Category Archives: National Vanguard

Doguwa winsAbdulmumin Jibrin KofaBy Bashir Bello and Abdulmumin Murtala Kano

Former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin Kofa has lost his bid to retain his Kano seat at the house.

This was coming as the former Majority leader, House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa won his election to return back to the house.

Jibrin, the proponent of Budget Padding failed after losing to his opponent, the opposition, PDP, candidate, Datti Yako at the Saturdays rerun election in Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency in Kano State.

Declaring the election results, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC returning officer of Kiri/Bebeji Federal Constituency, Professor Abdullahi Arabic, on Sunday, said Yako polled 48,601 votes to beat Kofa, who got 13,587 votes.

According to him, Aliyu Datti Yako of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), having satisfied the requirements of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.

However, former majority leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa won the Tudun Wada/ Doguwa Federal Constituency seat after polling 66,667 votes to defeat PDP candidate, Air Commodore Yushau Doguwa (Retd) who scored 6,323 votes.

Professor Mansur Auwalu Bindawa announced the election result at the constituency.

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Kano Rerun: Jibrin loses bid to return to House of Reps - Vanguard

The Halifax Thunderbirds found another way to victory.

En route to the National Lacrosse Leagues best record, the Thunderbirds have rolled over their opponent offensively or locked them down defensively. On Saturday, they used a third-quarter surge to battle back from a three-goal deficit at halftime to earn a hard-fought 15-12 road win over the defending NLL champion Calgary Roughnecks at Scotiabank Saddledome.

Down 6-3 at intermission, the Thunderbirds (6-0) scored nine goals in the third.

It is all about composure, Halifax head coach Mike Accursi said in a news release. We needed to try and match their intensity, and we didnt in the first half.

Offensively we started to move our feet and move the ball, added Thunderbirds forward Stephen Keogh, who led the offensive charge with five goals. We started taking smart shots and they started dropping for us.

Calgary which entered Saturday with a 2-3 record with each of the three losses by a single goal was strong out of the gate and scored the games first three goals. It was a commanding first half for the Roughnecks.

There was no panic in this group, face-off specialist Jake Withers said in the release. Withers dominated the Roughnecks Tyler Burton by winning 27 of 32 face-offs.

We knew we had the guys in the locker room to make a big comeback in the second half.

The tables did turn for the Thunderbirds, who came flying out of the break and scored three straight goals, capped by captain Cody Jamiesons hat trick.

Calgary replied with two of its own to take an 8-6 lead. But the Thunderbirds took flight and the floodgates opened for them. They scored seven unanswered goals to close the third quarter.

Rookie Clarke Petterson also netted a hat trick and Ryan Benesch and James Barclay each potted a pair of goals for the Thunderbirds, who outshot the Roughnecks 64-45.

Its just offence by committee and everybody is just working for each other, Keogh said. Were good when we are cutting through the middle and just opening up space for everybody.

Its the second road victory for the Thunderbirds, who travel to Toronto to face the North Division rival Rock on Friday evening. Their next home game is Feb. 15 versus the Saskatchewan Rush.

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NLL: Third-quarter surge propels Thunderbirds to road victory in Calgary - The Vanguard

In this interview, he speaks on the decision of the person, who instituted the suit leading to the injunction, Victor Oye, to discontinue his case. Njoku also speaks on his plans to rebuild the party.

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

Last week, it was reported that you have returned as the National Chairman of APGA. Can you tell us what transpired?

APGA conducted two parallel conventions. One was done in Owerri and another one held in Awka. APGA agreed to hold the convention in Owerri on May 31, 2019. This decision was made in 2018. Congresses took place in May. The results of the congresses nationwide were completely against Oye. He decided to schedule an emergency National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting. They excluded many BoT members like Bianca Ojukwu and Chief Victor Umeh. After the convention in Owerri, Oyes tenure should have ended on June 6, but on June 5, he filed a case in Abuja to restrain me from carrying out my functions as national chairman.

Did you win at the convention?

I won and emerged as the national chairman. At the convention, we had legitimate delegates. Why did he obtain an injunction that I should not be recognised? He withdrew the case when he saw he could not substantiate his claim. Didnt he know I am now the legitimate national chairman of APGA when he withdrew the case?

Have you met with Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and what are they saying?

This thing just happened last Thursday. We would write to them.

What about some other stakeholders of the party? Are they aware?

All the stakeholders of the party believed that justice would prevail and we are glad the controversy is over now.

APGA is controlling only one state, Anambra. Has the governor also been put on notice?

The governor is the leader of the party. He is our BoT Chairman. A lot of discussions are ongoing. I wouldnt like to speak about them.

You were quoted to have said that you would bring back all who left the party. How do you intend to achieve that?

I said I would ensure those who left return to the party.

I mentioned the name of Ugo Agbala as an example. He is from Enugu State. Someone asked if I would work to bring back Chekwas Okorie and I said yes. I dont think the party treated him fairly. I havent had any discussion with Peter Obi. He is an old member of APGA. It would be very nice if he returns to the party as an old member. Let us conclude the work we started in APGA, but I think Peter Obi is quite comfortable in PDP.

Have you had a one-on-one with people like Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu?

Yes, we have had many discussions but she is not happy with so many things that happened. I dont think she has any problem with the party. Her real grouse is about the person who paraded himself as the party chairman, who she considered incapable.

Do you think the judgement of the court or the lifting of those injunctions has actually gone down well with the other faction?

I think that because of the way Oye joined the party, he feels being the national chairman is a right. It is a privilege that should be given by members. If members of the party decide that they dont want you or decide that they dont want me to be their national chairman one of us should be honourable enough to give up that position. Whether he is happy or not, he should look at the way things are. You cant force yourself on people.

Have you met with the members of your faction after the last court ruling?

Yes, we have been having meetings. We are actually touring all the zones starting from next week. In all the six geopolitical zones, national officers are going around to know what really is on the ground because we cannot really take anything for granted.

Talking about structures on the ground, most people feel APGA is as good as dead. They seem not to be happy with the relationship with the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC

APGA is more or less a sleeping giant and it is unfortunate that we didnt have the right leadership when people wanted to rebuild APGA. The party was not really formed just for the Igbo cause. It was formed for the marginalized. Wherever you find that you needed a platform to express yourself, APGA is the answer.

Isnt the party subsumed in APC now?

No, it is not subsumed in APC. I dont have any problem with parties merging or having an understanding, but it should be done with the blessing of the party faithful. A few people at the top just decided that they were going to support the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, during the administration of Goodluck Jonathan. That was how APGA started supporting the PDP. It was also done in the Buhari era. Similarly, in this era, a few people just got up and decided to support the APC.

Does APGA stand a chance in future elections?

Every party stands a chance if the right thing is done. When you have no plan nothing will happen. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. We do not plan in APGA. We have to rebuild the party without sentiments. We should look for the best without sentiments and we will have a party that does primaries. If we succeed in doing that, many people who may want to join the PDP or APC will come to APGA.

Do you also subscribe to the idea that all election matters should be concluded before swearing-in?

I think it is a very good idea. For example, what happened in Imo State is going to affect the state because a lot of projects were actually awarded by former Governor Emeka Ihedioha. Now, what would happen to the projects? PDP members protested against the sack of Ihedioha as the governor of Imo State by the Supreme Court

What happened was saddening. Ihedioha is my brother. One of the things I have always said is that what is good for the goose is also good for the gander. PDP was there and benefitted from such an occurrence as well. We should learn to speak against anything that is wrong whether it favours us or not. We shouldnt only talk when any development is against our interests.

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BATTLE FOR THE SOUL OF APGA: I am the legitimate National Chairman Njoku - Vanguard

MAGUBy Ikechukwu Nnochiri

A Constitutional lawyer, Mr Johnmary Jideobi, has asked the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja to declare the continued stay in office of Mr Ibrahim Magu as Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, as illegal and unconstitutional.

The appellant challenged the judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja which held that nothing in the law circumscribed President Muhammadu Buharis powers to retain Magu in office, or provided a timeframe within which he could serve as acting Chairman of the anti-graft agency.

It will be recalled that Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu had in judgement she delivered on December 4, 2019, declined to invalidate Magus continued stay in office.

Justice Ojukwu, however, stressed that it was a mandatory requirement of the law that President Buharis nomination of Magu as substantive head of the anti-graft agency must be subject to confirmation and validation by the Senate.

She held that EFCC is not an extra-Ministerial department of the Federal Government and as such, the law provided that anyone nominated as its Chairman by the President must pass through necessary checks and balances by the Senate.

Public interest is very paramount in the appointment of any person to head to the EFCC, Justice Ojukwu held, noting that there was a lacuna in the law since section 2(3) of the EFCC Act did not put a limitation to President Buharis powers to retain Magu in an acting capacity.

The lacuna has given the President the proverbial knife and the yam to do as he pleases, Justice Ojukwu noted, saying there was a need for a renewed consciousness that laws must be implemented in accordance with the public interest and not exploited to install Magu in a substantive capacity.

The judgments followed five separate suits that bordered on the legality or otherwise of Magus continued stay in office as Acting Chairman of the EFCC, despite twice rejection of his nomination by the Senate under the 8th National Assembly.

While two of the suits which were in Magus favour, contended that President Buhari ought not to have transmitted his nomination to the Senate for confirmation, three other plaintiffs prayed the court to declare that his tenure as acting head of the anti-graft agency expired the moment the Senate rejected his nomination for the second time.

The pro-Magu litigants argued that transmission of Magus nomination to the Senate for screening was in breach of section 171 of the Constitution, insisting that EFCC is an extra-ministerial department of the federal government.

However, the anti-Magu litigants who are equally lawyers maintained that he was not a fit and proper person to head the agency since he was twice rejected by the Senate based on an adverse security report from the Department of State Service, DSS.

They separately urged the court to among other things, declare that by combined provisions of section 2(3) of the EFCC Act, 2004 and section 11 of the Interpretation Act, Magu could not continue to parade or hold out himself as Acting Chairman of the EFCC, his nomination having been twice rejected by the Senate.

Besides, they sought for an order to restrain President Buhari from re-nominating him, as well as an order stopping Senate from accepting or acting on such re-nomination when made.

They argued that the moment his nomination was rejected for the second time by the Senate, he could no longer be re-appointed in any capacity at the agency.

Meanwhile, in his appeal, Mr Jideobi argued that the trial Judge erred in law when after affirming the mandatoriness or obligatory connotation of the word shall as used in Section 11 (1) (c) of the Interpretation Act in relation to the tenure of the 4th Respondent, then did a summersault to dismiss the Appellants claims.

He insisted that Magu, has exhausted more than four years in the position of Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission without the mandatory confirmation of the Senate.

By refusing to sack the 4th Respondent after making correct finds, the Learned trial Judge wrongly applied the law and unwittingly gave a judicial imprimatur to a constitutional violation in appointments strictly governed by statutes.

By not giving effect to mandatory provisions of the Constitution, the Interpretation Act, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act, the learned trial Judge has allowed those laws to fall into disuse.

In his second ground of appeal, the lawyer argued that the trial judge erred in law by refusing to uphold the contention that Magus tenure as the Acting Chairman of the EFCC has ended by operation of law when the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria sent his name.

Consequently, he prayed the appellate court to set aside the high court judgement as perverse, saying it occasioned a miscarriage of justice.

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Lawyer drags Magu to Appeal Court, says he has spent over 4 years as Ag EFCC boss - Vanguard

SYDNEY, N.S.

The Old Sydney Society will present a talk about Sable Island and its archeology at the Sydney museum, 173 Charlotte St., Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Charles Burke, a native of Louisbourg who recently retired as Parks Canadas senior archeologist in Halifax, will speak. He conducted field research on Sable Island, documenting its archeological evidence and developing a resource management plan for its cultural heritage.

Parks Canada completed an initial archaeological survey of in its archaeological resources on Sable Island National Park Reserve in 2015 with additional field trips in 2017 and 2018.

Although fragile and either buried or exposed in the islands sand, these archaeological sites represent a range of activities from a 16th century settlement to the 19th century establishment of life-saving stations and lighthouses.

As the federal administrator of Sable Island National Park Reserve, Parks Canadas primary goal is to develop a long-term archaeological resource monitoring and management plan for Sable Island.

Burkes presentation will highlight many of the interesting survey results, including information derived from ground-penetrating radar and it will focus on the challenge of managing archaeological resources in the dynamic environment of Sable Island.

During his career with Parks Canada, Burke was twice awarded the CEO Award of Excellence and was a recipient of the Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal for his contributions to archaeology and public education. He completed an MA in anthropology at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

RELATED:Federal plan for Sable Island will protect ecosystem, but won't tighten offshore oil and gas restrictions

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Talk to explain Sable Island archeology - The Vanguard

Dr. Felix Omobude, PFN President

Those who are benefiting from the system will deny that theres no suffering but you and I know that the common man is going through pains Reverend Felix Ilaweagbon

Omobude, the National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), speaks on the execution of the Michika local government area of Adamawa State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Rev. Lawan Andimi, by Boko Haram among other issues. Excerpts:

On Andimi

The killing of the CAN Chairman for Michika local government area of Adamawa State is tragic, condemnable, callous and a devilish act.

Boko Haram has left no one in doubt that the Church is their main target and they had continued to push this since inception.

The cases of the Chibok girls, Leah Sharibu, aid workers as well as several unrecorded cases are fresh in our memory and yet they have continued in this evil expedition.

But the PFN is certain that good must overcome evil; no matter how dark the night is, the light will conquer darkness.

We cannot hold the government blameless on the issue of this fallen man of God because the government has the responsibility to the citizens of this nation, irrespective of tribe or tongue or religion, and they failed to deliver; they should not believe that the people will keep quiet.

The government wants us to believe that they have decimated Boko Haram; Boko Haram has been tactically defeatedand there has not been peace.

Every week, these people either ravage a whole village and abduct whoever they want to abduct; they even confront army formations, so why are they lying to people that Boko Haram has been decimated? Without a doubt, they still have all it takes to seize weapons from our military.

With all due respect, I respect the efforts of our military men but lets face the situation and do not let the world believe that the war against insurgency is over.

It is not! The callousness of these people and by what they are doing, the issue for them goes beyond ransom.

They actually wanted to execute the CAN Chairman and they accomplished their mission.

We are not certain yet what the Adamawa governor did after he heard the appeal of the abducted CAN Chairman in a video sent to him and the Federal Government..

I dont want to believe that the governor didnt do anything: whether what he did was enough is another thing. Whether he did it when they needed it is another thing. At times, when you look at the scope of these things, its beyond a state government.

I dont think the Federal Government can wash their hands off this and put the blame on the state. Its a national issue. Its a national war. The people are out to cause mayhem to discredit the government of the day.

They want to prompt religious disharmony among the people. And no responsible government should fold its hands and watch this happen.

Its an understatement to say whether the Federal Government is aware of whats happening and they know the enormity of the task. They know the viciousness of Boko Haram or ISWAP.

A government that engages in deceiving the people, making us feel that theres nothing when there are something calls for major concern. Its the concern of the Church.

We will understand if the government has failed and says they have lost control of security and tell Christians to move out, but they tell us this place is safe and everyday people are killed.

We heard about four seminarians who were abducted a few days ago at the Good Shepherd of Kakau Major Seminary along Kaduna-Abuja highway.

These things keep happening and, whenever they happen, you condemn them. Its not about condemning alone. Its not enough! We need action.

Whats the Church doing to engage the government?

At various fora, we have made our stand known. We have made representations. CAN has presented our position a number of times to the Presidency. We have made state-of-the-nation addresses and we have various opportunitiesWe are Nigerians and we love the country.

We are patriotic. We dont want to make things terrible for everybody. What they are trying to cause is an ill-wind that will blow nobody any good. No one has a monopoly on violence.

We are trying to control our young people and pacify them and we expect the government to do the needful by getting these people to account for their sins. Many of them are out-of-school and there are no jobs for them, so what do you expect? The Church cannot pick up arms.

We cannot call for an uprising to cause more trouble in the land. So we continue to hold our elected officers responsible because they swore to an oath to protect the lives of Nigerian people. And this, they have failed. The Church will continue to speak out.

Should the Church just continue to pray without exploring other options?

You suggest to us. Are we going to cause violence? Will that be the best for everyone? I still believe theres nothing better in this circumstance than prayer and engagement of government.

We engaged in inter-religious dialogue even as we engage the traditional institutions. For now, that appears to be the limit of what we can do.

Whether the government listens or not, the beautiful thing is that democracy gives people a time-frame. Although democracy has not matured in Nigeria, you cant fool the people forever.

If a party comes to the people and promises to give security, power and water and, at the expiration of their term, they didnt deliver on any of these, democracy provides an opportunity for the people to revolt with their votes.

So, if anybody thinks they can deceive Nigerians forever, buying them bags of rice, wrappers thinking that will solve their problems, Nigerians are getting wiser.

As a Christian leader, will you say that there are elections in this country?

In all frankness, I will not say that the results of elections in Nigeria reflect the will of the people. But it is a step forward.

The days that one man will hold on to power with the gun and without recourse to the Constitution are over. We all now must begin to enlighten our people and fight social ills.

People buy their way to power and circumvent whatever laws that were made for the sanctity of elections and, going by recent happenings, people are beginning to lose faith in the judiciary. But, to me, its all part of the process. We are getting there but very slowly.

Do you agree with the school of thought that the increasing wave of insecurity is part of the plan to Islamize the country?

I think that people overemphasize this Islamization thing as if the Church is weak or afraid and lacks capacity. Thats not the case. The Church is not sleeping.

Muslims have a right to evangelise if they will do it peacefully, just as Christians have a right to do the same and we are doing that in our own way. Let me remind you that many attempts have been made in the past and to some extent they didnt yield the fruits that the enemies expected.

While I will not ask the Church to go to sleep, we should not have sleepless nights over Islamophobia. I dont think that that day is soon if it will ever come. The Church is not sleeping. We are still working, praying because Nigeria belongs to all of us.

In this country, OIC came and people thought that overnight it would bring a cloud over us. Then Sharia came; even when we cannot claim total victory yet, those who are enemies of the Church know it is not a walkover in Nigeria.

But they appear to be making inroads

We are also making inroads, not through bow and arrows, not through violence but we are making inroads. The Church is the greatest nightmare of Islam.

I think we should also harness our strength. That Constitution thing fell like a pack of cards and whatever they have raised up If there still be a Goliath, God still has a David.

Catholic Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah made a profound statement, comparing the Federal Government with Boko Haram and saying the only difference is that terrorists use a bomb to achieve their aims. Do you agree?

I respect Bishop Kukah. I hold him in high esteem. I believe hes more knowledgeable than me especially in this area.

So, I dont take his words with a pinch of salt. I didnt read that statement but its up to the government to tell the world that they are not what the Catholic Bishop described. Nigerians today are wise enough to know the truth.

We voted this government into power in what we supposed was a civilized method. And if the government is not measuring up, the people have the prerogative to voice their grievance in whatever way they can. I think thats what Bishop Kukah has done. Its a language of dissatisfaction with the government.

Is that sinking down to the generality of Nigerians because we also saw the attempt by Omoyele Sowore to lead a protest against the government and what happened to him eventually?

I can tell that there are challenges that developing countries face. We have to fight totalitarianism and the people need to be enlightened and someone must pay the price for it like the one Sowore has had to pay. It also underscores the point that no matter how strong you are, the voice of the people will be heard.

To your question, when this government came into power, the Naira was exchanging for a dollar at N170 or so and they promised to make its exchange at one to one.

But instead, they devalued it and, today, you need about N360 to buy one dollar whereas wages have not insignificantly increased. The people have been under severe pain as new people are not being employed while every year thousands of graduates are turned out of schools.

Those who have served for 35 years in the civil service are being retired but new ones are not employed. You can ask questionsdo you turn your water tap and you see public water running? Everyone is sinking borehole everywhere.

These are indices. Go to the hospitals or the schoolsin most states of the country, pupils are sitting on the floormore and more people are buying power generators. Thats the situation. The majority of Nigerians are in pain.

Those who are benefiting from the system will deny that theres no suffering but you and I know that the common man is going through pains.

But shall we continue like this?

Honestly, I know that even in developed countries they have their challenges and, at times, the dimension is great. I believe that if we fail to do the right thing, we may not automatically be like Britain or America but attempts to do the right thing will move us forward.

To the credit of this government, they launched a war against corruption which is what every Nigerian needs to support if its wholesome.

Because corruption has set us behind in no small measure and it is still reigning in this country despite all that is being said or done. Even in the public service, you dont need to go too far before you see it. Its a problem that we all must deal with decisively.

How do you score this governments economic programme in the last five years?

As far as I am concerned, the nations economy is worse than what it was in 2015 when they came in. Thats the way it seems and in every area.

When they came in, petrol was selling for N87 per litre but now its selling for N145 and they say they are still subsidizing the product. You are in Lagos while I live in Benin City, theres no difference in electricity which is worse than what obtained when they came in.

On agriculture, I can give them credit because during this Christmas Nigerians ate made in Nigeria rice. That is a positive thing: we must go back to the land. Nigerians should consume what she produces. Thats a positive thing to do and I only wish that they improve on it.

We are increasing taxes and borrowing more. Is that a positive thing too?

I am not an economist and I cannot talk much on the borrowings and all the rest but I can tell you that you can borrow and borrow until you become a slave to the lender.

Thats in the Bible. The painful thing is that theres no nation that people dont pay tax. We should encourage our people to pay taxes, but the people also want to see what their taxes are used for.

Anywhere you go, you see governments upgrading their airports and infrastructural facilities and people are happy to pay their taxes because they can see what governments are using their taxes for. But the Benin-Lagos highway has been under construction since the Olusegun Obas

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Execution of CAN Chairman: Boko Haram is gone but everyday Nigerians are killed PFN President - Vanguard

By Afe Babalola1999 Constitution is our major problem.

TRUTH be told, Nigeria cannot afford the extension of the warped 1999 Constitution and the attendant sufferings it has imposed on majority of Nigerians for another four years. The consequences can only be imagined. I would, therefore, like to personally appeal to President Buhari to follow up on what he began towards the end of last year by surprising Nigerians with a Bill to the National Assembly asking for the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference.

There is an urgent need to replace the 1999 Constitution with a peoples constitution. But unfortunately this cannot be achieved by the present crop of legislators in the National Assembly being the major beneficiaries of the rot. Nigeria at the present moment is made up of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The idea of federalism which is practised in Nigeria today was taken or borrowed from the American and Australian models. In these jurisdictions, persons of divergent nationalities, races, creeds, ethnicities, etc., have been able to come together to co-exist under one political and national identity.

The United States of America, for example, is made up of the Native Americans, Hispanics, African Americans, Latin Americans, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, etc. Americans themselves proudly refer to the country as one created by immigrants. The country despite this wide diversity of its people has continued to flourish. This is so as the Constitution recognises the component units as the heart and soul of the union and does not necessarily concentrate power in the centre.

In Nigeria, the reverse is the case as power is concentrated in the Federal Government of Nigeria. The Federal Government controls virtually all important means of revenue generation with the result that a large chunk of revenue generated from the vast resources of the country end up in the coffers of the Federal Government.

The Federal Government, as provided by the Constitution then assumes the role of a big brother and decides what each State will get as its own share of the national revenue.

The immediate impact of this is felt in the corruption that has pervaded our political class. Each state and local government receives what is known as monthly allocation from the Federal Government of Nigeria. The ongoing prosecution of some past office holders on account of misappropriation of funds from the monthly allocations of their state or local government shows that the said allocation is seen by politicians as a prime opportunity to corruptly enrich themselves.

Nigeria also operates a bicameral legislative system comprising the Senate and the House of Representatives. At the state level, there are 36 Houses of Assembly and 774 local governments. The executive at the Federal level comprises of the President and a high number of ministers. At all levels, there are special advisers, personal assistants, secretary, orderlies, etc. Owing to constitutional requirement that each state be represented on the federal cabinet, some ministries have two ministers assigned to them. Interestingly, the Federal cabinet in the United States of America consists of about 20 persons much less than the number in Nigeria. The states are also not left out as each state has an equally high number of commissioners. At the federal level, the judiciary consists of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Federal High Court, and National Industrial Court. In addition each State has its own High Court comprising a Chief Judge and a number of High Court Judges.

Mending a skyscraper

The effect of the above is that the cost of running government in Nigeria is astronomically high. To maintain the status quo, what the legislators have been doing for some time is to amend, re-amend and further amend the extant 1999 constitution. They should appreciate that no one can successfully mend a skyscraper which is devoid of pillars: such a skyscraper will simply fall like a house of cards. In the circumstance, what we need to solve the multiplicity of problems is the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference.

What is Sovereign National Conference? A Sovereign National Conference is one convened to reconsider the countrys political future. It is designed to carry out political transformation, in other words, to chart a new course. It is appropriate where the economic, political and social structures seem incapable of solving the problems of the country as it is in Nigeria today so that instead of resorting to arms, a peaceful and orderly change can take place. The distinguishing word sovereign in a Sovereign National Conference, therefore, connotes that the body is not merely advisory or consultative. Rather, it is an Assembly of elected Representatives of the Nigerian people, backed by an enabling law, with the mandate and power to fundamentally restructure the political, economic, social and constitutional future of the country.

A Sovereign National Conference will not have any no-go areas or non-negotiable issues. Rather, it will have the broadest mandate to determine the political, economic, social, judicial, legislative and security structures of the Federation, which will include issues of state police, fiscal federalism; multi-religiosity; separation of powers, bicameral legislature or otherwise, salaries and emoluments of legislators, fundamental human rights; and fundamental objectives and directive principles governing the coming together of different parts of Nigeria as a Federation.

The enabling law would ensure that the outcome of the Sovereign National Conference will receive the status of a draft Constitutional Reform Bill which will be passed by the National Assembly without any amendment.

Representation and efficiency

To ensure broad-based representation and efficiency, the Sovereign National Conference should be convened as follows:

Conclusion: I repeat that our constitution is the greatest problem of Nigeria which is a country of nations. To get out of this quagmire and particularly as a follow up to his new mindset of closing Nigerias borders with Niger Republic and Benin Republic to save Nigerias economy from the influx of illegal importation of agricultural products and the release of the duo of Col. Dasuki and Omoyele Sowore from detention, I humbly appeal to President Buhari to immediately send a Bill to the National Assembly proposing the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference.

No election before a new constitution: The proposed Sovereign National Conference must conclude its deliberations before any election. It follows, therefore, that there should be no election before the outcome of the proposed Sovereign National Conference. The 2023 General Elections should be conducted using the new constitution which will be the outcome, indeed the product, of the Sovereign National Conference.

This is the way to go if we are to make it as a nation.

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Convocation of sovereign national confab before the 2023 general elections (2) - Vanguard

*Backs Odegbami on next Super Eagles coach*Sends words to Akwa Ibom Govt, advises Pinnick*How I met my Malian wifeEtim and wifeBy Jacob Ajom

To really appreciate Etim Esin one has to go back to the first part of this interview which we published last week(https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/01/what-abiola-promised-me-etim-esim/). Today we bring you the concluding part of the interview. As usual, it will delight you. Read on

Are you satisfied with the way our football is run?

I dont think so because of the divide and rule method being applied by the administrators. We have six geo-political zones in this country. Look at these zones and make ex-internationals chairmen in some of these zones. So, cant I be FA Chairman in Akwa Ibom State? If we want to move forward we have to line up and take over in all spheres of the game. Some will go to the administrative side, some to coaching, others team managers. It is we that played the game.

You have a son and a daughter. Your son plays football

He cuts in Yeah. My son plays football but I dont put any pressure on him. My father didnt put any pressure on me to play the game, why would I? Anytime he wants to play I support him but no pressure. One day he told me football might not bring quick money, he would prefer to play music like Davido and Wizkid, so money would roll in quickly. He keeps asking me, where is all the money you made in football?

Your wife, you married her in Belgium?

No. We met in Paris and when I returned to Nigeria I saw her here and we got hooked.

Nigerian?

She is Malian.

So how was she able to cope with the footballer, Etim Esin?

Initially, she did not even know I was a footballer. She didnt marry me because I was a footballer. It was even the mother that told her I was a footballer.

How far apart were you two that she hardly knew you?

I met her in Paris in 1993. I had a problem in Belgium and I returned to Nigeria and still met her in Nigeria because the father worked in the Embassy, as Malian Consular in Nigeria. It was Gods making. She has been there for me through thick and thin. I appreciate God for giving me a good woman.

In Nigeria, you played for Rovers, Flash Flamengoes, Iwuanyanwu Nationale and Julius Berger.Which of these provided you with the best moments?

Flash Flamengoes and Iwuanyanwu Nationale. It was Iwuanyanwu that gave me a Peugeot 505 that they shot me in. I think I was the highest-paid footballer in the local scene. Indeed, it was Iwuanyanwu.

The Nigerian league was at its peak as there were many good clubs like Abiola Babes, Leventis Unites among others. These were private individuals investing where their passion was. They were not making any money from it, yet they were very passionate about their clubs.

Where did we go wrong in our football development?

When greed crept into our football. When FIFA started this agents thing. Agents will sell players and make handsome money from the deals. Everybody became interested in players agency. You find a lawyer switching his interest from law to players management.

What do we expect from Etim Esin in the next one or two years?

Not much. Maybe I will just go back home and put my experience and knowledge to the benefit of the young ones. My state has two football clubs, Dakaada FC and Akwa United. If anybody thinking right is up there, he would wonder why Etim Esin is not part of any of the state-owned clubs. It is sad.

I was the first professional footballer from Akwa Ibom. I went to Belgium in 1987 and the state was created in 87 as well. So what does it take for one to gain relevance in his own state?

I have applied severally and it is always one story or the other. I am just tired of the whole thing. I can go back to my state and help grow football. They have two clubs. Theres something I can do for them. I hope they hear from me.

What is your assessment of the Amaju Pinnick-led NFF administration? Are they making any headway?

I dont like talking politics. Pinnick is a young man who has good intentions for Nigerian football. But when you have the intrigues of politics and the interests of others to satisfy, you lose focus. He should have asked from veterans like Dr Amos Adamu who have passed through that route. Its a big game and I advise he learns from Adamu. No man is an Island. You have to consult and you have to carry people along.

What Pinnick has done is that he just took a few people, like him honouring only the 1994 Super Eagles. Was that the only group that played for Nigeria? What about the set that played alongside Okwaraji that died, dont they deserve to be honoured? If Okwaraji did not sacrifice himself for Nigeria, how could Nigeria have qualified for the World Cup? Did Nigerian football start and end with 1994 set? No, there were people who sacrificed so much for Nigerian football; the Odegbamis, Chukwus, Amiesimakas, Owolabis, Lawals, etc.

Pinnick should be more inclusive. He should carry people along. Carrying me along does not mean I have to be in your office every day. Is it not Uyo they come to play every time? Have they for once invited me to come to the stadium to watch the Eagles?

Nigerian clubs are not doing well in the continent, what could be the cause?

How can they do well when our league is not organised, the pitches are bad. Do you have five good pitches in Nigeria? Enyimba has a good pitch. Do one for Pillars, one in Bauchi and one in Lagos, finish. Some teams would be coming to play their matches here in Lagos. Only that way can we get our clubs to play good football. But we need a lot more.

Finally, the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. Do you think the Super Eagles can qualify?

They should. The boys are young and very talented and determined. They will qualify. The likes of Osimhen, Chukwueze, Ndidi will motivate the rest of the team to work hard. We have a bunch of very good young players. Just give them all they require to do well. If South Africa had half the talent we have you would have seen what they could have done.

In 1989, Pele of Brazil predicted that if an African team was to win the World Cup, that country

was Nigeria. Up till this moment, Nigeria has not crossed the second round of the World Cup. What is the problem?

It is because we dont have a long term plan. We are not building. If we were good planners why not? In 1994 we were the 5th best in the world, today see where we are. Look at England, they won the U17, U20 and gradually, some of these young chaps who won the tournaments are being introduced into the national team. The last World Cup, they got to the semi-final. Age cheating too is a problem. Why would you bring a 23-year-old and say he is U17? Honesty is another thing that has taken a walk in our approach to football development in Nigeria. We are not honest at all.

Just last weekend, Chief Segun Odegbami wrote, calling for an indigenous coach as the next Super Eagles handler. Do you support his view?

I am 100% in support of what he is saying. Look at someone like Emmanuel Amuneke. Was Guardiola not his teammate at Barcelona? Just give him the platform and dont limit his ability, dont try to cage him and give him a free hand. Amuneke took Tanzania to the last AFCON. If Amuneke comes out, with his wealth of experience and knowledge of the game, he would not want anybody to dictate for him. Would you give him a free hand like you are giving Rohr? Will they want to select the team for him? No way! It should not be. You are the NFF chairman and I am the coach, you gave me a job, I select my team. If I dont deliver, I quit. You shouldnt have any business with my team. Until that aspect is corrected, we are still very far because of interests from interest groups.

If things continue this way our football will not grow. See Brazilians, they would play in Europe then go back home to play retirement football in their domestic clubs like Flamengoes, Santos. Look at South Africa, how many South African players are playing abroad? They have the platform, a very good league with multiple sponsors like Adidas, Puma, Volkswagen, Mercedes, so many other companies. Why cant we attract sponsorship for our leagues? Look at our clubs in continental competitions, you wont see names of sponsors on their jerseys, even the TV rights we used to get we lost because of greed. Clubs get virtually nothing. The biggest country in Africa does not have its league on television. This is where cable television makes most of its money. In South Africa, Supersport owns a full-fledged football club, Supersport FC, well-financed and well maintained to international standard. How much is South Africas population? And this is where they make their money most. MTN is sponsoring up to the national team. Why cant MTN sponsor a club in Nigeria?

But the ugly reality is that we are not straightforward. Once we become straightforward, things will begin to look up. I cannot see something white and I call it black. Maybe that is why they say I am stubborn. I am not stubborn but being truthful. That is the way I was brought up.

VANGUARD

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Etim Esin: Where we went wrong in our football - Vanguard

First National Bank of Omaha boosted its holdings in Vanguard Value ETF (NYSEARCA:VTV) by 51.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,414 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 2,165 shares during the quarter. First National Bank of Omahas holdings in Vanguard Value ETF were worth $769,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its holdings in shares of Vanguard Value ETF by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 88,347 shares of the companys stock worth $10,588,000 after purchasing an additional 1,675 shares during the period. Gemmer Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Vanguard Value ETF by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Gemmer Asset Management LLC now owns 22,756 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,727,000 after acquiring an additional 569 shares in the last quarter. Money Design Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in Vanguard Value ETF by 11.2% in the 4th quarter. Money Design Co. Ltd. now owns 288,435 shares of the companys stock valued at $34,482,000 after purchasing an additional 28,938 shares in the last quarter. Zeke Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Vanguard Value ETF by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Zeke Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,097,103 shares of the companys stock valued at $131,488,000 after purchasing an additional 30,801 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Family Wealth Counselors L.L.C. raised its position in Vanguard Value ETF by 16.7% in the fourth quarter. Strategic Family Wealth Counselors L.L.C. now owns 12,077 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,447,000 after purchasing an additional 1,731 shares during the period.

Shares of VTV stock opened at $119.80 on Friday. Vanguard Value ETF has a 12 month low of $102.29 and a 12 month high of $121.53. The companys fifty day moving average price is $119.84 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $114.00.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 26th were issued a dividend of $0.9093 per share. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.04%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 24th. This is an increase from Vanguard Value ETFs previous quarterly dividend of $0.73.

Vanguard Value ETF Profile

Vanguard Value ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded share class of Vanguard Value Index Fund, which employs a passive management or indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the MSCI US Prime Market Value Index (the Index). The Index is a diversified index of value stocks of predominantly large United States companies.

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First National Bank of Omaha Purchases 2,165 Shares of Vanguard Value ETF (NYSEARCA:VTV) - Riverton Roll

OLD National Bancorp IN grew its stake in shares of Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (NYSEARCA:BND) by 14.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,557 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 709 shares during the quarter. OLD National Bancorp INs holdings in Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF were worth $466,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in BND. Stordahl Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Stordahl Capital Management Inc. now owns 294,235 shares of the companys stock valued at $24,675,000 after purchasing an additional 9,928 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP grew its position in Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF by 41.2% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,622 shares of the companys stock valued at $136,000 after buying an additional 473 shares during the period. Wedbush Securities Inc. increased its holdings in Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF by 17.6% during the fourth quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 27,782 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,330,000 after buying an additional 4,155 shares during the last quarter. Reilly Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF by 6.4% during the fourth quarter. Reilly Financial Advisors LLC now owns 16,462 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,381,000 after buying an additional 990 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HBW Advisory Services LLC raised its position in Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF by 12.2% in the fourth quarter. HBW Advisory Services LLC now owns 26,361 shares of the companys stock worth $2,214,000 after acquiring an additional 2,865 shares during the period.

BND opened at $84.91 on Friday. Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF has a 1-year low of $79.39 and a 1-year high of $85.30. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $84.11 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $84.03.

The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 27th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 24th were issued a $0.1873 dividend. This is a boost from Vanguard Total Bond Market ETFs previous monthly dividend of $0.18. This represents a $2.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.65%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 23rd.

Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF Company Profile

Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (the Fund) seeks to track the performance of a market-weighted bond index. The Fund employs a passive management or indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (the Index). The Index measures a spectrum of public, investment-grade, taxable, fixed-income securities in the United States, including government, corporate and international dollar-denominated bonds, as well as mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities, all with maturities of more than one year.

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OLD National Bancorp IN Buys 709 Shares of Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (NYSEARCA:BND) - Riverton Roll