rivers

The speculation prompted Nwosu to petition the Chief Judge seeking clarification on the issue. The Chief Judge was said to have denied giving such directive, and directed that the case be continued and concluded.

Nwosu, in the petition, was said to have claimed that the defendants made careless public announcements and statements which could malign the reputation and integrity of the office and person of the Chief Judge.

Meanwhile, the matter will come up next Friday, April 28, at the Owerri Division of the court, and not in Abuja.

By Innocent Anaba

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coalition of civil society groups in the South East, under the aegis of South-East Based Coalition of Human Rights Organisations, SBCHROs, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conclude outstanding parliamentary re-run elections in Imo, Anambra and Rivers states.

It noted that INEC was denying many people representations at the national and respective state Houses of Assembly.

The coalition is made up of International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law; Anambra State Branch of the Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO; Centre for Human Rights & Peace Advocacy, CHRPA; Human Rights Club, HRC, (a project of LRRDC); Forum for Justice, Equity & Defense of Human Rights, FJEDHR; Society Advocacy Watch Project, SPAW; Anambra Human Rights Forum, AHRF; South-East Good Governance Forum, SGGF; International Solidarity for Peace & Human Rights Initiative, ITERSOLIDARITY; Igbo Ekunie Initiative (pan Igbo rights advocacy group) and Intersociety.

In an open letter to INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmud Yakubu, the coalition said: “It saddens our heart that over 12 months after the country’s federal legislative polls was conducted, five senatorial districts, with combined electoral population of about 15 million, have been denied quality and deliberative legislative representation since December 2015.”

COMMISSIONING: From left— Guest speaker, Professor Patrick Oaikhinan; Executive Chairman, West African Ceramic Limited, Alhaji Lawal Idirisu; President, Nigerian Institute of Building, Mr. Tijjani Shu'aib, and General Manager, WACL, Mr. Bhaskar Rao, during the inauguration of Royal Experience Centre in Lagos. PHOTO: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor.

Grazing Reserve Bill: Rights group warns against communal war

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

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NITSHA—THE Campaign for Democracy, CD, has given the National Assembly a pat on the back for throwing out the Grazing Reserve Commission Bill, which it said was capable of causing communal war.

Transition

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EV. (Mrs). Christiana Azuka Eneli is dead.

She died Friday, April 8.

She was the Pastor and Founder of Christ Healing and Deliverance Sanctuary, Calcutta Crescent, Apapa.

She is survived by five children and eight grandchildren.

A statement by the family said burial arrangements will be announced later.

Describing it as an ill-wind that blows no good to anybody, CD said if the Bill, which is meant to provide a very large

expanse of land for herdsmen in different parts of the country, had scaled through the National Assembly, a very

ASEPA sets up task force on Umuahia refuse

By Anayo Okoli

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MUAHIA—ABIA State Environmental Protection Agency, ASEPA, has launched a task force with a mandate to clear the various heaps of refuse that has taken over Umuahia, the state capital.

Until now, heaps of foulsmelling refuse dotted virtually all streets of the city, particularly the popular Umuwaya Road, a situation which made residents to be apprehensive of imminent outbreak of epidemic.

To tackle this, General Manager of ASEPA, Prince Ikechukwu Apugo, initiated the task force, which he said became necessary to ensure the clearance of the refuse.

Apugo expressed worry over the presence of refuse in the

city, which he said needed to be cleared to give Umuahia the befitting look it deserves and blamed the situation on breakdown of the agency’s evacuation trucks.

serious ethnic vendetta between the land owners and the herdsmen would have been ignited and it would have resulted in much loss.

CD's National Publicity Secretary, Uzor Uzor, told newsmen in Onitsha, Anambra State yesterday, that herdsmen should adopt international best practices on animal husbandry, which requires that animals be confined to a particular area and fed with foods sourced from various places.

FSDH records N4.7bn profit

By Oboh Agbonkhese

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SDH Merchant Bank Limited has posted a profit before tax of N4.72 billion for the financial year ended December 31, 2015, representing an increase of 29.67 percent over the profit of N3.64 billion for the year ended December 31, 2014.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Mr. Rilwan BeloOsagie, gave the figures at a

briefing in Lagos, ahead of their annual general meeting fixed for April 28.

Osagie-Belo said the profit after tax attributable to the group increased by 34.98 percent to N4.09 billion from N3.03 billion in 2014.

He said: “During the period under review, all our subsidiaries posted profits.

FSDH Asset Management contributed a profit after tax of N307.93 million; Pensions Alliance Limited, N960.01

million and FSDH Securities added N63.27 million.”

Belo-Osagie, who was flanked by the Executive Director, Mr Hamda Ambah, and General Manager, Mr. Robert Ajiamah, said in spite of the challenges in the economy and in the financial markets, “we intend to continue to harness the opportunities we identify in carefully selected industries, while continuing with our conservative approach of building a portfolio of risk assets that will be enduring.”

VANGUARD, APRIL 22, 2016 —17

Jonathan’s cheerleaders At this rate, you will mourn rather t h a n celebrate if things begin toimprovefor Nigeria - and for you and your families and friends! u n d e r Buhari’s watch!

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AST week, having heard multiple complaints about the state of the country from several Nigerians, I expressed concerns about chronic fuel shortages, prolonged electricity cuts, widespread poverty and Mr President’s incessant globetrotting.

I said that I and many other people who voted for Buhari (and the Change he promised) last year had started to feel disillusioned and would feel more cheerful if he spent more time at home, providing hands-on leadership and solving problems.

Whenever I try to objectively assess this newish APC government’s performance and suggest ways in which it can up its game, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s cheerleaders swamp me with sad, mocking or abusive emails and text messages.

Quality professionals Since I will never have enough time to respond to all of these proJonathan comments individually, I thought I should respond to them en masse on this page.

Response to PDP devotees who sadly reproach me for not voting for Jonathan because they honestly believe that he is a Great Guy who was misunderstood, underestimated, unfairly vilified and unjustly robbed of a second term: I totally share your view that Jonathan had a nice personality and agree that he recruited some quality professionals (Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, for example) to work with.

But I honestly believe that he didn’t do a good job overall and would have done much better if he had been firmer with his wife and had disciplined those members of his team who were blatantly greedy, inept and crooked.

Response to PDP devotees who address me mockingly (especially those who take delight in gleefully reminding me that they “told me so”): I must admit that some of you DID contact me before and shortly after the election, to predict that C M Y K

Response to PDP d e v o t ees *Dr Goodluck Jonathan, former president who hurl Buhari would disappoint me and insults at me through cyberspace most of his supporters. Let me or via phone lines, mostly also humbly say that you have because they are Niger Deltans been proved right so far and that like me and Jonathan and regard I can see why you feel entitled to me as a terrible “traitor” for taunt folks - like me - who have “abandoning” our “Brother” been proved wrong so far. and shifting my allegiance to But many of you are practically Buhari, whom they hate with a rejoicing about the fact that the burning passion, purely because nation is going through a lot of he’s a Northerner. stress. You are displaying Do you also regard the Northschadenfreude, a German word erners who voted for Jonathan, that neatly describes the rather than for satisfaction or pleasure that some their Brother, people feel when they hear about Buhari, as the misfortunes of others. And it’s traitors? You my turn to issue a reminder and have called me point out that current misfortunes all sorts of awful are not being solely endured by names - “evil me and other APC voters! backstabber ” In a nutshell, I am completely being just one of mystified by your obsessive m a n y political partisanship. demonizing And do not understand why you labels you think are so ridiculously thrilled about I deserve. governmental failures that are For the record, I voted for Jonathan in 2011 because I felt that it was time for we minorities from severely neglected oilproducing areas to finally I don’t think one produce a Head of State; and I should be abused assumed that for open-mindedly Jonathan would giving a candidate (in addition to care of all from the other side taking Nigerians) of the country a profoundly empathise with chance to deliver our region’s the dividends of woes and uplift his people, democracy! ordinary Niger Deltans who lived in making every Nigerian, your- p o l l u t i o n ravaged vilselves included, suffer! in When your country is in the lages particular. doldrums, is it not somewhat But Jonathan unpatriotic, childish, warped, strange, unhinged and irrespon- disappointed sible to be happy that it is in the me on this front doldrums simply because you and for all sorts didn’t vote for the man who is of other reasons. running the show at the moment? And, to cut a

long story short, I had decided, by 2015, to vote for Buhari because I thought that Buhari would control his First Lady, tackle corruption, keep public servants on their toes, inject some sanity into the economy and possibly wind up helping the Niger Delta more than Jonathan ever had.

If I’m also disappointed in Buhari at the end of his tenure in

2019, so be it. But I don’t think one should be abused for openmindedly giving a candidate from the other side of the country a chance to deliver the dividends of democracy!

And it is, as far as I’m concerned, absolutely tragic that anyone can be as blinded by tribal and regional bigotry in this day and age as some of Jonathan’s fans.

First-class flight ban

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ARLIER on this month, the Federal Government banned all top government officials from flying first class while embarking on official trips.

According to the statement, the decision was made in a bid to save money; and henceforth, ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Chairmen of Federal Committees, Chief Executives of Parastatals and so on will have to travel on business class.

Given how broke Nigeria is at the moment and considering that some ambassadors of some countries that are considerably richer than Nigeria – the UK for

example – travel Economy Class, I don’t think the Federal Government has gone far enough!!!

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

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

18 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016 NIGERIA has for most of the Fourth Republic had the unenviable experience of having inexperienced persons as ministers of sports. However, it is arguable if a worse experience can be imagined than the present situation with the incumbent Minister of Sports, Mr. Solomon Dalung.

Given its popularity in the country, it is not surprising that Dalung, as with many of his predecessors, has been prompt to take the initiative on matters concerning football from the administrators of the game.

The reason is not farfetched. Besides being the most popular sport in the country with which success in office is gauged, the game is also by far the most financially viable of all the common sports in the country. Sports administrators have through the game harvested illicit gain, often at the expense of the players, the viability of the

Dalung’s dangers to our football game in the country and the nation’s collective interest.

Ministers of sports have also taken unusual interest in the game in ways that are devoid of patriotic postures. It is in that frame that we point to recent gestures of Dalung in the House of Football.

His first salvo was to gather stakeholders last January to resolve an imaginary dispute between Mr. Amaju Pinnick, the President of the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, and one-time contender for the position, Mr. Chris Giwa.

Remarkably, the dispute between

the two men had been resolved by the sporting authorities, including the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in the favour of Pinnick. Pinnick had in fact, gotten into his strides even if to limited results.

Dalung’s quest for that uncalledfor “peace meeting” that they are both from Plateau State. Dalung was roundly tackled by the lovers of football for seemingly aiming to help his fellow Plateau man to get into an office that stakeholders and relevant institutions had denied him through the due processes.

The latest development was the ruling by a High Court in Jos, Plateau State, on April 8 2016, sacking Pinnick as the NFF president and replacing him with Giwa. The judgment has been roundly condemned by stakeholders, especially in the light of the consensus on Pinnick by stakeholders and the authorities.

The court ruling was immediately met with dire threats from the governing body of the game, the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), to ban Nigeria.

Remarkably, in the face of the threat, Dalung has been noncommittal but remains resolute in heating uncertainty in the football house We call on Dalung to put the nation first, failing which President Muhammadu Buhari should strip him of that position to save our football.

OPINION

By Bobson Gbinije Continued from yesterday

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HE Federal Government must build floating stations in the Riverine Areas and endeavour to create an all-embracing enabling environment for socio-economic progress in the Niger Delta and all Oil producing states in Nigeria.

Apart from Conventional Security Agencies, the Federal Government and the NNPC should award surveillance contracts to specific communities on land and water where the pipelines passes to guard and protect the pipelines and the traditional rulers, chiefs and youth groups should be given roles to play in this regard. They should also furnish the Nigerian Navy and Marine Police with Sea-going Security vessels, marine technology for tracking ships and there should be the erection of nautical barricades on the river to check ships, barges, boats and other water craft vessels etc for bunkering clearance etc.

The NNPC must establish product measurement, calibration, oil metering and product deep mechanisms to know the quantity of product and capacity of the loaded tanker/vessel to enable us keep record of products been loaded within and outside Nigeria. The theft will continue with reckless abandon if there is no metering system to forestall oil theft. The National Assembly must legislatively discourage oil theft through legal provisions and laws, specifically ‘Death Penalty’ for crude oil theft, petroleum bunkering and corruption. The

Niger Delta Oil piracy and the worm in the kolanut (2) cardinal economic power of Nigeria as a country straddles between its Oil and expansive geographical make-up. If we lose or fall out of our inability to manage our success it will be ‘Boom turned to Doom’. We must visit oil thieves and oil bunkerers with the uttermost capital punishment.

A special surveillance group of fifth columnists must be set up to monitor the

There is the scramble for oil in Nigeria before “Shale Oil” takes over oligarchical collectivity, politicians, oil multinationals, the NNPC, its subsidiaries and their criminal syndicates. The brutal truth and consistent with an Okpe proverb is that it is the worm in the kola nut that eats the kola nut’ (Owhore rorhie evwro, evu evwro oha wo). Oil theft cannot take place without some of these oil-allied corporate persons and their cabaliscally clandestine surrogates.

It must be emphasised that the machinery of honesty and patriotism in the NNPC subsidiaries of Pipelines and Products Marketing Company Ltd. (PPMC) and the Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR),

that are statutorily mandated to act as watchdogs and distributor of products must be revamped, returbisled and implosively surgeonised not only from grassroot levels but from root hairs base to tree top height.

They must come out to carry out the upstream and downstream responsibilities with pertinacious exactitude, accountability and transparency.

The crude and refined petroleum syndicate organogram is a pot-purri of politicians, NNPC Subsidiaries’ Executives, Tank Owners, Barge owners, Ship owners, Tug Boat Owners, Product Monitoring (Upstream and Downstream) Task Forces, Oil Producing Communities, Illegal Refinery owners, Militants, frustrated and unemployed Youths in a state of poverty, Product and Petroleum Sales 419ers, etc. It is such a power full syndicate that stopping them could be likened to a cow passing through the eye of a needle. The syndicate is so interwoven and committed. It runs from crude oil production Company executives and staff to refined product sales of distributing company executives and now that the political parties have joined, it is virtually finish with the Nigeria economy.

Every body wants their share before the oil dries up and depreciates in value. There is the scramble for oil in Nigeria before “Shale Oil” takes over. It is must be stated with unequivocal clarity and it is a platitudinous

truism, that the Nigerian nation has earned quintillions of dollars/ pounds/ naira right from 1958( the year of oil commercialisation) till date. But 90% of Nigerians have nothing to show for it. There is ludibrastic and scandalous poverty in Nigeria. This has precipitated armed robbery, kidnapping, 419, assassinations, political thuggery, Youth restiveness, burglary and militancy.

The earnings from oil and gas have found their way into the hands of the leadership cartels, desperate politicians, political parties and warlords etc. In the Niger Delta and nay Nigeria, we have no qualitative free education at all levels, no water, no shelter, no roads, no hospitals, no food security, no employment etc. In desperacy fuelled by poverty, vengeful spirit and frustration, Nigerians resort to criminality in the oil industry and beyond.

As always, the “NEITI REPORT “will only be in the news for a short while, because the ‘syndicate’ will dismember and manacle all its salient recommendations and findings in the cesspit of bravura crudity and parenthetical placidity. The silent revolution is incubating in the womb of time.

Euripides observed in “FRAGMENTS” that “time will reveal everything. It is a babbler and speaks even when not asked “and Julia Fletcher Carney said “little drops of water, little grants of sand, make the mighty ocean and the pleasant land. So the little minutes, humble though they be, make the mighty ages of eternity”.

Concluded *Mr. Gbinije, a social critic, wrote from Warri, Delta |State.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016— —19 Send Opinions & Letters to: opinions1234@yahoo.com Rather, from July 1967, Israel began building settlements starting with Meron Golan. Then in 1981, it enacted the Golan Heights Law, making Israeli laws applicable to the Heights. This type of land grab has been responsible for the continuous

The Golan Heights of war and peace

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HE Holy Bible commands humanity “Thou shall not covet thy neigbour’s house, thou shall not covet thy neigbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neigbour’s” (Exodus 20:17) .

That precisely was what Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu did on Sunday April 17, 2016 when he held Israel’s first cabinet meeting in the Syrian Golan Heights. Held on a day most Christians worship, and amidst the on-going tragic war in Syria, Netanyahu said the meeting was a joyous occasion. “I convened this celebratory meeting in the Golan Heights to send a clear message: The Golan will always remain in Israel’s hands. Israel will never withdraw from the Golan Heights” Having established his intention to steal his neigbour’s lands, Netanyahu appealed to the world to endorse his criminal actions. “It is time that the international community recognised reality … after 50 years it is time that the international community realised that the Golan will remain under Israeli sovereignty.”

Nethanyahu’s claim to fame and leadership, is essentially, his elder brother, Yonatan, an Israeli hero who died leading a rescue mission to free hostages held at the Entebbe Airport in 1976; his nourishment and staying power is feasting on the fears of insecurity in the country. After Israeli extremists had physically and politically, eliminated credible leaders like Yitzhak Rabin, the warmongers like Nethanyahu and racist lightening rod, Avigdor Lieberman ( who migrated from Russia as Evet Lvovich Liberman) took over. Rabin had been instrumental to the Oslo Peace Accords which were designed to end the IsraeliPalestinian crisis. But he was murdered on November 4, 1995 while campaigning for the Accords, and Nethanyahu’s right-wing Likud Party stoked the fires of war and rode to power the following year.

Most of the Golan Heights were captured between June 9-10, 1967 during the Arab-Israeli War. Some 100,000 Syrians were displaced or forced from the Heights during the war and until today, about 50 years later, neither they nor their children have been allowed by Israel to return to their ancestral homes.

Netanyahu’s claim to fame and leadership, is essentially, his elder brother, Yonatan, an Israeli hero who died leading a rescue mission to free hostages held at the Entebbe Airport in 1976 violence between Israel and the Palestinians which led to the rise of contemporary terrorism as Palestinians who were denied their right to return to their ancestral lands after wars with Israel, out of frustration, started hijacking aircraft and attacking Israeli targets.

Israel had in that 1967 war, also captured and occupied East Jerusalem and other Palestinian lands, and then systematically, embarked on stealing more lands by constructing settlements on the remaining Palestinian lands especially on the West Bank. So far, it has built 163 Jewish-only settlements and 98 ‘outposts’ on confiscated Palestinian lands. To curb such acts and guarantee

The national grazing bill

By Clement Udegbe

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NATIONAL Grazing Bill which the leadership of Senate has said is not with it continues to generate heated debate. And for good reason. This bill should be questioned because of its ethnoreligious implications. It is important that we know this bill, even if in a general way, so as to make useful discourse of it.

The bill known as A Bill for An Act for the Establishment of the National Grazing Reserve (Establishment And Development) Commission for The Preservation And Control of National Grazing Reserves and Stock Routes And for Other Matters Connected Therewith, was sponsored by Senator Zainab Kure.

Hajiya Zainab Abdulkadir Kure is a Senator, whose political career at the Upper legislative house started in 2007 elected for the Niger South constituency of Niger State on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). She represents Niger South Senatorial District alongside Senators Dahiru Awaisu Kuta (PDP) Niger East and Senator Ibrahim Musa (APC) of Niger North respectively.

She has a BSc in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1984, and is the wife of former Governor of Niger State between 1999 and May 2007.

According to This Day Newspaper reports, she had sponsored the National Grazing Reserves Establishment and Development Commission Bill, 2008 and the National Poverty Eradication Commission Bill, 2008.

Born on November 24, 1959, Senator Kure’s dream as a youth was to become a C M Y K

top Customs or Immigration officer. This was however, not to be, no thanks to her father-in-law who put an end to that ambition. Today,she is making waves at the National Assembly in Abuja, with robust contributions.

The National Grazing Bill has Seven Parts.

Part 1, deals with the establishment of the national Grazing Reserve Commission, and it’s powers, to be should

The commission may take over the ownership, control and management of any existing Grazing Reserve and stock routes from any state government on agreed terms, with the state concerned controlled by a Governing Council whose membership tenure shall be four years, comprising a Chairman, one representative each from Federal Ministries of Agriculture Rural Development and Water Resources, Health, Environment Housing and Urban Development, and National Commission for Nomadic Education.

Part II, of the Bill deals with Functions of the Commission which includes, designating, acquiring, controlling, managing, maintaining, the National

world peace, the United Nations (UN) had in 1956 adopted Resolution 242 which guarantees political independence for all states in the Middle East and their right to live in peace within their borders. It also reiterates the territorial inviolability of every state and a just resettlement of refugees to their ancestral lands. The resolution was adopted following the invasion of Egypt by the combined forces of France, United Kingdom and Israel. This remains the key UN Resolution on the Middle East.

In 2008, the UN General Assembly in a resolution - passed by 161 countries, with only Israel voting against - directed Israel to refrain from "changing the physical character, demographic composition, institutional structure and legal status of the occupied Syrian Golan and, in particular, to desist from the establishment of settlements [and] from imposing Israeli citizenship and Israeli identity cards on the Syrian citizens in the occupied Syrian Golan and from its repressive measures against the population of the occupied Syrian Golan."

It was this UN Resolution, the warmongers in Tel Aviv set out to violate with Netanyahu’s proclamation that Israel is incorporating that part of Syria into the Israeli map. Except for a sprinkling of humanity who possibly out of ignorance, selfishness or a spirit of covetousness are backing this brazen theft and endangering world peace, the world has reacted in one voice, rejecting this gambit. Traditional Israeli ally, the United States through its State Department Spokesman John Kirby declared "Every administration on both sides of the aisle (Republican and Democrat) since 1967 has maintained that those territories

Grazing Reserves and Stocks Routes; Constructing of dams, roads, bridges, fences and infrastructure considered necessary; Identification, retracing, demarcating, monumenting, and surveying of primary, secondary, and tertiary stock routes; Conserving and preserving in its natural state the National Grazing Reserves and Stock Routes; Ensuring the preservation and protection of any objects of geological archaeological historical aesthetic or scientific interests in the National Grazing Reserves and Stocks Routes; the development of facilities and amenities within the national Grazing Reserves; Fostering in the mind the general public, particularly the pastoral and transhumance population the necessity for the establishment and development of the National Grazing Reserves and Stocks Routes with the object of developing a greater appreciation of the value of livestock and environmental conservation; And doing all such things which the commission may calculate and consider incidental to the foregoing functions.

Part III deals with appointment of the Reserve Controller and other Staff of the commission some of which may be seconded from other government offices; their functions, and structure of the commission.

Part IV deals with financial provisions for the commission including that the commission may, subject to the Land Use Act, acquire any land for the purpose of discharging its functions.

Part V, is the source of concern, its states in part; “The following lands may subject to this Act be constituted as National Grazing Reserve and Stock Routes- Any land at the disposal of the Federal Government; Any land in respect of which it appears to the

are not part of Israel." Its Vice President, John Biden weighed in: "We have an overwhelming obligation, notwithstanding our sometimes overwhelming frustration with the Israeli government, to push them as hard as we can toward what they know in their gut is the only ultimate solution, a two-state solution, while at the same time be an absolute guarantor of their security."

Martin Schaefer, Spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry declared “It’s a basic principle of international law and the UN Charter that no state can claim the right to annex another state’s territory just like that.”

Sinking Republican Presidential aspirant, Sen. Ted Cruz supports the attempted theft on the basis that “The government of Israel reiterated the reality that the Golan Heights are part of Israel’s sovereign territory.” Cruz is aware that he is incapable of winning the Republican nomination; his only hope lies in the theft of the ticket from Donald Trump who has trounced him repeatedly in the primaries. While today, Syria is traumatised by terrorists like ISIS, al-Nusra and the ‘moderates’ but it is no reason to allow the theft of its ancestral lands.

Similar theft of lands were backed by powerful forces for 81 years in Apartheid South Africa after white supremacists in 1913 enacted a law granting themselves the lands of the indigenous populace.

Decent humanity which prefer honesty and peace must resist the land grab of the Golan Heights and support the UN Resolutions for peace. We cannot tolerate stoking the fires of violence and insecurity as was done in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Libya, and turn round to complain about a world in flames.

commission that Grazing on such land should be practiced, and any land acquired by the commission through purchase, assignment, gift, or otherwise howsoever; Any land in respect of which it appears to the commission that primary, secondary, or tertiary routes be established.

The commission may take over the ownership, control and management of any existing Grazing Reserve and stock routes from any state government on agreed terms, with the state concerned.

Before any land is constituted as National Grazing Reserve, due notice shall be given to the state governor where the land is situate, by the commission on behalf of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the intention of the commission, the location, size or limits of the land…declaring its intention for the purposes of government or for the particular use and benefits, wholly or in part, of any class of persons, or for the benefit of any community, state, or local government. Emphasis here is mine.

The Commission shall pay compensation on any land acquired by the commission; Any disputes over claim for compensation shall be referred to the Land Use Allocation Committee of the State concerned; Commission has power to enter into any negotiation with holders of Statutory or Customary Rights of Occupancy for the purpose of assignment or alienation to the Commission” Part VI deals with the Regulation of persons or class of persons to use the Grazing Areas, Restrictions of conduct within the Grazing areas, offences which carry a fine of N50,000= or imprisonment for five years or both.

To be continued. *Mr Udegbe, a lawyer, can be reached at ceeaai@yahoo.com.

20—Vanguard, FRI DAY FRIDAY DAY, APRIL 22, 2016

Stop the borrowing, look inwards

By Ebele Orakpo

‘A

*The Nneoma Skills Acquisition Centre

SNARP of comfort for widows, others

By Chidi Nkwopara, Owerri

A

FTER years of mourn ing the loss of their life partners and toiling to make ends meet, many widows in Imo State presently have reason to smile as they count their blessings, thanks to the wife of the state Governor, Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha. Identifying shelter as an essential need of the widows, the Imo First Lady had since 2011 under the auspices of her “She Needs a Roof Project, SNARP”, built, furnished and handed over more than 172 units of two-bedroom bungalows for indigent widows and orphans, who do not have roofs over their heads.

Some other SNARP buildings for these vulnerable persons, are still under construction in all the 27 local council areas of Imo State.

Apart from SNARP, Nneoma Okorocha also embarked on her “Nneoma Kitchen”, through which she reached out and touched lives via feeding, clothing the poor and visiting motherless babies and other charity homes across the state. Vanguard Metro, VM, gathered that the programme is designed to rekindle the spirit of being our brother’s keeper.

Optimal potentials Mention must also be made of the Nneoma Girl Child Summit aimed at eliminating all forms of discrimination against the girlchild and promote the cause of the girl-child, with the view of encouraging them to reach their optimal potentials.

The Nneoma Cancer Palliative Care Centre has as its motto:”If only the poor would smile”. The Governor’s wife was moved to provide this medical facility in 2012.

Today, this vision has become a mission as the Centre now sees to the welfare of not less than 15 cancer patients weekly and at no cost to them. Similarly, families of the patients receive support in handling their loved ones, who are currently C M Y K

in pain.

There is also the Nneoma Leadership Forum targeted at building tomorrow’s leaders by impacting effective leadership skills in school prefects. The Forum not only held three times a year and in all the geo-political zones of the state, but also helps the participants to imbibe virtues of tolerance, collaboration, sound moral character, integrity and rich values of national consciousness and unity.

They yearly Women’s August Meeting has been moved to higher grounds as Mrs. Okorocha now meets with pregnant mothers periodically. In each of the outings, the Governor’s wife hands over delivery kits to the participating women, free of charge.

Now the clincher! The Governor’s wife has now built skills acquisition centres in the three geo-political zones of Okigwe, Orlu and Owerri. The first intakes, numbering over 300, have matriculated.

The link between skills acquisition, job creation and employment cannot be over emphasized. Economic growth is necessary for sustained reduction of poverty, but how far the growth process succeeds in creating productive employment opportunities, including self employment of members of the popu-

My target is that in no distant time, our students would become self- reliant, independent and great entrepreneurs

lace living in poverty, depends entirely on their ability to seize employment opportunities or maximize their potentials for self employment.

Explaining why she ventured into skills acquisition, Mrs. Okorocha said: “My target is that in no distant time, our students would become self- reliant, independent and great entrepreneurs who would eventually become captains of industries and employers of labour”.

She also reasoned that in the light of the present day global economic recession, it was no longer ideal to depend entirely on white collar jobs, hence the necessity for the Nneoma Skills Acquisition Centres.

Qualified instructors “The Centre trains students in different skills such as computer training, fashion and designing, hair dressing and beauty, catering, photography and cosmetology.

Nneoma Skills Acquisition Centre is a great brand of excellence and boasts of highly qualified instructors who are skilled, committed and above all, passionate about their work,” Mrs. Okorocha said.

VM gathered that the Centre’s curriculum has been developed and adapted to be in line with best practices, in collaboration with Imo State Polytechnic school system.

“In this way, our graduates will receive scalable certificates that would be upgraded in future, if they so wish,” Mrs. Okorocha said.

Earlier in a goodwill message delivered on his behalf by his Deputy, Prince Eze Madumere, Governor Rochas Okorocha said: “Education alone is not just preparation for life, but it is life itself. The best form of education is that which allows one to develop the talent inside, thereby making oneself his/her own boss. This great initiative needs not to be re-emphasised. It calls for all and sundry to support the First Lady of Imo State. We salute your ingenuity towards uplifting the living standard of the common man in Imo State,” Okorocha said.

RE we moving forward or going backwards?” asked Simon in the CMS-bound commuter vehicle. “We are moving forward of course! Forward ever, backward never. President Buhari is taking us somewhere,” said Taju.

Said Simon: “I asked that question because of the President’s latest trip to China for loan. Why borrow?

Obasanjo managed to repay most of what we owed for years and got the creditors to cancel the rest. Do we want to start accumulating debt again? Can’t we think of another way out? That’s my point.”

“Exactly! Necessity is the mother of invention, says a popular adage but that seems not to apply to Nigeria. When China and India were counted among the Third World countries, they closed their borders to all unnecessary importations and looked inward. They imported things that were absolutely necessary to their development that they could not produce locally. They would import machines, dismantle and reassemble them and in the process learnt how to make their own locally. Who would have believed that one day, India’s ugly-looking tricycle (Keke Napep), will become an export commodity, earning them billions of dollars in foreign exchange? Today India produces and exports Tata Motors. They did not despise the days of little beginning. They embraced their local products and kept improving with time. We should borrow a leaf from them,” said Ken. “Tell them my brother. Here, we denigrate our own, preferring anything foreign even if it is of lower quality. We are so fixated on imported goods. The local producers now tell us what we want to hear. Many of the shoes, bags and perfumes with Made in Italy, England, Brazil, USA, China or whatever label, were made in Aba, Nigeria and our people gladly buy. If they had put Made in Aba label, nobody will buy; so cunny man die, cunny man bury am, case closed,” said Stella.

“You just nailed it my dear. I believe the solution to every problem facing a people lies with the people in their environment. A researcher once told me that most imported anti-malaria drugs fail to work after sometime because they The solution are from other climes and not indigenous to the to every people they are being problem facing used to treat,” said Ken. a people lies “One can never please Nigerians. Shebi PMB with the people banned some items and in their we started crying that he wants to kill us. Now you environment are saying we should ban these things and look inwards. Which one we dey sef?” asked Simon.

Replied Stella: “You do things gradually. Don’t just ban importation of very essential goods like food items without alternatives. How can you just wake up and ban rice importation when we don’t have enough?”

“There are unnecessary things that could be banned right away and then ban some food items gradually as we begin to produce our own. Starting from government agencies, ministries and officials, ban importation of biscuits, drinks, clothes, etc.” said Ken. “I understand PMB did not borrow a dime from the Chinese but simply attracted billions of dollars worth of investments,” said Taju.

“I hope so oo. But beyond that, we must strive for a balance of trade. The bottom line is to look at our natural and human resources, see how we can add value to them and export to other countries. If we only export raw materials to China while our markets are flooded with finished goods from China, then we will still be making motions without movement. Let us explore.

Nigerians are no dummies, they are smart people,” said Ken.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016—21

US govt bemoans impediments to trade facilitation

By Godwin Oritse HE United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Nigeria has expressed concern over the impediments on the nation’s highways which it says was militating against trade facilitation.

Development of the Lagos-Jibiya (LAKAJI Corridor as a multimodal major trade route in Nigeria is an initiative of USAID Nigeria through the Nigeria Expanded Trade and Transport (NEXTT) project which is designed to promote inclusive economic growth through an integrated approach to trade and transport competitiveness.

Speaking at the caravan in Abeokuta, Mr Noel Kosonu, a Transport specialist at the USIAD said that impediments must be removed for trade facilitation to reduce the cost and time of moving goods and services.

T

Reduction of poverty Kosonu explained that the removal of these impediments will enhance the reduction of poverty on the Corridor. “This will impact positively on reducing poverty on the corridor and the country. “Economic development of Nigeria is expansive and all challenges and encumbrances must be removed to improve trade” he added.

In 2013, the USAID conducted a baseline study on the LAKAJI corridor, which revealed that it costs over $3,000 and takes approximately 12.5 days to send a 20-foot container from Jibiya (border town in Katsina State) to Lagos, while it costs nearly $5,000 and takes approximately 19.5 days to move a 20-foot container from the Lagos port to Jibiya.

The cost and time was the highest when compared with similar corridors between two different countries in West Africa and states in the US. The high cost to transport goods along the corridor is largely due to the lengthy clearance time and associated costs at the port with series of bottlenecks and fines along the express way.

Kosonu noted that the preponderance of non-trade barriers are responsible for the low level of economic development and integration in Africa. Economic integration in Africa is less than 11

Economic development of Nigeria is expansive and all challenges and encumbrances must be removed to improve trade” he added per cent when compared with over 71 per cent in Europe and 53 per ceent in Asia.

According to Kosonu, Nigeria is losing out from serving neigh-

boring landlocked countries in West Africa due to its high cost and time of moving goods. Describing the Lome – Ouagadougou corridor as the most competitive corridor in the West- Africa sub-region. “Transport Specialist stated that “landlocked countries like Niger and Burkina Faso are routing their goods to be moved through Togo be-

cause the country has drastically reduced the number of checkpoints, hence movement of goods through the country is faster and at a lower cost.” “Nigeria can become a lot more competitive for trading in West Africa by the removal of barriers to trade and transport with harmonization of procedure” he added.

The Deputy Chief of Party of

the NEXTT project, Engr Isaac Adegun noted that about 90% of Nigeria’s population reside along the LAKAJI Corridor, saying “hence the need to transform this corridor into an economic corridor because the economic development of the corridor which host the two most populated states in Nigeria will trigger the nation’s economy.”

Wheat stakeholders in crucial talk on price

By Jimoh Babatunde

A

S the harvesting 2015/ 2016 wheat season comes to a close, Stakeholders in the wheat value chains met recently in Abuja on the price the farmers would get for their wheat. At the meeting, convened by the Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI), under the instruction of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, a minimum price favourable to $ 129.35 2.20 the farmers and millers was considered. $3,060.00 65.00 Although the millers seemed to have yield$15. 59 0.02 ed ground and expressed readiness to pay the minimum suggested by the farmers’ $45. 82 0.02 representatives, they nonetheless asked the $44. 20 0. 02 farmers ‘ representatives to consider lowerCURRENCY BUYING SELLING ing the price a little low196.5 197 US DOLLAR 196 er to allow the millers 281.7892 282.5081 283.2269 POUNDS reduce their losses.

222. 9304 223. 4991 224. 0678 EURO At the meeting after a 203.721 204.2407 204.7604 FRANC 1.7945 1.7991 1.8037 YEN fairly long debate 0.3198 0.3298 0.3398 CFA among key value chain 275.5804 276. 2834 276.9864 WAUA leaders, the discussants 30.3045 30.3822 30.46 RENMINBI realised the need to act 52.2597 52.393 52.5263 RIYAL 29.9502 30. 0266 30.013 fast and fix a price for KRONA 276.5952 277. 3008 278. 0068 SDR this season’s wheat.

The millers, VanCBN Exchange rate as at 21/04/2016 guard learned, have

C M Y K

LECTURE: Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, MD/CE, Umaru Ibrahim (left; Acting Director of Studies, National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Amb. Adamu Abass (right) and Director of Studies, NIPSS, Prof. Celestine Bassey during Executive Course 38, 2016 at National Institute for Policy & Strategic Studies Kuru, Jos.

argued that they presently import wheat at nearly half the price the farmers are asking for, while the farmers made a point about their cost of production and the fact that some farmers are under temptation to sell of their wheat harvests in the open market where it presently commands a higher price.

The risk, according to a source at the meeting, was that the

market price would drop significantly when harvested wheat floods the market.

The Executive Director of LCRI, Dr. Gbenga Olabanji, it was also learnt, urged both parties to avoid discouraging farmers from future wheat production through a present low value offer.

For the first time, the stakeholders were discussing on how to bulk wheat for ease of transportation by off-takers (millers),

while it was also recognised that the farmers needed to be sensitised on why they needed to sell to bulk buyers (millers).

While it was gathered that some middle men buyers were offering too unrealistically high price to some farmers so as to mop up what has been harvested, the farmers were advised to guard against falling into a trap with such deals that might not be sustainable.

Unilever records N16.78 bn turnover in first quarter

By Peter Egwuatu

U

nilever Nigeria Plc has announced a turnover of N16.78 billion for the first quarter financial results ended March 31, 2016.

It also recorded N1.04 billion Profit After Tax, PAT for the same financial period, with improvements across board. The results show 12.5 per cent growth in turnover from N14.9 billion in first quarter, Q1 2015 to N16.78 billion in Q1 2016.

Cost of sales increased by 9.1 per cent to N10.7 billion for the period ended March 2016 from N9.8 billion recorded in the corresponding period in 2015.

Net finance cost reduced by 35 per cent to N488 million for the

three. months ended March 31, 2016 compared to N757 million reported for the corresponding period in 2015.Q1 2016 results show that net finance cost as a function of operating profit improved significantlyto26percent(Q12015: 47 per cent), reflecting sustained improvements in cash management.

Profit after tax for the full year increased significantly by 76% from N590 million in Q1 2015 to N1.04 billion in Q12016.

Trading conditions remained difficult in the first quarter of 2016.

However, Unilever Nigeria continued to demonstrate resilience in navigating the difficult terrain and operating environment.

In a statement released by the

company, Unilever Nigeria assured stakeholders of continued focus on key business drivers to ensure sustained growth in the company’s operations to improve returns on investments.

“Although the challenges in the operating environment are yet to ease, we have continued to see momentumbehindrecentinitiatives taken by Management. We will continue to focus on driving cost efficiencies, growing market share across key categories and reinvesting behind our brands”.

Management is equally addressingtheissueoffinancecosts through a number of initiatives and efforts are on-going to sustain the improvements coming through in Q1

22—Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22 16 22,, 20 2016

Tips for getting the cheapest flights

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HE UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has agreed to design a two-year Plan of Action to promote tourism in Nigeria, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, has said.

Mohammed said that the decision was reached at a meeting he held with the Secretary-General of the organisation, Taleb Rifai.

Mohammed said the meeting was held on Wednesday on the sidelines of the April 19 to April 21 UNWTO Commission for Africa meeting in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

A statement issued yesterday in Abuja on the meeting by the Special Adviser to the Minister, Mr Segun Adeyemi, stated that UNWTO would work with the government to boost the nation’s tourism sector.

According to the statement, Rifai invited the minister to the organisation’s headquarters in Spain during which he would meet with the UNWTO, private sector investors and Spanish government officials.

The statement said that the visit would be followed by that of the secretary-general to Nigeria for onthe-spot assessment of the challenges militating against the development of tourism in Africa’s largest economy.

On his part, Rifai said that the UNWTO was delighted to have Nigeria fully back in the fold.

You can save huge sum on a single flight with these tips!

UNWTO to help boost tourism in Nigeria

S

— MINISTER

“We are happy Nigeria is here. Nigeria is too significant to disconnect from UNWTO. “Happily, the new government in Nigeria has a good reputation,’’ the secretary-general said.

The minister on his part briefed the Secretary-General and his team on the efforts being made by the Nigerian government to ensure the security of lives and property.

He said successes had been recorded against Boko Haram, as well as on the upgrading of infrastructure.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed The UNWTO is the leading international organisation in the field of tourism, promoting tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability.

The organisation also provides leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies globally.

DINNIG OUT

Nigerian, Italian tastes meet at Intercontinental Hotel F

OR many patrons of the Lagos Intercontinental hotel, one of the restaurants that attract guests is the Milano restaurant that offers Italian cuisine. So, it will not be strange to see items like Petto Di Pollo Ripieni , fried calamari, risotto, grouper fillet, and fettuccine alla carbonara among others in the menu list. But on a recent visit, I was surprised to see on the menu list Italian pizza with Nigerian flavour. So, it was a delight having gizzard pizza, asun pizza and suya pizza.

In a chat with the hotel’s Director of Food & Beverages, Mr. Ahmed Raza, later on the new culinary adventure, he said they needed to introduce Nigeria flavour when they discovered that many Nigerians have started patronizing the restaurant unlike when they started.

“To be very honest with you, for the first couple of years, because we were getting a lot of corporate clientele, lot of expatriates were coming to the restaurants, but now the trends have changed.

“Now a lot of locals and lots of Nigerians are coming to dine in our restaurant. We are really proud of that because we think the restaurants cater to the people of Lagos. So , we have added a lot of Nigerian dishes to it.

That is what we want, we want the expatriates and we want the people of Lagos.

Mr. Ahmed Raza added that they are looking beyond in-house guests to patronize the restaurant, but also outsiders, “We want to capture average diners who are dining outside, to come to Intercontinental Hotels, we have the Nigerian flavour fused with the Italian flavour.”

“The Nigerian food is normally specie that is why we are having the Italian pizza with the Nigerian flavour.

We have the gizzard pizza, asun pizza and suya pizza.

Basically it is picking the basic elements of Nigerian food and merging it with the Italian food to give it an exciting flavour that people here will enjoy.”

C M Y K

IGN-up for a fare alert. Once you know where you want to go, sign up for a price alert. You will get emails telling you the prices of a particular flight, so that you can decide when the best time to book your flight is. There are numerous different fare alert services that you can use.

2. Book airfare eight weeks in advance for domestic travel and 24 weeks in advance for international travel — or go last-minute.

The right time to book your flight is a highly debated topic, and for every result you find in Google, you’ll find a different answer.

However, according to the Airlines Reporting Corporation, travelers save an average of 19 percent when booking flights eight weeks before a domestic U.S. flight and an incredible 27 percent when booking an international flight 24 weeks before departure.

Alternatively, you may also be able to score a great deal with a last-minute booking. Lastminute bookings are great when it might be nice to get away for a weekend, but it’s not essential that you go. You don’t want the stress of hoping for a last-minute deal which may never come, so if it’s essential travel, stick on the safe side and book in advance.

3. Travel at off-peak hours and on the cheapest days.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to figure this out for yourself thanks to the ‘search by month’ features on Skyscanner and Google Flights.

They allow you to see airfares each day for the entire month. Not only can it save you hundreds of dollars, it will also save you a ton of time. It works best if you can be a little bit flexible with your dates.

4. Research baggage restrictions before you head to the airport.

According to the U.S Bureau of Transportation Statistics, airlines collected more than $3.5 billion in baggage fees in 2014! Your money could be much better spent on something that would enhance your travels.

Discount carriers

The Milano restaurant

A chef on duty.

To avoid paying for excess luggage, check your airline’s restrictions before you leave the house. Weigh your luggage if in doubt. Also be aware that when some airlines say they have a one-item carry-on rule, they literally mean one item. That means if you have a purse and a laptop, that’s two items. Both have to fit in the same bag, otherwise you’ll pay — no exceptions. Typically the discount carriers are stricter on this, but the major airlines are also charging passengers.

5. Fly from an alternate airport.

This typically works only if you are flying to or from a larger city, but can save you a ton of money. For example, if you’re flying to London, it’s very likely that you’ll find the best deals by flying into Gatwick or Stansted rather than Heathrow, the main airport. You do need to weigh the pros and cons though, as the alternate airport may be so far away, it may not be worth the savings, or the train ticket from the airport may end up eating into your savings.

6. Be loyal to one airline alliance.

When you are loyal to one airline alliance, it makes it easier to collect reward points.

The major ones are Star Alliance (with 28 member airlines), SkyTeam (with 20 members), and OneWorld (16 members). It’s worth taking a look each network to see which carriers you fly with most often, then trying to use the carriers in that alliance whenever possible.

VOL. 1: NO. 17

FRIDAY, APRIL 22 , 2016

By Dayo Johnson

MURDER OF OPC MEMBER BY FULANI HERDSMEN:

P

ALPABLE fear has continued to grip farmers across Ondo State following the menace of Fulani herdsmen whose activities have left many dead and also led to wanton destruction of properties.

The menace of the herdsmen has left many farmers devastated as most of their farmlands remain in ruins.

Also, as a result of the destruction of farmlands by the Fulani herdsmen many of the farmers, who took loans from banks to revamp their agricultural ventures, are now indebted to banks.

Findings in the state have revealed that there is hardly any medium scale or large scale farmer that has not had one encounter or the other with the herdsmen.

Lamenting the activities of the herdsmen, which is affecting farm produce, the chairman of farmers association in the state, Akin Olotu expressed worry that the murder of an Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, member by the herdsmen has created fears in the farmers of the state.

Olotu wondered that if a security guard of an influential politician could be killed like that what would be the fate of lesser farmers across the state.

He noted that the activities of the herdsmen had become a serious threat to the security of state saying farmers had called the attention of both the state and Federal Governments to the hydra headed problems of herdsmen, who he accuses of rape, robbery, kidnapping and destruction of their farms.

Aside, continued attacks on the farmland belonging to former Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Chief Olu Falae is becoming worrisome.

As a matter of fact, within the space of six months, the herdsmen have paid three unwanted visits to Falae’s farmland.

Apart from the kidnap and eventual release, the herdsmen have continued to invade the former SGF’s farmland.

As if that was not enough, the herdsmen again invaded the same farm located at Ilado, Akure North area of the state but were chased away by the security guards employed to man the farm.

Killing of OPC member Another visit was paid to the farm by the herdsmen last week but they were again prevented C M Y K

How bloodbath was averted in Ondo

•Mimiko carrying the two children of the murdered OPC member with the wife Funmilayo

•The governor with OPC members after a peace meeting from invading and destroying it by some OPC members employed by Chief Falae to defend the farmland because of the menace of the cattle rearers.

Reports had it that the herdsmen returned to the farm few days later and succeeded in kidnapping one of the OPC security guards, Ayodele Ige. Ayodele was missing for days

only for security operatives deployed to search for him to discover his corpse floating on a pool of water far from the farm.

The death of the OPC member created tension. In the state as other members of the congress planned

a reprisal attack on fulani cattle rearers in Shasha areaa of Akure, the Ondo State capital that weekend.

Vanguard gathered that the foot soldiers within the group have been mobilized from across the council areas of the state and several meetings have been held.

They were to strike the following day but their meeting was leaked

to the governor, who swiftly moved in to douse the tension.

Security reports had it that the intention of members of the group was to retaliate by killing at least five herdsmen and not less than fifty of their cow after

Ayodele was missing for days only for security operatives deployed to search for him to discover his corpse floating on a pool of water far from the farm

IN THIS EDITION SUPREMACY BATTLE: Obas’ c’ttee reconcile feuding S/west monarchs •Page 24

Family laments killing of breadwinner by Customs

•Page 24

which both parties can then resolve to bury the hatchet.

But the timely intervention of governor Olusegun Mimiko, who pleaded with the founder of the group, Otunba Gani Adams to speak with his 'boys' not to turn the state to a theatre of war averted what could have been a bloodbath and invariably an ethnic battle in the state.

A detachment of policemen were immediately deployed to the Hausa community in order to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

Otunba Adams immediately summoned the leadership of the congress in the state to a meeting where he pleaded that the killers of Ayodele should be fished out and made to face justice.

After this, the governor then invited all the members of the congress across the 18 council areas in the state to a peace meeting where he appealed to them to allow security operatives handle the matter and not to resort to self help.

Governor Mimiko assured them that wherever the killers happen to be hiding, they would be

Continues on page 24

24—Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016

OYO STATE

•A cross section of some Obas in the South West

SUPREMACY BATTLE: Obas’ c’ttee reconcile feuding S'West monarchs

By Ola Ajayi

W

HEN some reputable monarchs in the South West saw how disunity and rivalry were spreading like a bush fire in harmattan and denying them of their legitimate rights from successive governments, they had to make a move to check the ugly trend.

The battle for supremacy was so serious between the Alaafin of Oyo, His imperial Majesty, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi and the former Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade and also some monarchs in Ogun State and other parts.

This resulted in the formation of the Yoruba Obas Conflict Resolution Committee. It is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring a peaceful co-existence among traditional rulers in the zone.

Mediatory committee So, when the Olugbo of Ugbo kingdom, Oba Frederick Obateru Akinruntan and a few others initiated the mediatory committee, many Yoruba sons and daughters breathed a sigh of relief that at least traditional rulers in the zone would be united like their counterparts in the North.

Other members of the reconciliatory committee are the Sabiganna of Iganna, Oba Saliu Oyemonlaa Azeez who is the secretary of the committee, Oba Sikirulai Alabi-Adelani Obatula, Olojodu of Ojuduland, Ijebu in Ogun State and Oba Apostle Atibioke, Olubaran of Ibaran, Akoko, Ondo state, Oba Obafemi Ogbaro, the Odoka of Ogbaro, Oba Walihu Sanni, Olugedede of Akoko, Oba Sunday Mogaji, Oosunla ErusuAkoko, Oba Oladipupo Kolade, C M Y K

Olusoji of Ipoti Ekiti, Owa of Olagbagi Akoko, Oba Victor Adetona and Oluyani of Iyani, Oba Joel Daodu among others .

The committee which has been so impartial in its efforts, has been so careful not to allow old wounds to foster in its reconciliatory moves.

Their heroic efforts put at bay the perennial royal battle between Oba Adeyemi and late Oba Sijuwade. Even though, the duo were avoiding each other like lepers and would not attend a meeting together, the committee was not discouraged, the members would go to them separately and this, to a large extent, reduced the crisis.

So, it was not surprising when the new Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi paid a surprise visit to the Alaafin of Oyo. The visit has set so many crooked things straight in the zone.

The committee which has been so impartial in its efforts, has been so careful not to fester old wounds in its reconciliatory moves As a way forward, the committee, again, met in Ibadan on Tuesday to appeal to other traditional rulers in the zone to be wary of their comments on who is the most senior monarch

in the zone. This, they viewed, could fan embers of disunity they have been trying to extinguish among them.

While reading a communiqué after the end of the meeting, the Secretary of the committee, Oba Saliu Oyemonlaa, said, “Appraising the activities of the committee in the last one year, it was observed that the efforts of the committee have been yielding positive results to which the Obas expressed gladness. It was noted that the prevailing peaceful coexistence among the Yoruba Obas could not be divorced from the activities of the committee, insisting that the tempo should be maintained.

“The committee stressed its commitment to the peaceful coexistence among the Yoruba Obas which it said should be held

sacrosanct, noting that it is only through unity of purpose among the traditional rulers that what is due to the Yoruba nation within the larger Nigerian political landscape could be attained.

“In order ensure that the current peace is not eroded, the committee admonished all the traditional rulers in Yoruba land to shun undue rivalry and anything capable of injuring the feelings of fellow Obas, stressing that there is no hamlet, village, town or city in Yorubaland without a rich historical background, hence, the need to accord all traditional rulers the due respect they all deserve irrespective of the size or age of the community.

“The committee called for patience and perseverance on

the part of the people in view of the current hardship been experienced in the land, asking for understanding and cooperation with the present administration as it expressed conviction in the method and style of the present administration to turn things around and make life meaningful for Nigerians.”

Assuring Nigerians that the present administration will bring smiles to the faces of the people very soon, the committee equally asked the government to give traditional rulers windows of opportunity to be involved in governance, using their wealth of experience and closeness with the people.

The traditional rulers’ forum also used the opportunity to appeal to politicians not to heat up the polity with destructive criticisms, pleading that whatever is being done or said should be in the overall best interest of the country.

How bloodbath was averted in Ondo Continues from page 23 smoked out and made to pay for their sins.

The state coordinator of OPC, Pius Ogunsanya said that they have restrained from carrying out reprisal attacks following the prompt intervention of their leader, Otunba Adams, the governor and Chief Falae.

The state OPC had given the security operatives in the state 48 hours to produce the killer of Ayodele or they would go on a revenge operation across the state.

But the governor pleaded with them to drop the idea of retaliating saying the security operatives are on top of the situation .

Speaking with newsmen after the peace meeting with the members of the OPC across the state, the governor raised the alarming prospect of the country heading towards a precipice following the

unchecked activities of Fulani herdsmen.

Mimiko wades in Dr Mimiko said: “We have put in place a lot of fire fighting efforts in the last 48 hours to ensure that there’s no retaliatory attack from the OPC. “There’s no question about the fact that this is becoming a monster of sorts. I have had cause to express my view on this and I think we all ignore this menace as a nation, I can see us moving towards a precipice and we must do something about it, it’s getting dangerous, the audacity is very disturbing.

When it comes to killing now, killing people over their own property, or land that is a very big challenge.”

Police holds stakeholders meeting As a follow up to the peace meeting, the state Police command met with stakeholders,

Hausa/Fulani farmers, traditional leaders, village heads and Miyyatti Allah in Akure on the need to stop further blood shedding in the state and to allow peace reign.

The State Police Commissioner, Hilda Harrison expressed concern over the killings and the menace of the herdsmen noting that the police command would not take it lightly with troublemakers in the state.

Speaking with Vanguard, the OPC state Coordinator, Ogunsanya said the group would no longer tolerate the act of impunity by Fulani herdsmen in the state.

Cattle breeders deny involvement Also, the Chairman of Miyyati Allah Cattle Breeders Association , Alhaji Bello Garuba, denied allegations against his men saying those perpetrating the acts were not from the state.

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26—Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22,

2016

OWAMBE

•Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun unveiling the tallest drum during the 1st Nigerian Drum Festival held at Abeokuta, Ogun State.

•The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II; (2nd row, 2nd left )Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo III; (4th left), Director General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Sally Mbanefo, (1st row, 1st right) and others at the 1st Nigerian Drums Festival held at Abeokuta, Ogun State.

• Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, being presented with a Magazine by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Saddiq Baba Abubakar and Director, Public Relations & Information, Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa during the courtesy visit to the Governor by the Chief of Air Staff, at the Lagos House, Ikeja •Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (middle); the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Saddiq Baba Abubakar (2nd left), Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Olukunle Ojo (left); Commander 435 Base Services Group, NAF Ikeja, Air Commodore Paul Masiyer (2nd right); Chief of Administration, Air Vice Marshal Ajibola Jekennu (right) and other NAF Officers during a courtesy visit to the Governor by the Chief of Air Staff, at the Lagos House, Ikeja

•DSS arraignsd two men for cloning the phone number of Gov Ambode in Lagos

THE TEAM EDITOR: Adeleke Adeseri 08054682557 (sms only)

•The Project Supervisor, Engr. Bec Fiara (left) taking the Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Dr. Kolapo Olusola (right), and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Mr. Ademiloye Fasiku ( middle) round the road project sites in Ikole and Omuo-Ekiti during the Deputy Governor’s monitoring visit to the areas.

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CORRESPONDENTS: Dapo Akinrefon Lagos Ola Ajayi Ibadan Gbenga Olarinoye Osogbo Dayo Johnson Akure Daud Olatunji Abeokuta Olasunkanmi Akoni Lagos Rotimi Ojomoyela Ekiti Monsuru Olowoepejo

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28—Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016

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30 —VANGUARD, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016

Muslim SoulMates Do you seek a Muslim life partner?

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Rajab 15, 1437 A.H.

CCT, CCB law review: You'll not win, only Allah will win, Abdullateef tells Senate

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PPOSITION to Nigeria’s Senate’s attempt to amend the the Code of Conduct Bureau and Code of Conduct Tribunal law got a boost recently with the latest condemnation coming from the Lagos Secretariat Mosque, Ikeja.

While delivering the Jum’at sermon titled “Change Your Focus”, Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr Abdulhakeem Abdullateef described the attempt by the Senate to amend the laws as a shame.

The Senate, presided over by

Deputy President, Ike Ekweremadu, hastily passed the Code of Conduct Bureau Act (CCBA) and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) amendment bills through the second readings in just three days, the fastest in recent history of the Eight Assembly.

The bills, already forwarded to the Senate Judiciary Committee for review, are expected to be returned to the Senate in two weeks.

Senator Yahaya Abdullahi had cautioned the Senate to be “mindful” of public perception due to wrong timing of the

Let’s be patient with Buhari — NACOMYO

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ATIONAL Council of Muslim Youth Organisations, NACOMYO, Southern zone has urged Nigerians to be patient with the Buhari-led administration saying that government efforts will soon yield dividend of democracy.

The group in a communique jointly signed by National Vice President, Alhaji Mustapha Balogun and the Secretary, Abdul Mojeed Momoh sent to Vanguard at the end of its 3rd annual Da’wah retreat held in Ado-Ekiti recently said: “the Nigerian State is going through a particularly difficult time. While we recognize that though the problems have been long in existence yet, the populace holds the hope that the result of government’s efforts to combat the problems would be swift in coming.

“The Council noted with grave concern the spate of kidnappings in the South East and South-

South regions urging government to step up security of lives and property of the citizenry.

In the same vein, the political violence in Bayelsa and Rivers States, cultism in the South-South and ritual killings in the South West are becoming worrisome as these have resulted in unnecessary loss of lives and property in those States.”

On the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp in Edo State, the council stated that while it supported and appreciated the efforts of governments, religious bodies and civil society groups in offering succour to the displaced citizens in the North East, “we are, however, dismayed that a Christian group in Edo State – International Christian Centre for Mission – is taking advantage of the sufferings of some of the hapless people of the North East to further their evangelical mission.”

amendment bills, initiated by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi and supported by Senators Dino Melaye, Sam Anyanwu, Biodun Olujimi who all said, “the time is right”.

Dr Abdullateef warned the Senators to be wary of their actions, saying success in the amendments will still amount to nothing.

“You can see how shameful the action was, with the exception of few ones that walked out.

Lawmakers wanted to change the law because of one person.

What a shame! If you change the Code of Conduct Tribunal law, does that change anything”, he queried.

Citing the case of those that resigned from public offices abroad because of their indictment in the Panama papers, the Commissioner urged Nigerians facing corruption cases, irrespective of their status to emulate such and allow the Rule of Law to take its due course. “In fact, there is a cabal taking every step to make nonsense of what President Muhammad Buhari is doing. You will not win, Only Allah will win.”

“If you focus only on enriching yourselves, then you have a wrong focus. Look at the end of those who did that in the past. It is destruction, they didn’t get it”, he warned. Dr AbdulLateef asked Nigerians to be grateful to Allah for restoring the glory and image of the country even as he enjoined citizens to be patience with the present government.

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PROFILE 15: A gainfully employed young lady, 34 years, 5ft.7inch from South-West, wants a Muslim man between 38 to 40 years as life partner. Preferably tall, literate and handsome.

Ahmadiyya women walk for peace

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HE women group of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Nigeria -Lajnal Imallillah (Women Servant of Allah) recently embarked on a ‘Walk For Peace’ as part of the centenary celebration of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in Nigeria.

According to the Women Leader, Dr Basirat Dikko, the

‘Peace Walk’ commenced from the Ahmadiyya headquarters, Ojokoro to Abule Egba junction on the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway adding that aside from the commemoration of the centenary programmes, the walk was a health initiative programme of the Muslim women group to enhance their physical fitness.

Ogun screens intending hajj pilgrims

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THREE-DAY intensive screening exercise has commenced in Abeokuta for intending Muslim pilgrims from Ogun State for this year’s holy pilgrimage to Makkah.

Chairman of the Board, Dr. Ishaq Yusuf said the exercise which was embarked upon by the Board was aimed at determining the Islamic Religious Knowledge, immigration status and criminal records of the intending pilgrims.

“Any Muslim intending pilgrim should know the importance of five pillars of Islam, how to perform the five daily prayers, must be a Nigerian and free of criminal records. If any pilgrim was

found not successful in any of the screening exercise, he or she will be asked to re-apply or declared unfit to perform the hajj exercise”, he said.

He called on the pilgrims to always put the religious essence of the hajj exercise first in anything they do, adding that they should be good ambassadors of the State during the exercise.

Meanwhile, Immigration Officials present at the screening exercise added that part of the screening was to ascertain the nationality of the intending Muslim pilgrims, and ensure they have valid Nigeria E-passport not less than six months to the expiration date.

Lajna Imaillah Ahmadiyya Nigeria during a walk for Healthy living in Lagos.

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32 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016

LEISURE

YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 TAURUS: Your creativity quotient is enhanced today and if you demonstrate this within your working arena, you’ll earn success and consolidate on your recent progress.

GEMINI: As mercury goes on backward motion today, it is important you don’t take things for granted. Watch carefully what you agree to do. But this is a good day for lovers.

CANCER: Better than yesterday. Others will be willing to give you the needed co-operation both at home and within your working arena. This is a good day for lovers.

LEO: Those of you who are more enterprising will have much to show for your efforts. The more co-operative you are, the better for you. Don’t neglect love.

VIRGO: Mercury starts going on backward motion today; therefore, you will need to re-examine both your personal ideas and advice given to you by other people.

Be family minded.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

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HE greatest resources of any nation is the h u m a n r e s o u r c e s . Ye t , many people do not realise this g r e a t truth.So,they complain about

The sufficiency of man lack of capital.The truth is that your capital will be sufficient the moment you realise who you are.Who are

TERROR MUDA

you?What do you want to be?Once you have found answers to the above questions, then go ahead and do research

in “Never say goodbye”

on what you want t o become.Everything in life has its secret to success.The secret to becoming what you will be is in you.Think about it

By Lanre Kehinde

LIBRA: Provided you don’t allow others to mislead you, things will not go wrong. The more willing you are to take the initiative, the better for you. Take your love life more seriously.

SCORPIO: This is your day. Although you will need to be as secretive as you can, your success will attract others’ attention to you to the betterment of your cause. Be ambitious.

SAGITTARIUS: People who more influential than you will be willing to support your cause but you will need to make the necessary move. The more self assertive you are, the better.

CAPRICORN: Challenges of yesterday will, today, bring you good opportunities along your career/business lines to the betterment of your finances. Seek supports of powerful ones.

AQUARIUS: Think of the best way to improve on your working pattern in order to enhance your career prospects.

If you listeen to your creative self, things’ll work out fine for you. Be more loving.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Pretty Lunatic’

By Andy Akman

PISCES: Success is boldly printed on your cards today.

Think of both immediate and far future while you are savouring goodies offered you by mother nature.

ARIES: You should not have it tough while trying to win the needed supports of others. Take good advice from some of your friends who are creatively gifted.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat th ttoo the As tr ological datee and place of bir birth Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

What June has for me?

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Dear Joshua, I have an important transaction to be carried out come June 2016. Kindly look into my horoscope and tell me what to expect in June.

Adedayo, Ogun, Dear Adedayo, You have three important periods ahead of you between now and August 2016. Thus you are advised to study them and make good plans accordingly.

MAY 16 TO JUNE 14, 2016.

This is a positive period for you. Your luck will shine.

Major or good progress will be made, especially through MONEY The major challenge here is some people may be willing to move you out of where you are now to plant their stooge on one hand, on the other hand you may be forced or voluntarily embark on short distance journey capable to bring you disappointment. The last two weeks will bring more challenges at the same time they will make you VICTORIOUS in many ways.

JUNE 15 TO JULY 13 2016 This is a period that will prove both lucky and peaceful.

Genuine LOVE, satisfaction over youngster and real good luck will be yours. Here is a period one can win something like love or LOTTERY . Major warning here is you must learn to put some money away for raining days coming in your immediate future JULY 14 TO AUGUST 12 2016 Yes the raining days are here. HEALTH and LAW related challenges indicated . Family issues are making you uncomfortable. Practical approach to health, your being SPIRITUAL and willingness to play ball with those who want high bribery games are important here or else they will want to place higher degree of restrictions on you, financially especially. Yes you have to be more hard working and exhibit maturity. After all your efforts if they prove difficult, then you have to leave them to their conscience; as they will eventually fail, but you must show maturity first.

HOME & ABROAD

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016—33

IYC faults Buhari on military action against pipeline vandals

By Samuel Oyadongha

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ENAGOA—IJAW Youth Council, IYC, Worldwide, has described as retrogressive, the comment by President Muhammadu Buhari on the preparedness of his administration to deal decisively with oil and gas pipeline vandals like Boko Haram insurgents.

The Ijaw youths called on the President to investigate the sponsors of the heinous act with a view to tackling the menace instead of raining bombs on the Niger Delta region under the guise of fighting alleged vandals.

President Buhari had, last week, during an interactive session with members of the Nigerian community in China, warned that his administration would descend heavily on oil and gas pipeline vandals as well as other saboteurs the same way the nation’s armed forces were dealing with members of the Boko Haram sect.

IYC, through its President, Mr Udengs Eradiri, described Buhari's position as anti-Niger Delta and condemnable considering the investment purpose of the presidential visit to China.

He said: “We condemn the statement by President Buhari.

The president went to China for discussions on possible investments and began to say that

he would deal with pipeline vandals like Boko Haram. It is wrong.

“It shows that President Buhari does not have the true picture of the Niger Delta. For him to make such a statement shows that he is not current with investment trends in the world.

The statement shows that he will

be sending bombs and troops to the Niger Delta as he did against the Boko Haram sect.

“The investors will become scared because they know that the deployment of bombs and troops will destroy their possible investment in the region.

“President Buhari naturally shot himself in the foot. How can he go to China to discuss

business and investment with proposed payment with resources from the Niger Delta and at the same time threaten the custodians of the means of payment? He also discussed investments without considering citing any in the Niger Delta where the wealth would be sourced from."

CONFAB: From left: David McLachlan, Senior Advisor, Partnerships for Global Health and Healthcare, World Economic Forum; Stephanie Cristin, Project Specialist, Global Health and Healthcare Industries; Wonu Adetayo, Member, Board of Directors, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, NESG, and Uche Hilary-Ogbonna, Humanitarian Affairs Officer, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UN OCHA, at the public-private collaborative action for pandemics and health emergencies in Nigeria, organized by WEF, UN OCHA, and NESG in Lagos.

Monarch harps on importance of National Identity Card

By Perez Brisibe

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REROPKE—THE Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, HRM Orhue I, has charged Nigerians within and outside the country to avail themselves of the opportunity offered by the ongoing National Identity Card registration by the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC. Giving the charge at his palace during a visit by the Delta State coordinator of NIMC, Henrietta Okolo, the monarch, in the company of some palace chiefs, the Orodje applauded the Federal Government for the project, stressing that it would checkmate underdevelopment and electoral irregularities during elections.

Promising to mobilize his subjects, especially farmers, to participate in the National Agricultural Payment Initiative, NAPI, being put in place by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in partnership with NIMC, the monarch promised to work with district heads in his kingdom to ensure that farmers register and benefit from the programme.

Earlier, while giving details of the programme, the Delta

State NIMC coordinator explained that the Federal Government has made plans to empower a minimum of 300, 000 farmers in Delta State through NAPI.

According to her, Delta State is among 15 states to benefit from the programme which is in its early stage, adding that for farmers to benefit from the programme,

they need to get their National Identification Number, NIN, which was the prerequisite for them to benefit from the programme.

Sapele Focus slams PDP chieftain over comments

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APELE—SAPELE Focus, a pressure group in Sapele Local Government Area, Delta State, has urged the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state to call a party chieftain in Sapele Local Government (name withheld) to order, saying that the recent comments credited to the chieftain in the media were grossly misleading.

Coordinator of the group, Mr. Philip Akpos, in a statement, yesterday, said that rather than address the issues agitating the minds of members of the party in the council, the said party chieftain opted to cast aspersion on those building the party in the area.

Akpos said they had expected the chieftain to query why no active member of the party was appointed commissioner of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, from the

council.

According to him, the Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Mr Monday Igbuya, allegedly nominated Mr. Jonathan Amitaye, who was yet to formalise his reentry into the PDP from Labour Party, as commissioner of DESOPADEC.

“This is not fair. People worked for the victory of the party in the council and they should be rewarded before any other,” he said.

It said it was worried that the chieftain had refused to accord a leader, Lucky Ayomanor, his rightful place as a leader of the party.

COEASU dares Okowa over 60yrs to some academic retirement age notices staff.

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By Festus Ahon

SABA—ACADEMIC Staff Union of Colleges of Education, COEASU, chapter of Delta State College of Education, Agbor, yesterday, said that the state government’s move to retire its members who have attained the age of 60 was unacceptable and would be resisted by the union.

Rising from its emergency congress, chairman of the union, Dr. Great Ossai, disclosed that the government had already issued retirement

Saying that the union was already working towards ensuring that such notices were withdrawn, Ossai said: “If government refuses to withdraw the notices, the union would be left with no other option than to take drastic action.”

He, however, charged his members to remain calm, expressing the hope that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa would not violate the College edict and Condition of Service or the NCCE Policy on retirement of academic staff.

Ijaw group decries seizure of speedboats

by Navy

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ELTA Ijaw Youth Assembly, DIYA, has called on the military high command to caution men of the Nigerian Navy to stop the harassment and seizure of speedboats with 200 horse power on the Warri -Burutu - Gbaramatu river axis, explaining that same was capable of causing tension in the creeks.

DIYA, in a statement in Warri, Delta State, by its president, Ebimobowei Oguma, said that there was no reason for the military to stop the use of speedboats with 200 horse power without considering the impact on the economic lives of the people in the guise of searching for pipeline vandals.

The group noted that the Federal Government had not banned the use of Hilux trucks despite being used by Boko Haram or the movement of Fulani Herdsmen from one place to another following their nefarious activities in different parts of the country.

According to DIYA, “People in the riverine areas going about their legitimate businesses are constantly being harassed by men of the Nigerian Navy in the guise of searching for speedboats with 200 horse power.”

Delta communities protest poor electricity supply

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IVE communities in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, comprising Newyork, Ogodogun, Boro, Owhase and Eguono, have taken their frustration with the power situation, in a peaceful protest, to the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, office in Udu, saying that the task of paying bills for darkness was unbearable.

One of the leaders of the protesters, Prince Adogbeji, and the Women Leader, Mrs Ubeku, urged the electricity company to be more consumer-friendly, as it was illogical for somebody who is paying N3,000 monthly for his apartment to be billed N4,000 for electricity that is not steady.

In his response, BEDC Business Manager, Mr. Opiti Ayodele, told the protesters that he would transmit their request to the company headquarters in Benin, Edo State for prompt action, adding, however, that BEDC cannot give what they do not have, because their power to distribute is based on what was transmitted to them.

34—Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016

Kidnapped Enugu Auditor freed after paying N700,000 ransom

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NUGU—THE Enugu State auditor, Mr. Sunday Ogbobe, who was recently kidnapped regained his freedomTuesday night, after four days of captivity in the hands of suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Ogbobe, who was kidnapped on the NsukkaAdani Road, was released after the family paid the sum of N700,000 at a designated place in Amokwu community, Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State.

He was kidnapped last Saturday by herdsmen while returning from a town hall meeting at Ukpabi community.

He reportedly ran into a road block mounted by Fulani herdsmen around 4p.m., from where he was dragged into the bush.

His abductors opened discussion with the family, demanding N5m ransom, which they later reduced to N1.5m the following day.

However, when the family could not meet up, they settled for N700,000.

According to the source, “they initially directed us to drop the ransom at Opijunction in Nsukka Local Government Area; while at the junction, the kidnappers directed us to move to Ogbede junction in IgboEtiti Local Government Area.

“On getting to Ogbede junction, the kidnappers instructed us to proceed to Amokwu Affa junction, in Udi Local Government Area, close to a primary school, where two Fulani herdsmen emerged with pump action guns and collected the ransom."

“They asked us to move quickly while the man was released at a different location.”

‘MASSOB not a security threat'

By Vincent Ujumadu

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WKA—THE faction of the Movement f the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, led by Comrade Uchenna Madu denied, yesterday that the organization was posing a security threat in Igbo land, insisting that MASSOB had always adopted a peaceful approach towards the actualization of Biafra.

Madu’s faction was reacting to a statement by the Anambra State police commissioner, Mr. Hosea Karma, that MASSOB was one of the headaches of the police in the state.

In a statement by its national secretary, Mr. Ugwuoke Ugwuoke, MASSOB said it was unfair for the CP to blame Biafra agitators on some of the vices in the state.

The statement read: “MASSOB under the leadership of Comrade Uchenna Madu is not and can never be the problem of Anambra State or any other state in Igboland as alleged by the Anambra CP. “The CP’s statement was only meant to deceive the people because it is the police and their personnel that are the major headache of the people and causing security challenges, high crime rate and disorderliness in Igboland.

“The police personnel posted to Igboland always enrich themselves through all sorts of criminalities which include monetary settlement on the highways from motorists, in offices, siding the criminals, touts and dealers on hard drugs.”

According to him, MASSOB represents the genuine Igbo interest which can never be compromised or abandoned, adding, “You cannot remove Biafra from Ndigbo and no amount of falsehood, blackmail or campaign of calumny will demoralize or separate Biafra from Ndigbo.”

MASSOB warned and advised Ndigbo to eschew and reject every form of violence, criminality and social vices.

Biafra: SOFEE boss urges FG to negotiate with Kalu

By Prince Okafor

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HE FOUNDER/CHAIRMAN, Sam Ohuabunwa Foundation for Economic Empowerment, SOFEE, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, has called on the Federal Government to negotiate with the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kalu, even as he urged the Federal Government to set up Homeland, Unity and Security department to checkmate agitators.

Mazi Ohuabunwa told Vanguard that “Kalu and the Biafra group he represents, should be called upon by the Federal Government, and questioned on the reason for their agitation.

“The president had earlier said he had no idea of what the Igbo want, what he simply needs to do, is to call the Igbo leaders, and they will tell him what they want and then you can negotiate how to solve the problem and argue with them if need be, and that way, the problem ceases. You cannot say you do not know what the Igbo want and you are just there watching.

Obiano extols launch of Shoprite in Onitsha

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OVERNOR WILLIE Obiano of Anambra State has described the official launching of Shoprite in Onitsha as a milestone in his administration’s efforts to make the state the centrepiece of commercial activities. The governor, accompanied by his wife and other state officials, made the declaration at the launch of the Mall last weekend.

Shoprite, the 18th in the

country, is in partnership with Onitsha Mall, creating over 1,000 jobs for the locals and will cater for all customers’ daily, weekly and monthly food and household requirements.

Also speaking at the launch, Shoprite Nigeria Executive Director, Adeola Kagho, said she was excited about the warm reception the store was receiving from the people of Anambra

State. ‘’We look forward to opening more stores and playing our part to impact more communities. The free breast cancer screening is just one of the many corporate social responsibility, CSR, projects we intend to embark upon in the state and I am happy to witness the high turn-out of women taking part in the screening,’’ she said.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016 — 35

Boko Haram: Insurgents taking refuge outside battle zone — ARMY

By Kingsley Omonobi

A

BUJA—THE Nigerian Army, yesterday said following the massive decimation of Boko Haram activities in the North East, hundreds of defeated members were now fleeing Sambisa Forest into other parts of the country.

Consequently, the Army

warned Nigerians to be alert and be on the lookout for movement and activities of strange persons in their neighbourhood to ensure that the terrorists did not set up new bases in their environments.

A statement from the Army headquarters said, “We are pleased to inform the public that the terrorists are surreptitiously fanning out of their last enclaves in Sambisa to cause havoc or seek refuge elsewhere. Therefore,

there is need for all to be more vigilant and security-conscious to enable us clear the remnants of these terrorists wherever they might flee. We would like to reassure the public that we will remain professional and focused in clearing the remnants of these criminals on the Nigerian soil.

On solidarity activities in support of the military’s successes in routing Boko Haram, the statement said, “The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to a number of groups and

individuals celebrating the routing out and decimation of Boko Haram terrorists on our soil.

“So much as we thank them for that, it is imperative to state that we do not begrudge such persons their desire to identify and associate themselves with this success. However, the Nigerian Army wishes to disassociate itself from such celebrations and solidarity rallies. We also would like to advice that they should tread with caution as this could be distractive to us.”

Only SMEs can fix Nigeria’s economy, says GTBank chief

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By Oscar Ochiogu

AGOS—MANAGING Director/Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Bank, GTBank, Segun Agbaje, has said development of the Small and Medium Entreprises, SMEs, sector remains the only way to fix the Nigerian economy, urging Nigerians not to allow exchange rate determine their success.

Agbaje, who stated this at the April 2016 edition of Business Wednesday of The Market Place Alliance of This Present House, said SMEs, rather than corporations, were needed to fix the country’s economy.

He said: “The only way forward in a country like Nigeria is to have the SME sector developed.

It’s not corporations that will fix Nigeria; it’s an amalgamation of SMEs that will take the country forward. I still believe Nigeria is the greatest place on earth to do business. Africa as a continent is the best place to do business.

There are a few countries with the population we have and at least, 50 per cent are below 28. Who else has 170 million people to sell products to?''

CONFERENCE: The President, Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, Osun State, Dr. Ramon Adedoyin (4th from right); Orangun of Oke Ila, Oba Abolarin Oyedokun (5th from right) and other international relations scholars at the Conference Centre of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, during the annual conference of Nigerian Society of International Affairs at OAU.

Japan grants UNICEF $4.5m for North East

By Victoria Ojeme

A

B U J A — T H E government of Japan has extended a grant of $4.5 million to the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, for the provision of life-saving emergency work to assist people affected and displaced by the conflict in North East of Nigeria.

The grant will cover assistance in the provision of water,

sanitation and hygiene facilities; health, nutrition and child protection services and education.

It will also focus primarily on assistance for children, with special attention given to those trying to return to where they lived before they were forced to flee because of the violence.

The seven years of conflict in North eastern part of Nigeria, especially in the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, have caused

Bello's aide flays APC on no-confidence vote ...As ALGON roots for gov

By Boluwaji Obahopo

L

OKOJA—CHIEF Press Secretary to Governor

ERROR

K

INGSLEY Fanwo, a former staff of Vanguard Newspapers, now the Chief Press Secretary, CPS, to the Kogi State Governor was on Thursday erroneously credited with the byline of a story titled: “Boko Haram entices would-be members with loans.”

The story should have carried the byline of Kingsley Omonobi, our Defence Correspondent.

We regret the embarrassment the error might have caused Mr. Fanwo, his family, friends and associates.

— EDITOR. C M Y K

Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Kingsley Fanwo has faulted the ‘vote of no confidence’ passed on the governor by the State Executive Council, SEC, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, insisting members erred by their action.

This came as the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, passed a vote of confidence on the governor, saying also that the APC SEC got it wrong by accusing the governor of appointing people from the opposition parties into his cabinet.

According to Fanwo: “The governor’s team is what a 21st century leader needs to excel. It is a chemistry of professionalism, competence, dynamism, maturity and exposure. Many of the appointees were recommended by party chieftains and they are

surely not PDP members. Even the state chapter of the PDP has come out to tell the world that their members have not taken appointments from the governor.

“Secondly, the governor shouldn’t have been blamed for working against his party in the National Assembly rerun elections when the Appeal Courts had barred APC candidates from contesting. APC candidates were disqualified because the courts said the party didn’t follow the Electoral Act in nominating it’s candidates.'' ...ALGON commend Bello Similarly, ALGON state secretary, Aliyu Usman, called on the people and others in the ongoing crisis not to create distraction for the governor, saying, “We laud the governor for his all inclusive appointments which cuts across every part of the state.''

massive human suffering, with children and women bearing the brunt of the difficulties.

The conflict triggered major population movements, with most recent estimates of people displaced by the conflict in the four most affected states put at over 1.7 million, more than half of who are children.

In a statement UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Jean Gough, said: “The people of Japan are strong supporters of UNICEF’s work to help children and women. This generous grant will help to make a tangible difference in the lives of children who have suffered so much. It will help them to recover physically and psychologically so that they can be children, can go to school and have a brighter future.”

With a similar grant last year from the government of Japan, UNICEF and its partners were able to boost primary health care services for people affected by the conflict in more than 100 health facilities in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

Funding from Japan provided more than 65,000 people with clean water and more than 25,000 people with access to safe sanitation.

Education was improved through creating temporary learning spaces for children in camps for the displaced and malnourished children were provided with life-saving treatment.

ARMY VS SHIITES: Amnesty Int’l accuses Army of mass slaughter

By Chris Ochayi & Ruth Akwubo

A

BUJA—ALMOST four months after the clash between the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN, otherwise known as Shiites and soldiers in Zaria, Kaduna State, the Amnesty International, AI, yesterday, unveiled a damning report of alleged atrocities of the soldiers against the sect members.

The organisation claimed that hundreds were beaten, shot and burnt alive.

Officials of the Kaduna State government had admitted at the Commission of Inquiry that about 347 people were buried in a mass grave, following the confrontations.

AI said its report was based on satellite images and a research undertaken by its officials.

It claimed that the military used unlawful and excessive force against men, women and children, unlawfully killing hundreds and tried to cover up the alleged crimes.

The report entitled, “Unearthing the truth: Unlawful killings and mass cover-up in Zaria,” was signed by Netsanet Belay, AI’s Research and Advocacy Director for Africa.

Farmers Association lauds agric biotechnology

By Gabriel Olawale

A

LL Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, has said only “briefcase farmers” are opposed to agricultural bio-technology in the country.

President of the Association, Kabiru Ibrahim, who spoke at the 2016 National Agricultural show in Keffi, Nasarawa State, said Nigerian farmers were completely in support of the introduction of agricultural biotechnology as it had the capacity to reduce poverty levels among farmers.

He said: “We embrace biotechnology. We support it because it is the only thing that can take farmers out of poverty.

If you check Burkina Faso, today they are using BT cotton to ramp up the economy and Nigeria should do the same.

We encourage people to embrace bio-technology.''

36—Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016

INDUCTION: From left— Mr. & Mrs. Caro Agboghoroma, Chief Vincent Ahwi, Mrs Justina Ahwi, Mr. Ben Okonkwo and Mr. C. Okoro, all of Vincent Ahwi & Co., Chartered Accountants, at their induction as fellows of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN, in Lagos.

CAMPARI AMBASSADOR: From left— Chief Executive Officer, Hypertek, Efe Omorogbe; star musician, Innocent 2Baba Idibia, and Head of Marketing, Brian Munro Limited, Abayomi Ajao, at the unveiling of 2Baba as the new Campari brand Ambassador at the Nigerian Entertainment Conference in Lagos, yesterday.

STANBIC IN ONITSHA MARKET: From left—Zone Head, South, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr. Michael Ana; MD, Emos Best Industries Ltd, Bishop Emmanuel Obiorah; President General, Ogbaru Main Market, Onitsha, Chief Victor Nwawuzie; and High Chief Sam Mendu, at the commissioning of the Relief Market Onitsha branch of Stanbic IBTC. HEINEKEN PROMO: Area

Sales Manager, Mrs Okeoghene Jooda (2nd left); Trade Marketing Manager, Mr. Lucky Oiwoh (2nd right), both of Modern Trade, NB Plc and Heineken Win a trip to the Ibiza hostesses, during the raffle draw at Shoprite, Ikeja, Lagos.

MOODITT: From left— Marketing Executive, Awodumila Olubukola; Business Operations Manager, Samuel Aluko, and Content Acquisition Manager, Africa, Adewale Fred, all of Mooditt, at the unveiling of Mooditt's new improved version in Lagos, yesterday.

DIGITAL SUMMIT: From left— Corporate Services Executive, MTN Nigeria, Mrs. Amina Oyagbola; Minister of Communication, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, and Chief Executive Officer, Telecel, Mr. Aimable Mpore, at the opening ceremony of Innovation Africa Digital Summit in Abuja.

ANTI-MALARIA SUMMIT: From left— Deputy Director, Research & Head, Malaria Research Programme, Nigeria Institute of Medical Research, Dr. Sam Awolola; Marketing Director, RB West Africa, Oguzhan Silivrili; representative of Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Mrs Akintunde Ibironke; and Marketing Manager, Mortein, Bamigbaye-Elatuyi Omotola, during the RB/ Mortein anti-malaria summit in Lagos, yeterday. PHOTO: Akeem Salau.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016 — 37

C M Y K

38—VANGUARD, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016

Can the peace last?

SENATE:

LAST Wednesday’s declaration of peace in all fronts by the Senate with the withdrawal of amendments to the laws establishing the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT and pending punishments against opponents of Senate President Bukola Saraki are seen as moves by Saraki to make peace with his enemies. But how did the Senate get to this messy state?

•Justice Umar

•Saraki:

By Joseph Erunke

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HERE is no doubt that the interests of senators of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP on who controls the Senate leadership puts the Red Chamber in its present predicament.

The Senate has been a shadow of itself since its inauguration on June 8, 2015, at the commencement of the 8th Assembly, following intrigues arising from leadership tussle.

Prior to inauguration of the 8th Assembly, senators-elect mainly from the APC, had begun holding secret meetings in their bid to choose who would succeed Senator David Mark as new Senate President.

Major political blocs This was after three returning senators, namely, Senators Ahmad Lawan, APC, Yobe North, George Akume, APC, Benue North West and Bukola Saraki, Kwara Central, had indicated interest to vie for the office. Their aspiration was on the basis that since the APC had assumed new status as party with majority members in Senate, that Senator Mark of the PDP would naturally not seek a reelection as Senate President.

Emergence of power blocs: Two major political blocs emerged in the APC, the former opposition party which not only won the majority in the National Assembly but also had produced the new president, Muhammadu Buhari.

The two groups, the Unity Forum and the Like Minds emerged with support for two of the candidates.

C M Y K

While the former with Senator Kabir Marafa, APC, Zamfara Central as arrowhead declared its support for Senator Lawan, the latter which had Senator Dino Melaye, APC, Kogi West as spokesman queued behind Saraki Senator Akume, later withdrew from the race and declared support for Lawan following intervention from their party, the APC leadership, as he now positioned himself for the office of Deputy Senate President.

Worried at the dimension the contest was assuming ahead of Senate inauguration, given that Senator Saraki had refused to step down for Lawan, who had the endorsement of the party leadership, the APC conducted a mock election for the two candidates, where Lawan was said to have won.

But some senators-elect under the aegis of “The like minds,” led

by Melaye, rejected the result even as they stayed away from the venue.

The group adopted Saraki and vowed to see to his election as Senate President.

On the eve of the election, the PDP senators-elect numbering about 44 met with the party leadership in the residence of Senator David Mark where they adopted Saraki as their candidate for the election. The meeting ended at about 2.00 a.m. and following which the message was widely publicised by the party’s publicity scribe, Chief Olisa Metuh.

Hours later just before dawn of the inauguration day, a text message was circulated to all senators-elect and members-elect in the APC inviting them to a meeting with President Buhari who returned that morning from

a foreign trip at the International Conference Center.

Consultations Meanwhile, Saraki following a round of consultations with supporters and his new allies in the APC boycotted the meeting which he suspected did not emanate from the president.

He had stolen himself into the National Assembly premises well ahead of others and laid low in the car park while the majority of APC senators-elect and members-elect went for the meeting with Buhari that was not

But in an apparent bid to stem the flow of bad blood in the Senate and perhaps in the APC, the Senate, on Wednesday, came up with some fencemending measures

to be.

Meanwhile, at 10.00 prompt the Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa in line with the presidential proclamation inaugurated the Senate while majority of the APC senators numbering about 51 were at the ICC waiting for Buhari.

They were still waiting for

Buhari when nominations were made for Senate President and Saraki was nominated and returned unopposed by the 57 senators present in the chamber.

As the news hit the senatorselect at the ICC they made a bolt back to the National Assembly but by the time they came back Senator Ike Ekweremadu of the PDP was already elected as Deputy Senate President, a development that has angered the president and the leadership of the APC. Having emerged against its wish, the APC leadership, in an open letter, again asked Saraki to allow Lawan be Majority Leader of the Senate. This, Saraki upon pressure from his supporters and the Northeast Caucus of the party declined. The APC caucus rather projected Senator Ali Ndume, APC, Borno South.

Besides, Saraki infuriated the president and the leadership of his party the more in the composition of the Senate standing committees. He was alleged by APC senators to have favoured PDP senators in the allocation of juicy committees to the detriment of their APC counterparts.

Shortly after that, Ekweremadu was accused of using his position as Deputy Senate President in the 7th Assembly to forge the Senate Rule, which allowed them have easy election in the leadership of the legislature.

To this end, Senators Marafa, Abu Ibrahim, APC, Katsina North and Suleiman Hunkuyi, APC, Kaduna North, dragged the leadership of the Senate to court, where they sought to declare the election of Saraki and Ekweremadu to be nullified.

Inconclusive investigations:

However, police investigations into the matter remained inconclusive as the police seemingly declared the issue to be political and called for a political solution.

As the court and the police are yet to round off the matter, the Senator Saraki was dragged before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT by the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, over his alleged failure to declare some of his assets while he held sway as the governor of his native Kwara State.

It is probable that if he had envisaged the storm awaiting him for violating the party if he would have gone ahead with his ambition.

His high profile office has be desecrated by higher authority.

He has been humiliated in public places and made to sit in the dock as a common accused.

In fact, he would have been openly arrested and handcuff like a common criminal if he had not saved himself by showing up when a bench warrant was issued against him by the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Justice Danladi Umar.

By the day, his situation gets messier, keeping watchers of political events in the country wondering what could be his fate at last.

But in an apparent bid to stem the flow of bad blood in the Senate and perhaps in the APC, the Senate, on Wednesday, came up with some fence-mending measures.

Closed door session At a closed door session presided over by the Senator Ekweremadu, the Senate put a committee, comprising of two senators from each of the geopolitical zones of the country to reconcile members just as it suspended a punishment intended to be meted against Senator Marafa, over alleged unethical acts against it.

This was just as it urged all aggrieved members with cases against it in court to immediately withdraw them. The Senate also in adherence to public opinion also stood down proposed amendments to the laws establishing the CCT and CCB to the extent of removing them from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF. The events in the Senate came as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC also affirmed a stamp of approval on the conduct of Justice Umar.

Umar had been accused of impropriety in receiving the sum of N10 million as bribe through his aide. Saraki’s supporters had alleged that the fear of the EFCC was the principal instrument being used to coerce Justice Umar to punish Saraki.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016—39

By Gbenga Olarinoye

OSUN: How

O

SUN State government has since last year introduced several measures to save cost of governance in tandem with the reality of the poor economic situation of the state occasioned by the stiff decline in revenue coming from the Federation Account.

The first measure introduced by the government to save cost and limit government spending within its new means was the introduction of belt tightening measures in the civil service.

This the government did in a memo issued in the last quarter of 2015 in which it quashed some benefits that had hitherto been enjoyed by civil servants.

The memo also disclosed the stoppage of new appointments into the civil service and the confirmation and elevation of new staff.

Sources within the Osun civil service explained that government saved millions through this move since confirmation of appointments usually comes with promotion.

Also, concrete attempts were made to clean up the payroll by removing ghost workers. After series of checks, over 70 ghost “workers” were discovered and removed from the government payroll. Similarly, since the commencement of his second term, all public engagement programmes used by Governor Rauf Aregbesola to engage the public have been stopped.

This is obviously, in conformity with the reality of the present moment about government finances. One of such pro-

Ogbeni is adapting FACED with sharp reduction in its inflows, the Osun State administration has had to implement severe belt tightening measures to keep the pace of governance afloat.

•Aregbesola

grammes, "Ogbeni Till Day Break" which used to hold through the night at least once a quarter has not been organised in over 24 months.

Another of such public enlightenment programmes suspended because of paucity of funds is "Gbangbadekun", an interactive session that used to hold across Federal Constituencies in the state. Aregbesola has also for the past 18 months stopped the physical exercise programme, tagged "Walk to Live" that was

AREGBESOLA’S AUSTERITY PLANS •No state cabinet •Government boards not composed •Ogbeni 'Till Day Break' stopped •Embargo on employment/promotion etc •No room for ghosts in civil service rotated among the nine Federal Constituencies of the state.

Even more astonishingly, the state cabinet has not been constituted more than one year after the re-election of Governor

Aregbesola, while boards of many government's parastatals and agencies have also not been formed.

Payment of modulated salaries

has also been adopted by the administration. Through the system, government pays certain percentage of workers' takehome based on whatever comes in from the Federation Account.

Government had put in place an allocation sharing committee headed by veteran Labour Leader, Comrade Hassan Sunmonu to handle the sharing of funds that comes from the federation account to pay workers' salaries.

Only few days ago, Governor Aregbesola had sought the approval of the state House of Assembly for downward review of the 2016 budget estimate from N150.7 billion to N137.9 billion.

In a letter read by the Speaker, Honourable Najeem Salaam at the plenary, the governor said the review was necessary to give the government the capacity to implement the budget.

A statement by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye said the governor was seeking the approval of the house for the review of the budget due to the poor economic reality.

The letter read in part: "The current economic downturn in the country, occasioned by the dwindling revenue accruable to the federation account, it necessitate the need to reduce the cost of governance. "Therefore, it has become pertinent and innevitable to restructure the 2016 draft budget in line with the reality on ground. "In line with the extant rules and regulations, the House, through your office is being informed about this new development", the letter added.

Anxiety as Ondo conducts LG polls

T

By Dayo Johnson

HE submission of the opposition Political parties in Ondo in respect of this Saturday’s Local government elections across the 18 council areas of the state is that it would be a selection rather than an election. They hinged their submission on the basis that major parties including the All Progressive Congress APC , the Social Democratic Party SDP, a faction of the Labour Party LP and the Congress of Nigerian Political Parties CNPP have dismissed the poll as a distraction and waste of state resources while civil servants are owed four months salaries.

Waste of state resources While the leadership of the Labour Party said it would not participate in the election, Vanguard however noticed that posters of some candidates of the party dotted the state capital ahead of the elections. That is indicative of claims that the ruling party may have polarized the party. Although credit should be C M Y K

given to the governor, Dr Olusegun. Mimiko for yielding to pressure to conduct the election seven years into his tenure, the opposition believes the governor’s action at this time when the governorship election is in seven months time was more political than genuine.

More importantly, the two major parties that have opted out of the election also said that a legal hurdle which halted the poll in the past years was yet to be cleared and wondered why the governor was trying to undermine the judiciary by conducting the polls.

The opposition parties advised the state government to use the money earmarked for Local Government election to pay state workers and retirees’ remunerations and allowances since no State can exist without her people.

But the chairman of the state Independent Electoral Commissioner ODEIC, Prof Olugbenga Ige insisted that the poll would go on as scheduled

•Mimiko: Ondo governor by the Commission despite non participation of some notable political parties.

Prof Ige said as at the last count 17 Political Parties have signified their intentions to participate in the election.

But the opposition parties argued that instead of dissipating their energies on the Council poll slated for April 23 this year, they would rather concentrate on winning the November 20 governorship election in the state.

While the APC State Chairman Hon Isaac Kekemeke argued that

the legal hurdle against the election was yet to be surmounted, both the electoral body and the ruling party PDP insisted the coast has been cleared. Political observers in the state have however accused the opposition APC which is leading the parties to rubbish the election of double standard and insincerity. They noted that the same APC was “always attacking and accessing the governor of not conducting the council election in a bid to stiffen the third tier of government.

Meanwhile of interest is the

disagreement between the inter-Party Advisory Council( IPAC) and the Labour Party, the governor’s former party.

While IPAC listed LP as one of the 17 parties that will participate in the April 23 council election, the party later denied its participation in the election.

But findings had it that the party had been infiltrated by the PDP. Aside categorically rubbishing the coming polls and dissociating itself from the election, the party hit at the governor accusing him of “creating crisis in the party with divisive politics of pseudo control. In dissociating itself from the election, the secretary of the LP in the state, Ronke Akerele said “We shall rather engage the government in constructive criticism for the benefit of all, which we consider more important than petty issues of divisive politics that is fast becoming his trademark.

The party hit the governor further by asking him to pay the workers outstanding salaries “We passionately appeal to the Governor to pay the salary arrears of the workers of Ondo State as soon as possible to reduce the untold hardship of the people.

40 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016

Fulani herdsmen, hoodlums invade farm settlement in Ibadan Menyinnah he Federal Government should ban Fulani herdsmen armed with AK-47 guns from grazing their cattle in farms otherwise killing, raping will escalate to war. Nigerian security agencies should endeavour to enforce the relevant laws on gun so as to stop hoodlums from over-running communities.

T

Ali Mamman It is not true. In fact, it is the Fulanis who are being robbed of their cattle. This is just a set up by a wicked group.

Jeo Chimex It is time every community should be at alert and give this herdsmen what they really want. Enough is enough.

UNIZIK students make mini-bus from local materials Chioma Glück Begünstigen Anosike This is the kind of initiative

that the present government should promote. Government needs to introduce

EFCC disowns Ekweremadu as anti-corruption ambassador Idowu James Nigeria is a confused country with confused people.

Since May, 2015, it has been confusion and counterconfusion, statements and counter-statements, lies and counter-lies, statements and denials. Where are we heading to? God, please come to our rescue.

Manhunta I have never read or seen EFCC making anyone its Ambassador.. So When this news broke, I kept my EFCC tuner on. I knew it was a cheap publicity tactics. By their fruits you should them.

Ahmed Isah But you should understand that EFCC does not award title, but saddled with responsibility of investigating any corrupt individual. So APC government is just speaking from one side of its mouth.

C M Y

Ifeco Shame to EFCC. I guess they didn’t consult the Presidency before awarding Ekweremadu the title and the powers that be has kicked against it which made EFCC to make a U-turn from its decision.

If the liaison officer acted alone, he ought to have been fired before now because the step he took is a corrupt one.

Ekweremadu should drag them to court for playing with his person in the name of politics.

programmes to serve as incentive to local efforts..

Fighting corruption is good but tell me which country where there’s no corruption?

Our local talents and manufactrers need government support to commercialise and export their products.

Ijeoma Amalime Oritsuwa This is awesome. The Federal Government should invest in this talent so that the restriction on importation of cars will be reasonable, and also the country will not depend only on crude oil as a source of foreign earning.

Ogunyemi Sunday The Minister in charge of Technology should not brush this aside.

Drama in CCT: Umar orders police to ‘throw out’ Saraki’s lawyer Chyglobal2 That Judge has clearly joined the prosecution. He couldn’t hide it any longer.

That judge should not handle that case anymore if the integrity of the judiciary must be protected. Saraki is never a saint, but he is deemed innocent in the eyes of the law until proven guilty. Such conduct is not expected of an impartial judge. There is no way Saraki will expect any kind of justice from this man.

Shettima Abdulrahman I don’t know when people will realise the application of law. When the case has to do with theft of common handset, cattle, and other

minor things then nobody will say it is witch-hunting or that the case is politically motivated. We ought to be fair and just to ourselves.

Lukumon Abayomi This is the rumour being peddled some days back: that Saraki is planning to interrupt the court. How can lawyers be telling the CCT Chairman that whatever they say should stand? Even after they have exceeded the time limit for the adjournment,they are still trying to bring out one useless issue that the chairman should disqualify himself for their own benefit.

$2.1bn arms probe: Allow me defend myself, Dasuki tells FG Dale20 On the $2.1bn arms procurement scandal, government must fight the looters to the end. That way, the death of our gallant soldiers during the war against terrorism would not be in vain.

They died because they did not have sophisticated weapons to fight.

Fati Akangboye Abiodun Please, allow him to defend himself.

There is freedom of speech as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.

Solomony Wise I wonder how someone will be judged before trial. Allow this man to defend himself or are they afraid he might successfully prove his innocence in court? This is vendetta if you ask me.

The court and the relevant agencies should be allowed to do their jobs.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016—41

US ex-slave Harriet Tubman to appear on $20 bill

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HE portrait of Harriet Tubman, the late abolitionist born into slavery in the 1800s, will replace the countenance of the US’ seventh president, Andrew Jackson, on the $20 bill.

Tubman, known as the leader of the Underground Railroad - a network of antislavery activists, will become the first African American on US paper money and the first woman to be depicted on the country’s currency in 100 years.

The portrait of Jackson, who was a slave owner, will be pushed to the back of the currency.

The move is one of numerous changes announced by Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew on Wednesday.

The $5 bill will also

S/Africa’s Zuma says arms probe clears govt of corruption

S

•Tubman , who led a network of anti-slavery activists, will become the first African American on US paper money undergo a face-lift: The illustration of the Lincoln Memorial on the back will be redesigned to honour “events at the Lincoln Memorial that helped to shape our history and our democracy”, Lew said.

The new image on the $5 bill will include numerous new figures, including civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, who gave his famous “I have a dream” speech on the steps of the memorial in 1963.

OUTH African President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday that an investigation into a major government arms deal arranged in the late 1990s had found no evidence of corruption or fraud.

Critics denounced the findings as a coverup and said they would continue to campaign for justice, including a possible legal challenge in the United States under U.S. anti-graft laws.

The 30 billion rand ($2 billion) deal to buy European military equipment has cast a shadow over politics in Africa’s most industrialised economy for years.

Zuma - then deputy president - was linked to

•Zuma the deal through his former financial adviser, who was jailed for corruption. This almost torpedoed Zuma’s bid for president but all charges against him were dropped in 2009.

“No evidence was found as well through the Commission’s own independent inquiries,” Zuma said in a televised address on Thursday.

Islamic State forced out of key Libyan city

M

ILITANTS from socalled Islamic State (IS) have been pushed out of the key eastern city of Derna, a rival Islamist group has said.

IS “have all left Derna they have no presence here anymore”, Hafeth alDabaa, a spokesman for Derna Mujahideen Shura Council (DMSC), told the BBC. The al-Qaeda linked

The Queen watches after lighting the first beacon of more than 900 that will light up across the UK and overseas as part of her 90th birthday celebrations.

Queen’s 90th birthday: Beacons lit amid celebrations in UK

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HE Queen has lit the first of more than 900 beacons lighting up across the UK and overseas as part of her 90th birthday celebrations.

The monarch, accompanied by Prince Philip, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, will also attend a private dinner in Windsor Castle.

Earlier, crowds of cheering people lined the streets in Windsor as the Queen took part in a walkabout.

On Twitter, the Queen thanked senders of “#HappyBirthdayYourMajesty” tweets.

In another tweet, the Queen said: “I send my best wishes to those who are celebrating their 90th

birthday... on this shared occasion, I send my warm congratulations to you.”

At the lighting of the beacon in Windsor, the Prince of Wales, referring to his mother, said: “I find it very hard to believe that you’ve reached your 90th year and I suddenly realised the other day that I have known you since you were 22 years old.

Israel outraged by UNESCO resolution on which was voted for by Jerusalem sites

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HE language of a UNESCO resolution on Jerusalem describing “so-called” Jewish sites and putting the Western Wall Plaza in quotation marks has sparked outrage in Israel.

The resolution, adopted by the UN cultural agency ’s 58-nation executive board last week, condemns the Israeli government’s

stewardship of Jerusalem and decries the renovation of “so-called Jewish ritual baths” and the alleged creation of “Jewish fake graves.”

Sites are either referred to by their Arabic or English names or, in the case of the Western Wall Plaza, the holiest site where Jews can pray, are put in quotes.

The Israeli government described the resolution,

33 countries, as “hideous” and penned letters to all countries that signed the resolution, which included France, Russia and China.

“The UNESCO resolution has no practical validity.

Nevertheless, we will not permit international entities to blur the Jewish people’s connection to its eternal capital.”

DMSC is an umbrella group for local militias.

Derna has seen a threeway conflict between IS, DMSC and forces loyal to Libya’s eastern government.

Since 2014, Libya has had two competing governments - one in the capital Tripoli, and another in the eastern city of Tobruk. A new UNbrokered unity government

is trying to restore peace in the country, which has been ravaged by conflict since the fall of Col Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 The DMSC’s claim has not been independently verified.

Mr Dabaa said that five DMSC fighters and six civilians had been killed in fighting in Derna’s Fatayiah area in the past 24 hours.

Ethiopia locates children abducted by S/Sudanese rebels

E

THIOPIAN troops claim to have located more than 100 children abducted by South Sudanese gunmen, who killed hundreds in a crossborder raid earlier this month.

Armed members of the

Murle tribe crossed the border into Ethiopia’s Gambella region on Friday, killing more than 200 Ethiopians, kidnapping children and rustling cattle.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn vowed to hunt down the “primitive and destructive

forces behind the attack,” while South Sudan’s Acting Foreign Minister Peter Bashir Gbandi told reporters on Wednesday that the country was coordinating efforts with Ethiopia to locate the “bandits” responsible, according to the Sudan Tribune.

NIGERIA-CHINA: Ita-Giwa wants FG to create quality control mechanism

By Charles Kumolu

F

ORMER Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Senator Florence Ita- Giwa has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to approach Nigeria’s bilateral trade agreement and strategic cooperation with the Peoples’s Republic of China with caution by ensuring that quality is not compromised.

Ita-Giwa in a statement called on the Federal

Government to create a quality control mechanism made up of men and women of proven integrity in both countries to check and validate the quality of products and infrastructure.

She said: “In as much as President Buhari is consolidating the bilateral relation that exists between the two countries. I want him to take a firm stand in the area of quality. Nigeria shouldn’t be a dumping site for substandard products and the best way to tackle this is to create a

dynamic quality control unit.

“One of the problems we have as a nation is that our institutions are weak and seem infirm in tackling the invasion of cheap, substandard goods.

So now, even as the Nigerian industrial revolution plan is implemented and trade deals are struck, retooling our trade and monitoring institutions to be more business-like and patriotic cannot be underemphasised.

42 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016

CONDOLENCE VISIT: Chairman, All Progressives Congress, Oyo State, Chief Akin Oke (left) and Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, during a condolence visit to the chairman, following the death of his wife, in Ibadan, yesterday.

CCT trial: Judge orders Police to take Saraki's lawyer out As FG applies to amend charges

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

A

BUJA — THE ongoing trial of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, sitting in Abuja, took a new twist, yesterday, as the Federal Government applied to amend the initial 13-count charge it entered against him.

The government made the application on a day the CCT Chairman, Justice Danladi Umar, ordered the arrest of one of the lawyers representing Saraki in the matter.

However, Saraki, through his lead counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, vehemently opposed the Federal Government’s bid to amend the charges already pending against him before the tribunal.

Specifically, government added two more court charges to the previous charge against Saraki.

Investigations by Vanguard, yesterday, revealed that the amendment was a fallout of some revelations made by the star prosecution witness in the matter, Mr. Michael Wetkas.

Wetkas was the head of a threeman crack team of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, that investigated six separate petitions that culminated in the charge against the defendant.

In the amended 15-count charge dated April 18, the Federal Government alleged that Saraki, while being a senator between June 2011 and October 2013, “did receive monthly salaries or emoluments as governor of Kwara State and at the same time from the Federal Government of Nigeria as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The defendant was said to have by his action, “committed an offence contrary to section 6(a) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Cap. C15, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2014, and as incorporated under Paragraph 2(a), Part 1, Fifth

Schedule of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended.”

The Federal Government insisted that the alleged offence was punishable under section 23(c) of the CCB & Tribunal Act and as incorporated under Paragraph 18 of Part 1, Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

Judge orders police to arrest his lawyer

The trial kicked-off on a dramatic note, yesterday, as the CCT Chairman, Justice Umar, ordered police to arrest one of Saraki’s lawyers.

Justice Umar ordered armed security operatives to whisk the lawyer, Mr. Richard Oluyede, away from the court room after he insisted on moving the fresh motion seeking to disqualify the judge from presiding over Saraki’s trial.

At the resumed hearing, Oluyede, who was not previously part of Saraki’s legal team before the tribunal, stood up and announced his appearance, even as he drew the attention of the CCT panel to the pending application he filed on Wednesday.

At the time the case was called up, none of Saraki’s lead counsel was present in court.

Whereas Agabi was said to have gone to the Federal High Court to take care of another matter, Usoro on the other hand secured permission of the tribunal to appear late owing to the fact that he was bereaved.

Due to the development, another lawyer in Saraki’s camp, Mr. Adebayo Adelodun, SAN, took over the leadership of the defence team.

However, shortly after Adelodun finished announcing names of other lawyers in the team, Oluyede stood up and attempted to move the motion against Justice Umar.

“My Lord, we have a pending application asking you to excuse yourself from this matter,” Oluyede started.

Jacobs interjects

At that juncture, the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, interjected, contending that Oluyede lacked the locus to move such application.

Jacobs told the court that he confronted Saraki’s lead counsel, Agabi, on Wednesday after Oluyede attempted to serve a copy of the motion on him.

He said Agabi told him that he was not aware of such application.

“Was that not the same motion

that was dismissed by the Federal High Court?” Justice Umar asked.

“Yes my Lord! It was the same frivolous issue this same lawyer raised before the high court, which Justice Abdul Kafarati accordingly dismissed as grossly lacking in merit. I know that this fresh motion is based on false premise. Even the lead counsel was not aware of it,” Jacobs replied.

his feet all the while, made another attempt to claim his right to address the tribunal.

At that point, visibly irked Justice Umar lost his temper.

“I say sit down! I will commit you for contempt for not allowing me to do my duty. Where are the police? Please take him away from this court room!” the judge ordered.

The confrontation

Jacobs intervenes

Immediately, Oluyede stood up again and insisted that he has a right to be heard by the tribunal.

His action infuriated the CCT Chairman, Umar, who ordered him to sit down.

“Sit down, sit down, I said sit down!” Justice Umar shouted.

“My Lord I will not sit down! I have a right to be heard by this tribunal!” Oluyede charged.

“It is our position that you have too many cloudy relationship with the EFCC, that is why we are asking you to disqualify yourself from this case,” Oluyede bellowed.

Turning his attention to other senior lawyer in Saraki’s team, Justice Umar, who described Oluyede as a busy body, said: “I am really disappointed. You are supposed to be leading by example, how can you allow such thing to happen under your watch?

“When you know that the motion he brought was not right and there was no approval of the lead counsel. The motion will not be entertained. It is only aimed to derail the course of justice. You are ministers of justice and should uphold the truth. I am refusing this rubbish application.”

While the judge was still speaking, Oluyede, who was on

Promptly, about five armed policemen sandwitched Oluyede and were about to drag him out of the tribunal when the prosecuting counsel, Jacobs intervened.

“My Lord, please forgive him.

I am begging you to tamper justice with mercy. I am very sorry on behalf of the defence,” Jacobs pleaded.

Following his passionate plea, Justice Umar allowed Oluyede to remain in the court.

Meanwhile, Agabi, who subsequently arrived the tribunal around 12:45pm, also begged the CCT panel to forgive Oluyede.

“My Lord I want to first of all apologise for coming late. I was told what transpired in my absence. Indeed, he is a member of our team. We all err at one time or the other. Please on behalf of the defence, I beg you to forgive and forget,” Agabi pleaded.

“It is alright. I wanted to commit him in prison right away. If not for the intervention of other colleagues, he would have been cooling his feet inside prison.

“He was exchanging words with me, does he have a right to do that?” Justice Umar queried.

Workers salaries: FG rescues states, suspends April loan repayment deductions As FG, states, LGs share N299bn

By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief & Levinus Nwabughiogu

A

BUJA — RESPITE has come the way of the 36 states as the Federal Government, Tuesday, suspended deductions periodically made from various loans given to the states to enable them pay workers' salaries and stabilise their economies.

The suspension of deduction takes effect from April and may be extended, depending on the debt profile and social needs of states.

The decision was reached at the meeting of the National Executive Council, NEC, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who alongside the Governor of Nasarawa State, Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura and the Corps Marshall and Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, gave the revelation at a briefing with State House correspondents, however, stated that the postponement did not in any way connote financial bailout.

She added that the gesture was principally informed by falling oil prices which had drastically

affected the income of the Federal Government and states.

She said: “On the update of the financial situation of the states, it was discussed extensively that currently, the federation account receipt is among the lowest that has been seen in recent memory. ‘’We are looking at N299 billion this month and that is because of the very low oil prices recorded in January and February. If you remember, oil prices went as low as $28 and $31 and, of course, that has led to a very low federation account as a result of which I approached the President and the governors that we defer the loan deductions from the federation account entitlement."

FG, states, LGs share N299bn

Meanwhile, the federal and the two other tiers of government, yesterday, shared N 299. 747 billion from the Federation Account and proceeds of Value Added Tax for the month of March.

The figure represented a dwindling profile of the nation’s revenue which has continued to take its toll on funds available to the three tiers of government.

The gross statutory revenue

stood at N 232.819 billion which was N30.880 less than the N270.499 billion recorded in the previous month.

A total of N 64 billion was realised from Value Added Tax, VAT. The Federal Government took a total of N 109.113 billion from the statutory allocation and N 9.250 billion from VAT. The states got a total of N56 billion, while local governments received N 44. 1 billion.

The nine oil producing states got an additional N19.75 billion, representing 13 per cent derivation on oil revenue.

Excess Crude Account now $2.3bn

Presenting a report on update of the Excess Crude Account, Adeosun also revealed that the balance of the account as at the moment stood at $2.3 billion.

She also said that the board of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority had been constituted.

“I, as the Minister of Finance, presented a report on the balance of excess crude account, which stands at $2.3 billion, on the account of the interest that has been received since the last update."

Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016—43

Legendary singer Prince dies at 57 •His life, stardom, controversies •Ellen DeGeneres, Samuel L. Jackson, Shaquille O’Neal, others react

A

MERICAN pop music legend, Prince Rogers Nelson, 57, has been found dead in his home in Paisley Park, Chanhassen, Minneapolis, United State.

According to a statement from his publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure, Prince died at his $10million estate from ‘flu’ after being spotted on several visits to Walgreen’s pharmacy, just a week after he was rushed to hospital but told fans ‘don’t waste your prayers’.

The singer, who was known for his sexually charged lyrics and electric performances, made a final public appearance at a show on Sunday, where he did not sing, but said: ‘Wait a few days before you waste any prayers’.

He threw a party at his Paisley Park compound to celebrate the love he had been shown since falling ill last week. He later tweeted about “living in the moment”.

Last Friday, Prince was said to be flying home from a show in Atlanta, Georgia when he was taken ill forcing his private jet to make an emergency landing in Molina, Illinois. He was taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance, where he was treated and released hours later.

The songwriter, singer, producer, one-man studio band and consummate showman, died Thursday at his residence, Minn., according to a statement from his publicist, Yvette NoelSchure. He was 57.

In 2000 when the singer’s publishing contract with the company expired, he reclaimed the name Prince.

Grammy awards

Prince won seven Grammy Awards and earned 30 nominations. Five of his singles topped the charts and 14 other songs hit the Top 10. He won an Oscar for best original song score for “Purple Rain.”

The 57-year-old music icon was seen leaving the pharmacy near his $10million suburban estate in Minnesota at around 7pm last night (Wednesday) in what was his fourth visit to the store this week.

His visits to the drug store came just days after he was rushed to hospital from his private plane with severe flu symptoms.

Vanguard Entertainment gathered that paramedics were called out to the music icon’s $10million Paisley Park estate at 9.43am today (Thursday) and Carver County Sheriff’s Department

led a colourful life as one of the world’s biggest music stars - but behind Prince’s success was a story of tragic loss - with the death of two children.

Prince in his element as a live performer, like here at the 2007 Super Bowl confirmed that there had been a fatality.

In a call to paramedic on the way to Prince’s home, a 911 dispatcher said: ‘Male down, not breathing.’ Prince was rushed to hospital six days ago with flu symptoms after his private plane made an emergency landing.

Prince was romantically linked to a number of male and female stars, including Madonna, Sinead O’Connor, Kim Basinger, Kylie Minogue Carmen Electra and Boy George, among a number of other people.

Prince married backup dance Mayte Garcia on Valentine’s Day in 1996. He dedicated the song The Most Beautiful Girl in the World to her two years earlier.

They split in 2000.

Garcia looked exhausted and emotional today as she made a phone call at her home in Los

Prince has won seven Grammy Awards, and has earned 30 nominations.;Five of his singles have topped the charts and 14 other songs hit the Top 10; he won an Oscar for the original song score to the classic film “Purple Rain

Angeles, just hours after learning of her ex-husband’s death.

His son with wife Mayte Garcia - Gregory - died just a week after birth due to Pfeiffer syndrome, a rare defect of the skull.

That loss, followed by a miscarriage not long afterwards, tore the grieving couple apart, leading to their split in 2000 after four years together.

Prince went on to marry Manuela Testolini in 2001, but they divorced in 2006.

He then dated Bria Valente until around 2010, after which time they were still recording music together.

Superstar musician

The superstar musician combined rock, R&B, soul, disco and hip-hop to create a unique sound that led to him selling more than 100million records during his 40year career.

Prince was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1958 and started making music at the age of seven. He first found fame in the late 1970s and over the next three decades became known as one of the most inventive and eccentric forces in American pop music.

He became even more famous with the release of the film Purple Rain in 1984, a seemingly autobiographical movie set in the club scene in his home town of Min-

neapolis.

The film was a huge success and the soundtrack album spent 24 weeks at the top of the charts and sold more than 13 million copies.

The legendary singer and songwriter is best known for hit songs such as Raspberry Beret and Little Red Corvette.

He was fiercely protective of his independence, battling his record company over control of his material and even his name.

In 1993, Prince legally changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol - also known as the Love Symbol. During that phase, he was referred to as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince. After changing his name back to Prince, he was sometimes called Prince would be referred to as The Artist Formerly Known as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.

Prince once wrote ‘slave’ on his face in protest at not owning his work and famously battled and then departed his label, Warner Bros, before returning a few years ago.

Carver County Sheriff department also confirmed the news on Twitter and are looking to see if there are any suspicious circumstances surrounding his death. The local sheriff was called into work on his day off.

American pop music legend

Celebrities react

Katy Perry tweeted, “And just like that…the world lost a lot of magic üÿ Rest in peace Prince!

Thanks for giving us so much.”

Along with crying emojis, Demi Lovato wrote, “Omg. RIP Prince.” She added, “This f***ing sucks… Prince on repeat all day.

Just like I did with Michael and Whitney.” Kevin Jonas said, “If the news about prince is true it will be a terrible loss of such an amazing music legend and icon.”

Melissa Joan Hart similarly expressed, “Is it true? Is #Prince gone? #RIP.” Justin Timberlake said, “Numb. Stunned. This can’t be real.” Billy Idol tweeted, “Oh my god I can’t believe that Prince has died…he was a great great talent…RIP.” And Jay Pharaohnoted, “So Prince and Chyna die in the same day NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! My heart is hurting.”

Maria Menounos said, “I’m in shock!!” and Samuel L. Jackson wrote, “I’m Crushed!! UK news reporting Prince Is Dead?!

For Real?! Massive Loss for us all! What a Genius! Speechless.”

“We’ve lost the greatest artist of my generation,” wrote Alyssa Milano. “I danced on stage with him when milo was in my belly.

Prince, I will forever love you.”Vanessa Williams tweeted, “Legendary Prince is dead!! How tragic,” while Katie Couricexpressed, “So sad to hear about this terrible loss, Prince was a visionary musician and artist.”

Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016 — 47

NFF Continues from BP Stade Olympique in Sousse on Wednesday bordered on extreme intimidation of the opposition. This is not football. Football is about peace, about love and about friendship.

“When Etoile du Sahel came to Nigeria, we provided everything to them, including a friendly football arena. We will lodge a strong protest to CAF on this matter.”

A miffed Pinnick said on Thursday morning that if it came to personally delivering the protest at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, he would be willing and ready to do so.

“We will wait for the team to return from Tunisia so that we can get the full details of what transpired.

“However, we are delighted at Enyimba’s qualification. They have shown that they are truly very much experienced on the road. They withstood everything thrown at them and scaled through. That is the stuff of champions.”

Siasia

Pinnick also pledged that the NFF will continue to give Enyimba all the backing as they go for a third CAF Champions League title. “The NFF Board made the decision at its last meeting to give Enyimba FC full support to go for the African title.

Nothing has changed.”

NFF’s Acting Director of Competitions, Bola Oyeyode, said from Sousse on Wednesday night that a tense and intimidating atmosphere prevailed throughout the match, with Nigerian players and officials serially pelted with various objects.

Continues from BP does not want to make the mistake of the past when players who had been pencilled down by the coaching crew were not available when needed.

“I want to work with only the players on ground, and to get them to the shape I want,” Siasia reiterated.

On the issue of other teams in Nigeria’s Group B already announcing plans to include very experienced over-aged players, the U-23 gaffer said the technical crew and the players are not scared of any individual player, but would rather bother about the quality of opposition at the Olympics’

Enyimba Continues from BP the airline rescheduled their flight from yesterday to Saturday.

“We cannot come back as we planned because our flight have been rescheduled to Saturday” He expressed joy over his side’s qualification

and predicted good things ahead in the championship for Enyimba.

“We are happy to have made it to the group stage and I think everything is now a possibility for us in this championship”, he said.

football event.

“Yes, I have read of plans

by Sweden to include someone like Zlatan Ibramovich as one of their over –aged players for the Games. Good for them, but as far as we are concerned, there is nothing like fear.

For us, we are trying to put up a team, and that will determine which players we are going to bring. We have played against players of stronger calibre than Zlatan. We have played against Lionel Messi and Di Maria and others.

“We would rather think of the fact that they have a strong team tha t will play against us, and not individual players. I don’t want to jump around and start mentioning names, and later if those players are not available, we would be disappointed. So, I have to be sure of what I am doing and when that time comes we will release the names.”

On the issue of players like John Mikel Obi and Ogenyi Onazi showing

interest in playing for Nigeria at the Olympics, Siasia remarked: “I guess that because Mikel missed out the last time, he wants to make up for it. Not only that, the last couple of

games he has played for the Super Eagles, he has been playing very well, and if he wants to be part of the team, of course he is welcome.

Yusuf Continues from BP Yusuf who will lead a technical crew comprising Imama Amapakabor (1st Assistant), Kennedy Boboye (2nd Assistant) and Alloy Agu (Goalkeeper Trainer) will take charge of the team for the upcoming two international friendly matches against Mali and Luxembourg in Europe.

The appointments were part of the decisions reached at a meeting of the powerful Technical and Development Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation held in Abuja yesterday.

Salisu’s appointment, the committee alluded, was “in line with the NFF Board’s resolve to encourage and expose indigenous coaches who show undoubted ability and capacity.”

The National Technical Director, Shaibu Amodu will play supervisory role.

Pundits had, before Wednesday, speculated that top on the agenda for the technical committee meeting was how they intended to prepare a defence and justification for the engagement of a foreign manager for the team as demanded by the Minister of Sports and Youth, Solomon Dalung. The meeting, however, decided that “after the friendly matches,andbeforethe2018 FIFA World Cup group phase draw, the Technical Committee will initiate the process for the selection of a substantive technical crew for the Super Eagles, with a Head Coach. A small team of eminently –qualified persons with the required pedigree will take charge of the process, and the best candidate would be selected, irrespective of whether he is indigenous or expatriate”.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016

NFF to report Etoile to CAF, commends Enyimba T

HE Nigeria Football Federation has commended the efforts of

Nigerian champions, Enyimba FC in reaching the group stage of the CAF Champions League, but will lodge a strong protest to the Confederation of African Football over the conduct of Etoile du Sahel’s supporters in Sousse on Wednesday night.

NFF President Amaju Pinnick said: “What happened around the Continues on Page 47

•Anyansi-Agwu

Enyimba stranded in Tunisia A FTER securing CAF Champions League group phase ticket in Tunisia on Wednesday at the expense of Etoile du Sahel, Nigeria Premier

WINNERS: Enyimba of Aba players celebrate their victory over Etoile du Sahel Wednesday night.

Yusuf’s new interim Super Eagles manager

BY JACOB AJOM

T

•Yusuf

HE Nigeria Football Federation has announced the appointment of Salisu Yusuf as interim manager for the senior national team, the Super Eagles.

Continues on Page 47

League champion, Enyimba are stranded in Tunisia due to flight delay by Maroc Air. Speaking on phone yesterday, club chairman Felix Anyansi Agwu said Continues on Page 47

We’re not afraid of Zlatan —- Siasia H

EAD Coach of the Nigeria U-23 team, Samson Siasia has disclosed that any of the players invited from the

domestic scene who fails to report to camp by Monday, 25th April should not bother coming to camp, as the technical

crew will work with only team’s training session at players available to them the practice pitch of the and are willing to play at Abuja National Stadium, Coach Siasia said he the Olympics.

Speaking after the Continues on Page 47

QUICK CROSSWORD

TODAY'S PUZZLE

YESTERDAY'S ANSWERS

ACROSS 2 Mistake (5) 7 Clutch (4) 8 Unjust (6) 9 Started (5) 11 Defective (3) 13 Free (3) 15 Cheese (4) 16 Vegetable (3) 18 Yield (4) 19 Sketch (7) 20 Woman (4) 22 Roster (4) 23 Theft (7) 25 Pour (4) 27 Headgear (3) 28 Present (4) 30 Finish (3) 31 Performed (3) 33 Flat (5) 36 Invent (6) 37 Frozen (4) 38 Name (5)

DOWN 1 Haughty (5) 2 Recede (3) 3 Tease (3) 4 Manage (3) 5 Away (3) 6 Inflexible (5) 10 Region (4) 11 Exhaust (7) 12 Tarried (7) 13 Expelled (7) 14 Postponed (7) 16 Throw (5) 17 Representative 5) 18 Vehicle (3) 21 Vegetable (3) 24 Relax (4) 26 Go in (5) 29 Jockey (5) 32 Mingle (3) 33 Permit (3) 34 Tank (3) 35 Untruth (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Crisp 5, Detail 8, Terse 10, Emerge 11, Amen 14, Demure 15, Flaccid 18, Nod 19, Rip 21, Rest 23, Regal 24, Held 27, Din 29, Eel 31, Tangled 32, Clever 34, Rota 35, Erotic 38, Stair 39, Clutch 40, Dealt.

DOWN: 2, Rim 3, Strict 4, Peg 5, Dead 6, Tremor 7, Latent 9, Retired 12, Men 13, Nude 16, Like 17, Digit 20, Panacea 22, Sole 24, Hectic 25, Leer 26, Devout 28, Ignore 30, Let 33, Flash 36, Rid 37, Ill.

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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