This is the last interview granted to Vanguard in February, 2013, by Professor Omo Omoruyi shortly before he flew back to Boston, United States of America where he was undergoing treatment for cancer. Omoruyi died last Sunday.

THE Senate, at the peak of the crisis in Rivers State House of Assembly, passed a resolution directing the Inspector-General of Police Abubakar Mohammed to redeploy the state Commissioner of Police, Mbu Joseph Mbu, following his alleged role in the crisis involving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Chibuike Amaechi. But about two months after, the CP still holds sway in the state. In an interview, Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Ita Enang, says the Senate has not received formal information on compliance with the directive. He also speaks on other issues.

Why was Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole of Edo State involved in a solidarity march organized by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja to protest over minimum wage? He explains, in this interview, the reason, despite being a governor, he kept faith with Labour, his primary constituency. He raises the alarm that the Federal Government is killing the economy of states with irregular Federal Allocations, saying the situation poses danger to the nation’s democracy. Oshiomhole also speaks on the prevalence of kidnapping in his state among several other issues

Chief Edwin Clark, Ijaw leader, elder statesman and politician with great interest in education, in this interview, explains why he is working tirelessly to set up a University of Technology in his hometown of Kiagbodo in Delta State, at the age of 86.

We started off well. It was a land of hope, a land of opportunity, a land of sunlight and faith, land of very proud people. Nigerians are hardworking and very committed. And it went on. It had its own challenges until the unfortunate tragedy of 1966. And then all that hope; true federalism which we had then, all that regional competition for excellence simply came to a halt under the unitary system of government which the military brought along.

SECRET meeting over Kelvin: Few months before Kelvin Oniarah, the kidnap kingpin that terrorized Delta State and other states in the South-South and South-East regions was rounded up, September 25, by a joint team of Department of State Services, DSS and Nigerian Army, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, who had been providing logistics for the manhunt for kidnappers in the state, summoned the leaders of Kokori community, the country home of the gangster, to a meeting in Warri.

Chief Chris Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN,with an eye on constitutional, political and electoral cases, in this interview, x-rays the forces that have given Nigeria high and low points at 53 and goes further to admonish President Goodluck Jonathan on what lies ahead of him and Nigeria.

Umuahia, Abia State capital, last week, played host to the 9th biennial conference of the Nigerian Army Finance Corps. The conference presented Sunday Vanguard an opportunity to rub minds with Governor Theodore Ahamefule Orji on the crisis rocking his party, the PDP, the challenge posed by kidnapping to security in his state, among other issues. He was blunt on President Goodluck Jonathan controversial bid to run for second term in 2015.

Nigeria of today is a place where buildings collapse. Chief Omo Aisagbonhi, a real estate developer, in this interview, explains why buildings go down and proffers solution. He adds that he would rather give loan to women than men, because ”even if the man becomes irresponsible in paying back the loan, the woman will not”.

He veered off his practice in Pharmacy and joined politics. And like a determined politician, he has continued to grow. Between 1999 and 2003, he was Special Adviser on political matters to Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Between 2003 and 2007, he was elected into the Federal House of Representatives. Afterwards, he became the National Secretary of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

A seasoned economist, Olugbemiga Olowu is the Rotarian overseeing Rotary clubs all-over Lagos and Ogun states, otherwise known as District 9110. Born in 1949 into the Abeokuta family of Obatolu Olowu of the Ile-Alafin of Owu Kingdom, he is a Rotarian with 30 years experience! Also a multifaceted entrepreneur, Olugbemiga worked with the Mandilas Group for 15 years before co-founding a pharmaceutical business, Lutayo Pharmaceutical Limited, and later, Lutay Nigeria Limited, a joint financial and procurement services company. Seven Prints Limited, a monogramming and printing establishment, is also one of his innovations. In this interview, Olugbemiga debunks the claim that Rotary is a money-making venture and also explains why there are few Rotary clubs in Ogun State.

You don’t just barge into the palace of Omo N’oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Erediauwa, the 38th Oba of Benin, to see the monarch. The Oba of Benin is unarguably one of Nigeria’s most reverred royal fathers. He superintends over a famous Kingdom-Benin Kingdom. Seeing the Omo N’oba is naturally on appointment – and this may take time. Thus, when a couple of weeks ago the idea of an interview with the revered monarch was mooted, it became incumbent on us to write a letter to seek an appointment. Then a date was picked for the interview with the Omo N’oba. Waiting for the monarch for the interview on the appointed day was understandable given his very tight schedule.

Lt. General Jeremiah Useni needs no introduction. The prominent role he played during the reign of late Head of State, Sani Abacha, as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, is well known. However, there are two things about Jeremiah Useni, who was referred to as ‘Jerry Boy’ at the time. He was indeed a Boy, because he joined the Army at the age of 14. Firstly, he was one of the soldiers who fired shots during the coup against General Ironsi in which the General was killed in Ibadan. Mr. Useni was also the closest person to General Abacha up to his last moments.This interview, conducted in Hausa by the Hausa language newspaper, Rariya, and translated to English by PREMIUM TIMES’

BUT we give them all the assistance to make the job easy for them. So as far as I am concerned, the government has done its part, if anything that is lacking, it is certainly not or should not be attributed to the inability of the state government.

SECRETARY to the Delta State Government, Comrade Ovuozorie Macualay, spoke to Vanguard, weekend, in Asaba, on the latest threat to the security of the state by the most wanted kidnapper and armed robbery kingpin in the state, Kelvin.