Friday, May 7, 2021 Edition

Friday, May 7, 2021/ Ramadan 25, 1442 AH

Vol. 36 No. 067 N200

2572 Days after Malam Wada Maida (1950-2020), founding Chairman, Board of the Peoples Media Limited

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. . . putting the people first

The nation awaits rescue of the remaining abducted Chibok schoolgirls

Kano approves new minimum wage for own varsities’ staff >>PAGE 5

Sponsors of banditry, terrorism face threats of exposure PG 5

Given ultimatum to disband militia groups Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) MD/CE, Bello Hassan (Centre) holding a Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) commemorative plaque presented to him by the CIBN President and Chairman of Council, Mr. Bayo Olugbemi (1st Right) along with the NDIC Executive Director Operations, Mr. Mustapha M. Ibrahim (1st Left) during the visit of CIBN Executive Council members to the NDIC Management at the Corporation’s Head Office, Abuja.

Insecurity: Lawyers back creation of state police

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DSS arrests man Illicit financial flows: Reps Afaka 39: Parents Why military hasn’t impersonating want review of Nigeria's call for rehabilitation crushed Boko Haram, Gbajabiamila legal framework of affected students others - Senate pAGE 6

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PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

News CONTENTS News 2-14 Op.Ed

12-13

Politics 15-17 Stock Watch Business Metro

18 19-20 21

World Analysis 22 Africa News

23

World News

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Don’t politicise security situation in Imo, PDP tells Uzodimma Page 4

Digest

25

Feature 26 Sports 30-31 Back Page

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Illicit financial flows: Reps want review of Nigeria’s legal framework

By Christiana Ekpa

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he House of Representatives yesterday directed its joint committees on finance, anticorruption, financial crimes, banking and currency and insurance and actuarial matters to investigate the phenomenon of illicit.

Financial flows and appraise the federal government’s current policy framework to curb the continuous loss of Nigeria’s’ revenues to illicit financial flows.

This decision was consequent upon the adoption of a motion sponsored Hon. Ochiglegor Idagbo (PDP, Cross River) at the plenary.

Presenting the motion, Idagbo noted that the socio-economic development of Nigeria has deeply suffered due to the unabated crossborder financial dealings of the nation’s revenues resulting from Illicit Financial Flows (IFF).

He expressed concern that the Report of the Global Financial Integrity, 2014 showed that Nigeria lost a minimum of US$140 billion to illicit financial flows between 2000 and 2014, mainly to crude oil and commercial activities mispricing, thus Nigeria was ranked among the global top 30 countries having illicit financial outflows by dollar value and in 2015, a total of US$8.3 billion was involved in the Illicit financial outflows.

He informed that the Tax Justice

Network and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated that developing countries, including Nigeria, lose over US$200 billion per year to illicit financial flows as multinational corporations neglect, fail and/or refuse to pay taxes, despite generating substantial profits.

“Concerned that the incessant financial drain on the country’s economy by the illicit financial outflow continues to have negative implications for domestic resource, mobilisation and long-term economic growth and development, as approximately 5% of the IFF from Africa can be attributed to corruption, while the remaining 95% comes from commercial and criminal activities.

“Also concerned about statistics which show that the amount of revenues lost annually is more than the sums provided as development aid. “Observes that the net official Development Aid received by Nigeria in 2017 was US$3,358,790,000 and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has donated over US$526.7 million in humanitarian assistance to Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin since 2017, yet neither of the aforementioned figures matches the estimated US$15 and US$18 billion Nigeria loses to IFFs annually hence Nigeria continues to struggle with growing inequality, poor infrastructure and lacking service delivery”, he stated.

The lawmaker explained that

despite having at least 12 institutions and agencies responsible for tackling IFF and related crimes, Nigeria continues to be menaced by weak regulatory structures and complicity of other financial secrecy, among others.

He observed that global awareness has prompted governments to develop measures and policies such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) and Common Reporting Standard (CRS) aimed at eradicating the perpetuation of IFF, and assist tax authorities track offshore holdings of taxpayers.

“Worried that an estimated 60% of IFF from Nigeria is predominantly committed by multinational corporations which continue to drive the cross-border siphoning of the country’s revenues to the direct and/or indirect benefit of foreign economies; “Also worried that international information sharing and domestication of relevant policies have become a global priority to ensure cross-border cooperation to tackle this global threat to national revenue generation and its negative economic and developmental impacts” Idagbo said “To ensure the domestication and implementation of the international legal framework, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) published the Income Tax (Common Reporting Standard) Regulations, 2019, through which Nigeria aims to commence the

implementation of a standardised automatic exchange of information to curb future revenue losses due to tax evasion; “Also aware that Nigeria is taking steps to curtail IFF, especially from tax evasion, billions of dollars have already been lost to IFF as 2014 Financial Stability Report from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) estimated that 35% of illicit financial flows out of Nigeria could be attributed to oil bunkering; “Further aware that the Oil Sector accounted for 95% of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings and 80% of Nigeria’s total budgetary revenue, it has become imperative to recover those funds to increase short-term national revenues, particularly to alleviate the pressures of the current COVID-19 pandemic, while implementing a mechanism to prevent further IFFs; “Convinced that international best practices have shown that a carefully formulated funds and asset repatriation scheme could have multiple benefits for the country; “Also convinced that to foster the repatriation of Nigeria’s offshore funds, the Nigerian government could introduce an appealing, yet legally acceptable offshore repatriation framework, with legal and economic incentives to taxpayers and multinational corporations to repatriate such resources, which could be used to boost Nigeria’s economic growth”.

From left: Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Buki Ponle; Managing Director, Nigeria Health Watch, Mrs Vivianne Ihekweazu; and the Chief Legal Officer and Board Secretary, NAN, Mrs Ngozi Anofochi, during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on provision of training and support for the Solution Journalism Africa Initiative, between NAN and Nigeria Health Watch, at the Agency’s Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday (6/5/21).

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o enhance operations of the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has provided three automatic Weather Observation Stations in support to NIHSA. Speaking in Abuja, at the unveiling of the 2021 annual flood outlook by the NIHSA, NEMA’s Director General, AVM Muhammadu Muhammed (rtd) said the weather stations at various stages of installations are located in Nasarawa State University, Keffi;

Ag News Editor, Tobias Lengnam News Court affirms Benin Insecurity: Lawyers back creation of state police monarch’s verdict

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ome Lagos-based lawyers have appealed to the National Assembly to amend the constitution and include creation of state police to eradicate rising insecurity in the country.

The lawyers told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews that it had become imperative to create state police in the face of rising insecurity across the country.

The practitioners worry over loss of lives because of undue delay and protocol involved in getting consent from the Federal Government.

Mr Chibuikem Opara, a rights campaigner with Justification Law Firm, Ikeja, said that the idea of state police was long overdue, especially with the current happenings in the country.

According to Opara, the governors are called chief security officers of their various states but in actual sense they cannot successfully call on commissioners of police of their states without reference to Abuja.

He pointed out that lives had been lost in the past because of undue delay and protocol involved in getting consent from the Federal Government.

“State police will make administration easier and the multiplier effect include job creation, reducing the pressure on the Federal Government as well as enhance security and lives, among other things.

“Those who oppose the idea of state police are of the view that it will become an instrument of witch hunt in the hands of egoistic governors.

“I believe such fear is unfounded,” Opara said.

Chief Osuala Nwagbara, the Managing Partner, Maritime and Commercial Law Partners, agreed that creating state police had become a matter of urgency in the face of the growing insecurity in the country.

Nwagbara said that it laid in the hands of members of the National Assembly and the various states assemblies to invoke provisions of

Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

“If members of the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly still have any steam of patriotism in them, this is the time to let out the steam, for national rebirth and survival,” Nwagbara said.

He, however, advised that when state police are created, governors should empower them with adequate training and provide sufficient equipment to deal with crimes in their respective states of jurisdiction.

He added that other levels of security architecture should be built within the states such as community security and village vigilante networks to work hand in hand with the state police.

“This will help a great deal in checkmating criminality in the states at all levels,” the managing partner said.

He also urged the Federal Government to implement the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference.

Also, Mr Bayo Akinlade, former

Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association, Ikorodu Branch, urged the National Assembly to amend the constitution and include state policing for the future of the country. ”The security of the citizens are in the hands of the leaders. It is therefore, important that they should take up the mantle of leadership and phase out this growing insecurity for the benefit of all,” Akinlade said.

However, Mr Chris Ayiyi, Principal Partner, Ayiyi Chambers, said he would not subscribe to creation of state police in Nigeria but regional police.

Ajayi said: “the six geo-political zones should have their regional police, let’s see the effectiveness, thereafter, we can narrow it down to state police.

“A section of the constitution can be amended to accommodate the reality of insecurities on the land.

“The current practice has failed us, we need to move forward and test run another system.” (NAN)

President Muhammadu Buhari receives his national e-ID CARD from the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Dr Isa Ibrahim Pantami during the launch of the National Policy for the Promotion of indigenous content in the Nigerian Telecommunications sector and revised National Digital Policy for Sim Card Registration held at the State House Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. MAY 6TH 2021

Irregularities in oil sector: Reps summons NNPC, Addax, others over allegations

By Christiana Ekpa

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NEMA provides automatic weather observatories to NIHSA

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

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PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti and Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State.

This was contained in a statement signed and issued by Head Media and Public Relations,Manzo Ezekiel.

According to AVM Muhammed, NEMA values “collaboration with our partners and are ready to strengthen the multi-agency approach to disaster risk reduction.”

He said the weather stations will be useful for hydrological predictions and also to train students in the field of Geography, Engineering, Agriculture, meteorology, climate change and other sciences.

Reviewing the flood of last year, he said “COVID-19 Pandemic reduced States and communities’ abilities to cope with climate induced disasters, thus imposing more burden on Federal Government Agencies to mitigate and respond to disasters.

“However, despite the gloomy nature of the pandemic, presenting a case of disaster within a disaster, our advocacy and engagement with stakeholders in 2020 led to reduction in the negative impacts of flood on the people.

“A total of 2,353,647 people were affected by 2020 flood

disaster, but 69 lives were lost compared with the 158 lives but only 277,555 affected in 2019.

“One of the lessons learnt during the 2020 flood after action review meeting is the need for proper utilization of our dams in the country. When dams meant for irrigation purposes are used for dry season agriculture, they acquire more capacities to hold more water in the rainy season.

In addition, a timely controlled release of water from dams will reduce panic release of water during rainy season that can lead to further flooding”.

he House of Representatives Committees on Petroleum Upstream yesterday gave the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) two weeks ultimatum to appear it and explain alleged irregularities in the oil sector by the cooperation.

The Chairman of the committee, Rep. Sarki Ada (APC-Sokoto) isssued the ultimatum at a public hearing on Thursday following the refusal of NNPC to honour invitations or reply letters.

He said “Our message to all those who have failed to appear before us as invited namely the NNPC, Addax Petroleum Company Ltd and Santex Nig Ltd. “We are giving them two weeks from today, we will reschedule this meeting for two weeks calendar days to appear before this committee before this committee and we continue our business, Unless if they want us to invite President Buhari to appear before us as the Minister of Petroleum, if they do not come, we will not

hesitate.

“Buhari is a minister, he appointed himself and approved by the parliament and he is doing his job, we will invite him and I know as the law-abiding president, he will come.

“When he comes, Nigeria should know that it is because of the failure of the NNPC to appear that made him to come and appear before us,’’ he said.

Ada said that the committee had asked for relevant documents to investigate the activities of the NNPC and the corporation had refused to oblige the committee.

According to him, we have written three letters to them at an interval of three months each requesting for their budget, budget performance and list of asset they are holding and managing on behalf of Nigerians.

“We asked for a list of their liabilities, what are the contracts they are executing, who are the contractors, who are the companies and what is the progress made.

We have asked for details of how much they generate from the sales

of crude oil produce, how much do they manage on behalf of Nigeria through other joint ventures, until today, there is no responds.

Time has come that we must speak, this country belongs to all of us, we are here as statutory Nigerians,’’ he said.

Other Lawmakers that spoke at the hearing added, “We have come here to discourse serious matters concerning Nigerian assets being managed by Nigerians on behalf of Nigerians by the powers given to them by the law being an Act of the parliament.

“They are not here, they submitted this letter to us this afternoon not up to an hour ago; I do not believe this is from them because it is signed by an unknown person, the person is not known to us.

It is not signed by the General Managing Director (GMD) as far as this committee is concern, the only person this committee knows in the GMD. “All the letters we have written to NNPC or its subsidiaries are routed

through the GMD and that is the procedure and we expect he should be the one signing all letters coming to this committee.

The Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr Timipre Sylva promised to deliver the message of the committee to the NNPC. “I listened very carefully to the message you sort through me to the NNPC, I have taken the message and I will deliver it.

As you know, the issues before you is an issues I wrote a memo to the President and it was approved and it was approved and the NNPC wrote another memo supposedly against my memo.

“So if we have that type of situation, I wonder if I am in the position to enforce the type of message you have presented through me to the NNPC. On this issue, I will like to be very quick, no law was breached as far as the Addax affair is concern and I am not aware of any matter is in the supreme court, and I have just consulted with the Director DPR and they are also not aware of any court case.

in Okhuoromi village boundary tussle

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro

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he Edo State High court sitting in Benin, on Wednesday resolved the lingering boundary dispute between Okhuoromi and Egbirhe Villages both in Oredo Local Government Area of the State in favour of Okhuoromi.

The court resolved the boundary dispute marked B/361/2019 in favour of Okhuoromi over the failure of the Claimants to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt.

Delivering judgement, Justice Esther Edigin, said there was no evidence that Claimant (Egbirhe) was forced to approach the palace on the resolution by the Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II Customary arbitration verdict on the issues months ago, was valid.

The Judge affirmed that the Oba of Benin remains the sole authority that can decide boundary demarcation across the various Villages and Communities in Benin and as such the proclamation of the Oba of Benin Customary arbitration on the case remains valid.

The court also said the Claimant did not appeal against the ruling of the Oba of Benin, which parties in the suit voluntarily submitted themselves to, therefore was fatal that the Claimants prayers before the court to pull a wool, amounts to abuse of court process.

The court further held that the Claimants also failed to prove that the messengers that were sent from the Oba of Benin palace to demarcate the boundary between Okhuoromi and Egbirhe Villages as captured in the documentary evidence presented before the court during the demarcation, was uncontroverted, haven listed to the various submissions of the witnesses and Counsels in the case.

Justice Edigin who is the Chief Judge of Edo State, therefore dismissed the Claimants case in its entirety for lacking merit and did not award any cost to the defendants (Okhuoromi).

Justice Edigin also dismissed the counter claim that was filed by the defendants against the Claimants for lacking in evidence, stating that the counter claim was of the same status by the Claimant in the suit.

Briefing journalists on the verdict of the court, Mr. Monday Oseghae, Counsel to the Claimant, argued that the the people of Egbirhe Village did not seek redress for the sake of the verdict of the Oba of the demarcation of the disputed boundary as presented by his messengers, but that the messengers did not act in accordance with the directive of the royal father, the Oba of Benin on the issue.

But Counsel to the defendants, Mr. P. E. Uwadiae, said the judgement of the court has further validated the proclamation of the Benin monarch.

Responding, to the verdict of the court, the Priest (Ohen) of Okhuoromi, Ovbokhan Igbinovia and Mrs. Caroline Igbinovia, women leader in Okhuoromi Village, as well as the Village head, Pa Oghagbon Edosomwan, hailed the verdict of the court and the Oba of Benin and promised to live in peace in their locality.

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News

One suspect dies, other arrested as robbers attempted car snatching in Kano

By Mustapha Adamu, Kano

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

Afaka 39: Parents call for rehabilitation of affected students

From: Femi Oyelola kaduna

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arents of the 39 abducted students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Kaduna, said all abducted students have been safely returned, saying there is urgent need for immediate rehabilitation of the affected students.

This was contained a statement jointly signed by the Chairman of the Forum, Malam Abdullahi

Usman and Secretary, Mrs Catherine Y. Saleh.

The Forum thanked all Nigerians for their prayers and support that led to the freedom of the abducted students.

“We extend profound gratitude to all Nigerians and lovers of humanity at home and abroad who showed up and showed out in solidarity as we went through the dark horrendous period of waiting and hoping for the return of our

children,” the forum said.

They explained that the parents of the 27 students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Kaduna, have met and reviewed what they described as one of the most important matter in their lives, which is the release of their children by armed bandits.

“You would recall that the students were abducted on 11th March, 2021.

“It is, first and foremost,

pertinent for us to effect an important correction on the number of the released students.

“They are 27, not 29, as reported by some national dailies.

The total abducted students were 39, out of which 2 (two) escaped not long after abduction, 10 were released in 2 batches of 5 each, leaving the remaining 27, who were released yesterday, Wednesday 5th May, 2021, 56 days after their abduction,” they explained.

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suspect of armed robber, identified as Abdullahi Isma’il, 24 years old, of Sani Mainagge Quarters, Kano state has been confirmed dead after he was reportedly beaten by residents when he and one Abubakar Hussain, 24 years old, of Kankara Local Government Area, Katsina State attempted to snatch a car from its owner in Kano.

The incident, according to DSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, Public Relations Officer of Kano state Police Command, occurred on Wednesday when the duo attempted to snatch a Toyota Corolla car from a resident at Yamadawa quarters, Gwale Local Government area of the state.

In a statement obtained by PEOPLES DAILY, the PPRO said the command received a distress call at about 11:00 pm that robbers had attacked the resident in front of his house and tried to snatch his car.

On receipt of the information, according to Kiyawa, teams of Policemen were immediately mobilize to the scene, adding that with the help of community members, the two suspects were arrested.

The PPRO also stated that suspects sustained various injuries on their bodies and were rushed to Murtala Mohammed Specialist hospital Kano for treatment, adding that Abdullahi Isma’il was confirmed dead by a medical doctor.

He said on preliminary investigation, the other suspect, Abubakar Hussain confessed that they attacked the victim with intent to rob him of his notor vehicle.

DSP Kiyawa stated that a pistol and a knife were recovered from the suspects.

“The Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, CP Sama’ila Shu’aibu Dikko, fsi [Nagari-Nakowa] have ordered that, case be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Command for discreet investigation.

“The CP thanks the good people of Kano State for their continuous support and cooperation. He urged everyone to continue with prayers, report incidences to the nearest Police Station and not to take Laws into their hands.

“In case of any emergencies, the Command can be contacted via: 08032419754 and 08123821575,” he stated.

L-R: Chairman,Nigeria Governors’Forum and Ekiti state Governor,Dr.Kayode Fayemi, discussing with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr.Chris Ngige when NGF Chairman paid a courtesy visit to the Ministry, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Don’t politicise security situation in Imo, PDP tells Uzodimma

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

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he Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has cautioned the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, against politicizing the current security crisis in Imo state.

The PDP specifically blamed Uzodimma for this crisis, saying that it (the crisis) was occasioned by his mismanagement of the sensibilities of the citizens.

The main opposition party, in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan urged the governor to end his pursuits of imaginary traducers and blame nobody but himself and his APC for the crisis in Imo state.

The PDP Against pointed out that any well-meaning leader ought to be lending his or her voice to the call by Nigerians on President Buhari to wake up to his statutory responsibilities as well as initiating the required executive instrument to accelerate legislative actions towards the amendment of relevant sections of the constitution to establish a

desirable state police system.

The statement by Ologbondiyan reads in part, “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alerted that the frenzy by Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, against demands by the PDP and other well-meaning Nigerians for the establishment of state police, exposes his sympathy for terrorists and bandits who are killing, kidnapping and ravaging our nation.

The PDP’s predicated its position on Governor Uzodimma’s interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, wherein he also attempted to justify President Muhammadu Buhari’s failure to wake up to the statutory demand of his office and take expected steps to rescue Nigerians from terrorists and bandits.

“The party asserts that Governor Uzodimma’s antipeople stance against efforts to establish state policing system also exposes his insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians in the face of manifest failure by the All Progressives Congress

(APC)-controlled federal security apparatus to protect the people.

“It is however not surprising that Hope Uzodimma, who is in the Imo State government house as a beneficiary of criminal manipulation of our electoral and judicial processes by the APC, cannot but found himself justifying the failures of his benefactors at the expense of the lives of other Nigerians, including the people of Imo state.

“Nigerians are now seeing the faces of the APC leaders who have sympathy for terrorism and should hold such individuals responsible for the activities of such deviants in our country.

‘Governor Uzodimma, as a former legislator, knows that the Second Schedule (Exclusive Legislative List) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) vests the operation of the police, the military and other armed services; the control of arms and ammunitions as well as criminal records among other statutory paraphernalia of national security on the Federal Government and not the states.

“Against this backdrop, any well-meaning leader ought to be lending his or her voice to the call by Nigerians on President Buhari to wake up to his statutory responsibilities as well as initiating the required executive instrument to accelerate legislative actions towards the amendment of relevant sections of the constitution to establish a desirable state police system.

“Furthermore, the PDP cautions Uzodimma against politicizing the current security crisis in Imo state which is occasioned by his mismanagement of the sensibilities of the citizens.

“Governor Uzodimma should end his pursuits of imaginary traducers and blame nobody but himself and his APC for the crisis in Imo state.

“Our party is grief-stricken over the devastation that Governor Uzodimma and the APC have brought to Imo state and urges the people to continue to be peaceful and law-abiding despite the provocations by APC thugs who have been causing mayhem in the state”, it said.

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PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

News Sponsors of banditry, terrorism face threats of exposure

We must all protect democracy -Gbajabiamila *Given ultimatum to disband militia groups tells Nigerians By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja month’’ Concluding, they call for all According to them, what is hands on desk to save the country ...as Speaker wins award for contribution to a free press

By Christiana Ekpa

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he Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has said that all Nigerians, whether in government or as professionals, must rededicate themselves to the protection of democracy.

He also said all Nigerians must see nation-building as a ‘joint task,’ saying each Nigerian has a critical role to play to achieve the best vision for the country.

Gbajabiamila was speaking on Wednesday night in Abuja at the 2021 Press Freedom Awards organised by the national body of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

The speaker, who delivered the keynote address of the night, spoke on the topic, ‘Press Freedom, Democracy and Good Governance.’

Speaker Gbajabiamila stated, “Our democracy has survived twenty-two long years, but we cannot take it for granted. We are at this moment buffeted by ill wind on all sides.

“Our highest task, our most pressing ambition for which there are no other alternatives, is the protection of this democracy. If we fail in this regard, nothing else will matter, nothing else we do will count in our favour when the tally of history is settled.

“We have it in our power to improve our nation’s future and leave this world better than we found it. So, let us do that together.”

The speaker, represented by the Deputy House Leader, Rep. Peter Akpatason, supported the promotion of free press and free expression, noting that these were “fundamental safeguards of our democracy.”

Gbajabiamila also said he backed journalists in practising their profession by holding those in government to account.

However, he advised that in doing so, journalists must be truly professional by reporting the truth always, as against the growing trend in certain media outfits of reporting falsehoods.

He added, “You can only live up to this responsibility when you commit to the vigorous pursuit of elusive truths, and dedicate yourselves to the service of paramount principles.

“Unfortunately, a number of those who practice journalism in our country have failed and are failing to live up to the responsibility imposed by the power you hold.

“Far from giving voice to the aspirations of our nation, or holding the powerful properly to account, much of journalism in Nigeria has become an endless pursuit of clickbait through the careless writing of falsehoods and malicious publication of halftruths.”

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pro-government right group, #IStandwithBuhari, has given State Governors, political influencers and youth organizations until end of the month to disband their private militia groups and discontinue sponsorship of banditry and terrorism in the country or stand exposed.

The group revealed it has names of the state governors down to political influencers, youth organizations and clandestine organizations under their payroll through which they wish to unleash more terror in some volatile states especially in the south. ‘’ If you refuse to immediately arrest the situation in your respective areas by end of the month, we will not only expose your identities to the world but will also embark on mass action against you in your respective locations starting from end of the

happening in the country is manmade, all because of greed to create panic and destabilize the country, adding that Nigeria as an indivisible entity remains so with its people standing to defend her with the “very last drop of blood”.

Speaking through it’s coordinator, Nonso Ezedimma, the group said it has in its possession some classified information that detail some of the plans put in place by members of the opposition to further politicize the security situation in the country so as to score cheap political goals.

Further in his speech, the progovernment group said the new spate of attacks on armed officers and police by cowards especially in eastern & southern Nigeria as well as burning of police stations, public buildings, vehicles and bombing of buildings belonging to political office holders shows how wicked and desperate the sponsors are.

from the leeches who, according to them, mean no good for the nation.

“We have identified you all, we have your residential addresses down to your villages.

“We are therefore giving you until the end of the month, the opportunity to immediately disband your private militia groups and henceforth discontinue your sponsorship of banditry and terrorism in Nigeria.

If you refuse to immediately arrest the situation in your respective areas by end of the month, we will not only expose your identities to the world but will also embark on mass action against you in your respective locations starting from end of the month.

“President Muhammadu Buhari means best for Nigeria, and is working to ensure all agents of darkness sponsoring our current insecurity situation are exposed and brought to book

“Buhari remains the mandate of 25 million Nigerians from every part of the country, and that anybody or institution that dares does anything either to try to impeach the President or bring down his administration will be violently resisted by 25 million Nigerians, including us targeting and isolating all those behind the sinister plot and dealing with them drastically. “ All security operatives, troops, police men and women, and should rest assured that the larger population of Nigerians support their gallantry in fighting to keep us safe and should therefore not be deterred as we will also fight for their safety and well being.

“We must isolate these enemies of Nigeria for who they are, and collectively show them that Nigeria is greater than their wicked schemes. We must support our troops and always volunteer information to help keep our communities safe,” he concluded.

Members of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) lead by the National Chairman , Dr Olu Agunloye, the National Secretary, Alh. Shehu Gabam, the Party Legal Adviser, Joseph Abu, the party Speaker of Women Parliament, Hajia Maggie Batubo, National Youth Leader Uchechukwu Chukwuma, the, National Publicity Secretary, Ambassador Rufus Aiyenigba and orher Party Faithfuls, during the SDP “Save Nigeria Now” peaceful campaign protest to the National Assembly with Strategic Intervention Agenda on National Security Crisis, held yesterday in Abuja.

Photo : Justin Imo- owo

Kano approves new minimum wage for own varsities’ staff

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

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ano state Executive Council has given approval for the implementation of new minimum wage for academic and non-academic staff of the two state own universities, with a monthly release of N49, 695, 509.26 million.

It, however, said that accumulated arrears from the time of they approval of the new salary structure to date would be determined pending improvement of the current financial situation in the state.

The State Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, announced this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the council meeting, held at Africa House, Government House, Kano.

He said the two institutions,

Yusuf Maitama Sule University and Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil would receive monthly allocation of N24, 560, 479.72 million and N25, 135, 029.54 million respectively for the Consolidated University Academic Staff Salary Structure II (CONUASS II) and Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure II (CONTISS II).

Malam Garba said the council has also approved the award of contract for the supply and installation of two 1,500 KVA generating sets at Watari 75mld Water Treatment Plant to address acute water supply shortage to the towns and villages served by the treatment plant.

He said the contract, which is worth N355, 027, 831.20 million was awarded to Messrs Mantrac Nigeria Limited for the treatment plant designed to serve Watari-

Kano Pipeline, Watari-Bagwai Pipeline and Watari-Tsanyawa pipeline each with separate pumping outlet.

The commissioner also disclosed that approval has been given by the council for the release of 11 resident doctors to pursue Residency Training Programme in different fields of specialization at various teaching hospitals in the state.

Malam Garba stated that the medical doctors were on permanent and pensionable appointment under the state Hospitals Management Board and were able to secure admissions with either Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital or Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital for the residency programme.

He said the training programme was to enable the medical officers graduate as

consultants in their various fields of specialization under the state government sponsorship of the bonding policy that also stipulates the payment of monthly salary and annual project/book allowance of N372, 000.00 for the duration of the programme.

The council, the commissioner said, has also approved the creation of an additional department at the state Contributory Healthcare Management Board to handle the processing of claims for fee from facilities without using health maintenance organization.

He said the measure saves the agency substantial amount of resources and to equally comply with Basic Healthcare Provision Fund and the National Health Act which prohibits the engagement of third-party administrator to handle the claim processing.

PAGE 6

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

News From Yakubu Minna

Mustapha,

T

he National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the results of the 2020 Senior School Certificate Examination for External

Buhari salutes exNSC DG Al-Hassan Yakmut at 60

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari has saluted q u i n t e s s e n t i a l administrator, Al-Hassan Yakmut as he turns 60 May 5, 2021.

The president’s congratulatory message is contained in a statement issued by his spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Wednesday.

Buhari appreciated decades of service to the country by Saleh, in different areas of endeavor, including sports, management and administration, rising to the position of Director-General, National Sports Commission.

The president also acknowledged top flight appointments held by Saleh, including; Chef De Mission, 12th All African Games, Deputy Chef De Mission, Olympics Games, and Secretary, Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board.

He urged the younger generation of Nigerians to emulate such devotion to duties.

While rejoicing with the Yakmut family, professional colleagues, friends and wellwishers of the administrator, the president wished him good health, and greater service to motherland.

NECO releases 2020 SSCE external results with less malpractice cases

Candidates.

NECO said 6,465 cases of exam malpractice were recorded in the 2020 SSCE External as against 17,004 cases in 2019.

This was contained in a press release issued on Thursday by Malam Azeez Sani, who is the Head, Information and Public Relations Division of the Council announcing the results at the Council Headquarters in Minna.

The Registrar/Chief Executive, Prof. Godswill Obioma announced that a total of 41,459 candidates registered for the examination, but a total of 39,503 actually sat for it.

Professor Obioma explained

that a total of 26,277 candidates obtained five credits and above including English Language and Mathematics, while 34,014 candidates also obtained five credits and above irrespective of English Language and Mathematics.

The Registrar noted that the reduction in the level of malpractice was as a result of deepened monitoring of the examination by members of the Governing Board, Management and Senior Staff of the Council, hence it zero tolerance for examination malpractice.

Professor Obioma further disclosed that the results of

256,000 candidates who missed some papers during the 2020 SSCE (Internal) due to the ENDSARS protest in some states and who sat for those papers during the 2020 SSCE (External) are being released along side those of external candidates.

A further analysis of candidates performance indicates that a total number of 29,918 obtained credit and above in English Language while a total number of 34,061 candidates obtained credit and above in Mathematics.

According to the Registrar, “Due to the challenges faced in 2020, NECO has gotten approval to scheduled her public

examinations for year 2021 as follows: “National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) for admission of JSS 1 students into Federal Unity Colleges is scheduled for Saturday 29th May, 2021.Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal is scheduled from Monday 5th July to Monday 16th August, 2021.

“Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) is scheduled for Monday 23rd August to Monday 6th September, 2021 in order to enable students at that level cover enough subject matter for the examination”, he stated.

PAGE 7

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

CRIME News

Stay focused, avoid being used for Insecurity: violence – Yahaya Bello urges youths Benue stakeholders G endorse establishment of volunteer guards ov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi has called on youths to remain focused, clamor for leadership position and avoid being used as mercenaries to foment violence.

Bello made the call on Wednesday in Lokoja while breaking fast with representatives of some student Associations and Youth leaders in the State.

Bello, an advocate of youth leadership, urged them to take their future in their hands, and leverage on the opportunities provided by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said that Buhari by signing the “Not Too Young To Run bill” into law had now allowed them to vie for political positions of their choice.

He, however, advised them not to allow themselves to be used as tools to perpetrate violence or any form of crimes, also urging them not to be allowed to be used by the older elites for their selfish interests.

Bello urged youths to make their voices crystal clear on the right changes they were really yearning for, adding that when that was done he would support them.

“The older generations have failed us and, it is time for them to give room for the younger generation to take over the helm

of leadership to make it right.

“And, the responsibility lies on you as youths to take this into your own hands to fix the future of this country. “ You have called on me to lead you as the President and, I will heed to your call when the time comes. And, you must make your voices crystal clear.

“You should not avail yourselves to be used as tools to perpetrate any form of violence or crimes because the future of this country lies in your hands,”Bello said.

Speaking, Mr Moses Okezie, Director Research and Development to the Kogi government, also urged the youth to emulate the courage of Bello.

Okezie said that the governor had opened the way for youths to go into politics and had also created an enabling environment for them through various policies that foster youth inclusiveness in governance.

The director also reiterated the call of the governor to the youths, urging them to be focused in their academics while they work towards toeing the path of the governor.

Mr Enyo Shaibu, National President of all Kogi Students in Nigeria and abroad, lauded governor Bello for all that he

had done for the youth, who he had made a priority in his administrative.

Shaibu said that it was on this note that the Nigerian students were calling on Bello to run for President in 2023 so that all Nigerian students could also benefit what students of Kogi institutions had benefited under Bello’s administration.

“We are calling on his Excellency, the governor of Kogi to come and lead us as the President in 2023 because in the constituency of students he has done so well.

“Because it is only in Kogi that the educational sector is not being interrupted, it is only in Kogi that COVID-19 was not being allowed to distrupt the academic session.

“When he came on board he increased our bursary by 300 per cent, he gave scholarships to all our medical students which is still ongoing.

“He has given us a comfortable environment and we have been having calls from students on other states wanting it to be reciprocated in their own states.

“And, that can only be done when he is being given the national assignment to do.

“That is why we are calling on all students in Nigeria to come with us and march with us as we

From left: Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Hakeem Adedeji; Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya; and Commissioner Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, during a news conference addressed by the Ministry of Agriculture to commemorate the second anniversary of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, in Lagos on Thursday (6/5/21).

Ramadan: Buhari’s associate distribute 7,200 bags of rice in Adamawa

From Umar Dankano, Yola

A

group of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Associates and Supporters under the aegis “BABA FOR ALL”has provided 7,200 bags of 25kg parboiled rice to muslim communities in Adamawa state.

Presenting the items to the state distribution committee in Yola, Thursday, National Chairman of the group, Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji said the current situation facing Nigerians informed the group to work towards assisting the Muslims devoid of any party affiliation.

Hon.Jaji stated that the gesture is exclusively to support the most vulnerable members of the society including orphans, destitute and people with special needs.

L-R: Arc. Ibrahim Uzaibat, Acting MD/ CEO Abuja Markets Management Limited; Chairman/CEO Desmond Edwin Services LTD Desmond Edwin (DESEL GROUP); HOD(Operations), Ibrahim Yahaya-Joe; Manager Area 7 (UTC) Shopping complex, Saadatu Ismail, when DESEL GROUP paid the agency a courtesy call on Wednesday May 5 as part of the company’s Clean- Fresh Campaign to promote use of toilet and discourage open defecation, yesterday in Abuja

Gov Badaru donated 2 Toyota Hilux to Police From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse

T

he Jigawa state governor Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar Badaru has donated two Toyota Hilux to the Jigawa State Police Command to boost security situation in the State.

This was contained in a statement signed and issued to news men by the Public Relations

officer, Office of the Secretary to the Government of Jigawa State Alhaji Ismaila Ibrahim Dutse.

The governor who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of Jigawa, Alhaji Adamu Abdulkadir Fanini, said his administration will not hesitate to take any measure or make any sacrifice in order to maintain peace and security in the State.

The Governor explained that it is his constitutional and moral responsibility to do whatever possible to secure the lives of citizens and doing that is the whole essence of Government in the first place.

Also speaking shortly after receiving the keys the State Commissioner of Police, CP Usman Sule Gwamna, the Governor

reiterated his commitment to security of lives and property in the State.

CP Gwamna commended Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar for the gesture and assured to make good use of the Vehicles.

He expressed the readiness of the command to maintain the peace and security in the State.

bring bello as our next President”, Shaibu said.

Ms Saidat Jimoh, Coordinator, Association of Nigerian Female Students, Kogi Chapter, also appreciated the governor for giving women a voice and including them in his administration.

“We want to thank the governor because he has been a gender friendly governor, he has also given life to some women that were hopeless in the field of politics, humanity.

“And he has given us the room to tell the whole world that he can do it because he has done it in Kogi.

“He has made women relevant in Kogi and he has brought a large percentage of women into politics in Kogi which has given room for upcoming girls to go into politics in the future.

“That is why we are imploring him to come forward and create an enabling environment for more females in the country because when there is no women, there is no future,” Jimoh said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the student representatives includes members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NAN), Kogi Chapter, National Association of Kogi State Students (NAKOS) amongst others. (NAN)

Terror Attacks: PDP expresses solidarity with Gov Ortom, Benue People

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

T

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vehemently condemned the incessant attacks by suspected killer herdsmen and terrorists on innocent Nigerians in Benue state.

The party further condemned the manifest failure of the President Muhammadu Buhariled All Progressives Congress (APC) to take decisive steps to apprehend the assailants as well as provide adequate security in

…Calls out President Buhari the state, even after the attempt on Governor Samuel Ortom’s life.

The party said these yesterday in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja.

The PDP held that the body language and lethargic approach of the APC-led administration appear to validate apprehensions that the assailants are enjoying the cover of some persons in government, in the execution of their bloody enterprise against Nigerian citizens.

The PDP statement reads, “Our party insists that President Buhari has no further excuse but to take responsibility and adopt urgent security measures to stop the carnage in Benue and other states where invading terrorist elements, under various shades are displacing our citizens and taking control of their common patrimony.

“The PDP solidarizes with Governor Ortom and the entire people of Benue state and urge the governor not to be deterred by the

situation.

“The party charges the people of Benue state to remain at alert while urging security agencies to be on the side of the people in checking the activities of these terrorists marauding communities in the state”, it said.

Furthermore, the PDP called on Nigerians across board, not to succumb to terrorist elements but remain vigilant and continue to cooperate with “our security agencies at this critical time”.

From Uche Makurdi

Nnorom,

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has observed that renewed incessant attacks on the State recently has overstretched the security agencies.

The Governor who said this yesterday while briefing newsmen after an expanded stakeholders’ meeting held at the Banquet hall, Government House, maintained that they have decided to change the narrative and seek self help.

He said the State believes in rule of law and due process and as such have decided to dust the law establishing Vigilante Guards which was signed into law in 2000.

“We have looked at the windows to explore in the law and decided to reinforce it by constituting volunteer Guards in all the 23 local government area of the State.

“The local government chairmen will head at that level with the Divisional Police Officers, Department of State Security, DSS, second class,third class and fourth class chiefs as members while the Social welfare officers of the council will serve as secretary.

“At the state level, the state coordinating unit will be chaired by me, the Security to the State Government, the Tor Tiv, Och’Idoma, security agencies, first class chiefs and the local government coordinating unit will also be incorporated. Tax collectors will be five, district level five and 20 members at the local government area.

“The composition of the volunteers’ Guard should include ex-service men and others who must be aged 18 and not above 50 years. They must be employed and should have lived in the community for at least six months, they must not be ex-convict and should possess licenced weapon.

“We must rise up and defend ourselves from external aggression devoid of political and religious sentiments”, Governor stressed.

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

PAGE 8

News

ready DSS arrests man impersonating China to discuss Gbajabiamila COVID-19 .....As suspects forge Speaker’s letterhead, signature

By Christiana Ekpa

T

he Operatives of the Department of State Services are investigating one Aminat Jimoh, Olalekan Oladehinbo Adenuga, and many others for impersonating the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila.

The Lagos office of the secret police is said to have made the arrests while investigating the forging of the official letterhead and signature of the Speaker and using same to allegedly defraud unsuspecting individuals and organisations in the country.

Findings showed that, in one particular act, Adenuga had

introduced one lady, Aminat Oluwabukola Jimoh, to Messr Caverton Helicopters at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

In the forged letter, Adenuga fraudulently acting as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, recommended Jimoh to Caverton for employment.

The letter, which was received

by Caverton Helicopters on April 20, 2021, was written on April 15 and addressed to the managing director of the airline, carring reference number Nass/ FAG/REC/001.

The letter reads partly, “I write to introduce and recommend Aminat Oluwabukola Jimoh who

is seeking employment into your organisation.

“She is a self-motivated and creative individual and I am sure she would be of great benefit to your establishment if given the opportunity. Kindly give her application special consideration for employment.

“While I look forward to a favourable response from you, please accept the assurances of my esteemed regards.”

Peoples Daily gathered that, before luck ran out on Aminat Jimoh and her accomplice, Olalekan Adenuga, the Speaker’s Office in the National Assembly had received several complaints about unknown persons, who

wrote agencies and organizations, claiming to be the Speaker, his aide, and making all manner of requests from the unsuspecting bodies.

Following the developments, the Speaker’s office, was said to have written in April 22 to the Department of State Security Services, requesting the secret police to cause an investigation to be conducted into the complaints.

Operatives of the command were said to have acted on the request, which eventually led to the identification and arrest of Adenuga, one of the prime suspects, while the DSS are said to be on the trail of other suspects.

vaccine patents within WTO

W

ang Wenbin, the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday said China is prepared to discuss sharing patents for the Coronavirus vaccines within the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Washington had already declared that it would be in favour of suspending intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines.

The U.S. said that it would actively engage in talks on this matter within the WTO. The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations said it was disappointed with this decision.

The federation believes that the step would not help boost vaccine production and would not lead to any practical solutions.

“China is ready to have a constructive dialogue within the WTO and to achieve a positive and fair solution,” the spokesperson told a briefing, when asked if China was ready to give up the rights to its vaccines.

Edo University gets Clinical accreditation for MBBS programme

From: Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

R-L Director General National Emergency Management Agency AVM Muhammadu Muhammed (rtd), Director General Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency Engr Clement Nze and Director Relief and Rehabilitation NEMA Mr Kayode Fagbemi at the unveiling of the Annual Flood Outlook by NIHSA, yesterday in Abuja.

Zamfara Igbo APC members endorse ex Gov. Yari as APC National Chairman From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

Z

amfara State Igbo community of the APC has declared total support for the ex-Governor Abdulaziz Yari to become the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

In an interview with newsmen in Gusau the state capital, the state Chairman of the Igbo wing of the APC, Chief Collins Ofodile, said Igbo politicians under APC had unanimously arrived at the

decision to support the former Governor’s candidature.

He claimed that, the former Governor of Zamfara State and the Chairman NGF has qualities of leadership that many did not acquired in whatever form one of which was a popular ethnoreligious tolerance.

“When he was both the Governor and Chairman NGF, we noticed that, he was not a kind of leader whose aims were only to provide protections for the development of his people alone.

“He was a kind of principled

politician our country was looking for in other to make Nigeria more great by bringing all and sundry together in facing common goals with a view to achieve peaceful living.

“We saw it all and we were hopeful in his style of approaching insecurity issues when he was a Governor, should the banditry of those days in Zamfara violently shared the same size and speed with that of today, the damage would have been more than recorded.

“He was redirected by the bunch of his qualitative styles of

leadership to have become the first NGF Chairman from the north-west, this is in addition to other silent qualities that earned him more societal consideration especially in the field of promoting education and health”, Chief Collins has contended.

According to Chief Collins, if former Governor Yari will be given chance to become the party’s national Chairman, all kind of nasty games in Nigerian politics will end, and he will prove the popular sayings of ‘Politics is a dirty game’ wrong.

T

he Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) has approved Edo State University Uzairue as the first Clinical accreditation Centre for Bachelor of Medicine; Bachelor of Medicine (MBBS) programme.

The recognition followed MDCN accreditation visitation team report to the University in January 2021, in the University update.

The approval makes it possible for Edo State University College of Medical Sciences of the University to conduct examinations in Pharmacology and Pathology for Medical students.

The breakthrough comes at a time when the pioneer set of Medical students of the institution is in 500 Level.

The University ranked 4th in Nigeria among 801 in the world in its first appearance in the 2021 assessment of Universities survey by the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.

PAGE 9

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

News

Health Watch Foundation, NAN collaborate on solutions journalism

T

he Health Watch Foundation (HCF), a non-governmental organisation, on Thursday in Abuja signed an agreement with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Solutions Journalism in Africa.

Mr Buki Ponle, Managing Director of NAN, expressed the agency’s commitment towards raising awareness on health issues through solutions journalism.

Solutions journalism investigates and explains, in a critical and cleareyed way, how people try to solve widely shared problems.

Ponle said that NAN would provide the needed assistance to the foundation to actualise its vision.

He emphasised the need to continue to address public health issues and raise health awareness in the country.

According to him, we will help actualise your vision, just count on NAN when it comes to this and I am giving you the assurance.

“Solutions journalism is the inthing, yes we serve the audience with breaking news but we want to see what the breaking news has achieved.

“How people have benefited from the breaking news, how the market woman who sells oranges should also know she should be a partaker of the oranges.

“You sell carrot, mango and other fruits that have vitamin A but you are not a partaker.

“Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD) is retrogressing but we still have few cases due to lack of iodine in the food; what about zinc deficiency, maternal mortality is still raging so we have to address these and see to their end.

“We have to ensure that everybody benefits and the money doesn’t go down the drain, the funders, the donors are happy to put the money where they did.

“We have been talking about government not providing enough but let’s see what the little it has provided has achieved, what is the measurable thing the story has made,’’ Ponle said.

Earlier, Mrs Vivianne Ihekweazu, Managing Director, Nigeria Health Watch, said that the eight-month training for three NAN journalists would focus largely on health issues and challenges facing Nigerians.

“The initiative is a practical solutions journalism in Nigeria and the aim is to show Nigerians and showcase and report on news showing that people, communities and individuals are responding to challenges in their environment.

“We will use it as a platform to positively learn and be able to use these interventions to improve the outcomes of health, education and the welfare of all Nigerians,’’ Ihekweazu said.

Mr Chibuike Alagboso, Health Journalist, Nigeria Health Watch, said solutions journalism would reposition Nigeria to where the citizens envision it to be.

“What we are trying to do is to paint the other narrative. 80 per cent of the time when you turn on the media what you see is what is wrong with Nigeria. Solutions journalism wants to change that narrative.

(NAN)

Katsina Customs Command intercepts goods worth N50.4m in 1 month T he Katsina Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it impounded contraband worth N50.379 million from smugglers in the past one month.

The Acting Customs Area Comptroller, Alhaji Wada Chedi, said in a statement that the seizures included foreign rice, secondhand vehicles and other

contraband consumables.

“After careful analysis, we valued all the goods and properties seized with Duty Paid Value of N50, 378, 800,” Chedi said.

The customs boss explained that the goods impounded included 486 bags of foreign rice of 50kg each, 197 jerry-cans of 25 litres vegetable oil, 98 bags of 50

kg foreign sugar, 304 cartons of foreign macaroni.

According to him, the vehicles seized included a Howo Tipper Truck, a Toyota Corolla, a Man Diesel Tipper 32240.

Also impounded were one Honda Accord EOD, one Volkswagen Passat, one Peugeot 504 and one Citroen Space Wagon Bus.

Chedi said that NCS would not relent in sensitizing the people against smuggling.

He said that the customs command would not relent in curbing smuggling in the area and assured that government was ready to assist genuine business people with necessary license for importation of goods into the country.(NAN)

L-R: Memeber of the House Committee on Anti-Corruption/Representative of the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Dachung Musa Bagos, representative of the Speaker, House of Representatives/Deputy Leader, Hon. Petter Akpatason, Chairman ICPC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye and Hon. Babangida Ibrahim, during the retreat for the House Committee on Anti-Corruption “Fight against corruption-The Role of the Legislature”, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

IPMAN commends DPR boss for introducing transformational innovations From Kano

Mustapha

Adamu,

I

ndependent Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Kano branch, has commended the Executive Officer of Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, Engr. Sarki Auwalu for his transformational innovations in the department.

The IPMAN Chairman, Bashir Dan-Mallam, made the commendation while briefing

newsmen shortly after a meeting with members of the association in Kano on Thursday.

According to Mr DanMallam, Mr Sarki deserves accolades from IPMAN in view of the introduction of innovations in the DPR in the areas of digitisation and automation, noting that the efforts are geared towards ensuring ease of doing business with the agency.

The IPMAN Chairman also commended the Director for his stakeholder engagement with

marketers in a bid to foster a strong working relationship with independent marketers.

Mr Dan-Mallam further commended the DPR Chief for relocating the headquarters of the agency back to Abuja and for his commitment towards building a befitting head office for the agency.

He therefore, urged the DPR Chief to continue to carry IPMAN along in all the activities of the agency as he has consistently been doing since

his assumption of office as Chief Executive Officer of the agency.

According to him, IPMAN on its part would continue to partner with the DPR in order to ensure adequate fuel distribution as well as its availability at all times across the country.

He assured that IPMAN would continue to support DPR under the leadership of Engr.

Sarki to ensure steady supply and distribution of petroleum products not only in Kano zone but across the country.

Lalong hails NIS for strategic partnership Yusuf Mairiga Shekarau, Jos

G

overnor Simon Bako Lalong has expressed appreciation to the Nigerian Immigration Service, Plateau State Command for their support and collaboration towards addressing security matters of the state.

Lalong expressed this when

the State Immigration Comptroller K.N. Nandap led members of her management team on a courtesy visit to him at the Government House, Rayfield, Jos. He praised the Plateau State Command of the Immigration service for their active commitment in security operations that has assisted in returning peace to the

State.

He assured the State Comptroller that his administration will continue to perform its role of supporting security agencies to succeed by assisting them with equipment and other logistics to carry out their functions.

Earlier, the State Comptroller K.N. Nandap told the Governor that

the Immigration service personnel have enjoyed their tour of duty in Plateau State because of the support of the State Government under his leadership.

She said the service has continued to carry out its duties of securing Nigerian borders and tracking immigrants as well as carrying out other duties.

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

PAGE 10

News

Tackle disruptive elements with wisdom

T

he Presidency Tuesday raised an alarm over a plot by “some disruptive elements” to throw Nigeria into turmoil. Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, in a statement, said the aim of such persons was to create a situation whereby a vote of no confidence would be passed on President Muhammadu Buhari. He recalled that the Department of State Services (DSS) on Sunday alerted on “sinister moves by misguided elements to wreak havoc on the government, sovereignty and corporate existence of the country.”

Mustapha,

N

iger state governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has sacked his Works and Infrastructure Development Commissioner, Engr Ibrahim Mohammad Panti.

The Commissioner was also chairman state salary management committee.

This was contained in a press statement issued yesterday by Mrs. Mary Noel-Berje, Governor’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS).

The statement did not give reasons for his immediate sack.

CBN vows to frustrate maize importation

From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

T

he Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN) Godwin Emefiele has vowed that the bank will frustrate any move to import maize into the country.

Emefiele disclosed this yesterday while speaking at the launching of 2020/2021 dry season farming in Katsina.

He added that the country must strive to produce what it consume in order to generate wealth and provide employment.

The Governor said the government has at least 100,000metric tonnes of Maize in its reserve which he disclosed will help to moderate price.

He stressed ” we have enough Maize in our strategic reserve,”.

Emefiele urged youth to take advantage of the many government initiatives that promote agriculture and entreprenuel in generate wealth and creating employment.

The governor praised the efforts of Maize Association of Nigeria, (MAAN)in promoting the federal government anchor borrower programme on Maize production.

In his remarks, President Muhammadu Buhari said with the government commitment funding in agriculture in the last six years was never a problem.

The president represented by Kebbi state governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu noted that with the many agricultural initiatives Nigeria has become one of the largest producer of Maize globally.

Also speaking, governor Aminu Bello Masari commended the efforts of president Buhari administration in reviving the country’s agricultural sector.

PAGE 11

Letter to the Editor

EDITORIAL

Niger Gov. fires Works Commissioner

From Yakubu Minna

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

in the process”, the statement reads.

The warning from the Presidency came two days after the DSS said it would begin a clampdown on “agents of anarchy” in various parts of the country.

A statement on Sunday by its spokesman, Peter Afunanya, faulted those said to be creating instability through comments that threatened the sovereignty and corporate existence of the nation. It condemned what it called “unnecessary criticisms and activities” by some religious and past political leaders who have either called for a forceful change of government or mass action against the government Adesina said, “Championed by some of the day. The DSS described as disgruntled religious and past political unfortunate, a situation where those who leaders, the intention is to eventually should be patriotic were allowing their throw the country into a tailspin, personal ambitions to ruin the nation.“ which would compel a forceful and Nigerians have opted for democratic rule, undemocratic change of leadership. and the only accepted way to change a Further unimpeachable democratically elected evidence shows that these government is through disruptive elements are now elections, which hold recruiting the leadership at prescribed times in of some ethnic groups the country. Any other Nigerians and politicians round the way is patently illegal, have opted for country, with the intention and even treasonable. of convening some sort of democratic rule, Of course, such would conference, where a vote attract the necessary and the only of no confidence would be consequences,” DSS said accepted way passed on the President, on Sunday. to change a thus throwing the land into democratically further turmoil.

There is no doubt elected government that the nation is “The caterwauling, is through elections, going through a very in recent times, by these rough patch. There is a which hold at elements, is to prepare the pandemic that is ravaging prescribed times in public health and the grounds adequately for the country their ignoble intentions, nation’s economy. Then which are designed to cause there is insecurity. No further grief for the country. The agent doubt, these fires are being stoked by provocateurs hope to achieve through actual criminals and desperate politicians. artifice and sleight of hands, what they failed to do through the ballot However, we advise caution in the box in the 2019 elections. Nigerians way the government intends to handle have opted for democratic rule, and these “disruptive elements.” It must the only accepted way to change a not over react to their provocations. democratically elected government To do so will be playing into the is through elections, which hold at hands of the detractors. It is exactly prescribed times in the country. Any what they want: get the government other way is patently illegal, and even to make a panicky move that will treasonable. Of course, such would explode in its face. attract the necessary consequences.

We are not saying the government “These discredited individuals should sit by and do nothing. No. It and groups are also in cahoots with must act. But whatever measures it is external forces to cause maximum considering, they must be within the damage in their own country. But the ambit of the law. Due process must Presidency, already vested with mandate be upheld, no matter what. This is the and authority by Nigerians till 2023, only way to handle the “disruptive pledges to keep the country together, even elements” without setting the nation if some unruly feathers would be ruffled on fire in the process.

“

Family members of the freed Forestry College Afaka, Kaduna State celebrating the release of their children from the hands of their abductor at the school premises in Kaduna yesterday.

Day of the Midwife: Invest in midwives to save more lives — UNFPA

D

r Natalia Kanem, the Executive Director, UN Population Fund (UNFPA), has stressed the need for increased investment in midwives to save more lives.

She made the call in a statement issued by the UNFPA Nigeria Media Consultant, Mrs Kori Habib, on Wednesday in Abuja to mark the 2021 International Day of the Midwife (IDM), with the theme “Follow the Data, Invest in Midwives.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that IDM is annually marked on May 5 around the globe to highlight the important roles nurses and midwives play in national development.

It is also a day to highlight key issues affecting the health workforce. This year’s international day of the midwife focuses on

rising spate of violence against women and girls.

Habib, therefore, quoted Kanem as saying “midwives deserve greater investment in their capabilities and workplaces that will empower them and fully acknowledge their skills and contributions. They deserve our respect and gratitude, but that is not enough.

“On the International Day of the Midwife, we honour the extraordinary contributions of midwives to humanity and highlight the mounting data and evidence for more investment in midwifery as an essential element of healthcare.

“The latest edition of the State of the World’s Midwifery report launched by UNFPA, the World Health Organisation and the International Confederation of

Midwives affirms that if we increase the number of midwives and the quality of care they provide, we will save an estimated 4.3 million lives a year by 2035.

“Universal coverage of midwife-delivered interventions by 2035 would avert 67 per cent of maternal deaths.”

Kanem, however, noted that such achievements depend on midwives gaining better education and training, along with comprehensive and supportive workplace regulation.

The executive director said midwives must have greater roles in professional leadership and governance and scope “to use their unique experiences to drive advancements in health policies and service delivery.”

Rep urges FG to set aside `one FMC per state policy’

R

ep. Yakub Buba (APCAdamawa) has urged the Federal Government to set aside its policy of one Federal Medical Centre (FMC) per state and encourage building of medical centers across the country.

Buba, also Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs made the call when he spoke with newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.

The lawmaker spoke on the sideline of a public hearing on a bill for an Act to establish FMC Hong in Adamawa.

Buba who represents Gombi/ Hong Federal Constituency in Adamawa, said that given the population of the country, every

Local Government Area should have a FMC to cater for the health needs of the people.

The legislator said that the people of Hong had mobilised resources and built a state of the art hospital to meet their medical needs as well as that of their neighbours.

He said if any community comes up with a worthy health facility, the federal government should provide the manpower to manage such facilities as thousands of Nigerian medical graduates were unemployed.

“We mobilised support from different agencies of government, the private sector and have erected a multi-million naira health facility

ready to be commissioned.

“All we are asking of the Ministry of Health is just the name because everything, every facility is there and the people of Hong have very high expectations in terms of naming the facility to meet its present status.

“I want to call on the Ministry of Health to set aside its policy of one FMC per state and try to encourage private-public partnership to put up more health facilities.

“Any local council or community that come together to put a facility that is befitting as a health centre should be taken over by the government to manage for the good of the people,” he said.

According to him, the policy is not a law and does not have the powers of such.

Buba also said that the population of the country has gone beyond the policy’s aim of one FMC per state.

The lawmaker said that the rating of Nigeria in terms of providing health services was poor as Nigeria ranked 187 out of 191 countries evaluated in the World Health Organisation report.

He said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended at least 20 medical centres per state, saying that the policy should not hinder health services for the people. (NAN)

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The Communist party of China (CPC) at 100 years

By Charles Onunaiju

T

he Communist Party of China, (CPC) founded in July 1921 is just some months away to its centenary anniversary. A party founded against the backdrop of what the Chinese, called “century of humiliation” in reference to the 19th century when the country was overrun by foreign powers including the seizure of Hong Kong, and Macao by the British and Portuguese imperialist powers respectively.

Despite the collapse of the imperial dynasty in 1911 that has ruled China for thousands of years, and the establishment of republic, the problems of the country remained. The outcome of the 1911 revolution that swept away the last Qing dynasty was quickly grabbed by warlords who continued to ally with foreign powers.

The decisive moment of national awakening actually came with the May 4th movement, when national grief turned into defiance following the failure of the victorious imperialist powers conference in Paris to restore some of China’s national treasures, rather the conference carved up the country into spheres of influence of imperialist powers. The failure of the Paris peace conference to ameliorate China’s national condition provided the historical catalyst for antiimperialist resistance.

With the echoes of the victory of the Russian Bolshevik revolution in 1917 and the lively debate among the Chinese intelligentsia on the theory of Marxism-Leninism and its fitness to drive sustainable struggle for national Independence and Peoples Liberation, the founding of the Communist Party of China was both epochal and game-changer in the trajectories of China’s national destiny previously hobbled by the strangle-hood of feudalist rule and imperialist oppression.

Through a relentless revolutionary struggle guided by the scientific theory of MarxismLeninism, the Communist party forged a patriotic united front of all Chinese patriots across all social strata and ethnic groups to found and establish the People’s Republic of China in 1949, bringing to an end, both century of national humiliation and the turmoil of warlord rule and ineffectual bureaucratic capitalism.

The challenge of construction, stability and modernization of the New China became the crucial and vital endeavour, of the Chinese People of all walks and different political persuasion under the leadership of the Communist Party.

The historical choice of the Communist Party by the Chinese People as the core of their national leadership in a broad coalition of the patriotic alliance of people of all walks of life, helped to galvanize unity of purpose, distilled national priorities, and sharpened focus on critical variable, necessary to drive modernization on a sustainable basis.

However, the turning point in the national construction effort of modern China came in the last month of 1978 at the 3rd plenary session of the 11th central Committee of the Communist Party of China, when it adopted economic construction as the main focus of the work of the Party and the government.

The main content of this decision were reform and opening up, to the outside world.

This decisive moment in the history of the party and the country, aroused a nationwide enthusiasm, cementing the reputation of the CPC not only as a party with dignified historical past but one that is engaged to the present and focus to the future. Re-affirming its Marxist-Leninist theoretical foundation, the Party proclaimed that its insight that have guided its trajectories through revolution, reconstruction and reform were gained from its fidelity to Marxist-Leninist theory of scientific socialism. The party made bold to say that Marxist-Leninist theory enabled it to gain a realistic insight into China’s unique national and historical condition and that its construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics which is the

theoretical rationale for its reform and opening up, correspond to the country’s existential reality and the trend of the time.

The outcome of this rigorous and exerting process of “seeking truth from facts” was the awe-inspiring comprehensive growth of China national aggregates that most of the world have come to know and even describe as “Chinese miracle,” which was actually not a miracle but an outcome of a party touch with the people and more importantly in touch with reality, which it constantly evaluate in the light of new conditions and circumstances.

As 1978 was epochal and pivotal in the history of the party and the country, the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012 was a vital historical turning point. The election of Xi Jinping as the General Secretary and subsequently elected to the Presidency of the country in March, 2013 brought new confidence and renewed vigour in the party. So after, Xi Jinping took over as the General Secretary, the Central Work of the Party and government became the elimination and eradication of absolute poverty that have ravaged the country for millennia, for which the party reform and opening up since 1978 has considerably reduced. In eight years and just in time, before the one hundred years anniversary of the party, nearly 100 million Chinese were relieved of absolute poverty, leading the country to its current stage of moderate prosperity in all respects for all Chinese people.

In engaging the new realities and the extant and current national condition, the party following its tradition of developing a theoretical guide to its work has in its collective wisdom made a key breakthrough. The “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era,” represent the party theoretical innovation and a national rallying point to drive deeper the reforms in the ceaseless effort at modernization and rejuvenation.

The “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese characteristics for a New Era” is the profound outcome of toil and exertion of the party .

Already, the Communist party of China has articulated critical and important initiatives for inclusive and participatory global governance, providing important inputs to consolidate the emerging international order of multilateralism and the centrality of the United Nations system in international affairs. Through the contribution of the Belt and Road initiative, a global framework of cooperation featuring infrastructure connectivity and people to people contacts, the party and the Chinese people has opened a new vista of opportunity to construct a community of shared future for all humanity.

The visible and enigmatic profile of the contemporary China-Africa cooperation was the culmination of the steady vision of the Party, since the founding of modern China in 1949, that the country and Africa are bound by the pains and grief of common victimization by imperialist domination and brutal colonial exploitation and are destined to work together to achieve economic self-reliance and prosperity for their respective peoples.

In a hundred years, the Communist Party of China has gained considerable experience in solving practical problems and more importantly, has put this experience in the world public domain through cooperation with several political parties especially in the developing countries including Africa.

It is therefore hoped, that many political parties in Africa would soberly engage the experience of the CPC and draw important lessons to improve their capacities and capabilities in seeking solutions to the challenge of unlocking their respective national potentials and improving the qualities of life of their respective peoples.

Mr. Onunaiju, research director, Centre for China Studies, Abuja.

PAGE 12

Opinion

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

Taming Nigeria’s oil spillage and gas flaring scourge

By Jerome-Mario Utomi

T

he recent news report that the Okordia-Rumekpe 14-inch crude truck line operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) discharged some 213 barrels of crude oil into Ikarama community in Bayelsa, has again brought to our consciousness that though Nigeria prides itself as the giant of Africa and the most populous black nation in the world, yet, it is still riddled with third world challenges.

Essentially, while clarifying that an estimated 1.34 hectares of land was polluted by the leakage which followed a rupture on the pipeline, SPDC among other things confirmed that probe into the incident had been concluded, Noting that out of the 213 barrels of SPDC’s bonny light crude stream leak, some 110 barrels are recoverable from the ongoing recovery exercise at the site, leaving an estimated spilled volume at 109.12 barrels.

Admittedly, these claims by Dutch oil giant are verifiable facts but may not be the only explanation. Their clarification notwithstanding, there are indeed reasons that qualifies such happening in the Nigeria’s oil and gas industry as a reality that demands holistic analysis.

Let’s begin with reality.

Aside from the awareness that spillage occurs, communal rights to a clean environment and access to clean water supplies are violated in such cases, and, the oil industry, ‘by its admission, has abandoned thousands of polluted sites in the region which needs to be identified and studied in details while communities adversely affected are adequately compensated for their losses’, this

latest spill is coming weeks after a similar one from a ruptured pipeline facility managed by one of the International Oil Companies operating in the Niger Delta that reportedly ravaged Benikrukru and adjourning communities in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta state. And another in the early hours of Sunday, March 14, 2021, at Polobubo/Opuama Communities, Warri North Local Government Area, of the state, could settle.

Such litany of spillages also include but not limited to, namely; the ‘historic’ large scale spillages in places such as the Ogoni Land, Rivers state and the Erovie community in Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government of Delta state 1990s, both in the Nigeria’s South South geopolitical zones, of which their negative impacts lingers.

Are these the only explanations/ examples? The answer is a definite no, as there exist yet other critical reasons/concerns why we should view the situation as a crisis.

First and very fundamental is the inability of Nigeria and Nigerians to appreciate, and treat crude oil spillage and environmental pollution resulting from exploration/crude oil production related activities as a national calamity.

The second is the stunning consciousness that gas flaring/ environmental degradation resulting from crude oil prospecting/production related activities in the country is under reported. This second concern stems from a recent comment which according to media report was credited to the DirectorG e n e r a l, N a t i onal Oil S pill Detection and Response Agency, (NOSDRA), Idris Musa, who stated that findings by his agency showed that an average of five oil spills was recorded daily in Nigeria. Musa,

who spoke to journalists in Abuja, said, “In 2018 we had about 600 oil spill incidents and in 2019, we had over 700 oil spill-impacted sites across the country. .

This wakeful comment becomes even more relevant to the present discuss when one remembers that Nigeria according to reports is dotted with about 139 gas flare locations spread across the Niger Delta both in onshore and offshore oil fields where gas which constitutes about 11 percent of the total gas produced are flared.

More than anything else, it brings to mind the questions as to; what exactly impedes the development of the petroleum sector and Niger Delta region? Is there no legislative works? Why is such legislative framework not providing a strong source of remedy for individuals and communities negatively affected by oil exploration and production in the coastal communities? If these frameworks exist, why is it not effective and enforceable? Is the framework as comprehensive as a legal solution to the issues of oil-related violations? Why has the nation not learned a valid lesson from the Dutch government where all operators are required to restore their areas of operation back to how nature intended?

Regardless of what others may say, the truth is that if as a nation, we are desirous of developing policies that will engineer prosperity in the oil and gas sectors while saving the people of the region, then, we must be ready to locate the strategic triangles that hold the key to success.

Separate from the fact that success requires a careful analysis of the various kinds of knowledge needed to make innovation possible, the need for the nation to straddle the middle ground has become necessary since both the

ministry and sector has for a very long time manifested signs of an institution with neither primed nor positioned potentials. And as we know, any organization, be it private or public that fails to search for its potentials leaves its survival to chance.

At this instant, looking at both the operational templates of the Ministry and how the Up, Mid and the downstream players of the Petroleum industry has become reputed for non-compliance to set rules, it will not be a wrong assertion to conclude that the critical factors fueling crude oil spillage/gas flaring can be divided into the following; the existence of multiple but obsolete regulatory framework which characterizes the oil and gas exploration and production in Nigeria; Federal Government failure to get the nations’ refineries back to full refining capacity; the Petroleum Ministry’s inability to get committed to making International Oil Companies(IOC’s) adhere strictly to the international best practices as it relates to their operational environment; And finally, non-existence of clear responsibility/work details and action plans for agencies and parastatals functioning under the ministry.

The above failures have as a direct consequence; cast a long dark shadow on the ministry, the sector and the region.

To explain these points beginning with the first challenge, it is worth commenting on that the business of crude oil exploration and issues of oil production in the country is regulated by multiple but very weak laws and Acts of which most of these laws not only complicate enforcement but are curiously too old-fashioned for the changing demands of time. Thereby, creates loopholes

for operators, especially the International Oil Companies (IOC) to exploit both the government and host communities.

Some of these laws/Acts in question that has been in operation since the 1960s but currently not achieving their purpose includes but not limited to; the Petroleum Act of 1969, The Harmful Waste(Special Criminal Positions etc), Act 1988, Mineral Oil Safety Regulation 1963, Petroleum(Drilling and Production) Regulation 1969 (Subsidiary Legislation to The Petroleum Act), The off-shore Oil Revenue (Registration of Grants)Act 1971, Oil in Navigable Act 1968, Petroleum Production and Distribution(Anti Sabotage) Act 1975, Associated Gas Reinjection Act 1979, Associated Gas Re-injection(continued Flaring of Gas) Regulation, Associated Gas Re-injection(Amendment) Decree 1985, Oil Pipeline Act Chapter(CAP)338, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria(L.F.N.) 1990, and Gas Flare prohibition and punishment) Act 2016 among others.

Without minding their number, concepts, provisions and definitions, these laws have become obsolete, old-schooled and out-fashioned to the extent that it now provide leeway for the operators in the sector to exploit both the government and host communities.

Using the Harmful Waste (Special Criminal Positions etc), Act 1988, to prove how defective these laws have become, it was described somewhere, as insufficient the definition of harmful waste by the Act based solely on its impact on human beings, and does not include its impacts on the environment and animals.

To be continued.

WPFD2021: In defense of press freedom in Nigerian tertiary institutions

By Nurudeen Akewushola

“

Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” These are the words of Thomas Jefferson to a friend in 1780s on the importance of a free press to keep government in check in a democratic society.

Every 3rd of May marks World Press Freedom Day and according to UNESCO, it’s a day set aside as “a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom and is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics. It is also a day of support for the media which are targets for the restraint, or abolition, of press freedom. It is also a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in the pursuit of a story.”

Even as freedom of expression is boldly enshrined in section 39(1) of Nigeria constitution, the reality

is that the Press Freedom remains a contentious issue in our society and it is even more worrisome in a rotten country like Nigeria with prevalent cases of corruption, bribery, kidnapping, and other maladies.

Coupled with the risk attached to their task, the threats, assaults, and attacks that journalists are facing in the course of discharging their duty cannot be over emphasized.

According to the 2021 World Press Freedom Index, Nigeria ranked 120 out of 180 countries globally as west Africa’s most dangerous and difficult country for journalists. Over the years, scores of journalists have been killed, many were assaulted, tortured and traumatized while many have gone hidden to protect their lives.

Meanwhile, as the larger society is still wrestling with the challenges impeding press freedom, the state of Press Freedom in Nigerian tertiary institutions which is one of the basic tools for education reform is in a precarious state and therefore calls for urgent intervention by the media and human right agencies for proper restructuring.

Students who are practicing journalism within the confinement of their tertiary institutions are facing bigger problems in carrying out their functions in their tertiary institutions.

A cursory look at situations where student journalists get suspended for revealing the problems in their institutions, get intimidated, and not to talk of the attacks they are facing from the miscreants in their institutions.

As I write this, the culture of threatening campus journalists with their admission has become prevalent in our campuses. Campus Journalists can no longer tell the truths nor expose ills in their institutions otherwise they face disciplinary actions by the management which can go as far as getting suspended by the management for a semester or more.

In the past we have had the case of Kunle Adebajo who got suspended by the University of Ibadan over a critical article about the school, recently a press club from Ibrahim Babangida reported a top official in the University threatening to scrap their Union and destroy the life of a student for reporting the issues of amenities in the

campus, we had the case of the press club in Adamawa state University that was suspended in 2020 and not reinstated up till today among other pressing issues wrestling press freedom in our tertiary institutions.

This is just one of the few reported cases. What about cases of student journalists which did not generate public attention? What about those campus journalists who have been victimized to step down impactful stories within their institutions? What about the challenges that our press clubs are facing in reporting fair and balanced stories in their institutions?

Beyond the above are many other challenges facing the activities of student journalists and press clubs in their tertiary institutions.

The role of Campus Journalism in media development cannot be overemphasized, it is Campus Journalism that has given birth to many erudite journalists who are performing outstandingly in the media space today. We have the likes of Fisayo Soyombo of FIJ, Kemi Busari of Premium Times, Kunle Adebajo of Humangle and recently we have

Ibrahim Adeyemi, Adejumo Kabir, Akinpelu Yusuf, and Alfred Olufemi, Alao Abiodun, Uthman Samad, to mention but few who are now making laudable impacts in the mainstream medium.

Our tertiary institutions have become cesspits of corruption, misappropriation of funds, sexual harassment, negligence of duties, and others but who will hold the system accountable? Cases of infrastructural decay, lack of social amenities, and other students’ welfare challenges are there which internal students of the institutions dare not report.

My point is that absence of of free press in our institutions prevents students from staging a report that can make positive changes in their institutions. Cases of sexual harassment, misappropriation of funds, maladministration, corruption, and abuse of offices, and other internal problems are now thriving in our tertiary institutions since press freedom has been defeated and our press clubs have been turned to a voiceless dog that cannot even bark not to talk of bite.

PAGE 13

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

Comment

A timely discourse on fundamental rights

By Adewale Kupoluyi

I

n our society today, many things are taken for granted. It becomes a problem when people are ignorant of the law for they are not only cheated, violators walk freely, and the law is disrespected. What happens is that chaos, indiscipline, jungle justice, and lawlessness become the order of the day. To ensure that sanity, peace, and orderliness prevail in our country, the need to bring to the front burner, a platform to talk about fundamental rights, beckons.

Before we go into doing that, it is useful to look at the meaning of law from some perspectives, jurisprudence, and schools of thought. The Natural School of Thought believes that a court of justice decides all the laws, Positivists definition of law states that law is the aggregate set of rules set by a man that must be obeyed. The Historical law definition sees law as a matter of unconscious and organic growth, the Sociological assumption of law views law as a means of social control while the Realists define law in terms of judicial processes, among other definitions.

Over the year, the awareness of human rights has grown. In 1948, the United Nations Organisation released the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which can be said to have become the most important document and yardstick for measuring basic equality and human dignity. Generally, good knowledge of the law equips us to be better citizens by obeying laws and doing the needful. Not only that, it

helps us to know the right steps and decisions to take at any time amid the various options that could come our way, especially when taken into consideration the common saying that ignorance of the law is never an excuse.

Human Rights Career (HRC) equally points out 10 reasons why human rights knowledge is key.

These include ensuring that people have their basic needs of life met such as access to medicine, food and water, clothes, and shelter. The Nigerian constitution equally provides for fundamental rights to comprise the right to life; right to dignity of human persons; right to personal liberty; right to fair hearing; right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; and right to property ownership. Meanwhile, there are exceptions to these rights because the rights of citizens are correlated with functions of the state, meaning that citizens are obliged to contribute to the social order.

While hosting the maiden edition of the weekly programme, Radio Law Clinic on FUNAAB 89.5FM, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, some legal practitioners spoke on why it is imperative for the people to know their rights. Zainab Omope, an associate at TPO Odudu and Co, said that “It is incumbent on every citizen to know their rights. Knowing your rights help you to avoid some situations and also helps you to know what to do when you are caught up in a situation that has to do with the law or when your rights are being infringed upon. You will know how

to redress them, but when you don’t know them, you tend to beg for things that you know you have the right to.

In Nigeria, knowing your rights is very essential because the poverty rate is very high and everyone wants to extort each other anyhow, but once you have a platform that helps you to know what to do; you are better equipped”.

For Charles Alli of Omaflec Law Firm, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, discussing on a platform such as this is indeed an avenue to open the minds of the people to the importance of what the law generally is; what their place is regarding their rights, and to their duties under the law. In a society that is democratic in nature such as Nigeria, it is a presumption that the law should be the supreme idea and concepts governing activities of the people. Our rights are, in fact, clearly defined. Our rights pertain to our daily activities. Most of us moving around in society are in great danger because of ignorance, not having relevant information, not being aware of laws and how to engage the tools of law”.

Tope Adeleke of Adeleke and Co, an Ibadan, Oyo State-based legal practitioner describes law as “An instrument of peace, direction, and correction. There are certain rights in the constitution. For instance, Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (As amended) makes it abundantly clear on some certain rights of the citizenry and that programmes like this will help them know all of these and many more.

Law is a physical God that human beings have made to protect, punish

and discipline man since the law is a respecter of nobody”.

George Illah is a private legal practitioner from Nasarawa State, who practices in the law firm of SK Shelter and Co, admits that “Currently, the Nigerian society is faced with what I will call legal awareness-deficit because a lot of people are so ignorant of their legal rights such as how to go about vending their rights when they are violated. They do not know how to enforce their rights when they need to; they do not know the elementary things on how and when their rights are being violated in the first place.

I think the law is meant for the people and not the people for the law, hence legal knowledge such not be restricted to legal professionals”.

Furthermore, Taiwo Alabi, a counsel at Abegunde and Abegunde and Co, agrees that “Law programmes are very important because they are part of ways in which people can learn about their rights and learn what to do, what not to do, knowing the difference between what is morally right, and legal right.

Through programmes like this, we are able to know that many laws in Nigeria are not functional and are like the toothless bulldog that barks without biting as the people do not know about them. Looking at laws like the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act that prohibits spending money at parties, stepping on money, squeezing of money, and Naira notes in the pockets. It is wrong to do so, but the laws are just in the books without being functional”.

Adefisayo Ajayi is a Lagos

State-based attorney, observes that “Human rights are the foundation of society and the legal system.

Human rights are there to protect the citizens; even non-citizens are allowed to enjoy protection. The knowledge of substantive rights helps to protect people. We say in law that delay delays equity. The law also provides for limitations on certain things. As a general rule, there are also limitations to rights.

People go about saying they know their rights; but do you know the limitations of these rights, as rights are not totally absolute? You have the right to personal liberty, but there some situations that your personal liberty would be limited. Certainly, human rights are fundamental, but they do not oversee all other laws in the land. Today, fundamental rights are pre-condition to having a civilised society”, he added.

In the final analysis, the discourse has shown that the knowledge of the law is crucial. It does not only make people good and patriotic citizens, it breeds orderliness, sanity, and creates the enabling an environment for peace to thrive. This is the truism that the award-winning song by Robert Sylvester Kelly (R-Kelly); the American singer, songwriter, record producer, and philanthropist resonates that, ‘The Storm Is Over Now’, as far as legal matters are concerned, only when the people are indeed empowered with the basic knowledge of the law.

Kupoluyi writes from Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, @AdewaleKupoluyi

A pragmatic reconciliation of education and morality in Nigeria

By Reuben Avong

M

an according to a Confucian disciple called Mengzi is naturally moral and good; to him, man has every natural inclination and tendency in him to do good and be morally upright.

However, Nigeria as a country has faced a lot of hitches with respect to been educated without been moral.

Our country has always been known for high rate of emphasis on the issue of morality but at the same time with high records of immorality through the ages. Meanwhile, different traditions have used their diverse thought patterns in trying to reconcile this very problem of education and morality, emphatically on whether knowing morality implies doing and practicing it, whether the morally sound individual is only known to be moral when he exhibits such charisma, whether education plays a vital role to morality, whether morality is only practiced by the educated men who claim having a good and appreciable knowledge of it and been ignored by the ignorant, whether our forefathers who were not educated never practiced morality, and finally whether the present day morality could be compared to theirs. These and many more are the problems which have existed since time immemorial. Meanwhile, on the other hand, pragmatism as a philosophical doctrine has always

emphasized on the workability of ideas, theories, and knowledge at large less they remain insignificant as abstract entities in us and to the society. The same applies here that we see many morally educated men act in some licentious manner and sometimes see the ignorant do the otherwise which has always been an issue that calls for a serious concern on whether this so called education is really a prerequisite for been practically moral.

However, the onus alongside the thrust of this paper is to see how pragmatism can be properly harnessed and applied as a significant philosophical doctrine to our moral life and also to critically take a pragmatic reconciliation of education and morality taking in mind strictly the educational and moral ideologies of both Plato and Jean-Jacque Rousseau.

It was Aristotle in his work called the organon that for any philosophical argument to be clear and distinct, some major terms must be clarified.

It is against this backdrop that I would like to clarify some key terms.

The concept education has no univocal or universally used definition since it is conceived in different ways by people.

Etymologically, the word education originates from the Latin words educare and educere. “Educare” means to nourish, to bring up, or to train and to mold. The child has to be

brought up like a plant in the garden by the teacher. His potentialities should be developed with proper care and nourishment. Educere simply means to lead out, to draw out and to bring forth; each and every individual has the innate powers. The innate powers of the individual should be properly cared for and given scope to be developed by those assigned the task of educating. However, education involves both the training and molding of individuals and the unleashing of innate potentialities which could be seen and exemplified

by Socrates when he played the role of the mid wife as he would say by gad flying people and helping them bring out their innate knowledge via asking of questions.

Morality simply means the rightness or wrongness of human acts. Morality is that which determines the quality in human acts by which we call them right or wrong, good or evil.

2.3 Pragmatic The concept pragmatic stems from the Greek word pragma meaning action. However, the pragmatic nature of something simply means its workability and practicality which means the practical usefulness of things or concepts makes them pragmatic.

One of our concerns as people living in a country that lay so much emphasis on the issue of

morality should be whether we live a morally sound life or not because it is expected of every Nigerian to have the natural propensity of being moral. Historically speaking, morality has been in existence for long even though it is not objective and truthful in itself but rather relative and highly subjective since it varies according to individuals. What we have as morality might not be the same with that of our forefathers, the rate at which it is practiced today is not the same with that of antiquity.

In antiquity, morality was held with high esteem but has gradually been losing its worth and pragmatic nature as seconds turned to minute, minutes to hour, hours to day, days to week, weeks to month, and months transcending to years which makes this same highly pronounced morality country record immorality rate.

Be that as it may, a known fact about our country Nigeria is that morality is fast eroding despite the many educational institutions in the country, how different militia is emerging also despite our level of education which places a serious concern in the critical mind that leads to yearning to know whether morality rate could be determined by the number of institutions and educated men.

Plato was a prominent disciple of Socrates who was executed by the Athenian Government of his time

because he taught doctrines that they regarded an offensive one. As such Plato became very grieved because of the evil treatment Socrates received as a result of an out-shown and pragmatic ignorance of the Athenian Authorities. He however became convinced that the politicians were suffering from ignorance, and the only remedy to the ill in the society was to educate future politicians to become philosophers. He came to the conclusion that ignorance is the source of evil and knowledge (education) is the source of good (morality).

Rousseau, a modern philosopher made a contrary assertion to that of Plato that the coming of learning and civilization brought evil, that morality has now been sacrificed on the altar of learning, unlike when man was in the state of nature having only the knowledge of himself and him alone, all he thought of in that state was himself and nothing else, man was totally at peace and in a state of total happiness, not until when people gradually became enlightened by the coming of civilization specifically education, and that is why he came up with the assertion that learned men have replaced virtuous men, knowledge has replaced morality.

Invariably, Rousseau said education is the source of societal evil and immorality as against Plato’s view.

Reuben Avong can be reached chatnkom@gmail.com

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NEWS

Adamawa NUJ declares prayer for kidnapped journalist From Umar Dankano,Yola

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he leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Adamawa state chapter has directed its membership in the state to embark on fasting and prayers for the release of its kidnapped member, Mrs Amrah Ahmed Diska.

Recalls that Mrs Diska,an Editor with the Adamawa Broadcasting Cooperation (ABC) Yola, was abducted by suspected kidnappers at her husband’s house at Mbamba community in Yola South Local Government Area on Tuesday.

A statement issued by the secretary of the Union,Fidelis Jockthan on Thursday in Yola,urged its members to engage divine intervention in the matter. noting that the abductors have contacted the family of the victim demanding for N50 million as ransom before her release.

21 African countries to raise $65.5m for Shea Parkland restoration - Ghana VP From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

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s part of ongoing efforts to ensure that shea industry will continue to play its integral part in the lives of the people across 21 African countries, the Vice President of Ghana Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said $65.5 million is expected to be raised from Public and Private sources to implement the action on Shea Parkland.

In a Press statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of NASPAN, Hon Abubukar Bagudu Dallatun Kalgo and made available to newsmen recently in Birnin Kebbi said that the Parkland Restoration Fund (PRF) was launched in Ghana with the aim of promoting Shea Parkland across the Africa contents.

He added that the PRF is to stretch from Senegal to South Sudan.

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

Gbajabiamila commiserates with Pastor Adeboye over son’s death

By Christiana Ekpa

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he Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has commiserated with the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, over the death of his son, Dare.

Gbajabiamila said it is painful for a father to lose his child at any point in time, saying

the younger Adeboye lived a life full of worship to the Lord and service to humanity.

The Speaker recalled how Dare took after his father in the work of God and rose to become one of the leading youth pastors in RCCG. Gbajabiamila expressed sadness over the loss of such a “promising young man”.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity,

Lanre Lasisi, the Speaker sent his condolences to the entire Adeboye family, especially Pastor Enoch Adeboye and his wife, Folu Adeboye.

Gbajabiamila said one could not question God over the loss, but urged the Adeboyes to find solace in the fact that Pastor Dare was a perfect example of how our youth should be and became a role model to many.

“I was saddened by the news

of the demise of Pastor Dare Adeboye. His demise is painful, especially now that we need youth like him to serve as role models to their peers.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the Adeboye family and the entire RCCG family at this difficult moment.”

“I pray that the good Lord will find a peaceful resting place for Pastor Dare Adeboye,” Gbajabiamila said.

From left: Managing Director of Fordmarx Nigeria Limited, Chief Christian Nnaji; Leader of Claim Your Water Rights (CYWR), a Non-Governmental Organisation, Mrs Amaka Nweke; Special Adviser to Enugu State Governor on Water Resources, Mr Dubem Onyia; and Project Manager, Mr Chinonso Nnamani, during an accountability inspection tour of Enugu State 9th-Mile Crash Borehole Water Scheme by CYWR in Enugu on Thursday (6/5/21).

NIMASA collaborates with Navy on training, accreditation

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he Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) said it would assist the Nigerian Navy with accreditation of professional courses at its training institutes.

The Director General of NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh said this in a statement in Lagos on Wednesday.

Jamoh, while receiving the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Naval Training Command, Rear Admiral Kamarudeen Lawal, said the agency would also facilitate the attainment of International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) status for the Nigerian Navy’s training institutes.

He spoke in response to

requests by Lawal, who believed collaboration between the Nigerian Navy and NIMASA was not only required for success of the country’s maritime goals, but also inevitable.

“NIMASA is all for anything that will enhance safety and security in our waters and promote shipping. This is in line with our mandate.

“We will support and advance courses geared towards maximising our maritime potential.

“Our maritime training institutions and courses have their basis in the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).

“We will help the Nigerian Navy obtain the STCW status for its training bodies, and facilitate the accreditation of its programmes, on purpose to advance our common goal of maritime safety and security,” he said.

Taking cognisance of the need to maintain the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) standards, Jamoh said NIMASA would study the training curriculum of the Nigerian Navy.

He emphasised the need for training and retraining of naval personnel to improve their capability, especially, in respect of the Navy’s leading role in the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure (the Deep Blue Project), domiciled in NIMASA.

Earlier, the FOC said the visit was borne out of NIMASA’s critical role in the maintenance of standards and safety in the country’s maritime environment.

He said the relationship between the Nigerian Navy and NIMASA had led to improved maritime safety and security in Nigerian waters and commended NIMASA’s effort to ensure safety and standards in the maritime environment.

“In order to achieve this objective, the Command desires further assistance and collaboration with NIMASA in the area of certification for International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers,” he said. (NAN)

Niger: Herdsmen did not move about with guns in Tafa – Council Chairman

By Usman Shuaibu

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he Executive Chairman of Tafa Local Government Area in Niger State, Hon Ibrahim Mami, has said that herdsmen did not move about with guns in Tafa.

Mami, who stated this in an interview with newsmen while reacting to a report aired by Berekette family that herdsmen were moving about with guns and bicycles in Tafa Local Government Area.

His words : “ Somebody told me that Berekette family were debating on bandits around Tafa Local Government that some Fulani people were moving about in mass with guns and

bicycles in Tafa, with the pressmen around me now, I debunked the information as not true.

“We know that everywhere in Nigeria today, we are facing the security challenges even in Tafa Local Government, but it has not come to that magnitude of such expression that was aired by Berekette family yesterday. “ I know, for a week now, I have been seeing Fulani herdsmen even in my farm passing through the Tafa town. When I interviewed one of them personally they told me that they were coming from Sokoto axis to Bauchi axis for settlement. These Fulani herdsmen were moving with their children and cows and

that it is the culture of Fulani herdsmen to migrate from one place to another. In fact, these Fulani herdsmen who passed through the Tafa town are not troublesome”.

The Chairman, however, called on Berekette family to contact the leadership of Tafa Local Government before airing out any information or report concerning the security situation of the council, and urged the people of Tafa to continue to pray for peaceful co- existence of the area.

Mami said he would continue to protect the lives and property of the citizens in the area, while charging the security agencies to continue with their good work.

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PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

Insecurity: Why military hasn’t crushed Boko Haram, bandits, others - Senate

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi and Musa Baba Adamu

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he Senate has given an insight into why the military has not been able to crush the insurgency, banditry and kidnapping which are the key security challenges facing the country over the past decades.

This is just as the Service Chiefs yesterday gave assurance to nigerians that it will soon pull the string that will lift the country out of her present security crisis bedeviling all parts of the nation.

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, who gave this hint yesterday when the lawmakers of the red Chamber hosted the service chiefs in about four hours closed doors session, where they brainstormed on the way out for the country.

In his opening remarks, the Senate President said the armed forces have not performed well because they lack adequate resources to confront the terrorists, bandits and kidnappers.

He therefore urged them to avail the parliament of information they consider prerequisite to enable them perform better, saying they haven’t achieved the optimum as expected by Nigerians.

He said “Once again, I welcome you and trust us with what you think will help us as a parliament to help the cause of Armed forces and other security agencies to perform better because you haven’t achieved the optimum and I can attribute that to inadequate resources.” “... let me quickly assure all of you that indeed this Senate or the entire National Assembly is and will remain a partner in progress with you.

“On behalf of my colleagues, I want to commend our armed forces and other security agencies for fighting the myriad of security challenges across the country.

“In the process, some have given up their lives. We appreciate what you are doing because we know that you are doing your best with what you have at hand.

“I want to assure you and everyone that the challenges we face are taken seriously and extremely by the Parliament. Hardly a day passes without this Senate discussing one security incident or the other. And it has been so for many years, not only this session.

“We pray that at the end of this interaction, we will see better ways and means of providing the necessary provision of resources to enable our armed forces continue with national case to provide national security.

“We need to protect the lives and property of citizens to stabilise our environment for economy to receive better investments for this country; to be a hub for investments that will

*As Service Chiefs hint on way out of insecurity provide employment opportunities to our teeming youths.”

Meanwhile, after the closed door meeting which ended in the evening, the Senate President, while reporting the deliberations behind the closed doors, said the lawmakers listened to the explanation by the service chiefs and asked them questions on the insecurity issues across the country and how to resolve it.

Briefing journàlists after the closed door session, the Senate spokesman, Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, said “Today the Senate played host to the key leadership of the Nigerian security apparatus.

The Chief of Defence Staff who led the Service Chiefs, that is, the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff and the Chief of Air Staff and the Director of Defence Intelligence, the DG of National Intelligence Agency, the Director General of SSS and, of course, the Inspector General of Police.

“At an executive session they briefed the Senate comprehensively on the state of security in the country, analysis of the various operations and theatre

of activities that they are engaged in, the topography across the six geopolitical zones, the complexities and the challenges that are being faced and ways by which they believe the parliament can work together with the executive and the heads of security agencies to ensure we rein in the atmosphere of insecurity and ensure a long lasting peace and security for our country.

“The Senate leadership expressed our gratitude for their forthrightness, for their being very open with us and we are committed to ensure that all necessary legislative and appropriation support is given to all the relevant agencies as may be subsequently requested. I think that is what transpired in summary at the closed session.

“We did not talk about money.

We did not talk about figure. We had a high level discussion on general challenges and requirements for us to have an efficient and effective security. The details of what ever will go into supplementary appropriation can only be worked

upon by the Ministry of Finance, which is an executive arm together with our relevant Committee and such are not matters that we will go into details.

“Of course, everybody know that security is a serious matter for which you cannot take with levity when it comes to ensuring appropriate appropriation for that. We are ready to receive supplementary budget.

“We don’t have any doubt that there is synergy among the various security agencies. In fact, from the nature of the briefing that we received, it reassured us as elected representatives of the people that there is indeed a synergy. In event, even the success that has been made which we were apprised of is like security is something you only feel the impact when there are breaches.

“Nobody will give you credit for security situations you have been able to address and attended to. For instance, we have a tremendous status quo report that a lot had gone into stemming the tide of insecurity in Nigeria.

Perhaps, if not for that synergy and the efforts that has gone in terms of operationalising and putting the Nigerian security organisation, particularly the Air Force in proper shape, perhaps we would have been in a more terrible situation.

“So, the story is about how far we have gone but then there is room for improvement and we are committed to that improvement. After listening to the briefings, I personally became upbeat that a lot of work had gone into addressing the problem of insecurity and from the various perspectives that were brought into the discussion which is very frank, clear and without any form of duplicity, it became very clear that Nigerian security agencies are not only looking at the internal dimension of the challenge we have, we look at all ramifications both in terms of the political context, economic context and international context to the development. There were even perspectives as to what happened recently in Chad was also considered.”

Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya ( 2and L), Aen. Aishatu Dahiru ( 2nd R), Hon. Aishatu Jibrir Dukku( R) and National Coordinator of Baba for All, Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji during a courtesy visit to the Governor by the Baba for All Nigeria in Gombe yesterday

APC commends Buhari over release of 29 Kaduna College students

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he All Progressives Congress (APC) has commended President Muhammadu Buhari over the release of 29 students abducted from the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka in Kaduna State.

In a statement issued yesterday by the caretaker National Secretary of the party, John James Akpanudoedehe, the party said ir is truly heartwarming that the students have been reunited with their family, friends and other loved ones, expressing deep appreciation to all stakeholders involved in the student’s release.

“While the party and government share concerns of well-meaning Nigerians on the security incidents in the country, we reiterate our call to Nigerians for continued support of ongoing efforts by the President Muhammadu Buhari government at a quick and permanent solution to the security challenges”, the statement said.

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

POLITICS

R L: Minister of state petroleum resources, Timipre sylva; Director department of petroleum resources, DPR, Eng. Sariki Auwalu; Head of operations DPR, Garba Salihu during an Investigative hearing on the circumstances surrounding the revocation and Award of Oil Mining leases (OML) at the national assembly, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

PDP announces guidelines for Lagos LG poll

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State has released guidelines for aspirants contesting on its platform for the July 24 Local Government election in the state.

The PDP Chairman in Lagos, Adedeji Doherty, who made this known in a statement released on Thursday said sales of nomination forms for the Chairmanship, Vice Chairmanship and Councillorship positions will begin on May 7 and end on May 14, while May 18 is the last day for the submission of the forms.

According to him, the party’s screening exercise for the chairmanship and

councillorship aspirants would hold on May 20, while ward congresses/councillorship primaries, have been scheduled for May 25.

He also noted that May 28 has been scheduled for Local Government congresses/ chairmanship primaries.

“The submission of Names of candidates to the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) would be May 31.

“Male chairmanship aspirant would pay a sum of N150,000 while male vicechairmanship aspirant and would pay a sum of N100,000.

“Male councillorship aspirants are to pay a sum of N50,000 while female chairmanship, vice-chairmanship and councillorship

aspirants would pay a sum of N25,000, N20,000 and 15,000 respectively for the Nomination forms.

“Also, payments for Expression of Interest and Nomination forms would be made by all male aspirants for posts of chairmen, vice chairmen and councillors.

“However, only those who come out tops at the respective primaries would go ahead to make payments for the LASIEC forms,” he said.

Doherty further noted that all female aspirants in line with LASIEC directives, would only be making payments for expression of interest forms for the position they intend vying for.

Why I defended MASSOB, Avengers, Asari Dokubo in Courts - Keyamo

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

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he Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has explained why he represented in Courts Niger Delta militants like Asari Dokubo and groups like the Niger Delta Avengers, Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra

(MASSOB) in the past.

He said it was not because he believed in Nigeria’s breakup, but because he believed in the right to self-determination.

Keyamo stated this while speaking on an NTA flagship programme titled, ‘One-on-One’.

He said, “No one can stand before me and tell me about human rights. I have seen

everything. I represented almost all separatist groups in this country like MASSOB, Niger Delta Volunteers Force, the Niger Delta Avengers.

“I represented all of them in court. When Asari Dokubo was arrested, when he was calling for a division at that time, I did not support the division, of course, let me be clear. I was only

talking about the right to selfdetermination.”

In January 2003, Keyamo was designated a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, because of his activities as the leader of Movement for the Actualisation of the Future Republic of the Niger Delta.

Ogun LG polls: PDP leader slams Abiodun as OGSIEC demands N200,000 from candidates

By Musa Baba Adamu

A

leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olumide Aderinokun, has asked Governor Dapo Abiodun, not to turn the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) into a revenue generation agency.

Recall that the Ogun electoral commission, saddled with the responsibility of conducting elections into the local governments of the state, has demanded N200,000 from chairmanship candidates.

OGSIEC, through its Chairman, said Tuesday that those contesting the councillorship posts must pay a non-refundable deposit of N100,000 each, saying it was in

accordance with the law of the commission.

But the Akinruyiwa of Owu Kingdom, Aderinokun told Governor Dapo Abiodun “not to use the forthcoming local government elections in Ogun State as an avenue to increase the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the State.”

It will be recalled that a report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) stated that the IGR of the state dropped from N70 billion in 2019 to N50 billion in 2020.

In a statement made available to journàlists on Thursday, the Ogun House of Representatives candidate described the amount charged by the commission as “barbaric”.

According to the statement

signed by his media aide, Taiye Taiwo, the politician said, “Governor Abiodun and his team should look elsewhere for revenue collection and not through the local government election. The amount charged for nomination forms is barbaric. It is not necessary.”

He accused Abiodun and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of making democracy expensive in Ogun, saying it was a ploy to disenfranchise some candidates.

He added that many young aspirants would not be able to participate in the elections as they would not be able to afford the OGSIEC nomination fee.

“He (Gov Abiodun) is making democracy expensive by charging N200,000 and N100,000 for chairmanship and councillorship

forms respectively.

“The All Progressives Congress (APC) is trying to disenfranchise candidates from the opposition parties.

We are talking about election that will usher in our servant leaders at the grassroots and not State Assembly election.

Why demanding that huge amount from candidates? Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) is not supposed to be a revenue generation agency. The governor should know this.

“The high fee charged by OGSIEC will discourage younger aspirants from participating in the election,” he lamented.

Meanwhile, the Ogun local government election is scheduled to hold on July 24, 2021.

Jagaban: Fela’s family hints at lawsuit against APC

T

he relative of the Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, has condemned the use of the music legend’s name/image on clothes bearing ‘Jagaban’.

Jagaban is one of the nicknames of a prominent politician and former Lagos Governor, Bola Tinubu.

The traditional title was conferred on the All Progressives Congress (APC) leader by the Emir of Borgu in Niger State, Haliru Dantoro Kitoro.

Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, campaign materials bearing the Tinubu or Jagaban or Asiwaju (Tinubu’s traditional title in Lagos) have appeared in circulation.

In a statement, Fela’s son, Femi said he saw the tweet by the APC and confirmed Fela’s name on the T-shirts bearing ‘Jagaban’ was never authorized.

Femi declared that the family owns the trademark and the use of it constitutes an infringement and disregard of their legal rights.

The Afrobeat star warned the party to desist from using Fela’s image, adding that the family does not align with any political party in Nigeria or beyond.

“We are carefully assessing the situation and failure to comply with this demand will leave us with no other option but to explore any legal options that are available to us”, he added.

Lawan condoles with Pastor Adeboye over son’s death

By Musa Baba Adamu

T

he President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has commiserated with the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, on the death of his son, Pastor Dare Adeboye.

In a statement issued yesterday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ola Awonoyi, Lawan also condoled with the entire Adeboye family and members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God worldwide over the sudden death of one of their shepherds.

The statement said “I share their deep grief over the loss of a beloved son, husband, father and committed labourer in the Lord’s Vineyard.

“May God Almighty comfort the highly respected Pastor, his family and the entire members of his flock over this great loss and repose the soul of the deceased in eternal bliss,” Lawan said.

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PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

POLITICS

Nationalism struggle behind Nigeria’s insecurity - South Korean Ambassador

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

A

mbassador of the Republic of Korea to Nigeria, Kim Young-chae, has said that the struggle by the political class to evolve Nigeria into a true nation State is behind the ongoing security challenges confronting the country.

Kim Young-chae stated this in Abuja while fielding questions from journàlists on the insecurity in the country and sundry issues, during which he said the issues in Nigeria is a family affair which will only take Nigerian politicians to resolve.

He said however that Korean Republic is mulling assistance through intelligence, education and training for the military to assist

them in adequately confronting the terrorism dimensions in the conflict as been masterminded by the ISIS and ISWAP. On how Nigeria can benefit from Korean military strength, he pointed out that the Republic of Korea is the world’s fifth military power, which exports military hardware to many developed countries of the world, hence Nigeria can benefit from the opportunity.

According to the Ambassador, what Nigeria is going through today can only become resolved permanently if the citizens can prioritise nationality above tribal and religious leaning.

He said the Koreans went through a similar struggle, which led to the emergence of both

South and North Korea today, even though he said it will be very dangerous for Nigeria to contemplate division.

He said Nigeria has fought a civil war and remained united, hence there should not be another civil war, which he cautioned will bring about lots of bloodshed which will last for too long.

Speaking further, the Ambassadors expressed concern over the high level of killings across the country, warning that if Nigeria eventually divides, the various fragments would lose their voice and reputation in the Committee of nations unlike today when Nigeria is highly respected and appreciated by other countries.

Young-chae also blamed reckless population explosion that has brought about twenty million more

people over a period of ten years, observing that it simply means there will be more mouths to feed and more hands to engage by the government, which according to him, does not come easily.

While explaining the potentials of intelligence sharing between Nigeria and Republic of Korea, he said for such to take place, there must be a memorandum of understanding between governments of both countries, which he said is above his authority and office.

Meanwhile, he said the Minister of Defence from Korea will visit Nigeria next year, promising to link both the Nigerian Defence team with the Republic of Korean team for better security relations, adding that peace and security remain the bedrock of every development.

Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu (2nd left), Minister of State for Science and Technology Barr. Mohammed H. Abdullahi (2nd right), Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Science and Technology Mr. Edet Sunday Akpan (left), President Nigerian Institute of Welding Dr. Solomon Iyobosa Edebiri (right), during the Inauguration of the Committee on Drafting of National Policy on Welding and its Related Fields & the National Status Survey on Welding and Related Fields, held yesterday in Abuja. Photo : Justin Imo-owo

Expansion of polling units will discourage voter apathy – Osun INEC REC

By Lateef Ibrahim with agency report

F

or the remaining 753 Voting Points in Osun to be converted to Polling Units, the national headquarter of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has to ratify the reports of the expansion of voter access to Polling Units.

This was revealed in an address delivered by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Olusegun Agbaje at the stakeholders meeting on expansion of voter access to Polling Units held Thursday, 6th May 2021 in Osogbo.

Agbaje said the ongoing expansion exercise though geared towards the 2023 General Elections can still be used for the 2022 gubernatorial election in Osun State.

The REC explained that the reason for embarking on the expansion of voter access to Polling Units was done to address the issue of inadequate Polling Units and its attendant challenges as prescribed by the Electoral Act 2010, Section 42.

Agbaje who said that presently, Osun has 3,010 Polling Units with a voting population of 1,680,498 registered voters added that the current polling units in the state are inadequate for the available voters as a result of population growth and the establishment of new settlements in many areas across the state.

He said the situation has contributed to the apathy that characterised past elections conducted by the Commission.

Agbaje states that the objectives of the exercise include; “expansion

of voter access to Polling Units by converting existing voting points and voting point settlements into full Polling Units and where necessary, relocating new and existing ones to places where they are closer to and more accessible for voters and the Commission.

“Decongest existing Polling Units by reducing the number of voters per Polling Units, improve health and safety conditions at Polling Units during elections to comply with COVID-19 protocols, address declining voter turnout at elections due to lack of access to Polling Units and continue to improve the quality of access to electoral services provided to all Nigerian voters by the Commission, including better access at Polling Units for Persons With Disability (PWD).”

He noted that INEC has decided

to take the polling units very close to the homes of the electorate since that has always been one of the complaints, that the Polling Units are far from the places of abode.

In his goodwill message, the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Olawale Olokode accused the political players of sponsoring violence during elections which leads to voter apathy on the part of the electorate.

While calling on stakeholders to play a major role in making the exercise a success, he expressed fear that open space arrangements may lead to issues during elections.

The representative of Oba AbdulRasheed Akanbi, Oluwo of Iwo, Chief Imran Moruf called on politicians to support the efforts of INEC in the state adding that it is God that assigns persons to positions.

Exiting national budget with mere overheads, not impactful Finance Minister

By Musa Baba Adamu

T

he much celebrated success made by the Senate Committee on Finance as regards facilitation of some revenue generating government agencies to exit the National budget , was punctured by the Minister of Finance , Zainab Ahmed at an interactive session with the committee on Thursday .

This is even as she countered the Accountant General of the Federation , Ahmed Idris on using the Audited reports of the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government ( MDAs) , as basis for reconciliation of their accounts on yearly basis .

The Senate Committee on Finance headed by Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola ( APC Lagos West), had last week announced that federal agencies like the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control ( NAFDAC) , NIGCOMSAT and Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, (NERC ) , had agreed to exit the National budget as far as their overhead costs were concerned.

The move as stated by Senator Adeola after an interactive session with heads of the agencies last week , is targeted at reducing yearly budget deficits and getting more revenue to fund budgets.

But the Minister of Finance in her reaction to the move , said since the overhead components of National budget is the smallest , such move will not give the required impacts as far as budget deficits and funding are concerned .“The 2021 budget is N13.8 trillion with overhead components of just about N380billion.

“So, if any revenue generating government agency, is exiting the national budget with just overhead component, it will not bring about any difference.

“The components that can bring about significant difference or differences , are recurrent and capital components , which none of the said agencies included in their exit plan from the National budget”, she said.

On using Audited reports of the various MDAs, for basis of their account reconciliation on yearly basis as suggested by the Accountant General of the Federation to the Committee, the Minister said “ rather than helping to ensure accountability and transparency , it will frustrate it.

“Since Audited reports of the various agencies are not made available until four or five years after any year in focus , such document cannot be recommended to be used as basis for account reconciliation of the agencies on yearly basis.

“If such report is used as basis for accounts reconciliation, the agencies will drag their feet in making it available”, she said.

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

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PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

Stock Watch: Thursday, May 6, 2020 Low

OPEN Volume Close High

2.80 3.15 0 1.94 3.94 0 0.27 0.27 0 0.64 0.64 0 4.60 8.60 0 37.00 68.30 0 3.79 4.21 0 9.65 10.05 0 31.50 34.00 0 1.90 1.92 0 18.45 18.45 0 1.72 1.84 0 23.25 23.25 0 0.20 0.20 0 0.20 0.20 0 6.10 6.10 0 1.75 1.75 0 186.00 186.00 0 6.00 6.65 0 14.60 14.55 0 1.80 2.00 0 3.37 3.37 0 4.30 4.70 0 14.00 14.00 0 7.35 7.80 0 1.62 1.65 0 1.91 1.96 0 4.95 4.95 99 0.33 0.33 0 21.85 21.85 0 29.60 30.70 0 0.20 0.20 0 12.20 13.05 0 32.60 32.95 0 72.00 72.00 0 1.18 1.18 0 1.53 1.53 0 31.50 31.50 0 0.51 0.54 0 0.20 0.20 0 23.25 23.25 0 0.44 0.44 0 0.30 0.30 0 1.36 1.36 0 0.72 0.72 0 0.52 0.49 0 1.83 1.83 0 2.45 2.45 0

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5.80 6.00 ACCESS -0.35 3.94 3.94 AFRIPRUD 0.00 0.27 0.27 AGLEVENT 0.00 0.64 0.64 AIICO 0.00 8.60 8.60 BERGER 0.00 67.00 67.00 BETAGLAS -1.30 3.79 3.79 BOCGAS -0.42 9.65 10.05 CADBURY -0.40 31.50 31.50 CAP -2.50 1.90 1.90 CAVERTON -0.02 18.45 18.45 CCNN 0.00 1.72 1.72 CHAMPION -0.12 23.25 23.25 CONOIL 0.00 0.20 0.20 CORNERST 0.00 0.20 0.20 COURTVILLE 0.00 6.10 6.10 CUSTODIAN 0.00 1.75 1.75 CUTIX 0.00 186.00 186.00 DANGCEM 0.00 6.00 6.25 DANGFLOUR -0.65 14.60 14.60 DANGSUGAR 0.05 1.80 2.00 DIAMONDBNK -0.20 3.37 3.37 EKOCORP 0.00 4.30 4.30 ETERNA -0.40 14.00 14.00 ETI 0.00 7.45 7.60 FBNH -0.35 1.62 1.67 FCMB -0.03 1.92 1.98 FIDELITYBK -0.04 4.95 4.95 FIDSON 0.00 0.33 0.33 FIRSTALUM 0.00 21.85 21.85 FLOURMILL 0.00 29.60 29.60 FO -1.10 0.20 0.20 FTNCOCOA 0.00 12.20 12.20 GLAXOSMITH -0.85 33.50 33.50 GUARANTY 0.55 72.00 72.00 GUINNESS 0.00 1.18 1.18 HONYFLOUR 0.00 1.53 1.53 IKEJAHOTEL 0.00 31.50 31.50 INTBREW 0.00 0.53 0.53 JAIZBANK -0.01 0.20 0.21 JAPAULOIL 0.00 23.25 23.25 JBERGER 0.00 0.44 0.44 JOHNHOLT 0.00 0.30 0.30 LASACO 0.00 1.36 1.36 LEARNAFRCA 0.00 0.72 0.72 LINKASSURE 0.00 0.52 0.52 LIVESTOCK 0.03 1.83 1.83 MANSARD 0.00 2.45 2.45 MAYBAKER 0.00

Stock Close Gain UPL 1.14 0.13 LIVESTOCK 0.52 0.01 SOVRENINS 0.21 0.03 OKOMUOIL 60.00 1.80 GUARANTY 23.50 0.55

Low 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

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0.11 0.21 0 0.21 0.21 MBENEFIT 0.00 0 0.43 0.43 0 0.43 0.43 MCNICHOLS 0.00 0 1.05 2.05 261 2.05 2.05 MEDVIEWAIR 0.00 0 124.80 184.80 0 184.80 184.80 MOBIL 0.00 0 0.20 0.20 970 0.20 0.20 MULTIVERSE 0.00 0 3.50 3.50 0 3.50 3.50 NAHCO 0.00 0 18.00 18.00 0 18.00 18.00 NASCON 0.00 0 78.50 78.70 0 79.50 79.50 NB 0.80 0 0.78 0.78 0 0.78 0.78 NEIMETH 0.00 0 2.60 2.60 0 2.60 2.60 NEM 0.00 0 552.20 552.20 150 552.20 552.20 NESF 0.00 0 1,475.00 1,475.00 0 1,475.00 1,475.00 NESTLE 0.00 0 1.60 1.65 0 1.60 1.60 NPFMCRFBK -0.05 0 4.60 4.80 0 4.60 4.75 OANDO -0.20 0 80.00 76.20 0 80.00 80.00 OKOMUOIL 3.80 0 64.00 64.00 0 64.00 64.00 PRESCO 0.00 0 0.50 0.50 0 0.50 0.50 PRESTIGE 0.00 0 12.30 12.30 0 12.30 12.30 PZ 0.00 0 4.20 4.20 0 4.20 4.20 REDSTAREX 0.00 0 0.20 0.21 0 0.20 0.21 REGALINS -0.01 0 0.50 0.50 0 0.50 0.50 RESORTSAL 0.00 0 0.21 0.23 0 0.21 0.22 ROYALEX -0.02 0 640.00 640.00 405 640.00 640.00 SEPLAT 0.00 0 0.20 0.20 0 0.21 0.21 SOVRENINS 0.01 0 46.50 46.00 0 46.50 46.50 STANBIC 0.50 0 102.00 102.00 122 102.00 102.00 STANBICETF30 0.00 0 1.97 1.96 0 1.97 1.97 STERLNBANK 0.01 0 203.00 203.00 0 203.00 203.00 TOTAL 0.00 0 6.10 6.10 632 6.10 6.10 TRANSCOHOT 0.00 0 1.15 1.21 0 1.16 1.18 TRANSCORP -0.05 0 9.60 9.60 0 9.60 9.60 UACN 0.00 0 1.74 1.92 0 1.74 1.74 UAC-PROP -0.18 0 7.60 7.80 0 7.90 7.95 UBA 0.10 0 6.00 6.05 0 6.00 6.05 UBN -0.05 0 2.89 2.94 0 2.89 2.91 UCAP -0.05 0 36.30 37.00 0 36.30 36.30 UNILEVER -0.70 0 0.27 0.27 0 0.27 0.27 UNIONDAC 0.00 0 1.00 0.99 0 1.00 1.00 UNITYBNK 0.01 0 2.04 1.97 0 2.14 2.14 UPL 0.17 0 0.23 0.23 0 0.23 0.23 VERITASKAP 0.00 0 4.50 4.99 0 4.50 4.50 VITAFOAM -0.49 0 11.30 11.50 0 11.30 11.65 WAPCO -0.20 0 0.40 0.40 0 0.40 0.40 WAPIC 0.00 0 0.59 0.61 0 0.59 0.61 WEMABANK -0.02 0 21.20 22.70 0 21.70 22.50 ZENITHBANK -1.00 0 Copyright © 2019 NgTradeOnline

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Stock Close Loss DIAMONDBNK 1.30 -0.10 BOCGAS 2.59 -0.22 VITAFOAM 3.50 -0.39 DANGFLOUR 6.00 -0.45 UAC-PROP 1.74 -0.18

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele has urged youths in Nigeria to embrace agriculture, declaring the Bank’s readiness to support youths that are willing to engage in agriculture. This is even as the Governor reiterated the Bank’s opposition to the importation of maize into Nigeria.

Mr. Emefiele made the declaration in Katsina on Thursday, May 6, 2021, during the unveiling of the first maize pyramid and flag-off of the 2021 Maize wet season farming under the CBN-Maize Association of Nigeria (MAAN) Anchor Borrowers’ Programme.

He expressed belief that Nigerian youth could leverage their talents, along with technological tools to improve farm productivity and delivery of agricultural produce to markets.

While noting that agriculture offered significant benefits for the youth, Emefiele reiterated that the Bank had put in place several measures to improve access to credit for youths interested in Agriculture under the Anchor Borrowers Programme and the Agri Business Small and Medium Enterprise Investment Scheme(AGSMEIS).

According to him, groups of youth with contiguous land for farming are eligible to seek the Bank’s support through the CBN prime anchor arrangement.

“The CBN will not only provide access to credit for these youths but will also provide guarantees that their produce will be purchased by a prime anchor at agreed prices,” the Governor assured.

Meanwhile, Mr. Emefiele said the CBN would resist attempts by those who seek to continually import maize into the country, noting that maize farmers in Nigeria had what it takes to close the maize demand gap of over 4.5 million metric tonnes in the country.

“With over 50,000 bags of maize available on this ground, and others aggregated across the country, maize farmers are sending a resounding message that “we can grow enough maize to meet the country’s demand,’” he declared.

CBN Unveils First Maize Pyramid, Vows To Resist Importation

Speaking further, Mr. Emefiele explained that the maize unveiled at the ceremony would be sold to reputable feed processors, adding that this would in turn impact positively on current poultry feed prices, as over 60% of maize produced in the country are used for producing poultry feed.

Justifying the Bank’s continued strategic intervention in the value chains of focal crops, he said the CBN was leading the revolution, because the impact of our monetary policy measures would be limited, if the monetary authority in collaboration with the fiscal authorities failed to address some of the structural constraints that limit productivity in key sectors of our economy such as agriculture. Specifically, he said the Bank’s intervention was in line with its mandate and aims at ensuring price stability as well as improved availability of staple food items.

He disclosed that the Bank and MAAN sought to increase the target hectarage for 2021 to 500,000 ha

from the 2020 target of 250,000 ha, adding that to achieve the target, the Bank sought to introduce the use of contiguous land, high yielding seeds, mechanization, leveraging technology for land mapping and monitoring as well as expanding the Strategic Maize Reserve (SMR). So far, he said the Bank had released 100,000 metric tonnes of maize to the market, through the major producers.

Emefiele therefore urged all stakeholders to sustain the current efforts to galvanize agricultural production to meet the requirements of Nigeria’s growing population, stressing that the nation could not continue to dwell on the neglect of past years if it was determined to realize the national target of producing what Nigerians eat and eating what is produced in Nigeria.

Also speaking, the Katsina State Governor, Rt. Hon. Bello Masari, said that the state had suffered a setback in agriculture as over sixty thousand hectares of farmlands

were uncultivated due to insurgency, which hindered farmers from gaining access to their means of livelihood.

The Governor of Kebbi state Senotor Atiku Abubakar Bagudu who represented President Muhammadu Buhari while unveiling the pyramids, reassured the farmers, processors and other value chain participants, of the support of government towards ensuring that they perform optimally. Hence, he said availability of inputs like high yield seedlings and fertilizers were being made available to farmers adequately in addition to prompt off-taking of produce.

He further assured the people of the area that government was taking the security challenge with every seriousness and had resolved to stem it. He therefore commended the resilience of farmers for quantity of maize produced amidst the insecurity.

In his remarks, Governor Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa state recalled with nostalgia that the historical groundnut pyramids he read about

in history books were today being seen physically in rice and maize across the country through the help of the Central Bank of Nigeria. He also encouraged youths to take to agriculture for wealth creation by embracing the schemes put in place by the Bank.

Speaking at the event, The Emir of Katsina, AbdulMumin Kabir, bemoaned the security situation in the area and therefore pleaded for serious interventions in order encourage farming activities and sustain the success recorded so far.

Commending the CBN for injecting N50billion into the Commodity Exchange initiative, the President, Maize Association of Nigeria (MAAN), Bello Abubakar, said MAAN had recorded about 80% loan recovery rate since the association began to participate in the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme in 2017. He nevertheless urged farmers to repay their loans to enable others also benefit from the scheme.

L-R: Katsina state Governor, art Honourable Bello Masari, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele and President, Maize Farmers Association Bello Abubakar Annur , at the Flag- off of the National Maize harvest and Loan Recovery and launching of 2020/2021 Dry Season Maize Farming in Katsina on Thursday, May 6, 2021

NDIC, CIBN Strengthen Collaboration To Improve Professionalism In Banking Industry

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Bello Hassan, has stressed the need for effective collaboration between regulators and operators in the banking system for the establishment of sound ethics and professionalism in the banking industry.

Director, Communication & Public Affairs, NDIC, Bashir A. Nuhu in a statement quoted the MD to have made the call during the courtesy visit by the Executive Council members of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN) led by the President and Chairman of Council, Mr. Bayo Olugbemi.

The statement said, the NDIC Boss observed that although there have been improvements in risk management practices within the banking industry, he however stressed the need for the Institute to strengthen its efforts towards ensuring that banking professionals comply with the high standards expected of them in terms of ethics and professionalism which he described as critical to maintaining the safety and soundness of the banking system.

Mr. Hassan, according to the statement, explained that the vision and mission of the Institute aligns with that of the Corporation which focuses on the protection of depositors through the provision of deposit insurance

in licensed banks and deposit taking financial institutions and assisting monetary authorities in formulating sound banking policies, which he alluded, contributes to the safety and soundness of the banking system.

“These mandates are consistent with the objectives of CIBN as the only professional body that is charged with the responsibility of regulation of banking profession within Nigeria.

Therefore, we will continue to work together as partners in ensuring that the banking system in Nigeria remains safe, sound and stable.”

While acknowledging the CIBN’s accreditation of the Corporation’s Academy as as a training service provider

of the banking industry, the MD/CE NDIC enjoined the Institute to continue to focus on attaining sustainable learning and professional development through creating alliances and partner with regulators, operators and other relevant agencies and service providers for the mutual benefit of all stakeholders in the banking industry.

Speaking further, the MD/CE assured the CIBN President of the Corporation’s commitment towards continued collaboration with the institute in its various programmes to contribute to the effective service delivery and stability of the banking industry.

The CIBN President and Chairman of Council, Mr. Bayo Olugbemi acknowledged the

Corporation’s active participation in the CIBN as a permanent member of the Council and the membership of staff especially at various levels of the CIBN committees.

He added that the Corporation had made substantial and valuable inputs to the Amendment of the CIBN Act which is before the National Assembly and solicited for the Corporation’s support in the amendment process.

He pledged the Institute’s commitment to use collaboration and advocacy through its vast network of stakeholders to promote the merits of deposit insurance and the critical role of the mandate and activities of the Corporation in the nation’s financial system.

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

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PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

u s i n e s s

NCC sensitises telecom consumers on Dangers of sharing NIN, SIM cards

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has warmed telecom consumers to take precautions not to share their phones, National Identity Number (NIN), and SIM cards with others since they would be held responsible for any crime committed with the SIM Cards.

Director Consumer Affairs Bureau, NCC, Mr. Efeosa Edehen stated this at a consumer conversation event organized by the NCC to enlighten consumers with the theme “Know your rights and obligations as a telecom consumer”, Thursday in Abuja.

NCC said, telecom consumers must be extremely careful with their devices so they don’t fall into the hands of wrong people who would use them to commit crime and later it would be traced to the owner of the device, NIN or SIM card.

“Do not help other people to link their SIM cards with your NIN. Handle your phone with care, be careful how you give your phones to other people to make calls, send text messages, or use social media.

Your phone carries your identity, therefore, should be protected and always be with you”.

“Note that you will be responsible for whatever wrong/offense someone else committed while using your SIM card(s).

So, be very vigilant”.

“As a citizen, it is very important and necessary to register for National ldentty Number (NIN) and to ensure your NIN is linked to your SIM cards”, he added.

Speaking further he said, “Consumers have the right to receive clear and complete terms and conditions for service agreement and disclosures of price for goods and services, and to affirmatively accept all terms

and conditions before being charged for services. They have the right to be protected against fraudulent, misleading and deceitful information or advertisement or labelling”.

According to him, “The Nigerian Communications Act 2003 (NCA Act 2003) and Consumer Code of Practice & Regulations 2007 (CCPR 2007) ensures that service Providers deal reasonably with the consumers by providing them with information on their service that is complete, accurate, and up to date and in simple and clear language.

“The Commission plays a vital role in National Security and works very closely with the ONSA, Security Agencies, CBN, MNO’s and other relevant bodies at ensuring security in the use of the telecom network. Also, worthy of mentioning is the Commission’s proactive intervention in nipping the cases ot call masking ancall

retilling in the bud; working with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the administration has taken drastic actions to identify culprit licensees and sanction them accordingly,” he said.

He also used the opportunity to enlighten parents and guardians on how to teach their children/wards on the proper use of internet by saying, “Ask how your children use the internet. Make them show you some of their favourite sites and discuss with them, make them aware that there are things on the internet which which may upset them and that they can always talk to you or any trusted adult.

“Make sure your child realises that they should never give out personal details: such as names, address, school names, and telephone numbers to online friends they do not know,” he advised.

METRO

PAGE 21

Insecurity: No reason to shutdown schools in Abuja -FCTA declares Stories by Onyekwere

Stanley

T

he FCT Administration has declared that there is no any reason to shutdown schools in Abuja, the nation’s capital city, even in the wake of the prevailing insecurity in the country.

In particular, the administration said necessary security measures have been put in place, to ensure that any security concern in any school will be addressed immediately.

Our correspondent reports that the management of the Education Secretariat of the FCTA made the assertion while briefing newsmen on the alleged closure of schools over rising insecurity, yesterday in Abuja.

According to Acting Secretary of the Education Secretariat, Mallam Leramoh Abdulrazaq, there was no need to be unduly concern about the security situation in schools in the Territory.

Abdulrazaq reiterated that all the security outfits in Abuja have

been taking measures to ensure that not only schools, but even Abuja remain safe.

“Security concerns are around particularly with the announcement last week by the neighbouring state’s governor, that insurgents are already camping around places- two hours drive from Abuja. And that piece of information on its own has created a lot of tension.

“In FCT, we are aware that of this concern, and even prior to that announcement, we have taken a lot of security measure to

ensure that FCT schools remain safe, and the students and teachers remain safe.

“As we speak today, all our schools are in session, and no school; either public and private in FCT is shutdown. And we don’t have any reason to shutdown any of our schools”, he explained.

He continues: “We also need to know that some of the institutions in FCT and across the country are going on break after their first semester exams particularly private institutions.

This is the case with Veritas

L-R: Chairman of the committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Hon Sariki Adar; Member of the committee, Hon. Ibrahim Almustapha and Minister of state petroleum resources, Timipre sylva during an Investigative hearing on the circumstances surrounding the revocation and Award of Oil Mining leases (OML) at the national assembly, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

University and others like Baze University.

“And the authorities of these schools have also taken measures to ensure that their schools remain safe. So in the FCT, we have no security issue to the point that we close down our schools.

“We consider it necessary to make this available to the public, and advise them to go about their business without being unnecessarily agitated about the situation in our schools. Our schools remain safe, our children and teachers remain safe.”

The management of the FCTA Education Secretariat led by Mallam Leramoh Abdulrazaq and security stakeholders, briefing newsmen on the alleged closure of schools over rising insecurity in Abuja, yesterday.

Angola: Total Begins production From Zinia Phase 2, Targets 40,000bpd Mid-2022

By Etuka Sunday

T

otal, operator of Block 17 in Angola, together with the Angolan National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency, announce the start of production from Zinia Phase 2 short-cycle project, connected to existing Pazflor’s FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading unit).

The project includes the drilling of nine wells and is expected to reach a production of 40,000 barrels of oil per day by mid2022.

Located in water depths from 600 to 1,200 meters and about 150 kilometers from the Angolan coast, Zinia Phase 2 resources are estimated at 65 million barrels of oil.

The development of this project was carried out according to schedule and for a CAPEX more than 10% below budget, representing a saving of 150 million dollars. It involved more than 3 million

manhours of work, of which 2 million were performed in Angola, without any incident.

“The successful start-up of this project, despite the challenges that have arisen as a result of the pandemic, demonstrates Total’s commitment to ensure a sustainable output on Block 17, for which the production license was recently extended until 2045. Zinia Phase 2 project reflects the quality of short cycle projects in Angola with high return on investment”, said.

Nicolas Terraz, President Africa, Exploration and Production at Total.

Paulino Jerónimo, CEO of the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency, commented as follows, “Zinia Phase 2 is a key project for Angola that comes at the right time to sustain the production of the country.

We welcome our collaboration with Total in Angola, that keeps investing with its partners in the development of the country oil resources”.

Block 17 is operated by Total with a 38% stake, alongside with Equinor (22.16%), ExxonMobil (19%), BP Exploration Angola Ltd (15.84%) and Sonangol P&P (5%). The contractor group operates four FPSOs in the main production areas of the block, namely Girassol, Dalia, Pazflor and CLOV. Total in Angola Total has been present in Angola since 1953, where it counts today around 1,500 employees in the business segments of Exploration & Production, Marketing & Services, and Trading & Shipping.

Total’s equity production in Angola averaged 212,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2020 from operated blocks 17 and 32, and from non-operated assets 0, 14, 14K, and Angola LNG. Total is the country’s leading oil operator with close to 45% of Angola’s operated oil production.

Total also operates several blocks in pre-development phase: Block 17/06 in the Lower Congo Basin, Block 16 where

the Chissonga discovery was made and the recently acquired Blocks 20/11 and 21/09 in the Kwanza Basin. It is also operator of Block 48 in the emerging ultra-deep offshore play, where an exploration phase is under way.

In the gas sector, Total holds a 13.6% stake in the 5.2-million-ton-per-year Angola LNG liquefaction plant, which is supplied with associated gas from the country’s offshore oil fields.

Total is also partner in the New Gas Consortium, a key player in developing Angola’s natural gas resources.

Through Total Eren, Total has executed end of 2020 a Memorandum of Understanding with the Angolan Ministry of Energy and Water in order to build and operate a 35 MWp solar project in Angola with its partner Greentech Angola Environment Technology, Ltd, an experienced energy developer based in Luanda, and the state-owned company Sonangol.

Journalists lauded for contributing to dev’t of Abuja, others

By Stanley Onyekwere

J

ournalists have received encomiums for their contributions to the growth and development of Abuja and the country at large.

According to the FCT, Permanent Secretary, Olusade Adesola, who gave the commendation yesterday, globally, journalists as watch dogs of the society, are veritable tools for nation building.

Adesola spoke during a working visit to the Permanent Secretary by the Executive of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCTA/FCDA Chapel.

He said: “Journalists have played very active roles in the growth and development of Nigeria and many prominent and respected Nigerians were members of NUJ. ‘Consequently, journalists the world over are extremely important in any modern society, not only for purpose of information gathering and dissemination but also veritable tools for nation building as watch dogs of the society.”

The Secretary explained that the Union as an umbrella body of practicing Information Officers and Public Relations Officers have a very important

role to play in positively projecting the image of the FCT Administration.

He charged Information Officers in the employ of the FCTA to strive to keep abreast of the latest trends in information dissemination technology as well as the mainstream traditional media.

Adesola who also praised the Union members for their maturity in the way they have conducted themselves so far in the discharge of their assignment, urged the Union to continue to cooperate and partner with the Administration for the growth and development

of the Territory.

Earlier, in his remarks, the Chairman of the Chapel, Kalu Emetu told the Permanent Secretary that the purpose of the visit was to officially introduce the Union executive to the administration.

Emetu appealed to the Permanent Secretary to look into the plight of information officers in all the SDAs. He explained that information officers in the various SDAs are constantly marginalized and treated as endangered specie.

The Chairman also canvassed for the establishment of Information and

Communications Secretariat.

According to him, the take-off of the Secretariat will address many of the challenges confronting Information Officers.

He further appealed to the Permanent Secretary to assist both Public Relations Officers and Information Officers with tailor-made training and retraining to enable them improve their capacity for effective and efficient service delivery.

According to him, FCTA has barrage of capable and very intelligent Information Officers that can make the Administration proud.

Page 22

world news

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

N international_peoplesdailyng@yahoo.com

China-Africa Cooperation Vital In the Post-COVID Global Economy

By Yi Fan, May 4, 2021

W

ith COVID vaccines rolled out in more countries, we have reason to expect to be more equipped in the fight against the pandemic. Exiting the pandemic and reviving the economy is a first-order priority for all countries.

Africa, like other parts of the world, has fought hard in containing the virus and reinvigorating the economy. Addressing the fallouts and looking forward to postCOVID recovery, governments of African countries have adopted comprehensive response plans. In Ethiopia, for example, relief asssitance has reached families and businesses, in addition to tax cuts and liquidity support.

For us all to navigate this trying time, cooperation and mutual help between China and Africa are critically important.

Last week, China hosted the annual meeting of the Boao Forum for Asia, a China-based international forum with a mandate to explore better solutions for the common good of the whole world despite its name. Delegates from both online and offline discussed how the world can best recover from the pandemic. As countries in Africa are also striving for a stronger emergence from the pandemic, perhaps here are some of the priority areas where greater synergy can be built: No. 1: China and Africa can grow faster together with the help of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The pandemic brought the world to a sudden halt. But for most of the time, the Belt and Road projects have remained resilient in keeping global supply chains running. The freight trips along the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor were up by 104.9% in 2020. New routes were opened, such as the one from the southwestern Chinese city of Nanchong to Nigeria. A record number of goods, including the much-needed medical supplies, were shipped to cities in Africa,Asia and Europe. On this continent,

Xi Jinping and AU chair Ramaphosa portraits

the Ethiopia-Djibouti Railway, a flagship Belt and Road project, recorded an over 51 percent increase in revenue in the first half of 2020, when the pandemic was at its height. The railway was instrumental in ensuring the transportation of supplies in Ethiopia.

With China at the beginning of implementing its 14th Five-Year Plan, a guideline toward more efficient, equitable and sustainable growth, the Belt and Road Initiative is now aiming at higherquality development. This, along with China’s own economic recovery, will foster greater connectivity, openness and inclusiveness, further energize the development of participating countries, and, as a result, inject greater confidence and impetus to global post-COVID growth.

No.2: China and Africa can embrace new prospects with a digital boost.

The pandemic has, to some extent, given a strong boost to the already-

flourishing digital economy worldwide.

New technologies and creative forms of business including 5G, online shopping and remote learning are gaining momentum, providing a new pathway for economic growth.

Both China and Africa will benefit from this digital boom. Africa, a continent with around 1.3 billion people,is now enjoying fast growth in telecommunications and e-commerce. As it seeks to improve its digital infrastructure, China is ready to share its experience in e-commerce, digital payment and logistics management.

Such mutually-beneficial cooperation is already paying off during the pandemic, as the two cooperated in selling African agricultural products, including coffee and chili sauce, on Chinese e-commerce platforms. Likewise, Kilimall, an online shopping mall set up by Chinese founders in Africa, has served as a window for African consumers to purchase Chinese products.

No.3: Multilateral economic cooperation can make us all better off.

The pandemic has reminded the world of the significance of cooperation.

This is what both China and Africa have advocated as staunch supporters for multilateralism and free trade.

For Africa, the recently-commenced African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has made the continent the world’s largest free trade area in terms of participating member states after the formation of the World Trade Organization. Signed by 54 African Union members, the AfCFTA will increase Africa’s capacity to respond to future crises, disease outbreaks and global economic shocks, and also assist in Africa’s economic recovery.

China too has made similar endeavors: setting up platforms for international economic cooperation, including the China International Import Expo and the China International Fair for Trade in Services; facilitating the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partneship (RCEP) agreement, one of the largest free trade agreements in recent history.

These efforts of China and Africa illustrate the critical importance of cooperation and multilateralism in unlocking economic potential. They may also present major opportunities for each other and the world at large, and pave the way for closer economic ties among countries and shared prosperity in the post-COVID world.

For a changing world eyeing for closer cooperation and a stronger, more resilient post-pandemic global economy, China and Africa, coming together, will surely set for the world a fine example of mutually beneficial cooperation, and contribute their share to the post-COVID global economy.

The author is a Beijing-based observer of international affairs

Covid: Germany rejects US-backed proposal to waive vaccine patents

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ermany has voiced opposition to a US-backed proposal to waive patents on Covid-19 vaccines, saying they were not hindering production of the jabs.

Its government said "the protection of intellectual property is a source of innovation and must remain so".

The European Union earlier said it was ready to talk about the proposal, and some states gave it their full backing.

Supporters of the plan say it would allow more manufactures to produce the life-saving vaccines.

They argue that this will increase access to jabs in poorer countries.

But opponents, including drug makers, say it may not have the desired effect.

The idea was originally proposed by India and South Africa, who have been leading a group of about 60 countries at the World Trade Organization (WTO) - an intergovernmental body that promotes global commerce. The group is pushing for the temporary removal of intellectual property protections on vaccines.

The idea was met with strong opposition from the previous US administration of Donald Trump, as well as the UK and the EU. But it gained momentum this week after the US backed it.

What have EU countries said?

In a statement on Thursday, the German government said the USbacked proposal would have "significant implications for vaccine production as a

whole".

"The limiting factors in the production of vaccines are the production capacities and the high quality standards and not patents," it said, adding that pharmaceutical companies were already working with partners to ramp up manufacturing.

Germany is the EU's biggest economic power and home to a major pharmaceutical sector, including BioNTech which developed one of the most widely-used coronavirus vaccines.

The remarks by the German government came after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc was "ready to discuss" the proposal on waiving patents.

Ms von der Leyen has previously

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

spoken about her opposition to lifting intellectual property rights, telling the New York Times just weeks ago that she was "not at all a friend of releasing patents".

Ursula von der Leyen said the EU was "ready to discuss any proposals that address the crisis in an effective and pragmatic manner" Meanwhile, officials in other member states such as France and Italy gave the proposal their full backing.

The issue is reportedly set to be on the agenda at a two-day EU meeting this week.

Outside of the EU, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he supported the idea of a waiver.

Source: BBC

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Dominic Ongwen: Former Ugandan child soldier jailed for war crimes A

former Ugandan child solider who became a commander in a notorious rebel group has been jailed for war crimes.

Dominic Ongwen, now 45, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for crimes including murder, rape and torture.

He is the first former Ugandan child solider to be convicted and sentenced by the International Criminal Court.

Ongwen was abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group when he was nine years old and eventually became a feared commander.

He was convicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in February on 61 of 70 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The crimes relate to attacks on four camps for internally displaced people in Uganda in 2004. More than 4,000 victims provided testimony in the case, which was heard in The Hague.

Ongwen was found guilty of sexual slavery, forced marriage and the rape of seven women who were abducted and placed into his household. These charges were in addition to murder, attempted murder and torture.

Despite the gravity of the crimes, judges sentencing Ongwen on Thursday said

Dominic Ongwen was abducted as a child and groomed by Ugandan rebels they decided not to give the maximum life sentence because he was abducted as a child on his way to school in the late 1980s and groomed by rebels who had killed his parents.

But they found he had knowingly committed serious crimes as an adult during the LRA’s two decade reign of terror in the 2000s.

“The chamber... is confronted with a perpetrator who wilfully brought tremendous suffering upon his victims,” presiding judge Bertram Schmitt said. “However, it is also confronted with a perpetrator who himself had previously endured extreme suffering at the hands of the group.”

The judges added that they hoped to give him the opportunity to rehabilitate. His

conviction means that victims can now start the process of seeking reparations.

At the height of his time with the LRA, Ongwen - known as White Ant because his surname means “born at the time of the white ant” - was the commander of the Sinia brigade and one of the most feared fighters in the rebel movement.

He turned himself in to US forces in the Central African Republic (CAR) in 2015 - and they later handed him over to the Ugandan army.

The LRA was formed more than 30 years ago, operating in Uganda and neighbouring countries.

Led by Joseph Kony, it became notorious for abducting thousands of children to use as soldiers or sex slaves, and for mutilating civilians.

In 2005, the LRA was forced out of Uganda by the army and the rebels went into what is now South Sudan. They eventually set-up camp in the border area with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

They later moved to CAR where they acted more like a criminal outfit engaging in poaching and illegal mining.

Arrest warrants for Joseph Kony and other top commanders of the movement remain outstanding.

Malian mother’s nonuplets face months in incubators, says clinic

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ine babies born to a Malian woman will need to spend “two to three months” in incubators, a director of the clinic where they were born has said.

Professor Youssef Alaoui of the Ain Borja clinic in Casablanca, Morocco, told the AFP news agency that the case was “extremely rare” and “exceptional”.

The mother, Halima Cissé, 25, and her nonuplets - five girls and four boys - are said to be doing well.

The babies weighed between 500g and 1kg (1.1lb and 2.2lb) when they were born.

Medical director Prof Alaoui said that Ms Cissé was 25 weeks pregnant when she was admitted and his team managed to extend her term to 30 weeks. Ten doctors and 25 paramedics assisted at the delivery.

As far as he was aware Ms Cissé had not used any fertility treatments, Prof Alaoui told the Associated Press.

He told BBC Arabic that she had been in a serious condition to begin with because of heavy bleeding, which was brought under control.

“The mother is now in a good condition she’s not in danger any more. We wish her

A nurse takes care of one of the nonuplets in an incubator at the Ain Borja clinic in Casablanca and the babies a speedy recovery,” he said.

Doctors in Mali conducted ultrasounds and initially believed that she was expecting seven babies. They sent her to Morocco

where there are better medical facilities.

After five weeks at the Moroccan clinic, she gave birth by Caesarean section on Tuesday, Fanta Siby, Mali’s health minister

said.

The minister congratulated the medical teams in Mali and Morocco for the “happy outcome”.

Ms Cissé’s husband, Adjudant Kader Arby, is still in Mali with the couple’s older daughter. He says he has been in touch with his wife in Morocco and is not worried about the family’s future.

“God gave us these children. He is the one to decide what will happen to them. I’m not worried about that. When the almighty does something, he knows why,” he told BBC Afrique.

The tiny babies were born at 30 weeks Two sets of nonuplets have previously been recorded - one born to a woman in Australia in 1971 and another to a woman in Malaysia in 1999 - but none of the babies survived more than a few days.

A woman who had eight babies in the US in 2009 holds the Guinness World Record for the most children delivered at a single birth to survive. Nadya Suleman’s octuplets have grown up and are now 12 years old. She conceived them through in vitro fertilisation.

Malawi orders integrated refugees into overcrowded camp

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he government of Malawi has ordered thousands of refugees who have integrated into society to move to the country’s only refugee camp.

Some of the refugees have lived in Malawi for years, setting up businesses and marrying Malawians.

But now authorities say they pose a threat to national security by living among local people.

Some refugees have said they will resist the order to move to the overcrowded Dzaleka camp.

The deadline to move to the camp was originally 28 April, but a temporary court injunction has provided a brief respite.

The camp, about 40km (30 miles) north of the capital, Lilongwe, has a capacity for up to 14,000 refugees but now houses nearly 50,000.

Hundreds more are arriving each month, most of them coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“We are not chasing them, and we just want them to be where they should be,” Homeland Security Minister Richard Chimwendo told AFP news agency.

“Those who have businesses... will have to operate from Dzaleka. If they are married they must apply for permanent residence. We are not sending them back to their countries.”

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in Malawi estimates that about 2,000 refugees are affected by the order. It said the directive was in line with the country’s encampment laws, but warned of “serious human rights implications” and urged the government to reconsider.

In an email to AFP, the UNHCR said health facilities, water supplies and schools at the camp would be stretched even further by the move.

Human rights groups have also expressed concern. Gift Trapence, who chairs the Human Rights Defenders Coalition, called on the Malawian government to safeguard the refugees’ property.

“We don’t want to see scenarios where people will take advantage to grab or ransack the refugees’ assets,” he said.

The UNHCR - citing an official communication from the Homeland Security ministry - said the order was also due to “security concerns in order to protect both refugees and host communities following the volatile situation in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado area”.

Cabo Delgado province has long experienced instability but there has been a sharp increase in militant attacks in recent months. Local alShabab militia in the area are believed to have links to the wider Islamic state group (IS). media captionRunning from terror in northeast Mozambique Mr Chimwendo, however, denied that the decision was linked to the insurgency. He acknowledged that the camp was overcrowded, but said: “We are looking at how best we can settle that.”

One refugee, Jean Minani, told AFP he had fled Burundi 13 years ago and sought asylum in Malawi where he now runs a food store.

He said moving to Dzaleka would be “unimaginable” for him and his family.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, may 7, 2021

Israel: Netanyahu rival Lapid asked to form new government

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srael’s president has asked the leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, Yair Lapid, to try to form a government.

Reuven Rivlin announced that he had given Mr Lapid the mandate after long-time Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to meet an overnight deadline.

Yesh Atid came second to Mr Netanyahu’s right-ring Likud party in March’s inconclusive general election.

Mr Lapid faces a challenge to bridge the ideological differences between the parties he can ask to join a coalition.

If he fails to secure a majority in the 120-seat parliament, the Knesset, there is a risk of the country having to go to elections for the fifth time in two years.

Mr Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party is the largest in the Knesset, with 30 seats In a televised address on Wednesday evening, President Rivlin said he had decided to give Mr Lapid a 28-day mandate to form a government after 56 lawmakers expressed support for his candidacy.

“From the number of recommendations, it is clear that Yair Lapid could form a government that has the confidence of the Knesset, despite

there being many difficulties,” he added.

He noted that Naftali Bennett, the leader of the right-wing Yamina party, which has seven seats, had called for a stable government and not ruled out the possibility of joining a coalition with Mr Lapid.

Mansour Abbas, the head of the Arab Islamist party Raam, which has four seats, had meanwhile stated that he would “co-operate positively” with anyone given a mandate, he added.

In a statement after the announcement, Mr Lapid promised to do everything he could to form a government as soon as possible.

“After two years of political paralysis, Israeli society is hurting. A unity government isn’t a compromise or a last resort - it’s a goal, it’s what we need,” he said.

“We need a government that will reflect the fact that we don’t hate one another. A government in which left, right and centre will work together to tackle the economic and security challenges we face. A government that will show that our differences are a source of strength, not weakness.”

The 57-year-old former finance minister has previously said that he would be prepared to share the premiership with

Yair Lapid promised to do everything he could to form a unity government as soon as possible Mr Bennett as part of a rotation cynically takes the State of agreement, with the latter leading Israel to fifth elections based on the country for the first two years. personal interests, in complete Earlier on Wednesday, Mr opposition to the needs of the Bennett called for the formation of nation and state, the people won’t a “broad emergency government” forgive him.”

Benjamin Netanyahu was that would “get the wheel out of given 28 days to build a coalition the mud”.

“This is the time to stop and with a parliamentary majority Likud, which controls 30 reconsider a new path. Whoever

seats, blamed the prime minister’s failure to form a coalition before the deadline ended at midnight on Mr Bennett’s “refusal to commit to a right-wing government”.

Mr Netanyahu told his former protégé and defence minister on Monday that he would be willing to hand over the premiership to him for one year. But Mr Bennett dismissed the proposal, saying that even with Yamina’s support Mr Netanyahu would still be two seats short of a majority.

The far-right Religious Zionism alliance had also ruled out joining a coalition supported

by Raam, which was open to working with Mr Netanyahu to address the needs of Israel’s Arab citizens.

A long period of political stalemate in Israel has been complicated by Mr Netanyahu’s ongoing trial for corruption, which he denies. His rivals argue he should not remain in office while facing criminal charges.

The 71-year-old is Israel’s longest-serving leader, having led five governments since 1996. The last, which saw him share power with the then-main opposition party to help tackle the coronavirus pandemic, collapsed in December, triggering the latest election.

Antony Blinken: US tells Russia to cease ‘reckless and aggressive actions’

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he US official made the comments at a meeting with the Ukrainian president in Kyiv on Thursday The US secretary of state has told Russia to cease all “reckless and aggressive actions” towards Ukraine.

Antony Blinken made the comments during a trip to Kyiv on Thursday where he met top Ukrainian officials.

Speaking alongside President Volodymyr Zelensky, he said the US was looking to strengthen security co-operation and assistance between the two countries.

The visit comes just weeks after Russia deployed thousands of soldiers close to the Ukrainian border.

“We are aware that Russia has withdrawn some forces from the border... but we also see that significant forces remain there [and] significant equipment remains there,” Mr Blinken said.

The top US diplomat said Washington was “monitoring the situation very, very closely”.

He did not provide further details of any additional security support the US was considering.

Barbara Plett Usher, the BBC’s State Department correspondent, says the visit was intended to signal that Ukraine is a high foreign policy priority for President Joe Biden’s administration.

‘Irresponsible and destabilising’ Mr Blinken travelled to Ukraine following a meeting of foreign ministers of the G7 group of industrialised nations in London earlier this week.

A statement issued after the two-day talks criticised Moscow for its “irresponsible and destabilising

behaviour”, particularly against Ukraine, and for cyber-attacks.

Mr Blinken echoed those sentiments on Thursday while appearing alongside President Zelensky, who said his country was under threat from Russian troops massed near its border.

The US and Russia have been long-term adversaries and remain far apart on major issues.

In February, US President Joe Biden said he had made it clear to Russian President Vladimir Putin “that the days of the United States rolling over in the face of Russia’s aggressive actions [were] over”.

But Mr Biden’s predecessor, Republican Donald Trump, said during his presidential campaign that he would get along with Mr Putin. He sought to improve ties while in office, a stance at odds with traditional Republican party policy.

A steady and dependable ally

By Jonah Fisher, BBC Ukraine correspondent After the intrigue, phone calls and blackmail that dominated the Trump administration’s dealings with Ukraine - the presidency of Mr Biden was what many Ukrainians wanted. They are hoping for a steady and dependable ally.

Mr Trump was impeached in 2019 over allegations he improperly sought help from Ukraine to boost his chances of re-election. He was acquitted, but the saga certainly strained US-Ukraine relations.

Mr Blinken has promised to reinvigorate the relationship. He has been keen to stress that the US stood with Ukraine against Russian aggression, and has said that he is looking at ways of strengthening security co-operation.

The US official made the comments at a meeting with the Ukrainian president in Kyiv on Thursday To enhance its security, Ukraine would like to become a member of Nato - a military alliance of countries from Europe and North America. But there was little encouragement on that front, and Mr Blinken simply said that those aspirations had been discussed.

Mr Blinken told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme that the US would prefer a “more stable and predictable relationship” with Russia, but would respond to reckless or aggressive acts.

He said Washington was focused on actions such as the treatment of opposition figure Alexei Navalny, the Solar Winds hack and election interference.

What else did Mr Blinken say?

He touched on a number of other policy areas in his BBC interview,

including Iran and the planned troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. media captionAmerica’s top diplomat warns on doing business with China Mr Blinken insisted that the Biden administration was not trying to hold China back on the world stage, but he stressed that Washington was in favour of upholding a rules-based international system.

On Afghanistan, Mr Blinken insisted that the US was “staying in the game” and would remain engaged with the country despite an earlier announcement that its soldiers would leave by September.

Mr Blinken said regional powers might have to “step up” and use their influence and try to keep the country on a positive path.

Asked about a possible trade

deal with the UK and the situation in Northern Ireland, Mr Blinken said the administration remained very focused on peace in Ireland.

The secretary of state said that for President Biden it was important that “whatever is done, whatever we do, the gains of the Good Friday Agreement are sustained and we have the political and economic wellbeing of Northern Ireland in mind”.

Joe Biden has previously said that Brexit must not endanger the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which effectively ended Northern Ireland’s “Troubles”.

Post-Brexit trade arrangements for Northern Ireland have led to tensions there and contributed to the recent resignation of First Minister Arlene Foster.

Source: BBC

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Speedy passage of Climate Change Bill will address challenges - Ikeazor

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

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he Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, has appealed to the National Assembly to speed up action on passing the Bill on Climate Change into law will go a long way in addressing climate change challenges in the country.

Ikeazor made the disclosure yesterday at the opening of the National Council on Environment (NCE) yesterday in Abuja .

She said,already the bill has passed second reading on the floor of the House.

Ikeazor said this has become necessary to have a legal instrument that would address the myriads of climate change actions and challenges in the

country.

Declaring the three-day Council open, the Minister applauded the resilience of the critical stakeholders during this trying period of Covid-19 pandemic.

“Your participation in this event is a testimony to your unwavering faith in our collective resolve to reverse all adversities in the sector and sustainably manage our environment in the face of the multiple concerns exacerbated by the novel Covid-19 pandemic.”

She said the theme of the meeting, “Managing Emerging Environmental challenges: Need for Strategic Approach to Sustainable Development in Covid-19 era and beyond”, was strategically chosen to underscore the realities of global

health challenges occasioned by the pandemic and the need to tackle the attendant issues to ameliorate the environmental and developmental consequences that may confront the nation if we fail to act now.

“This, therefore, underscores the crucial nature of this meeting. As a sector, the need for us to deliberate on the increasing concerns with a view to generating actionable policy framework and measures to guide our actions towards addressing these emerging concerns is uppermost. This is why we are here.”

She charged the participants to engage their various experiences, expertise and ingenuity during the three-day event towards finding lasting solutions to the

multifaceted environmental challenges confronting the nation that include biodiversity loss, climate change and Covid-19 pandemic.

In his welcoming address,the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Environment, Abel Enitan, stated that the meeting was previously scheduled to hold in Kano towards the end of last year, but could not be due to the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic.

Enitan said that was why the Council had to be postponed and subsequently repackaged to accommodate the virtual option in a bid to ensure strict compliance with Covid-19 public health and safety protocols.

“As a result of the inability of this meeting to accommodate

the various memoranda from all stakeholders, the ministry has carefully selected 45 memoranda with broad relevance to specific situations and circumstances of members.

In his goodwill message on behalf of the Senate Committee on Environment, Senator Michael Nnachi called for the involvement of more non-governmental organisations in the ministry’s activities as most of its activities are grassroots oriented that require a lot of mobilisation and enlightenment.

He said the Senate is very much aware of the lean envelope of the Ministry despite its enormous responsibilities, and therefore assured that positive reviews are being made to facilitate and boost its funding windows.

Oyo closes dumpsites, bans waste collectors from collecting money from clients

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he Oyo State Government yesterday prohibited private sector operators (PSP) on waste collection from collecting fees from their clients.

Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Dr Lateef Oyeleke, who announced this in a statement in Ibadan, the state capital, also said that all the dump sites in Ibadan, such as Lapite, Aba-Eku and Ajakanga, had been closed with immediate effect.

Oyeleke said that this was part of the new solid waste management policy introduced by the state government to ensure safer environment.

According to him, the new solid waste architecture is aimed at focusing on attaining an all-round sustainable environment that will improve the social wellbeing of the people of the state.

Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Dr Lateef Oyeleke, who announced this in a statement in Ibadan, the state capital, also said that all the dump sites in Ibadan, such as Lapite, Aba-Eku and Ajakanga, had been closed with immediate effect.

Oyeleke said that this was part of the new solid waste management policy introduced by the state government to ensure safer environment.

According to him, the new solid waste architecture is aimed at focusing on attaining an all-round sustainable environment that will improve the social wellbeing of the people of the state.

All households, facility owners, private, commercial industries, religious houses and other institutions have been advised not to make any form of payment to their PSP operators,” he stated.

The commissioner said that government had appointed revenue consultants who would be serving bills to all clients, while payments would be made through designated banks, either manually or electronically.

He warned that any payment made

to any PSP was at payers’ risk.

Oyeleke also warned that anyone caught dumping refuse in the above-named dump sites would be prosecuted.

He directed all PSP operators to make use of only Awotan landfill, Apete in Ido Local Government Area, which had been provided by government.

The commissioner implored residents of the state, particularly those in Ibadan, to desist from dumping wastes on the road median, drainages, rivers and other open spaces so as to avert outbreak of diseases and flooding.

Ikeazor

African presidents, global leaders support climate change adaptation action for continent

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hat looks like a historic and united show of solidarity for a continent that contributes only 5% to global emissions, more than 30 heads of state and global leaders committed to prioritise actions that help African countries adapt to the impacts of climate change and “build forward better.”

Africa now faces the dual onslaught of climate change – currently estimated at between $7 billion and $15 billion each year – and Covid-19, which has claimed 114,000 lives. The African Development Bank (AfDB) expects that the impact of climate change on the continent could rise to $50 billion each year by 2040, with a further 3% decline each year in GDP by 2050.

Speaking on Tuesday, April 6, 2021 during a virtual Leaders’ Dialogue convened by the AfDB, the Global Centre on Adaptation and the Africa Adaptation Initiative, more than 30 heads of state and global leaders rallied behind the bold new Africa Adaptation Acceleration Programme.

The programme’s objective is to mobilise $25 billion to accelerate climate change adaptation actions across Africa.

President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and African Union Chairperson, invited his fellow leaders to “revisit our climate ambitions and accelerate the implementation of our actions planned under our national priorities. To do this we will need to focus on actions to adapt to the impacts of climate change, these include naturebased solutions, energy transition, enhanced transparency framework, technology transfer and climate finance.”

The Africa Adaptation Acceleration Programme is built to address the impacts of Covid-19, climate change, and the continent’s worst recession in 25 years. Therefore, Tuesday’s unprecedented show of support for the financing of African adaptation is so significant.

According to Ban Ki-moon, the 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Chair of the Global Center on Adaptation, “The Covid-19 pandemic is eroding recent progress in building climate resilience and leaving countries and communities more vulnerable to future shocks. Africa must

make up for lost ground and lost time.

Climate change did not stop because of Covid-19, and neither should the urgent task of preparing humanity to live with the multiple effects of a warming planet.”

President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon, and Chair of the African Union-led Africa Adaptation Initiative, spoke of Gabon’s record in emission reductions. He said that Gabon is one of the few countries in the world that is carbon positive.

“We have to insist that equal attention be paid to climate adaptation and mitigation in climate finance.

Africa calls on the developed nations to shoulder the historic responsibility and to join the program to accelerate the adaptation in Africa,” President Bongo said.

AfDB President Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, said: “With our partners, we intend to mobilise $25 billion in financing for the success of the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Programme.

It is time for developed countries to meet their promise of providing $100 billion annually for climate finance.

And a greater share of this should go to

climate adaptation. So far, more than $20 trillion have gone into Covid-19 stimulus packages in developed countries.

The International Monetary Fund’s plan to issue $650 billion of new Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to boost global reserves and liquidity will be enormously helpful to support green growth and climate financing for economic recovery. I applaud the leadership of the US government and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, especially, on this big push.”

UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said: “African nations are showing leadership. The Africa Adaptation Acceleration Programme, and many other ambitious African initiatives, must be empowered to fully deliver on their goals. “ Guterres added: “Universal access tome energy in Africa, a priority in the coming years, could be provided primarily through renewable energy.

I call for a comprehensive package of support to meet these dual objectives by COP 26. It is achievable, it is necessary, it is overdue, and it is smart.”

Source : environewsNigeria

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Zulu King Zwelithini’s death: Royals and rebels fight for throne

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he Zulu monarchy in South Africa has been plunged into controversy following the death of King Goodwill Zwelithini and - weeks later - the regent.

It has led to a vicious power struggle for the throne - royals are fighting it out in court, hurling insults in public, and fuelling rumours of the poisoning of rivals.

The BBC’s Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg looks at some of the key players in the royal drama: Father of the nation: King Goodwill Zwelithini Born on 14 July 1948, he was the eighth monarch of the Zulu nation. Before he could take over from his father in 1971, he was forced to go into hiding for three years following death threats.

Isilo Samabandla Onke, loosely translated as “King of all Zulu kings”, as he was called, was a direct descendent of King Cetshwayo, the leader of the Zulu nation during the 1879 war against the British army.

To many, the father of 28 children from six wives embodied the honouring of time-held cultural practices. A feature of his reign was the revival of Umhlanga or Reed Dance in 1991.

The ceremony, attended by many hundreds of young unmarried Zulu women, is meant to celebrate virginity but King Zwelithini said it was also there to promote HIV and Aids awareness in KwaZulu-Natal - a province with one of the highest HIV-infection rates in the country.

King Zwelithini died on 12 March in hospital where he was being treated for diabetes-related issues. He was the longest-serving Zulu monarch, having been on the throne for almost 50 years.

After he was interred, his will was read out at a private gathering of the royal family. It is now at the centre of major dispute within the royal family, with some royals claiming that it had been forged.

• Death of a Zulu king: ‘He is planted, not buried’ The kingmaker: Queen Mantfombi Dlamini-Zulu According to the will, the king

chose her as the regent of the 11-million-strong nation.

Queen Dlamini-Zulu was to preside over the throne throughout the three months of mourning and was expected to announce the king’s successor. But she died before doing so.

She was the sister of Eswatini’s King Mswati III, and married the Zulu monarch in 1977.

As she came from royalty, Queen Dlamini-Zulu became the “Great Wife”. She had eight children with the late king.

Unlike the king’s other wives, her lobola, or bride price, of about 300 cattle was paid for by the Zulu nation, following a collection within communities.

Historians say this cemented her senior status within the royal family.

Her appointment as regent fuelled speculation that her eldest son, the US-educated 46-year-old Prince Misizulu, would be the next monarch, though the royal family has not confirmed this.

The 65-year-old died from an undisclosed illness just a month after taking over as regent and is being buried on Thursday. The queen’s unexpected death on 29 April has left many questions unanswered and stirred rumours of a murder plot.

Over the last few years she had been spending more time in Eswatini, apparently to attend to her health.

On one occasion, King Zwelithini, explaining her absence to the Zulu nation, said she had been poisoned.

“The king spoke before hundreds of people in December 2017, when we gathered for the [46th] anniversary celebration of his coronation. In front of all these people, His Majesty said: ‘Mnemtanenkosi has been poisoned. That is why she is not with us’,” recounted Zulu traditional prime minister Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi in a statement earlier this week.

No further details are available on the poisoning claims from 2017, but it is understood that she

Queen Mantfombi Dlamini-Zulu was alleged to have been poisoned

King Goodwill Zwelithini was on the throne for almost 50 years

The Reed Dance is held annually at the Enyokeni Royal Palace in rural KwaZulu-Natal had been in and out of hospital since then.

It is still unclear how she died.

Chief Buthelezi said a post-mortem had been done to establish the cause of death, and its results were expected in a couple of weeks.

“When I announced Her Majesty the regent’s passing, I spoke in isiZulu, explaining that doctors had not wanted to operate because of toxins in her liver.

This required treatment with antibiotics in the hope of reducing the infection. Toxins are not the same thing as poison,” he was quoted on Monday as saying, amid rumours that she had once again been poisoned.

The disillusioned queen: Sibongile Dlamini The first wife of King Zwelithini, she has launched a court bid for half of her late husband’s vast estate, which includes several properties, and hectares of prime land across KwaZulu-Natal that the king was trustee of.

It is unclear how much cash the king left behind. The KwaZuluNatal government gives the royal household an annual sum of 71m rand ($5m; £3.5m) for its upkeep.

Queen Dlamini says that only she and the king were married in community of property.

She wants the court to set aside his other five, traditional marriages, to prevent them from getting an equal share of the estate,

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PEOPLES DAILY, friday, MAY 7, 2021

to recognise her as the only legal wife, and to block the ascension to the throne of anyone who is not from her family.

In fact, she says she holds the title of “Great Wife”, or “Udlunkulu” in Zulu, as she was the king’s first wife married to him under civil law which does not allow or recognise polygamy.

In a court affidavit, Queen Dlamini also revealed that she was made to marry King Zwelithini under the ancient cultural practice of “ukuthwala” (abduction for marriage) at the age of 20.

“In my case, I was brought to the home of the late Isilo through the custom of ukuthwala in order to marry the late Isilo so that in turn, he could take up the throne as the monarch of the Zulu nation,” she said.

She alleges that the estate of the royal household belongs to her and her late husband in equal parts, and any attempt to dispose it “as if it was the sole property of the late Isilo is legally incompetent and impermissible”.

Meanwhile, in a separate court case, two of Queen Dlamini’s daughters are challenging the validity of their late father’s will and allege they have reason to believe it was forged. They have thrown their weight behind Queen Dlamini’s claim to the estate.

The dead prince: Lethukuthula For years there was speculation

that the king would choose his eldest son, Prince Lethukuthula, as his heir. The prince was the son of the king’s first wife.

But the prince died in November in mysterious circumstances.

Some in the monarchy believe his death may have been an attempt to prevent him from ascending to the throne but this has never been proven.

Five suspects, four women aged between 27 and 42 and a 32-year-old man, were arrested in the capital, Pretoria, for the murder of the 50-year-old prince.

The investigation into his death is still ongoing and they have not yet been asked to plead.

Initial reports allege that he and his business partner were drugged and robbed by the suspects who the prince was apparently entertaining at his home.

The prince was later found dead, and the business partner was found sleeping in another room.

A palace spokesman was quoted at the time as saying that security could not be provided for all the king’s children as it would be too expensive and a “nightmare”.

The ‘royal rebels’: Prince Mbonisi and Princess Thembi Days after the king’s death, his siblings, Prince Mbonisi and Princess Thembi, were accused of holding secret meetings of the royal court. They were apparently not in favour of the appointment of Queen Dlamini-Zulu as interim leader.

News of the clandestine meetings have caused discomfort for some in the royal family who believe they would cause divisions.

But the siblings have denied that their actions are sinister, saying they were discussing how to support the new regent and had intended to report back to the wider royal family.

They have also distanced themselves from any involvement in the queen’s death.

“People think we’re murderers,” Princess Thembi told local media on Sunday, at an impromptu press conference amid the bitter family rift over who will become the next monarch.

She added that they were “not plotting to overthrow anyone” and expressed hurt at the inference.

The mouthpiece: Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi Since King Zwelithini’s death, Chief Buthelezi has been speaking on the developments within the royal family.

He is seen as the late king’s traditional prime minister and played a central role in announcing the death of the monarch and the regent, and keeping the public informed about funeral preparations.

But his role has earned him the ire of some princes and princesses, who have accused him of silencing dissent, of being a dictator, and they dispute his claim that he was King Zwelithini’s traditional prime minister, or chief adviser.

Source: BBC

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bilyaminu

loss of document

Correction of date of Birth

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS bilya dauda kalumbu.

NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AS bilyaminu dauda kalumbu. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. ALL AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

This is to inform the general public of the loss of original RIGHT OF OCCUPANCY (R OF O) in respect of plot. No. 693 with file No. EB 10097 located at cadastral zone C04 DAPE District, Abuja. Granted to JUSTINE MBAM OGODO. All efforts made to trace the said documents proved abortive, if found, kindly return to the nearest police station or AGIS. General public should please take note.

This is to inform the general public that I, Eguche kizito Ignatius was born on June 14, 1994, however, my date birth was erroneously captured in West Africa Examination Council (WEAC) as June 14th, 1990.

The correct date is 14th June, 1994. All former documents remain valid.

Authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

Joy I, formerly known as Tanko, Joy Whyuino now wish to be known and addressed as Joy Osita Ekine. All my documents in my former name remain valid. Authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

Umma I, formerly known as Hauwau Usman now wish to be known and addressed as Umma Usman.

All my documents in my former name remain valid. Authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

CLASSIFIED PUBLIC NOTICE

This is to inform the General Public that CHIEF LAWAL OBELAWO, OON also known as LAWAL OBELAWO OGIDI YOUSSOUF is ALIVE and NOT DEAD contrary to erroneous information contained in Certificate of Death No. D10 (Vol.11/2018/732/1) dated 29/08/2018 purportedly issued by National Population Commission, Osogbo Registration Center, Osogbo North LGA, Osun State. The said Death Certificate should be disregarded.

Anyone who deals with the said Death Certificate does so at his or her own risk.

Signed: Kayode Oyedeji Esq (0803-359-8319) SOLICITOR TO CHIEF LAWAL OBELAWO, OON

Sports

PEOPLES DAILY

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friday, may 7, 2021

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Olympics qualifier:

Page

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sports@peoplesdailyng.com, SMS- 08142929046

16 athletes jet out to US

By Albert Akota

N

igeria’s preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics has hit top gear as 16 Athletes departed the *Murtala Mohammed* International Airport yesterday for *Texas* where they will take part in relay Qualifiers.

The Sixteen athletes and coaches decked in their new kits were seen off by the Minister of Youth and Sports Development Mr *Sunday Dare* .

The team had almost 3 weeks camping in *Abuja* in preparation for the the relay races in the *United States* which serves as Qualifiers for the Olympics after missing out of the World Relays in *Poland* due to visa issue.

This is Contrary to the reports in a national daily which claimed Team Nigeria was stranded due to lack of funds.

According to the Secretary General Of the Atheletics Federation of Nigeria Prince *Niyi Beyioku*” Our athletes are highly motivated to participate in various relays in the *United States*. Contrary to a report which claimed the team was stranded, you can see that it is not true.

You can see them in their new kits courtesy of the Minister who pulled all the buttons to make the trip a reality. The team has no financial problems. *Team Nigeria* Olympic preparations is on track. This is evident in what we are seeing.

The advance party went ahead to finetune all arrangements. This is a mark of the committment of the Honourable Minister to ensure a hitchfree event and podium success in *Tokyo*” *Beyioku* further affirmed “The Athletes have trained very well and are motivated to make the country proud. All the covid 19 protocols for a successful trip have been carried out.

To underscore the importance of the trip, the

NIGTEQ President, Engr Habu Gumel planting a tree in Abuja Monday Honourable Minister lived up to his promise to see the

athletes off to motivate them to make , *Nigeria* proud by

qualifying for the Olympics and win medals.”

The team would take part in the first relay on May 9th.

Super Falcons to feature in glamour Summer Series in USA

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PEOPLES DAILY, friday, may 7, 2021

Super Falcons to feature in glamour Summer Series in USA

By Albert Akota

N

ine-time African champions Nigeria will be one of four participating teams at this year’s WNT Summer Series that will also have the Women A National Teams of host nation United States of America, Portugal and Jamaica in attendance. The tournament is presented by AT&T 5G. Matches will be played at the BBVA Stadium in Houston and at the brand-new, $240million Q2 Stadium in Austin built by the newest club in the Major League Soccer, Austin FC. Both cities are in the State of Texas and the clash between the Super Falcons and the US Women A team will be the first-ever football match at the state-of-the-art Q2.

The glamour tournament, which also held in 2017 and 2018, will run between 10th – 16th June and will see the Super Falcons clashing with their Jamaican counterparts in Houston on the 10th before taking on Portugal three days later at the same BBVA Stadium.

Their last match is against the USA squad, four-time winners of the FIFA World Cup and four-time winners of the Olympic football gold, at the Q2 Stadium on 16th June.

Randy Waldrum, who presently coaches Nigeria’s Women A team, is an American who also coached the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s National Team 2014-

2016, and led the Super Falcons to three wins out of three in the Turkish Women’s Invitational Tournament in Antalya in February.

The USA is the only one of the four teams in the Summer Series that will compete in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, but Nigeria has remained the dominant force in Africa since qualifying for the first edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 30 years ago and winning the first edition of the Women AFCON in 1998.

Portugal is among a group of European teams that is making big strides forward in the women’s game, and Jamaica qualified for its first Women’s World Cup in 2019.

The match against Nigeria will mark the first time the USA has ever faced the Super Falcons outside of a world championship and it will be just the third-ever friendly against an African country, with the previous two coming against South Africa.

Once the teams arrive in Houston, and for the USA and Nigeria, in Austin, all the players and staffs will operate inside highly controlled environments at the host hotels. The staging trainings and the matches will fall under the comprehensive U.S. Soccer Return to Play Protocols and Guidelines and in accordance with the Concacaf Return to Play Protocols. Everyone entering the controlled environment will be tested for COVID-19 before traveling, upon arrival and

periodically thereafter. The teams will not begin full team training until the results of all arrival tests are confirmed.

“In these COVID times, we’re grateful that U.S. Soccer has been able to organize a schedule of games for us to prepare for the Olympics and getting these three during the Summer Series against teams we don’t play very often will be important in helping us make the final decisions on the Olympic Team,” said U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Vlatko Andonovski.

Nigeria’s Head Coach, Waldrum said: “The Summer Series is an interesting event and the teams featuring are of very high quality. It is a great prospect for us as we continue to build ahead of the qualifying games for next year’s Women Africa Cup of Nations.”

The Confederation of African Football will hold the draw for next year’s Women Africa Cup of Nations in Cairo next Monday. The final tournament will be staged by Morocco.

Nigeria and the USA have clashed five times previously, with four coming at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and one in the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament. Both teams last met at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada in 2015, with the Americans winning 1-0. That was Abby Wambach’s final World Cup goal.

Can call for anarchy resolve Nigeria’s security challenges?

Cont. on page 31

impeachment are reading a script by un patriotic Nigerians and their likes led by the opposition PDP towards destabilising the polity for them to reap where they did not sow as we approach 2023.

It is therefore not surprising when The Presidency categorically stated that the opposition party is working with disgruntled external forces comprising of religious, past political leaders to

overthrow President Buhari’s government.

A statement signed by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity explained “further unimpeachable evidence shows that these disruptive elements are recruiting the leadership of of some ethnic groups and politicians round the country to throw it into turmoil. This has further confirmed that there are political undertones to the recent attacks on the government under the guise of worsening insecurity in the

country.

Conclusively, the hues and cries about insecurity today are targeted at derailing the Buhari administration.”

Another commendable approach to boosting the deadly blow to insecurity was climaxed with the establishment of a National Centre for the Control of small arms and light weapons in the country.

The centre will serve as an institutional mechanism for policy guidance, research and monitoring of all aspects of small

arms and light weapons as part of an ongoing re structuring of Nigeria’s security architecture.

The consolation is that government is not only disturbed with increase in crimes in our midst but also religiously pulling all it’s human and material resources to deal with the current security challenge bedevilling the country.

Emeka Anyaoku Street Abuja musahk1234@yahoo.com

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friday, may 7, 2021

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SPORTS Can call for anarchy resolve latest

Man Utd through to Europa League final despite Roma loss

M

anchester United reached their first final of the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer era but lost their seven-match unbeaten record in an entertaining Europa League last-four tie with Roma.

Edinson Cavani scored both United goals in the second leg of a 13-goal semi-final.

The Uruguayan opened the scoring with a fabulous firsthalf effort, then found the net with a fine header from Bruno Fernandes’ excellent floated pass in the second half.

In between, Roma briefly threatened a comeback when former Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko scored his ninth goal against United before Bryan Cristante finished smartly with a shot on the turn.

The Italians had the final word when Nicola Zalewski’s low drive went in through David de Gea’s legs after taking a deflection off Alex Telles.

The 8-5 aggregate victory ends a run of four semi-final defeats for United under Solskjaer and sets up a meeting with Villarreal in Gdansk on 26 May. United are without a trophy since their last triumph in this competition in 2017, their longest run since the five-year gap between 1985 and 1990, which was ended by an FA Cup success that marked the start of Sir Alex Ferguson’s silverware collection.

Jose Mourinho was manager for that most recent United success and he will be responsible for reviving Roma’s fortunes next season, knowing their only chance of European football next season will come in Uefa’s new third-tier Conference competition.

Taye Taiwo and Oduamadi

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Nigeria’s security challenges?

I

t is undoubtedly true that the country has witnessed an astronomical upsurge of criminal activities in the last six months or so. It is also not in doubt that security agencies are overwhelmed in a way by such incidents because of their wide spread in the country.

From the North to the South, from the East to the West, the story has invariably been very gloomy with insurgents, bandits, cultists, kidnappers, cattle rustlers, murderers, armed robbers, un known gunmen, cyber criminals/internet fraudstars and all sorts of criminals unsettling the country with hundreds of lives lost and properties worth billions of Naira destroyed and billions of Naira stolen.

Most hit states across the length and breadth of the country are Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Kano in the North West; Niger, Benue, Nassarawa, Kogi, Kwara and Plateau in the North Central and Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Taraba, Adamawa and recently Bauchi in the North East.

Others are Imo, Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi in the South East. In the South South, states affected are Delta, Rivers, Cross Rivers, Edo, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom. In the South West states hit are Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Ekiti.

Despite all the efforts of the PMB administration to deal with the situation and nip it in the bud, we are in all honesty far from achieving our goal of restoration of peace in the country.

The bottlenecks however are far from rearing their ugly heads out of sight. From the cries of insufficient budgetary allocations for security agencies to reports of allegations of sabotage and compromise by those charged with the responsibility to execute the war either in the battle front or off the field, there is an increase in crime recently. Others include allegations of tacit support by some members of communities being on the payroll of criminals serving as informants among others.

Recent negative comments on the security situation in the country by some prominent Nigerians and groups as reported by traditional and online newspapers are not in any way helping the situation.

Their comments are rather drumming up rythms of war, disintegration, breaking up of the country thus over heating the polity. Such comments by

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FOREIGN VIEW

By Musa Ilallah any interpretation are not only uncomplimentary but also views that will not be allowed to go without any reciprocal response by government since they are capable of endangering the current democracy being practiced in the country.

“Nigeria’ll collapse in 6 months time Robert Clark swears by his father’s grave”, reported by Vanguard newspaper of 3/5/21; “Wale Oke: I’m praying God should remove Buhari”, The Cable of 2/5/21”; “Damning verdict:Why Buhari’s govt is collapsingMbazulike”, The Tribune of 2/5/21 and “Buhari’s resignation will pave way for national peace, says PFN President”, Thisday live of 2/5/21.

“Herdsmen attacks: Buhari part of Fulani agenda to conquer Nigeria, Tiv youths allege”, Daily Post 1/5/21; “Presidential Villa empty, Nigeria’s future must be discussed-Oby Ezekwesilli” in Daily Post of 1/5/21; “Buhari must do something or else we will take the law into our hands, Niger Delta youth leader declared”, Austine Media of 1/5/21.

Others were “Otom accuses Buhari of working for Fulanis to take over Nigeria,” GbetuTV 30/4/21; and “Insecurity: By the time you wake up Nigeria’s break up would have happened-Giwa to Buhari”; Daily Post 29/4/21” among others.

One can confidently and without any fear of contradiction say that such comments are

“

not only undemocratic but also deliberate attempts to drag the country into the mud and consequently cause disunity and anarchy in the country.

It is well noted that patriotic and well meaning Nigerians from all walks of life and across all the divides reacted in Choruses angrilly to such comments that are capable of plunging the country into a major crisis that would be difficult to contain. According to them such comments amount to a call for a take over of a democratically elected government through other means other than constitutionally recognised election through the ballot boxes conducted by INEC. Joining the voices of reason in defence of Nigeria, the Buhari Media Organisation, BMO described those calling for the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari or asking him to resign as anarchists seeking the collapse of law and order in the country, A statement signed by BMO Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, the group urged Nigerians to rally behind their President and support the Armed Forces against terrorists and criminals while denouncing voices of chaos and anarchy calling for the President’s resignation or impeachment.

Also reacting to such ungodly, un democratic calls, the Nigerian military while dissociating itself from such positions, pledged it’s

As of April 21, more than 33 million people in Britain had been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine, official figures showed. But experts have warned that Britain is “still not out of the woods” amid concerns over new variants, particularly those first detected in South Africa, Brazil

oyalty and full commitment to democracy. “We shall continue to remain apolitical, subordinate to the civil authority and firmly loyal to the President, Commander-inChief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and it’s constitution”..

The current security challenges are not insurmountable. The Armed Forces of Nigeria in partnership with other security Agencies are working assiduously to ameliorate the challenge, Onyeama Nwachukwu, Nigeria’s Acting Director Defence Information further stated.

On it’s part, the Department of State Service, DSS in a statement signed by it’s Spokesman, Dr Peter Afunnaya said that it would no longer tolerate people trying to plunge Nigeria into anarchy, adding “Service reaffirms its unambiguous support to an indivisible, indissoluble and united Nigerian State in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, it will no longer tolerate deliberate machinations by subversive and hostile groups whose agenda is to throw the country into anarchy so as to serve the interests of their sponsors.”

The DSS in the strongest terms warned past political leaders and religious leaders calling for “forceful change of government or mass action against it and cause disintegration of Nigeria” against doing so. It condemned the unsavoury statements by misguided elements who have continued to threaten the government, sovereignty and corporate existence of this country.

From all indications those calling for PMB’s resignation or

Cont. on page 31

DAN GAYE Dangai

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