29042019 - Economy bleeds as power system collapses

INSIDE

Insurance claims rise faster than premium income

EFCC arraigns Bauchi UTME: We’ve uncovered new gov-elect for alleged 9 scam to defraud bribe-taking today We won’t surrender Benue candidates 13 to criminals —Ortom 8 —JAMB

MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

VOL. 26: NO. 63796

Economy bleeds as power system collapses

By Udeme Akpan, Olasunkanmi Akoni & Ediri Ejoh

•Generation drops to 2,039 MW; homes, factories suffer outages •NGC, TCN yet to complete maintenance of Escravos-Lagos pipeline

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HE economy of Nigeria, over the w e e k e n d witnessed a major setback as consumers – individuals, households, companies and others experienced prolonged power outages, following a huge drop of power supply from 4,000 megawatts to 2,039 mw.

An authoritative report obtained by Vanguard from the office of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo stated: “On April 23rd, 2019, average power sent out was 87,061.8 MWh/

FG’s new pay roll system 11 dubious —ASUU I have no regret joining APC —Sen Akpabio 41

Continues from Page 5

UBA'S 70TH ANNIVERSARY...

Honorary Doctorate Degree for Dangote...

From left: Ogun State Governor-elect, Prince Dapo Abiodun; his Lagos State counterpart, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Group Managing Director/ CEO, United Bank for Africa, UBA Plc, Mr. Kennedy Uzoka and Chairman, UBA Group, Mr. Tony Elumelu ,during the 70th year anniversary ceremony dinner of the bank at Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos, Saturday.

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New Cabinet: Hope rises for Enang, as Akpabio opts for NASS

From left: Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Ibrahim Garba; Pro-Chancellor, Dr. Adamu Fika; Chairman/Founder, Aliko Dangote Foundation, Aliko Dangote and Chancellor and the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, during the Conferment of Honorary degree on Aliko Dangote at the 41st convocation ceremony of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Saturday.

COLUMNISTS

OWEI LAKEMFA

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OPERATION PUFF ADDER: Police arrest 18 suspected kidnappers, recover 22 8 AK47 rifles, others SERAP writes Dickson, asks him to reject life pension for Bayelsa 12 lawmakers

SOBOWALE

25

HENRY BOYO

26

KOKORI: Labour issues Ngige May 1 ultimatum on NSITF 9 Board Mr & Mrs

2—Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 —3

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 —41

Economy bleeds as power system collapses Continues from Page 5 must be strictly monitored to ensure revenues collected for electricity supplied is remitted. This is the link to infrastructure development and future investment along the power chain.”

Labour

In a telephone inter view with Vanguard, yesterday, General Secretar y, National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, Mr. Joe Ajaero, said: “The sector was privatised wrongly and that is the reason for these crisis.

The generation companies privatised have not moved beyond the capacity given to them. They are not maintaining the installed capacity giving to them as at take over.

They have not built additional unit at the power unit in the station.

“TCN has been able to wheel what they have.

As it stands, the DISCOs cannot wheel more than expected because of weak distribution transformers and lines.

“The system is not working or refused to work. The Federal Government has issued intervention funds and yet not to delivering to expectations. The sector needs to be reviewed. If the quality is working, we will continue and if not working, we would review it. However, after the review, every stakeholder should come up with ideas on how to make it work.”

However, Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said yesterday that maintenance was ongoing and that the situation would improve on completion.

Senior Special Assistant to the Minister, Media, Hakeem Bello, told Vanguard last night that part of the maintenance on TCN facility had been completed, resulting in improvement in supply.

According to him, work was ongoing to complete the remaining segment of the work.

Others

Other important stakeholders, including the NNPC and Minister of Power, Works, and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, did not make any comments yesterday.

Impact

Reacting to the development, yesterday, Director General, Lagos

Chambers of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, Mr Muda Yusuf, said the poor state of power has affected the nation’s economy in many ways.

He said: “Most of the members have all resorted to alternative sources of power supply.

Some of the big companies have completely cut off from the national grid to private gas supply as means of providing power for their operation.

“This is because some of their operations and productions cannot work with the epileptic power we are experiencing in the country. All the multinationals are generating their power themselves right now.

“Those that suffer most now are the SMEs and the micro operators that rely on generators, more so now that the fuel is not even available, their problems have been compounded.

“I think something has to be done if this country is to move forward. We cannot continue this way as a nation. Where on

earth have you seen manufacturers running generators as major source of energy supply?

Government should see to the plight of the manufacturers in the country before all the industries relocate to Ghana as we are experiencing today.”

The President of Manufacturing Association of Nigeria, MAN, Mr. Frank Jacobs, also stated that there has been cut down in production, job losses, as well as outright closure of manufacturing concerns or relocation to other countries.

He said: “When you are producing and power is taken unannounced, goods in line of production would be destroyed. As a result, many members of MAN have resorted to generating power privately and completely cut off their operations from the national grid.

“Most companies, like Coca-Cola, Wempco, Nigeria Flour Mills and especially the multi

Fire Power Demonstration —Nigerian Army vehicle Manufacturing Company displays their weapons during the Fire Power demonstrations at Jaji in Kaduna, yesterday. Photo: NAN. nationals self-generate their power. They don’t rely on the national grid.

And for the last three years, our study showed that our members spent averagely in a month N20.8 billion.”

Apo transmission station fire

Meanwhile, a major fire outbreak occured at the Apo transmission station in Abuja yesterday, which

may worsen the nation’s power situation.

The Head, Corporate Communications, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Mr. Oyebode Fadipe, stated: “Our technical team is right now working with the TCN engineers to see how to absorb the load on the 45MVA transformer that was affected by the fire.”

The Minister of Power Works and Housing,

Babatunde Fashola was said to have remarked that: “I am aware of the Apo Fire incident which occurred today (Sunday) affecting the Transmission Transformer and our staff are at site & on ground.

The fire has been put out.

Damages are being assessed and plans underway to redistribute Power to communities served by the burnt/ damaged transformer at Apo Transmission Sub Station."

I have no regret joining APC —Senator Akpabio

By Chioma Onuegbu

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YO —The Senator representing Ikot Ekpene Senatorial district and former governor of Akwa Ibom state, Senator Godswill Akpabio has said he has no regrets for dumping his former party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP and joining the All Progressives Congress, APC. Akpabio at his hometown, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, while fielding questions from newsmen after the burial of his nephew weekend, said if he were to take the decision today, he would go to the APC. He said he also had no regret for bringing Governor Udom Emmanuel as his successor, noting that what he did in 2015 was to ensure that he brought somebody who was presentable.

His words: “I have no regret bringing Emmanuel. You know like I always say, in 2015, I wasn’t looking for a governor for Godswill, I was looking for a governor for Akwa Ibom.

So if Akwa Ibom is happy with him, why not? I will be satisfied. You Know it is always good that you bring out somebody who is presentable.

“Even if you want to go to a football match, you must look for good players. So for me I don’t have any regret over Emmanuel. I pray that he does well for the state. And I also pray that God gives him the wisdom as long as he has the opportunity to pilot the affairs of the state, he should do well for the happiness of our people. I have no regret at all.

“I have no regret equally for my joining the APC. I have no single regret. If I were to take the decision today, I will go to the APC. I am happy in the APC.” Akpabio, who dumped the PDP for the APC in 2018, dismissed speculations in some quarters that he would return to the PDP, describing such speculations as the handiwork of mischief makers.

“Why are you people listening to mischief when I am getting entrenched in APC? I am very happy to be in APC. I am excited and I thank God that the President won the election resoundingly all over the country.”

He expressed confidence that he would reclaim his stolen mandate in the Tribunal and return to Senate, saying, “I am a believer in the Lord. That is why I believe in due process and that is why I

have taken the option of due process and said let’s go to the Tribunal and ensure that we fight for our right. There is no protest, no shouting.

“And by the grace of God, I will succeed in the Tribunal and then I will continue in the Senate. But even if it is not on June 9th when my first term in the senate will terminate, any day at all that I succeed at the Tribunal, I will continue from there, because I do know and you know that I won the election. I have always said so, I never stopped saying it and I will never stop saying it because that is the truth.

“But that is not the most

important thing. The reason why I feel confident is because my tomorrow is greater than my today.

Like I said today, we have only one opportunity to make our life better but tomorrow, we have three opportunities. You know we have three ‘O’s in tomorrow, but you have only one ‘O’ in today. And yesterday is gone, so you don’t have any single ‘O’ there.”

On the perception that losing his re-election bid that his political career was finished, Akpabio said: “If anybody expects that I will feel bad, I will never feel bad. Sometimes people don’t understand that life is full of ups and downs.

Life is not a straight line. If it is a straight line, it means you are dead.

“For me, I will always wish my people in Akwa Ibom well. I will always pray for Akwa Ibom State, and I will always work for Akwa Ibom till I die. I am already a senator, and I have been a governor for eight years and I have had the privilege of serving them as a commissioner.

“I believe in peaceful politics and that is the reason I chose the path of peace to also pursue any wrong that I feel that could have been done to me, not

by Akwa Ibom people but done by the INEC,” Akpabio said.

I wasn’t given any SUV by NSITF—Ngige

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

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BUJA—THE Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, yesterday denied being given any SUV, describing the allegations by the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, as cock and bull story.

A source close to the Minister said: “The minister set up a nineman administrative panel with the approval of Mr. President. ‘’This panel deemed it necessary after the EFCC had submitted its report to

the President and the ministry on the issue of missing N45 billion made by the government and private people. The panel was to look into how N5 billion was taken out one day without voucher.

“If the N18 million will be spent in terms of sitting of the members of the administrative panel’s travels to the 12 regional offices of the agency through out Nigeria, it is then money well spent.

“It was not true that the minister received any cash monetization or any SUV from the NSITF,

rather when the Minister of State was appointed to the ministry and there was no vehicle for him to use as the previous vehicle to the late Minister of State was damaged in an accident, the NSITF assisted and loaned a vehicle to the ministry to be assigned to the office of the Minister of State for Labour.

“Comrade Frank Kokori’s name was never sent to the Presidency by the Minister of Labour for appointment of chairman in conformity with the act setting up the NSITF."

4—Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019—5

POCKET CARTOON

2019 NAF Day —From second left: Chief of Information and Communication, Nigerian Air Force headquarters, AVM Maxwell Nnaji; Chief of Training and Operations, AVM Oladayo Amao; Chief of Administration, AVM Kinsley Lar and representative of the Chief of the Air Staff, AVM Emmanuel Anebi, at the 2019 NAF Day Interdenominational Service at Saint Anthony Padua Catholic Chaplaincy Air Force Base in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

Economy bleeds as power system collapses Continues from Page 1 day. The reported gas constraint was 2,039.5 MW.” “The reported line constraint was 0 MW. The reported frequency management constraint due to loss of DISCO feeders was 1,963 MW. The water management constraint was 150 MW. The power sector lost an estimated 2,048, mw due to constraints on this day.”

Investigation by Vanguard in all parts of the nation, yesterday, showed that the situation has not improved because the Nigerian Gas Company, NGC, a subsidiary of the

Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, was not able to complete the rehabilitation of the Escravos-Lagos Gas Pipeline System.

Consequently, Egbin, Omotosho, Olorunsogo and Papalanto Power stations were not able to generate power for transmission and distribution, thus forcing many Electricity Distribution Companies, DISCOs to express their helplessness to consumers.

TCN

In its statement sent to Vanguard, the Transmission Company

of Nigeria, TCN, had stated: “The National Grid is experiencing reduced power generation due mainly to emergency maintenance

by NGC of its gas pipeline supplying gas to Egbin, Omotosho, Olorunsogo and Paras Power Stations.

“This was reportedly caused by leakage on the Escravos-Lagos gas pipeline, necessitating the total shutdown of the four power generating plants on 25th April, 2019.”

In a statement signed by the General Manager Public Affairs, TCN stated that prior to the incident, Omotosho NIPP and Olorunsogo

NIPP had already been out due to gas supply issues.

According to the statement, NGC worked hard to repair the gas pipeline so that normal gas supply can be restored to the affected power plants.

Presently, repairs have been completed and the pipeline is currently being pressured prior to resumption of gas supply to the affected power stations TCN further noted that it has diverted about 312MW load from the Benin-Egbin 330kV transmission line which tripped off at 23.14hours on Tuesday, 23rd April, 2019, to Omotosho –

Ikeja West and AyedeIkeja 330kV transmission lines, due to on-going repair works on the Benin-Egbin 330kV transmission line.

It stated: “The tripping was caused by a line cut between Ofosu and Okada towns; however TCN engineers are making concerted efforts to complete repair work on the transmission line, despite the very difficult terrain at that location.

“Due to the diversion of the load from this line to the two transmission lines equally feeding Lagos axis, load shedding in Lagos axis was minimised to about 280MW at the first instance. However with the attendant gas supply issues and sudden gas leakage problem, load shedding increased considerably.”

GENCOs report

In its latest report obtained by Vanguard, the Electricity Generation Companies, GENCOs, indicated that power generation increased as follows: 4,214.32 (2013);

6,154.05 (2014); 6,616.28 (2015); 7,183.59 (2016); 6,993.14 (2017) and 7,383.04 (2018).

But investigation showed that it has not been possible to transmit and distribute the current unstable generated power to consumers.

Executive secretary, Association of Power Generation Companies, Dr. Joy Ogaji said: “Unless the challenges in the power chain are tackled, power output will continue to be poor.

The generation companies are ready and willing to generate power that will sustain the country on a daily basis but they are being constrained by factors beyond their control.

If power output must improve, the transmission and distribution arm of the power chain must be strictly regulated. The transmission grid must be upgraded to ensure 8,000MW available capacity from GENCOs is put on the grid. The distributors (DISCOS)

Continues on Page 41

By Bose Adelaja,Yinka Latona, Dickson Omobola, Tolulope Oke&Erinfolami Abdulkudus

What kind of people should Buhari appoint as ministers? (1)

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need entrepreneurs with great insight on how to resurrect a dying economy. Furthermore, young ministers that would not be suffering from dementia in proffering solutions to the country’s problems should be appointed.

Mr. Jerry Matthew Student

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he ministers should not be picked based on politics or party loyalty. It should be based on credibility, capability and reliability. Nigeria needs capable hands that would take her from the murky waters she has been thrown into by unqualified individuals.

Miss Oladosu Jumai Student

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here is always a right person for every job. Mr. President should use his discretion to appoint the right persons irrespective of their tribe or religion. If a Delta man or woman is qualified, then he or she should be appointed. The past achievements of these people would prove their eligibility for the positions.

Miss Ngozi Leonard Corps member

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he President should appoint men and women of vision on merit.

They should be people who truly have the interest of this nation at heart.

Gone are the days of using ministerial seat as compensation for politicians who were found unpopular with their people.

Mr. William Jimoh Life Coach

r. President should do away with tribalism, politics and religion in choosing members of his cabinet.

He should go for those who have excelled in their fields. For example, if he wants to nominate the Minister of Health, the candidate must have excelled in the medical profession and not just picking someone randomly because he is a loyalist or an ardent acolyte.

Mr.Olanrewaju Ibitoye Analyst

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he kind of persons to be appointed as ministers willbedeterminedbythevision of the President. He must clearly define this within the contextofhisparty’smanifesto.

For instance, he can only appointafinanceministerwho believes in IMF or World Bank's neo-liberal economic death pills if his government thinks that is the best way to go. On education, a minister who believes in commercialisation of pubic education should not be the option.

Mr. AdeolaSoetan Activist

6—Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

Pipeline task force arrests 9 bunkering suspects in Delta

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INE persons were arrested at Oteghele and Ugbodede communities by operatives of Special Task Force on Pipeline Vandalisation attached to PPMC depot in Warri, Delta State.

During the raids, about 15,000 litres of refined diesel about to be loaded into wooden boats in sacks were impounded just as over 50 illegal refineries were also destroyed.

Speaking on the arrest in Warri, yesterday, Commander, Special Task Force Anti-Pipeline Vandalisation on Petroleum and Illegal Bunkering, SP Mohammed Yakubu, said the arrest was made possible based on the intelligence gathering efforts of his men and officers.

He disclosed that while Ugbodede community camp harbours 13 illegal refineries, Oteghele community end controls the largest with about 37 refineries operating at full capacity in the area.

The commander disclosed that the nine arrested suspects will still be detained for further interrogations and would be charged to court, while the seized product would be handed over to the appropriate agency.

According to him, “It may interest you to know that this breakthrough was made possible through the cooperation of some good citizens who provided the information that led to the arrests.”

26 suspected cultists, 64 miscreants arrested in Lagos

By Bose Adelaja

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O fewer than 26 cultists suspected to be members of the dreaded cult group known as Awawa Boys have been arrested in Agege by operatives of Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences (Enforcement). Sixty four miscreants were also arrested at Oshodi areas of Lagos State by the enforcement team weekend.

Chairman of the agency, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, disclosed that the 26 suspected cultists were arrested during an overnight enforcement operations tagged Operation Restore Sanity to Lagos around Isaleoja, Funmilayo, Ile-pako at Amoo, Orile by cannal, PapaAshafa, Dopemu and Old Okooba in Agege.

He said criminal activities perpetuated by the Awawa boys have become a serious threat to the lives of residents and innocent members of the public around the area.

He stated that it was an eyesore seeing the miscreants and cultists robbing, raping and freely smoking Indian hemp with underage boys and girls.

The chairman stated further that the 64 miscreants and hoodlums, including three

Suspected Awawa cult gang and (BELOW) items recovered from the cult gang. female teenagers, were arrested during an over-night raid around Oshodi, saying dangerous weapons and substance suspected to be Indian hemp were recovered from them.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Zubairu Muazu, has however, directed that all those arrested be charged to court for prosecution.

10 die in Ogun, Edo auto crashes T

EN people were, yesterday, confirmed dead in separate accidents around Olorunsogo village, Kobape-Siun axis on Abeokuta-Sagamu expressway, Ogun State and Auchi-Okene highway, Edo State.

Five persons died in the

Murder of 18-yr-old girl in Imo: Family wants suspect punished

accident involving a Primera car and a Volvo truck around Olorunsogo village, KobapeSiun axis on Abeokuta-Sagamu expressway.

Spokesperson, Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, Mr Babatunde

6 nabbed for cultism, murder in Lagos were identified as Babatunde

By Chinonso Alozie

By Esther Onyegbula

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WERRI —THE family members of the 18-year-old girl, Ulumma Ekwebelem, from Ikpem in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, allegedly killed by her fiancé, Chibuzor Alaneme, said they have remained in pains since her death.

One of the uncles, Theo Ekwebelem, said, yesterday, in Owerri, the Imo State capital: “This boy called Chibuzor has put us in pains and we want him punished. I have not said anywhere that he should be released. He must pay for the crime .

“He must face the consequences of what he did to that girl. We are in serious pains to watch our daughter just go like that.”

Recall, Ulumma was said to be preparing for her West Africa Examinations Council, WAEC, exams before the tragic incident as the story of her murder was weaved round the issue of

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Ulumma Ekwebelem, the deceased

sexuality and relationship.

Vanguard reported that the incident has continued to cause stir in the village of the suspect, Chibuzor, in Umuohunma, Ezuofoke community of Umunna in Onuimo local government area of Imo state, where police reportedly arrested no fewer than ten persons.

However, at the time of filling this report it was gathered that those arrested had been released while the suspect is said to be in police custody.

Akinbiyi, who confirmed the incident in Abeokuta, explained that the accident occurred about 1:37pm, saying it was caused by excessive speeding and loss of control on the part of the Primera car.

He said: “According to an

Wasiu ,30 ; Bolaji Elijah ,25; Joseph Timothy ,32; Bolaji Olayiwola ,22; Saheed Lateef ,22 and Julius Augele , 20.

Also the police recovered the axes and jack knives which they used during the clash.

Confirming the arrest the spokesperson Lagos State Police Command, DSP Bala Elkana, said apart from these six suspects, four suspects were earlier arrested and charged to court in connection with the incident, bringing the number of suspects arrested to 10.

IX suspected cultists are currently being investigated by operatives of the Homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Lagos State police command over the alleged murder of four persons during a cult clash in Ajah area of Lagos.

According to the police, the suspects were arrested in connection with the clash between Eye and Aiye cult groups, which left four persons dead on April 14 at General Paint, Ajah.

The six s u s p e c t s arrested on April 27, 2019 by policemen attached to Area J Command The suspects.

eyewitness, the car with number plate, KTU 875 DP, lost control, somersaulted and rammed into a stationary Volvo truck with number plate, LAR 119 YD, parked off road.

“The accident involved five persons, three of them were males and two females.

“We learned the Primera car is commercial, used in running shuttle from Sagamu to Abeokuta. All the five casualties involved in the accident were in the car when the accident happened."

Akinbiyi noted that the corpses of the dead had been deposited at the morgue of General Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta .

He appealed to motorists to desist from excessive speeding and reckless driving because of its attendant consequences.

Also, five lives were lost in a multiple road accident along Auchi-Okene highway, Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, in Edo Sttae has confirmed.

The FRSC Sector Commander in Edo, Mr Anthony Oko, who confirmed the incident in Auchi, said the accident happened at about 11 a.m. at Jattu junction in Etsako West Local Government Area of the state.

According to Oko, five persons died on the spot, while six others sustained various degrees of injury.

“I can confirm to you that five persons have been killed in a multiple accident at Jattu junction along the Auchi-OkeneHighyway.

“The dead included three males and two females,” Oko said.

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019—7

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Forget school, do your home work

NABBED: 18 suspected kidnappers and ar med robbers ar rested by Police detectives attached to Operation Puff Adder at different times and places across the country as paraded by Police in Abuja.

4 arrested with freezer loaded with Indian hemp in Ogun

By Daud Olatunji

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BEOKUTA—Men of Ogun State Police Command, weekend, arrested four persons with a deep freezer loaded with weeds suspected to be marijuana at Iperin black spots in Agbara.

It was gathered that the suspects pretended to be using the deep freezer for sales of soft drinks.

Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who disclosed this in Abeokuta, said when the freezer was opened, “behold, it was loaded with weeds suspected to be marijuana, hence they were promptly apprehended.

He said the discovery was made while carrying out raids on criminal hideouts and black spots by a team of policemen led by the DPO, SP Adegbite Omotayo, and he gave the names of those arrested as Opeyemi Wahab , 22; Kabirat Ahmed, 21; Yusuf Rasaki,20 and Saheed Mustapha,32.

“On interrogation, they confessed being the major distributor of the

Olodo! just go, you are right

The suspects. substance in Agbara area and that they always use the freezer to distribute it around so as to deceive the security agents and prevent them from arrest.

“Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Bashir Makama, has ordered the immediate transfer of the

suspects to State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for discreet investigation.

“He also warned that sales of illicit drugs. which is a catalyst for crime commission, will not be tolerated in the state any longer.”

Parents of boy found dead inside freezer demand corpse As govt seals 6 shops over incident

By Evelyn Usman & Bose Adelaja

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ARENTS of late Treasure Akinsohun, the six-yearold boy found dead inside a refrigerator, hours after he was declared missing, late Wednesday, in Ketu, Alapere area of Lagos, have demanded his corpse for burial.

This is just as six shops on the same line with that which the freezer was have been sealed by government.

Recall that the late Treasure had gone to spend the Easter break at his aunt’s place last Tuesday. The aunt, as gathered, took him and her biological children to her shop at 12, Orile-Orisigun Street, Iyana-School, off Mile 12Ikorodu Road.

However, at the end of the day, Treasure was discovered to be missing, only for his corpse to be found next day, inside a deep freezer in one of the shops on the same line with his aunty’s.

During a telephone

With a whiff of money, the dead can come alive again

The shops. conversation with the bereaved father, Mr Ojo Akinsohun, he simply stated that the family had taken a decision to bury late Treasure’s remains.

“We want him to go and rest. We leave everything to God,” he said, and declined further discussion, promising to get back to Vanguard.

M e a n w h i l e , whenVanguard arrived the affected shop, located on the ground floor of a storey building used for residential

and commercial purpose, six shops were still sealed.

The entrance to the building was opened but deserted.

Residents described the incident as a mystery as they claimed that the shop was not opened for sales on the day late Treasure went missing.

Lagos State Police spokesman, DSP Elkana Bala, said detectives at the Homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, SCIID, were still investigating the matter.

C M Y K

8—Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29 , 2019 :Vanguard News

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Reps speakership: Open ballot system won’t work Buhari said — Lawmakers Muhammadu he could not assent to the

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AGM: From left, Non-Executive Director, Charles Umolu; Chairman, Board of Directors, Ernest Ebi; Executive Director, South, Aku Odinkemelu; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nnamdi Okonkwo, all of Fidelity Bank Plc, at the 31st Annual General Meeting of the bank, in Lagos.

New cabinet: Hope rises for Enang, as Akpabio opts for NASS Akpabio confident he’ll retrieve ‘stolen mandate’ in court

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor

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S President Muhammadu Buhari constitutes a new cabinet to run the machinery of government for his second tenure, the coast appears to beclearingfortheemergence of his current National Assembly aide as a full-fledge ministerfromAkwaIbomState in the new set up.

Competent party leaders toldVanguard,yesterday, that there was a gentleman’s understanding that Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, should take the ministerial slot should All Progressives Congress, APC, win the presidential contest.

A source conversant with the development said having spearheaded and remained thefaceofAPCinAkwaIbom State for over three years before other gladiators joined, Enang merited the attention he was getting from the president.

Akpabio confident he’ll retrieve ‘stolen mandate’ in court

The slot is believed to have shifted in his favour, following information that the former governor of the state, Godswill Akpabio, who was also being considered for the post, appears to have hinted that he would reclaim his mandate and return to the Senate.

A top party official in Akwa Ibom State said, yesterday, that Akpabio had told close associates that he would win his petition at the tribunal and reclaim his mandate from former deputy governor, Dr. Chris Ekpenyong, who was declared winner last month.

The top APC official said:“The former governor is convinced that he has concrete evidence to prove C M Y

thatINECconnivedwithPDP to rob him of a well deserved victory by refusing to add the result of the votes in his key strongholds of Essien Udim Local Government Area and other places where he won.

“Akpabiointendstofightthe injustice meted out to him and win to remain in the National Assembly and

contribute his quota to national development and Akwa Ibom State, given the massive support he enjoyed from them during the poll.’’

The current minister from Akwa Ibom in the cabinet, Udoma Udo Udoma, is said to have hinted that he would opt of the political post after May 29, despite a preference

by the Presidency for him to be retained.

The only concern that natives of the state have about the presidential aide is that he has been representing the state at the National Assembly since the return to democracy in 1999.

Besides, some ethnic groups outside Ibibio nation where Enang hails from, may also want to take a shot at the ministerial post, having not been represented for many years.

UTME: We've uncovered new scam to defraud candidates — JAMB

By Joseph Erunke

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BUJA—AS candidates, who sat for the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, await release of their results, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has alerted of fresh plots being deployed by fraudsters to dupe unsuspecting candidates.

To this end, the board,which said this in a weekly news bulletin, released to the media, yesterday, by its Head of Media,Dr Fabian Benjamin, has advised candidates to jealously guard their UTME registration numbers and profile codes to avoid falling victims of this latest scam.

It also said over 200 candidates, drawn from seven countries, participated in its UTME conducted on Saturday.

Mode of operation

JAMB stated: "Candidates should know that what these fraudsters do is to take advantage of their naivety and, subsequently, obtain their registration numbers with which they print their examination notification slips, which contain the candidates’ phone number and other vital data.

“These fraudsters then use this information to send messages to same candidates disguising as officials of the board or persons who have

special information, access andcapacitytoinflatethecandidates’ scores among other things.

“Theirstrategyisakintothat of a police officer who is unmindful of the fact that he is wearing his name tag on his uniform and when you address him by his name, he is surprised that you know his name.

“The board urges candidates to see their registration numbers and profile codes as securitydatasimilartotheAutomated Teller Machine, ATM, pin numbers, which admit them to make withdrawal from their accounts.

“The fraudsters use the information derived from the examination notification slip printed using the candidates’ registration number to open up a line of communication with candidates to dangle the enticing offer of awarding them higher scores in the yetto-be released 2019 UTME results among other mouth watering promises. “ This is fraudulent as they lack the capacity to do any of such. Candidates are, therefore, enjoined to disregard messages or calls from anybody claiming to have access to the board’s classified information.

“The board wishes to state emphatically that the results of the 2019 UTME have not been released.”

Conducts UTME for 200 candidates

in 7 countries

Meanwhile, JAMB has said over 200 candidates, drawn from seven countries, participatedinitsUTMEconducted last Saturday.

The board said the exercise, which took place in the United Kingdom, Ghana,Cameroon, Benin Republic,Coted’Ivoire,South Africa and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was successful.

BUJA—AMID calls for the adoption of open ballot system in the election of presiding officers of the 9th National Assembly, two lawmakers in the House of Representatives said, yesterday, that the lower chamber’s laid down rules could not be disregarded.

Thelawmakers,Rimamnde Shawulu (PDP-Taraba) and Kehinde Agboola (PDPEkiti), made the remarks in separate interviews with News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.

According to Shawulu, any attempt to change the House of Representatives’ Standing Orders in the 9th Assembly election without following due process will be an aberration to the practice.

The lawmaker, who got reelected in the February 23 National Assembly polls, said promoters of open ballot election were not well informed.

He said: “Let them come from outside and amend the rules.

President

OPERATION PUFF ADDER: Police arrest 18 suspected kidnappers, recover 22 AK-47 recovered a total of 22 AKrifles, others 47 rifles, five locally-made

By Kingsley Omonobi & Joseph Erunke

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BUJA—THE police authorities have said detectives attached to Operation Puff Adder have arrested 18 more notorious kidnap suspects across the country.

The police in a statement

by Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, also said the detectives

Why I was detained by Buhari’s military regime — Lamido of Adamawa

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HE Lamido of Adamawa, Aliyu Mustapha, said, weekend, that he was detained by the military administration of Muhammadu Buhari after it toppled the civilian administration led by President Shehu Shagari in 1983 because he was a commissioner in the civilian government of the then Gongola State.

Mustapha gave the explanation while receiving the Programme Manager of Wadata Communication Limited, Zubair Idris, who paid him a courtesy visit after an event in Yola.

He recalled that the new military regime ordered the detention of all the politicians in government at the time for investigation for alleged corruption, adding: “I was investigated and found to be

Electoral Act because it was too close to the 2019 general elections.

“Now,wehavesomeweeks to the election and you want to amend how leadership is elected. That is double standard; it doesn’t make sense.”

The lawmaker, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Army, however, said the rules would have to be amended at the lowerchamberbeforeanyone could talk about open ballot.

“The rules are already set; any member, who wants the rules amended, can bring the motion to the floor of the house. And if it is passed, it becomes law but now, the rules of the house have been there since 2011.

Corroborating Shawulu’s remark, Agboola said adopting open ballot “will amount to shifting a goal post at the middle of a football match. We have never voted in the house on open ballot.

So we will not take that; they can’t dictate to us."

clean and subsequently released.”

The traditional ruler declared his full support for the fight against corruption and lauded the Buhari administration for its commitment to check corruption.

Idris was in Yola to organise a town hall meeting on the anti-corruption campaign, with support from US-based MacArthur Foundation.

Earlier, Idris informed the monarch of the town hall meeting, which attracted traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, educationists, media practitioners and other stakeholders.

He commended the monarch for establishing Pulaku FM that has been partnering with the firm in the fight against corruption, using the local languages.

pistols and a cache of live ammunition.

The statement read: “Sequel to the arrest of the ‘spiritual father’ of kidnappers and armed bandits operating in the northern part of the country, oneMallamSalisuAbubakar, Police detectives attached to Operation Puff Adder, through a series of detailed, intensive and sustained investigative operations, successfully arrested 18 more notorious kidnappers and armed robbers at different times and places across the country.

“A total of 22 AK-47 rifles, five locally fabricated pistols and a cache of live ammunition were recovered from the bandits.

“The combined team of crackdetectivesfromIRT,TIU and other operatives, using actionable intelligence obtained from the spiritual godfather of the kidnappers and other multiple sources, tactically ‘smoked out’ the kidnappers and armed bandits from their hide-outs in Birnin Gwari, Rijana, Katari, Mai Daro and Buruku forestsinKadunaStatebefore they were eventually arrested at different locations and times in Kaduna, Katsina, Niger and Kogi states respectively.

“Police investigations have positively linked the arrested suspects to some of the most heinous crimes committed in KadunaStateanditsenvirons in recent times."

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019—9

Kokori: Labour issues May 1 ultimatum to Ngige on NSITF Board

By Victor Young & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

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PENSION: Officials of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, PTAD, attending to pensioners, during the on-going parastatals pensioner ’s verification exercise in Lagos, yesterday.

Photo: NAN

Abuja-Kaduna Road kidnappings create chaos at Idu, Kubwa train stations Military top brass abandon road for train journey

By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief & Emmanuel Elebeke

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BUJA—THE rising incidents of kidnapping along the Abuja-Kaduna highway has created a chaotic situation at Idu and Kubwa train stations in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Vanguard gathered that the activities of the dreaded kidnappers and armed robbers, operating with sophisticated weapons now make even some of the top brass of the military and security organisations to park their cars and take trains between the two cities.

The insecurity on the Abuja-Kaduna road, has forced a lot of travellers to abandon the road, thereby exerting pressure on the train service, with unprecedented large number of passengers moving to the stations, leaving a rowdy ticketing process.

Our investigations have shown that although the Abuja-Kaduna journey takes an average of about two hours, travellers who want to ride on the trains could spend more than those two hours to obtain tickets.

It was gathered that obtaining train tickets has become so difficult that a would-be traveller needs to know an official of the station at Idu, Kubwa of Rigasa, the Terminal point in Kaduna, to get a ticket.

The alternative has been to stay at the train stations for several hours or buy tickets from corrupt station officials and their collaborators, touts for prices twice or thrice the fare.

Tickets racketeering

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,

EFCC, arrested eight of such people early this month, specifically on April 7 2019, following intelligence reports on their activities.

According to the EFCC, those arrested and questioned include Clement Zakka, Udim Sunday Samson, Adams Danladi, Otitomoni Omobolanle and Hassan Dauda.

Their mode of operation is to deny travelers tickets, saying tickets for the next train had been sold out.

Later they would surreptitiously approach desperate would-be travelers and tell them they could arrange tickets for them, if they would pay more than the face value.

Officially, the Economy ticket costs N1, 300 but the racketeers sell it at between N2,000 and N5,000, while the First Class tick which goes for N2,500 is sold between N7,000 and N15,000.

In spite of the EFCC raids on the stations, it was learned that in less than one month, the touts are back, conniving with ticketing officers to reserve tickets for the highest bidder.

Train passengers want ticketing automated

Commuters who spoke to Vanguard, suggested that the ticketing process be automated, reminiscent of what obtains in the aviation industry.

They complained that there was currently huge loss of man-hours, with some travelling back and forth between Kubwa and Idu in order to obtain tickets.

Nyaku A. B, a businessman, said of his experience: "My experience about the journey has been a pleasant one, it is comfortable from the train station to the point of

arrival, I can say it is very satisfactory. ‘’However, the process of obtaining the train ticket and sometimes the boarding, is where the issue is. Coming to ticketing process, I find it so disappointing and embarrassing that in this period of technological development, the ticketing system being practised is shameful. ‘’Today I sent somebody to queue and buy ticket for me, he went there about 11 o’clock in Kaduna for a train of 2 o’clock. They told him they would not sell ticket to him until around 12 o’clock.

Reason for choosing rail travel

‘’It is for obvious reasons, the insecurity on the AbujaKaduna route, even though there are issues of insecurity everywhere, the Abuja-Kaduna route in particular has become notorious for kidnapping.

Army generals abandon road, join

the train —Commuters

‘’Even the Generals and security officials are also parking their cars to join the train in order to avoid the risk. So that is why we are joining the route to minimise the risk.

Reacting, Haida Mahmoud, a student in Kaduna, said: ‘’This is my first time of coming to Idu train station. In other stations one has to suffer before getting ticket compared to Kubwa and Kaduna. At Kubwa I could not get ticket since 12 o’ clock, that is why I came here. ‘’I chose train because it is safer, unlike the road which is not safe, with robbery and kidnapping.

The train is better.

There should be improvement on the ticketing process. At Kubwa, we had to write our names and queue just to get ticket, I do not think it is ideal for us to queue and pass through the rigour people are currently going through.

Buhari, APC out to cover corruption, incompetence —PDP

By Dirisu Yakubu

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BUJA—PEOPLES Democratic Party, PDP, has accused the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Presidency and the All Progressives Congress, APC, of desperation to remain in power at all costs, to continue to exploit Nigerians, protect corrupt leaders in its fold, cover their incompetence and conceal the humongous sleazes in the administration.

According to PDP, this is the reason APC and the cabal at the Presidency resorted to violence, intimidation as well as manipulations and alteration of results at the Independent National

Electoral Commission, INEC, to rig the February 23, Presidential election.

In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party maintained that the desperation informed the reason APC agents and certain Presidential aides have been making desperate efforts to distract the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal and derail the course of justice by making and promoting baseless judicial interpretations and externalizing the proceedings of the court.

The statement read: “The President Buhari-led APC administration wants to remain in power to prevent

AGOS—ORGANISED Labour has given the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, up to Wednesday May 1, to inaugurate the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust, NSITF, with Chief Frank Ovie Kokori, as chairman, or face its wrath.

Labour also warned Ngige against the dropping of the name of President Muhammadu Buhari in the substitution of Chief Frank Kokori as chairman of the board and accused the Minister of employing delayed tactics, while remaining the ‘sole administrator’ of the Fund.

Efforts to reach the minister last night for his reaction proved abortive, as he was said to be in the church and could, therefore, not react.

But Labour in a statement yesterday by President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Ayuba Wabba, accused Ngige of turning NSITF into personal estate, perpetrating several illegalities, including unapproved recruitment.

It equally accused Ngige of not only being economical with the truth, but also lying to remain sole administrator of NSITF, warning that after May Day, if Ngige failed to

inaugurate the board with Kokori as chairman of the board, labour would make public some of the infractions of the minister at NSITF. The NLC in a four-page statement decried the statement by the ministry calling labour leaders that attended the botched inauguration thugs.

NLC stated: “The statement, which was filled with many unbelievable barefaced lies and uncouth language, alleged, among other things, that the inauguration had to be postponed …to avoid the degeneration of the situation where thugs were already manhandling some officers of the ministry and policemen attached to the office of the minister.

“The Minister ’s statement asserted that the violent gate crashing and the illegal forceful seizure of the conference room of the Honourable Minister by thugs numbering hundreds and persons who clearly had no business with the inauguration of the board is totally unacceptable.’’

Wabba accused Ngige of several infractions at NSITF, saying “unknown to the Presidency, the Minister had within this period that he was the sole manager of NSITF, recruited hundreds of people, majority of whom are from his community.

EFCC arraigns Bauchi gov-elect for alleged bribe-taking

By Soni Daniel

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BUJA—THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will today slam six criminal charges against Bauchi State governor-elect, Senator Bala Mohammed, at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.

The charges marked CR/ 177/17 border on accepting gratification and acquisition of landed property.

Specifically, the former FCT minister is charged with accepting gratification in the form of a house valued at N550 million on No 2599 and 2600 Cadastral Zone, AO4 Asokoro District, Abuja, from Aso Savings and Loans Plc in 2014.

The commission, through its prosecuting counsel Mr. Wahab Shittu, said the alleged gratification was accepted as reward by Mohammed “for performing your official duties”.

The alleged offence, according to the commission, is contrary to Section 18 (b) of the

Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and punishable under Section 18 (d).

He is also accused of making a false statement to an EFCC investigating officer, Ishaya Dauda, that he acquired the Cadastral Zone property through a mortgage facility from Aso Savings and Loans.

Mohammed is also accused of failing to make full disclosure of his property on 54, Mike Akhigbe Street, Jabi, Abuja in the course of filing his asset declaration form at the EFCC. The commission said the offence is contrary to Section 27 (3) (a) of the EFCC (Establishment) Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (3) (c).

The prosecution also accused Mohammed of failing to declare a property on Agwan Sarki Kaduna in Kaduna State.

The anti-graft agency also said thst the governor-elect made a false declaration that a property on CITEC Kwara House 5, AP Street, Mbora, Abuja belongs to him.

10 — VANGUARD, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

2019 POLL: Fulani elders flay Miyetti Allah official over Tinubu

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AGOS—THE Concerned Fulani Leaders Forum, CFLF, yesterday, distanced itself from one Alhaji Bello Bodejo who claimed to be President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, saying he lacked the mandate and moral standing to speak for the Fulani.

Bodejo, in an interview with a national newspaper, had moved to whittle down the alleged 2019 presidential bid of All Progressives Congress, APC, National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

But in a statement, spokesperson for C F L F, M u h a m m a d Musa Bawa said Bodejo made the statement to serve some dubious interests.

The statement reads: “We note with dismay a publication in The Sun Newspaper of Saturday April 27, 2019 and attributed to one Alhaji Bello Bodejo, the selfacclaimed President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, an associationmischievouslyconceived to serve some dubious interests. In the p u b l i c a t i o n , Bello Bodejo was quoted as casting aspersions on the person of All Progressives Congress, APC, National Leader, A s i w a j u B o l a Tinubu.

“Bello Bodejo’s statement is

u n f o r t u n a t e and repulsive in all ramifications. Such a person cannot be taken s e r i o u s l y o r be highly regarded as to speak for others.

“Bello Bodejo stands for everything unethical.

His questionable antecedents speak volumes about him and his ways. When he realised he cannot actualize his nefarious activities under any decent association, he resorted to desperate moves, contacting prominent politicians, soliciting for patronage and claiming to be a leader of the Fulani under Kautal Hore, a handbag association where he is law unto himself.

"He does not command any decent followership as his criminal records speak volumes about him. He is a fraudster with questionable background who derives pleasure in intimidating people using his clandestine activities.

“On the issue of 2019 he raised, no one can arrogate to himself the power to decide who should lead or aspire to lead the country. The generality of the Nigerian people will take that crucial decision.

Only a charlatan like Bello Bodejo, masquerading as a leader would make such sweeping statements credited to him."

Tinubu remains a visionary leader — Akinyelure

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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AGOS—A former National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, South West, Chief Pius Akinyelure has expressed confidence in the leadership quality of National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, saying, “Tinubu remains a leader to be reckoned with in Nigeria.”

He also expressed confidence in Lagos State Governor-elect, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat to transform the state and position it among developed states in the international community.

C M Y K

Akinyelure said this, weekend, during an Appreciation Dinner and victory party, organised by supporters of SanwoOlu to express gratitude to residents for electing the governor-elect and his running mate.

Akinyelure said: “Tinubu remains a leader to be reckoned with. He is a great political strategist and a visionary leader who can read and understand issues and see things ahead. His ability to see things ahead had helped to promote governance in the state. We will continue to follow him.

“With his vision and service to the people, he has helped to promote the development of the state.”

3 arrested over sale of poisonous ponmo As LASG warns against consumption of poisonous foods

By Chioma Obinna

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AGOS—THE Lagos State Government, yesterday, arrested three persons in connection with the sale of toxic cowskin popularly known as Ponmo in Ojo Local Government area and Iba Local Council Development Area of the State even as it warned Lagosians to desist from consuming unwholesome food product.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who made the disclosure, noted that the government has confiscated a large amount of the poisonous cow-skin following preliminary investigation and enforcement carried out in the areas.

Idris said the three persons involved have been charged to court while samples of the confiscated Ponmo had been sent to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, laboratory for suitability test analysis for human consumption.

He said: “The attention of the Lagos State Government was drawn to

the activities of traders who deal in the sale of the poisonous cow-skin at odd hours in different locations in Ojo and Iba local government areas of the state. " P r e l i m i n a r y investigations and suspects tracing revealed that the traders were very active between 4:00am and 6:00am at various locations such as Volkswagen bus

stop, Iyana Iba, Afolabi Ege Markets, all within Ojo and Iba local council areas of the State.

“A company, said to be located at Ijedodo area of Iba LCDA, was indicted as the source of supply of this toxic Ponmo and has subsequently been put under surveillance.”

The Commissioner, however, called on the public to be vigilant and

report suspected activities and sale of unwholesome foods and food products to an environmental health officer in their nearest local government or to the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Agriculture.

He also advised Lagosians against purchase and consumption of foods perceived to be hazardous to human health.

GLO WINS ICT AWARDS: Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, speaking at the induction of Globacom into the ICT Hall of Fame at the Beacon of ICT Awards held in Lagos at the weekend. The company also won the “Most Innovative Mobile Player of the Year” at the event. Applauding are Mr Eric Uwaoma and Mrs Oluwakemi Akinyele, who represented the company at the event.

ExxonMobil laments frequent attacks on facilities

by Akwa Ibom youths He said: “The and globally accepted to

By Harris-Okon Emmanuel

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Y O — MANAGEMENT of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Eket, Akwa Ibom State has lamented the frequent attacks on its facilities, saying that it had recorded over 25 cases in the past four months.

General Manager, Joint Venture Operations, Tom Benjaminsen disclosed this at the NNPC/MPC joint venture community investment meeting weekend in Eket, the commercial nerve centre of the state.

He said: “The unprecedented harassment, badge seizure and attacks on our contractors by a handful of individual in the communities are constituting a major impediment to the continuous survival of our business.

We have recorded more than 25 such cases, and counting, from January 2019 to date.

“I appeal to the community leaders to continue to monitor the youths to always explore peaceful avenues for resolution of issues rather than adopt violent confrontation as the only mode of engagement.

“The NNPC/MPN joint venture is for the long haul and is repositioning to

deliver greater value to the community, the state and the nation.”

In his address, chairman of the ceremony, Brig.

General Anthony Etukudo (retd) commended the oil firm for the programmes and called on the youths to desist from using violence as a mean to resolve conflict, but should follow the path of peace.

Community Investment Programmes, CIP, initiated

by NNPC/MPN joint venture for the development of the four neighbouring communities of Eket, Esit Eket, Onna and Ibeno is a very welcome development though long overdue.

“It must be noted that we will no longer tolerate youth restiveness through street protests and blocking of roads. Dialogue is cheaper

violence.”

Commissioner for Transport and Petroleum Resources, Mr Orman Esin, who represented the state government urged the management of the firm to review the budgetary provision for CIP. ”We are calling on MPN to review the CIP upward because the results you get from the programme, money cannot buy,” he said.

Glo shines at BoICT Awards Night

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AGOS—NIGERIA’S second largest telecom operator, Globacom, was at the weekend awarded and inducted into the Information and Communication Technology, ICT, Hall of Fame for its unwavering support for the telecom industry.

It took place at the 10th anniversary of the Beacon of Information and Communication Technology (BoICT) Awards held in Lagos.

Globacom got the ‘Most Innovative Mobile Player of the Year’ award at the colourful ceremony attended by distinguished Nigerians from all walks of life. In addition, Globacom was inducted into the ICT Hall of Fame for its remarkable contributions to the growth of Nigeria’s telecommunications

industry.

Globacom’s representatives, Head, Enterprise Solutions, Eric Uwaoma; Training Development Unit, Oluwakemi Akinyele and Head, Mobile Money, Raj Narayan received the award on behalf of the company.

The Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, ALTON, Mr. Gbenga Adebayo described Globacom as the game changer of the telecom industry.

Adebayo said the innovation of Per Second Billing (PSB) system introduced by Globacom fast-tracked telecom growth in the country.

He said: “For that unique innovation and many more others it has introduced since then, Globacom deserved this award.”

The ALTON chairman

described the telecom sector as the “most reliable” sector in the country and a “major driver ” of the economy.

Adebayo urged the government to look into the issue of multiple taxation in the industry and make conscious efforts to protect the industry’s critical infrastructure; just as he described the threat by the Nigerian Airspace Management Authority to close down operators’ base stations as a threat to national security which will have grave consequences for the country.

Founder and CEO of Communication Week Media Limited and organisers of the BoICT Award Series, Ken Nwogbo described the Beacon of ICT Awards series as the last most prestigious annual event available in the ICT industry in Nigeria.

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 — 11 :Vanguard News

:@vanguardnews

:@vanguardnews

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HEALTH TIPS One glass of wine daily lowers risk of depression — STUDY

By Sola Ogundipe

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COMMISSIONING: Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State (2nd left) unveiling the utra-modern mosque built by Hon. Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji at Ikire on Saturday.

FG’s new payroll system dubious — ASUU

By Ola Ajayi

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BADAN—THE Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, yesterday, described a move by the Federal Government to use the 2019 personnel verification exercise to incorporate lecturers into the Integrated Personnel Payroll System, IPPS, as unacceptable.

Subsequently, the union has directed its members to ignore the 2019 Personnel Data Verification forms being distributed by the Budget Office of the federation.

ASUU President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi gave the directive in a letter sent to chairmen of the union in universities.

Ogunyemi described the verification form as dubious.

He said: “The attention of the leadership of the ASUU has been drawn to a circular from the budget office of the federation directing members of our union to participate in a Personnel Verification Exercise designed for selected ministries, departments

and agencies. An item on the form requires the supply of IPPIS number.

“This suggests that the so-called exercise is a disguised way of bringing back the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS, which our union rejected in the past with informed arguments.

“All chairpersons are advised against falling into the trap of forceful migration to the IPPIS. All chairpersons are strongly

AGOS—WIFE of Ekiti State governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, has won the 2018 Zik Leadership Prize for humanitarian Leadership. This was disclosed by the organisers of the annual prize in Lagos.

Her husband, Dr Kayode Fayemi had earlier in 2013 won the Zik Leadership Prize in the political leadership category.

Other winners of the 2018 Zik prize in leadership, include former Ghanaian President, John Mahama, immediate past national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, who won in the political leadership category.

C M Y K

should equally recall that the union has been engaging the federal government with a view to making relevant authorities to appreciate the implications and position of ASUU on the matter since 2014.

“Pending the resolution of the matter evidence of which shall be communicated to all members, no member of the union is allowed to enlist in the IPPIS.''

Charge naval personnel for torture, contempt, Falana tells AGF

By Henry Ojelu

Ekiti Oba returns six months after AGOS—HUMAN Rights lawyer, Mr. L abdicating throne “Let us all agree that the Femi Falana, SAN, yesterday, asked the

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

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DO-EKITI—THE people of Ilogbo Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State, yesterday, pardoned their monarch, the Owalogbo, Oba Edward Ajayi, after chasing him out of his kingdom for six months.

This was after a peace parley brokered by Ekiti State government.

The monarch was evicted from the palace and chased away from the town during

Mrs Fayemi, Otedola, two govs, ex-Ghanaian President win Zik Leadership prize

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advised to discourage their members from completing the form under reference until the union reviews its position on the IPPS.” Speaking further on the Directive, Professor Omole said the “current IPPIS programme does not accommodate the peculiarities of the job of university lecturers.

“The current state of IPPIS cannot accommodate the peculiarities of our job as scholars. Members

T used to be said that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but now Swedish researchers have found that people who drink a glass of wine a day appeared to have a lower risk of depression than those who abstain or over indulge.

The researchers who tracked the lifestyle habits of more than 5,000 people for 12 years, found the people with the best mental health drank up to 14 units of alcohol a week - the equivalent of 10 pints of beer, and a little less than 10 glasses of wine.

Those who never drank alcohol had a 70-percent higher risk of depression, and hazardous bingedrinkers were 80 percent more likely to suffer.

The new study, published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, found that alcohol at least seemed to be tied to good

Also, governors Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State and Abubakar SanniBello of Niger State emerged winners in the good governance award category, while business mogul, Femi Otedola also won the prize for the business leadership category.

Announcing the winners at a news conference in Lagos, executive Secretary of the Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre, PPRAC, Emeka Obasi and a member of the advisory board of the Centre, Prof Pat Utomi, disclosed that the winners were carefully selected after an exhaustive appraisal of nominees in the various award categories.

a violent protest by indigenes on 21st October, 2018 during which one person was killed and properties worth millions of Naira destroyed.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), supervised by the Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, was signed by the two parties after series of peace meetings to reconcile the embattled traditional ruler with his estranged subjects.

The Deputy Governor, in a statement signed by his Special Assistant (Media), Odunayo Ogunmola, on Sunday, said the Owalogbo is now free to come back to the throne and assume his royal duties.

He said the traditional ruler has learnt his lesson after spending six months in exile urging indigenes still aggrieved with him to bury the hatchet and allow peace to reign in the town.

Oba Ajayi was accused by his subjects of alleged highhandedness, autocratic tendencies, withholding of monthly allowances of his chiefs, failure to control his children whom they accused of involvement in cultism and bringing suspected cultists to their community to unleash terror.

Egbeyemi said: “Our government is a government of peace; we don’t want crisis or breakdown of law and order in any part of the state.

Kabiyesi, you can now go back to your domain anytime you wish.

crisis is over because we have all signed the MoU, and that you will all allow peace to reign and everybody will go about his normal business.”

Responding, the monarch commended the Deputy Governor for the intervention and successful resolution of the crisis.

Nigerian leaders of thought for 12th The Platform confab

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IGERIAN thought leaders from all spheres of life will on Wednesday grace the 12th edition of The Platform Nigeria programme designed to facilitate personal growth, capacity and productivity as well as foster national development within the country.

The biannual conference powered by Covenant Christian Centre is billed to hold on May 1 in Lagos would be graced, among other speakers, by the Chairman, Board of Directors, First Bank of Nigeria, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, Chairman of the Editorial Board of Thisday Newspaper, Olusegun Adeniyi, Founder, Editorin-chief of PandoDaily, Sarah Lacy and President of the African Institution of Technology, Dr. Ndubuisi Ekekwe.

mental health.

While alcohol particularly excessive drinking - is a risk factor for depression, plenty of studies have shown there can be a sweet spot.

It is not a secret that in many parts of the world with the best health and longest life expectancy, most people have a drink a day.

While not universally beneficial; women, particularly younger women, have higher risks than men of developing heart disease, cancer, and other health issues from drinking alcohol. There have also been reports that a glass of wine a night raises the risk of a stroke.

However, another recent study found that, while the risks for younger women are underestimated, the risks for older women may be overestimated. In fact, the study found alcohol was protective past retirement age.

Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Mr. Malami Abubakar, SAN, to charge some naval officials responsible for torturing and illegally detaining 15 Nigerian citizens including military personnel in a military detention facilities.

In a statement, Falana stated that since September 2018, the Nigerian Navy arrested the 15 citizens including Group Captain Dada Labinjo, Lt. Commander Sherifat Ibe Lambert (also known as Mrs Bola Labinjo) and Benjamin Gold for an undisclosed offence.

Falana noted that Navy authorities have continued to detain the victims and deny them access to family members, medical doctors and lawyers despite the orders of a Magistrate’s Court which ruled that they should be released from illegal detention.

He said: “In utter contempt of the valid order of the Magistrate Court the Authorities of the Nigerian Navy transferred the detainees to another military detention facility in Abuja.

“Following the application by Lt. Commander Bola Labinjo filed for the enforcement of her fundamental right to personal liberty, the Federal High Court directed the Naval Authorities to release her from illegal custody.

“But the valid order of the Federal High Court has equally been ignored by

the Naval Authorities without any legal justification. Even though the civilians among the detainees are not subject to service law the Naval Authorities have continued to detain them in military detention facilities.

“Furthermore, the fundamental right of the detainees to dignity has been violated as they are being held incommunicado in solitary confinement while they are subjected to physical, mental and psychological torture in total contravention of section 3(2) of the Anti Torture Act, 2017 which provides that “secret detention places, solitary c o n f i n e m e n t , incommunicado or other similar forms of detention where torture is carried out are prohibited.

“As the prolonged incarceration of the detainees cannot be justified under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended or the Armed Forces Act they should be released from custody or arraigned before a competent court of law if there is reasonable suspicion that they have committed any criminal offence whatsoever.

“However, to curb the growing culture of official impunity in the country we are compelled to call on the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami SAN to charge the naval personnel responsible for the violations of the fundamental rights of the detainees with contempt of court and acts of torture under the Criminal Code Act and the Anti Torture Act.”

12—VANGUARD, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

Delta monarch denies warning Agip, others against dealing with community's leaders

Rivers gov: Fingesi drags INEC, Wike to tribunal

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ORT HARCOURT CANDIDATE of Action Democratic Party, ADP, in 2019 governorship election in Rivers State, Victor Fingesi has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Governor Nyesom Wike, winner of the election, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,

HE Okpala-Ukwu of Umusadege –Ogbe, in Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State, His Highness, Andrew Chibogu, has denied media report that the community handed a warning to oil companies operating in the community, particularly Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited, NAOC, to desist from dealing with the leadership of the community.

Chibogu in a statement, weekend, said: “To put the records straight on the allegations, we decided to respond to stop them from exhibiting their primitive education in the public, as well as to advise them to desist from giving false information to the public and threatening oil companies operating in our peaceful

community.

“The leadership of Umusadege-Ogbe community expired on June 1, 2018, and was reconstituted on July 21, 2018, at the Okpala-Uku's Palace after a peaceful transition and letters of introduction of community accredited contact men committee and community development committee (CDC) chairman was written and signed by the Chief, communitysecretarygeneral and the seven family heads to various oil companies on July 30, 2018, including the impostors.

“It is noteworthy that after the introduction of CACCs, one chief conspired with some chiefs, met at Lococcon Hotels and formed a parallel government without the knowledgeofthecommunity and has no blessings of the Otu-Olile age grade."

By Egufe Yafugborhi

P

before the election tribunal, seeking the conduct of a fresh governorship election in the state.

Fingesi weekend in Port Harcourt, said he was challenging INEC’s return of incumbent Wike as governor-elect in the election despite “ S u b s t a n t i a l noncompliance with the electoral Act,” by the electoral body.

He said: “We are asking

the tribunal to nullify the election of Wike and order fresh election because anybody who is the governor in a democratic dispensation carries the sacred mandate of the people. No matter the expediency, he must have majority of lawful votes and the process and procedure must comply with the laws of the land.

“No attempt should be made in any guise to turn

From left—Mr ken Nwogbo, Founder, N i g e r i a Communications Week; Mr John Obaro, MD, SystemSpecs Ltd receiving the " Í n d i g e n e o u s Software Provider of the Decade" award from Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Occassion at the 2019 Beacon of Information and Communication Technology, Award ceremony in Lagos on Saturday.

Photo Lamidi Bamidele

Black weekend in Borno as Boko Haram attacks military, police formations, clinic in Borno villages

By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri

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USPECTED members of Boko Haram terrorists weekend wreaked havoc by attacking a military formation in Kimba village of Big Local Government Area of Borno State.

Sources said the armed insurgents invaded the Kimba community which is about 35km away from Biu and confronted the soldiers at their duty post, leading to the the dislocation of the troops on Friday.

Unconfirmed report indicated that the insurgents overwhelmed the soldiers at their duty post and chased them away from the community which shares border

with Sambisa Forest.

A resident, Aliyu Isa, told our correspondent that after the attack on Kimba village on Friday, another group of insurgents stormed Sabin Gari village of Damboa Local Government Area which is about 5km away to Kimba and razed down a Police station, clinic and dislodged one of the military formations in the area.

Isa said, Sabon Gari village had been with no military presence for almost two years when the military formation in the area was attacked, causing the authorities to withdraw troops until recently when they were redeployed.

election exercise to mere filling of a vacuum and impose anybody on Rivers people as governor.

“Our stand on this matter is even corroborated by a statement from INEC that the election was marred by wide spread irregularities and we wonder why INEC would consequently volteface and return Wike as the governor in such an election.”

Dickson, Okowa praise N’Delta monarchs for relative peace As Ibori, others extol HM Ayemi-Botu

By Emma Amaize & Festus Ahon

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KPOKUNU— GOVERNORS Seriake Dickson and Ifeanyi Okowa of Bayelsa and Delta States respectively, weekend, commendedtraditionalrulers for the relative peace in the Niger Delta region and promised to collaborate more with them.

The governors made the commendation in their separate remarks at the silver jubilee anniversary and lunch of the biography of the paramount ruler of the Seimbiri Kingdom, Burutu Local Government Area, Delta State, His Majesty, King Charles Ayemi-Botu, aka Lion of the Niger.

Former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, who presided over the ceremony and the Chairman, Delta State Traditional Rulers Council, Obi of Owa Kingdom, Dr. Emmanuel Efeizomor, led other dignitaries to Okpokunu town, the country home of HM Ayemi-Butu for the anniversary.

Dickson praised the monarch for his dogged

efforts towards the liberation of the Ijaw nation even at the risk of his life and comfort of his family, saying, “You are a leading light in Ijaw nation.

You have remained very outspoken on issues of great concern to ourpeople.Youare a king that is not only to serve, but also to speak up for the oppressed.

“Youdonotfeartospeakout on matters of interest to the NigerDeltaregioneveninthe face of troubles. I commend you for being a strong voice in the struggle for true emancipation of our people.”

Also speaking, Okowa, representedbytheSpeakerof the Delta State House of Assembly, Chief Sheriff

EDIA consultant, Chief Babs Alasa, has dragged DAAR CommunicationPlc,AITandtwoofits senior officials before a Lagos StateHighCourtsittinginIkeja over the alleged embarrassment caused him by the withdrawal of the Governor of the Year Award bestowed on his

monarch for what he described as ‘royal leadership’ in resolving crisis.

King Ayemi-Botu while thanking God for mercies upon his life and the lives of his subjects, appealed to federal and state governments, companies operating in the locality and otherdevelopmentpartnersto attractpeopleorientedprojects to the area as well as establishment of tertiary institutions in his kingdom.

TheSeimbirimonarch,who promisedtoremaincommitted to the struggle for the development of the Niger Delta region, said the region should be adequately catered for because it contributes largely to nation’s economy.

SERAP writes Dickson, asks him to reject life pension for Bayelsa lawmakers

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O C I O ECONOMIC Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has sent an open letter to Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, urging him to use his “good offices as trustee of the state’s resources, and be

Babs Alasa sues DAAR Communication

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Oborevwori, explained that thetraditionalinstitutionshave been an integral part of the success stories of his administrationandsolicitedfor continuedsupportoftheroyal fathers.

Congratulating King Ayemi-Botu for his 25 years coronation anniversary, Okowaenjoinedcommunities across the state to remain at peace with one another for moredevelopmenttothrivein the state. Former governor, Chief Ibori, in his address, recalled the contributions of KingAyemi-Botuinthetrying times of his administration, especiallyduringthe struggle for resource control and commended the Seimbiri

client, the Akwa Ibom State governor,Mr UdomEmmanuelbythemediaorganisation.

Alasa in the suit, is asking for unreserved public apology to him to be published in three major newspapers for the unwarranted embarrassment caused him and the governor ofAkwaIbomState.

consistent with your constitutional oath of office, to reject the proposed life pension bill by the leader of the House of Assembly, Peter Akpe, and to prevail upon the House to immediately withdrawtheself-servingbill.”

The House had last week passed a bill that would grant life pensions to speakers, deputy speakers and other members. Under the bill, speakers will go home with N500,000 monthly, while deputy speakers will receive N200,000. The 24 other members will each get N100,000. The House is seeking life pensions for members similar to those

“applicable to former presidents, vice-presidents, governors and deputy governors across the country.”

In the letter dated April 26, 2019 and signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Public officials have a legal commitment to discharge a public duty truthfully and faithfully.

Should you assent to the bill as proposed, SERAP will institute legal proceedings to challenge the legality of the legislation and ensure full compliancewithconstitutional provisions and Nigeria’s international anti-corruption obligations."

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 — 13 :Vanguard News

:@vanguardnews

:@vanguardnews

NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058

1st Gold refinery to add N53bn to GDP —Minister

CELEBRATION: From left —Funsho Ibrahim, Chairman Governing council Federal College of Education,Technical, Asaba, Dr. Nwanze Ignatius Ezoem Outgoing Provost, Federal College of Education of Education, Technical, Asaba, and Mr. Bashir M u h a m m a d representative of Federal Ministry of Education, during the activities marking the end of 8 year tenure of Dr. Ezoem as the Provost of Federal College of Education, Technical , Asaba. Photo: Nath Onojake

By Gabriel Ewepu

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We'll not surrender Benue to criminals — Ortom ...Blames Katsina/Ala crisis on criminals

By Peter Duru

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AKURDI— GOVERNOR Samuel Ortom has blamed the bloody conflict in Katsina/Ala local government area of the Benue State between Shitile and Ikurav clans where 11 persons were r killed on Good Friday, on criminals operating in the area.

This came as the governor insisted that the state would not be surrendered to criminals.

The Governor who disclosed this while interacting with

newsmen in Makurdi, assured that with the support of stakeholders from the affected areas, an end to the crisis was in sight.

He said, “on Thursday I held a meeting with stakeholders from the area that lasted about eight hours where everyone spoke frankly on the matter and all the root causes of the conflict was made known. It was obvious that some persons entrusted with responsibilities are failing in their duties and government will not hesitate to wield the big stick to met out sanctions

but beyond that what we see happening in Katsina/Ala is pure criminality.

“Regrettably all efforts in the past to have the matter resolved was resisted by the people themselves but today they have resolved to end it with government’s intervention because as we speak no activity both social and economic is going on there. I have met with security chiefs and I must appreciate personnel of Operation Whirl Stroke for their decisive efforts to end the conflict. After our meetings we resolved to

take action to stop the kidnappings, robberies and killings and restore peace in the area.

“I must reiterate that I will not surrender my government to criminals.

We will continue to liaise with security agencies to ensure peace in the state which is paramount to the government and people of Benue state.”

On the possible review of the curfew imposed on Katsina/Ala town following the crisis, Governor Ortom said his government was studying the situation before reaching a decision.

Dangote donates multi-billion naira hostel to member of National ABU Bags Doctorate Degree Executive Council, NEC, of NLC, said “Remarkably, ADUNA—AFRICA’S on him and the renowned universities”, he stated.

Dangote posited that the NLC under his leadership K foremost businessman labour leader, Hassan fought and won the battle and Chairman of Aliko Sumonu, honourary Federal Government alone Dangote Foundation, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has made another critical intervention in the educational sector when he weekend donated fully equipped 2,160 bed space hostel complex to the Ahmadu Bello University,ABU, Zaria.

The students’ halls of residence comprising of 10 blocks of 360 rooms built with a total cost of N1.2billion came after similar gestures to Bayero University, Kano and University of Ibadan, where the business mogul donated multi-billion Naira business school complexes respectively as part of his contribution to the educational development in the country.

The new students’ hall of residence was commissioned to commemorate the 41st convocation of the University during which the university authorities reciprocated the act of philanthropy by conferring

Doctorate Degree.

Also 15,787 graduating students were also awarded various degrees.

Speaking at the occasion, the President Dangote Group explained that he was moved to build the structure having realized that the student population at the university have recorded significant increase without a corresponding growth in terms of infrastructure lamenting that the situation has remained a subsisting and growing major challenge as Nigerian public universities continue to grapple with under funding.

“Thus, I will like to use this opportunity to enjoin the Federal Government to consider allocating special funds to the universities to enable them to improve on research and upgrade their infrastructure. Such special intervention has become imperative given the perennial funding challenges facing our

could not shoulder the entire burden of funding tertiary education due to competing needs of other sectors that also demand priority attention. This is where Public Private Partnership, PPP, can and should come in to fill the gap.

...as Textile union salutes Sunmonu, Dangote on awards

Meanwhile, the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, has congratulated the pioneer President, of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Alhaji Hassan Sunmonu and Alhaji Aliko Dangote on the conferment of Honorary Doctorate Degrees on them by ABU. In the congratulatory message to the awardees, General Secretary of NUTGTWN, Issa Aremu recalled the outstanding leadership of Sunmonu as the founding President of NLC from 1978 to 1984.

Aremu who is also

to make May 1st a public holiday, fought and won the struggle for a new minimum wage of N125 ($240) in 1981 under President Shehu Shagari’s administration.

Notwithstanding the divisive strategy of the second Republic politicians aimed at splitting the NLC, Aremu observed that Sunmonu commendably sustained the unity of the trade union movement through all inclusive ideologically driven movement. As Secretary General of the Organisation of Africa Trade Unions Unity (OATUU) he also ensured that the voice of African workers are heard and respected in the global arena.

The labour leader who is also the Vice President of Industrial Global Union based in Geneva, Switzerland also said the honouring of Aliko Dangote as a leading African investor and industrialist was well deserved given his globally acknowledged contribution to industrialisation and mass job creation in the continent of Africa.

BUJA—MINISTER of State for Mines and Steel Development, Abubakar Bwari, has said the first Gold refinery will add N53 billion to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, in the first year of production.

Bwari stated this while speaking on efforts of the Buhari-led administration to ensure Nigeria becomes a major exporter of gold products from 2019, saying the refinery will produce 175, 000 ounces (5, 468. 75 kilogrammes) of Gold bullion bars.

According to him the company granted the country’s first Gold refinery license has the capacity to operate gold refinery, following critical assessment to ascertain the technical know-how and other requirements.

He said: “The National Gold Purchase Scheme is aimed at promoting the production, aggregation and refining of Nigerian gold purchase through the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, under a Federal Gold Reserve Treasury Scheme.

“The Scheme is administered under two platforms which include provision of access to

equipment through a lease/hire loan facility to registered miners. We have authorized off-takers.

“Our projection on the production of the Gold refinery in the first year is 175, 000 ounces (5, 468.75 kilogrammes) of 99.99 per cent Gold bullion bars. The earnings in the sector will be increased by N53 billion in the first year. It would also boost the sector ’s contribution to the national Gross Domestic Product, GDP, by 80 per cent.

“On the Gold Refinery License, the Ministry granting the first ever license in Nigeria to Kian Smith Trade Co. Ltd, a private sector operator. The ground breaking ceremony for the plant was held on the 13th of December 2018.”

“The refinery will commence production of 99.99 per cent bullion bars and coins in the third quarter of 2019. For the market platform, the Gold produced and procured shall be refined in bullion bars.”

The Minister added that over the years Nigeria’s Gold had been largely traded illegally, seizures made of the commodity at the nation’s airports had been worrisome.

ICC condemns Fulani killing of Christians in sporadically. When the dust Adamawa settled, four people were

By Sam Eyoboka

K

A D U N A —

I N T E R N AT I O N A L Christian Concern, ICC, a non-partisan, charitable organization focused on human rights, religious freedom and assisting the persecuted Christian Church around the world has condemned recent killing of four Christians and injuring of six others in Demsa Local Government of Adamawa State.

A statement by ICC Communications Coordinator, Olivia Miller, lamented that Fulani militants launched an attack on Bolon village, a predominantly Christian village in Demsa Local Council Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria, saying “the attackers struck at approximately 10:30 p.m., firing gunshots

killed and another six were injured by gunfire.”

Continuing, the ICC quoted a local resident as saying: “An older man went to his backyard… and saw the attackers coming.

The old man quickly went back and alerted the villagers of imminent danger while the attackers advanced very fast. Some of the villagers were able to flee, while some of the brave men tried to resist and repel the attackers.

“An 89-year-old man and his wife were killed in their home when it burned down around them. Among the four victims were Nathan Maduwuri (89), Mirdiya Nathan (70), Demto Lord (13), and Emiko David (10).

Kalla Lord Dennis, a 48-year-old father, was shot in the hand and leg. The bullet that was lodged in his leg was finally removed several days after the attack.

Kalla’s 13-year-old daughter Demto was killed, while his 10year-old was shot in the leg.

14 — VANGUARD, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

Akeredolu didn’t fund my election, Abayomi insists

By Dayo Johnson

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KURE—THE Ondo North Senatorial candidate for Action Alliance, AA, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, has denied that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu funded his campaigns.

Akeredolu was accused of anti party activities for allegedly supporting candidates of AA in the National Assembly election.

Refuting claims that he was sponsored by the

governor, Abayomi said: “I never received any money from Akeredolu to finance my election.”

Abayomi denied the claims of some leaders of the party in the state that Akeredolu diverted money meant for the APC to AA. He said: “The truth is that I am too busy right now with my professional and personal life to engage in all the nonsensical dialogue going on with regard to Ondo State politics.

“I am a successful lawyer and no successful lawyer has anything to fear in victory or defeat.

“I want to correct the false impression and representation that the governor used what they call APC money to sponsor AA during the election.

“For me, I sold a very valuable plot of land in Lekki to finance my campaign. I also know one House of Representatives AA candidate who sold his House abroad to do the same.

“I am only correcting the false representation but it’s not yet time to talk and I will talk when the right time comes.”

OSUN GOV DISPUTE: Lawmaker warns against harassment of Adeleke

By Gbenga Olarinoye

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SOGBO—A House of Representatives elect for Ede South, Ede North, Ejigbo and Egbedore federal constituency in Osun State, Mr. Bamidele Salam has expressed grave concern and deep fear for the peace and stability of the state over what he perceived as “continued harassment and assault on Senator Ademola Adeleke, using security apparatus and other instruments of Government.”

Salam, in a statement in

Osogbo yesterday, said: “This act, while being totally uncalled for and barbaric, is also putting our already fragile democracy on a needless test.”

The statement reads: “Understanding that Senator Adeleke is on the brink of retrieving his governorship mandate freely given by the people of Osun State, antidemocracy elements within the All Progressives Congress, APC, have resorted to some of the most vicious, crude and desperate mudslinging

and proxy wars to embarrass his person, discredit him in the eye of the unsuspecting public and keep him away from pursuing his legitimate rights as a lawabiding citizen of Nigeria.

“It must be put on record that even though litigations are before courts challenging his qualification to contest for the post of governor, these elements are determined to demoralise PDP candidate through various acts of psychological torture on him and his supporters.''

CONFERMENT OF HONORARY DOCTORATE DEGREE ON NED NWOKO BY FUPRE Prince Ned Nwoko received Doctor of Science Degree (Honoris Causa) at Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Delta State, FUPRE convocation weekend.

Prince Ned Nwoko (2nd right) with (from left) Prof Prekeyi TawariPrince Ned Nwoko receiving his honorary doctorate degree from FUPRE Chancellor Fufeyin, DVC (Admin), HRM Mohammad Ahmad and Regina Daniels. and Emir of Anka, Zamfara State, HRM Attahiru Mohammad Ahmad, CON.

Prince Nwoko being congratulated for the special award.

Prince Nwoko.

Prince Ned Nwoko and Princess Regina Daniels.

Prince Ned Nwoko, his brother, Dr Michael Nwoko (left) and Alhaji B. Prince Nwoko with some Anioma traditional rulers, who graced the convocation Mohammed (right.) ceremony.

VANGUARD, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019—15

Alleged N7.6bn fraud: PDP, rights lawyers seek speedy trial of Kalu after A-Court ruling

By Joseph Erunke

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BUJA—LAST Wednesday’s Appeal Court ruling dismissing the no-case submission filed by the former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu over the alleged N7.65 billion fraud charges levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has triggered fresh demand for the speedy trial of the former governor.

The Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party,PDP; Abia leaders and a coalition of human rights lawyers,while hailing the ruling, have also called for speedy dispensation of the case.

At a joint press conference weekend in Abuja, the groups said the

ruling of the Justice M. L. Garba-led Appeal Court which held that the former Abia governor has case to answer had vindicated their earlier position that the former governor be made to face the law for the alleged fraud linked to him by the nation’s anti-graft agency.

Speaking on behalf of the group,Abia North chairman of PDP, Hon. Mathew Ibe and the national coordinator of Human Rights Lawyers in the state, Mr Uche Nna, appealed to the court to quicken the trial of the former governor .

“The former governor has been parading himself as a sacred cow and President Muhammadu Buhari’s political godson for South East.

“It was even strange to have allowed such a person with such high profile fraud allegation to have contested the last national assembly election.

“We hail the ruling of the court and we demand quick trial of the former governor because our state is yet to recover from the alleged wide- spread financial fraud that characterised his government,” they said in a prepared text given to reporters at the conference.

Speaking further, the Abia North PDP boss, Matthew Ibe said:”The appeal court ruling on Wednesday has further vindicated us and other Nigerians who have been insisting that the former

governor has a case to answer in the said N7.65 billion fraud filed against him by the antigraft agency.

“We support the ruling of the Appeal Court and we therefore renew our demand for the speedy trial of Chief Kalu as the only way to restore public confidence in the anticorruption agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

Recall that Justice M.L. Garba of the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos had in a lead judgement on Wednesday ruled that the Justice Mohammed Idris, then of the Federal High Court in Lagos,was right to have on July 31, 2018 dismissed Kalu’s no-case

Congestion of prison caused by police, FG's inability to fund pro bono lawyers —NGO

By Peter Okutu

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BAKALIKI—A non governmental organization, Good Leadership and Peace Advocates of Nigeria, GOLEPAN, weekend, stated that the inability of the Nigeria Police to exercise discretion as to which case should be charged to court and limited sponsorship of Pro Bono lawyers by the Federal Government were some of the factors responsible for prisons congestion in the country.

It further decried the low access to justice in Nigeria especially among the indigent citizens, adding that most prison inmates are individuals who cannot afford legal fees and representation in court.

Founder of the group and principal partner of ZEADA Attorneys, Barr.

Adaeze Nwaji who expressed concern over the situation said justice in

Nigeria is now basically reserved for the rich.

Nwaji, a British-trained lawyer spoke at a one day workshop on pro bono legal service delivery organized

by Ebonyi State University Law Clinic in partnership with GOLEPAN, ZEADA Attorneys & Lead Trust as well as Network of University Legal Aid Institutions.

With the theme: “The role of pro bono Lawyers in our criminal legal system, legal aid council guidelines for pro bono lawyers, professional ethics and skills needed for effective pro bono service delivery”, Barr. Nwaji advocated for funding of pro bono lawyers to offer legal services to indigent citizens.

She explained that due to limited lawyers willing to undertake pro bono services for indigent citizens, the issue of congestion in Nigeria prisons has continued to persist.

Turnout of Biafra agitators to welcome Kanu in Germany, morale booster —IPOB

B RETREAT: From left—Nasiru Garo, Vice Chairman, House Committee on Public Procurement; Mr Mamman Ahmadu, DG, Bureau of Public Procurement; Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola, Head of Service, Lagos State representing Gov Akinwunmi Ambode; Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, Head of Civil Service of the Federation; Senator Andrew Ochedu, Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Procurement; and Dr Musa Abubakar, Secretary, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences, ICPC, during the 2019 Procurement Retreat for Federal Permanent Secretaries held in Lagos on Friday.

Disquiet in Obiano’s community over traditional stool

By Vincent Ujumadu

A

WKA—THERE is disquiet in Governor Willie Obiano’s community of Aguleri in Anambra East local government area of Anambra State after the recent demise of the traditional ruler of the area, Igwe Christopher Idigo as two persons are laying claim to the traditional stool.

Despite the fact that the state government had already recognized a member of the royal family, Dr. Michael Idigo as a successor to the late monarch and presented him with a certificate, another member of the royal family, Chief Chuka Idigo has started laying claim to the throne.

The development had brought a division in the community, forcing the state government to issue a stern warning to those supporting another person not recognized by government.

In a statement by the

commissioner for information and public enlightenment, Don Adinuba, the state government said it had noted with dismay the strange trend by some people to lay claim to the leadership of traditional institutions in some communities in utter violation of the customs and traditions of the communities and in total disregard of the laws governing the selection and recognition of traditional rulers in the state.

According to the state government, there were laws protecting the dignity of the royal institution and those who occupy it, adding that government resolved long ago not to brook any act from any quarters which could bring the royal institution to odium or public ridicule and disgrace.

The statement read: “It is intolerable that one Chuka Idigo has in the last few days been posting on the social media, pictures

depicting him as a traditional ruler. The pictures were taken in his living

room, making the action look like a comic relief."

ABSU sacks 3 senior lecturers for sexual harassment

By Anayo Okoli

U

MUAHIA—THE Management of Abia State University, Uturu, ABSU, has sacked three academic and four nonteaching staff for what the institution called gross misconduct.

The three sacked senior academic staff who were from the Department of Economics were said to have been engaged in misconducts ranging from sexual harassment and extortion.

Also, another senior staff of the department was placed on suspension without salary for one academic session because he was a first offender.

The University equally dismissed four nonacademic staff for falsification of bursary

receipts and carting away properties of the university.

A statement signed by the University’s registrar, Dr. Evelyn Iheukwumere said the dismissal of the staff and the suspension was approved by the university’s council at its 140th regular meeting held recently.

The statement also said the council ratified the promotion of some academic staff to the ranks of professors, readers and senior lecturers.

The chairman of the university’s council, former Senate President, Chief Adolphus Wabara was also quoted by the statement as admonishing the students of the institution “to take their studies serious and avoid social distraction and cultism that may truncate their academic activities”.

ASKING in the euphoria of the large turnout of Biafran agitators and their sympathisers in Munich, Bavaria Germany on Saturday to welcome leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in the country, the group said it was more resolved, committed and determined to continue its agitation to actualise Biafra freedom.

IPOB in a message from its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu made available through its media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, said “Biafrans in Munich, Bavaria Germany on April 27, 2019 has shown the world that the agitation for Biafra freedom is not only IPOB affairs, but every good and right thinking Igbo man who knows that the interest of the Igbo is not in the agenda of the current and past Nigerian governments, particularly the current All Progressives Congress, APC, government.

According to Mazi Kanu’s message, “I thank the good people of IPOB for the huge turnout yesterday on Saturday in Bavaria, Munich Germany.

In spite of the short notice, you proved your determination to restore Biafra so that we can all return to our beloved homeland.

“The world is aware that we IPOB are the most organised, peaceful and largest freedom movement on this earth. Biafra shall

be free. Our victory over the multitude of the forces of darkness is assured. We are relentless, resolute and determined. The collapse of the government of our persecutors is imminent as the rise of the nation of Biafra is inevitable. All enemies within and without shall be put to shame.

“IPOB is committed to ensuring that the long p e r s e c u t i o n , marginalisation, discrimination, killings and destruction of Igbo business men's outfits must stop with the actualisation of Biafra."

Burial

 Late Pa Windapo A Adesoye Windapo, is dead, aged 84.

His burial rites have since begun on April 19 with a Service of Songs at the RCCG House of Praise, Moravia Park Drive, Baltimore, United States.

There will a Christian Wake on May 9, at Bishop Adelakun Howells Memorial Church, Hogan Bassey Crescent, Surulere, Lagos, while funeral service holds at 10a.m.

Internment will hold Vaults and Gardens, Ikoyi, Lagos.

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16 — Vanguard MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

Israel’s Delek says made offer for Chevron’s North Sea oilfields

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AGM: From left: Group Chief Executive, FCMB Group Plc, Mr. Ladi Balogun; Chairman, Mr. Oladipupo Jadesimi; Company Secretary/General Counsel, Mrs. Funmi Adedibu; Founder, FCMB Group, Otunba Olasubomi Balogun and Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Peter Obaseki, during the 6th Annual General Meeting of the Group in Lagos.

SRAEL’s Delek Group confirmed yesterday it submitted a proposal through its Ithaca unit to buy Chevron’s oil and gas fields in the British North Sea. Last week Reuters reported that Delek was close to clinching Chevron’s oil and gas fields in the British North Sea, which have a price tag of about $2 billion.

Delek, in a regulatory filing in Tel Aviv, said it was in discussions to buy Chevron’s gas fields as part of its strategy to

expand its international operations but did not provide financial details. It said the discussions centered on Chevron’s natural gas and oil fields in Britain’s North Sea — Alba, Alder and Britannia, as well as a number of satellites.

Delek said it believed that if deal is reached, it could be completed in 2019 and would be financed through bank loans and its own resources.

New Delta secretariat to accommodate all MDAs, ICT Arabian Centres to raise up to $836 million in Saudi’s biggest Centre, others—Okowa's aide the conduct of governBy Gabriel Olawale ment business.

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SABA—EXECUTIVE Assistant (Communications) to the Governor of Delta State, Dr Fred Oghenesivbe has said that the multi-billion Naira secretariat under construction in the state capital is another deliberate effort of the Okowa administration to block financial leakages, create conducive work environment for civil servants and save huge funds spent on rented buildings and facilities for

He noted in a statement that the leadership ingenuity and good governance initiative of Gov. Okowa is further revealed in his strong desire to widen the scope of infrastructural development and place Delta State, far ahead of other states in terms of suitable facilities to enhance performance of civil servants.

According to him, government will save huge sums of money as a result of the new secretariat which is capable of accommodating all Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDA, adding that those doing business with government will no longer travel from one location to another because all the MDAs shall be in one secretariat, sharing same internet/ ICT and power facilities as projected by the governor.

He said: "The modern Secretariat near completion is an integral part of the SMART Agenda, one of the star projects dear to the heart of the governor. The state government under this administration is determined to cut down, to the barest minimum, the cost of governance; and one of such strategies is to move all MDA to one location.

"Gov Okowa being a prudent manager of the state resources is mindful of the cost implication of rented buildings presently occupied by MDA and felt that it is more prudent and cost effective for government to build a large secretariat; well equipped with the state of the art facilities linked to a central ICT, power generator and other facilities that enable civil servants to perform their assigned official responsibilities with ease while those doing business with government can do so in one stop location.

"Gov Okowa deserves commendation for his political willpower to save the state from the inherited poor work environment."

IPO since 2014

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AUDI Arabian mall op erator Arabian Centres Co could raise up to $836 million at the top end of the price range for its initial public offering (IPO), the sale prospectus showed yesterday.

The IPO would be the country’s biggest since Saudi lender National Commercial Bank raised $6 billion in 2014, according to Refintiv data.

Arabian Centres plans to sell 95 million shares at 26 riyals to 33 riyals per share, the document showed, implying a market capitalization of between 12.4 billion riyals and 15.7 billion riyals ($3.3 billion and $4.2 billion) on

listing.

Owned by Fawaz Alhokair Group, the offering will be the first in the kingdom under Rule 144a, which allows the sale of securities primarily to qualified institutional buyers in the United States.

It will also be the first major Saudi IPO this year as the kingdom tries to move past the international fallout following last year’s murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Riyadh has been encouraging more family-owned companies to list in a bid to deepen its capital markets as part of reforms aimed at reducing reliance on oil revenue.

China urges UK not to discriminate against Huawei in 5G development

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HINAonSundaywarned Britainnottodiscriminate againstcompaniesinvolvedindeveloping the 5G network and to resist pressure from other countries over whether it should work withHuaweiTechnologies.

Huawei,theworld’sbiggesttelecomsequipmentmaker,isunder intense scrutiny after the United Statestoldalliesnottousethecompany’stechnologybecauseoffears it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying.Huaweihasdeniedthis.

SourcestoldReutersthatBritain’sNationalSecurityCouncil (NSC)haddecidedtobarHuawei from all core parts of the country’s 5G network and restrictitsaccesstonon-coreparts.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, China’s ambassador to BritainLiuXiaomingdefended Huaweiashavingagoodtrack recordonsecurityandsaidBritainshould“makedecisionsindependentlyandinaccordance withtheirnationalinterests”.

Pilots demand better training if Boeing wants to rebuild trust in 737 MAX

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MERICAN Airlines pi lots have warned that Boeing Co’s draft training proposals for the troubled 737 MAX do not go far enough to address their concerns, according to written comments submitted to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

Thecommentsweremadeby the Allied Pilots Association (APA),whichrepresentspilotsat American Airlines Group Inc, the world’s largest airline and one of the biggest 737 MAX

operators in the United States.

Their support is important becauseBoeinghassaidpilots’ confidenceinthe737MAXwill play a critical role in convincing the public that the aircraft is safe to fly again.

Boeing’s fast-selling 737 MAX was grounded worldwide in March following a fatal Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 on board just fivemonthsafterasimilarcrash on a Lion Air flight that killed all 189 passengers and crew..

All stories credited to Reuters

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 —17

18 — Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 THE overwhelming importance of estimated electricity billing, otherwise known as “crazy bills”, was demonstrated when a bill sponsored by the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, received the unanimous support of lawmakers across party lines at its third reading in the House of Representatives. It was later forwarded to the Senate for further legislative input.

Known as The Electricity Power Reform Act (Amendment Bill) 2018, it prohibits estimated billing by the Power Distribution Companies, DISCOs. It mandates them to provide consumers with meters within 30 days of extending their services to them, failing which fines of between N500,000 to one million naira are prescribed, or a six-month jail term or both. It also protects the consumers from arbitrary disconnection. The original intention of privatising the downstream of the

War against energy crazy bills Power sector for more efficient service provision almost five years ago, rather than being a dream come true, has resulted to nightmares for hapless consumers. The service providers have proved their incompetence and lack of financial capacity to re-enact the revolution in the telecom sector which had prompted the sale of the assets of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, to private investors.

The DISCOs have continued the inefficiency, impunity, callousness, corruption and predatory reflexes of the defunct PCHN. They deliberately foot-drag in the provision of meters.

Instead, they prefer to issue baseless

crazy bills even when they fail to deliver the electricity.

It is unfortunate that the industry regulator, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Agency, NERC, which had failed to respond to the distress calls of exploited consumers, has taken up the battle against this customer protection Bill.

NERC appears more interested in protecting the interests of the power service providers.

We must make it abundantly clear that there will be no electricity without the service providers and paying consumers. Both sides deserve adequate protection. The only sensible

and just way of carrying both sides along is to ensure that every power consumer is metered as soon as they become customers. Anyone who steals power must be punished according to the law, and no power provider should issue bills except through metering.

This is the work of government regulators which the NERC and other authorities have failed to do, leaving the consumers at the mercy of corrupt and incompetent power companies and their often cruel staff. We call on the National Assembly, NERC and other concerned bodies to close ranks and end estimated billing in the power industry.

Every power consumer has the right to be metered; they also have an obligation to pay their bills promptly to enable the power companies survive and thrive. Perhaps, it is time to comprehensively reassess the power sector and address all concerns hampering its growth.

OPINION Towards reforming Nigeria’s policing system

By Kehinde Akinfenwa

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HE primary institution in the frontline of combating security challenges in the country is the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, which according to the Constitution has exclusive jurisdiction to protect lives and property by fighting crime and maintaining law and order.

Regrettably, however, of all public institutions whose record of ineptitude is prominent across the country, the NPF remains a customary point of reference.

There is no crime that is alien to the police force: from extortion, to rape, to murder, to kidnapping, to conspiracy; they are never far away from any atrocities one can think of. An average police officer is perceived more as a merchant of oppression than the protector of law and order with penchant to commit crime than to prevent it. Pitifully, these uncivilised demeanours are well acknowledged even within the force fraternity.

Sadly, all these unruly acts have witnessed an upward trajectory in recent years. According to Segun Adeniyi, what we have now are assassins in police uniform who are passionate to dispense bullets on innocent citizens.

The quantum of impunity that exists in the policing system is capable of instigating civil revolt as such dastardly experiences are becoming unbearable. It is rather disheartening that the force has plummeted from being one of the pillars of grace and service to a cathedral of dishonesty as it is fast becoming a citadel of illegality and institutional dissipation.

However, we will be hallucinating not to admit that this perplexing situation is the product of the infirmity in our nation. The endemic maladministration in governance has been a springboard to the menace of this institution.

Criminogenic problems like unemployment, poor education and ethnic tensions have significant implications for social disorder and crime as the force struggles to contend with the realities of the emerging security challenges. It is absurd that a 21st Century police force is still battling with mundane challenges of improper training and skills, inadequate work force, lack of modern gadgets, political intrusion, poor working conditions, incompetence, poor remuneration, to mention a few.

Presently, the vast rate of armed muggings, burglaries, homicide, roadblock robberies and armed break-ins, local and international swindles, kidnapping, terrorism, hooliganism, militancy, drug peddling and the likes are the outgrowth of our unconscious society.

Lamentably, however, the police cannot really ensure effective security as it commands only about 371,800 official personnel out of which over 70 per cent are providing personal security for prominent individuals. In a nation of over 190 million people with associated socioeconomic and cultural problems, having an underfunded, ill-equipped and understaffed policing system is already an invitation to a lawless society.

Globally, the potent parameters used to assess the proficiency and effectiveness of

any police force is to consider its ability to fight crime, resources at its disposal, equipment and apparatus available to it in the discharge of its duties, fewest shots fired by them in a year and fewest persons beaten, shot and killed, strides taken in public protection and its efforts towards the protection of vulnerable persons.

The NPF is in dire need of fundamental reforms where its operational and intelligence structure will be engaged in contemporary discourse. Policing is today a multi-faceted phenomenon where the responsibility of the state and the right of citizenry are effectively managed. This has brought about an instigating shift

The nucleus of the proposed reforms should be on recharging the rectitude of policing system by calling to the fore the patriotic value and heroic quality that those donning the police uniform must possess from the traditional model of law enforcing to crime preventing and community safety in order to play a key part in the renewal of social democratic level.

Referencing the Police Reform Bill which has just passed second reading in the National Assembly, modernising the institution towards aligning with global

practice is a logical step in the rebuilding process. But for it not to be a mere cosmetic proposition there is compelling need to address the organic disorder that is abetting the viscous abuse that has characterised the law enforcement agency. The police force is a service to humanity but the sordid reality in this part of the world is that many of those individuals donning our force attire have taken up the responsibility by default, thereby lacking the right attitude and the needed character that dignifies the profession worldwide.

Therefore, the nucleus of the proposed reforms should be on recharging the rectitude of policing system by calling to the fore the patriotic value and heroic quality that those donning the police uniform must possess. In ensuring the system is amenable to 21st Century codes of policing, officers must be trained to think beyond the gun-belt in their attempt to build a crimefree society.

Building an affable and emblazoned policing system requires ardent involvement of every sector of the society because public security is a symbiotic project that promotes socio-economic development. Hence, as individuals, organisations, groups and communities, we must establish a participatory platform on social security through which we can hold the police force accountable for their action against the society. That patriotic, responsible, selfless, incorruptible, committed and courageous police officer we all desire is an invention of shared responsibility.

God bless Nigeria.

•Akinfenwa is of the Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 —19

CBN to sustain liquidity mop up as N172bn hits interbank market •To unveil clean notes policy tomorrow •Economic expansion persists in April-PMI report

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By Babajide Komolafe

HE Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, is expected to sustain its liquidity mop up activities this week in response to inflow of N172 billion into the interbank money market.

Last week, the apex bank mopped up N166 billion by issuing secondary market

(Open Market Operations, OMO) treasury bills (TBs). The resulting outflow, which offset inflow of N46.25 billion from matured TBs occasioned 660 basis points (bpts) increase in average short term cost of funds in the interbank money market last week.

Data from FMDQ showed that interest rate on Collateralised (Open Buy Back,

OBB) lending rose by 643 bpts to 16.29 percent last week from 9.86 percent the previous week. Similarly, interest rate on Overnight lending rose by 672 bpts to 17.29 percent last week from 10.57 percent the previous week.

Analysts at Lagos based investment firm, Afrinvest projected that this trend might persist this week due to expectation that the apex bank will conduct OMO auction to mop up N172 billion inflow from maturing TBs.

They said: “In the coming week, we expect instruments worth a combined N172.5 billion to mature on the 1st (N109.7 billion) and 2nd (N62.8 billion) of May, which should enhance system liquidity in the shortened week. Hence, we anticipate an OMO auction from the CBN at the start of the week, given the long position of the system, as well as another auction when the financial market re-opens on the 2nd of May to manage system liquidity.”

Continues on page 21

MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

Insurance claims rise faster than premium income

of the year. Clearly, if the premium for that business is inadequate, in the next thirty years the claim cannot be paid.”

•Operators point to reckless competition

By Rosemary Onuoha

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HERE are indications that insurance companies are groaning under the weight of a surging claims portfolio as more risks crystallize, despite efforts to stem the tide.

The latest financial reports of leading insurers show an escalation of claims volume, rising faster and overshadowing the growth recorded in premium income.

The industry’s total Gross Premium Written, GPW, grew by 12.4 percent to N226.8 billion against N201.7 billion recorded in 2017.

But the total claims expenses on the other hand went up by 16.5 percent to N98.9 billion from N84.9 billion recorded in 2017.

The same trend was recorded in the previous year when GPW grew by 9.7 percent while claims expenses went up by 30.3 percent.

Industry operators have expressed worry that the trend would pose threat to the industry’s survival in the medium term if not checked.

According to some stakeholders, the greed to take up some particular businesses, contrary to actuarial advise, contributed to the situation.

Consequently, some operators have resolved to avoid risks that the actuarial reports may have flagged.

Others, on the other hand have said that they can only take up such risk if the price is right because inadequate pricing have been part of the problem generated by competition for customer

CBN introduces special intervention fund 22 for MFBs C M Y K

acquisitions.

According to the Managing Director of Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc, Mr. Eddie Efekoha, “The industry paid a very huge claim for a particular business in the course

Bargain hunting to lift equities this week

Companies’ performance A breakdown of individual company performance shows that Prestige Assurance had it tough in terms of claims payment where GPW grew by 26.3 percent to N4.8 billion from N3.8 billion, while claims expenses went up by a whopping 83 percent to N1.2 billion from N655.7 million.

Sovereign Trust grew its GPW by 23.5 percent to N10.5 billion against Continues on page 20

INFLATION: The invisible super terrorist 23

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20 — Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

COVER

FINANCIAL VANGUARD

Insurance claims rise faster than premium income

Continues from page 19

N8.5 billion, but its claims expenses went up by 46.2 percent to N1.9 billion from N1.3 billion.

Consolidated Hallmark Insurance had GPW increased by 21.1 percent to N6.9 billion from N5.7 billion, while claims expenses climbed by 28.6 percent to N1.8 billion from N1.4 billion.

Leadway Assurance grew its GPW by 3.9 percent to N87.5 billion from N84.2 billion, while claims expenses escalated by 23.7 percent to N33.9 billion from N27.4 billion.

Regency Alliance GPW went up by 3.6 percent to N5.8 billion from N5.6 billion, while claims expenses increased by 10.5 percent to N2.1 billion against N1.9 billion.

However, some companies recorded a positive balancing of the claims with the premium.

AIICO Insurance GPW went up by 17.4 percent to N37.7 billion from N32.1 billion, while claims expenses rose by 14.9 percent to N23.9 billion against N20.8.

Custodian and Allied Insurance GPW climbed by 15 percent to N36.7 billion from N31.9 billion, while claims expenses went up by 10.1 percent to N15.3 billion against N13.9 billion.

AXA Mansard GPW increased by 26.5 percent to N33.9 billion from N26.8 billion, while claims expenses went up by just 4.4 percent to N16.5 billion from N15.8 billion.

Operators’ perspective Although some insurers recorded modest growth on the GPW, some operators believe it could have been

better if not for huge claims settlement.

Efekoha said, “We grew our premium modestly and we were profitable which were enhanced by some tax savings that we had.

Insurance should be looking up in some respect.”

Managing directors of the companies that had adverse claims portfolio preferring to speak on the condition of anonymity said that underpricing of risks have been the undoing of many insurance operators and the slow growth in premium

Inadequate pricing of risks goes on in this industry, unfortunately, when the big claims come, not everybody responds as expected

income.

He stated: “Many insurers have undone and keep shooting themselves on the foot by under-pricing the risk they carry, which they are still doing.

“Some companies recently went to the capital

•Commissioner for Insurance, Mohammed Kari market to raise funds. So after struggling to raise funds, they will then give it to some companies that are richer than them in the name of settlement of claims, without any ‘thank you.’

“For me, I don’t know the broker who will change our mindset here. I cannot enrich someone who is already the richest man in Nigeria or Africa because I sweated for this money.

“If everybody will price a product wrongly, I will not.

I believe in underwriting which teaches that when you have a good risk, you lower your premium, when you have a bad risk, you increase your premium. But what I see today is completely different. Unfortunately, after under-pricing a risk

and paying huge claims, during renewal, a lower premium is charged.

“In insurance, if a risk becomes certain, you remove it, you don’t cover it. It is uncertainty that the insurance industry is made to cover, it is not made for certainty. Unfortunately, by our action and inaction, we have contributed to the poor state of the sector.”

Speaking on the issue, former President of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, Mrs. Laide Osijo, said that the concentration on corporate business to the detriment of the retail market has contributed to the marginal growth in GPW over the years.

She stated: “We have done

the corporate businesses to their limits, unfortunately the corporate businesses can no longer increase in terms of insurance budget and that is why the premium income for the industry is not growing astronomically.”

Another top executive of an insurance firm who spoke on the condition of anonymity also attributed the slow growth in premium income to inadequate pricing of risks.

He said, “Inadequate pricing of risks goes on in this industry, unfortunately, when the big claims come, not everybody responds as expected. Why is it so?

Because liquidity is not there.

“You have not built enough capacity and the claims keep coming, there will be nothing left afterwards.”

Also speaking on condition of anonymity, an operator blamed the National Insurance Commission, NAICOM, for the under-pricing in the industry saying that it is the duty of the Commission to sanitise the sector.

He said, “I believe that there is enough ammunition in the Insurance Act for the regulator to use to sanction companies. If as a company I can’t settle genuine claims and the regulator finds out that I don’t have capacity, it can stop me from writing those classes of business that will embarrass this market.

Anybody who trades with you in that class, I equally prohibit them or sanction them, so that others can learn.

NAICOM has the power to sack the MD and say ‘ we no longer recognize you as the CEO’.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 —21

FINANCIAL VANGUARD CBN to sustain liquidity mop up as N172bn hits interbank market Continues from page 19

... to launch clean note policy tomorrow Meanwhile the CBN will tomorrow launch the Clean Note policy and the Bank Fitness guidelines.

In a statement announcing the launch, the CBN said: “The Clean Note Policy provides a uniform standard for circulation of only clean and fit notes; while the Banknote Fitness Guidelines provide the industry with clear and acceptable criteria for determining the quality of bank notes in circulation.”

The CBN also said that it has developed a mechanism to ensure full compliance with the documents by stakeholders adding that complaint channels such as phone and emails would be provided to enable the general public provide information on infractions of the two documents.

Naira in mixed performance as I&E turnover fall by 63% The naira last week recorded mixed performance in the foreign exchange market even as the volume of dollars traded in the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window fell by 63 percent. Though the naira appreciated 30 kobo in the parallel market, it however depreciated by 35 kobo in the I&E window.

According to the naijabdcs.com, the exchange rate platform of the Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), the parallel market exchange rate dropped to N359 per dollar last week from N359.3 per dollar the previous week, indicating 30 kobo appreciation for the naira.

Data from FMDQ, however, showed that the indicative exchange rate of the I&E window rose to N360.64 per dollar last week from N360.29 per dollar the previous week, indicating 35 kobo depreciation for the naira.

The depreciation might not be unconnected with the sharp decline in the volume of dollars traded in the window last week, which fell by 63 percent to $700 million from $1.9 billion the previous week.

The sharp drop in level of activities might be due to the Easter holidays which reduced the number of days available for trading.

Meanwhile, the CBN sustained its weekly dollars sales of $210 million in the interbank foreign exchange market. The

Annual Inflation rate

Interbank Interest rates

Foreign Exchange rate

apex bank allocated $100 million to the wholesale segment of the market while the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) segment received $55 million. Similarly, customers requiring foreign exchange for invisibles such as tuition fees, medical payments and Basic Travel Allowance (BTA), among others, were also allocated $55 million.

Expansion in economic activities persist in April-PMI report In another development, the CBN on Friday released its Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) report for April which indicated that expansion in economic activities persisted during the month. The report showed that 31 subsectors recorded growth while two subsectors contracted in April.

The report also showed that the Manufacturing sector PMI rose higher to 57.7 index points in April from 57.4 index points in March.

The NonManufacturing PMI also rose higher to 58.7 index points in April from 58.5 index points in March.

The report stated: “The Manufacturing PMI in the month of April stood at 57.7 index points, indicating expansion in the manufacturing sector for the twenty-fifth consecutive month. The index grew at a faster rate when compared to the index in the previous month.

“Twelve of the 14 subsectors surveyed reported growth in the review month in the

following order: electrical equipment; plastics & rubber products; cement; petroleum & coal products; transportation equipment; food, beverage & tobacco products; nonmetallic mineral products; chemical & pharmaceutical products; furniture & related products; textile, apparel, leather & footwear; printing & related support activities and fabricated metal products. The paper products and primary metal subsectors recorded decline in the review period.

“The composite PMI for the nonmanufacturing sector stood at 58.7 points in April 2019, indicating expansion in the Nonmanufacturing PMI for the twenty-fourth consecutive month. The index grew at a faster rate when compared to its level in March 2019.

“All the 17 subsectors surveyed recorded growth in the following order: management of companies; real estate rental & leasing; construction; wholesale/ retail trade; agriculture; health care & social assistance; finance & insurance; professional, scientific, & technical services; educational services; water supply, sewage & waste management; information & communication; accommodation & food services; repair, maintenance/washing of motor vehicles; arts, entertainment & recreation; electricity, gas, steam & air conditioning supply; transportation & warehousing and utilities.”

Yields on FGN bonds

22 — Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

FINANCIAL VANGUARD Fidelity Bank grows profit by 34% in Q1’19 •Shareholders commend 2018 performance

By Elizabeth Adegbesan

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From Left: Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Patrick Akinwuntan; Founder/CEO, PricePointe Wholesale Club, Tayo Williams and Executive Director/Chief Risk Officer, Ecobank Nigeria, Biyi Olagbami during the launch of PricePointe flagship warehouse in Ilupeju, Lagos.

IDELITY Bank Plc’s profit before tax rose 34 percent to N6.7 billion in the first quarter ending March 2019 (Q1’19).

Meanwhile, shareholders who spoke at the bank’s annual general meeting (AGM) held on Friday, commended the bank for its efficient cost management strategy as growth in its total operating expenses remained below the average headline inflation rate in 2018. The shareholders, however, seek for a higher dividend for the next financial year, even as they applauded its Board of Directors for declaring 11kobo dividend per share for the financial year

CBN introduces special intervention fund for MFBs •Seeks 20% microcredit ratio by 2020 •New MFB policy in the offing

By Babajide Komolafe and Emma Ujah

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HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has introduced a special intervention fund for microfinance banks (MFBs) in the country, even as it assured that it will soon issue a new MFB policy.

Meanwhile the apex bank said it aims to increase the share of micro credit as percentage of total credit to at least 20 percent by 2020 from the current ratio of five percent.

CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, disclosed this in a keynote address delivered at the just concluded seminar organised by the apex bank for finance correspondents and business editors held in Gombe State.

Emefiele said that while the apex bank recognises the challenges of the MFBs, it is also aware of their contributions to extending credit to the economically active poor.

He said: “Data from the licensed credit bureaus indicate that the operations of microfinance banks have helped to improve financial inclusion amongst smallholder peasant farmers, artisans and other small business operators.

As at December 2018, aggregate loans granted by MFBs was N482.896 billion. Of this amount loan sizes below N 1.4 million accounted for 72 percent. We equally observed that small businesses have

been more successful in securing credit from the microfinance institutions rather than conventional deposit money banks (DMBs).

“There are challenges, nevertheless. They include; inadequate spread in the location of the MFBs in relation to their target beneficiaries, demand for immoveable collaterals for loans, high interest rate, and absence of a credit reporting system. We are committed and working assiduously to address these limitations.”

Reiterating the apex bank commitment to increasing

access to financial services for the economically active poor, Emefiele said: “The target is to increase the share of micro credit as percentage of total credit to at least 20 percent by 2020. “The bank remains committed to the economic empowerment of disadvantaged groups including women and actively seeks to achieve this through the instrumentality of microfinance amongst other initiatives.”

Speaking earlier in a presentation on entitled, “Appraisal of the new microfinance policy framework,” Director, Other Financial Institutions Supervision

FBNQuest Merchant Bank raises profitability by 56% to N16.4bn

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BNQuest Merchant Bank, a subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc has recorded 56 percent growth in profit before tax to N16.4 billion for the financial year ended December 2018.

Chairman of the bank, Mallam Bello Maccido, disclosed this at the bank’s annual general meeting held in Lagos last week.

Noting that the operating environment in 2018 was particularly challenging for the business, he said: “The year was characterised by contracting spreads in the fixed income market, a sluggish equity/mergers and acquisition (M&A) market, fewer transactions, and a competitive landscape that has

become more intense.

“Nonetheless, the investment and banking group (IBAM) business group maintained profitability and recorded steady growth in certain business lines.

Department, CBN, Mrs. Tokunbo Martins disclosed that the apex bank has introduced a special intervention fund for MFBs adding that the CBN is currently reviewing the microfinance bank policy with the aim of releasing the third edition of the policy which was first introduced in 2005.

Lamenting the poor performance of MFBs in deposit mobilisation, Martins said: “The CBN has approved a special intervention framework for qualified micro finance banks and our hope is that it will incentivise other microfinance banks to get their house in order so they can also qualify to access these funds. The CBN is working tirelessly so that the banks that are doing well can grow and multiply.”

Speaking further, Martins said that, “The SMEs are making great contributions to the gross domestic product (GDP) but they don’t have access to credit such that would boost their operations in the massive way needed by the economy.

“We have had two earlier Microfinance Policy Frameworks: in 2005, 2011 and the current one.”

ended December 31, 2018.

In a statement announcing the unaudited financial statement of the bank for Q1’19, the bank said: “Gross earnings rose by 11.8 percent from N43.3 billion in 2018 to N48.4 billion in the period under review, whilst profits surged by 34.0 percent from N5.0 billion in Q1 2018 to N6.7 billion in 2019. Similarly, the bank recorded growth in deposits, loans and other performance indices during the period.”

Speaking on the financial results, the Fidelity Bank CEO, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo said the double digit growth in earnings and profits further demonstrates a positive start for the new financial year. “We remain focused on the execution of our medium-term strategic objectives and targets for the 2019 full year while we look forward to sustaining the momentum and delivering another strong set of audited results for half year 2019 (H1 2019FY)”, Okonkwo stated.

He further revealed that the bank’s earnings grew by 11 percent on the back of growth in fund and fee-based income.

“We recorded double digit growth across key income lines: FX income (334.4 percent), digital banking income (34.6 percent), account maintenance charge (25.5 percent) and interest income on liquid assets (10.1 percent)” he disclosed.

According to the Okonkwo, digitalization and the bank’s retail strategy continues to positively impact on its fortunes with “43 percent of customers are now enrolled on the mobile/internet banking products and more than 81 percent of total transactions done on digital platforms, resulting in 25 percent in feebased income, coming from digital banking.

“Savings deposits which now accounts for 24 percent of total deposits in the period increased by 6.2 percent to N242.1 billion indicating that the bank is on a steady march to achieving the 6th consecutive year of doubledigit savings growth.”

RMB Nigeria launches online transactional banking platform

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AND Merchant Bank Nigeria (RMBN) has launched RMBN Digital, a banking solution aimed at enhancing the transactional banking experience of clients.

Speaking on the features of the platform, Taiwo Shote, “Head of Corporate Banking, RMBN, said: “RMNB is living up to its slogan of being “an innovative and solutions-driven bank. We are

ensuring that our clients enjoy a seamless and secure digital banking experience.

“RMBN’s online banking offering is aimed at efficient cash management through adequate and accurate financial reporting as well as the timely processing of transactions.

“We understand the desires of our clients, top of which is to be able to access and activate banking

transactions on the go while having a full view of transactions as they do business across different sectors and markets.

“Understanding the needs of our clients enables us to partner with them across the entire value chain, enabling us to provide the appropriate corporate banking, advisory, financing, trading and risk management solutions”.

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 — 23

FINANCIAL VANGUARD

Bargain hunting to lift equities this week *Profit taking still looms

By Nkiruka Nnorom

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FTER closing in the red, analysts have said that the equities market will trend up this week following bargain hunting activities by investors.

Though the outcome of trading last week was at variance with expectations, they noted that investors would take advantage of low prices of some stocks to access the market, while not discounting the possibility of profit taking.

According to analysts at Cowry Asset Management, the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, All Share Index, ASI, will increase marginally as investors digest the “mixed-bag” of first quarter 2019 (Q1’19) financial results released by corporates.

“Hence, we feel investors would take advantage of the low share prices to raise the local bourse upwards,” they said.

Also, analysts at Vetiva Securities, said: “We expect to see a mixed open to the new week as investors hunt for bargains on some of the counters like Tier 1 banks and Dangote Cement Plc, which is scheduled to release

its Q1’19 results on Tuesday.

However, we do not rule out the possibility of continuous profit taking on some names as seen this week.”

However, analysts at Afrinvest Securities said that the negative mood will persist. They said: “Given the sluggish recovery of the economy, we anticipate that the lingering bearish sentiments will remain in the near term as foreign investors

continue to stay on the sidelines.”

Meanwhile, profit taking and sell pressures persisted across most trading sessions last week as the ASI posted losses on two of the four trading days. Consequently, the NSE ASI declined 1.15 percent to settle at 29,740.41 points, while market capitalisation declined by N123.7 billion to close at N11.2 trillion.

NSE releases key priority areas for supervision of operators •70% of dealing membersfirms lack capacity to mitigate risk

By Nkiruka Nnorom

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HE Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, has revealed that about 70 percent of Dealing Member Firms (DMFs) in the capital market do not have adequate controls in place to mitigate key risks arising from their operations.

The Exchange disclosed this in its “Supervision Priorities for 2019/2020”, saying that this was the outcome of the special examination conducted on109 broker dealers, 27 stockbrokers and one dealer.

According to the NSE, the supervision priorities would

help DMFs to build appropriate risk management programmes, which could possibly mitigate the risks in order to support the Exchange’s regulatory objective of protecting investors and maintaining a fair, orderly and efficient market.

It said that besides key risk areas highlighted in 2017/2018 document, emerging risk areas in technology and identified market activities such as Securities Lending and Margin Trading will also be focused on.

“The 2019 to 2020 priorities are set by the Exchange to highlight material areas of

SAHCOL targets offshore expansion, double digit growth

By Nkiruka Nnorom

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OLLOWING the successful listing of its shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc (SAHCOL), has said that it plans to expand its operations beyond the shores of this country to other West African markets and is targeting double digit growth in the next five years.

The Managing Director/CEO, SAHCOL, Mr. Basil Agboarumi, disclosed this at the company’s Fact behind Listing on the NSE, saying the plan would enable it add value to shareholders in a consistent manner.

SAHCOL, which is the first company under the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) privatization programme to successfully finalize an Initial Public Offering (IPO), listed 1.35 billion shares worth N6.29 billion on the Exchange at N4.65 per shares.

Recall that following the federal government’s decision to identify key state-owned enterprises from which to extract value and open to private sector expertise, SAHCOL was 100 percent privatized by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and transferred to the Sifax Group in 2009. Agboarumi said the listing followed the need to give Nigerians opportunity to benefit from the company’s success story as well as make it more feasible.

“SAHCOL’s future strategy

Amid investors’ negative sentiments, most of the sectors closed in negative territory.

The banking, insurance, consumer goods and industrial goods sectors declined by 0.09 percent, 0.90 percent, 2.58 percent and 0.71 percent to 385.87 points, 119.18 points, 673.00 points and 1,148.47 points respectively, while the oil/gas sector rose by 0.43 percent to 279.64 points.

seeks to create long term shareholder value through profitable operation and expansion of its business beyond Nigeria into other West African markets with a vision to become the leading provider of passenger, ramp and cargo handling services in the West African region,” he said.

“We have a plan in place for strategic alliance of partnership, expansion of our offerings and increasing our visibility in Nigeria and beyond. We will begin to look at cost management and we are projecting 15 percent growth within the next five years,” he added.

He said the firm is strategically

positioned to take advantage of growth opportunities in the Nigerian aviation industry, leveraging its established brand and reputation, strategic alliances, technical capacity, state of the art technology and equipment, and fully-trained and experienced staff.

Mr. Oscar Onyema, Chief Executive Officer, NSE, speaking at the event said the listing is a promising development in the country, being that SAHCOL is the first company under the BPE privatization programme to successfully finalize an Initial Public Offering and list its shares on a securities exchange.

regulatory concern, discuss ongoing areas of noncompliance, prevent fraud, communicate policies, monitor firm-wide and systemic risk, and ultimately to improve investors’ confidence in the market.

“Each DMF is expected to have a risk framework to adequately dimension the risks it faces and take appropriate action to mitigate or eliminate such risks. While the Exchange plans to allocate a significant portion of its resources in 2019 and 2020 through a risk based approach to the supervision of the risk areas, additional examinations will be conducted during the year at the discretion of the Exchange on emerging and exigent risk areas to control weaknesses and policy matters that are not addressed in this document,” the NSE said.

Among other things, the NSE said it would focus on monitoring the overall risk governance framework that DMFs have in place to manage conflicts and would be reviewed on an on-going basis.

It added that it would also focus on monitoring insider trading, guaranteed return investment/pooling, fraud detection and prevention as well market manipulation.

Access Bank to go after Diamond Bank debtors •Intensifies effort to reduce unclaimed dividend

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CCESS Bank Plc has pledged to map out strategies aimed at reducing the N14.6 billion shareholders’ unclaimed dividend standing in its books as at the financial year ended December 31, 2018, even as it vows to go after debtors owing the defunct Diamond Bank it merged with recently.

Group Managing Director/ CEO, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, disclosed this at the bank’s 30th Annual General Meeting, AGM, in Lagos, while admitting that the rising unclaimed dividend was worrisome.

He said: “We are going to consider ways to reduce shareholders’ unclaimed dividend henceforth as we admit that it is a huge amount of money yet to be claimed.”

Wigwe, further said that Access Bank will intensify effort to ensure that it recovers the debt owed to Diamond Bank, saying: “We will go out for Diamond Bank’ debtors and if they are not ready to redeem their debt, we will publish their names in the newspapers.”

Meanwhile, the shareholders approved all the resolutions put before it at the meeting, while supporting the bank’s drive to recover its debt, saying that the N2.2 billion recovered in the year under review was quite commendable.

The shareholders, however, demanded that with the enlarged bank’s status it should be able to pay higher dividend of N1.00 per share.

In her welcome address, the Chairman, Access Bank Plc, Mosun Bello-Olusoga, who was represented by Dr (Mrs) Ajoritsedere Awosika, highlighted the performance of the bank stating: “The group recorded a profit before tax of N103.2 billion for the year.

“Total assets grew by 21 percent to N4.95 trillion from N4.1 trillion in 2017.”

24 — Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

FINANCIAL VANGUARD

We will grow to tier-1 organically, but...

— Fidelity Bank boss

deepening our digital platforms.

By Emeka Anaeto, Business Editor

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EGINNING from last year, Fidelity Bank, began to drive a fiveyear strategic plan that would see it migrating to Tier-1 bank status in the country by 2022, growing organically but with an eye on inorganic growth opportunity.

In his sixth year as Chief Executive of the bank, Nnamdi Okonkwo, in this interview, said the bank is driving the plan and the numbers show that it is making steady progress, year-on-year, in terms of balance sheet size, deposit and profitability. He also spoke on other industry and economy issues.

Excerpts.

What plans do you have to grow the bank organically and inorganically?

A company’s strategic initiative for growth might be driven by either organic growth or inorganic growth.

Our five-year plan was crafted to be based on organic growth, based on the projections we made. We also purposefully decided that we will not expand outside Nigeria until after 2022. So, our plans are based on organic growth.

We also left a window that allows us to take advantage of emergent opportunities though. When these happens, we will sit down and look at them and go back to our Board to see if we need to alter anything to take advantage of such opportunities or to continue with on the organic growth path.

What measures have you put in place to ensure that your bank is not threatened as you grow to become a Tier-1 Bank?

We are keeping our eyes on our capital, on risk management, on governance and sustained profitability. This explains why, for instance we had enough buffers to absorb the impact of implementation of IFRS9.

Do you plan to raise Eurobond to support capital?

We do not plan an immediate increase in Eurobond.

We are not doing any Eurobond this year but we may consider local bond issue if

Nnamdi Okonkwo, MD/CEO Fidelity Bank Plc necessary as part of Tier-2 capital but no size yet.

Fidelity Bank recorded about 28 per cent growth in deposit base in 2018, what was responsible for this?

The deposits came from a combination of growth in savings, growth in current and domiciliary accounts.

We have a new product where you can transfer foreign exchange with your mobile phone up to the regulatory limit. It means that we have also seen growth in our domiciliary accounts because people built up funds so that when they want to transfer they can easily use it. We also have corporates that are in foreign currencies earning businesses. The increase in oil prices also impacted on our deposit growth as it favoured our oil and gas upstream customers.

What are you doing to sustain loans and advances above 10 percent?

The environment is so challenging that growing loans double digit as we have done have prompted some people to ask us: How come we grew double digit.

In 2018, we took advantage of opportunities in some sectors to grow loans. For this year we are guiding for between 7.5% to 9%. Still talking about last year, a lot of those were to the real sector of the economy which encourages growth and creates employment.

You were a leading investment bank before the consolidation in the banking industry, but are you deemphasising corporate banking for retail banking?

We have just appointed a new Executive Director, Cor-

We do not plan an immediate increase in Eurobond, we are not doing any Eurobond this year but we may consider local bond issue if necessary as part of Tier-2 capital but no size yet porate Banking and that should tell you how seriously we take Corporate Banking. Fidelity Bank used to be Fidelity Union Merchant Bank and that was why most multinational companies in the country have continued to bank with us.

Supporting business in this niche segment comes at is at huge costs. Therefore, building up low cost deposits from the lower end of the market helps support lending to the corporate segment at rates lower that higher risk segments. We have grown our savings deposit

account base from N75 billion when I became CEO on January 1, 2014, to N226 billion at present.

What is your take on cyber security in the industry and what is your bank doing to tackle it?

The entire industry is as strong as a bank with the weakest security measures.

Therefore, no bank should toy with cyber security measures because there is a contagion effect, if fraudsters can penetrate one bank.

What it means is that they can also affect other banks.

At the Bankers Committee, we have discussed this several times. Therefore, even at regulatory level, there are certain measures you are compelled to take. For instance, building a Security Operations Centre and appointing people with certain qualifications and executive level personnel as Heads of IT Security.

What is your take on payment service banks You know it has been a prolonged push by the Telcos to come into the banking space. We don’t have a problem with that. Let them be subjected to the same regulatory conditions that we have, because you are talking about depositors’ money. So, once all of us are subject to regulatory control, we will all do banking together. I think the sky is big enough and as banks, we are not sleeping, that is why you see some of us

Nigerian stock market is still experiencing heavy foreign capital outflows post-election, what is your opinion on this?

We just got back from London on a no-deal roadshow and the outlook on Nigeria is quite positive. Indeed, based on some of the sentiments, we were being advised to raise Eurobonds because they want to increase their emerging markets investments especially the fixed income managers.

On the flows, you know European Central Bank raised rates. With the increase in rates, capital will always follow where margins have just popped up.

People generally move money to those areas just the same way when we had our treasury bills going for about 20 percent, everybody rushed in. So, that is the constant dynamics of inflows and outflows.

How is Fidelity Bank leveraging Fintech to grow its franchise?

Under our five-year plan which was crafted in 2017 and commenced on January 1, 2018, we got one of the big four consulting firms to do a full global analysis of Fintechs and how we can collaborate with them.

Part of our engagement strategy is partnership. This partnership has been on several fronts including the deployment of a solution for a major customer of ours; an airline. We are bankers to an airline that controls about 40 percent of the industry. Initially, they had challenges with ticketing on the electronic system they were using, and they came to us. Through collaborating with a Fintech, we migrated their entire transactions to the cloud. This has worked so efficiently well in the last one and half years without fail.

Aside from partnering with Fintechs, we then decided that there was need for us to develop our internal capacities as well. We decided to build a digital lab as part of the outcomes of the strategic studies we had done with the consulting firm in the last six years. Today we have several millennials that are IT savvy, working at solving problems with innovative solutions, under flexible hours and work environment, at our digital lab.

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 — 25

FINANCIAL VANGUARD It was beautiful and simple as all truly great swindles are — O. Henry, 18621910 RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the Minimum Wage Bill passed by an equally cynical National Assembly, NASS, whose leaders are still smarting from the shellacking they individually and collectively received from voters in February. It is still a Buhari has signed the bill bad dream for one or two of Chairman of Congress for purely with a short-term political them who had assumed they Progressive Change, CPC. Tony Momoh was with Buhari advantage in mind. He will, had their states in the palm of their hands to do as they wished since the ANPP days and is still before December, unleash a loyal supporter of the serious upheavals in many of with them.

Suddenly, they discovered too President. But, Senior Momoh the states which will find it late that going home is also a patriotic Nigerian and impossible to pay. In fact, for occasionally to give crumbs if it becomes a choice between Osun State, implementation of from their tables to the masses party loyalty and being faithful the new law will mean that of hungry fellow Nigerians in to our country, there is no doubt whoever is governor will go to exchange for robbing them of that he will stand by Nigeria. Abuja monthly to collect the billions of naira in corrupt He has demonstrated it with allocation, hand the funds to the practices was no longer a that publicised warning to state’s workers and go home. winning strategy. They have Buhari. The obvious question is: There will be nothing left for any sought to start rebuilding their why would Buhari sign a bill other function of government. ruined political structure by which has all the potentials of Ignorant or joining with the President to creating chaos in the country he enact a so-called Minimum is now getting ready to govern mischievous Wage bill for the “masses.” It for four more years given the labour leaders, was a swindle of which the heightened insecurity in the President and NASS should be land? The answer remains the might call the ashamed of themselves for same today as it was last year workers out on and will be the same next year several reasons. strike based on We start with Buhari whose – unless a miracle of scavenging Buhari Support transformation occurs.

Buhari’s A man cannot gradually Group declared the signing as unconstitutional “a promise fulfilled”. If it was, enlarge his mind as he does directives it was one promise which his house —Alexis de should not have been made; let Tocqueville, 1805-1859 Even Aisha Buhari must In fact, what he receives from alone being fulfilled. But, just before those who expect to be admit that her husband does Abuja might not cover the new compensated for hailing what not understand a word of wage bill. He will be called upon was an ill-advised piece of economics or finance. He to go and borrow to pay public legislation dismiss my cannot comprehend the servants. What happens to the objections as bad belle politics, economic consequences of 98 per cent of Osun residents permit me to draw their decisions made now. He acts on who are not public servants is attention to the views of one of instincts; but they are the apparently no concern of the earliest supporters of instincts of a highly placed President Buhari. Osun State economic illiterate. His closest might be an extreme case; but President Buhari.

“My prediction is that the advisers, if they are any better at least thirty states will not be N30,000 Minimum Wage will (and most are not), are too afraid able to pay the new wage and cause chaos because many state to tell him the truth for fear of meet any other obligations of governments that were paying losing their jobs. So they adopt government to all residents – N7500 before N18000 was two postures - “sidon look” young and old. That is introduced could not pay them. (apologies to late Chef Bola Ige) invitation to chaos written boldly A lot of them are currently or they pretend that the by Buhari and the irresponsible finding it difficult to pay now. President is right. For them NASS. The President, in his infinite They are already saying they none of their unpatriotic misunderstanding of the can’t pay, and this would lead positions will jeopardise their to strikes. When that happens, advantages within the corridors constitution he swore to uphold the nation will be in trouble— of power. In Aso Rock, real or even gratuitously ordered that implementation should start Prince Tony Momoh, former pretended ignorance is bliss. immediately. Like all old

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The minimum wage swindle satraps always fighting the last war, he has conveniently forgotten that every governor must present the Bill to the State House of Assembly for their assent before it can be implemented. No governor, unless an incorrigible law breaker, can start implementation before the Bill had been domesticated.

Deliberately or inadvertently, Buhari has set the governors and workers on several collision courses nationwide by that announcement. Ignorant or mischievous labour leaders, might call the workers out on strike based on Buhari’s unconstitutional directives. The disturbances might be great or small, but they will increase tension in a country which needs to have it reduced seriously – otherwise, the already over-stretched security forces will have to add restoration of peace at states’ secretariats to their list of concerns. Is this leadership?

Every government is run by liars and nothing they say should be believed—I.F. Stone, 1907-1989 Nothing has re-confirmed Stone’s broad condemnation of government officials more than the new Minimum Wage Bill. The Laour leaders who expressed appreciation for the President’s gesture are living in a paradise inhabited solely by fools. They, like Buhari said the bill was in the interest of the masses. That is a bold-faced lie. Explicitly, the Bill excludes workers employed by Small and Medium Scale Enterprises employing less than twenty-five people. That is the vast majority of workers are discriminated against by this so called “masses

ECONOMY

FINANCIAL VANGUARD Shareholders approve FCMB’s N2.77bn dividend

By Nkiruka Nnorom

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HAREHOLDERS of FCMB Group Plc have approved a cash dividend of N2.77 billion earlier recommended by the Board of Directors for year ended December 31, 2018.

This translates to 14kobo per ordinary share of 50kobo each.

Speaking at the bank’s Annual General Meeting, AGM, in Lagos, Alhaji Mukhtar Mukhtar, Chairman, Trusted Shareholders Association of Nigeria, expressed delight on the dividend payment, saying: “This is an excellent result achieved by FCMB Group in a period of low economic activities in the country. I am

highly impressed with the Group’s balance sheet quality which witnessed a high growth. This shows vigorous policies that have positively impacted on and optimised the balance sheet. Another significant aspect of the

performance of FCMB is the growing contributions of the subsidiaries in the profit margin. The 14kobo dividend declaration signals FCMB’s commitment to improving the lots of shareholders”.

On his part, Mr. Boniface

Okezie, National Chairman, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, said, “FCMB and its subsidiaries have done very well in terms of dividend payment and the overall performance, including the loans portfolio which is also

Cadbury Nigeria’s revenue hits N9.3bn in Q1 2019

By Nkiruka Nnorom

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ADBURY Nigeria Plc has announced revenue of N9.28 billion for the three months ended March 31, 2019, representing an increase of 12.7 percent over N8.24 billion realised within the same period in 2018.

The company also recorded gross profit of N2.38 billion, an

bill”.

The millions of Nigerians, female and male working in thousands of filling stations, hotels and guest houses, supermarkets, private nursery schools and clinics, POS stations, pharmacists, etc., are discriminated against by this heartless bill. It is heartless because when the inflationary impact of this bill is felt the favoured few as well as those neglected, who provided Buhari’s winning votes, will suffer the impact. They all shop in the same markets, pay rent to the same landlords, buy medicine from the same chemists, board the same buses.

All workers will be charged the same – the beneficiaries of Buhari’s largesse and those left behind.

“Unworthy to be called a Father.” Title of my article when Obasanjo enacted his own Minimum Wage Bill with groups of workers excluded.

What sort of a “Father of the Nation” is that who feeds two children well and leaves 98 to fend for themselves? Buhari is always very quick to want to paint himself as a different President from his PDP predecessors. Yes, in some ways he is different. He took over from a Ph.D holder; who also succeeded somebody with Masters Degree. We are still not sure if he has School Certificate and in what grade. But, the difference on education is clear.

Not even Adesina and Garba Shehu can bluff on that one.

By global standards we have a grossly under-educated President. He needs our help to overcome his deficiencies for everybody’s sake. This is one occasion those who really love Buhari should advise him to step down on promoting that bogus bill.

A word is enough…

increase of 32 percent over the N1.8 billion reported in the corresponding period in 2018.

Cadbury Nigeria’s profit for the period stood at N506.75 million, which translates to 2,201 percent growth, when compared to N22.03 million realised in the first quarter of last year.

Commenting, Mrs. Oyeyimika Adeboye, Managing

Director, Cadbury Nigeria, said: “Our first quarter result reflects a sustained positive trend in our company’s performance. In its full year result for 2018, profit before tax surged by 242.9 percent to N1.2billion from N350 million in 2017. We also reported an increase of 174 percent in profit after tax from N299.9 million to N823 million within the same period.”

encouraging. The fact that the bank has been able to increase its branch network is an indication that it is expanding.

I believe that FCMB will build on this performance.”

Presenting the financial results to the shareholders, Mr. Oladipupo Jadesimi, Chairman, FCMB Group, said, “In 2018, we continued to move forward on the path of good governance, strengthening and improving our corporate governance structure and bringing it into line with our long-term strategy and the highest international standards. This was in order to increase the confidence of our shareholders, investors and other stakeholders in an environment that is demanding even more transparency.”

26 — Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

(08052201997)

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IGERIANS know too well, that sinking feeling when all items on the household shopping list cannot be covered by the usual monthly budget. The options invariably become whether to cut down or do without some basic items, or alternatively make do with less preferred but cheaper substitutes. The depressive impact of a continuous price spiral on the average family’s welfare is, therefore, a very familiar theme.

Even though the distortional impact of Inflation is boundless, it is also recognized that a little rise in price level may sometimes be necessary to stimulate economic growth; it however, becomes an albatross when the general price level remains above five per cent annually! In progressive economies, the Authorities target inflation rates below two per cent to stabilize purchasing power of income earners and preserve social welfare and the value of pension funds. Disturbingly, however, the price level in our case has often remained above 10 per cent annually, while inflation rates for food items have generally been much higher!

Nonetheless, wherever prices of goods and services rise above 10 per cent annually, a static nominal income of N100,000, for example, may be just enough to purchase goods that just N10,000 bought barely ten years earlier; consequently, a family ’s income must also grow by at least 10 per cent annually in order to maintain their usual lifestyle. Indeed, in progressive economies, the general wage structure is intrinsically tied to prevailing inflation rates, so as to sustain consumer demand and prevent an oppressive meltdown of citizen’s welfare.

Conversely, Nigeria’s inflation rates often outstrips static incomes for several years

INFLATION: The invisible super terrorist before any attempt to remediate the disparity. Evidently, the net product of this mismatch is grinding poverty; for example, the N200/month (over $150) minimum wage in the 1980s commanded much more value than the latest increase to N18,000, or $100 in 2011.

The pertinent question, however, is why Nigeria’s inflation rate has become a primary instigator of deepening poverty, such that, despite fortuitously increasing export revenue and best-ever external reserves for several years, Nigeria is now listed amongst the world’s poorest nations. Instructively, the classical definition for inflation is ‘too much money chasing fewer and fewer goods and services’. Thus, inflation is an expression of the market dynamics of Product/service supply and the available spendable cash.

Unfortunately, the general notion, is that Nigeria’s high inflation rate is caused by lack of productivity; i.e. we do not produce enough goods and services, while the supply shortfall is simultaneously confronted with surplus funds in the money market. It is clearly not appropriate to suggest that less and less goods are produced now than 25 years ago, but, it will be more correct to admit that the increasing output falls below the rate of expansion in money supply. So, the problem is really that of money supply always outstripping production!!

The critical question, therefore, relates to the major cause of increasing money supply, such that so much money is, seemingly unavoidably, always available to chase more, but relatively fewer goods? The Nigerian Monetary Authorities invariably are mischievous,

when their answer to the challenge of inflation is that the three tiers of government are spending too much money; instructively, nonetheless, best practice antidote to flagging consumer demand, rising unemployment, and industrial contraction is in contrast, fiscal expansion i.e. increased government spending!

However, our monetary authorities, inexplicably, impulsively, resolve to hold back inflation by discouraging access to the increased money supply allegedly induced by expansion in government spending.

In its attempt to reduce the inflationary threat of excess

It is obvious that the potential increase in bank credit expansion instigated by monthly deposits of billions of Naira allocations, also induces a supply and demand relationship money supply, CBN would deliberately, increase domestic cost of borrowing with Monetary Policy Rates that restrain bank from aggressively extending credit. Ultimately, as readily admitted, in CBN’s Monetary Policy Committee Communiqué No. 76 of 24/05/ 2011, Government, therefore, becomes the major customer of banks and unexpectedly, borrows and sterilizes trillions of Naira from public or private use annually, in order to avert the threat of inflation.

Disturbingly, nonetheless, over N500bn has been earmarked for servicing such counterproductive, and idle government loans in

2011. Ultimately, a reduction in aggregate demand, industrial contraction, increasing unemployment all of which deepen poverty, will unfortunately become the horrid collaterals of such forced credit restriction with higher cost of loans for the Government, CBN and the private sector.

Consequently, the anomaly of the perennial claim of too much money (Excess) liquidity, despite the real sectors’ poor access to cheap funds will, evolve. A little sincerity will, however, reveal that CBN’s eternal lamentation of oppressive systemic cash surplus, usually follows the payment of bloated monthly allocations to the three tiers of government; sadly, the same CBN, would inexplicably proceed, soon after, these allocations, to borrow back and sterilize a large chunk of the distributed funds, in order to reduce the threat of surplus cash and inflation.

Consequently, the greater the size of monthly revenue allocations, the greater also would be the threat of inflation, and a rising national debt with related oppressive service charges; ultimately our industrial subsector would sadly also become more challenged and uncompetitive.

Furthermore, it is obvious that the potential increase in bank credit expansion instigated by monthly deposits of billions of Naira allocations, also induces a supply and demand relationship, that ensures that the dollar will always emerge stronger in the in the forex market; worse still, CBN’s subsequent auctions of dollar rations, inadvertently, creates a seeming dollar scarcity vis-a-vis the subsisting huge Naira surplus and the related expanded credit capacity of banks! Ultimately,

ECONOMY

FINANCIAL VANGUARD Heritage Bank, Magodo residents promote cultural diversity

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ERITAGE Bank Plc has partnered with Magodo Residents Association, MRA, to promote cultural diversity and ensure the success of the maiden edition of Magodo Cultural Day 2019.

The two-day event held between Friday and Saturday with a Business Dinner held at Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

Addressing the organizers at the dinner, Abiodun Agbaje, Regional Head, Lagos Island, Heritage Bank, said his management was impressed with the response and

participation of the residents and others in the cultural exhibition and celebrations.

Agbaje disclosed that, at inception, the Heritage Bank management opted to focus at those areas that other banks had neglected with a view to making a difference and impacting positively on the financial needs of its prospective customers and the society. His words: “Things that are difficult for bigger banks, Heritage Bank has done it successfully. We are open to assisting any investor that share

the increasing Naira ‘surplus’ will, compulsively also induce higher and uncompetitive production costs, even when comparatively less goods and services are on offer.

But, the table can be turned on the dollar and the destructive cycle of persistent excess liquidity and inflation, if government musters the will to change the demand and supply relationship between Naira and dollar earnings, by stopping CBN’s hoarding and monopoly of dollar sales.

Arguably, the Naira will, conversely become favored, if dollar component of distributable monthly revenue is paid with negotiable dollar certificates rather than the current practice in which dollar revenue is, first, substituted with Naira allocations by CBN. Predictably, with such reform, the erstwhile everpresent ghost of excess liquidity will disappear; furthermore, government’s debt and service charges will significantly also reduce; interest rates will also fall to single-digit, so that industries will borrow and expand and, thereby drastically reduce unemployment, while the deadly plague of inflation, and weak consumer demand will become tamed to induce significant improvement in mass social welfare.”

POSTSCRIPT 2019: The above article was first published on 13/06/2011, as “Inflation: The Silent Plague” when the inflation rate averaged 10%.

Inflation has, however, receded from about 18% to 11.25% lately; nonetheless, the Naira rate has distressfully collapsed, despite celebrated increases in foreign reserves, and we have since ultimately become the World’s Poverty Capital; tragically, the worst is yet to come!!

vision and mission with us.”

He said that in line with its mission to create, preserve and transfer wealth across generations, Heritage Bank decided to support this year’s Magodo Cultural Day with the belief that a diverse community promotes creativity, networking and success.

Agbaje, therefore, assured the audience at the event that as long as the MRA members were ready to patronize Heritage Bank, his management would be glad to support the cause again next year and beyond.

Impressed by the success of the outing, Jade Niboro, Chairman, MRA, noted that for the first time, residents were able to come together and to connect, adding that the cultural exposition created the avenue for different families living in the estate to publicly interface with diverse cultures.

His words: “Our culture outlines our identity and influences our behaviour. Celebrating our cultural diversity will better make us acknowledge, incorporate and relate with others in the estate. We used the recently concluded

Cultural Day event to embrace our diversity. With this celebration, our interaction level will increase, there would be more exchange of ideas, beliefs and cultural traits et al. We are extending an open arm to other cultures and encouraging a healthy exchange of cultures and our residents. We are learning to understand our beliefs and values better.”

Niboro disclosed that the MRA had concluded plans to make the event more elaborate next year, as residents from other estates like Banana, Magodo Phase 1 and others would be invited to grace the occasion.

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019—27

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Nigeria and May Day in the Centenary of the ILO

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HE 2019 May Day is on Wednesday. May Day is both a distress call and a battle cry by workers.

This year ’s commemoration also marks the centenary of the International Labour Organisation, ILO, which has become the universal symbol of Labour. But just as May Day was born in the quite bloody circumstances of the 1886 state murder of American labour leaders, so was ILO born in the bloody peace treaty of the First World War; a war with 40 million casualties, including 19 million deaths.

The world was in turmoil and in November 1917, the Russian Revolution sprouted, threatening to trigger workers' revolts in many countries. On June 28, 1919, the Versailles Peace Treaty ending World War I was signed. Thirteen of its 15 parts punished defeated Germany.

The Treaty forced the disarmament of Germany, imposed on it heavy reparations, seized some of its territories and gave them to Poland, Czechosolovakia and Belgium, and confiscated (instead of granting independence) Germany’s colonies in China, the Pacific and Africa.

These included Togo, Cameroun, Namibia, Tangayika (now part of Tanzania) and Botswana.

However, the first part of the Treaty was the Covenant which established

the League of Nations, while the 13th part established the ILO in the name of universal peace based on social justice. The ILO constitution stated that the prevailing conditions of injustice, hardship and privation in which millions of workers exist, is capable of producing “unrest so great that the peace and harmony of the world are imperiled” and, therefore, called for urgent improvement.

It argued that the establishment of the ILO is essential because “the failure of any nation to adopt humane conditions of labour is an obstacle in the way of other nations which desire to improve the conditions in their own countries.”

On May 10, 1944, the Declaration of Philadelphia was made as an annex to the ILO Constitution. It emphasized the centrality of human rights to social policy and the need for international economic planning. Amongst other issues the Declaration stated that “labour is not a commodity,” and that “all human beings, irrespective of race, creed or sex, have the right to pursue both their material well-being and their spiritual development in conditions of freedom and dignity, of economic security and equal opportunity." It also famously declared that “poverty anywhere constitutes a danger to prosperity everywhere.” In 1946, the

ILO was made a specialised agency of the United Nations.

Although the ILO could neither stop the bloodier Second World War nor other wars, including those that today engulf a fifth of the African continent, it has introduced Standards and Conventions which have helped to regulate Labour Relations in most countries. One of the major challenges of the ILO, is the rich Western countries lording it over the rest of humanity. However, it was at the ILO Nigeria scored one of its most stunning diplomatic victories in the interest of the African people and to the glory of humanity.

Nigeria became independent on October 1, 1960. At its first attendance of the ILO Conference in

It was at the ILO Nigeria scored one of its most stunning diplomatic victories in the interest of the African people and to the glory of humanity Geneva nine months later, Chief Joseph Modupe Johnson (JMJ) as Nigeria’s Minister of Labour and Head of the Nigerian Delegation personally moved a motion that Apartheid South Africa should be thrown out of the ILO. He stood up at the ILO Conference and pronounced that the resolution was in the name of the Government of Nigeria and that “of the 40 million people of Nigeria”. He said the Nigerian people “have good will, love and affection towards other people irrespective of the colour of

their skin, (and) believes in the equality of all races, abhor racial discrimination in all its forms and with all its trappings, wherever and by whomever it is practised.”

The motion by Johnson and some amendments made on the floor read: “Whereas the International Labour Organisation, dedicated to the pursuit of lasting peace based on social justice, has stressed the need for freedom of expression and of association, and the right of all human beings irrespective of race, creed or sex to pursue both their material well-being and their spiritual development in conditions of economic security and equal opportunity, as fundamental to the attainment of the aims and purposes of the organisation.

"Whereas the organisation has adopted a series of Conventions and Recommendations calculated to implement these aims and purposes, especially as regards the promotion of freedom of association, the abolition of forced labour, the elimination of discrimination, the free choice of employment, and just and favourable conditions of employment.

Whereas the Government of the Republic of South Africa, in spite of its long association with the International Labour Organisation, accepts and practices the policy of apartheid, which said policy subjects indigenous African citizens to racial discrimination to their economic and social disadvantage, in contravention of the principles, aims and purposes of the International Labour Organisation.

"Now, therefore, this General Conference of the International Labour Organisation, meeting in its Forty-Fifth Session in Geneva, this day of June in the year nineteen hundred and sixty-one, hereby - '1.

Condemns the racial policies of the Government of the Republic of South Africa. 2. Expresses the utmost sympathy with those people of South

Africa and the opportunities of the Belt and Road Initiative

By Charles Onunaiju

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HE second international forum of the China-initiated Belt and Road, which Nigeria and about 35 other African countries are partners, held in Beijing, April 25 and 26.

The meeting came six years since the initiative was announced by the Chinese President, XI Jinping in 2013, and offers Africa a unique opportunity of closing the historical gap that has challenged the pan-Africanist vision and agenda of regional integration. It also seeks the construction of economies of scale for efficient and competitive integration into the global value chain through procuring the enabling physical and institutional infrastructural connectivity.

Because of the deficit, African countries trade more with others than among themselves. The cost of shipping from one country in Africa to another, for instance, is prohibitively outrageous and hampers the core value of economies of scale and opportunities of comparative advantage among countries within the region. Equally because of shortages in enabling infrastructural connectivity, funding and competent personnel, the struggle of African countries to overcome bottlenecks and build long-term sustainable and inclusive economies have suffered hiccups.

However, within the context of the Forum On China-Africa Cooperation, FOCAC, established in 2000, African countries have through joint efforts with China, begun to overcome some of the structural gridlocks that have hindered economic development.

In the past two decades since the establishment of the Forum On China-Africa Cooperation which gave practical expression to the historic solidarity that have traditionally existed between the two sides, after the founding of modern China and decolonisation

C M Y

of Africa, the strategic partnership have nudged vital and formidable footprints in the struggle for sustainable development and improved living conditions for people in Africa.

The Belt and Road Initiative, China’s enigmatic contemporary contributions to global governance and inclusive development, through the re-founding of the spirit of the ancient Silk Road through which mutual exchanges in trade, culture and people-topeople contacts facilitated over two millennia ago, has been brought to drive a new framework of international cooperation anchored on consultations, inclusion and participation.

As a global public good, Belt and Road has already enjoyed global acceptance, though in some quarters, doubts and outright misrepresentation of its essence and significance remain. However, Belt and Road Initiative, a process of international cooperation that is still unfolding and a work in process, is, however, not a geo-political strategy to advance grand hegemony and project national chauvinism. China maintains consistently that the success of the Belt and Road Initiative would depend so much on global ownership through extensive consultations, joint contributions and shared benefits among partners.

Highways, railways and other overland transport arteries that would transverse the economic Belt across the world would synergize with the maritime road network that would criss-cross the world through ports upgrade, integrated maritime and digital network. Across nations and within nations, the Belt and Road Initiative would enhance connectivity and create industrial clusters along the routes dotted by power plants and other major facility connectivities.

These unique global public goods that Belt and Road Initiatives offers are also at the heart

of the crucibles that Africa need to sustain the momentum of her contemporary renaissance, especially in the sector of amassing and harnessing the critical infrastructure conducive to long-term sustainable and inclusive economic development.

At the September summit of the FOCAC in Beijing, President Xi Jinping told his counterparts from Africa that: “We could both seize the opportunity created by the complementarity between our respective development strategies and the major opportunities presented by the Belt and Road Initiative,” and noted that: "The Belt and Road Initiative and Africa Union, AU, agenda 2063, the UN 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and development programmes of African countries complement each other.”

Against the background of the foregoing, President Xi Jinping is hopeful that China and

The Belt and Road Initiative would enhance connectivity and create industrial clusters along the routes dotted by power plants and other major facility connectivities Africa can “expand areas of cooperation, unlock new cooperation potential, and consolidate our traditional areas of cooperation and foster new highlights of cooperation in the new economy”.

In the historic Beijing declaration of the summit, the two sides affirmed that: “Africa, being part of the historical and natural extension of the Belt and Road, has been an important participant in this initiative. The cooperation between China and Africa under the Belt and Road Initiative will generate more resources and means, expand

Africa whose fundamental rights are suppressed by the apartheid policy of the Government of the Republic of South Africa as well as those courageous people who irrespective of race and colour, are opposing apartheid. “ '3. Declares that the continued membership of the Republic of South Africa in the International Labour Organisation is not consistent with the aims and purposes of the Organisation. 4. Resolves that the Governing Body of the International Labour Office is requested to advise the Republic of South Africa to withdraw from membership of the Organisation until such time as the Government of the said Republic abandons apartheid which is against the declared principles embodied in the constitution of the International Labour Organisation, and further requests the Governing Body to ensure speedy implementation of this resolution.'"

Most European government and employer delegates including those of the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Australia, Italy and Spain abstained as did the United States and of course, South Africa. The claim was that Nigeria was introducing politics into the ILO which is a non-partisan UN agency.

Despite this opposition, the motion received an overwhelming endorsement. The other Nigerian delegates to that momentous ILO Conference were Messrs Tom Edogbeji, Aitkins Salubi, Tijani. M. Yusuf (Government), Mrs. Moore (Employers) and Comrade Lawrence Borha (Workers).

Twenty nine years after Nigeria moved that motion, Nelson Mandela, newly freed from apartheid jail after 27 years, stood before the ILO Conference on Friday June 8, 1990 to thank the international body for that decision.

The struggle continues.

the market and space for African development, and broaden its development prospects.”

Going forward, the two sides agreed “to form a strong synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative, and the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations, Agenda 2063 of African Union, AU, as well as the development strategies of Africa", and expressed the firm belief that: “The closer connectivity in policy, infrastructure, trade, finance and peopleto-people ties, strengthened industrial capacity cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and greater cooperation in the planning of African infrastructure and industrial development will lend new impetus to the winwin cooperation and development between China and Africa.”

As Africa and China deepen cooperation through such strategic framework as the Belt and Road Initiative, traditional distractions originating from quarters that have historically lacked faith in Africa’s renaissance and future, are busy with outlandish innuendoes, about “China’s neo-colonialist intentions” and “debt burden”. The interesting part is only that Africa and China seem too busy and focused with the work at hand and certainly appears to pay no attention.

China-Africa cooperation spanning nearly seven decades since colonial domination were overcome on both sides have never claimed to be an Eldorado without twists, turns or even setbacks but mutual respect, common aspirations and now determined efforts on both sides to drive the Belt and Road Initiative and become pacesetters in the building of a community of shared future for all mankind; has been the enabling driver of the steady and stable growth of cooperation between China and Africa.

•Onunaiju, Director of the Centre for China Studies, wrote from Abuja.

28 — Vanguard, MONDAY APRIL 29, 2019

STATE OF THE NATION:

We’re back to NADECO days •Says Bucknor-Akerele •Buhari fighting war against PDP, not graft •It’s time to make National Assembly part-time

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enator Kofoworola Louisa Bucknor-Akerele will be 80 tomorrow, having been born on April 30, 1939. The journalist, lawyer, politician, botched Third Republic senator, and former deputy governor of Lagos, played a crucial role in the battle to return Nigeria to the democratic path in 1999 through the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO. In this interview at her Ikoyi, Lagos home, the octogenarian, who is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, spoke on the state of the nation and lamented that Nigeria is back to the NADECO days. She also spoke on why the PDP lost the governorship election in Lagos, why cost of running the National Assembly should be cut down and the legislature made part-time among others. Excerpts:

•Bucknor-Akerele

one of their gambits.

By Clifford Ndujihe, Acting Political Editor

O

n why the PDP lost the a g o s governorship election Well, we thought we should have got it this time around but Jimi Agbaje did not relate with the party. And then he was on his own. I think that was what happened and we lost.

The loss seems to be creating more crisis in Lagos PDP...

There is no crisis in the party.

What about chairmanship crisis?

There is no chairmanship crisis; we have one chap (Segun Adewale) who was previously a member of our party, he left, went to his state, which is Ekiti to contest governorship election.

He failed and now, mysteriously, he is coming back to say he is the chairman of the party. I don’t know whether he is all right.

What are the elders doing about that?

We have brought the police to clear the boys he put in the party’s secretariat and we are fully back in control of the party.

What is your assessment of the 2019 general elections?

I am really disappointed in the last election because there was gross intimidation of voters, open buying of votes, election was rigged in many places, figures were just written and handed over to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to announce as results.

Where did this happen? Is it in all the states?

In virtually all the states especially in Lagos. I had the experience because I was on the field. It was open. In my ward, there was a car that was brought with money and people were going to take money openly and the security agents stood by and watched.

L

Which ward was that?

Ward H2 in Victoria Island.

What is your advice to INEC to ensure better polls in future?

I think this INEC should be dissolved and sent packing. So, I can’t give them any advice.

They claimed they were using card readers so that people could not vote more than once but people were voting more than

Her take on the All Progressives Congress, APC’s claim at the tribunal that Atiku Abubakar is not a Nigerian That is utterly ridiculous. How can a man who is not a Nigerian join the Customs Service, rise to the highest rank in that service, contest for the presidency several times, and became vice president of the country and it is now they discovered he is not a Nigerian.

Highlights •We are back to the NADECO days •Buhari fighting war against PDP, not corruption • National Assembly should be part-time, running cost too high •Agbaje let the party down and lost Lagos gov poll • Segun Adewale is not Lagos PDP chairman • 2019 polls were militarised, rigged • INEC should be dissolved • It’s ridiculous to say Atiku is not a Nigerian • APC can’t dictate to NASS how to choose their leaders • How government can recognise June 12 • Buhari’s performance is dismal • How we can save our democracy once.

On the high number of petitions, 776, filed in 2019, the second highest since 1999 after the 1,290 petitions that were filed after the 2007 polls It goes to show what happened during the elections. If the elections were free and fair there won’t be petitions.

Her take on the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar ’s petition against President Muhammadu Buhari at the tribunal It is an excellent petition. I just pray that the judges will have the courage to do the right thing.

What is the right thing?

The right thing is to pronounce Atiku Abubakar the winner of the election. It is obvious that he won that election but the election was rigged.

I don't know which APC leader performed well in Lagos State.

Babatunde Fashola was there, he planted flowers. Ambode did his little bit, at least he cleared Oshodi of the mess that was there and built a few roads In any case, I think in his reply to that he has given them the relevant answer. The APC likes to play to the gallery and this is

On comments that the 2019 polls were militarised yes, it was militarised because it was done in my ward also. The soldiers came, obviously, to intimidate people and some of us faced up to them and didn’t allow them to get away with it.

How can we end militarisation of elections?

The military should not be involved in our elections at all.

Their job is to ensure the integrity of the country and not to be involved in election.

On the APC adoption of Senator Ahmad Lawan as Senate President and Mr Femi Gbajabiamila as Speaker of the Ninth National Assembly I don’t know whether their rules have changed since I was in the Senate but normally, the National Assembly chooses its own leaders and that is done by all the concerned parties in the National Assembly. It is not the party that dictates who should be their leaders.

Could you recall some of the good things the Third National Assembly you belonged to did in 1993?

We stood firm on June 12 election and some of us gathered ourselves and tabled a resolution asking that the results be announced and Chief M.K.O Abiola declared the winner.

Some of us were arrested as a result of that as you are well aware.

What is your take on President Bhari’s recognition of June 12 as Democracy Day? Have they declared Abiola as the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election?

Recognising June 12 as democracy day is a different thing. What they should do is to announce the result and apologise to the country for the

annulment.

On the exchanges among Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives S p e a k e r , Y a k u b u Dogara on allegations that the Eight National Assembly hampered President B u h a r i ’ s projects and plans for the country I don’t see how they hampered the progress of the President’s administration. I think the President Buhari hampered his own progress by not delivering his promises to the people.

Tinubu accused them of delaying and padding budgets He should prove where and how they p a d d e d budgets. He should not m a k e allegations without proof.

Really, can the National Assembly pad budgets?

I don’t think so.

As a lawyer, what is your take on the Justice Walter Onnoghen’s saga?

It was obvious that some elements wanted Justice Onnoghen out of the way. So far, they seem to have succeeded although Justice Onnoghen has appealed and we await the result of his appeal. Not only that, the person who was sentencing Onnoghen has accusations to answer. I don’t see how a man who is being accused of corruption is sitting in judgement against another man.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has cleared him...

I am not aware of that.

So far, how would you assess the performance of President Buhari?

Dismal. Absolutely dismal.

Personally, I would have thought that having done one term, especially with his health issues, he would quietly retire and allow another healthier and more dynamic person run for the presidency but he is there.

You think he has not performed in tacking insecurity?

Certainly not, giving the way people are being killed every day. They said they had defeated Boko Haram but there is bombing all the time, there is kidnapping, which we did not have before. The security issue has deteriorated considerably.

What about the economy?

We all know that the economy is in doldrums. Go and look at all the industrial estates and see the number of factories that have closed.

What about the war against corruption?

I don’t think he has done well in the war against corruption. I think it is war against the PDP. That is how I see it. Why is it that you are fighting war against

Continues on page

Vanguard, MONDAY APRIL 29, 2019 — 29

We’re back to NADECO days Continued from page corruption and people who are obviously corrupt are part of your administration? So, who are you deceiving? Who is fooling who?

What is your advice to President Buhari on his new cabinet?

I will not give any advice to the APC Why? Because I don’t believe that legitimately they won the election.

On the WAEC certificate issue around Senator Ademola Adeleke, the PDP governorship candidate, who the tribunal declared as the winner of the Osun State governorship election I don’t know what the issues around it are. The WAEC has come out to show that he has their certificate. As usual, it is the APC that does not want to accept defeat.

Do you think Adeleke and PDP will make it at the end of the day?

Yes, by the grace of God he will make it.

How would you assess Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s performance in Lagos?

He performed in certain respects and poorly in others.

He did well in maintaining some roads. As for anything else, I don’t think he has done well.

Look at the state of our hospitals, and state of our schools, they leave much to be desired.

So, do you think the APC leaders in Lagos were right in denying him second term?

I would not say that it was because he did not perform because I don’t know which APC leader performed well in Lagos State. Babatunde Fashola was there, he planted flowers.

Ambode did his little bit, at least he cleared Oshodi of the mess that was there and built a few roads.

Based on these, don’t you think it is a matter of regret that the PDP did not take advantage of the flaws to win the governorship election?

I think the full blame has to go to the candidate because he was a let down. He let the party down.

Otherwise, we should have captured Lagos State because the people of Lagos were fed up with the APC government.

Going forward, what is the PDP doing to ensure this does not recur?

There was a lot interference in the choice of a candidate from the national level. What we in Lagos State are saying to the national level is leave us alone.

You played a prominent role in NADECO to return the country to civil rule. Giving the way things are in the country, do you agree with comments that we are almost back to the NADECO days?

It is not that we are almost back to the NADECO days, we are right back to the NADECO days. It is unfortunate because thinking of the sacrifices of which some of us lost their lives and yet we are back to square one.

How can we get out of this?

I am sorry to say so, Nigerians are very docile. That is the problem. I don’t believe in violence, I believe in peaceful demonstrations. I believe that by now we should be demonstrating and asking for our rights but we seem to have been cowed into silence.

How can we get the people to act?

It is for the people themselves to fight for their rights. If they are not ready to fight for their rights they will always be trampled over by as Fela put it vagabonds in power or military.

On calls for restructuring I support restructuring. I don’t believe we can carry on with this

present unitary structure. If you look back when we gained independence, there was real progress in all parts of the country but now there is no progress. When they say we are going to the next level, I say the next level is going down, not up.

How do you think the country should be restructured?

In a restructured Nigeria, the states should have more powers.

I was part of the constitutional conference. We made farreaching recommendations.

Those recommendations should be implemented. Part of the problems we are having with the herdsmen, insecurity, etc,will be solved if the country is restructured.

Do you think the current National Assembly has performed?

I think they have, they have passed a lot of bills. They performed their role as a supervisory body and they did not allow themselves to be bullied by the executive.

On comments that the cost of running the National Assembly is huge I agree with that. The running cost is on a very high side. When we were in the Senate, what we were paid was level 17.

So, you support cutting down the cost of running the National Assembly?

Yes, I think the cost should be

cut down. Again, when you watch the sitting of the National Assembly on television, most of them are not there. When we were in the National Assembly, we were there every day. I think it should be made part time rather than treated as a full time occupation because those who are there now are not treating it as a full time occupation.

What is the way forward for Nigeria?

Nigerians have to learn to fight for their right. Until they do that we will constantly be trampled upon by all sorts of dubious people who because they have money or have connections become our leaders.

My claim to Lagos PDP chairmanship is to save party from Olabode George — Adewale

By Patrick Azamosa

O

tunba Segun Adewale, popularly known as Aeroland, is not a stranger to crisis, especially when it has to do with the Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party. PDP. He earlier had a running battle over the chairmanship of the party but had to step aside to allow Hon. Adegoke Salvador ascend the position following the intervention of the national leadership of the party. However, with the defection of Salvador to the All Progressives Congress, APC, just before the 2019 election, Adewale is back again laying claim to the chairmanship position. When Vanguard met him, he spoke about his motivation, noting that his interest is to see things done right. Excerpts:

• Adewale

M

ANY things have happened in the Lagos chapter of the PDP, especially as far as you are concerned, you even left at a point to contest the governorship of Ekiti State on another platform, but now you are back claiming chairmanship of the Lagos PDP, what is going on?

This is my letter dated February 26, 2016 confirming my position and that of my executives, signed by Ali ModuSheriff and Prof. Wale Oladipo. The letter was addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Director of DSS and INEC, so there is no confusion about it. This letter states that I am supposed to be the chairman from May 2016 to 2020, but then there were challenges everywhere.

People went to court and we also got judgement from the court and my name was also there too. But during that crisis, because this time there were two opposing groups in Lagos, when we did our congress, Chief Bode George also did a congress on his own and appointed a chairman.

We also did our own and I became the chairman because I didn’t come from Chief Bode George he will not allow and for a year and half we kept fighting and when the election was getting closer, the national leadership of the party, through Uche Secondus, called us to order and said we should reconcile. So when we reconciled they said give it Bode George as the leader, who has been in the corridors of power for so long, he knows these people and because of that they will always say let us give it to Chief Bode George and once that happens, it means that year we are going to fail again. I knew we were going to lose the

2019 election, but if I kept fighting and we lose the election they will blame it on me, so I had to step aside and they said they wanted Adegoke Salvador, who never won any congress.But George started having problems again with Salvador, because Salvador too wants to win election, so Salvador was forced out of the party, he had to go to APC. Was it Salvador’s exit that created the current problem?

In a way yes, with that there was a vacuum again and the constitution in section 46, 47 states that if the chairman of the PDP leaves, the only way to fill that vacant position is by Congress or the state executive committee comes together and vote for a new chairman from the same Senatorial District as the last one that left. But Chief Bode George and the National Vice Chairman, South West, Dr. Eddy Olafeso did not follow our constitution, they jettisoned the constitution and said Dominic you are the chairman, without election, no congress, no ratification by the state executive committee.

But that happened before the election and you did nothing then, what happened now?

I was supposed to start fighting again, but it was about three months to election, so I decided to hold my peace and allow the decision of Olabode George and Olafeso.

We want to win election. A lot of the SouthSouth, South-East people are dying for us, every four years they go and vote for us, let us go and win, but because it was just three months to election I allowed them, but I was

We had about 11 House of Representatives candidates that won election, but none of you heard about it, INEC had to ask for a rerun, there was not a single statement from the PDP to say this is cheating

fighting indirectly. Dominic had 90 days to end his tenure, so after election there was vacancy again. The constitution does not allow acting chairman, it must be chairman, after that George wanted to field another chairman and we said fine go through the constitution of the party, but he refused. So I said if that is the case me too I am a chairman, that is what happened. So, I am claiming the chairman because if he can on his own be doing that every four years without recourse to the constitution, I can also lay claim to the position. I have documents and judgement that confirm that I am also the chairman because sometimes to solve a problem you have to create another problem.

So, I am trying to create a problem for that problem that Bode George causes to be solved, otherwise we have already lost 2023 in advance because Dominic did not even win his polling booth, and Bode George did not win his polling booth.

We had about 11 House of Representatives candidates that won election, but none of you heard about it, INEC had to ask for a rerun, there was not a single statement from the PDP to say this is cheating. Rita in Ajeromi Ifelodun did a second rerun, at the week end. Rita won, we won in Ojo, we won in Surulere, Oshodi Isolo, another one in Ikorodu, Somolu, but there was nobody in PDP to even write a statement condemning the act of INEC, rather PDP executive are now supporting APC that took our positions, saying that those claiming to have won election on PDP platform are not even members of the PDP. We are now the ones testifying against our own, we can’t continue that way, that is why I am fighting.

I am not fighting because of me, I don’t need any chairmanship, I am busy, I have over 100 staff, over 18 branches I don’t have time, I have a lot of challenges on my neck, but our generation is dying, we can’t allow somebody with one leg in PDP and another leg in APC.

30 — Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

Terra Kulture stages Moremi the Musical for Ooni of Ife, other Pg 35 royalty

When Kien and Friends entertained with classical music Pg 35

173 authors compete for 2019 NLNG Prize for Literature Pg 36

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 — 31 OSA MBONU-AMADI 08070524223 osaamadi@yahoo.com

When Kien and Friends entertained with classical music Stories by Osa Mbonu-Amadi, Arts Editor.

S

aturday April 27, 2019 marked another important milestone in the progress of the yearly Kien and Friends classical music concert which debuted in 2013. The venue as usual was the prestigious Agip Recital Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

By 3.00 p.m., the reception area of the Agip hall was busy with the polished guests which usually •Kiendigi Doibo and Theophilus Okang constitute lovers of classical evoking happiness and nostalgia at the music. They were there to feed on small same time. chops and cocktail which the organisers Next, God’s Abundance Chiadika took provided in abundance. The air from the the stage. He did four pieces: Chanson de giant air-conditioner was cold and lighting matin (morning Song), op. 15 No.2, by was mild.

Edward Elgar; Sonatina in A minor by Soon the guests moved into the hall and George Benda; German Dance in B flat No. the performers came to the stage after the 06 by Ludwig Van Beethoven; and Rondo keynote address by Prof. Barclays

by Anthon Andre. The morning song Ayakoroma, former Executive Secretary/ actually evoked feelings of freshness, cool CEO, National Institute for Cultural and calm, while the Sonatina in A minor Orientation, NICO. turned out to be hot, loud and fast in contrast Kiendigi Doibo (Kien) opened the to the morning song. performance in a violin duet with Mr. Kien (on violin) and Okang took the stage Theophilus Okang. They performed Twin again as they did J.F Mazas’ Pranks before brothers by Coreli which was followed by Feranmi Olaitan on his clarinet, Damilare Ojekele on saxophone accompanied by Mr. Adeosun, went on a accompanied by Mr. Adeosun. They marathon of hymnals, all of which performed A Kwela for Caitlin by Richard connected with the audience as familiar Michael and Nocturne by Alan Haughton. church songs. He sang with his clarinet: Kien returned to perform Robert Great is thy faithfulness, O God our help in Schumann’s Frohlicher Landmann, a short ages past, Old rugged cross and Jolly Good piece with a waltz rhythm. She was followed Fellow. immediately by Ebunoluwa Olaopa who As one of the most spectacular performed two piano pieces: The Reef No. performances of the evening, Adetoke 5 from the southern seas and Holiday in Paris Adeosun (violin) and her father, Mr.

by Walter Carroll and William Gillock Adeosun (on the piano) did the only respectively. traditional song of the evening – Iseoluwa Kien, like the dominant in a major scale, a traditional Yoruba song. True to African returned with Mr. Okang in a four-hand songs, the danceable Iseoluwa would have duet on the piano. They performed Johann brought the audience up on their feet if it Strauss’ An der Schonen Blasen Donau – an had not been uncustomary to do so in emotionally laden piece, full of ‘sunshine’,

•Some of the performers at the concert classical music concerts.

Kien (on violin) and Okang (on piano) doing Take Five by Paul Desmond appeared to have introduced perhaps the youngest performer in the concert, Owoturufa Taisosa who did violin pieces, May Song (folk), Go tell Aunty Rhody (folk); Ecossaise

by Beethoven; Elenke (a Bulgarian traditional song) and My Invention by Nancy & Randal Faber.

The ‘dominant’ Kien and probably ‘subdominant’ Theophilus Okang returned to perform Grand after the scotch humor by Nichol Matteis (piano and violin) and At the race by Pleyel (two violins). The duet with two violins by Kien and Theophilus turned out to be the proverbial best wine which was reserved for the tail end of the event. The music, At the race was actually a race between Kien and Okang – to the end of a hilarious evening of classical music performances.

Fielding questions from journalists after the event, Mrs. Albertine Doibo, mother of Kien and convener of the Kien and Friends annual classical music concert said: “Every year has been an improvement from the last, even in terms of presentation. The quality of the music the children play has improved a lot. So there is some kind of upward progression in the performances.”

On what inspired the Kien and Friends

classical music concert, Mrs. Doibo said it was the lack of meanings and messages in what is called popular music nowadays that inspired her into the initiative. “There is too much noise and shouting (in pop music of today) and that made me to look back at where I was coming from when I was growing up. My father used to have the LPs (Long Plates) of classical music records. So I decided to go back to that.”

She said if children have no opportunities to exhibit their talents after learning songs and practising, they may be discouraged and begin to question why they have to do all that. It is like a reward to the children for their efforts and perseverance.”

On how she has been able to sustain the concert given the huge financial commitment it requires, Mrs. Doibo said the concert has been her yearly Christmas give-back to society. “Last year we couldn’t get enough kids to perform, so we moved it to Easter.”

She appealed that more people should come to see the children perform and also for more children to come and perform. She said whoever finds it in his or her heart to support the concert in any way, can do so.

“But what is more important to me is that more children should practise and come and perform.”

Terra Kulture stages Moremi the Musical for ooni of Ife, other royalty

Yorubas at one point were called Ife descendants. There is nobody in Yorubaland that did not come out from Ife. There is no way you can tell the story.

“So today, if Moremi had not put together that God-given boldness, maybe we wouldn’t have had what we have today.

I want to thank all our leaders that are present here, most especially Aro Asiwaju of Ile-Ife. He has been there for many years.

And Baba is still very active, very agile, young-at-heart. He is always very supportive.

“Also we can see our ever radiant Erelu Dosumu, the mother of all the kings of Lagos. God will continue to strengthen you.

Whenever you hear of anything happening about our culture, you are always there. I want to thank the representatives of Olofa.

There is a very strong link between Moremi and Ofa Kingdom. Before they finally moved to where they were, we still have a community of people in Ife who are all descendants of Ofa people. They like to wrestle a lot; they are fighters. So she came from that section within Ife. “So today, you can see all our links in Yorubaland, and you can see all the efforts we are putting together to tell our story.

“Again, I want to reiterate this: Dr. (Mrs.) Omotosho – very energetic, very on point in everything she does – had to cut her journey short to make it today. We have actually launched an initiative to celebrate women in leadership and women that are doing very well in Nigeria. We’ve had enough of letting them to be our handbags.

Anytime you want to go to a party; that’s the only time you remember your wives – anytime you want to show the world that you are a family man. But they have some leadership roles they play. We need to honour them. We need to adore them. We need to give them a pride and sense of place.

“So this initiative will be like a Hall of Fame; it is an offshoot of Moremi initiative to celebrate women all over our country.

And she is going to be the driver.”

The Ooni also praised the crew members, saying: “they have actually made us proud.”

ast Easter Monday, on April 22, 2019, L the play, Moremi the Musical, was once again staged at Terra Kulture, Victoria

Island, Lagos. This time, His Imperial Majesty, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, and other royalty from Yorubaland were part of the audience who watched the stage re-enactment of the heroic deed of Queen Moremi Ajasoro.

At the end of the play, Princess Ronke Ademiluyi, Global Ambassador of Queen Moremi Ajasoro, invited to the stage, all the royal entourage and other important personalities who watched it. The Ooni of Ife spoke extensively and glowingly about the play, and of all those who made it possible. He reaffirmed his firmly held conviction that African history must be told, and correctly too, by Africans themselves: “Today indeed is a great day for our heritage, for our culture, and for our tradition. This is a history of who we are. I want to thank each and every one of us here present today, particularly the crew, and the entire family of Terra Kulture.

“Last December, we were here. And we have a very short cycle of this initiative. A lot of people didn’t have the opportunity to watch it (late last year). There was a very major request hence (for another showing) and here we are today.

“I will not but say a very special thanks and show tremendous appreciation to the living legend, Moremi of our time, Her Excellency, Dr. (Mrs.) Olufunsho Amosun.

She has been there right from the very first day. She has sacrificed her time and other things she could sacrifice. She was taken by people from Ogun State. She is from Osogbo in Osun State but she belongs to each and every one of us. She has never shut her doors to us. I want to thank you for the work you started. Don’t think because you are leaving office now (you will no longer be needed here). This is a perpetual

•His Imperial Majesty, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, and other royalty office for you. It is not easy to be a living legend; Moremi of our time. We still need your input. We still need your time. We still need more of your energy because this initiative is going global. We will let the world know our history without the Western world telling us our history.

“For many centuries, they have told us we are pagans; that we don’t revere the creator. You can look deeply and see this play that still revere the almighty, the creator of everything. And we Yorubas call that almighty Orisa Oke. They have distorted our history, our heritage, our culture and tradition. But (we have had) enough of them telling us our story. We have to tell our story ourselves. And our story is very rich and very intact.

“I thank God almighty for my brother king, Kabiyesi, Oba Saheed Elegushi. We have been friends for many years. He

became a king before my humble self. But to the glory of God, the way destiny would design the whole thing, he is still my brother and he will ever be my brother.

“Thank God for Moremi. Thank God for what Moremi did for us many centuries ago. Maybe we wouldn’t have had Lagos today (without her). It is a generation of Olofin, the Ekate people. They are one of the Idejos, from Aworis. It was immediately after the Moremi issue happened in Ife that everybody now decided to spread to start different kingdoms. Thank God for Moremi. Maybe we wouldn’t have had Kusenla III (without Moremi). But thank God we have him now. He is still very active, agile and able.

“Also to the same story of Moremi; honestly speaking, the Moremi story is deeper than what we all thought. At one point we all converged in Ife. All of us

32 — Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 OSA MBONU-AMADI 08070524223 osaamadi@yahoo.com

IRIRI: A solo exhibition of paintings •Where buying artworks helps humanity

•Work by Oluwole Olufemi

By Osa Mbonu-Amadi Iriri (experience) is a debut solo exhibition of paintings

by Oluwole Omofemi, a contemporary Nigerian

artist. The exhibition opens on Saturday, May 4 to May 11, 2019, at Alexis Galleries, off Idowu Martins, Victoria Island.

Omofemi's artistic imagination is fed by

childhood experiences in the back street of Ibadan. His works betray a soft spot for women and children and genuine concern for the underprivileged children in the society.

For this exhibition, Alexis Galleries is partnering with Braille Book Production Centre, a place that provides educational services for blind and visually impaired pupils and adults and equip them for an independent life via educational services for the blind with the aim of assisting blind persons to become self-sufficient adults in the communities in which they live and work.

The centre was set up by Nigerwives, a not-for-profit association of non-Nigerian women married to Nigerian men who reside in Nigeria in 1995, and has pioneered the computer production of brailed textbooks in Nigeria.

Braille Book Production Centre was founded by Jean Obi, a British by birth. In 1962, she moved to Lagos and joined the West African Examinations Council, WAEC where she taught herself Braille.

Part of the proceeds from this exhibition will be donated to the centre. It is at this point that buying artworks saves humanity.

Oluwole Omofemi's works frequently resonate with a deep appreciation of African fashion, rediscovery of forgotten hairstyle and Afrocentric pride. He enjoys expression in acrylic and oil paint, which are his media for vibrant expressive creativity. He is interested in historical themes and early childhood experiences.

"Iriri (experience) is an art exhibition that focuses on the different life stages such as childhood, adolescent stage, adulthood and old age. The works which will be on display will mostly show the basic life stages in the female gender (adolescent/puberty stage precisely). The stages in the life of a female gender is quite interesting. Right from infancy to the adolescent and puberty stage, then to adulthood, which helps them into

motherhood. This stage is quite an interesting and intense stage. She begins to develop into a woman and becomes more conscious of her physical appearance, starting with her hair and outfits," says the artist.

Omofemi's works depict everyday occurrences and seek to correct social vices that are vast spreading in the society and he aims to deploy the influence of visual art to better the lot of children and revive the neglected beauty of African fashion.

"The Afro is a symbol of the black beauty and a neglected hair fashion of Africans. It dates back to the 50s and 60s when African women wore their natural hair gorgeously. The unstretched Afro (kinky) hair was a way to celebrate the culture and uniqueness of the black race. No wonder women feel their hair is a "crowning glory" as this phrase dates back to the Biblical times.

A woman's hair is the first

most noticeable part of her beauty. Thus, this helps us to understand the mystery behind every woman's beauty and to further understand the interest of the artist in this regard and why he decided to be so emphatic on this. Ejire (twins) is a perfect example of this. The twins are seen wearing their Afro gorgeously. Their choice of outfits and colours also depicts their temperament and lifestyle," he adds.

Born in the late eighties among the rusty-roofed dwelling of the ancient city of Ibadan, he had his National Diploma and Higher National Diploma in Fine Art at the Polytechnic Ibadan. He is a member of the world touring art group 'Coure de Diona' based in Italy and his works are widely collected in Nigeria and outside Nigeria.

Omofemi has participated in many group exhibitions both at home and internationally.

Iriri is sponsored by Tiger, Pepsi, Mikano, Delta Airline, Wazobia TV, Nederburg, Cobranet Internet Service Provider, Cool FM, Art Café and the Homestores Limited.

173 authors compete for 2019 NLNG Prize for Literature The adjudication process for the 2019 edition of the Nigeria Prize for Literature sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited, NLNG, began on 11th April 2019, with the handover of entries received, to the Advisory Board of the Prize.

A total of 173 entries received by the NLNG were handed over to the Advisory Board which in turn were handed over to the panel of judges at a handing over ceremony in Lagos.

This year’s prize focuses on children’s literature and it’s heart-warming to note that in spite of the fact that no winner emerged in 2015 when the genre was last up for competition, there’s an increase in the number of entries this year which shows a 59% increase as against the total number of entries received in 2015.

The company also received 10 entries for the Literary Criticism Prize. The Literature Prize, which is now in its 15th year, has a cash prize of $100, 000 while the Literary Criticism Prize has a prize money of N1 million.

While handing over the entries to the Advisory Board, chaired by Professor Emeritus Ayo Banjo, NLNG’s Manager, Corporate Communications andPublicAffairs,AndyOdeh, said: “As we deliver these 173 books for your vetting, we eagerly look forward to the discovery of yet another literary gem that will open up possibilities for millions of children not only in Nigeria, but all over Africa.

“We can confidently say that the Nigeria Prize for Literature has brought some previously unknown Nigerian writers to public attention. Our generation and those after us are becoming familiar with not just legends like Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Gabriel Okara, Elechi Amadi, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, Mabel Segun and other writers of longstanding acclaim that, perhaps, some of us had the opportunity of

*From left: Professor Jerry Agada, Advisory Board member of NLNG-sponsored The Nigeria Prize for Literature; Professor Emeritus Ayo Banjo, Chair, Advisory Board; Andy Odeh, NLNG’s Corporate Communication and Public Affairs Manager; Professor Obododinma Oha, Chair, Panel of Judges and Professor Asabe Usman Kabir , a judge, during the handover of 173 entries for 2019 prize cycle to the judges. reading as children, but also a new cadre of writers like Kaine Agary, Adeleke Adeyemi, Tade Ipadeola, Ikeogu Oke, Soji Cole and others.”

During the handover, Chairman of the Advisory Board, Professor Ayo Banjo recalled it was exactly 15 years after the first handover event was held. He stated that at the start of this year’s cycle, the board was a bit jittery over the prize not being awarded in 2015 and writers being discouraged to send in their entries.

“When the call for entries was made, entries trickled in at the beginning but towards the deadline, it picked up and crossed the 100 mark.”

Professor Banjo said further that the board is hopeful that the numeric strength of the entries will be matched by strength in quality of the submissions.”

He commended NLNG for having the vision to create the literature prize and The Nigeria Prize for Science, saying: “the prizes have raised the creativity in the country, whether you are writing poetry or trying to solve the problem of electricity in the country.

“NLNG has done its share of work in promoting innovation and creativity in the society. The company is contributing to the emergence of original thinkers and highly

creative people in the society.

It has managed to do that in the space of 15 years.”

The entries, which came in response to a call for entries published in the national media in February 2018, will be examined on their merits of excellence in language, creativity and book quality.

The entries were further handed over to the panel of judges led by Professor Obododinma Oha. Professor Oha is a professor of Cultural Semiotics and Stylistics in the Department of English, University of Ibadan with great interest in technology and language. He currently teaches in the Department of English and Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, now a unit of the Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies, where he teaches Disaster Semiotics.

While receiving the entries, Oha said: “We have been saddled with a big responsibility and we will discharge our assignment credibly.”

Other members of the panel include Prof. Asabe Usman Kabir and Dr. Patrick Okolo.

Kabir is a professor of Oral and African Literature at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto.

Dr. Okolo, a senior lecturer at the University of Lagos, specializes in African postcolonial literature, gender and cultural studies.

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 —33

1.4b Facebook members predicted to die by 2100

By Sola Ogundipe

A

One of the operating theatres in the new Ayinke House

MNCH: Lagos raises bar with 170bed Ayinke House facility

By Chioma Obinna

T

HE joy that comes with safe delivery will soon become a commonplace across communities in Lagos State and pregnancy will no longer be seen as a death sentence with the return of Ayinke House, the popular baby factory in the state.

Interestingly, the new facility is back and better with 170-bed space and equipped with all facilities to cater for newborns.

There are fears that the new Ayinke House now known as Institute of Maternal and Child Healthcare facility, may draw even women who have stopped childbearing to go back to the labour ward.

Lagos State has maternal death ratio of 450 per 100,000 as well as newborn death ratio of 37 per 1000 according to 2013 National Health and Demographic Survey, NDHS, and the newly commissioned Institute is geared towards promoting the health of the mother and child during pregnancy, childbirth and after delivery. It will also offer family planning and assisted reproduction.

The digitalized Institute of Maternal and Child Health under its emergency department has 16 – bed capacity Acute Care ward, five Operation Theatres, 8 Labour/Delivery Suites, and side Laboratory, with threeOrgan Support Capability, 30 Special care baby Unit spaces, 5 Neonatal Intensive Care Units, Main Laboratory with 3 additional Side Laboratories, Blood Bank, 30 incubators with

automatic oxygen delivery capacity and neonatal life support.

It also parades special care unit with 30 incubators 28-bed posts natal ward and five Transport Incubators with Oxygen delivery system, blood bank, mobile digitalized Xray bay among others.

To ensure safe deliveries of mothers, already, a total of 21 Consultant Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 45 Resident doctors, 5 Neonatologists, 10 Resident Pediatricians, and two Anesthetists, among others have been recruited.

Prior to the upgrade and

expansion of the facility, Ayinke house was built by Late Chief Mobolaji BankAnthony in 1990 in honour of his mother, Madam Ayinke and donated to Lagos State Government.

Before now, the old Ayinke House had 80-bed capacity with just one theatre with equipment at the facility old and obsolete.

However, to sustain the philanthropy of Sir Mobolaji Bank-Anthony, the State Government during the administration of Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, awarded the contract for the expansion and reconstruction of the facility. The project was

completed nine years after, courtesy of Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.

Governor Ambode said beyond the significance of the facility for the health sector, the Institute is a major contribution to the education sector as it becomes a veritable platform for medical students in the State University to enhance their exposure and experience with the top-class medical equipment provided.

Ambode said the new Ayinke House is completely digitalised with state-of-the-art medical equipment as well as information technology services supported by the State Ministry of Science and Technology.

T least 1.4 billion Facebook members have been predicted to die before 2100, as a result of which dead members on the social media platform could outnumber the living members by 2070.

A new analysis conducted by researchers from the Oxford Internet Institute (part of the University of Oxford, England) said the dead may outnumber the living on Facebook within 50 years - a trend that it said will have grave implications for the world's digital heritage in the future.

From their analysis, the researchers said if Facebook continues to expand at current rates, the number of deceased members could reach as high as 4.9 billion before the end of the century.

With an estimated 2.32 billion monthly active users as of the fourth quarter of 2018, Facebook is currently rated the world's largest social network.

The predictions are based on data from the UN, which provide the expected number of mortalities and total populations for every country in the world distributed by age, and Facebook data scraped from the company's

Audience Insights feature.

Nigeria is ranked as African’s highest internet using country, making up 27.4 percent of the continent's total usage.

According to statcounter GlobalStats, Nigeria had 79.25 percent Facebook users between March 2018 and March 2019.

Statistics also predict that the number of Facebook users in Nigeria is expected to reach 30.4 million, up from 22.4 million in 2018.

Lead author of the analysis, Carl Ohman, a doctoral candidate at the Oxford Internet Institute said the statistics give rise to new and difficult questions around who has the right to all this data, how should it be managed in the best interests of the families and friends of the deceased and its use by future historians to understand the past.

"On a societal level, we have just begun asking these questions and we have a long way to go. The management of our digital remains will eventually affect everyone who uses social media, since all of us will one day pass away and leave our data behind.

“But the totality of the deceased user profiles also amounts to something larger than the sum of its parts. It is, or will at least become, part of our global digital heritage," Ohman stated.

34—Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

VANGUARD, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 — 35

Sri Lanka Attacks: Relatives of key suspect Zahran, killed

Cyclone Kenneth: ‘We are losing everything’ — Mozambicans R ESCUERS raced to help people caught in fast-rising floodwaters in Mozambique’s cyclone-hit city of Pemba on Sunday, as houses collapsed in one neighbourhood and heavy rain raised fears of worse to come.

More than 160,000 people have been affected in the largely rural region, many left exposed and hungry.

“Help us, we are losing everything!” residents of the northerncityshoutedatpassing cars as the rushing waters flooded their homes.

Women and girls with buckets and pots tried to scoop away the torrent. But in vain , the water poured into doorways.

In the worst-affected neighbourhood of Natite, homes have begun to collapse, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Human-

itarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a tweet.

“We are unfortunately expecting devastating floods,” it said.

Cyclone Kenneth arrived just six weeks after Cyclone Idai ripped into central Mozambique and killed more than 600 people in the flooding. The new storm’s remnants could dump twice as much rain as Idai, the UN said.

As much as 250 millimetres, or about one-quarter of theaverageannualrainfallfor the region, has been forecast over the next few days.

“I have never seen such rains in my life,” said one Pemba resident, 35-year-old Michael Fernando.

This was the first time in recorded history that the southern African nation has been hit by two cyclones in one season, again raising

concerns about climate change.

Rescue workers evacuated at least 130 people to centres elsewhere in the city on Sunday, mostly by boat, said Salviano Abreu, spokesman for OCHA. Some Pemba residents tried to pile up tyres and sandbags outside their homes to keep the rising water out, while elsewhere small, rapid rivers formed, carving trenches into the streets.

Children took refuge in a bus that appeared to be stuck as vehicles struggled on the streets. One woman stood, seemingly stunned, as the rain pounded down.

“We will keep moving until we get somewhere safe,” one man said, as people fled carrying belongings in plastic bags.

In the city’s Mahate neighbourhood, a large crack had formed in the ground, prompting OCHA to warn of landslides.

Spain Socialists win but no majority

T

HE Socialist party has won Spain’s third general election in four years, but may struggle to form a government, a postvote survey suggests.

The governing party is set for 28.1%, well ahead of its rivals, while the conservative Popular Party is heading for its worst ever result, on 17.8%.

Centrist and radical leftist parties are close behind.

For the first time since military rule ended in the 1970s, a far-right party is

set to win seats in parliament.

Vox, which opposes multiculturalism, feminism and unrestricted migration, is predicted to take 12.1% of the vote.

The Socialist Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has presented himself as a bulwark against the far right’s advance.

The telephone survey, revealed as polls closed, was carried out instead of an exit poll. Exit polls have been inaccurate in the past.

*More attacks likely— MPs

T

HE sister of the sus pected ringleader of Sri Lanka’s deadly Easter Sunday bombings has told CNN up to 18 of her family members are missing and feared dead since the attacks and subsequent raids.

More than 250 people were killed and at least 500 injured in a series of coordinated suicide bombings at churches and hotels across the island April 21.

A week on, the country is still on high alert with warnings there could be more attacks in the coming days, MPs said Sunday.

Mohamed Hashim Mathaniya is the sister of Mohamed Zahran Hashim, the man Sri Lankan authorities believe was one of the leaders of the attacks.

He appeared in a video released by an ISIS-linked news agency before blowing himself up on Easter Sunday.

Speaking to CNN on Saturday, Mathaniya said she identified her brother from photographs of his body parts at the police station earlier in the week.

“Five men went missing after the attacks (on Sunday). They were my three brothers, my father, and my sister’s husband,” she said.

On Friday night, 10 civilians including six children were killed along with six suspected terrorists after a shootout between police and alleged militants in the town of Sainthamaruthu on Sri Lanka’s eastern coast.

At daybreak Saturday, a gruesome scene was revealed at the raided house charred bodies and a roof blown off during three explosions.

One of the militants killed in that raid has been identified as Mohamed Niyas, a prominent member of the local extremist group National Tawheed Jamath and Mathaniya’s brother-in-law.

“It did not hit me until I saw the bodies of the men and women. When they said six children, I thought whether they could be the people related to me,” Mathaniya told CNN.

36 — Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

Stop factionalising S-East APC, Stakeholders warn outside forces EWARAWON

OBIEFULE

I, formerly known as Ewarawon Omowunmi Oluwatoyin, now wish to be known as Abdullahi-ewarawon Omowunmi Oluwatoyin. All former documents remain valid and general public take note.

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OKWUKA

I, formerly known as Miss Vivian Nkeiru Onwueyi, now wish to be known as Mrs. Vivian Nkeiru Olumba. All former documents remains valid, general public please take note.

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AGBODO

TOBORE

I, formerly known as Agbodo Endurance and Agbodo Endurance Eyene, now wish to be known as Agbodo Gloria. Any documents bearing my former name still remain Valid. General public, Diamond Bank (now Access Bank) and all

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General public take note.

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MBA

I, formerly known as Patience Okon, now wish to be known as Peter Patience Okon. All former documents remain valid and general public take note.

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I, formerly Known as Miss Onyegbula Peace Chinwendu, now wish to be known as Mrs Obuma Peace Chinwendu. All former documents remain valid. General public please

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I, formerly known as Akpevwe Sylvia Kosin, now wish to be known as Akpevwe Praise _ Joy Kosin. Former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I, formerly known as Miss Tega Orovwohwo, now wish to be known as Mrs. Tega Adedayo Ayejuni. All former documents remain valid.

General public, banks and all concerned institutions should please take note.

I, formerly known as Miss Balogun Adesola Grace, now wishes to be known as Mrs Arichoke, Adesola Grace. All former documents remain valid, general public take note.

TALATU

OTITE

OBOITE

WISDOM I, formerly known as Aimionkhoria Emmanuel Wisdom, now wish to be known as Aimionkhoria Emmanuel Azimoborior.

Former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

IYOMU I, formerly known as Miss Iyomu Grace Aghogho, now wish to be known as Mrs Addy Grace Aghogho. Former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

BALOGUN

EMOAVWODIA I, formerly known as Miss Emoavwodia Loveth Mamuyovwi, now wish to be known as Mrs Loveth Mamuyovwi Ejiogu. Former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

EKPAN I, formerly known as Ekpan Ehi, now wish to be known as Timeyin Otikpere.

Former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I, formerly known as Oboite Onosemudiana Alero, now wish to be known as Mrs Otasowie Onosemudiana Alero Daisy. Former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

AMADI I, formerly known as Miss Amadi Chioma Eberechukwu, now wish to be known as Mrs Paul Chioma Eberechukwu. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I, formerly known as Miss Otemu Otite and also known as Miss Otemu Joy Otite, now wish to be known as Mrs. Oyibo Otite. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly known as Talatu Sabo Awu, now wish to be known as Queen B. Garba. All former documents remain valid. Vintage Guards and Security Limited and general public please take note.

FILANI

AYEMOBA

I, formerly known as Miss Filani Oluwaseun Esther, now wish to be known as Mrs Onipede Oluwaseun Esther. Former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

LATEEF I, formerly known as Lateef Kafayat, now wish to be known as Kafayat Bola Jimoh. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I hereby confirm that the name; Ayemoba Fidelis and Ayemoba Fidelis Momodu refer to one and the same me. I now wish to be known as Ayemoba Fidelis Momodu. Former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

SPACE FOR SALE

FOR ADVERT PLACEMENT VISIT TRINITY MALL, BESIDE ZENITH BANK BALOGUN BUS STOP, OBAFEMI AWOLOWO WAY, IKEJA, OR MURPHIS PLAZA, SANUSI FAFUNWA STREET, VICTORIA ISLAND LAGOS

By Dennis Agbo

E

N U G U —

STAKEHOLDERS of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the SouthEast have warned forces outside the zone to stop causing divisions among members of the party in Igboland.

The party members have also risen in support of all members of the party from the zone, contesting for leadership of the ninth National Assembly.

They equally want President Muhammadu Buhari to use his second term to resist all pressures and do more Infrastructural and human empowerment projects in the zone.

The party zonal stakeholders made the resolutions when it met in Enugu on Saturday.

Among those who attended the meeting were Minister for Labour, Dr

Chris Ngige; Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu; former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu; Senators Chris Adighije, Chris Nwankwo, Anthony Agbo and Andy Ubah.

Also in attendance were Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Nze Chidi Duru, Osita Okechukwu, Prof. Ben Odoh, Hon Chike Okafor, among others.

In its communique, the National Vice Chairman of APC in the zone, Emma Enukwu said “The South East APC condemn in strong terms, undue interference and unwholesome meddlesome by forces outside the zone on the affairs of the zone of our great party aimed at factionalising the party.

“We call on members of our party from the zone to resist such and those causing divisions should understand the negative implication on the party.”

MACBAN cries out over killing of members in the latest victims were Bauchi the former chairman of

B

AUCHI STATE branch of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, MACBAN, Bauchi state chapter, has called on security agents to check the activities of a group, known as ‘Yan Ba Belli’ that had allegedly been killing its members across the State.

Alhaji Sadiq Ahmed, Secretary of the association in the state, made the call in Bauchi yesterday at the funeral of two members allegedly killed by the group.

He warned that unless the activities of the group was checked, the situation might get out of control and pose threat to peace and security in the state.

“If they are attacking people in the rural areas and they are not stopped, they may start attacking people in urban areas,” he warned.

He said so far about 10 members of their association had been killed in various locations within the state in the last two weeks.

Ahmed disclosed that

Bauchi Local Government Area of the association, Jafaru Shanka , and Musa Mokawu, both of them residents of Yolan Bayara, a community few kilometres from Bauchi metropolis.

The Secretary said the two people were abducted and their corpses recovered later in the bush, with gunshot wounds and machete cuts.

Ahmed said members of the group operated on no fewer than 100 motorcycles, invading communities, abducting and killing people in broad daylight.

He expressed the desire of MACBAN to cooperate with government and security agencies to maintain peace.

Contacted on the issue, Bauchi Police comm a n d ’ s spokesperson,DSP Kamal Datti, said he was not aware of the incidents referred to by MACBAN. He however said there were reported cases of the activities of the group and the police had been making arrests and charging them to court.

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 —37

38—Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

Nigeria's justice system has failed women and the will left women —BFF behind by their late

By Emmanuel Elebeke

A

CHIEFTAINCY:Conferment of title of Akpeli Ugo Fufu 1 of Ebu Kingdom on Chief Mrs. Shimite Bello by HRH Onu Paul Odilile Opili , the Onu of Ebu Kingdom, Delta state. Photo: Nath Onojake

BUJA—A nongovernmental organization, Breath of Freedom Foundation, BFF has accused the Nigerian justice system as being unfair to the women folk.

The foundation made the assertion at the weekend during an outreach programme at Suleja prison.

The Founder of the foundation, Tony Ekoaba, who decried the nation's justice system expressed concern over the manner in which widows in the country are sent to prison

for trying to assert authority over properties willed to them by their late husbands. A situation he said is supported by some traditions and culture in the country.

This he said is injustice to women and should be condemned in totality, especially widows who lawfully seek what rightfully belong to them Ekoaba, who was represented by other management team of the foundation called for total overhaul of the entire justice system in the country to address the injustice in the land, especially as it concerns

husbands. ‘‘I think the laws need to be changed, they need to be in black and white and straight forward. If a person puts one as next of kin, that person should be next of kin. There should just be a standard justice system that would just be there based on if you are not as powerful as the opposition party, then you have to be on the receiving end.

Aduwak’s “Heaven’s Hell" the Movie for launch May

By Gabriel Olawale

L

AGOS—ONE of Nigeria’s leading media experts, Katung Aduwak, popular for being the winner of the first-ever Big Brother Nigeria, is set to release his first blockbuster movie, titled “Heaven’s Hell”; a psychological drama, based on true life story that tells the story of two friends, Alice Henshaw and Tsola Aliu and their husbands Edward Henshaw and Jeff Aliu.

Set to be released in a few weeks; the movie is packed with Nollywood greats such as Nse Ikpe-Etim, Bimbo Akintola, Damilola Adegbite, OC Ukeje, Gideon Okeke, Linda Ejiofor, Chet Anekwe, Kalu Ikeagwu, Bimbo Manuel, Katherine Obiang, Femi Jacobs, Waje (singer), and Fabian Lojede.

Speaking on this accomplishment and the

expected impact “Heavens Hell” will have on Nollywood, the director Katung Aduwak, reveals that it has been all about hard work and determination, for him to finally release this movie that was shot as far back as 2012. He stated that: “I am very happy that we are now ready to release this piece, It is not my first movie but I am particularly happy about this; I owe this to every member of the crew and the entire staff of One O Eight Media, also the members of Hashtag Media for being more than a reliable partner; this is a win for us and I am very sure that Nigerians can’t wait for it to get to the cinemas” Aduwak is currently the CEO One O Eight Media & African Partner for Campfire Media, a position he now holds after serving for years as Senior Channel Manager at MTV Base, Senior Creative Director at VIACOM International and Executive Director at Chocolate City. He has also sat as a media panelist at the Harvard Africa Business School Forum where he presented a paper titled “Using the media to tell African stories the African way”

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 —39

40 —Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

LEISURE

YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 TAURUS; Take note that others may break promises made before early afternoon period; that is to say you should not take anybody for granted before 12.43pm..

GEMINI; Although friends are willing to assist you circumstances may not allow complete help as expected.

9.46am to 12.43pm can be a bit sensitive.

CANCER; Emphasis will continue to be on career related issues. However you will not be wrong if you take matters of the heart more seriously now. Be more loving.

LEO; Mid morning till early afternoon period may bring more promises than it can actually deliver; your being clever will see you through. Be very practical.

VIRGO; Continue to attach necessary importance to your family values. Here is a day when joint ventures can bring you under pressure between 9.46am and 12.43pm.

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE

TAKE HEART — ELLA RANDLE “My faith helps me understand that my circumstances don’t dictate my happiness, my inner peace.” -Denzel WashingtonBeing fully present in the moment is the way to internal peace and happiness. Learning to be aware is how we resolve and transform into internal peace we are all looking for.

It is a gradual process. Taking time to practice conscious breathing is a great way to calm ourselves and stay in the present moment. -- Ella Randle

TERROR MUDA

Man is like a pepper, till you have chewed it you do not know how hot it is. ~Haussa Proverb

in “Never say goodbye”

By Kola Fayemi

LIBRA; Other people will continue to feature in your activities; that is to say you will need to be as co operative as reason permits. Watch it between 9.46am & 12.43pm SCORPIO; You will be in good position to consolidate on progress made yesterday. However you will need to watch your mood from 9.46am to 12.43pm.

SAGITTARIUS; It is important you don’t take things for granted around mid morning and early afternoon period so that you will not run into avoidable disappointments.

CAPRICORN; If you are in position to control your actions you would fare better if you can wait till after 12,43pm before you make an important move. Be family minded.

AQUARIUS; Your being receptive can enhance your prospects but that is not to say you have to be naïve, especially during mid morning and early afternoon periods.

DUDU

in

“ROLLING HOT”

By A.O. OLAIDE

PISCES; Success is boldly printed on your cards and like yesterday if priority attention is given to money the scope of your success will be wider.

ARIES; Although things may be happening around you, you are the right person to make things happen and give others opportunities.. Be wise.

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

Are they compatible?

Dear Joshua, My daughter seems to be seriously committed to a boy. And from the lookofthingstheymaybewillingtomarryeachother.Andbeforeitistoo late I want to know if they are compatible or not. However publish not their names and birthday.

Olusegun, Plateau.

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

HOME & ABROAD

By Lawrence Akapa

DearOlusegun, What will follow here under are analyses of two horoscopes of two willing heart, so thatyou willknowthemverywellvisàvisstrongandweakpointsofeach other.By this youwilldecideifactuallywhatyouarelookingforisinthe relationship.

THE HOROSCOPE DATA/PLANETARY PLACEMENT OF THE LADY SUNSIGN=AQUARIUS;SUNIN13THDEGREEOFAQUARIUS. MOON SIGN = CANCER ; MOON IN 3RD DEGREE OF CANCER MERCURY IN IST DEGREE OF AQUARIUS VENUS IN ZERO DEGREE OF ARIES MARS IN 29TH DEGREE OF PISCES JUPITER IN 29TH DEGREE OF CAPRICORN SATURN IN 27TH DEGREE OF SCORPIO. URANUS IN 16TH DEGREE OF SAGITTARIUS. NEPTUNEIN2ND DEGREEOFCAPRICORN PLUTO IN 4TH DEGREE OF SCORPIO. NORTH NODE IN 23RD DEGREE OF TAURUS. SOUTH NODE IN 23RD DEGREE OF SCORPIO. SUMMARY ANALYSIS OF HER CHART Hereisagentlepersonwhocaressomuchforbothherextendedfamily (especially her mother) and her personal family. She can be highly emotional, although highly intelligent too THEWEAKPOINT She can unexpectedly burst into tears whenever she fails to control her husband.Andifshedoesnotresulttoweepingshecanmanytimesforce this man to turn violent to the detriment of too many things. She in particular will many times become jealous for no reason and can be difficult to manage by this man.

42—Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 —43

44 — Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

FALCONS: Oluehi, Okoronkwo head Dennerby’s invitees for Women’s WAFU Cup

•Oluehi, Okoronkwo

G

oalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi, defender Glory Ogbonna, midfielder Amarachi Okoronkwo and forward Alice Ogebe are among 26 players that Super Falcons’ Head Coach Thomas Dennerby has invited to camp

ahead of next month’s WAFU Women’s Cup Tournament in Abidjan, capital of Cote

d’Ivoire.

All invited players have been asked to report at the Serob Legacy Hotel, Wuye, Abuja as training sessions commence today.

Veteran midfielder Osarenoma Igbinovia and forward Chioma Wogu have also been called, as well as former captain Evelyn Nwabuoku.

Goalkeepers Alaba Jonathan, Christy Ohiaeriaku and Chiamaka Nnadozie will contest for the number one position with Oluehi, who maintained her place among the sticks as the Falcons won a ninth African title in Ghana last year, and has kept the position ever since.

Conte waits for Man United job ormer Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is F reportedly interested in

Emery switches Arsenal focus to Europa League Arsenal boss Unai Emery has told the Gunners to refocus and salvage their season against Valencia after Leicester dealt a hammer blow to their Champions League hopes.

The 10-man Gunners slipped to a third straight defeat after the dominant Foxes ran out 3-0 winners.

Jamie Vardy’s late brace took his tally to eight goals in his last nine games against the Gunners after Youri Tielemans’ opener at the King Power Stadium.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles was sent off for the first time in his career before the break as Arsenal turned in a limp display.

It left them fifth in the Premier League but they face Valencia in the Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday. The winners of the competition qualify for the Champions League.

Emery said: “We have two things – next week against Valencia in the Europa League, we have big ambition and motivation in this competition.

“It’s a semi-final and it’s going to be difficult also, then we play Brighton and we want to win this match.

“At the beginning of the season we knew it was going to be very difficult (to finish in the top four).

“We will continue, we will not look at the table, the Europa League is a big motivation for us.

“We wanted to take the opportunity to win and be competitive in 90 minutes.

The players worked very well and I am proud of them.”

•Emery

C M Y K

Defender Maryam Ibrahim and midfielder Cynthia Aku, as well as former junior internationals Peace Efih, Ugochi Emenayo, Joy Jerry and Joy Bokiri will also get another look-in as Dennerby prepares to compile his final list for the 8th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in France.

The WAFU Women’s Cup Tournament will take place in Abidjan 8th – 18th May 2019, with the Super Falcons to play in Group B alongside Burkina Faso, Niger Republic and Mali. Host nation Cote d’Ivoire will tackle Senegal, Togo and Ghana in Group A. 26 Falcons invited for WAFU Women’s Cup Mary-Magdalene Anjor, Peace Efih, Ugochi Emenayo, Osarenoma Igbinovia, Alaba Jonathan, Glory Ogbonna, Christy Ohiaeriaku, Amarachi Okoronkwo, Tochukwu Oluehi, Chidinma Okeke, Alice Ogebe, Chiamaka Nnadozie, Uchenna Kanu, Joy Jerry, Chioma Wogu, Maryam Ibrahim, Cynthia Aku, Rita Okoro, Adebisi Saheed, Evelyn Nwabuoku, Rofiat Sule, Joy Bokiri, Mary Ologbosere, Esther Sunday, Antionette Payne, Rofiat Imuran.

•Conte

becoming the next Manchester United boss amid growing speculation over the future of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Solskjaer was initially handed the United reins on a temporary basis until the end of the season after Jose Mourinho’s sacking in December, but 14 wins from his first 17 games at the helm earned him a permanent deal until 2022.

However, the Red Devils have now lost seven of their last nine games across all competitions, leading to questions being asked of the Norwegian just a month after putting pen to paper.

Conte is delaying taking a new job as he waits to see the situation at United, who are understood to have considered the Italian as an option after initially sacking Mourinho.

Both Roma and Inter Milan are eager to appoint Conte during the summer, but he is hesitant to commit and would reportedly be more interested in the United job.

U-17 Africa Cup of Nations: Cameroon beat Guinea on penalties to lift trophy ameroon won the 2019 U-17 Africa Cup of C Nations yesterday after they defeated Guinea 5-4 on penalties in the final at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The two teams created decent chances but failed to score as the match ended 0-0 in normal time.

Both semi-finals also went to penalty shootouts.

It is Cameroon’s second U17 Nations Cup title having previously been African Champions in 2003.

Cameroon were sharper during the decisive penaltykicks and benefitted when Guinea substitute Mohamed Youssouf Sack had his penalty saved by goalkeeper Manfred Mekumba Ekoi.

“I am happy that we have achieved all our goals of qualifying for the World Cup and winning the Afcon title,” said Cameroon coach Thomas Libih.

Cameroon, who also defeated the Syli Cadets of Guinea 2-0 in the group stage, are the only team to complete the tournament unbeaten.

They began with a group win over Guinea before defeating Morocco 2-1 and ended the group phase with a goalless draw against Senegal.

Cameroon went on to win 4-3 on penalties against Angola at the semi final stage, despite being down to 10men.

Amongst those watching Cameroon’s triumph was head coach of Tanzania’s senior team, Emmanuel

Amuneke, one of the members of the Confederation of African Football’s (Caf) technical team.

Amuneke, who coached Nigeria’s U-17 team to World Cup success in 2015, was impressed with the overall standard of play at the tournament.

“I think standards have improved generally and this

Ogunbote: 16 Enugu Rangers players injured nugu Rangers coach Gbenga Ogunbote has revealed that E his team are battling with fatigue and a long list of injuries.

Ogunbote‘s disclosure is coming ahead of the highly-

anticipated Oriental Derby clash between the Flying Antelopes and their fierce rivals Enyimba in Aba next weekend.

Speaking after his team qualified for the final of the Enugu State FA Cup with a 2-1 win over Nigeria National League side, Lamrey United, Ogunbote confessed that injured players are now being used for matches.

“We were affected by fatigue as we have played a lot of matches this week and my 16 players are down at the moment...

“I was forced to introduce some of my players who are nursing injuries... We want to win the trophy as we are hungry for it, so the players will still play with knocks,” Ogunbote told the club’s official site.

Rangers are the defending champions of the FA Cup and they are also leading Group A of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

•Ogunbote and players

African stars celebrate Renne’s Cup triumph run.

E

ight African stars are celebrating 2019 French Cup success with Rennes after the club stunned Paris StGermain to win the final on Saturday.

Hamari Traore (Mali), Abdoulaye Diallo, M’baye Niang and Ismaila Sarr (Senegal), Edson Mexer (Mozambique), Ramy Bensebaini and Mehdi Zeffane (Algeria) and Souleyman Doumbia (Ivory Coast) all played a part in the

Traore, Niang, Sarr, Bensebaini and Mexer starred as Rennes edged their illustrious rivals 6-5 on penalties to win their first French Cup since 1971.

“To win your first professional trophy against PSG at the Stade de France is a dream come true,” Mali star Traore told BBC Sport.

“It’s unbelievable, but we deserve this after all the hard work and dedication from everyone connected to Stade Rennes.”

Neville:Liverpool, City form make the rest of the top six look stupid n what has become one of the best Premier League title races in years, Manchester City and Liverpool have each I been on an impressive run of form.

Manchester City have won their last 11 matches in the league, while Liverpool have won their last seven.

Speaking on Sky Sports, pundit Gary Neville has called their form ‘absolutely ridiculous,’ and it’s making the rest of the top six look ‘a little stupid.’

‘The top two are making them look a little stupid, they’re 20 points in front of them,’ said Neville.

‘What the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth teams are doing is, they’ve probably got a decent points tally in any other season.

But the top two are so consistent they’re making the others look ridiculous.’

When asked about the race for the title, Neville said: ‘I just can’t believe we’re not doing to see a mistake. They’d have to win 14 games on the bounce. I can’t believe it, it’s absolutely ridiculous.

is good for Africa because it shows that we have players for the future,” the former Nigeria international said.

This was Guinea’s best showing at the continent’s U17 showpiece event, finishing as runners-up for the first time. Guinea will join Cameroon and the losing semi-finalists Nigeria and Angola at this year’s U-17 World Cup in Brazil.

Nigerian Breweries throws weight behind Okpekpe race again igerian Breweries Plc N has once again thrown its weight behind the

Okpekpe international 10km road race.

Last year the company joined the cast of corporate organisations who made history with the race as the first ever and only IAAF silver label road running event to hold in Nigeria nay West Africa.

‘This year,Nigerian Breweries Plc has elected to continue to partner with us as a friend of the race,’says Zack

Amodu,the race’s director of organisation.

‘The largest and biggest brewing firm in Nigeria wants to continue to be a part of history as we strive to bring the first IAAF gold label race to Nigeria and West Africa as well as the second in the entire continent of Africa after the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in South Africa’,further said Amodu who confirmed Nigerian Breweries Plc will support the race with cash and some of their products.

‘Nigerian Breweries is a major player in sports sponsorship and promotion in Nigeria.We are indeed thrilled that such a socially responsible corporate organization has thrown its weight behind us for the second year running.This is a testimony to the growing popularity of the Okpekpe race.

In 2015 Okpekpe 10km road race became the first road race in Nigeria nay West Africa to be granted an IAAF label status which means the

race is regarded as one of the world’s leading road running events.

‘A label certifies the global sporting significance of the race, the organisational quality and the compliance with relevant IAAF competition rules,’explains Amodu who restated the organisers resolve to use a gold label template to organise this year’s event next month in rustic and hilly town of Okpekpe in Etsako East local government area of Edo state.

C M Y K

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 — 45

46—Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 —47

Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

Sudoku TODAY’S PUZZLE

QUICK CROSSWORD FRIDAY’S ANSWER

How to Play Sudoku

TODAY’S CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1 Tongue (8) 6 Rotter (3) 9 Enticed (5) 10 Small waves (7) 11 Car frame (7) 13 Possessed (5) 14 Shout loudly (6) 15 Vest desert of North Africa (6) 18 Religious observ-

THURSDAY’S SOLUTION

ances (5) 20 Chic (7) 21 Make better (7) 22 Strap (5) 23 Utter (3) 24 Ponder (4,4) DOWN 2 Letters sent by plane (7) 3 Deity (3)

4 Horizontally (6) 5 Spying (9) 6 Punctuation mark (5) 7 Handicap (12) 8 Bramble fruit (12) 12 Blizzard (9) 16 Fashionable (1,2,4) 17 Expose (6 19 Slightly drunk (5) 22 Excessively (3)

Place 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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