Fuel scarcity ends in 2 weeks, Kachikwu recants

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 62905

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N200

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

INEC releases more results of Rivers re-run >>12 elections

Tension as Cameroon annexes 16 Nigerian >>42 & 43 communities

Fuel scarcity ends in 2 weeks, Kachikwu recants

I'm sorry, he begs Nigerians Says resuscitation of refineries only solution A

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

BUJA — MINISTER of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, yesterday, said the ongoing fuel scarcity in the country would permanently come to an end by the second week of April.

He also apologised for his comments on the unsavoury situation. His Continues on Page 5

Fresh uncertainty over 2016 budget 9 Mr & Mrs COLLOQUIUM: From left, National Leader of All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and President Muhammadu Buhari arriving for the 8th Bola Tinubu Colloquium at the African Hall, International Conference Centre, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida. More pix on Page 36.

COLUMNISTS: NGO builds 3-bedroom bungalow for 135-year-old man in Ebonyi See Inside C M Y K

To end corruption in Nigeria, Dad cheated and end nepotism lied it was mum •P.17

•P.40

Kachikwu’s verbal gaffe •P.19

‘The Horror! The Horror!’ till the Rivers of blood all run dry •P.19

2 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 — 3

4 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016—5

POCKET CARTOON MEETING:

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu (right) and Group Executive Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ventures, Babatunde Adeniran, during a meeting with Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream on the lingering fuel scarcity in the country, at the National Assembly, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

Fuel scarcity ends in 2 weeks —Kachikwu Continues from Page 1 words: “I share the pains of Nigerians, I feel that pain everyday when I walk the streets: on Easter day, I was in Lagos monitoring fuel distribution and the depots, I had given 24 hours attention to the problems.

"I have continued to work with one sole purpose, which is that every problem must have a solution and I think that is the reason I was picked.

"I do apologise for the comment that I made jocularly with my friends in the press about being a magician and it offended Nigerians; it was not meant to be, it was a side jocular issue. I did go on to explain what needed to be done, I did not know that it would create the kind of hyperbole (exaggeration) that it did.

"Let me first admit that I am not a typically experienced politician, I am a technocrat: I come to work.

“Some of the

phraseologies that I may use, while being acceptable in the arena in which I play, obviously will not be acceptable in the public political arena. So, if any body’s sensibilities were offended by those, I totally apologise.”

The minister equally said immediate resuscitation of the nation’s refineries to function to optimal level was one of the panaceas to the fuel scarcity.

This came as he said he had no intention of resigning from his position over last week’s comment that the commodity would remain scarce till May, which attracted criticisms from some All Progressives Congress, APC, stalwarts, with some calling for his resignation.

He, therefore, asked those sponsoring people to Abuja to protest to that effect to save their money for different things useful to their lives.

Kachikwu apologised to Nigerians for his last week’s comment where he had

IT'S UP TO YOU

BY AYO ADIO OUR feelings are always subject to your will.

It doesn’t matter how you feel at the moment, if the will and determination is there, you will achieve your goals.

Y

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

I like kindness. Who doesn’t? Life is definitely too short for being with self centered abusive people —Ellen Greene TAY centered in love. Keep your thoughts and sights on Divine Love, and you’ll notice beauty and attract positive experiences. No matter what, keep faith and embrace an optimistic attitude towards life. Instead of allowing other people to pull you down, stay centered in peace and lift them up with your bright shining light and words.

S

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE You cannot be taller than me and shorter than me.

C M Y K

openly said the ongoing petrol scarcity will continue till May, adding that it was only “magic” that could bring a faster remedy to end the scarcity.

The minister, at a meeting with the Senate Committee on Petroleum, yesterday, insisted that the scarce commodity would be readily available across the country by the second week of April.

I was thoroughly coached on what to say But he openly declared that he was told on what to say when he appeared before the Senate committee, saying what he was reeling out to the committee was what he was asked to say from the coaching, although he did not disclosed those who coached him.

Asked by members of the committee to give dateline on when Nigerians should expect the petroleum products in full, Kachikwu said: “I was thoroughly coached before coming to this meeting. But there is a potential answer to this question. First is a political answer, which says we are doing our very best to go away from this situation but the training in me never attempts to be very exact because I set to goal post.

"All I can say as an amendment to that is that in the month of April, within the first two weeks of April, we would have this issue completely resolved and you will not have this problem anymore.

"I am working very hard to make it the first week in April, it’s not going to happen in March and all am doing right now is logistics arrangements to try and cushion the pains as much as I can and Nigerians can help me by not double

buying.

“But, once we begin to get into the 5th, 6th of April, you will see a dramatic change in all this.

Sometimes it is difficult to change your skin at an old age. So I tend to tell the truth the way it is even if I get into trouble in the cause of doing them.

“But the reality, distinguished senators, is that we are doing everything humanly possible, nothing is out of the table, no solution is thrown into the trash bin and we have got to a point where we can confidently say we are bound to see the last days of some of these occurrences in our history."

Resuscitation of refineries only solution to scarcity He added that while the scarcity of the commodity may end by April, Nigerians may have to wait till May for what he called “major revolution” in the availability of the fuel.

While assuring that fuel queues will disappear across the country within the stipulated period, Kachikwu said 90 per cent of Nigerian depots were not functional, a situation he explained, was aggravating the fuel scarcity.

“Refineries in Nigeria are old and dilapidated but with appropriate funds and retooling, they will be revived to full capacity. It is one of the solutions to the problem at hand,“ he noted.

He proffered another solution thus: ”The ultimate solution is the computerisation of the structure where every product that goes into the depots is tracked when it is loaded, it is tracked

when it gets to the filling station, and then vehicles in this country must carry scanners and trackers. Once you do that, it will record where a truck landed ultimately and we are working on those solutions.

"We have finished the first, where we can track our products from the depots in Lagos into the depots in states. What we have left not done is begin to track from the depots straight into the filling stations and we are working on that and hopefully, in the next couple of months, we should get to that point and once you do that, then you can actually leave a very serious sanctions on those who are actually getting themselves involved in diverting products.

"Most fuel products come into Nigeria from Europe and it takes 14 days for fuel to land here,” he said, adding that the government intended to solve the situation by engaging consultants to manage the depots across the country."

N600bn subsidy arrears The minister disclosed that advertisement to engage the consultants for management of the depots would start soon, regretting that despite the fact that Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, had since doubled its usual supply to Abuja, scarcity remained.

He also disclosed that the Federal Government had since paid N600 billion subsidy bill it inherited from the previous administration.

He said: "When we came in August, this country had arrears of unpaid subsidy bills that were in excess of close to N600 billion which have not been paid for over a year and so, progressively over a period of 6,7,8 months, we paid this."

N1trn to be saved from subsidy

removal yearly He said the country had so far saved over N1 trillion from the removal of subsidy.

He said: “One of the things I started doing on assumption of office was how to ensure supply of petroleum products without the need for subsidy regime.

"I am glad that as at January 1 this year, the country is no longer paying subsidy and is saving us a cumulation of over a trillion naira in one year period but that was the first major issue."

On privatisation of oil sector Speaking on privatisation of the oil sector, the minister said: "Privatistion in this sector will help and I don’t think His Excellency is opposed to that.

"What he is worried about is the absence of infrastructure in place. This cannot happen unless some of the structural deficits that we have in our operations are corrected, unless the nuances of fraud are wiped out of the system, it doesn’t matter who does it, we are still going to back to square one.

"So, what else for the refineries, what else for the depots. I am not averse to private capital, private participation but clean the debt which is what we are doing.

"So, ultimately, that is where we should be headed and if you look at what we have done with the price modulation which is an indirect privatisation module for trying to determine pricing and last month we actually went down on pricing.

"This quarter, we are going to remain stable on the same pricing but as the crude prices move on, we are going to begin to have reactions to those modulations because ultimately you will never be able to repair the refineries and you now look to have investments in the depots."

6 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY MARCH 30 , 2016

76-yr-old land speculator accused of defrauding women of N8m

By Onozure Dania

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AGOS—A 76-year-old man, John Orimogunje, who allegedly presented himself as a land speculator and obtained the sum of N8 million from two women, was yesterday arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court in Lagos.

The septuagenarian, whose address was not given is facing a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, false representation, obtaining, stealing and insurance of dud cheques preferred against him by the Police.

The prosecutor, Inspector Haruna Ibrahim, told the court that the defendant and others, who are still at large, committed the alleged offences between January and August 2014.

He said that the defendant sometime in January 2014, at Ikota Shopping Complex Victoria Garden City Lekki, obtained the said sum from one Mrs Ejiro Imafidon and Mrs Emili Iwere, after falsely presenting himself as a land speculator to the complainants.

Ibrahim, also alleged that the defendant at the same place on June 30, 2014, issued Skye Bank Plc postdated cheque in the sum of N3 million. In the name of Mrs Emilia Iwere as payment for the said money he was owing her, adding that when the cheque was presented for payment, it was rejected due to insufficient funds in his account.

Indonesia solo exhibition holds

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By Josephine Agbonkhese

N an attempt to develop Nigeria’s non-oil sector, at least 36 Indonesian companies from within and outside Nigeria will feature at the maiden edition of the Indonesia Solo Exhibition billed to take place in Lagos from 5th-7th April, 2016.

The three-day event organized by the Indonesian Trade Promotion Centre, ITPC, Lagos, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, Abuja, is being supported by the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia.

According to the Director, Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, ITPC, Nino Wawan Setiawan, the purpose of the exhibition is to draw Indonesian industrialists to Nigeria by reshaping their perception about the nation.

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LAGOS AT 50: Group defends Soyinka’s choice as committee chair ...Say agitators seeking cheap publicity

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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AGOS—A group, the Coalition of IBILE Professionals, yesterday, came out strongly to defend the choice of Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka as co-chair of the Lagos at 50 Celebration Committee.

According to a statement by its General Secretary, Alhaji Wasiu Hassan, the group described members of Eko Foundation as rabble-rousers and noise makers seeking cheap publicity and relevance.

Alhaji Hassan stated that Lagos state is made up of five divisions namely Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos Island and Epe, adding that all the divisions are relevant to the progress of the state.

He condemned insinuation that indigenes had been marginalized just because some Eko Foundation members, who are exclusively from the Lagos Island division, have lost out in the search for appointment.

He said that the Lagos Island division enjoyed the seat of power in Lagos for the last eight years as against other divisions, and that the Coalition of Ibile Professionals will resist any

campaign of calumny against Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, who he said has been successfully balancing the state affairs and appointments to the excitement of all divisions of the state.

Alhaji Hassan vowed that members of Coalition of Ibile Professionals shall not fold their

arms and allow the so-called indigenes with foreign names to usurp stable and peaceful coexistence in the state.

“We should be grateful for having Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi and Professor Wole Soyinka appointed by a Governor who has recognized their

qualities to add glamour and depth to an international event for celebration of a cosmopolitan city like Lagos.

“Eko Foundation should purge themselves of their base and narrow sentiments if they expect to be taken seriously.

Enough is enough.”

MEMORIAL: From left; Justice Chima Nweze, Guest Lecturer; Prof. Itse Sagay, SAN, representing Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Prof Amos Utuama, former Deputy Governor of Delta State, during the 10th Memorial Anniversary and book presentation in honour of Late Prof Jelili Adebisi Omotola, SAN, former Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

BOAT-MISHAP VICTIMS: Ambode launches foundation, recalls old times

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AGOS State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday, urged Nigerians to strive hard to keep alive the memory of those who died for democratic governance to thrive in the country, just as he reiterated the commitment of his administration to growth and development of the state.

Governor Ambode, who spoke in Epe at the launch of AMBSAM Memorial Foundation, said the heroes of democracy must be celebrated always, and that all hands must be on deck to support their families both financially and morally.

AMBSAM Memorial Foundation was put together in honour of five persons, who died in a boat mishap, which occurred on March 28, 2015 in Epe area of Lagos State.

The victims met their tragic death while on an assignment to monitor the 2015 Presidential and National Assembly election exercises conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. The victims of the ill-fated mishap include late Adewale Olakunle, Mogaji Gbolahan, Bello Muiz, Salau Tunde, Agoro Shamuseen and Mogaji Wale.

Governor Ambode, who recalled his last moments with some of the victims, said some of them encouraged him to contest for the governorship election in the state.

The Governor said; “Just like this sunny afternoon, I was seated in my compound for which just about

two hours earlier, some of the people we are celebrating today were actually with me and they were asking for words of encouragement and I remember that they said they were doing it for the upliftment of the Epe division.

“I did encourage them that time and I said by the time they are back, I would have lunch with them. I did not know that was the last time I will hear from them.

“A year after, I stand before you

on their behalf to say that whatever it is that I am doing today is because of them. I want to say exactly that almost two years back, they were the first set of people that I really sat down with that I was interested in doing what I am doing today and I remember that was in my office in Victoria Island and I remember that they gave me words of encouragement that I should proceed. And for doing this for me, I believe strongly

that there is no way I want to pay them back than to support their families and work hard for a greater Lagos because they died for our sake and they will never die in vain,” Ambode said.

Earlier, Coordinator of the Foundation, Otunba Tunji Abass thanked Governor Ambode for his passion for the underprivileged, saying the presence of the governor at the launch was an eloquent testimony of his love for the people.

Court adjourns N800m trespass suit against cleric

By Innocent Anaba

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Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere has adjourned till April 7, to hear the N800 million suit slammed against popular Lagos cleric, Paul Adefarasin and his church, House on the Rock by a businessman, Gerald Chukwueke.

Chukwueke and four others through their counsel, Moyo Onigbanjo, SAN, are demanding the sum as damages against Adefarasin and his church for allegedly trespassing on their land located in Lekki, Lagos.

Trial judge is Justice Adebisi Akinlade.

Other claimants are Chinelo Chukwueke, Mrs Martha Chukwueke, Germaine Logistics Ltd & Germaine Auto Centre Limited.

At the last court sitting, Justice

Akinlade had restrained the defendants, including the Incorporated Trustees of the Rock Foundation, the Registrar of Titles, Lagos State Land Registry and the Attorney General of Lagos State from further trespassing on the land.

The court restrained the defendants, agents or privies from demolishing or removing any structure whatsoever be they temporary or permanent on the claimants premises located at plots 15, 16, 17 and 18 located at 188 Ikate, Lekki, Lagos.

Task Force recovers fallen N5m from speeding bullion van

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By Bose Adelaja

HE Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit, Task Force, yesterday said it recovered N5 million which fell off a bullion van along Lagos State House of Assembly Complex, Alausa, Ikeja.

In a statement signed by the Public Affairs Officer Adebayo Taofik; ‘’The money was recovered in the last quarter of 2015 by two

Police Officers attached to the Agency: Sergeant Ogunbiyi Agbabu and Inspector Eheziekia Abiona, but nobody came forth with proof of ownership and the agency decided to make the finding public yesterday.

According to the statement; ‘’The officers were at the Agency’s headquarters when the bullion van drove past them and a heavy object fell from it which was later discovered to be N5 million.''

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 — 7

Tension as Ekiti govt alleges arrest of 11 lawmakers, others I'm not aware — TKO ALUKO

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

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ENSION has gripped Ekiti state, as armed policemen from Abuja last night invaded the State to arrest Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, leaders, top government officials and 11 members of the State House of Assembly with the allegation of stockpiling arms during the June 21, 2014 governorship election.

The policemen were led by one CSP Mohammed Abubakar of the Force Criminal Investigation Department, CID, Abuja.

Governor Ayodele Fayose’s Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, who made this known in a statement, said the new plot was an aftermath of the failure of the Department of State Services, DSS, to achieve the plot of coercing the House of Assembly members to impeach governor Fayose.

The government said the indiscriminate arrest, which began last night made the policemen to arrive Ado Ekiti, the State capital with Mr TKO Aluko and APC Chairman, Jide Awe earlier in the day.

“We are aware of the arrival of policemen from Abuja to Ekiti State with the intention of arresting 11 members of the House of Assembly, two PDP leaders per local government and some other top officials of the government.

“Ridiculously, the offence for

which the policemen are to embark on this indiscriminate arrest is owing to TKO Aluko malicious outburst that those listed for arrest stockpiled arms during the governorship election conducted in Ekiti close to two years ago.

“This plot is in furtherance of the APC plot to destabilize the government of Ekiti State just because of Governor Fayose’s hard stance on President Mohammadu Buhari’s APC government policies.

“The question is, what was the arms they claimed were stockpiled used for? Was anyone killed or attacked during the election?

“And why is the Police not

arresting the APC Chairman, Jide Awe who is wanted for alleged murder and TKO Aluko, who was declared wanted by the court for perjury, and instead providing security cover for them?

“We therefore which to alert Nigerians on this new plot and state that Ekiti people will resist any attempt to use the Police to harass innocent citizens of the State.

“Democratically, we are entitled to our views on any issue in Nigeria and we won’t succumb to intimidation and harassment from any agency of the Federal government.”

Several attempts made to reach the All Progressives Congress, APC, through its spokesperson,

Mr Taiwo Olatunbosun, were unsuccessful as he did not pick his calls.

However, the former Secretary of the Peoples’ Democratic Party in Ekiti State, Dr Tope Aluko has denied the knowledge of arrest of any PDP chieftain in the state.

He told Vanguard that he did not arrive the state with any contingent of policemen from Abuja as against the insinuation making the rounds that he was pointing out PDP members for arrest.

“As I speak with you now, I just arrived my house, I’m yet to open my door, I’m not aware of any arrest and I don’t know the where about of the Chief jide Awe, the APC chairman in Ekiti State.

INAUGURATION From left: Representative of the Minister for Health, Prof Temitope Alonge; VC, University of Ibadan, Prof Idowu Olayinka; MD, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd, NLNG, Mr Baba Omotowa; Deputy Governor, Oyo State, Chief Alake Adeyemo; at the inauguration of NLNG-UI Automation laboratory in Ibadan, yesterday. Photo by Dare Fasube.

Don't devalue Naira, Anyaoku tells Buhari

By Ola Ajayi

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BADAN—FORMER Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku has advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to shift on his stance against devaluation of the Naira, noting that he should seek the expertise of a team economic analysts on the nation’s economic crisis.

This came just as he lamented that the government always expended more than half of its budget on a nonproductive sector of the economy.

He said these in Ibadan yesterday at the presentation of the memoir of Ambassador Olu Sanusi.

The memoir which was entitled, “Audacity on the bound; a diplomatic odyssey” was well attended by eminent Nigerians.

Anyaokwu, who was the chairman of the occasion said, “A case has not been C M Y K

convincingly made that the devaluation of our naira in our present circumstance will truly serve Nigeria’s national interest. President Muhammadu Buhari should, in my view, stick to his anti-devaluation position but he should also urgently appoint a team of knowledgeable expert economists to advise him on how to approach Nigeria’s current economic crisis” .

Among those who attended an epoch-making event include a former head of state, Gen. Yakubu Gown, Gen Oluwole Rotimi (rtd), Dr Omololu Olunloyo, former Governor of Oyo State, Bashorun Kola Daisi, an industrialist, Chief Bayo Akande, Chief Nike Akande and Pastor Olubi Johnson .

Also in attendance were a renowned economist, Philip Asiodu, Dr Lekan Are, Ambassador Akporode Clark, Dr. Kase Lawal and traditional rulers including the Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Saliu Adetunji,

Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, Emir

of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, who was

1st female SAN, Solanke turns 84, tasks Nigerians on reading culture

By Dotun Ibiwoye

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IRST female Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Chief ‘Folake Solanke, yesterday turned 84 years old and has harped on the need for Nigerians to imbibe reading culture and conduct researches.

Solanke also urged the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, to tackle the professional lapses confronting the performance of lawyers in the discharge of criminal justice system in Nigeria.

She also spoke of the need to engage lawyer in continuing legal and professional education in order to enhance their performance.

She spoke at the

presentation of the book: “Oral & Written Advocacy: Law & Practice Traditional and Modern Trends in Advocacy” written by her and Professor Fabian Ajogwu, SAN, in Lagos.

According to the Solanke, in the pursuit of superior advocacy, lawyers must pay attention to being learned to know the law and they must also pay attention to their appearance and language.

Dignitaries at the event include the first lady of Ogun state, Mrs Olufunso Amosun, D-G, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo, Prof Pat Utomi, Mr Femi Falana, Amb Dupe Akintola Finni and others.

represented by Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed among

Abuja court asked to sack Ogun PDP leaders

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

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BUJA—TWO chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Moyo Agoro and Alhaji Taofeek Oshundara, have approached the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, asking it to sack the leadership of the party in Ogun State.

The plaintiffs, through their suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/185/ 2016, contended that the tenure of Executives of the party in the state had since elapsed.

They prayed the court to hold that the continued stay of the Ogun State PDP Excos in office, is illegal and a gross violation of the Constitution of the party.

Aside PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, other defendants in the suit are Chief Adebayo Dayo and Alhaji Semiu Sodipo, who were sued for themselves and on behalf of Ogun State Working Committee of the PDP. The litigants maintained that since the tenure of the executives has expired, it was wrong for both the national leadership of the party and INEC to still accord them recognition.

Consequently, the plaintiffs, through their lawyer, Mr. Ehi Uwuaifoh, prayed the court to determine whether by virtue of Section 47 (1) Chapter 6 of the PDP constitution, the tenure of the Chief Adebayo Dayo-led State Working Committee and State Executive Committee of the Ogun State PDP which was elected and inaugurated on February 28, 2012, has not expired by effluxion of time.

8—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

Buhari jets out to US for 4th Nuclear Security Summit ...Tells South Sudan to look beyond oil, invest in agriculture

US calls for flexible naira exchange rate policy

By Babajide Komolafe, with agency report

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HE UNITED States, yesterday, said that the Federal Government should implement a flexible exchange rate policy that ensures a more

realistic value of the naira, adding that the current exchange rate policy involving foreign exchange restrictions hinders the domestic economy.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Linda ThomasGreenfield, told an audience at the U.S. Institute of Peace that

Nigeria should ensure that the value of the naira versus the U.S. dollar was “more realistic.

“While most people complain about the possibility of there being a devaluation, people are already operating on a devalued currency, and the only people who are not, are people who are doing it

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

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B U J A — PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari will today depart Abuja for Washington DC, capital of the United States of America for the 4th Nuclear Security Summit.

This came on a day the President advised the South Sudanese government to look beyond oil and invest more in agriculture to grow the nation’s economy.

The President is expected to join President Barack Obama and about 60 other world leaders and heads of international organisations for the summit.

President Buhari would be accompanied on the journey by the Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd) and the Director-General of Nigeria’s Nuclear Regulatory Agency, Professor Lawrence Anikwe Dim. A statement by the Presidential spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina stated that “at plenary of the summit, which is dedicated to reinforcing international commitment to the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, President Buhari will insist that while Nigeria will continue to sustain that commitment, world powers must respect the right of other countries to the peaceful use of nuclear energy for development purposes.’’

According to him, the President will also “reaffirm Nigeria’s stance that international efforts to ensure greater security of nuclear materials should maintain a balance between nuclear non-proliferation obligations and the indisputable right of Nigeria and other countries to harness nuclear energy and technology for socioeconomic development.”

LECTURE: From left, Mr. Fred Agbeyegbe, Executive Chairman, 3 Stars Forte Link Limited; Prof. Pat Utomi, Guest Lecturer; Prof. Duro Oni, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, Universty of Lagos; Mr. Willie Johnson -Panelists, during the inagural lecture by 3 Stars Forte Link, entiltled, 'The Youth- Creativity and Role-mdeling as Building Blocks for Educational and Economic Infastructure Development, at Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos, Monday. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi

officially.”

“Our recommendation is, and we will have discussions about it ... that they should look at the exchange rate and try to make the it more realistic to what the value of the naira is to the dollar,” Thomas-Greenfield said..

She spoke before talks in Washington to be launched by Secretary of State, John Kerry, on Wednesday and which will focus on Nigeria’s economy, security and development.

Nigeria faces its worst economic crisis in decades as the falling price of oil had slashed revenues, prompting the Central Bank to peg the currency and introduce curbs to protect foreign exchange reserves, which have fallen to an 11-year low.

Some members of Nigeria’s Central Bank monetary policy committee have said the naira should be devalued.

Thomas-Greenfield said the parallel currency market in Nigeria was “alive and well,” warning that a rigid exchange rate, capital controls and import bans could undermine President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts to expand economic growth and fight corruption.

Buhari has rejected the idea of devaluing the naira.

10,000 N/East hunters gather, seek clearance to fight Boko Haram in Sambisa Forest A N ESTIMATED 10,000 local hunters from the North-East of Nigeria gathered recently in Adamawa State for their annual oath-taking festival, known as Salala in the local parlance.

The hunters, dressed in their warfare attires, and with their dane guns dangling over their shoulders, vowed to rid the society of criminals.

They appealed to the government to make use of their members in the fight against terrorism and other social vices.

The leader of the hunters in Adamawa, Muhammad Tola, who claimed the hunters had so far played significant roles in the fight against Boko Haram, said hunters were familiar with the terrain in dreaded forests, like the

Sambisa Forest.

“We are ready to pursue the terrorists because we know the terrain very well. We are appealing to the military authorities to allow us join the fight against Boko Haram at the Sambisa Forest,” Tola said.

Mr. Tola said the hunters needed the government to assist them with ammunition,

transportation and logistics.

He said the government could also enlist young hunters who were willing to join the army, police, and other security agencies.

“We remain one big family devoid of religious or tribal sentiments, that is why you can see over 10,000 hunters from Taraba, Gombe, Bauchi, Borno,

Yoba and Adamawa converged for this epoch-making event,” Mr. Tola said.

Female hunters also participated in the Salala festival.

The leader of the female hunters, Aisha Bakari Gombi, said securing the society was a fight for everyone, irrespective of gender.

Prepare for hot days, warm nights, NIMET warns Nigerians

By Favour Nnabugwu

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HE NIGERIAN Meteorological Agency, NIMET, has warned Nigerians to brace up for more hot days, warm nights and heat waves

across the country.

The agency in a statement signed by the Head of its Public Relations Unit, Eva Azinge, noted that with much of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the current warming would continue

beyond 2100, even when the emission of greenhouse gases was reduced.

“We must, therefore, prepare for a future with more hot days, warm nights and heat waves because of past and present emissions.

Power: Nigeria needs $40bn to attain 20,000mw by 2020 —ANED

By Chris Ochayi

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B U J A — STAKEHOLDERS in the electricity distribution chain, yesterday, declared that the country required $40 billion to attain the target of 20,000 mega watts of electricity generation by 2020.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja, spokesman of the

Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, ANED, Sunday Oduntan, however, said integrated resource planning must be applied if the nation should embark on the 20,000 MW vision.

Oduntan noted that this new approach would involve detailed planning of all resources needed for the project, including its precedents and dependencies.

He said: “All project capital and deployment tasks must be planned in an integrated way,” noting the “project completion dates must be realistic and completed around the same time in order to avoid a situation such as the one we have with NIPP plants - constructed, but without sufficient fuel supply, fuel infrastructure, or evacuation capacity.”

Oduntan, who gave the breakdown of quantum of capital required for the 20,000 MW system, said under the generation capex, the recondition equipment (Genco) will gulp $1 billion, recondition equipment (NIPP), $1 billion, new construction (10,000 MW), $12 billion, New Gas Pipelines, $2 billion and buy-out NIPP Capital, $6 billion, respectively

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016—9

Fresh uncertainty over 2016 Budget As

Presidency gets budget bill without details We sent the bill with details —APC Senator It's mere speculation —PDP Minority Leader

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor & Linus Nwabughiogu

Face-off looms

Vanguard gathered that the development was fast prompting a face-off and crisis of confidence between the Presidency and National Assembly which may delay the passage of the budget to the detriment of Nigerians.

Efforts to contact spokesmen of the President, Messrs Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu, for confirmation last night proved abortive as they could not be reached on phone. Text messages sent to their mobile phones were also unreplied.

However, a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim (APC, Kwara South), said yesterday that full details of the passed 2016 Appropriation Bill were with President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.

In a text message to Vanguard last night, Senator Ibrahim who is also Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, said the bill was at the moment going through a process.

By Ben Agande

A

A

BUJA—ANOTHER cloud of uncertainty is hanging over the 2016 Budget estimates approved by the National Assembly last Thursday as the Appropriation Bill may not be signed into law for full implementation any time soon.

Instead, there may ensue a showdown between the Presidency and the National Assembly on the budget.

Investigations by Vanguard had revealed that the lawmakers may have played a fast one on the Presidency by transmitting only the highlights of the budget and kept the details in their custody.

Release of the budget highlights without details makes it difficult for President Muhammadu Buhari to know what adjustments were made by the lawmakers.

To this end, it was learned that the President and his ministers, who investigations revealed, were eager to sign and begin implementation, are now boxed into a corner.

Investigations further revealed the Budget Office, which also needs the details to work with, is handicapped at the moment.

This gives an impression that it was either the budget was not well tidied up or that by approving the estimates three months after it was laid, the National Assembly had left itself off the worry of Nigerians and now passed the buck to the President, who is not likely to sign the bill into law until the details were made available to him.

PDP BOT insists Sheriff must leave

VISIT: From left, Director, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Amin Bello; Technical Assistant, MAN, Mr. Irokalibe; Director, MAN, Mr. Olanipekun; Director, British-American Tobacco, Chinwe Uzu; Chairman, MAN Export Promotion Group, MANEG, Tunde Oyelola; Hon. Minister of State, on Industry, Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar; Corporate Affairs Director, FrieslandCampina WAMCO, Ore Famurewa; CEO Sapele Integrated Industry, Ede Dafinone; a director in the Ministry, and Mike Onuoha of Guinness Nigeria Plc, on a courtesy visit of MANEG delegates to the minister. had not been fully briefed on His words: “There is nothing the budget office.

“We presented that these are the issue, that if it was true, like the President refusing assent to the Appropriation the shortfalls from personnel then the President was right.

Bill. We worked closely with and other overhead cost which the executive in passing the we believe should be taken It's mere speculation bill. We are aware it is going care of. So, because this —Minority through the normal process budget is full of controversies, Leader, Leo Ogor before the President assents. we didn’t want to add more Ogor, who represents Isoko “If anybody tells you that the controversies and if we added Federal Constituency in his President refuses to assent, let more controversy, the report reaction, said it was virtually the person tell you the reason. wouldn’t have been submitted impossible to send the The Appropriation Bill is today and the National Appropriation Bill to President already with the Executive Assembly would be blamed for Muhammadu Buhari without delaying this budget. That is details, noting that it was with full details.” why we did everything contrary to the convention of possible to ensure that we beat the National Assembly.

Slashed budget It will be recalled that the the deadline in bringing it He said: “I want to believe National Assembly, upon the today.’’ that it is mere speculation that But members of the House of we sent such a sensitive bill passage of the budget, slashed the estimate from the Representatives, yesterday, to Mr. President without the original N6.08 trillion to N6.06 shared divergent views on the necessary details.

President’s alleged refusal to trillion.

“What we sent was a detailed However, while presenting sign the 2016 Appropriation budget that will make the the report on the budget at the Bill sent by the National President congratulate us for plenary for consideration in Assembly last week. a job well done and that it is While some of the lawmakers not possible for us to do such the Senate, Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, argued that it was not possible a thing, such an action is Senator Danjuma Goje, had to send an empty budget contrary to Section 59 of the noted that the budget was proposal to the President, 1999 Constitution as amended filled with controversies, and others argued that though they and is against our convention.” many lapses.

He added that if the Senate had insisted on clearing up the lapses, the committee would not have been able to meet up with the deadline of submission.

The Senate said its approval Eulogizing him, president of the 2016 fiscal document

By Levinus Buhari said the former governor was due to its satisfaction that Nwabughiogu had shown commitment and zeal the country would benefit if it BUJA—AWARE of the to Nigeria’s growth. was passed into law. present harsh economic He had said: “This budget He stated that the government is full of controversies and we realities, President Muhammadu would continue to invest in did not want to have more Buhari, yesterday, said his human capital development. controversies or else it won’t government was taking “There are very few patriots have been presented today pragmatic steps to cushion the alive today that can match the and the National Assembly effects on Nigerians, assuring commitment, zeal, creativity that would be blamed. The people that there were better days ahead. Bola Tinubu has demonstrated in would not understand it He also said his government his contribution to national because people are even was creating the necessary growth. saying that we are playing infrastructure to make agriculture “In the coming months, politics. attractive to foreign investors.

Nigerians will see much more “This budget exercise was a The President, who chaired the actions. Government will continue follow-up negotiation, going forward and back. When the 8th Annual Bola Tinubu to invest substantially in human budget was presented as Colloquium, at the International capital development and this is attested by many committees, Conference Centre, ICC, Abuja just the beginning.

“We are going to hold ourselves there were strategies spoke on the theme of the Colloquium: Agriculture: Action, accountable.

We will measure discovered that couldn’t close results. There will always be some the personnel cost in various work, revolution.

Tinubu, a former governor of scepticism, some have even committees and these were Lagos State and national leader become disorientated and highlighted by various committees and the total of the ruling All Progressives impatient enough to think that amount involved was Congress, APC, clocked 64 years barriers are insurmountable. presented to the executive and held the event to mark his "Any one who claims great during our interaction with birthday. change is impossible can only

BUJA—THE BOARD of Trustees, BoT, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday insisted that the national chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, and members of the National Working Committee, NWC, must leave office in May as approved by the various organs of the party.

The insistence by the party’s BOT is coming on the heels of calls by some state chapters of the party that the position of the chairman of the party be retained in the northern part of the country in order to give the party a national spread.

Some members of the party have also been mooting the idea that Senator Ali Modu Sheriff should stay beyond the three months mandate given to him by the party’s National Executive Council in order to stabilize the party.

Although the party ’s National Executive Council NEC, had asked the Sheriff-led NWC to enpanel convention, financial, zoning and reconciliation committees ahead of the May 21 National Convention of the party to be held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, not much had been done to constitute these committees.

We’ll create infrastructure to make agric attractive to investors —Buhari ...eulogizes Tinubu at 64

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look as an ordinary success,” he said.

Apparently gauging the enormity of work to be done to better the lots of Nigerians, President Buhari urged all hands to be on deck.

“I am declaring that we need a new approach that challenges more states and local governments, more organisations, companies and non-governmental organisations and individuals, some of the younger people, who are here to step up and play a role because government cannot and should not do it alone. All hands should be on deck,” he said.

The president, who commended the organizers of the Bola Tinubu Colloquium for the choice of the theme of the event on agriculture, stated that the intention of the government was to create enabling environment that would bring viability on the economic potentials of the private sector.

10—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

Labourer rapes 16-yr-old daughter

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magistrate’s court sitting in Kano, yesterday, remanded a 55year-old labourer, Mu’azu Abdullahi, in prison custody for allegedly raping his 16year-old daughter.

The accused, who lives at Kabuga Quarters, Kano, is facing charges of rape and incest.

The prosecutor, Sergeant Haziel Ledafowa, told the court that one Sadiya Mu’azu of the same address reported the case to NAPTIP office in Kano State on March 15.

Ledafowa said that about four months ago the accused forcefully had sexual intercourse with his 16-yearold biological daughter, which caused the victim harm.

He pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge.

The Presiding Judge, Senior Magistrate Hassan Ahmed, ordered the accused to be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case till April 18 for further mention.

The offence contravenes Sections 283 and 390 of the Penal Code.

Cult clashes claim 5 in Imo

By Chidi Nkwopara

O

WERRI—THERE are fears that about five persons may have died Monday night, in an intercommunal clash between Mgbolo Okuku and Obogwu communities in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State.

Apart from the alleged loss of lives, Vanguard also gathered that several houses have either been burnt, vandalised or completely looted.

A villager said: “An Obogwu boy was allegedly killed by unidentified cultists. The youths from Obogwu village, rightly or wrongly, alleged that the deceased was killed by boys from Mgbolo Okuku.

“Angry youths from Obogwu village moved the lifeless body of the boy to Mgbolo Okuku community and started burning, destroying houses and looting properties.”

Reports reaching Vanguard at press time had it that the security personnel had stabilised the situation.

Kidnapped Colonel, Inusa, found dead C

OLONEL Samaila Inusa, who was kidnapped on Sunday in Kaduna, was found dead at 6p.m., yesterday, around Ajyaifa village in Kaduna.

Late Colonel Inusa was kidnapped by his abductors in the presence of his wife and children on their way from an outing. The abductors abandoned his wife and took him away.

Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, who announced the discovery of his body in a statement last night, said the remains were found decomposing, an indication that he was killed the day he was kidnapped.

The statement read: “Nigerian Army wishes to regrettably inform the public that Colonel Samaila Inusa, who was kidnapped on Sunday March 27, was found

dead today (yesterday) at about 6p.m.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that most likely the late senior officer was killed same day he was kidnapped.

“This is because the body was found decomposing around Ajyaita village, off Eastern By-Pass, Kaduna, Kaduna State. Arrangements are in progress to move the body to 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna.

“We wish to state in unmistakeable terms that whoever is behind his abduction and murder would be fished out to face the full wrath of the law.”

It will be recalled that the Army had announced N500,000 reward for information that would lead to the discovery of the kidnapped colonel on the day he was kidnapped. This was raised to N1 million on Monday.

Late Colonel Samaila Inusa

9-yr-old beggar stuns Abuja audience with angelic voice

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NO FUEL: A filling station along Abuja-Keffi Road, Nasarawa State, and customers.

PHOTO: Gbemiga Olamikan.

My wife tears my boxers, rapes me, man tells court “He will always come back to which had produced five beg me to return,” adding that

L

AGOS—”MY wife, Idiat, has turned my boxers to rags as she always tears them to rape me,” a retired soldier, Gafaru Rodoye, told an Igando Customary Court in Lagos, yesterday.

He said: “My wife always rapes me; she had turned all my boxers to rags to achieve her selfish aim.”

The petitioner said that his wife was in the habit of threatening his life through beating and that he was afraid she might kill him one day.

He said: “I had to run away from my 16-flat building to rent an apartment elsewhere just to avoid her frequent beatings, but she trailed me to my new apartment to fight me, adding “I have reported her several times to different police stations, but it did not yield any positive result.”

Gafaru said his wife poured hot water on the new wife brought for him from the village. He begged the court to end their 20-year marriage,

children, that he was no longer in love as his life was in danger.

“My husband runs after anything in skirt”

However, his wife, 44, a businesswoman, denied all the allegations, saying her husband was a womaniser.

She said: “My husband runs after anything in skirt; he always sends me packing from the house whenever he wants to bring in another woman. He once sent me out with the children for three years and married six different women, but none stayed long with him.

she never raped her husband, that it was normal for husband and wife to make love.

Idiat said that her husband removed the plasma television, air conditioner and disconnected the electricity supply from her flat, leaving her and the children in darkness, urging the court to grant her husband’s wish that she too was tired of the marriage and no longer in love.

The Court President, Mr. Adegboyega Omilola, adjourned the case to April 5 for further hearing.

Truck crushes woman in Ekiti

By Rotimi Olaleye

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yet-to-be identified woman was, yesterday, run over by a truck along Housing Road in Ado-Ekiti.

The truck, with number plates ADK 13 XA, and the Ekiti State Tipper Permit details, 2016 EK /ADK 008, was said to have run over the woman at about 7a.m.

She was said to have just boarded a motorbike when the truck hit them, leaving the motorbike rider with injuries.

An eyewitnesses said that the driver of the trailer ran away.

Traffick officials, policemen and men of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps were on ground when newsmen arrived the scene.

nine-year-old beggar, Bello Lawal, on Monday in Abuja, showcased his singing abilities, by performing for drivers and by-standers with his sonorous voice, as a means to raise money for himself and his family.

Lawal, who was accompanied by his elder brother, Shehu, performed on the sidewalks along Ademola Adetokunbo Crescent, Wuse II. Lawal said: “I like to always sing and people always tell me that I can sing well and my voice is very soft and sweet. Last week, I was singing on the road and a woman gave me money because she liked my voice.

“Shehu told me to come and sing on the road today that it might help us get some money and it seems it is helping.”

Asked if he knew that begging is outlawed in the city, Lawal said he was using his talent to fend for himself and his family members.

He said he was prepared to quit the street if anyone promotes his musical talent.

He sang Jesse J’s Price Tag, Justin Bieber’s What do you mean? and an impressive performance of Adele’s Hello.

Kunle Amao, a driver, said: “I am really amazed that this little boy hit every note and tone of Hello perfectly.

He is blessed I must say.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016—11

Newspaper agents attack vendor, destroy Vanguard newspapers

By Esther Onyegbula

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AGOS—A 34-year-old vendor, Ifeanyi Friday, got more than he bargained for on Easter Monday, when six newspaper agents attacked him and destroyed copies of Vanguard newspapers at his newsstand at Golden Gate, Ikoyi, Lagos.

It was learned that the agents’ parent body in Lagos had placed embargo and instructed vendors not to take copies of newspapers that recently increased their cover prices.

According to Friday, “at about 8:30a.m., on Monday when I got to the office, I collected 15 copies of Vanguard as customers would rather not buy any paper if they do not get Vanguard.

“Recently, the agent’s body instructed us not to take copies of Vanguard, The Sun and The Nation because of the recent increase in cover prices.

Instead, they gave us other newspapers that did not increase their price.

“Doing business with the few

Police demand N2,000 to record case available papers which did not increase their prices would amount to nothing and a waste of time.

“However, trouble started 15 minutes after I got the copies; six hefty agents came to my stand, forcefully took the papers from the stand, and immediately they saw

Vanguard they descended on me.

“They attacked me with sticks, pulled me to the ground, broke my hand, and tore the 15 copies of Vanguard.

“But for the timely intervention of a mobile police officer, who was passing by, I wonder what would have

been my fate. I spent N2,500 to treat myself.

“As if that was not enough, when I went to Kester Police Station, Lagos Island, to make a report, on Tuesday morning, the officer on duty demanded N2,000 for case entry. When I refused to pay, he asked me to go outside the station.

School proprietor jailed 10 years for raping 10-yr-old pupil

By Rotimi Olaleye

F

OR raping a 10-year-old pupil of his school, the proprietor of God’s Grace Nursery and Primary School, Mr. Babatunde Ibitoye, was yesterday handed 10 years jail term without option of fine by an Ado-Ekiti High Court.

The accused, whose school is located at Fayemi Market, Agric Olope Area of Ajilosun in Ado-Ekiti, was said to have

committed the offence on June 10, 2013, in a bush very close to the market.

The state Ministry of Justice had preferred a one-count charge of rape against the accused person on December 3, 2013 in suit number HAD/ F11/2013.

In her judgement, Justice Toyin Abodunde agreed with the evidence of the plaintiff and facts of the matter, saying she has been able to prove

beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant had sexually abused the victim, who was her pupil at the time the offence was committed.

Justice Abodunde upheld the argument of the Department of Public prosecution, DPP, and the victim’s evidence to the effect that the defendant was caught at the scene of the incident and could not have denied knowledge of the offence.

Lagos bizman docked over N25m fraud

By Onozure Dania

P

OLICE, yesterday, docked a businessman, Ayodele Okikiolu, in Lagos for obtaining N25 million under false pretences.

The 33 years old Okikiolu is facing a three-count charge bordering on fraud, presentation of dud cheque and falsification of document before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court in Lagos.

The Magistrate O. A. Ogunbowale granted him N5 million bail, with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case to April 28 for mention.

Prosecutor, DSP Sunday Ekong, told the court that Okikiolu, in July 2015, obtained N25 million from one Ikenna Oparaugo, under the pretext of processing a bank loan.

The accused also promised to refund the money to Oparaugo after he would have obtained the credit facility, presenting a forged letter of offer of loan to Oparaugo and claimed that it was issued by the bank.

12—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

RENAMING: From left: Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, his Olori, Wuraola and Prince Tokunbo Sijuade, during the renaming of Ife City Hall to Oba Okunade Sijuade Memorial Hall, by Ife Development Board, in Ile Ife.

From left, Olori Odun, Olori Ladun and Olori Morisola Sijuade, at the event.

Reports on insecurity in Rivers misleading —Wike

By Jimitota Onoyume

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ORT HARCOURT— RIVERS State Government has described as misleading, reports on the security situation in the state, saying that some of the issues were blown out of proportion.

Governor Nyesom Wike spoke at Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday, when he played host to Canada and United State’s branch of apex Ikwerre body, Ogbakor Ikwerre.

The governor said stories depicting the state as unsafe were the handiwork of politicians, who did not mean well for the state.

To buttress his point, the governor said multinational companies were going about their businesses in the state, adding that businesses in the state were enjoying robust growth.

He said that the various states in the country also had one form of security challenge or another.

He also assured that his administration will continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people, stressing that projects

abandoned by his predecessor that were of value to the people will also get the attention of his government.

Meantime, the Peoples

Democratic Party, PDP, in the state has described the call by Prince Odike, deputy state Chairman of All Progressive Congress, APC, for declaration

W

ARRI—A House of Representatives member, Mr Daniel Reyenieju, has expressed disappointment over what he described as selective and biased method currently adopted in the administration of the Office of the Federal Government's amnesty programme for former agitators in the Niger Delta region.

Speaking to hundreds of former Niger Delta agitators of Itsekiri extraction, who called on him during the Easter holiday to protest what they alleged as the deliberate policy of the current leadership of the office to deprive them of the benefits of the C M Y K

State Chairman of the party, Mr Felix Obuah, in a statement, yesterday by his media aide, Mr Jerry Needam, also urged Rivers people to ignore the call.

Rivers re-run: INEC releases more results

By Jimitota Onoyume

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ORT HARCOURT— THE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, released more results of the last re-run elections in Rivers State.

A summary of the result, in a statement by the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak, showed that at the federal constituency level, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, won Port Harcourt constituency 1, Port Harcourt constituency 2 , Obio/Akpor, and Abua Odua, Ahoada East.

For the state constituencies, PDP won Port Harcourt constituency II, Ahoada East I, Ahoada East II, Akuku Toru I, Emohua, Obio/Akpor I, Obio/ Akpor II, ONELGA I and Omuma.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, won Akuku Toru II while the PDP candidate

Tonye Alalibo was disqualified.

The APC also won Opobo, Nkoro state constituency thus making

programme, he noted that since the present leadership of the programme came on board, his office had been inundated with complaints and protests, specifically from beneficiaries of Itsekiri extraction, all alleging that they had been deliberately alienated from skills acquisition aspect of the programme, including those billed for university education and entrepreneurial aspect of the programme.

Reyenieju, who represents Warri Federal constituency, said: “The process that necessitated the inclusion of former agitators from the Itsekiri ethnic group was a long and tortuous one and their inclusion was made possible through the

a total of two so far captured by the party.

The statement said the electoral

body was investigating the rerun elections in Degema state constituency.

Amaechi to Wike: Monorail belongs to Rivers State, not me

M

INISTER of Transportation and former governor of Rivers State, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, has warned the state governor, Mr Nyesom Wike to stop playing politics with the lives of Rivers people, just as he noted that the monorail project belonged to the state and not him (Amaechi).

Amaechi’s Media Office in a statement, yesterday, said “We watched with disbelief the recent television interview of Governor Wike, excerpts of which had also been used in some newspapers.

It was the typical Wike, twisting,

Lawmaker flays selective implementation of amnesty programme intervention of the National

By Daniel Gumm

of a state of emergency in the state as mischievous and a reflection of idle politicians who have been allegedly disengaged from state resources.

Assembly and as such no single individual or group can deprive them of any of the benefits accruing from the programme, irrespective of the status of such government official or group.”

He said that since the inclusion of the 500 former agitators of Itsekiri extraction, all subtle sinister strategies have consistently been put in place by a tiny cabal aimed at alienating these beneficiaries from participating in the programme, noting that “sadly the present handlers of the amnesty programme appear to be irredeemably determined to ensure that beneficiaries of Itsekiri extraction do not maximally reap the benefits of the programme.”

butchering and turning the truth upside down and in most cases telling outright deceptive lies in his failed bid to denigrate, tarnish and rubbish the towering image, person and laudable, landmark achievements of his predecessor and now Minister of Transportation, Mr Amaechi.

“Most troubling, was Wike’s propensity, without any qualms whatsoever, to play politics with the safety and security of the lives of Rivers people. This is indeed most worrisome. It is no secret that Wike plays politics with development, the welfare and well-being of Rivers people. But no government should play politics with the safety and security of its citizens like Wike is sadly and shamelessly doing.

“On the Rivers Monorail project, Governor Wike said that he will not touch Amaechi’s monorail and that the entire state has told him not to

continue with the project. Can someone please tell Wike that the monorail belongs to Rivers State and it’s not Amaechi’s private monorail. Pray, Governor Wike, which Rivers people told you not to touch the monorail project?

“Is it the same Rivers people that have consistently praised the project and see it as a catalyst to jump-start the local economy and place the state at the forefront of transport infrastructural development in Africa? Or is Wike aggregating the jaundiced views of the coterie of court-jesters that hang around him daily, as the opinion of the entire people of the state? It is sad, very sad that Wike has elected to play politics with this laudable project that was almost completed before Amaechi left office."

Akpabio blasts opposition for allegedly sponsoring lies about Rivers

By Jimitota Onoyume

P

ORT HARCOURT— SENATE Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has said that it was unfortunate that opposition politicians were busy sponsoring lies to paint Rivers State in bad light.

Speaking, yesterday at Government House, Port Harcourt, when he led the caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the senate on a visit to Governor

Nyesom Wike, Akpabio described the victory so far recorded by the PDP in the re-run elections as a clear case of justice from heaven.

He appealed for political tolerance on the part of the opposition for democracy to thrive in the state.

On his part, Governor Wike accused the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, of allegedly sponsoring violence in the state to gain political relevance.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016—13 —13

14—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016—15

IPOB gives Buhari 3 days to release 76 youths arrested by soldiers in Enugu ... for protesting the alleged abduction of two women by Fulani herdsmen

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By Emeka Mamah

NUGU—THE Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to release the 76 boys arrested by soldiers at Umuneshi, Awgu in Enugu State, for protesting against the abduction of two women by Fulani herdsmen in their community last week .

IPOB said the youths were detained by some soldiers who later handed them over to the Police at Zone 9 Headquarters, Umuahia in neighbouring Abia State, adding that their detention was proof that the Fulani believed that Nigeria belonged to them.

The organisation gave this ultimatum in a statement jointly signed by its spokesmen, Mr Emma Mmezu and Dr Clifford Iroanya.

They said that Ndigbo had had enough of Fulani brutality and raw show of power, warning of the dire consequences of their nonrelease within three days from yesterday.

The statement read in part, “The raw show of power and bravado by Fulani herdsmen at Umuneshi, Awgu Community in Enugu State just cannot be accepted by any civilized society.

“First, the ever recalcitrant Fulani marauders abducted two women on their way to the farm.

All entreaties to release the two

women fell on deaf ears. The youths of the community mobilized to free their women, but the Fulani warriors informed their kinsmen at the military bases in the neigbouring Abia State.

“The soldiers stormed the community, beat up and arrested all 76 youths, bundled them to zone 9, ordered them charged and remanded in prison without as much as allowing them to make statements.

“As at today (yesterday), the 76 youth remain locked up and the two women remain missing as

Fulani supremacy reigns . The brutal show of power and arrogant display of we own Nigeria demonstrated by the Fulani is not only nauseating but despicable.

“Their godfather and guardian angel at the Aso villa is most probably grinning with glee at this powerful statement of his kinsmen as to who are masters and who are servants in Nigeria today.

“When you add this to the brazen arrogance of display of Fulani republic flags in Ohafia, Abia State, and the provocative

flying of Fulani flags in Agatu Benue State, Eket, Akwa Ibom, and many other places, the IPOB is convinced that the battle of total annihilation has been brought to our door steps by the avowed enemies of peace.

“Accordingly, the IPOB is hereby giving President Muhamadu Buhari 72 hours beginning from 6pm, Tuesday, March 29, 2016, to release the 76 youths of Umeneshi Community, Awgu, together with the two women earlier abducted by the Fulani fighters."

COMMISSIONING: Umuzocha community Leader, Chief Chukwudi Nnajide, cutting the tape during the commissioning of a 500KVA transformer donated by MTN Foundation to the Umuzocha community, Anambra State, in the MTNF What Can We Do Together Campaign.

to farmers

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NUGU—GOVERNOR of Enugu State,Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi,yesterday, doled out N8.5 million as compensation to farmers of Ugwuleshi community in Awgu Local Government Area of the state where Fulani herdsmen had on March 15, destroyed farmlands and livestocks worth millions of Naira.

The incident led to the arrest of 76 members of the community who were arraigned at Umuahia,Abia State Magistrate's Court on alleged arson and illegal possession of fire arms by the Police but were remanded in prison as the court declined jurisdiction over the matter.

This came on a day the member, representing Awgu/ Aninri Federal Constituency at the National Assembly and House Committee Chairman on Works,Tobi Okechukwu appealed to the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency,establish grazing reserves across the country to nip incessant Fulani/farmers

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By Prince Osuagwu

AGOS—AIRTEL Nigeria, yesterday said it has introduced a new Service Short Code, *902# which empowers subscribers to choose, activate or deactivate their Value Added Service, VAS subscription at any point in time.

Apparently Airtel was reacting to the public outcry among the subscribers over loads of unsolicited messages, advertisements and forceful value added subscription which all the operators in Nigeria, foist on their customers.

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC recently frowned that despite consistent warning against that menace by the regulator, it has continued unabated and threatened sanction.

The new service, according to Airtel is first of its kind in the telecoms industry because just by dialing the short code, customers can choose from two options of either activating or deactivating a VAS or SMS service.

FUEL CRISIS:

CLASH: Ugwuanyi doles out N8.5m compensation

By Francis Igata

Airtel moves against unsolicited message

clash in the bud.

While addressing the aggrieved farmers of Ugwuleshi community, bearing placards with inscriptions that read,”Fulani herdsmen have killed us, Save us from persistent attacks from herdsmen, our means of livelihood has been destroyed,” Governor Ugwuanyi expressed dismay over the incident assuring them that his government will stand shoulder-

to-shoulder with them in their moment of grief.

“We are working round the clock to ensure the release of the 76 members of our community. As a government, we cannot be sleeping when you are crying. I salute the elders and other stakeholders who have ensured that peace reigned after the incident. These incidents have happened in Uzo-Uwani and Nsukka council areas and we

contained it.

“I have come to stand by your side at this moment of grief that our people are detained in prison in far away Umuahia. I am part of the people detained in the prison and I feel your pulse. The farmers will get N8.5 million as compensation for being displaced. We will ensure that the 76 persons detained are released.”

ANAMBRA CENTRAL: You can't use judiciary

to frustrate me, Umeh tells opponents

By Vincent Ujumadu

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WKA—FORMER national chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and the party ’s candidate in the indefinitely postponed Anambra Central senatorial re-run election, Chief Victor Umeh has said that the attempt by his opponents to use the judiciary to frustrate the re-run election ordered by the Appeal Court in December last year would be an exercise in futility.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, whose candidate was earlier disqualified by the Court of Appeal from participating in the rerun election, later got a ruling from the Federal High Court that it should present a candidate for the rerun.

Following the development, the party has been pressuring the immediate past governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi to pick the ticket for the rerun and indications are that the former governor may accept the offer.

Speaking with reporters at Oba in Idemili South local government area of the state, Umeh observed that playing pranks cannot go on forever, insisting that whatever happens, the door is closed to people who did not participate in the March 28, 2015 election.

According to him, the Court of Appeal will soon give its final judgment on the eligibility of candidates who will participate in the election.

Nwafor-Orizu faults Tinubu on Kachikwu

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By Michael Eboh

BUJA—A legal practitioner, Mr. Orji Nwafor-Orizu, yesterday, faulted the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu over his criticism of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, stating that Tinubu should have approached the President to lay his complaints.

Nwafor-Orizu, in a statement in Abuja, warned that if the APC chieftains and the Presidency allow this trend of open criticism of acts of the officers of Muhammadu Buhari’s Government by the leaders of APC, then Nigeria will be in a political jam.

According to him, when the governing party leaders constitute themselves to the opposition, then there is a problem and confusion.

He said: “I want to state authoritatively that one of the characteristics of a progressive government is to tell the populace the truth given all the indices on ground. This Governmentisadmiredbymeanda good number of Nigerians for their characteristics candor."

16—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30 , 2016

BRAITHWAITE: What'll miss most about my father —Daughter •He remained on the side of the people as counter-statesman—Soyinka •As showers of tributes continue

It’s a personal loss — Fasehun

Founder and President of the Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, Dr. Frederick Fasehun, said Braithwaite’s demise was a personal loss.

Noting that Braithwaite was a “personal friend and fellow democrat,” Fasehun said: “He was a legal luminary, human rights gladiator, constructive commentator and selfless philanthropist. In Braithwaite’s death I have lost a fellow soldier.

“His death is a sad and painful one. He should not have died at this time of Nigeria’s political history, when the country needs patriots, zealots and visionaries like him. People like Braithwaite have the patriotic zeal and vision capable of moving the nation forward. We wish the family the strength to bear this monumental loss.”

By Clifford Ndujihe, Dapo Akinrefon, Gbenga Olarinoye, Wahab Abdullah, Gbenga Oke & Monsuru Olowoopejo

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AGOS—AS eminent Nigerians continued to shower tributes on the late legal icon and politician, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, one of his daughters, Omowunmi, said she would miss his uncommon fatherly love and care.

Omomunwi, who disclosed that Braithwaite also had fatherly relations with a host of journalists he treated as sons and daughters, said: “He was a man who hardly joke with his family members despite his busy political schedules and legal matters. He remained a very caring and loving father till death.”

Meanwhile, the torrents of tributes, which started on Monday continued as a host of prominent Nigerians poured tributes.

Among the early callers at the Braithwaite’s Victoria Island residence, yesterday, was the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, who maintained that Braithwhaite was a man who stood on the side of the people.

Soyinka said: “I would not like to refer to him as an elder statesman because he did not retire but will like to refer to him as a counter-statesman who always put government on its toes and he forever remained on the peoples side.”

Concurring, Mrs Shade Thomas, his designer, told the story behind the unique outfit of Braithwaite.

“Over 35 years ago, he asked us to design a nice outfit for him that would identify him with the masses and that was how he came about the Aso-Oke and all other particular styles he wore till his exit. Dr Braithwhaite was a very sympathetic personality who carried the burden of others on his head. He was a friend of the helpless,” Thomas said.

It’s loss of a fighter for democratic ideals — Aregbesola

On his part, Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, described Braithwaite’s demise as a huge loss to the nation.

In a statement by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, Aregbesola said the death of the elder statesman had further depleted the rank of Nigeria’s committed fighters for just society.

The Governor said the late legal luminary was a patriot and

counsel on national issues. He was an outstanding statesman by all standards. He demonstrated selflessness and forthrightness in his legal and political endeavours.

Dr. Braithwaite’s memories will linger forever in the minds of Nigerians.’’

He was a Patriot — Oyebode, Ninalowo CONDOLENCE VISIT: Professor Wole Soyinka condoling with widow of late Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, Mrs Grace Braithwaite at the Braithwaites Victoria Island residence in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye. die-in-the-wool believer of Nigeria and did everything to make sure the political ship of the nation gets back on the right track.

Aregbesola said: “Dr. Tunji Braithwaite was a legal icon, politician of repute and human rights crusader.

“He believed and fought for a better Nigeria. We will continue to remember him, not just for his contributions to the legal profession, but also to the development of democratic ideals in Nigeria. His contribution to national discourse and political development will not be forgotten. We can only take solace in the fact that Dr. Braithwaite lived an eventful, purposeful and successful life worthy of emulation.”

We shared same politcal ideology —Olaniwun

Also, Afenifere chieftain, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, who paid a condolence visit to the Braithwaite house said: “On political and ideological issues, Tunji and my self are the same.

“We share the same view on politics. That he was not a member of Afenifere, is not an issue that should be debated. If he was contesting for an election and I was not, I will give him the best support and I know that he will do same for me if he was still alive.”

He is a mentor we will all miss — Akinrinade Former Chief of Army Staff, General Alani Akinrinade (retd), said Braithwhaite was a

man who stood on the side of the masses and a mentor that will forever be missed by all.

He was a pillar of the progressives —Musa

Former Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa described Braithwaite as a pillar of the progressives.

“We have lost an associate and it is very late to replace such people. We have been together since the beginning of the struggle, he has always been a progressive and a pillar. We feel his loss. Throughout his political life, he was a progressive,” he said.

His death has left a gap in the polity —Odumakin

National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr Yinka Odumakin said: “A politician and social activist has passed away. He was a social critic throughout his political career. His last major outing was the National Conference in 2014 where he canvassed for a confederal Nigeria. Now, his death has left a big gap in the polity. We pray that God will grant his soul eternal repose.’’

We have lost a great giant —Atiku

Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar said the death of Nigeria’s veteran lawyer and politician, has robbed the country of one of its greatest giants not only in the field of law but also in politics.

Atiku, in a statement by his media office in Abuja, said he particularly admired the late

Braithwaite because of his unwavering commitment to constitutional reforms, especially his agitation for restructuring of the country.

According to him, Braithwaite was not “your typical Nigerian politician that opportunistically changes his opinions to ingratiate himself with the new powers that be. These are extraordinary virtues for which I admire him deeply and regard him as a role model. May his soul rest in peace.”

Immortalise him, Ladipo urges FG

Lagos State governorship candidate of the Nigerian Advance Party in the 2007 election, Ladipo Johnson, said the death of the front line politician was a huge loss to the nation.

In a statement, Ladipo while calling on the Federal Government to immortalise him noted the various strides of Braithwaite as an activist, lawyer, politician and statesman, saying his courage and uncommon leadership would be missed by Nigerians.

Kalu mourns

Former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Kalu, expressed sadness over the demise of the famous lawyer and activist, adding that the deceased was a patriotic Nigerian, whose contributions to the social and political advancement of the country would not be easily forgotten.

In a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Kunle Oyewumi, Kalu said: “The passing of Dr. Tunji Braithwaite is painful as he died at a time the country needed his

Professor of International Law and Jurisprudence, Akin Oyebode, described Braithwhaite as a patriot who committed class suicide and gave his life to the common man on the street.

According to him, Braithwaite wanted to see Nigeria free of corruption and which was why he yearned for a better nation that he could not get till death took him away.

Professor Adebayo Ninalowo of Department of Sociology, University of Lagos, said Braithwaite’s death has created a vacuum and Nigerians and the entire world would miss him.”

Sir Mike Nkwoji dies @ 73

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IS MAJESTY Igwe Ralph Ekpeh, Eze Enugwu Ukwu na Igwe Umunri in Anambra State has annonunced the death of Chief Sir. Mike Nkwoji, Okpataozuora, Enugwu Ukwu na Umunri. He was aged 73 years.

The deceased was an Aba- based businessman and industrialist, former Chairman of Monier Construction Company, MCC, and philanthropist. Funeral arrangement will be announced later.

Late Mike Nkwoji

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 —17

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UITE a few people requested “further reading” after last week’s article. I recommend To Kill a Mockingbird, by Pulitzer Prize winning author Harper Lee for anyone interested in understanding the rise of Donald Trump, the workings of the South in America, racial (or, in our climes ethnic) politics, economic backwardness, a feudal system where poor Whites blame poor Blacks for their misfortunes while ignoring the White chieftains who uphold a medieval “Rankadede” system whereby patronage and keeping literacy levels low ensures a profitable arrangement goes unchallenged. Politics all over the world is basically the same.

Nigeria is simply on the cruder end of the spectrum. Politics is about sharing resources: who gets what and how much, who feels marginalised or denied a seat at the table, who can incite or manipulate that feeling amongst their poorest constituents, and who benefits particularly in multi-ethnic societies from competition over the allocation of scarce resources.

Rankadede might be a Hausa word, but it is a global, timeless phenomenon, which some nations simply manage better than others.

tprincewill@yahoo.co.uk

To end corruption in Nigeria, end nepotism

Brightest and the best

Political appointments For all our talk about corruption, many of us are not willing to get to its root causes, hence why year in year out, the wrong people get political appointments, people with no idea about governance or public affairs, simply because their instatement placates a zone or an ethnic group.

Nigeria is a singular country: we select our worst eleven to represent us yet we expect to win. How can new thinking, worthwhile policies, development occur when players are there to defend tribal interests (those of either business, political or ethnic cabals)rather than those of the majority?

Many Nigerians would be up in arms wondering why they

shouldn’t appoint their brother when they get into power. A recent study by the Social Mobility and Child Poverty commission in the UK attests that “less able, richer children were 35% more likely to become high earners

How can new thinking, worthwhile policies, development occur when players are there to defend tribal interests rather than those of the majority?

APC

Timi Frank

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TS deputy national publicity secretary, Timi Frank, described Saraki’s trial as “worrisome.” But in truth, it is his statement that gives well-meaning Nigerians cause for concern. Not everyone in the APC seems to be on the same page in regards to fighting corruption. Not everyone accepts that nobody is above the law and that everyone, in a democracy, is required to C M Y K

unable to deliver proper services (simply because those trusted to do so often possess inferior credentials, experience and intentions) and asks us to clap while it does so!

We elected Buhari to fight the system that enables corruption, the clique that uses nepotism and special interests to clip the wings of any reform. The budget saga is only one such example of a mafia that doesn’t want its privileges curbed.

We have no studies in Nigeria to show how wealth perpetuates itself in some quarters simply due to government connections or access and even more damaging, how this stops the rest of Nigeria from getting on, condemning the majority of the population to a life of poverty probably even before they are of school-age.

than their brighter, poorer peers”. The statistics in Nigeria would be closer to 80%. If we do not see the injustice behind less capable people hoarding opportunities then there is something seriously wrong and if we cannot see the link between less talented (but obviously well connected) people accessing government jobs for example and our lack of development, then we have no future as a nation.

America is another one of those countries, like the United Kingdom, which is obsessed with social mobility. Every issue is framed around this central theme and it is partly because large sections of the US feel social mobility is inexistent, due to the elite hoarding opportunities for their children, or seemingly,

prove their innocence in court when summoned by the relevant authorities to do so, rather than attempt to scuttle the trial. Impunity, nepotism’s twin, is one of Nigeria’s biggest issues and it is perplexing that Timi Frank uses the example of some other public figures accused of corruption who were not convicted to seemingly state, therefore, that no future trials should be held despite the prosecution maintaining it has evidence of wrong-doing.

Two wrongs don’t make a right. How does one speak for a party which won elections based on its anti-corruption stance when harbouring such views? Furthermore, the suggestion that APC leaders should intervene rather than watch the Senate president “swim or sink in his trial” is odd given most Nigerians don’t have the benefit of party leaders intervention while on trial. So what makes this different? Privilege? Status? This shows just how far we have to go in terms of ensuring the best man (or woman) gets the job, in parties or government and that it is those with something to say who get handed the microphone and not the opposite.

in their eyes, favouring migrants and minorities, that the extreme right is on the rise in Europe and Donald Trump is the Republican front-runner.

Nepotism exists all over the world. However, the UK manages to have good roads, healthcare, and send the majority of its population to school, despite the fact that Lord or Lady whoever in the House of Commons has carefully placed his son or daughter on the board of large corporations or is grooming them for politics.

What the rich do in other countries only begins to matter when it negatively impacts on the lives of the majority. It is time, in Nigeria, for us to stand up to a system that promotes our enslavement to various interests, yet is

How do parties recruit politicians? How does one become a minister in Nigeria, or the head of a government parastatal?

What are the credentials of the numerous special advisers trailing after our governors? What qualifies any of the aforementioned to lead or advise on matters, which affect us all? Most of all, I would like us to reflect on the talent pool from which such people are drawn.

In an ideal world, parties would attract the brightest and the best, then suggest only the best for appointment. But in a country where ethno-religious considerations, zoning and federal character are deemed more important than talent, how can we be surprised that nepotism, ethnic competition are rampant or that year in year out, things seem to remain the same?

What strategies and measures will the government pursue to encourage social mobility? Without merit being rewarded rather than nepotism, the fight against corruption will never be put to rest. Why are people corrupt in Nigeria? Beyond greed, corruption, it seems, has become an act of survival. More on this next week.

Dr.Usman Bugaje

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SPEAKER at the Northern Leaders’ Conference made a controversial statement in regards to oil ownership in Nigeria. He said:”There are no oil producing states as the only oil producing state is the Nigerian state itself.” The “oil producing state” tag is a politically motivated denomination based on our desire to afford certain privileges based on ethnic considerations, which ironically only further exacerbate the tension and feelings of marginalisation they were supposed to tackle.

If governors had developed the Niger Delta and the East, if the Niger Delta Development Corporation hadn’t been misused,if past governments hadn’t condoned oil spills for profit, there would be no talk of marginalisation and haggling with other states over Federal allocations. We’d accept that oil, no matter its provenance, belongs to the Federal Government for the development of all.

But, why be rational when there is so much more money to be made (or looted) when governments tacitly encourage ethnic com-

Dr.Usman Bugaje petition through their policies. Bugaje falls into the ethnic trap he attempted to avoid by claiming offshore oil belongs to the North: the North’s landmass, used to calculate how far into adjacent waters a country’s offshore territory expands, does not mean offshore oil belongs to the North.

But he started an important conversation; let’s give him that. *Tabia Princewill is a strategic communica- tions consultant and public policy analyst. She is also the co-host and executive producer of a talk show, WALK THE TALK which airs on Channels TV.

18 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 THE run-up to the federal and state legislative election re-runs in Rivers State had been marked with much bloodshed running in to the dozens.

So it was not totally surprising that last Saturday’s elections were also characterised by s0 much violence.

At the last count, at least five persons, including a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Samuel Okonta, had been killed.

We are especially concerned that since the advent of the Prof. Mahmud Yakubu- led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) most of the re-run elections have either been marred by violence or officially declared inconclusive. The outcome of the Kogi governorship election remains a sore that is still a challenge to the judicial authorities. The Bayelsa governorship election was turned into a theatre of war, and like the situation in Kogi, required a re-run to acquire a modicum of acceptability.

The problems we dare say are not

The bad example from Rivers only centred on the conduct and competence challenges of the Yakubuled election management body. The provision of security, which is a service rendered by the Federal Government, has been remarkably uninspiring particularly in Bayelsa and Rivers States, where the military, Police and other security agents were massively deployed.

The failure of the security agencies to secure the electorate, INEC officials and ad-hoc staff, law-abiding citizens and electoral logistics emboldened some politicians to violate the processes.

It is a sore point to note that

perpetrators of election violence are not prosecuted in Nigeria, a fact that has continued to sustain the cycle of electoral impunities in the country.

Had the security agencies made strong examples of the perpetrators of the electoral violence and their sponsors it would have helped to deter the high rate of bloodshed and reign of hoodlums during elections.

We are disappointed in the roles played by the leadership of the two main political parties – the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly Governor Nyesom Wike and Minister Rotimi Amaechi, whose

utterances and conduct aggravated the situation.

We also fault the continuing hesitation of President Muhammadu Buhari to name the full complement of National Commissioners for the INEC. By failing to name all the Commissioners, the President has inadvertently denied the electoral body the full complement of human resources and personnel required to articulate and drive policies and programmes towards more credible and acceptable elections under his watch.

We call on President Buhari to immediately fill all the vacancies in the Commission and take adequate steps to address the security gaps that have now soiled our electoral culture which, during the President Goodluck Jonathan/Professor Attahiru Jega years, had come to be reckoned with as among the most promising in Africa.

OPINION Brussels and Chibok (3) Continues from yesterday’s pg 18

By Patrick Cole

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BVIOUSLY not, if the schools have now been rebuilt, thus disturbing further the crime scene.

16. The only thing that is certain in Nigeria is that where there is money Nigerians will covert it. Chibok is part of the insurgency and the history of Nigeria’s response to that insurgency is despicable.

Let us not go into the bigger issue of the insurgency. Let’s be specific about Chibok, a national disgrace. It was, apparently not a singular incident: kidnapping of girls had been going on and is still going on.

That seems to be the extent of our knowledge and involvement. Where are the pastors and mullahs of the area? They have no information. There are no neighbouring villages. I remember meeting several megads, (night watchmen) who came from Chibok and who housed their relatives in Lagos. I interviewed them. They told me about the general horrors of the North East and how they have now a network where they keep their people in Lagos and elsewhere.

17. I am appalled at the failure of the Press – print, radio and television as to what happened in Chibok. Not one journalist I know has been there – admittedly it is not safe and is in a war C M Y K

zone. All the news and information we get about North East and especially, Chibok are from foreign journalists who have been there. Where are the interviews with the parents of these girls, the follow up?

Have they all left Chibok? Of course not!

18. Now a new racket has begun on the so called IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) where again there is money and some will disappear under this scheme?

We have centres for them all over Nigeria – Yola, Abeokuta, Oyo and Osun etc.

19. Back to Chibok – what does that event tell us about Nigerians? No one mobilised the country to express solidarity with those who suffered in Chibok. We did not even go there or hold services and prayers for them daily. These are no places for us to go even outside Chibok to express our solidarity, to send a message that they have not been forgotten. All we hear are excuses, they may be married. Last week the Sunday Times of London revealed that they found 91 of our girls and reported to the authorities who did nothing. There has been no mobilisation; no way to

No questions about the girls abducted at Chibok have been satisfactorily answered and none seem to be forthcoming

express our feelings of the loss of our children. No solidarity, no intelligence – in fact the girls have been forgotten, no hope of closure.

20.Instead we blame MTN and impose a ridiculous fine on them for not helping in Chibok and Boko Haram. How is that fine justifiable when we have not freed one of our children captured? Every now and again we have our security agencies tell us they know where they are but cannot free them for fear that the girls would be killed. What preposterous rubbish!

21. Our message on Chibok should be that we are unified with you, we suffer with you, we will free you; our enemies cannot and will not defeat us 22. Where are our civil defence forces who love to appear at parades in their resplendent uniforms ? Their uniforms are better sown and fit better than our military uniform. Do they not have a role in Chibok?

23. Are we really that callous? Is this a national trait? It must be. We can fit tens of thousands of applicants in a stadium, each paying N1000 for a form to apply to join the immigration service. That exercise killed many young people – no inquiry. The minister did not resign etc.

In the UK when Liverpool football fans died from a stampede similar to that of the immigration applicants – the minister, Police Chief etc. resigned- the inquiry took several years but closure came eventual after 11 years.

Instead of our leaders covering their heads in shame – they are in armoured conveys of 12 to 15 cars, sirens blaring as they move at speed to nowhere meaningful.

In Brussels within days they found the bomb making factories, have named the suspects and are on a man hunt to pick up the last one. Can any one imagine this happening here? Boko Haram detonates roughly a bomb every week or fortnight.

Where are these bombs made? Much can be told about the manufacture of a home made bomb because the maker leaves a footprint telling where he gets his craft, sometimes how and who taught him.

24. Nigeria prides itself on its African tradition which above all else is based on the family, both immediate and extended.

When these girls of Chibok were kidnapped there was no feeling of outrage. The rest of the world felt the terrorists attack as an intolerably breach of human right and the right of children, and in world wide disgust for Boko Haram. The Nigeria government would have sympathised more had we lost 246 cattle. The intelligence was zilch; no trackers were employed, no specialist, not even machineries when we knew of the location of the 90 girls. No questions about the girls abducted at Chibok have been satisfactorily answered and none seem to be forthcoming.

Concluded •Dr. Cole, OFR, a former ambassador, wrote from Lagos.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016—19 —19 Send Opinions & Letters to: opinions1234@yahoo.com

Kachikwu’s verbal gaffe

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BE Kachikwu, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, does not come across as a politician. Even as a long time player in the oil industry his resume proclaims him more of an intellectual or a technocrat rather than an oil merchant and, even less, a power monger. Perhaps but for his appointment as minister, he would have been content to remain in relative obscurity as one of the more knowledgeable persons in an industry with more than its full complement of hacks and fraudsters. But following his appointment as minister, there was no way he could avoid the scrutiny of the public. Yet, he appeared to have slipped into his new role of minister with much ease. He speaks fast, if soft spoken; seems in a hurry to achieve results and comes across as very business-like. All of these are qualities that should lead one to expect more from him by way of conduct than one would a typical politician of the Nigerian variety.

Which is also not the same thing as saying that Mr. Kachikwu could completely dispense with the restrain that public office

imposes on people. In other words, even a technocrat in a political office who finds himself/herself on the spot and has to take a stand must learn to do so in as agreeable a manner as possible.

The trite saying that one could disagree without being disagreeable still has some merit to it after all. But this is one lesson that obviously eluded Mr. Kachikwu when he spoke with journalists after a meeting at the presidential lodge in Abuja last week. The minister had been questioned as to why after all government efforts long queues of motorists and others waiting for many hours at fuel stations still remained. His response could only have come from a potentate, one assured of his importance as any other person could surely be who didn’t consider himself answerable to the public.

Mr. Kachikwu’s was a bizarre response, a frustrated outburst that might have revealed more about what he himself thinks both of his input and place in the present administration than he cares to admit. He appears overwhelmed by his ministerial duties or so his utterances appear to say. Asked when he thought the long queues might end, Mr. Kachikwu said Nigerians could

expect no respite earlier than the end of May. It would have been okay if he had stopped at that.

But this otherwise amiable man with apparently an elephant-size ego said he had not been trained to be a magician and that Nigerians ought to be thankful for the amount of fuel he had made available in his short spell as minister. Going by Nigerian standard, at least the standard put in place by public officers who demand special recognition for responsibilities they freely promised to execute, Ibe Kachikwu’s comment is by no means unprecedented. It’s indeed very much in character. Except that once in a while one expects much more from some Nigerians given their training and general comportment than others. In spite of his recent blunder one would still want to see Mr. Kachkwu in this light.

When however they pretend to be so-called servant-leaders as one former governor liked to be seen, leaders serving the people who put them in office, Nigerian politicians often expect to be praised for their execution of the most routine responsibilities. It was with such eye for public recognition that Ngozi OkonjoIweala, President Goodluck

Public office is not ‘by force’ and Mr. Kachikwu can show candour without being rude

‘The Horror! The Horror!’ till the Rivers of blood all run dry

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HE horror! The horror!” so might Kurtz, Joseph Conrad’s fictional character, have cried were he to come out of the pages of Heart of Darkness—that widely misunderstood but powerful antiimperialist narrative—and witnessed the Rivers State legislative re-run elections 11 days ago.

“The horror! The horror!” I cried, far from the electoral killing fields. The images that horrified me (anew) did not depict a civic act—electing state and national legislators—but bloody warfare.

There was the photo that haunts me even now: a freshly beheaded man, his torso propped up by his mourners, as if hoping that by raising the still-warm corpse up its severed head would be magically reattached and the man would live again.

I would not have believed it, would have dismissed it as a wicked photo-shopped trick by any party hack desperate to discredit the opposition. Only that beheadings had ceased to be news with the decapitation of Franklin Obi, an APC ward chairman, after first being shot dead alongside his wife and 18-year-old son.

The gruesome scene was witnessed by his daughter “lucky” to live to tell the tale and be forever haunted by it. But then a month before Obi’s beheading, twenty-five persons had been killed, “ with many of them beheaded,” according to the PM News report “APC chieftain beheaded in Rivers, wife, son murdered” of 7 March 2016. Around the same time, another party stalwart and his pregnant wife were also murdered.

And there was also the shocking image of one Tambari Ntoto, said to be a PDP agent, allegedly shot dead by a soldier,

blood oozing out of his head to form a rivulet in the sandy street where he lay. On re-run day alone, at least five citizens were sacrificed to the Moloch of elections in Rivers State, the electoral beast of the east, including a youth corps member drafted to war. Two days earlier, four soldiers, including a major, were killed when they ran into a roadblock allegedly set up by militants in Abonnema.

But the casualty figure of five on rerun day could easily have been six if the APC governorship candidate and newly appointed Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Security Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, had not narrowly escaped assassination. A statement issued by Peterside and yet to be rebutted gives details of the attempted murder. His would-be assassins, he said, trailed him

There must be (dire) consequences for electoral crimes else we give up the foolish dream of a truly representative democracy

Jonathan’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, once reported that most of them serving the former president were hypertensive.

Much worse than they met it, is it any wonder that the Nigerian state is today like a hypertensive derelict?

No, one doesn’t need to be a trained magician to know that Mr. Kachikwu couldn’t have been having a ball all this while as minister of a volatile sector like petroleum resources. He has been kept hard on his toes by the unceasing scarcity of fuel and allied problems in the energy sector for most of the months he’s been in office. His honest effort to ‘unbundle’ NNPC in what he thought would be the right solution to some of the challenges of the oil industry led to a shutdown of the sector by oil workers just weeks ago. He hardly needs to make a roof-top proclamation of his efforts before Nigerians know he has not been sleeping.

But he is not a novice to this sector and must be aware of what he was letting himself into when he accepted the offer of ministerial appointment. He therefore can’t afford to be offhanded and arrogant in his response to honest questions from Nigerians who have borne the brunt of the ugly energy crisis that has bedevilled the country for many months now.

He may be a so-called junior minister, responsible to Muhammadu Buhari who as president also doubles as the substantive minister of Petroleum Resources- Kachikwu it may be argued is subordinate to Buhari (as are other ministers, let’s not forget), but he is ultimately in charge of the Petroleum Resources Ministry.

Even when Nigerians have

in two sport utility vehicles o w n e d , allegedly, by Emeka Woke, Governor Nyesom Wike’s chief of staff w h o , reportedly, was later arrested.

The incident gives further proof, if any were needed, of the sheer extent of impunity driving the murder and mayhem in Rivers State. So assured of no consequences were the would-be assassins that they did not abandon their mission when Peterside, lucky to be nearby the vicinity, fled to the offices of the State Security Service for his life. On the contrary, they opened fire and engaged “the SSS men on guard . . . for more than 30 minutes.”

IMPUNITY. Meaning, “exemption from punishment or freedom from the injurious consequences of an action,” according to the Oxford English dictionary. The carnage and brigandage that irredeemably marred the rerun election were a replay of what happened on 11 April 2015 when a war was fought in Rivers State in the name of electing a governor.

Local and international observers were unanimous in condemning the sham and calling for a cancellation.

That call fell on deaf ears. INEC, which had by and large sprung all the traps laid for it and generally done a credible job, merely asked aggrieved candidates to petition the electoral tribunal. And for a while, that seemed to be an agreeable way of cleaning the mess.

The tribunal and the Court of Appeal annulled the charade and ordered a fresh governorship election. Not so fast, said the Supreme Court which, with the full authority of its God-like status in judicial

continually called Ministers of State ‘junior ministers’, this administration from the beginning made it clear that no such thing exists in its own thinking- a minister is a minister whether they are ‘of state’ or not.

Buhari’s designation is only symbolic, just a way to say that he has his eyes on what goes on in that all-important sector and can intervene at anytime. It is an ambiguous status that may make people demand with justice that he and not Kachikwu should answer for whatever lapses exist in that sector. But beyond the symbolism of Buhari’s position, Kachikwu actually runs the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

He is the expert on ground and should without quibbling provide answers to the questions being asked by Nigerians. Except he can show how Buhari’s position has hobbled his own efforts in which case he would have no business remaining a minister.

It’s only in this sense can he choose to pass questions Nigerians genuinely demand answers to.

Public office must be frustrating for anyone with the desire to truly serve, much more so in a country like Nigeria where the conditions are rifest that make the best performer look truly mediocre. But no matter how frustrated a minister may be, Nigerians have been far more frustrated and longsuffering than they get credited for. The least a public servant -which one hopes Mr. Kachikwu still considers himself to be- can do is to ask for understanding not talk down at people as if they are nothing.

Public office is not ‘by force’ and Mr. Kachikwu can show candour without being rude.

matters, rewarded impunity-writ-large by reversing the lower courts.

In my column of 10 February 2016 entitled “The Will of the Supreme Court as the Basis of Government,” I expressed my very dim view of that decision. I can only wonder now what might have happened during the legislative rerun if the Supreme Court, instead of rewarding impunity under the cover of narrow and technical interpretation of the electoral act, had affirmed the lower courts and sternly reprimanded the perpetrators of electoral brigandage. It might not have eliminated violence altogether, but might that have served as a check to the brazenness, the sense of untouchability, nurtured by an assurance of lack of consequences that the foregoing demonstrates?

Nearly a year after the violent and rigged elections that led to the even more violent and rigged rerun, no single person has been tried or in any way held accountable for his or her crime. If the rivers of blood in Rivers State are ever to dry up enough for INEC to return to conduct free and fair elections there, if the state is henceforth to live up to its motto of Rivers of Possibilities, the perpetrators of murder and mayhem and sundry electoral crimes must first be tried and jailed.

There must be (dire) consequences for electoral crimes else we give up the foolish dream of a truly representative democracy.

20—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

STOP WORK ORDER ON SAND DREDGERS:

NIWA, Lagos agencies at daggers-drawn •Our business threatened by multiple charges — dredgers •Dredgers operating illegally, nuisance to environment—Lagos govt •Lagos should obey court order — NIWA

By Mike Ebonugwo

W

HO controls and regulates activitieswithinandaround Nigeria’swaterways?Thisisaquestion in the front burner of a simmeringface-offbetweenaFederalGovernment agency, the National InlandWaterwaysAuthority,NIWA and the Lagos State government as represented by Ministry of WaterfrontInfrastructureDevelopment and the Lagos State Waterways Authority. At the centre of this conflict are members of the Dredgers Association operating in Lagos.

It all began when the MWID issued a stop work order to dredging operators at Obadore, Ajah in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of the state following the failure by the dredgers to heed “several written and verbal warnings against their continued illegal dredging activities” in the said area.

Written and verbal warnings One of such demand notices addressed to one of the operators, CaybeeIndustrialLtd,readsinpart: “It was observed that your company has embarked on illegal dredging activities and the sale of sand for the past two years, despite several written and verbal warnings,therebycontraveningtherules establishing this Ministry. “Any further dredging or selling activity undertaken by your company under thecurrentcircumstanceswillattract severe penalties.”

A stop work order issued on same date to the Managing Director of another dredging outfit identified as Mercury 2 reads thus: “Consequent upon your dredging activities along the Lagos Lagoon atAddoRoadforeshore,AjahinEtiOsa Local Government Area of the State, I am directed to inform you to stop all dredging activities immediately, demobilise all dredge machines(machinecomponents)from thelagoon,removeallyourmachinery from site and completely evacuateallstockpiledsandfromtheforeshore within four weeks from the dateofthisletter,thatis22ndMarch, 2016.”

Rattled by the stop work order, the dredgers had quickly examined all their response options, including a subsisting court order which was supposed to restrain the state government from collecting permit or operating fees from them.

The court order was the outcome of a case which the Dredgers Association instituted against the Lagos C M Y K

State government at the Federal High Court Lagos. The case had the Incorporated Trustees of Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria and TheIncorporatedTrusteesofDredgers Association of Nigeria as plaintiffs, while the Lagos State Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development and the Lagos State Waterways Authority and seven others, including NIWA, were the defendants.

Delivering judgement in the case on March 28, 2014, the presiding judge,J.T.Tshoho,haddeclaredthat the demand for payments for operations of plaintiffs on the inland waterways by the Lagos State government “amounts to multiple charges and therefore unconstitutional and unlawful”.

In recognising NIWA as the body authorised under the law to regulate dredging activities, the judgement restrained the state from further collecting and imposing charges on the plaintiffs. But the Lagos Government appealed the judgement which is still pending.

Prince Tajudeen Abioye, the chief executive of Oji Bass Nig Ltd, informed that the dredgers were forced to seek legal redress due to the multiple charges imposed on them by the Ministry of Waterfront InfrastructuralDevelopmentandthe extortionist tendencies of some agencies of the state government.

According to him: “They came to us and said we should register with the MinistryofWaterfrontInfrastructural Development; that we should pay N10 million per year for one dredging machine. I have more than 20 upper dredging machine. That means I have to pay like N250 million per year for my machines.

Meanwhile for registering with NIWA, we are only asked to pay N250,000'’.

He also informed that dredgers are also compelled to pay sundry other charges which include what hecalls$100,000permitbribetostate

When there is a court order, it must be obeyed; so if we go ahead and collaborate with Lagos in their drive to collect revenue, we’re also going to face the danger of being charged for contempt of court

*A dredging machine in operation governmentagentsatthewaterfront and another $20,000 for keeping their sand at the waterfront.

On the alleged nuisance they constitute to the environment throughtheiroperation,heinformed that members of the Dredgers Association and the Tippers Association had taken it upon themselvestocleantheplaceatleast once a week, that is every Saturday.

“Whenweignoredtheirstopwork order, they went to the Tippers Association and told them to stop buying sand from us, threatening that the owner of any truck arrested would be made to pay N1 million.

Theyalsoresortedtocomingaround to arrest our members and workers and putting them inside a Black Maria. It was at this point that we had no choice but to run to NIWA to seek their intervention and protection,” he said.

Butinhisresponse,Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructural Development,AdebowaleAkinsanya, had this to say: “The dredgers are degrading the environment. If you go to Ado Badore in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, they have degraded the entire area through their activities. If their activities are not checked they will over run the entire state.

Annual licensing fees “Secondly, they are not being charged any exorbitant fee. They are only being charged for their annual licensing fees which is renewable at December of each year.

“Those accusing the state government of exorbitant fees are those dredgers who have not updated their license.

“As at December 31, 2015, I do not know of any dredger who has paid forrenewaloflicensetothestategovernment. They are claiming that once they have paid to the Federal Government, through NIWA, they do not have to pay the state government which is untrue.

“We had a stakeholders meeting sometime in February where the rules and regulations were read to dredgers. We are presently working in collaboration with NIWA to standardise their operations.

“On the issue of court injunction, yes we are in court and the Lagos State government has appealed the High Court judgement and we placedthestopworkorderforthwith, pending the determination of the appeal at the Appellate Court.”

But NIWA disagrees with the

*Mu’azu J. Sambo Commissioner.TheAuthority’sLagosAreaManager,Mu’azuJ.Sambo,saidtheLagosStategovernment was in error by issuing a stop work order to the dredging operators, describing the action as a drive for revenue generation.

Drive to collect revenue According to him: “When there is acourtorder,itmustbeobeyed.And where you don’t obey it, you commitcontempt.Inthisparticularcase, NIWA too was a defendant. So if we go ahead and collaborate with Lagos in their drive to collect revenue, we’re also going to face the danger of being charged for contempt of court.”

His advice for the state government is that since it had appealed the court judgement, it should wait for the outcome of the appeal before acting further on the matter. “The appeal process is still on. But it is a judgement which lawyers call declaratory judgement. In a declaratory judgement you cannot ask for a stay of execution; you must comply with it pending the outcome of your appeal. In as much as we want to collaborate with them(Lagos State government) to save the environment, we cannot collaborate with them to charge for revenue when the court has interpreted that they have no power under the Nigerian law to charge money for dredging activities,” he said.

On the state government claim that it moved against the dredgers because of the danger their operations posed to the environment,hehadthistosay:“Inmyown opinion, the problem is not really about environment; it’s about revenue generation; that is the honest truth. In all the meetings we had with them, they never raised the issue of revenue. Right from the beginning they said, please let’s

keepthejudgementaside; without prejudice to the judgement, let us discuss and address environment.”

He therefore frowned at a situation where Lagos decided to flout a court order by demanding that “each of these companies in Ajah cough out N3 million”, adding: “So if there are 20 of them, that meansN60million. Isthis not against the court order?” He further added that “NIWA will not be party or accept a situation where the court order is flouted.....They must hands off the issue of revenue. If you want revenue, go to appeal and win at appeal court first; even then we will now go to Supreme Court.”

He also disagrees with the claim that the sand dredgers are endangering the environment, including the ecosystem, describing it as “serious propaganda”. He said although there is a need to reduce the number of dredgers operating in the area, beyond that there was no cause for alarm as far as the environment is concerned.

Disturbing the environment Headdedthatbeingasmallplace, Obadoreshouldnothavemorethan five or six dredgers operating there.

He also conceded that it is common knowledge that dredging could disrupt or disturb the environment, but added that it was for this reason that NIWA engages consultants to carry out an environmental impact assessment, EIA, of dredging sites to determine the level of possible damage. “That is why we charge them(dredgers) N250,000 so that this money is paid to the environmental consultants,” he explained.

MrSamboalsostressedthatgiven the relevant laws, NIWA was under obligation to protect the dredging companiesfromundueharassment from any quarter, adding that its PoliceCommandwouldactdecisively in that regard. Speaking in the same vein, Austin Baraba, Force Commander, NIWA Police Command, said in the light of the complaint by the dredgers about attacks and harassment from some persons, his command had posted officersandstationedpatrolvehicles in the areas to arrest the situation and ensure there is no break down of law and order.

Vanguard, WEDNESSDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

— 21

IES accuses banks of frustrating $6.5bn empowerment fund disbursement

By Grace Udofia

I

AWARD: From left, Corporate Affairs Director, Unilever Nigeria Plc, Mrs. Soromidayo George; Human Resources Director, Unilever Nigeria Plc, Ms. Eniola Onimole, receiving the Top 25 CEO Award for Unilever Nigeria’s MD, Mr. Yaw Nsarkoh from the Director – IM, Samsung Electronics West Africa Ltd, Mr. Emmanouil Revmatas and Head, Product Marketing, Information Technology Mobile, Samsung Electronics West Africa Ltd at the BusinessDay Top 25 CEOs Awards Dinner 2016, in Lagos

CBN’s forex policy good for local production in companies sourcing for the foreign exchange they need to do business.

Aremu, also a political-economist, faulted those clamouring for the devaluation of the Naira, wondering what they wanted to achieve by the devaluation of the country’s currency.

Speaking to Vanguard, Aremu berated those attacking the personality of the Governor of the CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, saying: “The policy of CBN is not the person of the governor.

People should know how to separate the person from the policy of the bank. The CBN is an

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

O

RGANISED Labour has commended the Foreign Exchange Policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, saying it best serves the interest of local production rather import driven economy.

Speaking through the General Secretary of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN and Chairman IndustriALL Global Union, African Region, Mr. Issa Aremu, said there was nothing wrong

$ 127.60

-0.95

$2,967.00 -3.00 $ 15.84

$39.45

-0.82

$38.72

-0.67

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

-0.10

196 278.0064 219.2848 201.0875 1.737 0.3159 274.0086 30.1451 52.2569 29.4082 274.0276

SELLING 196.5 278.7156 219.8442 201. 6005 1.7414 0.3259 274.7076 30.2224 52. 3902 29.4833 274.7267

197 279.4248 220.4036 202.1135 1.7458 0.3359 275.4066 30.2998 52.5235 29.5583 275.4257

CBN Exchange rate as at 29/03/2016 C M Y K

We believe the CBN Policy on Foreign Exchange is good for local production and there is nothing wrong for companies to source their foreign exchange

autonomous institution. People should focus on the policy of the bank and not the person of the governor.

“The issue is, is the CBN policy on Foreign Exchange good for the economy, especially local production? The answer is yes. We believe the CBN Policy on Foreign Exchange is good for local production and there is nothing wrong for companies to source their foreign exchange.

Weak purchasing power “Why will people be calling for the devaluation of the Naira, and to achieve what? In any case, the Naira has been unofficially devalued? What has been the benefit to Nigeria and Nigerians?

“The effects have been high inflation, very weak purchasing power for workers, and other Nigerians and so on. Rather pay much attention to whether Naira should be devalued or not, we should focus on the general economy, how to boost local production.

“That is why we should support any policy aimed boosting local production and discourage policy aimed at importation.

Hence, we called for the resignation of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachukwu when he said it was cheaper to import petroleum products than refine locally because we know was wrong.”

NSTITUTE of Empowerment and Strategic studies, IES, yesterday, accused banks in the country of frustrating the disbursement of the $6.5 billion empowerment fund to beneficiaries who have met the requirements to be empowered to start small scale businesses.

Speaking at the business and global investment summit in Abuja, Director General of IES, Dr. Boniface Afifia-Oru, said that the banks are not making it easy for beneficiaries to access the funds available to them He added that situation was worsened by the current policy on dollar transfer which posed a serious setback for the beneficiaries to receive the required funds from their headquarters in New York at a time.

He explained that this money is been paid in piecemeal as a result of the policy on dollar transfer resulting in huge charges on different transfer that should have been done once as the money is distributed in months slowing the whole process.

According to him, the government has restored confidence and best practice in the financial sector, removal of bureaucratic bottlenecks especially at the ports and entrenchment of democratic governance adding that the government has also provided a boisterous market, five year tax holiday which has made it the lowest value added tax in sub-Sahara Africa.

To this end, he expressed hope

that very soon the first batch of people will begin to receive funds they have applied for as soon as the banks begin to disburse.

“My own is to put the funds there as I have done, I do not disburse. It is now the duty of the beneficiaries to go to the banks they have been assigned to, open an account there so that they can track the usage of that money, it is not a free money that anyone can just walk into the bank to access, it is a loan, so the bank must capture their own database to agree with all we have done.

Main source of funding “For those who have projects that are begging for funding, relax your mind, the IES will lead you to the main source of funding, and to the investors who have money and are seeking credible investments opportunities, relax your mind, the IES will lead you to your green pasture.”

Also speaking, President of Africa Development Bank, AFDB, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina stated that Nigeria’s economy has been adversely affected by external factors such as the fall in price of commodities particularly oil.

Akinwumi who was represented by the Lead Economist, AFDB, Barbara Barungi, commended IES for its effort in empowering people to diversify in times like this when the country needs to source for other means of growing the economy apart from crude oil.

Products certified by SON now accepted globally —Angya

By Franklin Alli

A

GRICULTURAL produces certified by Standards Organisation of Nigeria are now accepted globally.

Acting Director-General of SON, Dr. Paul Angya, disclosed this during standardization campaign held in Makurdi, Benue state. Angya said that SON has developed codes of practice in collaboration with the EU for products certification.

“This development will boost trade, as Nigerian products were facing rejection high levies and low pricing due to lack of awareness on available certification.

“I wish to reassure you that any product certified by SON will be accepted globally. I am all out to partner with all state governments in the training of MSMEs. Farmers, processors, millers, etc on how to achieve global best practices”, he said.

He called on states government to partner with SON to ensure that their agricultural products

are certified for export by the agency at its accredited laboratories.

Angya said the programme also seeks to create opportunities for interaction with the state government to solicit the necessary support in the drive for standardization of MSMEs production and business processes in the state.

“Our aim is to establish a culture of self regulation through voluntary participation in standardization which would enable the MSMEs to imbibe the standardization and quality assurance procedures in their businesses on their own volition”.

Reacting, the governor of Benue, Dr. Sam Ortom expressed his state government’s commitment to partner with SON to ensure agriculture produces from the state are certified for export.

He said certification of produces would boost their export value and also help checkmating the rejection of Nigerian export produces in the international market.

22 — VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

Companies can always build and access the capital they need to go into certain level of risks today against the future

,

,

ation of Leadway refutes alleg s refusal to settle claim

L

EADWAY Assurance Company Limited has reacted to some press reports making the rounds alleging a default on the part of a consortium of insurance companies (including Leadway Assurance Company Limited) to meet the obligations on claims’ payments due to deceased staff members of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) under its Group Life Insurance scheme.

In a statement by the company, it said “the value of insurance is in safeguarding individual wealth and it is our responsibility as insurers, to ensure that we protect our insured and pay their claims when they have suffered losses especially when a loved one has passed on.”

According to Leadway, the FCTA Group Life Insurance scheme was being handled by a consortium of underwriters starting from 2007 to date. Certain claims were reported between 2007 and 2012.

“The process is that every notified claim must be properly documented before a discharge voucher can be issued. Payment is then made in accordance with the policy contract subject to any prevailing law governing payment of benefit at the time of settlement, which, in this case, was the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2004.

"Some of the claims received were not properly documented and so could not be concluded till 2015 when full documentation was received. By the time payments were due to beneficiaries, the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014 was in effect.

Before the PRA 2004 was amended by the PRA 2014, life assurance benefits had to be paid to the deceased employee’s

Retirement Savings Account (RSA) with their named Pension Fund Administrator (PFA).

"Access to the deceased account could then only be secured under a Testamentary WILL of the deceased or by Letters of Administration issued to deceased legal representatives under Probate following intestacy.

"The review of the PRA 2004 came as a result of public outcry on the difficulty/inability of the families of deceased persons to promptly access life assurance benefits from the RSA of the deceased persons. The PRA 2014 now allows benefits to be paid directly to the named beneficiaries of the deceased persons and the responsibility for compliance is on the insurer.

Responsibility for compliance "In keeping with the PRA 2014, we issued our cheques in favour of the named beneficiaries of the deceased members of the FCTA. The FCTA is however insistent that for all claims reported prior to the PRA 2014, payment must be administered through the named PFAs of the deceased members in accordance with the PRA 2004 rather than as amended in 2014.

"It should be noted that some payments had already been issued in the name of beneficiaries and collected. In order to prevent further hardship to claimant beneficiaries while a tussle continues between the FCTA and insurers, the decision was finally made that payment cheques will be reissued in the name of the requisite PFAs as required under duress by the FCTA."

INSURAN With RBS, companies'll place themselves where they belong — NAICOM The Director, Inspectorate of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Mr. Barineke Thompson in this interview, states that with Risk Based Supervision (RBS), there is going to be a whole lot of regulatory interaction and evaluation of risks register of insurance companies.

Excerpts.

By Rosemary Onuoha

H

OW will RBS affect insurance companies?

Risk Based Supervision (RBS) is not necessarily going to take the place of underwriting but underwriters will be guided into the business they undertake given the level of risks existing in their present portfolios and business strategy and then their future business strategy or risks they intend to go into.

RBS is both current and futuristic. So if it is current, it means assessing how you are now, in terms of your risks and then assessing the type of risks you intend to go into and then to determine whether you have the required level of capital.

Operating a refinery RBS is futuristic in the sense that, as an underwriter you could have a prospective client who perhaps is involved in operating a refinery. So you would have factored all of that in the future element of your risks profiling and appraisal to determine what volume of capital you will require if that is what you want to go into.

So it is going to be now and future and not backward. With the old compliance system, we will look at the past and say

AGM: From left, Mr Sam Cookey Jr, Vice President, BDAN & Director, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc; Sir Steve Omojafor, President, BDAN & Director, Zenith Bank Plc and Mrs Funmi Oyetunji, Secretary, BDAN & Director, Ecobank Nig. Ltd at the association’s 19th AGM. C M Y K

whether you complied with the rule or not. But now, principles and directives will both be given to guide you on how you will mark your risks register and your capital to the different risks you want to go into. So it is about the future and not the past.

Companies can always build and access the capital they need to go into certain level of risks today against the future.

There is going to be a whole lot of regulatory interaction and evaluation of that risks register.

Will NAICOM recall licenses?

It is not going to be like we will recall licenses, no. Right now if we are to bring in RBS to apply in the industry, operators will assess themselves and we will assess them also and we will know if the N3b you have for life, for instance, is sufficient for the level of risks, businesses and exposures you presently face for the future that you already estimated.

With RBS, your strategic business policy document, your annual budget, trends from the past and how far you have achieved will all be a major instrument in the evaluation process. It is not going to be like we will recall licenses but underwriters will assess themselves and see where they

Right now if we are to bring in RBS to apply in the industry, operators will assess themselves and we will assess them also

belong. Hence, they can decide not to write certain level of risks anymore and we will also be able to advise them. That is why on one side of the paper of the RBS, it states that it will create an incentive to compete.

Incentive in the sense that, there are companies that already have about N5b as a non life company today but giving the level of business they do their turnover is only wobbling around N2b to N3b.

It is different from a company that has shareholders fund of N5b and is doing a turnover of N8b to 10b.

The risks content of the volume of business of the company who is doing a higher turnover is likely going to be higher than the person who is doing N2b turnover.

What it means is that it will inform the person who is doing N2b turnover to take up more business into their portfolio than the present one it is taking.

So you will know whether you are overcapitalised or undercapitalised. So we are not going to recall any license.

When companies reduce their businesses in terms of portfolio that they assumed, it would have been an interaction between us and them interrogating and agreeing that ‘ yes, this is where you find yourself’ and the criteria would have been defined.

Sufficient quality of capital We could tell them that, ‘Since you are at this level, this is what you require. You operate at this level, this is what you require.’ So, it is when companies don’t meet all of that and we ask them of the things they have put in place in terms of additional support.

If they don’t have sufficient quality of capital and not acceptable to us, then we won’t take it. We can now move such a company to the next level of intervention in such cases.

How does NAICOM intend to evaluate underwriters?

The advantage we have is that we are not going to be the first to implement RBS. Secondly there are internationally acceptable standards and guidelines from world financial regulatory bodies. They have already defined the minimum and the process or given guidelines on what is expected

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016—23

VOL. 1 NO 61 Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARYWEDNESDAY, 20, 2016 Vanguard, MARCH 30, 2016

NGO builds 3-bedroom bungalow for 135-year-old man in Ebonyi

By Peter Okutu

A

BAKALIKI—A NonGovernmental Organization, Chinedu Ogah Foundation, last weekend built and handed over a 3bedroom bungalow to Ebonyi State's presumed oldest man as part of its programme of taking care of the less privileged and down trodden in society.

The beneficiar y, Pa Nmbaka Nwanchati is presumably aged 135 and hails from Edukwu-Ohatekwe community of Ikwo Local Government Area of the state. The construction of buildings in the area brought together a mammoth crowd to felicitate with the beneficiary and his family members.

The Organization also constructed a culvert for Obeagu-Ohatekwe community to ease their movement to other neighbouring communities and avert incidences of drowning as experienced by members of the community in times past.

In a chat with South East Voice, the Founder of the NGO, Comrade Chinedu Ogah who expressed the determination of his organization to sustain the tempo in the provision of basic amenities and welfare packages to the less privileged across the state assured that the gesture would continue for the betterment of all and sundry.

According to Ogah who is also the National Coordinator of Buhari/ Osibanjo Initiative For Demonstrating Change in Nigeria, what his Organization was merely doing was to rev up the policies and programmes of the APC-led government of ensuring that the needs of the people, especially the rural dwellers were met.

“It is good for leaders to make their impact felt at the rural level. It is good that we relate with the people at the grass root level in order to bring dividend of democracy to their door steps. we have done a lot and we will continue by God’s grace,” he said.

Commissioning the projects, the state Chairman of All Progressive con-

Continues on Page 25

Pa Nmbaka Nwanchati being assisted by a member of the community when his benefactor came visiting.

From 1909: Sad tale of Enugu coal industry E

By Francis Igata

NUGU—IN 1909, coal was discovered in Enugu State, Nigeria. The Ogbete drift mine opened six years later. The Ogbete mine’s operations and others in the country were merged into a new corporation in 1950.The Nigerian Coal Corporation. The NCC was tasked with exploiting coal resources and held a monopoly on coal and coke mining, C M Y K

production, and sales until 1999.

The name Enugu is synonymous with coal. This is due to the existence of large quantities of coal that drove the engine of the nation’s economy before the civil war.

The acronym ‘coal city,’ for which Enugu State is presently known reflects the abundance of the mineral resources in the area. Experts have put Enugu’s coal at two billion tons, or more. It was said to have been discovered by the

British explorers then in charge of administration of the country and who did not waiver in exploring coal.

South-East Voice findings showed that mining of coal in Enugu started in 1916 at the Ogbete mine; other mines like the Ribadu, Onyeama and Okpara were subsequently opened.

During the civil war, coal mine was established at Odagbor, later known as Okaba coal, which became the Nigeria Coal Corporation, while the one in

Enugu was known as the Biafra Coal Corporation. But, at the end of the war, the two were merged.

Nigeria’s coal industry suffered a blow in the 1950s when oil was discovered.

Up until this point, the Nigerian Railway Corporation was the largest consumer of coal in the country. However, after the discovery of oil, the Railway Corporation began to replace its coal burning trains with diesel-powered engines. An additional negative impact came when the Electricity Corporation

Continues on Page 25

24— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

2 sons of policemen, 6 others killed for robbery, kidnap

EEDC explains crazy bills, tasks consumers on energy theft

By Chinenyeh Ozor

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By Emeka Mamah

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NUGU—THE Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, has blamed what it described as incidences of overbilling of its customers on “energy theft” and appealed to electricity consumers in the South East to assist the company to apprehend the perpetrators.

According to EEDC, energy theft is the major cause of the bloated bills, otherwise known as crazy bills. It said that “energy losses (theft) in Nigeria was about the highest in the world.”

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr Robert Dickerman made this known during a town hall meeting with EEDC customers in Enugu, weekend.

Dickerman, explained that energy theft occurred when consumers who are not captured in the company’s users’ database plug onto the system and consume electricity not accounted for, adding that this often led to sudden rise in the quantum of electricity consumed in a particular neighbourhood or district, where such a theft occurred.

He said that rise in quantum of electricity consumed usually gave rise to crazy bills, pointing out that the situation would be reversed if consumers helped by alerting the EEDC promptly.

“Help us to stop the practice; it is in everyone’s interest— both the company and consumers,” he said.

Dickerman, an American who said he has worked in 25 other countries on electricity matters before coming to the country further said: “Most DISCOs are virtually bankrupt because we cannot collect all our tariffs.

When a man suddenly starts manufacturing say pure water in your neighbourhood using the same power source as private, residential users in that neighbourhood, you must stop him or report such a person to us because if you do not, you are going to pay for the power he is consuming.

“It is the power he consumes illegally that is often passed over to you as crazy bills.

Certainly, the system would record any rise in the quantity of power consumed but if the consumer cannot be traced because he has consumed the power illegally, the burden must be borne by you who are captured in the users’ database. That is what results in crazy bills and that is why you must be vigilant to prevent

EEDC MD/CEO, Robert Dickerman, addressing the electricity consumers energy theft in your neighbourhood or district.”

Dickerman also stressed that only 700,000 consumers were in EEDC’s database in the South East pointing out that the figure was a far cry from the actual number of consumers in the five states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo which make up the South East.

He, however said that the company had deployed enumerators to update the figure and enable it have a more accurate number of consumers as well as how to attend to their needs and minimise energy theft, which

had not made EEDC lose money but led to consumers enjoying poor services.

Commenting on estimated billing, Dickerman said it was still happening because there are not yet enough meters to go round every household and or commercial place in the zone even as the company had procured some meters, which were now being sold at N39,000 for the single phase and N68,000 for the three-phase meter.

“You are as worried as we are.

Believe you me, estimated billing does not benefit us financially or professionally.

But, while the sale of the cap

meter is going on now, it is not compulsory,” he added.

Meanwhile, consumers asked a lot of burning questions regarding EEDC’s services.

However, in answers to most of the questions, which bordered on crazy billing, slow response to customers’ complaints, poor customer relations and lacklustre attitude of some EEDC staff to work, among others, Head, Customer Service, Ijeoma Ogudebe, assured consumers of a new era in the way EEDC runs.

Aba police get 20 vehicles to combat crime

By Ugochukwu Alaribe

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BA—THE Police Area Command, Aba, Abia State has received 20 Sports Utility Vehicles, SUVs, fully equipped with modern security gadgets donated to the state police command by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of the state.

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Solomon Arase received vehicles from Ikpeazu and handed them over to the state Commissioner of Police, Joshak Habila for distribution.

Speaking at the Aba Area Command after handing over the cars to the Police Area Commander in Aba, Peter Wagbara, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP, Habila warned criminals in the city and other parts of the state to relocate because they would no longer be comfortable in the state.

Before the vehicles were handed over to various police D-divisions including the Mobile Police Force, MOPOL 55 Squadron Command, Aba,

Some of the cars. they were driven round the city of Aba in a convoy led by Habila.

The police commissioner insisted that with the support of the state government and collaboration between the Police and other security agencies, the state would be made unsafe for criminals.

Habila disclosed that the vehicles would not be used for patrols, but stationed at black spots and tactical operation points, including exit routes through which criminals escaped after robbing or kidnapping their victims.

He said, “We have mapped

the state which gives us the opportunity to locate areas used as escape routes by criminals and hoodlums. The vehicles are going to be stationed in such black spots; vulnerable and tactical operation points. The essences is to enable us cut short response time to distress calls and to lock down the city from criminals who would come to commit offences and escape.

“Aba is no longer safe and it is going to be very hot and discomforting for criminals who may want to come into the city and the state to commit any crime and try to have their

SUKKA—TWO sons of two police officers and a kidnapper were among eight armed robbery suspects killed during an exchange of fire with the police at Nsukka on Good Friday, when Christians throughout the world were marking death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

One of the armed robbers was the son of a retired Assistant Superintendent of Police, while the other was the son of a serving police inspector.

Source told South East Voice that the eight suspects were killed at separate operations in the university town in Enugu State by the Police Anti- Robbery Squad, SARS. South East Voice gathered that one of the sons of the police officers identified simply as Arinze Ossai hailed from Igboeze North Local Government Area, stationed his robbery gang at a hotel in the area from where the gang terrorised the entire local government area and its environs for several months, robbing and kidnapping people in the area.

It was gathered that following information volunteered to the Police and members of the local vigilante group, the dare devil robbers were confronted in their hideouts, leading to exchange of fire between the Police and the suspects and the death of three of the suspects.

The Igboeze North vigilante group working on a tip off had contacted SARS at the Area command, Nsukka which later accosted the gang which had earlier robbed a Toyota Venza vehicle belonging to a returnee from Malaysia.

Four other suspects, two of whom were identified as Ifeanyi Ogbu and Abuchi Ogbaje from Igboeze South Local Government Area were also reportedly killed while trying to rob their victims on Good Friday.

A member of the Igboeze North vigilante group said that the gang members gave them a tough time as they knew all the entry and exit points of every community in the area, adding that the police officers sons were the executioners of the gang.

A senior police officer confirmed the incident at the Police Area Command, Nsukka, saying that there was heavy exchange of fire between the Police and the robbers.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016—25

S’East youths benefit from entrepreneurship programme

From 1909: Sad tale of Enugu coal industry Continues from Page 23 of Nigeria began converting its power generation equipment from coal to diesel and gas as it was further gathered that greater attention was paid to it at a time because of its many uses in powering heavy engines, provision of electricity among others, leading to employment creation. It was also in higher demand then, among many countries.

The Nigerian Civil War also negatively impacted coal production; many mines were abandoned during the war.

Following the war, production never completely recovered and coal production levels were erratic.

Attempts at mechanizing production ended badly, as both the implementation and maintenance of imported mining equipment proved troublesome, and hurt production. After the civil war, the Nigerian coal industry has not been able to return to its peak production of the 1950s.

Nigeria still holds large coal reserves, estimated to be at least 2 billion metric tons. The discovery of bituminous coal suitable for use in coke production for the iron and steel industries opens up potential new domestic markets. With the loss of its largest domestic consumers, the NCC began exporting coal to Italy and the United Kingdom, as its low sulfur content is desirable.

In 1999, the NCC lost its monopoly over the Nigerian coal industry as the Obasanjo government allowed private companies to begin operating coal fields in joint ventures with the NCC, with an eventual goal of completely selling off the NCC’s assets to private investors. The Nigerian government planned to sell

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One of the old coal mines.

40% to private investors and 20% to the Nigerian public, while retaining 40%.

In 2002, work stopped at NCC-operated mines. In 2003, the Nigerian government announced plans to create a technical advisory committee that would be tasked with reviving Nigeria’s coal industry.

By 2004, the technical committee had still not issued their report, and the NCC found itself almost bankrupt. To raise funds, it began to sell off some of its assets in an attempt to pay off its mounting debt, including salary that was owed to its employees. Additionally, the Enugu State Government protested the planned NCC

privatization and demanded the ability to consult with the Federal Government on any planned sale.

An ex-worker of the coal Corporation, Enugu, Pius Ezugwu, told South East Voice that: “What appeared to have gone wrong in the coal industry was not in isolation; that good old days referred to was when coal actually was the main primary source of energy.

The advent of oil and gas affected coal in no small measure and, too, the Nigeria Coal Corporation was the main supplier for some industries.

“For instance, the Nkalagu Cement Company was fully operational and her services

ran fully on coal; the railways were running on locomotive, Oji-River was running on coal. So, all of these establishments that were running on coal then, depended on the Nigerian Coal Corporation.

“So, you could understand that whatever affected any of these three will certainly affect Nigeria Coal Corporation, that’s what happened”.

He stated that the situation was compounded by what he described as “total lack of attention” on coal by succeeding governments in the country, stressing that no effort was spared at getting alternatives to petrol and gas.

NGO builds 3-bedroom bungalow for 135-year-old

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

Francis Igata, Enugu Nwabueze Okonkwo, Onitsha

The house.

Ugochukwu Alaribe, Aba

Continues from Page 23

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

By Vincent Ujumadu

gress, APC, Chief Ben Nwobashi commended Ogah for initiating the projects and called on well meaning Nigerians to emulate such gestures

as it was necessary for individuals in positions to affect the lives of their people positively.

Appreciating the gesture, a member of the community and pioneer Vice Chancellor of Ebonyi State University,

Abakaliki, Professor Fidelis Ogah, thanked God for using the NGO to construct the culvert and build a house for the old man.

OUTHS in the South East Geo-political zone are to benefit from the entrepreneurship programme established by Intarfact Beverages Limited based in Onitsha, Anambra State.

The programme is targeted at youths between the ages of 18 and 35 years, who are expected to submit business plans and who already have their own companies. Essentially, the beneficiaries are to receive intensive training business fundamental expert assistance, business coaching and mentoring, as well as seed capital to help grow the business.

At the launch of the programme in Onitsha, the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, who is the Chairman of Board of Trustees of SABMiller Hero’s Foundation, said it was aimed at creating and developing a local culture of business entrepreneurship among young people in the South East by encouraging and promoting business skills, managerial awareness and material support.

The monarch said the programme would bring refreshment to people, explaining that it is part of its social corporate investment initiative of the company towards poverty alleviation and sustainable enterprise development in its areas of operation.

He said: “The end objective is to ensure that our youth in the South East with bright business ideas, have an opportunity to turn these ideas into reality, which will in turn reduce unemployment by engaging them meaningfully through an entrepreneurship programme that will encourage them to bring their dreams to life.

“We are not unaware that there are expectations from the communities around our areas of operations, particularly in Anambra State and that is why, as a major business venture in the South East, Intafact has to maintain an enduring relationship with people of the region.”

According to him, it is expected that the initiative will not only grow the local economy of the South East region, but will indeed, generate a paradigm shift in wealth creation as the multiplier effects will be quite impressive and farreaching.

26—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY,

MARCH 30, 2016

Osisioma Foundation, a blessing to Ndigbo —Peter Obi

By Emeka Mamah

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ORMER Anambra State governor, Mr. Peter Obi, says that the birth of Osisioma Foundation was not only a blessing but the vehicle needed

by Ndigbo to re-establish themselves globally in commerce and education.

Obi said that the foundation served as a tool for the economic and political emancipation of Ndigbo, and enjoined the entire Igbo to support its cause.

Addressing over 3000 participants at the 2016 reunion of members of the Osisioma Foundation in Awka the former governor described the concept of Osisioma Foundation as unique and similar to those in the United States of America and other developed societies.

“I want to tell you that I am amazed with the crowd here, the huge attendance has signified that God has already blessed the mission and vision of Osisioma Foundation and its founder, Dr. Chike Obidigbo.

Several foundations, I know were established for political reasons, but the main objectives of Osisioma from the documents available here, are to empower people, liberate our people from poverty and improve the society as well as open up the Anambra economy,” he said.

He praised God for giving Anambra State a person of Dr. Chike Obidigbo, who he

From left— Chief Maxi Okwu, Igwe Roland Odegbo, Col. Geoff Onyejegbu, Dr. Chike Obidigbo and Ichie Okwuchukwu Ezeaku. described as a rare gem in administration, commerce and industry.

According to him, the founder of Osisioma Foundation has been involved in the manufacturing of several products and paying thousands of workers’ salaries, adding that he was the best candidate to govern Anambra State in the next dispensation.

Obi, however, re-assured the Willy Obiano administration of his support, adding that “Obiano’s success is my priority now even as we plan ahead.”

Declaring the event open, the founder of the foundation, Dr.

Chike Obidigbo, stated that one of the mission statements of the organization, was to build an ideal society where peace and harmony, health and happiness of every citizen would be guaranteed.

Obidigbo, explained that the foundation was also committed to the economic, social and political development of Anambra State and Ndigbo in particular, and vowed to stand firm against exclusivity in policy formulation and implementation, because according to him, “they represent modern forms of discrimination that feeds

discontent, acrimony and violence.

“It is our belief that until everyone and every segment of the society is given a true sense of belonging and is captured in the scheme of things, the entrenchment of self-interest and bitter struggles for political power would continue, especially within our immediate environment, Anambra state,” he further remarked.

Drawing his inspiration from biblical injunctions, Obidigbo said, “perhaps the old testament prophet, Habakkuk had us in mind, when he declared that the vision is yet

THE AHANEKU FAMILY HONOURS MATRIACH

The Ahaneku family recently held an outing service in honour of their mum, Lady Elizabeth Adaure Ahaneku. South East Voice was there.

The Ahanekus, friends and relations at the altar

Some of the priests that officiated at the outing mass of the Ahanekus.

The Ahanekus during offertory procession.

The pictures were earlier published under a wrong headline. The error is regretted—Editor

Some royal fathers and guests at the event.

for an appointed time, but at the end, it shall speak, and not lie: though, it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, It will not tarry. The just shall live by his faith.”

In her paper, titled “post war trauma-a time to heal, the voice of a curious Igbo woman in the Diaspora”, a Nigerian star in America, Miss Nkem Nwankpa, said that after leaving Nigeria as a teenager 18 years back, she began to romanticize the idea of returning to Africa, her sweet home.

Nwankpa, from Iwolo, Enugu State, however, observed that whenever she returned to her country, she always left with disappointment of the challenges of basic living, such as lack of running water, environmental waste, irregular power supply, bribery and corruption, the fear of armed robbers and kidnappers.

According to her, post traumatic stress disorder was a psychiatric disorder that could occur following the experience or witnessing of military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, physical or sexual assault in adult or childhood.

Also, presenting his paper entitled “towards the economic, social political emancipation of the Igbo nation”, a former Commissioner for Information in Ebonyi State, Chief Abia Onyike, expressed joy that despite the absence of any secondary school within the Igbo nation by 1900, the people have remained a force in Nigeria’s education industry.

Papers were also presented

by Chairman, Osisoma Foundation, Dr. Nnanna Egwu, Chief Emeka Nwike, Chief Gilead Okolonkwo, Miss Felicity Okolo, a youth development expert, among others.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 —

,

CE & YOU

There is going to be a quality control team to interrogate all assessment, inspection and evaluation report

27

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Over N3bn of pension assets invested in FG securities — PenCom

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WORKSHOP: From left, Chairman, Northern Area Committee of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Mr. Olalekan Olaniran; Managing Director, Legacy Insurance Brokers, Mr. Babatunde Thomas and NCRIB President, Mr. Kayode Okunoren at the Northern Area Committee Workshop organised for insurance brokers and underwriters, in Kano. when you are carrying out risks assessment.

Whatever documentation we put in place or training to guide our supervisors or officers will always revolve around this and even improve from the benefits of other jurisdictions that have gone ahead of us.

So we are still going to borrow from what others have done. The national assembly has an oversight power over us, the Ministry of Finance also have. However, it is required of the regulator to act transparently and to have resources especially staff that are versatile enough to be able to act in trust. It is human beings that must do them.

There is going to be a quality control team to interrogate all assessment, inspection and evaluation report. There will be off site and on site report before final decisions are taken and whatever we do will still be subjected to communicating it to the company. Such company will react back to us and confirm whether it agrees or not. From our evaluation also, there will

be basic report from the company.

The company must have carried out these evaluations by themselves. From the enterprise risks management framework that we have and because risks register will be there, they will evaluate themselves like they are reporting to tell you that ‘this is who I am and where I am.

This is where my board, control function are and this is how they

are performing. By my evaluation as a company, this is the level of capital that I need to carry out my businesses.’ So, it is for us to now receive and interrogate that with all the information available to us and with the meetings we will have both with their board and management. Any reservations we have will be clearly discussed at the high level of the company.

S the accumulated pension assets, which currently stands at N5.3 trillion, continues to grow on daily basis, the National Pension Commission (PenCom) has revealed that a total of N3.49 trillion, representing 66.41 per cent of the fund, is invested in Federal Government’s securities.

PenCom has insisted that there is no idle fund in the kitty of Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs) and has consequently detailed how the pension assets is being invested.

The details which was published on the commission’s website showed that N505.71 billion, representing 9.97 per cent, was invested in domestic ordinary share, N69.10 billion (1.35 per cent) in foreign ordinary shares. Federal Government of Nigeria securities got N3.49 trillion (66.41 per cent) a breakdown: Bonds N2.95 trillion (56 per

AACN has achieved increased visibility — Adewole

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RESIDENT of the Association of Assets Custodians of Nigeria, (AACN), Mrs. Kemi Adewole has said that the Association has achieved increased market visibility in its few years of operation.

Adewole who disclosed this during the 2016 annual general meeting of the Association in Lagos, said that as a key securities market group, courtesy calls were made to the Governor of the Central Bank

of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele; Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr. Mounir Gwarzo; as well as the CEOs of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Central Securities Clearing Systems Plc (CSCS).

She said, “We achieved regular engagements with key market regulators on topical issues affecting the Nigerian securities market. Improved collaboration with other Capital

TOP INSURANCE GAINERS & LOSERS

Market Operators (CMO) groups, The Association has developed a working relationship with other CMO groups. The successful hosting of the 4th Annual Investor Conference that was held in London, UK was adjudged the best so far in terms of recorded participants, quality of speakers and the issues discussed.”

The six member institutions of the Association were ably represented at the annual general meeting.

Adewole stated that the tenure of the current leadership of the Association commenced after the 2nd annual general meeting held in 2014.

At the end of the meeting, Adewole announced that she was stepping down as the President of the Association and the office was ceded to Mrs. Taiwo Sonola who was until then a Vice President of the association. Taiwo will act as the president of the Association until the next election.

Sonola thanked Adewole for her exceptional leadership of the Association and promised her commitment to continue from where she left.

cent) and treasury bills N480.26 billion (10 per cent).

State government securities got N157.13 billion (3.14 per cent); corporate debt securities, N179.45 billion (3.04 per cent); supranational bonds, N12.69 billion (0.22 per cent); local money market securities, 516.18 billion (10.39 per cent); foreign money market securities, N645 million (0.01 per cent); open/closed end fund, N19.36 billion 0.42 per cent.

Real estate properties got N231.25 billion (4.52 per cent); private equities funds, N13.43 billion (0.34 per cent); infrastructure funds, N1.40 billion (0.02 per cent); cash & other assets, N58.71 billion (0.70 per cent) and other liabilities, N38.02 billion (0.52 per cent).

Investment guidelines Director-General of PenCom, Mrs Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, said the fund is not lying idle in any bank account as alleged by those who do not understand the working of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

She noted that all pension funds are invested according to the industry’s investment guidelines, stressing that the industry ’s investment guidelines specified how the funds are to be invested.

She said some investors do not get funds from the industry because they fail to meet the requirements in the guidelines.

She said the industry is willing to invest in infrastructure and other projects, but the terms and conditions spelt out in the investment guidelines must be strictly adhered to. She maintained that the Commission and pension operators would not bend the rules to please anybody.

The PenCom boss urged those agitating for the deployment of pension funds to understand that the funds are held in trust for workers who definitely get their contributions at retirement, hence all investment are done with the workers in mind.

Send comments & enquiries to insuranceandyou@yahoo.com

28 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

Amapakabo eyes NPFL title with Rangers

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nugu Rangers now have the belief that they can win the Nigeria Professional Football League title this season after Sunday’s 2-1 win over champions Enyimba in Enugu.

Bobby Clement and Chisom Egbuchulam netted firsthalf goals to condemn the Peoples Elephant to their third away defeat of the season.

Rangers head coach Imama Amapakabo believes the win at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium has given his side a huge psychological push as they look to win their first league title in more than three decades.

“I discussed with my players before the game how important it was for us to win against Enyimba. “That game against Enyimba was the game that was going to make us league champions.

LAGOS FA CUP:

Synergy Ultimate halts 36 Lions …Ogbenna dedicates win to Osimhen

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agos FA Cup debutants, Ultimate Synergy F.C Sat urday zoomed into the quarter final stage of the competition.

The pet club of the players Agent, Chinedu Ogbenna defeated 36 Lions F.C 4-2 penalties in a round of 32 game decided at the Agege stadium, Lagos.

The pulsating round of 32 game had ended goal-less at full time before Synergy Ultimate Strikers beautifully netted four of their resultant penalty kicks as against 2 of 36 Lions funded by another Agent Alhaji Gafaar.

Synergy Ultimate Striker’s boss Chinedu Ogbenna dedicated the win against 36 Lions to their ex star, Victor Osimhen now set for a professional career at German Bundesliga side, Wolfsburg.

As the club celebrated at their Oregun base, Ogbenna said his team was inspired by exploits of Victor Osimhen who won the FIFA Under 17 world cup with the Golden Eaglets. “We are indeed happy for the progress in the Lagos FA cup and Victor Osimhen is the big inspiration of all us. We are certain that there are many more Osimhen here at Synergy Strikers and we have vowed to work harder”.

While applauding the scintillation skills of many of his players, Ogbenna predicted better days ahead after saluting the fierce challenge of 36 Lions. Inspired by his fellow agent Alhaji Gafar.

Moonluck FC dazzle into Lagos FA Cup semis

I’ll quit Chelsea if...

— Mikel

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HELSEA Midfielder John Obi Mikel has said he is ready to leave Stamford Bridge after 10 years if he is not guaranteed regular football next season. Mikel hardly featured under ex-boss Jose Mourinho before his exit in December but has been a key part of interim boss Guus Hiddink’s plans. And he has no plans to go back to being just a squad player under the Blues’ next manager, expected to be Antonio Conte. Nigeria captain Mikel said: “I have one more season with Chelsea but I know when this season ends, we will definitely sit down and try to sort out whatever needs to be sorted out.

“If it means me leaving, fine.

If it means me staying, then I have to play because one thing I don’t want to do is to sit on the bench like I did before.

“It’s not very nice, especially now when you have kids you just want to do what you can to play,” said the midfielder.

“Wherever it is I just want to play. When this season ends we will definitely sort out the contracts. “Legacy is important and I’m very proud and happy that I’ve kept this legacy to be able to achieve what I have achieved.”

igh flying Lagos side Moonluck FC have quali fied for the semifinal of the Lagos State FA Cup, defeating First Bank FC 1-0 in a quartet final match held at the Agege Stadium.

Coached by seasoned tactician, Godfrey Esu, Moonluck FC dazzled their more illustrious opponents, winning the hearts of the hordes of fans that thronged the stadium to see the encounter, which had all the trappings of a champion in the making.

Striker Henry Chidi Ozongwu scored the decisive goal in the 78th minute when he carefully fired in shot into the First Bank net, driving in the final nail into the coffin of the highly fancied First Bankers.

With this win, Moonluck FC hit the semis, high in confidence of progressing to the grand finale which will launch them into the spotlight and herald the start of great things to expect from these talented boys.

The Media Officer of the club, Chilaka Patrick told reporters that Moonluck were not getting overly excited by their growing success, noting that the lads will take it one match one at a time until they get to their final destination.

He added that the club’s management was doing all within its means to ensure the boys are well motivated to defeat their next opponents in their bid to claim FA Cup glory this year C M Y K

Joe Boy, Prince Nurudeen to clash

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he much awaited national lightweight title fight between reigning champion, Nurudeen “Prince” Fatai and challenger, Oto “Joe Boy” Joseph will take place at the next edition of GOtv Boxing Night.

This was disclosed by the organisers at the end of the sixth edition of the event on Friday. Billed for 1 May at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos, the fight will headline the event.

Already, the proposed fight has all the trappings of a blockbuster. Nurudeen, who was knocked out by Joe Boy in a challenge fight at GOtv Boxing Night 4 is nursing a grudge. Previous attempts at a rematch were thwarted by a lengthy hand injury suffered by Nurudeen. “The injury has now healed,” disclosed Nurudeen, who entered the ring to openly throw a challenge at Joe Boy on Friday.

Joe Boy, whose explosive style, gave him a first round knockout over Hogan Jimoh Jnr. at the event, said Nurudeen will fall again.

TPL promises football lovers more fun

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igeria’s foremost social me dia driven football tournament, Twitter Premier League (TPL) 7th edition is here again and promises to be more fun for it will be launching a full league format meaning there will be more football matches and more fun for all sport lovers who attend.

TPL is a social media driven football tournament that started May in 2014 and aimed at bringing back fun in sporting activities and assist in re-igniting the interest of youths in sports using football as a platform especially in indigenous sports.

TPL currently has six male teams and two female teams who slug it out at Campos Mini stadium, Lagos Island.

The 7th edition is themed ‘’The Revolution”.

Stating the reason for the format change, TPL’s CEO, SeunAdebule said that “The full league format was chosen to create a platform for proper display of talent, instead of knockout matches straight away for teams that have been training so long for TPL. The TPL community wants to spread the fun throughout the year.”

BY JOHN EGBOKHAN

H

GOtv Boxing Night 7:

Akwa United players enjoy N50k match bonus T

HE management of Akwa United has approved the payment of N50,000 match bonus for playing a draw with Wikki Tourists of Bauchi in the NPFL match day nine last Sunday.

The Chairman of the Club, Mr Paul Bassey announced that the players will receive N50,000 for drawing that match instead of N30,000 away draw bonus.

He said, “it is not easy to go to Bauchi and draw. The management is impressed with their performance in that clash and we are urging them to double up their efforts in future games in order to pick more away points in the league,” Bassey said. It would be recalled that when he took over the leadership of the club, match bonuses were increased as follows, away win N50,000, away

draw N30,000 and home win N20,000 to each player The Team Manager of the Club, Mr Emmanuel Udoh who said that Akwa United have stepped up their game, assured they will endeavour to amass maximum three points in Katsina against Elkanemi on Wednesday(today) in a rescheduled game. He thanked the Chairman for repositioning the club within few weeks in office.

Similarly, the players who have arrived Katsina for the rescheduled match with Elkanami have vowed to win the game with a convincing margin. Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, the

team’s captain, Otobong Effiong said they are prepared for the match. His words “we are set for the match, all of us are in one mind to win “

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 — 29

Ibrahimovic drops retirement hint Z

latan Ibrahimovic has offered a reminder that his next career move could be into retirement.

The enigmatic Sweden international is set to conclude a decorated four-year spell with Paris SaintGermain at the end of this season, leaving the French capital as a four-time Ligue 1 champion and the club’s record goalscorer.

Ibrahimovic has been extensively linked with a host of clubs and this week claimed he is the subject of interest from the Premier League.

Guardiola won't distract United — Vidic

F

ormer Manchester United captain Ne manja Vidic insists the club will not become distracted from their own development when Pep Guardiola takes charge at Manchester City.

The Bayern Munich head coach will replace Manuel Pellegrini at the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season, having agreed a three-year deal with the 2014 Premier League champions.

Guardiola’s arrival has been viewed as a major coup for City as they aim to establish supremacy over their local rivals, but Vidic says his old club will not be giving much thought to the former Barcelona boss’ arrival.

“I believe he wants to be part of the best league in the world,” the recently retired defender told MUTV. “All top players and the managers want to be part of English football. That’s great for the players, the fans and for everyone who loves English football, but we only look at ourselves and we are not really focusing on what City does.

But the 34-year-old told TV4 in his homeland that Sweden’s Euro 2016 camapaign could prove to be his footballing curtain call.

“Anything could happen next summer. Maybe I’ll just retire,” Ibrahimovic said.

“Nobody’s thought of that possibility. I would prefer to go out at the top.”

On Monday, West Ham cochairman David Sullivan told talkSPORT he would like to sign Ibrahimovic ahead of the club’s move to the London Olympic Stadium.

Wenger has no plans to step down A

RSENE Wenger has no plans to step down as Arsenal manager despite discontent among fans after the club’s Premier League title challenge faltered.

Arsenal have won only one of their last four Premier League matches to leave them 11 points behind leaders Leicester, while the Gunners have also exited the FA Cup and Champions League this month.

That has brought the future of the Premier League’s longest-serving manager into question once again, but Wenger told beIN Sports he remains committed to the club he has managed since 1996.

Asked about his future, he said: “I have no doubt because I am committed and when I do something I do it 100 per cent. I am always committed to give my best as long as I am at the club. I don’t worry too much about the rest, what other people say.

“All the rest is judgements, opin-

ions... In my job you focus on what is important which is to perform. I believe in life it is very important you focus on what you are appointed for and I am appointed to perform and do the best for my club.

That’s all I focus on.

My future is my future.”

Rwanda too strong for Mauritius

A

Barca demand £63m for Ter Stegen A

ccording to reports from The Sun, potential suitors will have to cough out a staggering £63million to sign Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen during the summer transfer window.

The German international is widely viewed as one of the most exciting young goalkeepers in world football but has found himself reserved almost exclusively for Copa del Rey and Champions League action since sealing a Nou Camp transfer from Borussia Monchengladbach in summer 2014, with Claudio Bravo filling the sticks in La Liga.

Liverpool and Manchester United have both been linked in recent weeks, amid doubts over the futures of Simon Mignolet and David De Gea respectively, whilst The Sun claim Manchester City are targeting Ter Stegen as a potential replacement for understudy Willy Caballero.

•Ter Stegen

brace by Dominique Nshuti and goals from Ernest Sugira, Fibna Omborenga and a late strike courtesy of Jean Baptiste Muriganeza saw Rwanda crush Mauritius 50 at Amahoro Stadium on Tuesday.

The 2017 CAF Africa Cup of Nations Qualifier second leg Group H encounter saw the hosts enjoying the majority of ball possession.

The second leg clash allowed the Amavubi to avenge their 1-0 defeat they suffered away to the Les Dodos last Saturday at Anjalay Stadium, and they avenged this result in style.

Coach McKinstry’s men opened their scoring when Nshuti netted in the 10th minute while Sugira followed with a double in 60 seconds.

Omborenga netted the fourth goal with 18 minutes remaining on the clock when he received a great assist from Emery Bayisenge.

Burundi stun Namibia in Windhoek

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amibia failed to use their home ground advantage when they lost 3-1 to Burundi in their Group K 2017 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifier yesterday at Sam Nujoma Stadium.

Although the Brave Warriors netted first through South African Premiership based player Deon Hotto, of Golden Arrows, they failed to maintain their lead.

The Namibians allowed the visiting Burundians to bounce back and equalise on the stroke of half time through Pierre Kuizera.

Then the visitors made it 2-1 in the 78th minute before sealing the victory 10 minutes later, thus ensuring they revived their hopes of reaching Gabon next year.

The win comes on the back of Burundi’s 3-1 loss at home in Bujumbura to Ricardo Mannetti’s side, so they will be happy to have avenged that defeat.

UNVEILING: from right: The Chairman of Warri Wolves, Mr. Etu Moses, the new Technical Adviser of Warri Wolves, Ard Sluis, and Elder Eddington Kuejubola during the unveiling ceremony of the new coach held in Warri weekend. Photo: Henry Unini C M Y K

30 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

Uwaje appointed Africa Co-Chair for publicity, communications at WFIoT

By Emeka Aginam

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FORUM: From left, Director, Digital Business, Etisalat Nigeria, Adia Sowho; Conference Committee Chairman, Nigeria Computer Society, Jide Awe; Director, Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission, Tony Ajobo and Chairman, ALTON, Gbenga Adebayo, at the eWorld Forum 2016 sponsored by Etisalat Nigeria in partnership with eWorld Magazine, in Lagos.

Only 12% of Nigerians subscribe to broadband •As global internet subscription hits 3.2bn

By Emmanuel Elebeke

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VEN when World Development Report, WDR,reveals that digital technologies have spread rapidly in most parts of the world, there are still many countries of the world lagging behind in the dividends this spread was supposed to accrue.

In its 2016 edition of the report released last week , the WDR, indicated that the broader development benefits from using these technologies have lagged behind, despite the rapid spread across the global community.

Aggregate impact This is also as a renowned IT expert, Dhanaraj Thurkur, disclosed that only about 12 per cent of Nigerians have access to broadband service, even when average Nigerian spends 70-80 per cent of his monthly income to gain access to broadband services with an average earning of $3,000 per year due to the high cost of broadband service in the country.

The report stated that in many instances, if not that the digital technologies have boosted growth, expanded opportunities and improved service delivery , their aggregate impact has fallen short and is unevenly distributed among the people.

For digital technologies to benefit everyone everywhere, the report said closing the remaining digital divide, especially in internet access is critical, insisting that greater digital adoption will not be enough without considering the impact on the people.

To get the most out of the digital revolution, the study suggested that countries must work on the analog complements, by strengthening regulations that ensure competition among

businesses, by adapting workers’ skills to the demands of the new economy, and by ensuring that institutions are accountable.

The Nigerian Coordinator, Alliance For Affordable Internet (A4AI), Eng. Ernest Ndukwe in his remarks also at the occasion canvassed for increased education of broadband, especially among the leaders.

Nukwe, who is also former Executive Vice Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission said government must begin to thinker on the idea of giving subsidy and some

Nigerian spends 70-80 per cent of his monthly income to gain access to broadband services with an average earning of $3,000 per year due to the high cost of broadband service in the country

measure of waiver to operators and investors in the nation’s telecom sector before the country could achieve inclusion in broadband access.

Transformational benefit The report noted that the digital technologies such as the internet, mobile phones and all the other tools for collecting, storing, analyzing, and information sharing have the potential to promote inclusion, efficiency and innovation in every economy via heir rapid spread.

According to the report, more households in developing countries own a mobile phone than have access to electricity and clean water. Among those in the bottom fifth of the economic scale, it showed that about 70 per cent own a mobile. On internet usage, the study revealed that the number of internet users tripled in just a decade to an estimated 3.2 billion at the end of 2015. This according to the report, has brought immediate private benefits; easier communication; more information source, and new forms of leisure.

HE Institute of Electronic Engineers, IEEE, organising committee on World Forum on Internet of Things, WFIoT, 2016 has appointed Chris Uwaje, former President of Information Technology Association of Nigeria, ITAN, as the CoChair for Publicity & Communications for Africa.

The 2016 IEEE 3rd World Forum on Internet of Things (WF-IoT), with the theme, “IoT: •Uwaje S m a r t Innovation for Vibrant Ecosystems’ is a unique event for industry leaders, academics and decision making government officials.

Slated to hold at the Hyatt Regency in Reston, Virginia USA between 12 to 14 December, 2016, the capacity building event is designed to examine key critical innovations across technologies which will alter the research and application space of the future.

Innovative programmes Uwaje’s mandate, according to the organizers included promoting, propagating and advancing the aims and objectives of the IEEE-World Forum on Internet of Things.

He is also mandated to establish innovative programmes of ensuring the participation and contribution of the ICT Industry leadership, government policy makers, IT Professionals and stakeholders in Africa, to accelerate the diffusion, application and domestication of the promise and opportunities of IoTs. Reacting to the appointment, Uwaje said “Publicity and Communications for the 3rd World Forum on IoTs 2016 is a great challenge. Part of my mandate is to reach out to 500 Africa Universities and 1000 IT Industry leaders/ Players for submission of 2000 Papers for consideration. I am sure that a well researched Paper from African Knowledge Network has the pedigree for final selection.

This will put Nigeria and Africa in the IP forefront of IoTs the digital World”he said.

Daily digital transactions hit N80bn target •as Etisalat calls for collaboration among Nigerian digital players

By Prince Osuagwu tisalat Nigeria has highlighted four key elements that would ensure that Nigeria achieves the much desired digital financial services and inclusion and align it with the emerging global trend.

The company ’s Director Digital Business, Adia Sowho, at the eWorld Forum held in Lagos, at the weekend, said that digital transactions have continued to grow since 2014 hitting a daily transaction of N80 billion. She added that for digital financial services to grow in Nigeria there must be network interoperability, the right technology platform, healthy agent/merchant network and a range of product variety. For best

E

practice in healthy and robust Digital financial services, Sowho said there must be standards for money exchange across operators, agents and products, there should be distribution network that accepts and process clients’ transactions and range of products that address the key pain points and create value in the community.

She said stakeholders, including regulators, telecommunication companies and banks, will need to evolve to stay relevant. According to her the regulator needs to intervene to foster the right conditions for collaboration in the digital financial services ecosystem, just as Telcos would have to continue to provide the right tools, such as SmartPhones and mobile broadband network that radically changes how customers expect to interact with

financial services. For the banks, she said there was need for a new client-centric and digital mindset to increase customer base and deposits while reducing cost to acquire and serve.

The future of digital financial services, which includes digital banking, digital wallet and digital commerce, is imminent and this could only be achieved and maximize benefits through new partnership models driven by customer and merchant needs.

To achieve the goal of the new digital age MNO Assets which include their technology platforms, distribution channels, support services, mobile tools, security platforms and customer insight are core enablers.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 — 31

Why new generation products dazzle heightened functionalities Stories by Prince Osuagwu

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OBILE devices maker, LG Electronics has confirmed that the boom in smartphone technology has resulted in products that are more advanced but has also gone a long way in producing devices that are cheaper and more accessible to consumers across the globe. This is even as the capabilities and global reach of smartphones have revolutionized society, making it easier than ever to connect with people across the world.

However, despite the highest global sales ever, smartphone returns in the developed world have started to falter as many analysts anticipate a seismic shift in the market. A recent report from Ericsson ConsumerLab made headlines across the globe when it predicted that smartphones would disappear by 2021. The survey of over 100,000 consumers in 40 countries found that many believed that the smartphone as a platform had hit its peak, and that the door was open for artificial intelligence, the next generation of wearables and emerging technologies to take over as the standard bearers of smart technology.

But LG believes that while these predictions are far from certain, the trends that inspired them are already influencing innovation in smart technology. With a product lineup that already includes powerful PCs and rapidly-improving wearables, LG says it is well poised to •Base stations take advantage of the upcoming changes in the smartphone market. It says that with its exciting rollable screen prototypes it has the ability to breathe new life into smartphones in the near future.

General Manager, Mobile Communication division, LG Electronics

How Technology can grow Nigeria’s insurance industry

By Laju Iren

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latest smartphone innovations

West Africa, Mr. Steve Seungeui Lee said that “since the smartphone was first introduced, the screen has remained essentially the same. Although the size, quality and durability of smartphone screens have all improved dramatically over the past ten years, the underlying technology that powers the screen remains essentially the same outside of a few niche curved phones. Consumers have grown tired of the smartphone’s rigid screen and now

s e e k something that is more adaptable and user friendly. The current crop of smartphones (such as the LG V10) represents the height of smartphone display technology. The V10 boasts an innovative second screen in addition to its 5.7-inch QHD main display that can be used for app shortcuts, or instant updates.

However, this might not be enough to save the smartphone display as we know it.

Great strides have been made in high tech rollable OLED displays that promise to bring new flexibility to the smartphone” he added.

More base stations'll deepen Internet penetration – Spectranet

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AJOR Internet Services Provider, ISP, Spectranet says it deploys over 50 base stations every month across the country to ensure standard reception of services by numerous subscribers.

The company said this was following realisation that with the rate subscribers were demanding for its services, the 20MGz capacity the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC allotted it from the 2.3GHz spectrum may not be enough for to provide robust services that will give subscribers value for money At the moment, the service provider says it has over 300 base stations in Lagos, over 150 base stations in Abuja among others and is awaiting more than 150 units already imported but yet to land the shores of the country.

Chief executive officer of Spectranet, David Venn, said his company was building on the capacity of the network just as it was also spreading its tentacles across the country.

“Today we are building on the capacity of the network just as we are spreading into other geo political zones of the country. We have just Portharcourt to Abuja and Lagos bases. “Yes we need more spectrum to add to the 20 MHz in the 2.3GHz spectrum we are currently assigned to. But we also realized that because of increase of capacity we either get more spectrum or we build more base stations. Now that the government is yet to auction a new spectrum at the moment, we started building more base stations.

We have 300 base stations in Lagos, 150 in Abuja and we have more than 150 on the high sea coming in now. We are putting at least 50 base stations in a month because we realize that new cities are springing up on daily basis in the country. “We are talking to netflix so that our users can use video services on the platform without putting much weight on our network. Netflix is a video company where users register and pay a token monthly to be able to watch videos on the internet. We are linking on almost all the submarine cable operators in the country like MainOne, GloOne, WACS” he added .

AppZone exposes SMEs to global market with Tradeport

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By Laju Iren

NE of the setbacks Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs always have is inability to showcase products to the global market. But in recent times, that is also becoming history as technology continues to narrow the gap, blot out the lines between the developed and developing economies and make the world a global village.

As such, the global market gradually ceases to be the exclusive preserve of the developed economies. With innovative technological solutions, the local farmer can now attract a foreign buyer for his products and the hitherto small

businesses now have the opportunity to spread wares where otherwise large corporations showcase theirs.

All these would not have been possible without innovations like TradePort; a web storefront solution developed by Nigerian software company, AppZone to offer merchants the opportunity to automate all of their business processes.Tradeport manages the business operations of the Retailers on its platform hence, enabling banks to get up to date financial operations data of each retailer for easier loan qualification assessment and targeted marketing. Tradeport allows merchants own a website to sell their products at no extra cost. This merchant website, once

activated, is integrated to the back office solution and directly impacts on the merchant’s inventory and financial accounting.

AppZone, provides home-grown software solutions for the financial services industry. Key features of Tradeport include core sales process automation and inventory management, automated financial accounting and IFRS compliant reporting, flexible user-customizable web store front complete with payment gateway and courier service provider integration, Bank account management and electronic payment and many more.

According to AppZone, those who adopt the Tradeport solution enjoy

ANAGING Director of data centre company, Rack Centre, Mr.Ayotunde Coker, has advised insurance executives on the need to leverage on technology to meet the rising expectations of their clients for the anticipated growth in the Insurance Industry.

Coker at a Lagos seminar organised by the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) for Insurance Industry Chief InformationOfficers (CIOs) said, the banking industry would not have grown to what it is at the moment without technology integration.

He noted that the Insurance industry currently has much opportunity for growth and coupled with current data explosion in the country, the sector has to maximize that growth with the aid of technology.

Coker, who was a former CIO of a leading Nigerian bank and UK Government, said that more benefits will come to the sector should there be a policy directive by the regulatory authorities towards high customer drive but added that those who would cope with that demand are those who have integrated technology into their systems of operation Meanwhile, the Executive Director, Sales and Distribution of Wapic Insurance Plc, Mr. Bode Ojeniyi, agreed with him, regretting that the Nigerian Insurance Industry was still characterised by paper work and needs to move to an era where technology could aid customer services.

Also, the CIO of Guinea Insurance, Mr. Audu Oladokun, in his own contribution said that from a personal experience, the application of technology, was able to raise his company’s customer base by 3, 500 within a space of few months.

numerous benefits such as real-time, anywhere visibility and monitoring of operations, improved customer reach through access to previously unreachable online customers, access to world class technology at low initial and on-going cost, enhanced control and tracking of product pricing, sales, and cash collections and ability to achieve low cost and seamless card payment acceptance.

By integrating directly to payment terminals and linking sales orders to payment transactions, TradePort affords retail merchants easy reconciliation of card payments and helps them trace each successful payment to its corresponding credit entry in the Bank statement.

32— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 AQUARIUS; Both your personal career/business lines and partnership related issues are what can bring you under pressure. Be diplomatic between 6.43&9.04pm.

PISCES; Your being steadfast will not go unrewarded.

But then your subordinates may unconsciously make things difficult for you.6.43 to 9.04pm can be a bit sensitive.

ARIES; You must know the difference between enterprising endeavour and gabling so that you will not walk your way into avoidable trouble. Love can excite you TAURUS; There may be domestic challenges but if you carry your mate/spouse along early enough there will be solution. Watch your steps between 6.43 and 9.04pm.

GEMINI; Even if unnecessary argument upset you, eventually you will have cause to smile probably through money. Watch your tongue especially around 6.43&9.04pm

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

About History

By Richard Eromosele

H

ISTORY is defined as the study of past events.In order words, history is simply the study of actions and

inactions of some individuals.It is the study of what some men and women do in order to shape the world.It is the

TERROR MUDA

story of men and women who dared.History is the narrative of the exploit and conquest of men and women

in “Scavenger Elite”

who are led by their convictions.Some people make history, some write it and some read it.If the history of the world is to be written today,where will you be placed?

By Lanre Kehinde

CANCER; Doing things before planning will only lead to avoidable loss financially. Matters-of-the-heart are favoured. 6.43 to9.04pm may be sensitive.

LEO; You will have more to gain if you back your plans with positive actions early in the day. 6.43 to 9.04pm can bring misunderstanding.

VIRGO; Unnecessary aggression and behind-the-scene activities are potential agents of avoidable trouble today.6.43 to 9.04 may force others to break promises.

LIBRA; Unexpected challenges can come through financial transactions, but your being practical will see you through. Watch what you do between 6.43&9.04pm.

SCORPIO; Romantic Venus moves to positive angle to your Star sign and give you the needed urge to create time for the betterment of your love life. Yet you will need to be more careful in other areas so that you don’t work against your own interest. Be loving.

SAGIT TARIUS; Provided you are in control of happenings within your base of operation you will not have cause to worry. It is important you respect the law

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in “HEY’

By Andy Akman

CAPRICORN; Other people money and/or jointly owned fund can be sources of challenge today. If you take friends for granted you would be disappointed. Be steadfast.

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

What are my lines?

Dear Joshua, I am interested in your column; more ink to your pen. I hate poverty and will like to know how I can be rich in a positive way; here I want to know about my career line (what are good lines for me) and my finance.

Agili, Jos. Dear Agili, Nobody likes poverty. But first rule that must be observed by would be a rich person is HARD WORK while the second is being PRAYERFUL. YOUR CAREER You were endowed with powerful brains/mind indispensable to very important positions and luckily for you your talents have been polished by sound education. As communication related Mercury was powerfully placed at positive angles to both political/ electronic related Uranus and Jupiter the planet of good luck, communication industry, POLITICS, electronics and the bridal needs are good areas where you can rightly expect remarkable success.

Whatever areas you decide to go, your aspiration must be towards important LEADERSHIP POSITIONS. When talking of electronics here computer and its’ accessories are the main thing.

And because Mars and Neptune conjoined with positive aspects from Pluto OIL and food related businesses are truly good for you.

All said and done it must be known by you that the more positively AMBITIOUS you are the better for you.

YOUR FINANCE Libra that hosted Jupiter-the planet of good luck, is one of the Star signs related to MONEY and COMFORT. Luckily for you Jupiter conjoined Uranus (the planet of genius) at positive angles to Mercury meaning that your brilliant ideas will always bring you financial success on one hand, on the other hand Jupiter and Uranus are also related to POWERFULLY PLACED and INFLUENTIAL PERSONALITIES. Thus POWERFUL MEN and WOMEN will one time or the other aide your FINANCE. But don’t forget that the more positively AMBITIOUS you are the better for your cause. What you will need to guard against here are deceit and emotion.

VIRGINIA

HOME & ABROAD

dadadekola@yahoo.com

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016—33

Ekpan crisis: Forgive us, community head begs Okowa

By Egufe Yafugborhi

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ARRI—CHIEF Newton Agbofodon, the Unuevworo of Ekpan, in Uvwie Local Government Area, Delta State, has appealed to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to forgive whatever wrong he and others in the community might have done, so as to steer the community from renewed crisis.

The community head, in his Easter message, yesterday, said that the appeal had become imperative following feelers that the governor may not be happy with him over his perceived role in the rancour that had defined party politics and communal leadership in Ekpan in recent times.

To the governor, Chief Agbofodoh said: “I have been briefed by the Palace in Uvwie on your advice to me. I am your boy and remain your boy till date.

What seems as misunderstanding is a communication gap and the antics of rumour mongers.

“I beg for forgiveness in areas you feel offended. I pledge my loyalty to you and your government and appeal for audience with you to chart a way forward. Forgive me and the

entire Ekpan people in the spirit of Easter.”

Agbofodoh exonerated the Nigerian Army and Police in the destruction left in the wake of the security operatives' raid on his home and other quarters in the community in

an exercise to mop up arms.

He said, “The army were not the ones who pillaged my home during their arms mop up. It was immediately after they left that hoodlums cashed in to vandalise and loot my property.

“I am also vindicated that the security teams didn’t find any incriminating object during their raid in my home. It is imperative that the Inspector General of Police looks into the damage done to my property over the incident.”

COMMISSIONING: From left: Ms. Kemi Odewenwa, Trade and Marketing Consultant, MTN Nigeria; Government amd Community Relations Officer, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Kingsley Ekhator and Igbinoba Community Leader, Pa Moses Ehioghae, at the commissioning of a 500KVA transformer donated by MTN Foundation to Igbinoba community, Edo State, as part of its ‘What Can We Do Together’ initiative.

Anglican bishop tasks Buhari on anti-graft war

By Perez Brisibe & Ochuko Akuopha

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GHELLI—ANGLICAN Bishop of Ughelli Diocese, Rt. Rev. Cyril Odutemu, has charged the Federal Government to take its anti-corruption war seriously before the scourge destroys the country.

He also stressed the need for equity in the fight against corruption to be equal across board for the North and South and all political parties saying, “Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and All Progressives Congress, APC were not there when Nigeria was created.”

Speaking during the investiture of 23 persons including Vanguard’s correspondent, Festus Ahon, Chief Jaro Egbo, Chief Christopher Obiuwevbi, Chief Amos Itihwe, Obaro Odeghe, Chief John Gbenedio and Joseph Okolo, as Knights of St. Christopher and Mary Magdalene, the cleric urged political office holders to be peaceful and govern the country with love and the fear of God. Advising leaders who come into office with good intentions against allowing themselves to be destroyed by sycophants, Bishop Odutemu said: “We want the church to wake up. We take thanksgivings from businessmen and politicians

for their success but we must tell them not to allow evil to reign in their hearts.

“For civil servants who are due for retirement, they should also stop falsifying

their age and certificates and give qualified unemployed youths a chance to be gainfully employed.”

Earlier in his homily, Ven. M. O. Dadi, lamented that

corruption had eaten deep into the fabrics of the country, reiterating that Nigeria needs the power of resurrection to rescue the country from the scourge of its present state.

Fuel crisis: Delta group defends Kachikwu

By Tare Youdeowei

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oil monitoring group, Niger Delta Indigenous Movement For Radical Change, NDIMRC, has disagreed with the former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu, over his attack on the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, as a result of the fuel crisis in the country.

The former Lagos State governor had condemned the recent statement credited to the Minister to the effect that he cannot perform magic for the fuel scarcity to disappear soon.

The oil monitoring group, in a statement by its President, Nelly Emma, accused unnamed Nigerians of working against the reorganisation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. The group also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to be wary of such people.

“The President, an agent of change, must be wary of the former Lagos State governor who seems angry with the N

President for one reason or another.

“We want to say that we are disappointed in Senator Tinubu over his verbal attack on the hard working Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr

Kachikwu.

“We want Senator Tinubu to be silent if he has nothing good to say about the minister who is working very hard to repair the damages done to the oil and gas industry," the group said.

C-River to plant 5m trees, regenerate 10 watersheds

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N a bid to increase its forest cover and urban afforestation to mitigate climate change challenges, the Cross River State Government is set to plant five million trees this year.

A statement by Mr. Christian Ita, the Chief Press Secretary and Special Assistant on Media to the state governor, Professor Ben Ayade, said that 10 watersheds would also be regenerated in the same year.

The statement added that Governor Ayade had since directed the Ministry of Climate Change and Forestry, which he created after assuming office, to undertake the task.

He said: “Cross River State under the visionary leadership of Governor Ayade, is set to plant five million trees in 2016. The planting of this massive number of trees will go a long way to regenerate the forests wherever deforestation has taken place and embark on afforestation in non-forested areas such as the northern parts of the state.

“A good portion of the tree planting effort will be dedicated to regeneration and enhancement of lost or threatened watersheds. Ten such watersheds have been earmarked for this purpose across the state.”

Edo community dissolves CDA c'ttee

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V B O E K O I community in Uhunmwonde Local Government Area of Edo State says it has dissolved its Community Development Association, CDA, committee under the leadership of one Mr. Osakpamwan Okhionkpamwonyi.

The Ohen N’Ukomi (traditional head) of Evboekoi community, Chief Priest, Adesuwa Osarodion disclosed this yesterday in Benin City, saying that the decision to dissolve the Osakpamwan-led CDA committee was a follow-up to an earlier suspension order on him (Osakpamwan), Osamuyi Aghaleghian (his vice chairman) and one Monday Odigie (secretary) for alleged, “ anti- community activities, aiding and promoting cultism, forging of land approval and causing breach of peace and violence in the community."

Adagogo-Nelson for burial

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NGR. Mordeciah Adagogo-Nelson of Iko-Nta, in Eastern Obolo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State is dead.

He died on November 16, 2015 in Abuja after a brief illness.

He was until his death, Chief Technical Officer, Federal Road Maintenance Agency, FEMA, Abuja.

A statement by the family said that funeral rites started with a service of songs at his residence, Zone 5 Lugbe, in Abuja on March 29.

Christian wake-keep holds April 8, at the family compound in Ikon-Nta, while requiem church service comes up April 9, 2016, at St Agnes Anglican Church, Iko-Nta. Interment follows immediately .

He is survived by a widow, children, grandchildren and other relations.

Late Adagogo-Nelson

34—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30 , 2016

IKPEAZU'S TAX FORGERY SUIT: CJ

petitioned over alleged illegal communication U

By Anayo Okoli & Ugochukwu Alaribe

MUAHIA—DID the Chief Judge of Federal High Court, Abuja, Justice Ibrahim Auta revoke the directive given to Justice M.S. Shuaibu to hear and conclude the tax forgery case pending against Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State?

If he did, did he communicate the information only to Ikpeazu’s lawyer without communicating to Justice M.S. Shuaibu and the applicant and his lawyers?

This is a puzzle a surprised Justice M.S. Shuaibu is trying to get an answer to following the position of C.C Elele, counsel to Governor Ikpeazu in Suit No FHC/OW/CS/191/2015, challenging the validity of his tax certificates which he filed at the INEC office prior to the 2015 elections.

A PDP chieftain and governorship aspirant in the December 8, 2014 PDP primaries in Abia state, Sir Friday Nwosu had shortly after the primary election won by Ikpeazu approached the Federal High Court accusing him (Ikpeazu) of forging the tax certificates he submitted to the electoral body.

While the matter was going on, the presiding Judge, Justice M. S. Shuaibu was transferred to Kaduna. However, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court directed him to hear and conclude the matter in his Owerri, Imo State former division.

However, when the matter came up on Friday, March 18, 2016, at the Federal High Court, Owerri Division, for the adoption of written addresses by parties, Ikpeazu's lawyer, Mr. Casmir Elele informed Justice Shuaibu that the order directing him to hear and conclude the matter has been revoked by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, an information that surprised the

Judge who has not been informed by the Chief Judge.

He therefore promised to probe to know how Elele was the only person who has the information which neither he nor the applicant and his lawyers have, saying that he would find out if the lawyer of his principal had been having communication with his boss, the Chief Judge of Federal High Court.

Justice Shuaibu adjourned the matter to Thursday 28th April, 2016, to enable him confirm from the Chief Judge if there was an order directing him to hands off the matter.

Meanwhile, the applicant

[Nwosu] on his own has petitioned the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, seeking to confirm whether he revoked the order he granted Justice M.S. Shuaibu to hear and conclude the tax forgery case against Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

“In my humble view, there is no way C.C Elele should be in possession of any order revoking Your Lordship’s fiat granted in my favour, when I do not have any copy or any knowledge about it.

“The Judge, lawyers and everybody in the court were very surprised how Barrister C. C. Elele was the one informing Hon.

Justice Shuaibu of official information which Your Lordship, the Honourable Chief Judge should communicate to him if it exists. Again, between Monday 14th March 2016 and today 18th March 2016, nothing happened and no party complained against Hon. Justice Shuaibu to the best of my knowledge.

“What could have happened, and what could have warranted revocation of My Lord’s fiat if any, and how could My Lord have sent Barrister Casmir .C. Elele (3rd Defendant’s Counsel) to come and announce same to the Court and to us publicly in the circumstances”, Nwosu said in the petition.

‘Intervening factors' stall publishing of Imo Assembly yearly reports

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By Chidi Nkwopara

WERRI—THE expected yearly report of the Imo State House of Assembly Service Commission has run into arrears, following what the establishment’s Chairman, Chief Emeka Okoronkwo, called “som e intervening factors.”

Okoronkwo made this known while submitting the Commission’s 2014 Report to the Speaker of the State Assembly, Chief Acho Ihim, in his office.

“The delay in presenting the 2014 Annual Report was necessitated by the change of leadership of the Assembly Service Commission”, Okoronkwo said.

According to the Commission’s Chairman, the former Chairman, Chief Emma Ibediro, who doubled as the State Secretary of All Progressives Congress, APC, was encumbered with the 2015 general elections.

“There was also the interregnum experienced at the commission, which lasted for about six months. All these

realities engineered the late submission of the 2014 Annual Report”, Chief Okoronkwo explained.

While promising that the 2015 Annual Report would be submitted shortly to the Speaker, the Chairman also appealed to the Speaker to facilitate the speedy completion and

furnishing of their new office complex.

Speaking after receiving the report, the Speaker charged Okoronkwo to instill proper work ethics and discipline in the Commission’s staff, stressing that the incessant industrial action over minor issues could have been discussed through dialogue.

E-E programme'll curb social ills— ASUBEB chair

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By Anayo Okoli

MUAHIA—THE acting Executive Chairman of Abia State Universal Basic Education [ASUBEB], Mr. Ugochukwu Nwosu has said that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu introduced Education for Employment (E-E) programme in the state school system as a way of curbing social ills such as armed robbery, cultism, kidnapping, among others.

According to him, the programme emphasizes training entrepreneurship and learning trades which equips the pupils

and students for self employment to keep them busy and will not have time to engage in any social ills.

He said: “Because Aba is a commercial nerve centre and Aba is an entrepreneurship hub in the map of the world, the governor found out that the best approach to education is to provide entrepreneurship education so that the younger ones will grow to be self-reliant even at a young age.

“These things will help to cut down societal vices like armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism and others."

Innoson trains 200 Amnesty beneficiaries in automobile tech, manufacturing

By Emmanuel Elebeke

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BUJA—THE Innoson Kiara Academy, an affiliate of Innoson Group is to train 200 beneficiaries of the Amnesty programme on automobile and plastic manufacturing.

At the end of the nine months programme, the trainees will be given business starter packs by the Presidential Amnesty Office to establish themselves.

Speaking at the commissioning of the Skills Acquisition Training programme, the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig. Gen. Paul Boroh (retd) expressed confidence in the ability of Nigerian youths to proffer solutions to the socio-political and economic challenges confronting the nation.

According to him, the training is in partnership with the Innoson Group and has 120 beneficiaries training in automobile technology and 80 in plastic manufacturing at the Innoson-Kiara Academy, Umudim, Nnewi, Anambra State and Emene, Enugu State respectively.

The programme is part of an Education- for- Employment Initiative conceived by the Presidential Amnesty Office and some of its key partners, for youths in the Niger Delta region.

By Bartholomew Madukwe (08102479985) nwamad@yahoo.com

PEOPLE SPEAK

Tinubu’s blast on Kachikwu over fuel scarcity

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siwaju Tinubu should leave Kachikwu alone.

He should tell Buhari to resign as senior minister; he is not capable of oil politics. We should tell ourselves the truth. Mr President is the cause of this scarcity. Mr Felix Onyenji, Self Employed

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major problem with Nigerians is that we crave for temporal solution instead of permanent solutions, which Kachikwu led board is trying to do. Mr Nwachinemere Nweke, Worker

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hey appear to be using this Kachikwu smoke screen to disguise their incompetence. Next week, they may use Shia smoke screen in Kaduna to disguise further. Soon, they will run out of flares.

Mr Okiemute Saduwa, Businessman

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honestly think that Kachikwu has failed but what about Buhari who is the main minister for petroleum? If Kachikwu should apologize, then Buhari should resign as the senior minister of petroleum. Mr Egwuoba Chinedu, Entrepreneur

T

he last time I checked, Buhari was the senior minister of petroleum.

If anybody is to apologize, it should be Buhari, and Tinubu is scared to talk to him.

Mr Oghene-Chuks Azodo, Self Employed

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f there is really need for the blast, it should have gone to the minister of petroleum and not minister of state. Tinubu should tell the minister of petroleum to apologize to Nigerians. Buhari is a failed petroleum minister. Mr Uchechukwu Eze, Marketer

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 — 35

Kaduna PDP youths beg Buhari to withhold LGs monthly allocation Allege fund has been hijacked by El-Rufai

By Luka Binniyat & Mayen Etim

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ADUNA—PEOPLES Democratic Party, PDP, youths in Kaduna State, yesterday pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to withhold the monthly Federation allocation to the 23 Local Government Areas, LGAs, of Kaduna State, claiming the state government had hijacked the council funds, contrary to earlier promise not to.

On the platform of PDP Youths Democratic Front, they also alleged that the Mallam Nasir El Rufai-led government had continuously acted in contempt of the constitution of the country by forming an Interim Management Committee, IMC, to run Kaduna State councils since assumption of office President of the group, Danjuma Sarki, at a briefing claimed: “On May 10, 2015, before his swearing-in, Governor El-Rufai told the forum of All Progressives Congress, APC Local Government Chairmen in the state, who paid him a congratulatory visit, that the incoming administration would not touch funds belonging to the local government councils of the state.

He said the local government would be allowed to run the affairs

of the councils without any interference.

“Again, on July 6, 2015 during the swearing-in of the last Local Government Interim Management Committees appointed by El-Rufai, he declared that he had abolished state and local government Joint Account and that he would not hold local government funds hostage for any reason. In addition to that, he promised to

be remitting ten percent of the state’s internally generated revenue to the local government areas of the state. He enjoined them to swing into action and commence meaningful projects in all the wards in their councils.

This was widely publicized and boosted the confidence of the people on the government.

“However, looking into the activities of the last IMC, it is apparent that the governor lied

and made fallacious promises to the people. Throughout their tenure he did not for once release the local government funds to them directly, as it came from the Federation Account Allocation Committee. Therefore, we call on the Federal government, under the leadership of President Buhari, to withhold the Kaduna State Local government funds until a democratically elected government is in place.”

VISIT: From left; Commanding Officer, 3 Brigade, Kano, Brigadier-General Hamisu Hassan; Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State; Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Sani Sidi and Chairman, Sabon Gari Market Association, Alhaji Ali Bagadaza, when Governor Masari visited the market on to commiserate with the leadership and members of the association over the fire incident that razed the market last week.

Political leaders, civil society groups want Saraki's CCT trial dismissed

By Demola Akinyemi

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LORIN—SOME political leaders in the NorthCentral zone and members of

civil society organizations, yesterday called for the dismissal of the ongoing trial of the Senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki, at the Code of

Conduct Tribunal, CCT. The political leaders on the platform of Leaders of Thought, North Central Zone, at a briefing in Ilorin, rejected the CCT’s

Cattle breeders set up c'ttee to fish out kidnappers

By Boluwaji Obahopo

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OKOJA—IN a bid to find a lasting solution to kidnapping and armed

robbery cases allegedly being ‘perpetrated by Fulani herdsmen, in Kogi State, MIYETTI Allah Cattle Breeders Association has set up committees at local

Monarch wants Agatu crisis' victims rehabilitated his palace at Ugbokpo.

By Peter Duru

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AKURDI—WORRIED by the level of destruction in Agatu local government area of Benue State, the paramount ruler of neighboring Apa local government, Odejo K’Apa, Chief John Antenyi, has called on the Federal Government to set up a special commission and victims’ support fund to fast track the rehabilitation of the victims of the Agatu crisis.

Chief Antenyi made the appeal yesterday when he received relief materials for the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, from an Idoma chief, Benjamin Omale, in C M Y K

He said the Agatu people were worst hit by the herdsmen attack, contending that only a victims’ support fund could help the IDPs return to their homes after losing all they have to the crisis.

The paramount ruler said, “With the level of destruction and devastation suffered by the victims of the crisis who have lost all of their property and sources of livelihood in the Agatu crisis I appeal to the Federal Government to set up a commission that would rehabilitate the victims. If constituted, the commission should also be charged with the responsibility of providing succour and ensuring that the displaced persons returned to their ancestral homes without further delay.”

government levels to fish out the criminals among the Fulanis.

Kogi State Chairman of MIYETTI Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Mallam Jalido Abubakar, made this known yesterday after a meeting with security agencies in the state.

Jalido who denied the accusations of crimes of kidnapping and armed robberies being levelled against the Fulanis in different parts of the country, claimed Fulanis were mostly victims of the communities where they settled rather than perpetrators of crime often ascribed to them.

He urged the people of the state to disregard the perception of Fulanis as violent people and that it was some bad ‘eggs’ among them that was giving the Fulanis a bad name, “I will not dispute the fact that we do have bad eggs among us. But we had set-up committees at local government levels to fish out the criminals, we will get them arrested.''

judgment of March 24, 2016.

The spokesman of the group, Senator Ahmed Mohammed, called on President Muhammadu Buhari, not to be care-free to the alleged injustice and abuse of legal system in the country by the chairman of the CCT. According to them, “We have refrained from speaking about the trial of the President of the Senate Dr Bukola Saraki before the Code of Conduct Tribunal because of our belief that it was an issue that would stand the test of truth, equity and justice. But it has become significant to raise our voice at this juncture not only for posterity, but because of the pronouncement of Justice Danladi Umar which established clearly that double standard is reigning supreme”.

Justifying their call for president president’s intervention, Mohammed noted that Saraki did not only deliver Kwara State 100% to All Progressives Congress, APC, in the last general elections, he was a pillar in the North central.

Also speaking, the secretary general of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisation, Basambo Abubakar, said the senate president represented the face of Nigerian youths and students, contending that Dr. Saraki was the face of tomorrow for Nigerian students and youths.

Sabon Gari market fire, an act of God — MASARI

By Etop Ekanem

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OVERNOR Aminu Masari of Katsina State, has said the fire incident that razed the Sabon Gari Market in Kano, should be seen as an act of God. The governor, who spoke when he visited the scene of the inferno, noted that the latest fire incident at the market was the worst in living memory, and that its consequences would be felt throughout West Africa.

Coming at the worst possible moment of the nation’s economic downturn, the Katsina State Governor, who was the second after Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State to visit the burnt market, urged store owners and other victims not to read any meaning to the incident, but to see it as an act of God, “as it is He that gives and takes away wealth as and when He pleases to whomsoever He wishes.”

He also assured that Katsina State government would team up with other governments in the North and other willing benefactors to assist victims of the fire incident both in cash and in kind.

Governor Masari urged the leadership, management and members of the Sabon Gari Market Association to put in place measures that would ensure the equitable distribution and judicious use of any assistance that comes to them.

Plateau warns banks, firms over tax evasion

By Marie-Therese Nanlong

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OS—AS Plateau State government intensifies efforts at boosting its Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, corporate organizations especially banks operating in the state have been advised against tax evasion to avoid prosecution.

Acting Chairman, Plateau State Internal Revenue Service, PSIRS, Mr. Dashe Arlat, who spoke with journalists yesterday in Jos, said the step was necessary as all avenues explored to make corporate organizations and individuals pay taxes had failed.

He insisted that “enough is enough of evasion of tax payment as PSIRS had been given a special court by the State Government for the prosecution of defaulters and the court had set machinery in motion to start the trial of some corporate bodies operating in the state.

36—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

8TH BOLA TINUBU COLLOQUIUM ON AGRIC, ECONOMY The 8th Bola Tinubu Colloquium on Agriculture and Economic Recovery held at the African Hall, International Conference Centre, Abuja, as part of activities to mark the 64th birthday of All Progressives Congress, APC, National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, yesterday. PHOTOS: Abayomi Adeshida.

From left— APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State; wife of the Vice President, Dolapo; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; President Muhammadu Buhari; the celebrant, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife, Senator Oluremi.

From left— Oluremi, Tinubu and Oba Rilwan Akiolu.

From left— Governor Sani Bello of Niger State, Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State and Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State.

From left— Former Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Malam Nuhu Ribadu; APC chieftain, Alhaji Yusuf Ali, and Senator Osita Izunaso.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi (right) and Oba Rilwan Akiolu of Lagos (left).

From left— Former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba; Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State and former Governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Niyi Adebayo.

From left— Member, House of Reps, Mr. Rotimi Agunsoye, Governor Ambode, Tinubu, Governor Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State and Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State.

From left— Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and Minister of Science and Tech., Mr. Ogbonnaya Onu.

Vice President Osinbajo (right) and Tinubu.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2015—37

ONE YEAR AFTER 2015 PRESIDENTIAL POLLS

When Jonathan conceded 365 days ago Nigeria recorded history when an incumbent president of the country conceded victory to his challenger in a presidential election.

By Charles Kumolu

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HE uniqueness of Nigeria’s 2015 presidential poll in the view of many Nigerians was that it was the first election in the nation’s history in which the incumbent political party lost and accepted. But beyond the outcome of the election was the effort put in by the election management body and other stakeholders in the organisation of the poll and in the management of the outcome.

12 months after the result of the election was announced, the rarity of the occurrence may have begun to settle on Nigerians, but whether the lessons and the process have been ingrained into the body politic remains a matter of dispute. This is especially buttressed by the rancour that trailed many of the elections that have been organised in the recent past.

INEC's role: The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, led by former unionist, Prof. Attahiru Jega had in the years leading to the 2015 begun the process of reengineering the election process through improving the integrity of the voter register using the card reader and the Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs.

Machinations of political thugs Besides, INEC as led by Jega had also introduced the use of academics as returning officers, a situation that in some cases helped to cushion the fears of many voters who had in the past been used to election officers easily being swayed by the machinations of political thugs and their sponsors.

Besides, the efforts of the INEC, a number of prominent Nigerians led by the erstwhile head of state, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar were beneath the scene also involved in building peace between the two major presidential candidates, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari C M Y K

•Buhari and Jonathan: Displayed good sportsmanship of the All Progressives Congress, APC. At a point before the election, the committee brought the two men together where they signed an agreement to allow the will of the people to prevail. The committee many Nigerians noted, above all else helped to ensure that the extremities that hitherto attended reactions to presidential elections did not ensue after the March 28, presidential election.

Democratic liberty However, the path and preparations taken by the two major political parties ahead of the election helped to get them the results that they obtained.

PDP: The PDP’s inaugural presidential campaign in Lagos was literally full of sound, furry which shadowed the campaigns in the rest of the country.

Dr. Jonathan bristled with enthusiasm as he condemned without naming his rival as one who would lock up many Nigerians and restrict their democratic liberty. It was an unusual assault by the then president who was actually fighting the battle of his life.

There were instances of other party chieftains bashing Buhari, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and anyone considered opposed to its presidential candidate.

Among the more prominent figures involved were Jonathan’s campaign spokesperson, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose and the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan. Mrs. Jonathan went to the extent of profiling parts of the

country.

At some points, the unrestrained vulgar affronts nearly passed for campaign policies to the extent that it negatively impacted on the public disposition towards the party and its candidate.

Until the eve of the poll, the general impression was that the PDP’s presidential campaign was obviously awful in manners that defied logic and common sense.

In all, the party’s pre-election showing was in total violation of the critical ingredients of the Abuja Accord which committed the parties to issue-based

campaigns at national states and local government levels.

Surprisingly, the veracity of the foregoing was not even lost on the party as it recently owned up to have been responsible for the unimpressive campaign that led to its defeat.

Putting it more succinctly, its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh said: “The decision of the Presidential Campaign Organization to adopt and execute a hate campaign strategy against the then presidential candidate of the APC, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari led to the failure of PDP.

Presidential campaign

However, the path and preparations taken by the two major political parties ahead of the election helped to get them the results that they obtained

"We (NWC members) did not lead the party to failure. We were not involved in the campaigns and our advice was ignored. If we had handled the campaign, Mr. President would have won the election. We cannot be held responsible when our advice was ignored.”

APC: Latching on public impulse regarding the state of the nation, the APC, which came out of a merger of three major political parties marketed itself with the message of change.

Indeed, change which simply translates to paradigm shift was considered an apt contrast to the PDP’s call for continuity.

Prior to the commencement of the presidential campaign in PortHarcourt, the party had unveiled its manifesto in Abuja where it made progressively inclined pledges.

Prominent among the promises were job creation , fight against corruption, improved social and physical infrastructure,

i m p r o v e d insecurity, social welfare, creation of state police and transparent governance, accelerated power supply, food security, affordable health care, accelerated economic growth, Integrated transport network and devolution of power among others.

The dexterity with which the party fixated its campaign on change was such that many expected it to take up the challenge of participating in a presidential debate. But that was not to be as the APC deliberately dashed the expectation.

The feasibility of the now contentious social welfare package for vulnerable Nigerians was an area where analysts actually wanted clarity considering the falling oil prices.

In fact, the possibility question gained more visibility with Prof Charles Soludo’s article where he doubted how feasible the programmes.

Fundamentals of the economy "The APC manifesto contains some good principles and wishlists, but as a blue print for Nigeria’s security and prosperity, it is largely hollow. The numbers do not add up. As a first point, Buhari and his team must realize that they do not yet have a coherent, credible agenda that is consistent with the fundamentals of the economy currently," he stated.

Practically, all through the campaigns, the electorate were in the dark regarding how funds for the realisation of the promises would be met.

Things that could have passed for the party’s failings on the campaign trail as represented by the foregoing, never mattered since the PDP seemed obviously averse to presenting an explicit agenda for governance.

Bearing in mind the axiom that issue based campaign presents the perfect antithesis of hate speech, the APC stuck to its style while promoting the change agenda.

Instead of mudslinging and bigotry, the conversation was around various questions of public policy.

Thus, it was not shocking that the electorate succumbed to issue based voting, resulting in phenomenal electoral outcome.

38 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 — 39

ONOJIE OF UROMI CONFERS ADOLOR OF UROMI ON FORMER WORKS MINISTER, MIKE ONOLEMEMEN

EgyptAir hijack ends with passengers freed, suspect arrested

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Onojie of Uromi, HRH Zaiki Edenojie II, confering 'Adolor of Uromi' title on former Works Minister, Mike Onolememen, at Uromi, Edo State.

Former Works Minister, Mike Onolememen (2nd left), his wife, Bibian and others at the conferment.

N EgyptAir plane flying from Alexandria to Cairo was hijacked and forced to land in Cyprus on Tuesday by a man with what authorities said was a fake suicide belt, who was arrested after giving himself up.

The passengers and crew were unharmed. Eighty-one people, including 21 foreigners and 15 crew, had been on board the Airbus 320 when it took off from Alexandria en route to Cairo, Egypt’s Civil Aviation Ministry said in a statement.

Conflicting theories emerged about the Egyptian hijacker’s motives. A senior Cypriot official said he was psychologically unstable and the incident did not appear related to terrorism. The Cypriot state broadcaster said he had demanded the release of women prisoners in Egypt.

In the midst of the crisis, witnesses said the hijacker had thrown a letter on the apron at Cyprus’s Larnaca airport, written in Arabic, and asked that it be delivered to

A man believed to be the hijacker leaving the aircraft in Cyprus his Cypriot ex-wife.

After the aircraft landed at Larnaca, negotiations began and everyone on board was freed except three passengers and four crew, Egypt’s Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fethy said.

Soon afterwards, Cypriot television footage showed several people leaving the plane via the stairs and another man climbing out of the cockpit window and running off. The hijacker then surrendered to authorities.

“Its over,” the Cypriot foreign ministry said in a tweet.

Egyptian Prime Minister

Sherif Ismail said the hijacker would be questioned to ascertain his motives. “At some moments he asked to meet with a representative of the European Union and at other points he asked to go to another airport but there was nothing specific,” he said.

Egypt’s Civil Aviation Ministry said the pilot, Omar al-Gammal, had told authorities that he was threatened by a passenger who claimed to be wearing a suicide explosive belt and forced him to divert the plane to Larnaca.

WHO downgrades Ebola health risk

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BOLA is no longer an “extraordinary health event” and the risk of the virus spreading is low, the World Health Organization says.

It means the disease is not thought to be a significant public health threat to countries outside of those affected in West Africa.

A small cluster of cases are still occurring in Guinea, but Sierra Leone and Liberia have not had any in months.

But experts say countries must remain vigilant for new flare ups of Ebola. There have been 12 of these to date - the most recent on 17 March in Guinea. The WHO says countries have been able to react to these clusters quickly to contain them.

And all original chains of Ebolatransmissionhaveended in the three West African countries that were plagued by the disease.

Ebola is spread by close

physical contact. The virus is carried in bodily fluids blood, vomit and saliva which means people who care for the sick are vulnerable to catching the infection.

It has also been detected in the semen of male survivors, and the WHO says national and international efforts must be intensified to ensure such men can have their semen checked to know if they might still be able to spread the infection.

Trump’s campaign manager charged with assaulting journalist

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ONALD Trump cam paignmanagerCorey Lewandowski has been charged with assaulting a journalist at a campaign event. Mr Lewandowski is charged with simple battery overhisencounterwithformer Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields.

Police allege that on 8 March after a news conference in Florida, he grabbed her arm when she tried to ask MrTrumpaquestion,leaving a bruise. Mr Lewandowski plans to plead not guilty, the Trump campaign said.

Police in Jupiter, Florida, where he was arrested, have released new footage of the alleged assault. The security video appears to show him trying to pull Ms Fields out oftheway as shewalks alongside Mr Trump and tries to speak to him.

“Mr Lewandowksi is absolutelyinnocentofthischarge,” the Trump statement said.

“He is completely confident that he will be exonerated.”

Brazil’s Rousseff faces impeachment

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LEGAL request has been filed to impeach Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff for obstructing justice and fiscal accounting tricks, the second one against the leader politically embattled by her own government.

The request, filed by the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) on Monday, also involved Rousseff granting international football body FIFA tax-exempt status during the 2014 World Cup. In reaction to the claims, Tourism Minister Henrique Eduardo Alves turned in a resignation letter on the same day, becoming the first min-

ister from the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) to declare leaving Rousseff’s government.

PMDB, Brazil’s largest political party, is expected to abandon its alliance with Rousseff’s Workers’ Party and cause the collapse of the coalition government.

A party vote is expected to be held on the issue on Tuesday. Rousseff already faces an impeachment process over the alleged manipulation of government accounts that opposition parties maintain helped her win re-election narrowly in 2014 by allowing her to boost public spending.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 — 39

ONOJIE OF UROMI CONFERS ADOLOR OF UROMI ON FORMER WORKS MINISTER, MIKE ONOLEMEMEN

EgyptAir hijack ends with passengers freed, suspect arrested

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Onojie of Uromi, HRH Zaiki Edenojie II, confering 'Adolor of Uromi' title on former Works Minister, Mike Onolememen, at Uromi, Edo State.

Former Works Minister, Mike Onolememen (2nd left), his wife, Bibian and others at the conferment.

PTAD boss: ANUI tasks journalists on professionalism

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HE Alliance for National Unity Initiative, ANUI, has said it was important for journalists to be professional, especially in respect of the suspended Director General, Pensions Transitional Arrangement Directorate, PTAD, Nellie Mayshak, over alleged N50 million monthly salary.

In a statement, National Coordinator of ANUI, Mr. David Matthew, described the allegation as something that is baseless until the National Salaries, Incomes & Wages Commission, NSIWC, the agency of government that is saddled with all matters relating to wages and salaries of workers in the public sector, finishes investigation.

He urged the media to investigate before reporting so that selfish-minded persons would not use them to malign people’s integrity. He said: “The suspension, which is a normal civil service procedure, is to pave way for an unimpeded

investigation into the activities of the directorate under the watch of Mayshak.”

Meanwhile, a source in the Ministry of Finance, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Mayshak’s suspension had nothing to do with her salaries.

Osun APC lauds Tinubu

A

LL Progressives Congress in Osun State, yesterday, congratulated the party’s national leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the occasion of his 64th birthday today.

In a statement signed by the party ’s Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Barr Kunle Oyatomi, the APC said, ‘very few Nigerians, if any,

can lay claim to the level of political change that occurred in 2015 for the first time in the half century that Nigeria has been independent’.

According to the party, ‘but for the strategic masterstroke of Tinubu’s effort and political influence, a sitting Federal Government would never been removed through a free and fair election.

From left, Barr. Biola Ayeni, Ooni of Ife and Dr. Olatunde Ayeni when the Ooni of Ife and Arole Oodua, His Royal Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, visited the Chairman of Skye Bank and Natcom, Dr. Olatunde Ayeni, on Sunday

N EgyptAir plane flying from Alexandria to Cairo was hijacked and forced to land in Cyprus on Tuesday by a man with what authorities said was a fake suicide belt, who was arrested after giving himself up.

The passengers and crew were unharmed. Eighty-one people, including 21 foreigners and 15 crew, had been on board the Airbus 320 when it took off from Alexandria en route to Cairo, Egypt’s Civil Aviation Ministry said in a statement.

Conflicting theories emerged about the Egyptian hijacker’s motives. A senior Cypriot official said he was psychologically unstable and the incident did not appear related to terrorism. The Cypriot state broadcaster said he had demanded the release of women prisoners in Egypt.

In the midst of the crisis, witnesses said the hijacker had thrown a letter on the apron at Cyprus’s Larnaca airport, written in Arabic, and asked that it be delivered to

A man believed to be the hijacker leaving the aircraft in Cyprus his Cypriot ex-wife.

After the aircraft landed at Larnaca, negotiations began and everyone on board was freed except three passengers and four crew, Egypt’s Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fethy said.

Soon afterwards, Cypriot television footage showed several people leaving the plane via the stairs and another man climbing out of the cockpit window and running off. The hijacker then surrendered to authorities.

“Its over,” the Cypriot foreign ministry said in a tweet.

Egyptian Prime Minister

Sherif Ismail said the hijacker would be questioned to ascertain his motives. “At some moments he asked to meet with a representative of the European Union and at other points he asked to go to another airport but there was nothing specific,” he said.

Egypt’s Civil Aviation Ministry said the pilot, Omar al-Gammal, had told authorities that he was threatened by a passenger who claimed to be wearing a suicide explosive belt and forced him to divert the plane to Larnaca.

WHO downgrades Ebola health risk

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BOLA is no longer an “extraordinary health event” and the risk of the virus spreading is low, the World Health Organization says.

It means the disease is not thought to be a significant public health threat to countries outside of those affected in West Africa.

A small cluster of cases are still occurring in Guinea, but Sierra Leone and Liberia have not had any in months.

But experts say countries must remain vigilant for new flare ups of Ebola. There have been 12 of these to date - the most recent on 17 March in Guinea. The WHO says countries have been able to react to these clusters quickly to contain them.

And all original chains of Ebolatransmissionhaveended in the three West African countries that were plagued by the disease.

Ebola is spread by close

physical contact. The virus is carried in bodily fluids blood, vomit and saliva which means people who care for the sick are vulnerable to catching the infection.

It has also been detected in the semen of male survivors, and the WHO says national and international efforts must be intensified to ensure such men can have their semen checked to know if they might still be able to spread the infection.

Trump’s campaign manager charged with assaulting journalist

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ONALD Trump cam paignmanagerCorey Lewandowski has been charged with assaulting a journalist at a campaign event. Mr Lewandowski is charged with simple battery overhisencounterwithformer Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields.

Police allege that on 8 March after a news conference in Florida, he grabbed her arm when she tried to ask MrTrumpaquestion,leaving a bruise. Mr Lewandowski plans to plead not guilty, the Trump campaign said.

Police in Jupiter, Florida, where he was arrested, have released new footage of the alleged assault. The security video appears to show him trying to pull Ms Fields out oftheway as shewalks alongside Mr Trump and tries to speak to him.

“Mr Lewandowksi is absolutelyinnocentofthischarge,” the Trump statement said.

“He is completely confident that he will be exonerated.”

Brazil’s Rousseff faces impeachment

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LEGAL request has been filed to impeach Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff for obstructing justice and fiscal accounting tricks, the second one against the leader politically embattled by her own government.

The request, filed by the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) on Monday, also involved Rousseff granting international football body FIFA tax-exempt status during the 2014 World Cup. In reaction to the claims, Tourism Minister Henrique Eduardo Alves turned in a resignation letter on the same day, becoming the first min-

ister from the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) to declare leaving Rousseff’s government.

PMDB, Brazil’s largest political party, is expected to abandon its alliance with Rousseff’s Workers’ Party and cause the collapse of the coalition government.

A party vote is expected to be held on the issue on Tuesday. Rousseff already faces an impeachment process over the alleged manipulation of government accounts that opposition parties maintain helped her win re-election narrowly in 2014 by allowing her to boost public spending.

40— VANGU ARD, WEDNESD A Y, MARCH 30, 2016 ANGUARD, WEDNESDA

My daughter’s fashion sense is weird

Dad cheated and lied it was mum Dear Bunmi, I WAS 15 and in the boarding school when my parents divorced. Dad came to see me in school and explained why he had to leave. He said mum

was materialistic.

That because she owned the flat we lived in, she was always cheating on him. He said he had to leave when he couldn’t take the humiliation

I feel a failure compared with my sisters Dear Bunmi, I HAVE three older sisters who are successful, motivated and intelligent. Two are medical doctors and one is married to a doctor. I’m a 28year-old secondary school teacher and I recently completed my master’s. I thought my degrees would lessen my feelings of being a failure and unworthiness, but they haven’t. Though I know I shouldn’t compare myself with others, I have spent my life emulating them and I’ve always wanted them to be proud of me. To them, success is about prestige and money.

I know there’s more to life than that. As the only son, I know a lot is expected of me but I don’t want to keep feeling jealous and inadequate.

Seun, By e-mail.

Dear Seun, I’m sure one of your personal goals is to be happy for your sisters. You need not let sibling rivalry spill over into your adult life as the purest

love you can ever have is for your family. So make a point to support them regardless of whether they’re able to do the same for you.

That two of your sisters are doctors and one is married to a doctor shows you’ve got a lot of medical personnel in your family. While that may come in handy during an emergency, it says little about their contributions to society.

A doctor is no more important than a teacher, a policeman or anyone else who helps to make the world go round. If there weren’t teachers educating children, there wouldn’t be anyone who could handle the rigours of medical school. Everyone has a role; the problem is that you haven’t accepted yours.

You’ve chosen a noble profession and earned a couple of degrees. Come to terms with your choices, and get excited about them. I believe your passion lies in exactly what you’re doing. You just need to embrace it.

any more.

I believed him. When I fmally got home, my mum told us three children that she could no longer live with dad.

Funnily enough, dad hadn’t told the other kids why he left.

Maybe he told me because I was the eldest. Recently though, I found out from a close relative on dad’s side that dad had lied to me all along - it wasn’t mum who cheated, it was him. I feel so guilty and ashamed for the way I’ve treated mum. How can I make amends?

Kate, By e-mail.

Dear Kate, Let me assure you that a parent will always love you no matter how you treat them.

Your mum obviously didn’t want you children to take sides by sparing you the sordid details of their divorce.

You need to let her know you were misled by your dad and would be happy for both of you to put the experience behind you. I’m sure she must be anxious to make peace.

As for your dad, the least said about him the better. But he still remains your dad and you need to let him know that though you now know the truth, you still love and respect him as your dad. You need to move on though, and be thankful you can now relate to both parents on equal grounds.

C M Y K

Ebele, By e-mail.

Dear Ebele, As terrible as this blow obviously is, if you want your marriage to recover, then it can.

A lot depends on how much you still love your husband. It sounds as though he is a weak man, unwilling to face reality and tempted to take the easy way out.

If you have always suspected this of him, then you may be able to see how this affair

Fadekemi, By e-mail.

Dear Fadekemi, Your husband is right though. Once a girl starts down the road of cosmetic alteration, she may find it hard to turn back. Without her armour of make-up and skimpy gears, your daughter might be tagged an out-cast by the peers she’s emulating.

She sees herself as a glamour puss and finds comfort in the attention she’s getting.

If you want her to change, why not talk her into both of you having a make-over?

There are loads of girls her age doing this and if it is a professional showing her what to wear and how to wear them, she just might listen to her instead of you.

You’re worried because her looking like a tart seems a reflection on how badly you’ve brought her up. But this is not so. Believe me, she is doing her thing and this phase will defmitely pass.

By the sound of it, you have what therapists call primary sexual dysfunction, so it’s very difficult for you to enjoy sex; your best bet is to confide in your partner; he’ll find it much easier to sympathise and be supportive if he knows you have a problem, rather than thinking you’re rejecting him

Sex doesn’t excite me

His mistress called the house Dear Bunmi, SOME few weeks back, the telephone in the house rang and I picked it up, expecting a call from a business associate.

You can imagine how shocked I was when a sobbing woman came on, demanding to speak to my husband.

He was right beside me so I gave him the phone and watched him splutter into it, trying to pacify the caller. He then confessed that it was a woman he’d been seeing, who had a child by him and who was now threatening to come and dump the child on our doorsteps.

Apparently, he’d fallen back on his child support money and the woman was at the end of her tether. He said he was sorry, that the affair was over but that the child was defmitely his. I don’t know what to make of my marriage now. We have been married for over 15 years and have two children.

Dear Bunmi, My youngest child is just over 20 and is in the university. All of a sudden, she’s wearing so much makeup, it makes her look like a tramp.

She has.really nice eye-balls but you can hardly see them because of the heavy mascara she wears. She wears a lot of weird lipsticks and her hairstyle has so much colouring and heavens-know-what-else to it that I feel she might go bald.

I’ve tried talking to her but she told me that’s the way her friends behave. We are a decent Christian family and I don’t want her to be out of control.

My husband tells me to ignore her as she would change only if she wants to.

I’ve seen people stare at her and make nasty remarks, especially about the skimpy clothes she wears. It is sad to see a decent daughter turn into a rebel.

resulted in a child. But if you’ve never viewed him this way, and the affair has come as a total shock, you’ll have to ask yourself how well you really knew him.

Now that you’ve found out the type of man he could be, you may find you don’t much like him. With time, your heart would subside, but you need to talk about what remains of your relationship.

Remember an innocent child is involved here and this is facts-facing time.

Now that you’ve found out the type of man he could be, you may find you don’t much like him; with time, your heart would subside, but you need to talk about what remains of your relationship

Dear Bunmi, I’ve been with my fiance for over three years and we have an adorable little boy. My problem is, I’ve never got turned on by my fiance, or any man, ever. Now, he’s upset because we haven’t had sex for months and I’m afraid of telling him why I’m off sex.

Bimbo, By e-mail.

Dear Bimbo, This really isn’t your fault.

By the sound of it, you have what therapists call primary

sexual dysfunction, so it’s very difficult for you to enjoy sex. Your best bet is to confide in your partner. He’ll find it much easier to sympathise and be supportive if he knows you have a problem, rather than thinking you’re rejecting him.

But you need to get help.

See your doctor to rule out any medical problem.

He will then put you on to a therapist who will help you to get to the bottom of any emotional issues.

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

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 — 41

42 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

CAMEROUN BARES FANG AGAIN:

Rising tension as 16 Nigerian communities are annexed •Natives forced to adopt Camerounian citizenship •Gendarmes beat up village head, rape wife

•Bound for Mbo in Akwa Ibom State...Cameroun Gendarmes acting as occupation force in Nigerian territories since Bakassi

By Tom Moses, Mbo & Emmanuel Una, Calabar

T

HIS certainly is not the best of time for Nigerian communities located along the borders with the Republic of Cameroun. Indeed, 13 years after the ceding of the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroun by the International Court of Justice, ICJ, at The Hague, Netherlands, the Cameroun authorities have been preying on these hapless Nigerian communities in their quest for territorial expansion.

They recently upped the tempo when they again annexed 16 more Nigerian villages following the invasion of parts of Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa-Ibom State located within the mangrove island along the Nigeria/Cameroun maritime boundary.

Aside from invasion of the Nigerian communities, chieftains of the16 Nigerian communities confessed that the Cameroun authorities have already conferred Cameroun citizenship on them as well as issued them certificates of recognition as chieftains of villages in Cameroun just as many indigenes of the affected 16 Mbo mangrove island communities have succumbed to the pressure of taking up citizenship in

Cameroun to save them the ordeals of unsolicited molestations by the Cameroun Gendarmes.

The Nigerian communities annexed by Cameroon include Ine Odiong, Inua Mba, Ine Inua Abasi, Ine Usuk, Ibekwe, Itung Ibekwe and Akwa Ine Nsikak.

Others are Ine Ekeya, Ine Ebighi Edu, Ine Etakisib, Atabong, Akpakanya, Ine Okobedi, Ine Atayo, Ine Akpak and Abana.

This revelation came as a team of the Nigerian National Boundary Commission, NBC, led by Mr. Moses Onyoh visited

The Cameroun Gendarmes have placed taxes on all the communities; in Abana, we are required to pay N500,000 per month; the last time they came, they raped my wife, beat me up and later detained me in their cell

means of livelihood were totally devastated during the invasion.

“On Saturday February 27, 2016, we experienced the worst onslaught on our people. The Gendarmes raided our homes, raped our wives, seized 10 outboard engines (eight 40hp and two 15hp), eight bags of crayfish, stole money from our homes. After that incident, it has been difficult for us to eke out a living again because we don’t have money to buy new outboard engines and fishing nets,” Eyo submitted.

*President Muhammadu Buhari(l) and President Paul Biya....No longer a friendly affair out that I didn’t convene a the troubled area on a fact- meeting to raise the tax, they raped my wife, beat me up and finding mission.

At a meeting with the NBC’s later detained me in their cell.

“For our youths who tried to fact- finding team, the Village Head of Abana, Chief Nyong resist them, they cut their fishing Etim Efa, disclosed that nets into pieces and seized their although he was appointed a outboard engines. We are village head by the Akwa-Ibom traumatised by repeated State Government, the molestations from the Cameroun Cameroun Republic has also Gendarmes.

We are seriously considering given him certificate of recognition as village head and taking up citizenship in has been using his office to obtain Cameroun since our Nigerian taxes from the people of the government cannot protect us,” Chief Efa lamented. communities.

Also narrating his ordeals in the “The Cameroun Gendarmes have placed taxes on all the hands of the Gendarmes during communities. In Abana, we are a recent invasion of communities required to pay N500,000 per in the Mbo Mangrove Island, month. The last time they came Mr. Etim Asuquo Eyo, a to collect the money and found fisherman, complained that their

Correcting the nation’s boundary Worried by the ugly development, the stakeholders at the meeting which was held at Enwang, Mbo Local Government Area headquarters, appealed to the Federal Government to take prompt steps to delineate the Nigerian maritime boundaries with Cameroun so as to forestall further invasion of their communities and molestation of their people by the Cameroun military authorities.

They bemoaned the laxity exhibited by the Federal Government in correcting the nation’s boundary with Cameroun 13 years after the ICJ ruling, whereas the Cameroun Continues on page 43

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 — 43

Rising tension as 16 Nigerian communities are annexed Continues from page 42 authorities have not only taken over the ceded territories but were claiming more Nigerian communities.

Some of the stakeholders at the meeting were former Commissioner for Information and governorship aspirant in the 2015 election, Prince Chris Abasi Eyo, former Surveyor General of the State, Mr. Eyo Esin, former transition chairman for Mbo, Mr. Solomon Effiong, member representing Mbo in the House of Assembly, Mr. Samuel Ufuo, Mbo transition chairman, Sir Cyril Etuk and village heads, youths and women from communities affected by the annexation.

However, some aggrieved youths in the area have vowed to resist further annexation of their communities by the Cameroun Gendarmes if the Nigerian government failed to stop the Cameroonian authorities from further encroachment on their territory.

“If we are not protected by our government, then we will have to protect ourselves and territory.

Repeatedly we have been attacked, our family members molested, raped and exploited

by Cameroun Gendarmes. It is now time we began to protect ourselves, our people and our father’s land,” one of the youths, Bassey Uwe, declared.

The stakeholders, including the youths, called on the Federal Government to establish a military base at the current operational boundary of Nigeria and Cameroun ahead of the December proposed meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and his Camerounian counterpart, Paul Biya on the matter.

Cameroun authorities “We encourage the Federal Government to establish a joint security base at the border between Nigeria and Cameroun to stop the Cameroun authorities from further invasion of our homes. Funding of such operations should not be done as peace-time security funding.

“The atrocities committed by the Cameroun Gendarmes are unabated because security provided by the Nigerian Navy at Forward Operation Base at Ibaka is inadequate.

It is embarrassing that whenever security of the communities is threatened and you reach out to the Nigerian Navy at Ibaka, you would be told by the officers that there is no diesel to power their boats. On many occasions, it is the locals who contribute money for diesel for the Navy,” they noted.

Members of the NBC team later visited the Nigerian Navy, Ibaka Forward Operation Base, Ibaka where they were received by the

commanding officer of the base, Captain A. J. Siyanbade.

Captain Siyanbade, however, told the delegation that there was no community within the Nigerian territory which the FOB Naval command did not protect and provide the required security except Abana, one of the annexed communities by Cameroun said to be outside their area of operation.

The NBC’s team leader, Mr. Moses Onyoh assured residents of the mangrove island that the report of the fact-finding would be engaged by the Federal Government to address the contentious issues.

Efforts to speak with the AkwaIbom State government on the matter was abortive as the Deputy Governor of the state, Mr. Moses Ekpo, whose office is in charge of interstate conflicts and resolution could not be reached.

However, Mr. Ekikere Umoh, the Chief Press Secretary to Ekpo, said the issue between

Some aggrieved youths in the area have vowed to resist further annexation of their communities by the Cameroun Gendarmes if the Nigerian government failed to stop them from further encroachment on their territory

there.

About 200 persons in December 2015 arrived the returnee camp at Ekpri Ikang in Bakassi following the invasion and annexation of their villages which are close to Cameroun by that country. Some came with fresh wounds allegedly inflicted on them by the Gendarmes and narrated ordeals of how many Nigerians are regularly tortured to death on board their canoes and boats which are sunk in the sea.

According to them the ‘lucky’ corpses brought to land at Atabong ,one of the many islands were desecrated and either shoved into shallow graves or dumped in any nearby Nigerian homes with disgusting remarks as: “Eat the body if you wish’’.

It was also alleged that most Nigerian fishermen who have lived there all their lives and have no means of escaping the “slavery” of the Camerounians are suffering in silence as they have no way of reaching out to the world about their plight.

Returnee Camp

Cameroun and Nigeria irrespective of the state involved, revolved around the Federal Government, especially the National Boundary Commission, NBC and hoped the issue of invasion and annexation of the 16 Nigerian villages by Cameroun and the attendant calamities would be addressed at that level.

Cross River side of the Nigerian/ Cameroun border: On the Cross River side of the Nigerian/ Cameroun border, persistent efforts are being made by Cameroun to annex villages and communities which are outside the area ceded to that country by the October, 2004 judgment.

In 2015, Cameroun invited a United Nations official from South Africa backed by troops and began demarcation of the Nigerian border with Cameroon in Danare, Boki Local Government Area causing youths in the community to protest what they perceive as an invasion. The officials using a map which cuts Danare community into Cameroun in the long voided Ango –German Treaty in the demarcation exercise said Danare belongs to Cameroun which led to a rise in tension among the youths in

the area.

“Tension is mounting in the community because we cannot understand why the demarcation of our border and illegally taking us to Cameroun while the state still grieves the recent loss of Bakassi to that country,” Mr Cletus Obun, a community leader told Vanguard Features.

Mr Attah Ochinke, the Cross River State Attorney General then said the protest by the youths is based on the fear and anxiety that some part of their land will be ceded to Cameroun, which cannot be.

Cameroun Gendarmes “The border line passes directly behind the Primary School in Danare 2. So there is anxiety by the people that their land will be ceded to Cameroun; but I can say with authority that no part of Cross River land or its people will be ceded to Cameroon again,” he submitted heatedly.

At the Bakassi side, frequent arrests, detentions, killing of Nigerian fishermen by the Cameroun Gendarmes have continued to raise tension while large numbers of people yearly are made refugees following the invasion of Nigerian villages

One Mr. Etim Edet , a new returnee who spoke in an interview, said that apart from experiencing torture in the hands of the Gendarmes he has personally witnessed the killing of his brother Nigerians some of whom were beaten with lethal weapons such as gun butts, knives, club, chains, belts, and most gruesome, planks with nails on them. He said that each time such weapons are used blood gushed out of the bodies causing the death of most of them.

The returnees passionately appealed to the Nigerian government to consider the issue with seriousness in other to protect Nigerians living in the Bakassi region of Cameroun as the area is no longer safe for them.

The Secretary General, Union of Nigerians in Cameroon ,Prince Aston Arung in an interview at the returnee camp confirmed the incident, pointing out that over 12,000 Nigerians live in the peninsula doing legitimate business of fishing.

Meanwhile, over 1500 persons, including children and women, are presently at the Returnee Camp, over-stretching the facilities originally meant for about 400 persons. The returnees who spoke through one of their camp coordinators, Mr. Innocent Edet, commended the Cross River State Government for the display of magnanimity bestowed on them through its State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA .

They appealed to the Federal Government to mobilise the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, to render urgent assistance to them by the provision of food, clothing, mattresses and drugs.

44—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

Banks frustrating $6.5bn empowerment fund disbursement —IES

By Grace Udofia

I

NSTITUTE of Empowerment and Strategy, IES, has accused banks in the country of frustrating the disbursement of the $6.5 billion empowerment fund to beneficiaries who have met the requirements to be empowered to start small scale businesses.

Speaking at the business and global investment summit in Abuja, Director General of IES, Dr. Boniface Afifia-Oru, said that the banks were not making it easy for beneficiaries to access the funds available to them.

He added that the situation was worsened by the current policy on dollar transfer which posed a serious setback to the beneficiaries to receive the required funds from their headquarters in New York at a time.

He explained that the money being paid in piecemeal as a result of the policy on dollar transfer had resulted in huge charges on different transfers that should have been done once as the money was distributed in months slowing down the whole process.

According to him, the government has restored confidence and best practice in the financial sector, removal of bureaucratic bottlenecks

especially at the ports and entrenchment of democratic governance, adding that the government has also provided a boisterous market, five-year tax holiday which has made it the lowest value added tax in sub-Sahara Africa.

To this end, he expressed hope that very soon, the first batch of people will begin to receive funds they had applied

for as soon as the banks begin to disburse.

“Mine is to put the funds there as I have done. I do not disburse. It is now the duty of the beneficiaries to go to the banks they have been assigned to, open an account there so that they can track the usage of that money. It is not free money that anyone can just walk into the bank to

access. It is a loan, so the banks must capture their own database to agree with all we have done,” he said.

Also speaking, President of Africa Development Bank, AFDB, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, said that Nigeria’s economy has been adversely affected by external factors such as the fall in price of commodities particularly oil.

VISIT: From left: Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State; Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe during a courtesy visit by the PDP Senate Caucus to the governor in Port Harcourt.

Edo govt raises alarm over fictitious document on political appointments

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By Glory Adokwu

DO State Government has raised alarm over the alleged circulation of a fictitious document containing details of purported political appointments

by Governor Adams Oshiomhole's administration, urging people of the state to disregard the document because it was concocted and falsified to cause ethnic and social tension in the state.

A statement by the Executive Director, Media and Public Affairs, Governor ’s Office, Mr. John Mayaki, called on members of the public to be weary of the ‘voodoo list’ of political appointments purportedly made in each of the senatorial districts because the information contained therein was to heighten ethnic tension and cause social upheavals in the build up to the governorship election.

Mayaki said: “We suspect the ‘voodoo document’ reeled out on a local television station in Benin City recently by some hired agents. We must be circumspect and disregard the content because it does not represent or reflect the true state of political appointments made by the Oshiomhole administration.

“As we approach the zero hour,

C M Y K

desperate politicians and those who want to benefit from ethnic disharmony have been recruited amongst us and armed with fictitious documents to whip up ethnic sentiments, ostensibly to

blackmail their target to possibly surrender to their agitation and for a particular senatorial district to produce the governor ’s successor.

“I don’t think that falsification of a list of political

appointments to whip up ethnic sentiment will guarantee or quench their nefarious and dubious thirst, no matter how good their intentions to their senatorial district. Rather, it would engender bad blood in the polity"

Delta communal clash: Ogbe-Ijoh accuses army officer of complicity

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HE Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Clan Governing Council has accused a serving colonel with the Nigerian Army of complicity in the impasse between Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja communities of Delta State.

The council, in a statement by its chairman, Alex Akemotubo, lamented the age-long boundary dispute between both communities and urged the state government to find a lasting solution to the crisis.

According to Akemotubo, “While people of goodwill are making concerted efforts to ensure that the situation does not escalate into a full blown war, a serving military officer who ought to be above board, is circulating arms conveyed in caskets to some youths from one of the communities in dispute.

“We are calling on the military

authorities and the Delta State Government to investigate the activities of this military official as his act could lead to a chain of reactions which would go beyond their control.”

Lamenting the injury sustained by the Ogbe-Ijoh zonal chairman, Freewei

Makirigbene and a military officer during last Thursday’s incident, the council called for the implementation of the resolution reached by the Justice Frank Nwulu led-Judicial Commission of Inquiry as a way of resolving the dispute amicably.

Have faith in Okowa, Delta Majority Leader urges constituents

By Innocent Onoja

B

OMADI—DEPUTY Majority Leader of Delta State House of Assembly, Mr Kenneth Preyor, has urged his constituents to have maximum faith in Governor Ifeanyi Okowa's government, which promises prosperity for all Deltans, both during and after his political campaigns.

Preyor, who represents Bomadi constituency, in his Easter message, noted that Governor Okowa’s determination to fulfil his electioneering promises were glaring in his skill acquisition and youth empowerment programmes in the state, as he urged Deltans and people of Bomadi constituency in particular to show support for the government.

Abe lauds constituents for turnout in re-run polls

S

ENATOR Magnus Abe, All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate in the Rivers South-East senatorial district re-run election, has welcomed the people of the district from the Easter holiday and enjoined them to look forward to returning him at the completion of the re-run elections.

A statement in Port Harcourt by Parry Benson, spokesperson to Senator Abe, expressed hoped that the people had a blissful Easter celebration despite the trauma of the March 19 re-run elections and reminded them of the need to persevere until he emerged the winner of the election, adding that nothing good comes easy.

The statement commended them for their turnout at the elections, despite threat to their lives and property, and pleaded with them to do the same whenever the suspended elections were rescheduled.

It saluted the people of the local government areas where the elections were not suspended for their unflinching support for Abe, assuring of his ability to deliver.

Pa Kperegbeyi for burial

P

A. Edmond Oyibo Kperegbeyi is dead, aged 93.

He retired as a dispenser in then Warri Local Government Area of Delta State.

His remains will leave Warri for his home town, Ode-Ugborodo, in Warri South-West LGA, on March 31, for interment and burial rites.

He is survived by brother, children, grand-children and great grand-children, including Retired Director of Nursing Services, Local Government Services Commission, Delta State, Mrs. Edith Edah.

Late Pa. Kperegbeyi

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 — 45

46 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 — 47

Gumel hails new Archery Federation over successful election

NOC signs MoU with four broadcast partners

By Solomon Nwoke

T

HE Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) yesterday in Lagos signed a Memorandum of Understanding with four broadcast and entertainment media in Nigeria as it began its official countdown to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games holding later this year in Brazil.

The broadcast and entertainment media in partnership with the NOC are the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Silverbird Communications (STV), DAAR Communications (AIT) and Smooth Promotions (HipTV) Speaking at the signing ceremony at their national secretariat in Lagos yesterday, the NOC President, Engr Habu Gumel said the partnership would ensure that Nigerian viewers are offered the chance to watch every minute of every Olympic event live for the duration of the Games with High Definition (HD) streams across four channels adding that in total, the stations would deliver

around 170 hours of live sports coverage across various platforms during the Games.

Engr Gumel said the selected stations consistently do an excellent job of broadcasting live sporting and entertainment events.

“The agreement is a major contribution to the long term financial stability of the Olympic Movement in Nigeria. This announcement is also significant as it demonstrates our resolve to ensure the NOC is on the path to self-sustainability. The NOC has acquired the free-to- air broadcast rights across all media platforms for the Nigeria Territory including internet and mobile applications. The selected stations consistently do an excellent job of broadcasting live sporting and entertainment events and the Olympic Games, so this collaboration is a very good news for sports fans in Nigeria.

From a commercial perspective, this model is a win-win situation which will help the NOC realise funds to support the activities of the Olympic Movement in Nigeria.

Siasia Continues from B/Page

his chances of becoming the substantive coach of the Super Eagles. Dikko spoke about Siasia’s future with the Eagles ahead of the Egypt clash yesterday.

He revealed that their decision regarding Siasia’s future with the national team wouldn’t depend solely on the result of the encounter in Alexandria.

“His present position is not like an exam for him as we all know his quality and indeed shortcomings as no human is perfect and we can manage that anyway, thus the results of the two games he has been given won’t be the only yardstick to determine the next steps we will take regarding his possible future as the substantive Super Eagles head coach,” Dikko told Egyptian website, KingFut. “Rather, the biggest determinant would be his readiness to situate his project for the Super Eagles within the NFF overall objectives of returning the Super Eagles to their enviable position as the best in Africa and indeed the C M Y K

world by building a team that will be feared by all and be winning trophies sustainably and playing the entertaining football we are all known for,” he explained.

The NFF vice president also praised Siasia, who led the U-23 side to qualify for the Rio Olympics, saying the 48-yearold coach has an eye for spotting talent.

“He has qualified for the Olympics with a lot of exciting players discovered including the goal scorer against Egypt in Kaduna and in fact his team just defeated Brazil U-23 in a friendly game with several new players involved,” he said.

Dikko also discussed the possibility of hiring a foreign coach to take over the Nigerian team, while explaining the NFF’s plan to turn the fans’ focus to the domestic game instead of the foreign football.

“It’s certainly not a priority and indeed the new national orientation campaign in Nigeria is to look inwards and use made in Nigeria on everything except where it’s extremely necessary then we look foreign. This is the only way to rebuild the country and indeed

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Egypt’s Marwan Mohsen (R) watches on as Nigeria’s Victor Moses (C) heads the ball during their African Cup of Nations group G qualification football match between Egypt and Nigeria at the Borg el-Arab Stadium in Alexandria on March 29, 2016.

Wenger: I’ll swim and sink with Arsenal

A

RSENE Wenger has no plans to step down as Arsenal manager despite discontent among fans after the club’s Premier League title challenge faltered.

Arsenal have won only one of their last four Premier League matches to leave them 11 points behind leaders Leicester, while the Gunners have also exited the FA Cup and Champions League this month.

That has brought the future of the Premier League’s longest-serving manager into question football cannot be an exception.

“In our Nigeria football industry now the campaign is hugely focusing on getting the fans and corporate bodies to turn their hearts and pockets towards supporting the domestic game instead of foreign football which has gradually taken over the football space in Nigeria to the detriment of the domestic game,” Dikko explained.

The NFF vice president refused to reveal any information regarding applicants or candidates for the head coach position.

He also stressed their satisfaction with Siasia’s performance so far.

“Nigeria is a great footballing nations with huge potentials thus it always attracts interest globally and once we have any opening for national team coach we do always receive unsolicited interest from top coaches globally.

“We will take decision after evaluating all the factors but for now we have coach Samson Siasia and we are very much happy with what we have seen so far and we are giving him all the backing he requires to succeed,” he added.

once again, but Wenger told beIN Sports he remains committed to the club he has managed since 1996.

Asked about his future, he said: “I have no doubt because I am committed and when I do something I do it 100 per cent. I am always committed to give my best as long as I am at the club. I don’t worry too much about the rest, what other people say.

“All the rest is judgements, opinions... In my job you focus on what is important which is to perform. I believe in life it is very important you focus on what you are appointed for and I am appointed to perform and do the best for

Eagles crash out Continues from B/Page

minute when his toed effort from just inside the box trickled past a sea of Nigerian legs and past goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi.

Despite their galaxy of foreign stars, Nigeria never really stretched the Egypt backline except in the 84th minute, when Victor Moses shot from outside the box came off the post with the Egypt goalkeeper well beaten. Hosts Egypt created the better chances in the first half but Nigeria also had their moments during a goalless first half at a packed Borg El-Arab Stadium in Alexandria.

Nigeria played with a lot of confidence and dictated the tempo of the game for a good period of the first 45 minutes.

Egypt created two early openings – Hegazy headed narrowly past the Nigeria goal after five minutes and almost immediately skipper Al-

my club. That’s all I focus on. My future is my future.”

Arsenal have not won the Premier League title since 2004, and Wenger has faced unrest from the fans for several seasons, but he said he was disappointed to hear it this season as, until recent weeks, Arsenal seemed to have their best chance in years in the league.

“I have my conscience.

What is most important is I give my best every day, I work for my club that I love and if I can share that love with the supporters then it is better. But at the end of the day I want to make sure I give my best and I put my knowledge at the disposal of my team.”

Said fired with a left foot from inside the box.

Al-Said then delivered a low cross from the left in the 29th minute, but Mohamed Salah was not close to make contact.

In the closing minutes of the first half, Nigeria goalkeeper Akpeyi pulled off two big saves from Ibrahim Salah and again skipper Al-Said.

In the seventh minute, Umar Aminu dashed into the Egyptian goal area but his shot was firmly held by the goalkeeper.

Odion Ighalo had a half chance when he controlled the ball inside the box, but he shot wide in the 15th minute.

In the 86minute, Iwobi, whose inclusion brought life into the Eagles attack, set up Ighalo inside the box, but somehow the Egyptians survived this onslaught as his shot flew off a defender who threw himself in the line. That was Nigeria’s last effort before the final whistle.

IGERIA’s Interna tional Olympic Committee Executive member and president of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Engr. Habu Gumel has commended the newly elected president of the Nigeria Archery Federation, Mohammed Abdullahi over their successful election conducted in Lagos recently.

Receiving Abdullahi and some members of his board in his office at the National Lottery Trust Fund headquarters in Maitama Abuja, Gumel said he was glad with the outcome of the recently held election into the board of the hitherto troubled Archery Federation.

The election saw the emergence of a new leadership headed by Mohammed Abdullahi as president, Mrs Helen Osayimwen, 1st vice president, Ayo Phillips, 2nd vice president, Olatunji Boluji as secretary general, Osaretin Emuze as assistant secretary, Mrs Florence Ogunkoya as treasurer and Patrick lbeh as Public Relations Officer.

Recall that the federation had been engulfed in crises since 2014 raising doubts about the development of the sport in Nigeria. It took the intervention of the world body of Archery which sent its vice president in charge of Africa, Yousouf Bayjoo to mediate.

Bayjoo upon arrival then expressed that the international body was not happy with the development in Nigeria and reiterated the fact that the international body was missing the presence of Nigeria and cannot wait for the country to resume the activities of archery in Nigeria.

Elneny beats Iwobi to Arsenal goal of the month award Continues from B/Page

March 19 earned four percent of the votes in the official Club poll.

Aaron Ramsey finished second for his strike against Tottenham Hotspur, while Joel Campbell and Welbeck also made it to the top four.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

Super Eagles job: Egypt match won’t determine Siasia’s fate –NFF

T

HE vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Shehu Dikko has said that

AFCON 2017: Eagles Egypt 1 Nigeria 0

coach Samson Siasia is not, in any way, under examination as regards Continues on Page 47

crash out

By Tony Ubani, in Alexandria

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IGERIA will not appear in next year’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Gabon as the Super Eagles failed to produce the spark that could have earned them the ticket when they fell 0-1 to the Pharaohs of Egypt in Alexandria last night.

It will be the second time in two years that the Super Eagles have failed to qualify for the Nations Cup.

It was a match that the Eagles needed an outright win as their host with four points in their kitty had a two point advantage before the encounter. Egypt now have an unassailable seven points with one match to play in June.

Nigeria have a distant two points and even if they trounce Tanzania in September, they will not be at Gabon 2017.

Teenager Radwan Sobhi grabbed the all-important goal in the 65th

*Siasia

Mikel ready to quit Chelsea if...

Continues on Page 47

Elneny beats Iwobi to Arsenal goal of the month award

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ALL IN VAIN: Super Eagles defender, Stanley Amuzie attempts to stop Egypt’s Mohamed Saleh (front) during their Africa Cup of Nations group G qualification match at the Borg el-Arab Stadium in Alexandria yesterday. Photo: AFP

IGERIA international Alex Iwo bi came fifth in the Arsenal Goal of the Month poll for March.

The 19-year-old was among eight players in the first - team in the running for the award but lost out to Pharaohs midfielder Elneny when the result of the voting was announced by the official website of the Gunners yesterday.

Alex Iwobi’s strike against Everton on Continues on Page 47

P.28 AFCON 2017 RESULTS

Togo Liberia Angola Uganda Egypt Rwanda Sudan Lesotho Ethiopia Niger Namibia Malawi Gambia S/Africa

0 5 0 0 1 5 1 2 3 1 1 1 0 0

Tunisia Djibouti DR Congo Burkina Faso Nigeria Mauritius Ivory Coast Seychelles Algeria Senegal Burundi Guinea Mauritania Cameroon

0 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 3 2 3 2 0 0

*Iwobi

QUICK CROSSWORD

T OD AY'S PUZZLE ODA

FRI DAY'S ANS WERS FRID ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Baby horse (4) 3 Spoken test (4) 7 Motor vehicle (3) 8 Place of access (5) 9 Passenger carrying vehicle (3) 10 Genetic blueprint (inits) (3) 12 Socially timid (3) 14 Under normal circumstances (2,1,4) 15 Single number (3) 16 Huge Australian bird (3) 18 Electrically charged atom (3) 19 Triangular Mexican corn snack (5) 21 Give (a film) a new soundtrack (3) 22 Feeble (4) 23 Broad smile (4) DOWN 1 Was situated opposite (5) 2 Military flying centre (7) 4 Furrow made by wheels (3) 5 Roadside stopping place (3-2) 6 Act of going AWOL (9) 11 Grandmother, affectionately (3) 12 Thin, lean (7) 13 Sewn edge (3) 15 Admit liability (3,2) 17 Of a town (5) 20 Am able to (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Wit 3, Paced 6, Disturbed 7, Waft 8, Inch 11, Asregards 12, Suede 13, Way.

DOWN: Window 2, Taskforce 3, Plum 4, Cabincrew 5, DVD 9, Hasty 10, Ogre 11, Ass.

How to Play Sudoku

P

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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