Tuesday, December 10, 2019 Edition

Tuesday, December 10, 2019/ Rabi’ul Thani 13, 1441 AH

2066 Days after

Nami replaces Fowler as FIRS boss

Vol. 33 No. 011 N150

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. . . putting the people first

The nation awaits rescue of the remaining abducted Chibok schoolgirls

EFCC calls for stiffer laws against corrupt Nigerians

Quack doctor jailed 44 years in Yola

Presidency rejects death penalty for hate speech pAGE 4

pAGE 3

pAGE 7

page 5

Officials of EFCC, during the 2019 International day of anti-corruption in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Buhari directs AGF to publish MDA’s financial statements daily >>pg 5 Ganduje appoints Emir Sanusi as head, Kano Council of Chiefs >>>page 2

$9.6bn P&ID judgment: Court refuses Briton’s plea for bail variation >>>page 5

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PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

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

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World News

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Buhari lists impediments to Africa’s regional integration

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari has identified corruption and internal conflicts within the African region as the major challenges that should be tackled in a bid to actualize the sixtyyear dream of a regionally integrated Africa.

Buhati said this at Africa’s Presidential roundtable tagged “the next sixty years in Africa: Looking for Wins” held at Intare Conference Arena, in the Rwandan city of Kagali.

This is as the President stated that knowledge economy, artificial intelligence and delivery of ideas as well as serene policy environment have been identified as answers to Africa’s quest for development.

Buhari, who was represented at the occasion by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Jusitce, Abubakar Malami, said, “To my mind, I think there are major issues that constitute hindrance to Africa’s integration despite having in place a policy environment that will allow integration in Africa.

“I find the issue of corruption and prevailing conflict as serious set-back militating against the development and integration of Africa.

Conflict and corruption within the region hinder policy environment and

delivery of ideas”, he said.

The President charged African Union and stakeholders in the development of Africa to vigorously pursue the processes of surmounting the challenges posed by corruption and internal conflict for a regionally integrated Africa and the next 60 years Africa envisaged.

On the issue of corruption, President Muhammadu Buhari said, “ if you are talking of infrastructure, a development project that might cost $1b to execute may end up consuming much more resources arising from multiplicity of chain of corruption with the result not having been timely achieved and quality compromised.

“What are we doing to address these challenges? I think these are the major components that constitute impediment to the realization of issues related to the delivery of ideas, knowledge economy couple with infrastructural development.

“We must never underrate the negative effects of corruption and the prevailing conflict situation that are prevalent within Africa,” he said.

Speaking on the same issues, the Chairman of African Union, Moussa Faki Mahamat said although there is no conflict between sovereign African states, internal wrangling within the region characterized by political unrest,

insecurity, insurgencies and militancy must be addressed in order to “silence the gun” in the region.

Mahamat decried that over $50b were embezzled in Africa due to corrupt practices, the amount which, he said, was much bigger than combined international aids that the African continent received across the globe.

He, therefore, charge Africans to have vision, commitment and conviction for the region will prosper to a greater level.

The Africa Union High Representative for Infrastructure Development in Africa, Raila Amolo Odinga said for “African Lion” to challenge the Asian Tigers, in addition to thinking of going to the moon should also think of going to the next galaxy.

According to Odinga, the region must improve its integration approaches, have unified currency, improved implementation of political and economic policies.

In his contribution, Mr. Felix Tshisekedi, the President Republic of Congo said the development of the region could be taken step-by-step.

The President said he was determined for development of individual Congolese who will develop themselves to develop their country that will pave the way for the regional integration and development of the

entire African continent.

Vera Songwe, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission in Africa, emphasized the importance of African Continental Trade Agreement (ACFTA) improvement of doing business, protection of local industries, addressing competition policies, intellectual property right, e-commerce, peace, governance and leadership in Africa.

Speaking on the development, the hosting President, Paul Kagame of the Republic of Rwanda stressed the need for the African leaders to envisage an African that is accountable to the people of Africa and for the development of Africans.

He highlighted the various ramifications of free trade, African integration, uses of technology progress, peaceful, fight against poverty, continental prosperity and good governance.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Nation Media Group Dr. Wilfred David Kibro, the organizers of the event said the decision to host the programme was informed by the numerous issues in the African continent including youth expulsion in the region, climate change, water scarcity, infrastructural development, boarder, peace and security.

World AntiCorruption Day: EFCC calls for stiffer laws against corruption Page 4

Digest

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Feature 26 Sports 30-31 Back Page

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News

News Editor, Ese Awhotu

Nami replaces Fowler as FIRS boss

By Lawrence Olaoye

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari has nominated Mohammed M. Nami, a renowned tax consultant, as a replacement for Mr. Babatunde Fowler as the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS).

According to a statement made available to newsmen yesterday by his spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, Fowler’s term as the Chairman of FIRS expired yesterday.

The President approved the composition of a new board for the agency subject to the confirmation of the Senate.

The new board is composed of a member representing each of the six geographical zones and statutory representatives from a select number of ministries and government agencies.

Muhammad, a well-trained Tax, Accounting and Management professional with highly rated qualifications and professional practice and licenses from relevant professional bodies, has almost three decades of practical working experience in Auditing, Tax Management and Advisory and Management services to clients in the banking, manufacturing, services and public sectors as well as nonprofit organizations.

He is an expert in rendering advisory support services to investors in respect of new business start-ups and management of existing businesses. He has also continuously rendered outsourced services to clients in trading, service and manufacturing sectors of the nation’s economy.

Nami attended Bayero University Kano and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology (1991) and a Masters of Business degree (2004) respectively. He is a fellow of Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Institute of Debt Recovery Practitioners of Nigeria and Associate Member of Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered) and Association of National Accountants of Nigeria.

He started his career with PFK in 1993 and rose to the position of a senior Consultant in charge of Tax management and advisory services. He is currently the managing consultant of Manam

Professional Services (Chartered Tax Practitioners and Business Advisers) based in Kaduna, Abuja, Niger State.

Nami has served, and is still serving, on many companies’

Board and Statutory Board Audit Committees. He was appointed as a member, Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Stolen Assets in November, 2017 by President Buhari.

He is married with children.

Fowler is expected to hand over to the most senior director on the board, who will take charge, pending the senate confirmation of the new board.

L-R: The Administrator, Public Service Institute, Dr. Abdul Ganiyu Obatoyinbo, Former Head of Service of the Federation, Mr. Danladi Kefasi, Immediate past Executive Secretary, Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board (FGSHLB) Dr, Hannatu Fika , Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, her Husband , Hon Nimi Walson-Jack and the former Permanent secretary, Office of the Head of service, Ayodele Folayon, during the send-off dinner for Dr. Hannatu that retired from the service, at the weekend in Abuja.. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

Buhari leaves for Egypt to attend African peace conference

By Lawrence Olaoye

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari will today depart for Aswan, Egypt to attend the Aswan Forum designed to set “An Agenda for Sustainable Peace and Development in Africa.”

According to a statement made available to newsmen yesterday by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, the Forum which holds December 1112, 2019, is an initiative to address the interconnections between peace and development in Africa while promoting Africa-led solutions

through strengthening policies and practices.

The initiative is being launched by the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in his capacity as the Chairman of the African Union (AU) and as an advocate of Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development in Africa – a recurring theme of his tenure as the AU Chairman. It is also grounded in the AU’s Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, and the search for African solutions to African problems.

The gathering is expected to bring together heads of state and

government, leaders from regional and international organisations, financial institutions, private sector and civil societies as well as scholars, visionaries and prominent experts for action-oriented discussions on the threats, challenges and opportunities.

It is also expected to end with a Declaration on the theme of the Forum and become an annual event.

Recall that the Speaker of Egypt’s House of Representatives, Ali Abdel Aal had delivered President el-Sisi’s message to President Buhari in Abuja on October 28, 2019 inviting him to

the inaugural Aswan Forum.

The President will be accompanied by Governors Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, Godwin Obaseki of Edo and Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State.

Others are: Minister of Defence, Gen. Bashir Magashi (Rtd); Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Amb. Zubairu Dada; National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (Rtd); and the Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar.

President Buhari is expected back in Abuja on Friday.

Be professional in operations, NYCN tasks ICPC

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We want to hear from you

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PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja R--L, The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar , Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakae ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammad Sunusi and Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris, at the 6th General Assembly Kaduna 2019 Northern Traditional Rulers Council meeting in Kaduna yesterday. Photo; BASHIR BELLO

23 graduates bag first class at IBBU Lapai From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

I

brahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai has concluded plans to host its 3rd combined convocation ceremony with no fewer than 3,212 students and 23 first class to graduate during the ceremony slated for Saturday 13th December, 2019.

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Muhammad Nasiru Maiturare made this known at a press briefing held at the university Guest House

in Minna yesterday.

He said that 700 (22%) emerged second class upper and 1,990 (62%) with second class lower.

Maiturare added that 470 representing (15%) are to graduate with third class while 29 (1%) will graduate with pass.

He explained what graduates cut across six faculty’s which includes Education and Arts, Natural Sciences, Languages and Communication studies, Agriculture, Faculty Management

and Social Sciences.

The Vice Chancellor further disclosed that the institution will be graduating a total number of 91 for Post Graduate Diploma and Masters programmes of 33 and 58 respectively.

He said that the institution will also award honorary degrees on late governor of the state, Engr.

Abdullahi Abdulkadir Kure and immediate past Chief Judge, Justice Maria Sanda Dzukogi.

He also highlighted some his

achievements to include; increased enrollment from 8,171 in 2015 to 13,074 in 2019 as well as female increment from 33% to 40% while over 100 new lecturers were employed within the period under review.

Maiturare added that they have made a dozen physical structures worth billions of naira comprising lecture halls, hostels, staff quarters, laboratories funded through Tetfund, the state government, federal agencies and IGR.

T

he National Youth Council of Nigeria has tasked the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) to be more professional in the discharge of its duties.

The NYCN gave the charge at the end of its emergency meeting held in Abuja, on 5th of December, 2019.

In a statement on Monday, signed by National Publicity Secretary of NYCN Amb. Akoshile Muktar and Comrade Adedamola Olugbode, Vice President, leadership of the association bemoaned the way and manner, the ICPC conducts it affairs.

“The leadership of the Council is concerned about the way and manner the ICPC has unilaterally turned itself into a cog in the wheel of progress towards a regime of digital broadcasting in Nigeria.

“It is rather curious that this is at a time the government of the day, under the

leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, is working assiduously and investing huge sums of money to make the Nigerian economy sufficiently diversified to engage our teeming unemployed youth in productive endeavors.

“The Digital Switch Over is one such programme that the government made a priority from very early in its first tenure, due to the capacity of the broadcasting industry to provide employment for our populace over the long-term.

“It is rather curious that an agency of government would be working at cross purposes to the stated objective of the government, against the greater good of the Nigerian people” the NYCN stated.

It was against this backdrop that NYCN resolved that the ICPC discontinue forthwith the jamboree prosecution and persecution of the chairman of Pinnacle Communication s and the DG of NBC. “That the ICPC apologize to Nigerians over

their conduct during the course of this matter.

“We call on the Presidency to set up an independent panel of inquiry to investigate this matter and to unmask the people behind this well-orchestrated plot to sabotage Nigeria, by capitalizing on President Buhari’s war on corruption to mask their evil intentions.

We wish to state that the Leadership of the over 80 million Nigerian youth demand for an end to this witch-hunt and save the judiciary their precious time to adjudicate on important matters.

“We wish to put on record the unflinching support of the NYCN for the programmes of the federal government anchored on the war against corruption, with a view to building a more resilient economy that will have the capacity to keep our youth busy and away from crime and violence that has become the order of the day in our country today.

“Curiously, the matter under discussion, being the ongoing prosecution of the Director General of the National Broadcasting

Commission (NBC) and the Chairman of Pinnacle Communications Limited, over an alleged diversion of funds.

“It is worrying that an organization of the ICPC’s stature would reduce itself to posturing as though it were carrying out a hatchet job for vested interests, through the visible gaps in the arguments it has made to the public on the subject matter.

“That the ICPC chose to go to the media to conduct a showy trial even before approaching a competent court is the first case in point that buttresses our position. That the ICPC would announce to the nation that the Minister of Information, who had given approval for the money to be disbursed to Pinnacle Communications, would be serving as prosecution witness because he signed the approval in error would be laughable if scarce government resources weren’t being expended on this exercise, not to talk of the cost to the nation in investments from the DSO being stalled.

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News

By Maryam Habeeb

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he Executive Vice-Chairman/ Chief Executive of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, NASENI, Prof. Mohammed Haruna yesterday said no university should exist without having engineering and technical training for its students.

Professor Haruna said a university must have the faculty of engineering to train people not only for gainful employment but for them to be determined to be self-employed.

Haruna also said NASENI, in collaboration with De Lorenzo SPA of Italy, has handed over multi-million Naira engineering equipment to the newly- established Faculty of Engineering in Nasarawa State University, Keffi.

He said the equipment, which is related to telecommunications, automation, electronics and electrical engineering, will assist students of the university in practical training.

He said the partnership marks the beginning of collaboration between Nasarawa State university with De Lorenzo and its affiliated universities in Italy.

Haruna, who spoke during the handover ceremony, said the donation of the equipment is the beginning of collaboration of Nasarawa State University with De Lorenzo and its affiliated universities in Italy.

He said: “No university should exist without having engineering and technical training for its students. Technology is the solution and you must have the faculty of engineering to train people not only for gainful employment but for them to be determined to be self-employed. They can’t do that unless they have the confidence from school, handling equipment themselves.

“The Federal Government through NASENI and other agencies have been intervening, we have gone through all nooks and crannies of this nation, collaborating with universities and providing those equipment that they need. In fact, we are collaborating with some universities in running programmes that are not available locally while NASENI provides the technical know-how.

“For example in our centre in Advanced Material and Nano Technology in collaboration with the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) we are running practical Master’s degree in new materials and Nano technology. The graduates of those MSc programme must produce something beneficial to the nation before they can graduate.

“It is the same at ATBU Bauchi on electronic and electrical product development and automation.

At the Federal University of Technology Owerri, our centres in Awka and Nnewi are supporting the programme at the university in the areas of Mechatronics and automation.

“So, we have been collaborating all over the country because it is within our mandate because it is the foundation for industrial development.”

The EVC explained why it has decided to assist Nasarawa State University.

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

NASENI EVC tasks universities on engineering, technical training He added: “As part of our identification and collaboration with the programmes and projects of His Excellency, Governor A. A. Sule in capacity building and employment generation of which Technical and Vocational Education and the establishment of Engineering Faculty at this university are components, Delorenzo obliged our request and are here today to donate vital Engineering Laboratory equipment and training towards meeting requirement of the university.

I believe this also marks the beginning of collaboration of Nasarawa State University with De Lorenzo and its affiliated universities in Italy.

“NASENI is emulating De Lorenzo and will be donating its own equipment as soon as its order arrives and on completion of

manufacturing its local component at NASENI Institutes.

“The agency has since linked the university with Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada for assistance and collaboration and is encouraging its allies worldwide to partner with Nasarawa State University Keffi.

“We will also volunteer NASENl’s professors and experts to support the University’s engineering courses on visiting terms to meet manpower requirement for the takeoff of engineering programmes.

“This is within the mandate of NASENI to ensure that science and technology flourishes everywhere in the country, wherever we see the opportunity to harness towards capacity building and training.

“What is lacking in our engineering and technology

trainings is the equipment. Once we have the equipment, training will be enhanced.

The Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi Sule said the collaboration is in line with his administration’s objective of skills acquisition and vocational education in the state.

He said, “We thank you for this worthy partnership, I trust that the collaboration will be sustained towards the achievement of the ultimate objective of this administration which is skill acquisition, vocational education and technical education.”

“I call on NASENI and other development partners to partner with the state for us to actualize our objective for the advancement of our state and Nigeria.”

The Chief Executive Officer of De Lorenzo SPA Italy, Dr. Matteo

Prosperi said, “We wish to support this university by giving them these products of European and United States standard quality to improve the standard of education of the state.

“The equipment supplied are related to telecommunications, automation, electronics and electricity. These equipment will support trainers to teach students not only by telling but by practice of seeing the effects of what they study in their books.

“Today is the beginning of this collaboration, we are looking forward to creating a Memorandum of Understanding with the university to exchange not only products because the product is only the first part of what we can do but also to exchange know-how through De Lorenzo academy in Italy to train the trainers.”

L-R: Vice Chancellor Nasarawa State University, Professor Suleiman Bala Mohammed, Executive Vice Chairman /Chief Executive Officer NASENI Professor Haruna Mohammed ,CEO De Lorenzo Dr. Matteo Prosperi and Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule during the presentation ceremony of Laboratory Equipment by De Lorenzo SPA of Italy to Nasarawa State University ,Keffi for the proposed faculty of engineering ,held yesterday at the University campus.

Make education your priority, Sultan urges govt.

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

T

he Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has called on government at all levels to make education their major priority, in order to stop the violence bedeviling the nation.

He stated this during the opening ceremony of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council, 6th General Assembly held in Kaduna yesterday.

His Eminence said that the royal fathers will continue to advice the government on what

to do, to promote the education sector because it is vital to the society,.

He commended the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai for his commitment to education and health of the citizens.

Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, assured the government of their continued support, saying that the meeting will deliberate on ways to tackle banditry and kidnapping in the country, especially in the North.

The Sultan called on Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness He tasked the traditional rulers

to show good conduct in their various fields of pursue for peace and unity of their people.

He appreciated the entire members of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council, and expressed gratitude to those who contributed to the successful hosting of 2019 General Assembly.

In her remarks, the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, said the state is committed to ensure that every child have access to education.

Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, who represented Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai at the

meeting,expressed gratitude to the traditional rulers for giving Kaduna State the right to host the very important meeting.

“Kaduna State has taken steps to make security its priority. We are committed to ensuring the security of lives of our citizens is secured.

“The state government is determined to eradicate poverty.

We are working hard to ensure that every child have access to education.” She said She assured the Council of the support of Kaduna State Government and prayed for success in their deliberations.

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PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

News

Presidency rejects death penalty for hate speech

By Lawrence Olaoye

T

he Presidency has said that the existing libel laws in the country are obsolete and never anticipated the emergence of social media.

While expressing support for the ongoing bill for the criminalization of hate speech in the Senate, the Presidency rejected the suggestion of death penalty for offenders.

In a statement made available to newsmen yesterday by Mr. Attah Esa, Deputy Director, Information in the Presidency, Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Garba Shehu, who chaired the Kawararafa Media Award, gave the opinion on Sunday.

Shehu warned that leaving the social media to operate without regulation could result in more lawlessness, violence and deaths, stressing that the Federal Government is not against free speech.

The Presidential aide acknowledged that the emerging modern media platform had played a strong role in promoting information sharing, strengthening democracy, and building networks of relationships, but without supervision or control, the nation risks more havoc.

“For instance, the entire Kasuwan Magani saga that resulted in the death of more than 50 people was because someone posted misleading information on WhatsApp that went viral.

“All countries in the world are trying to make laws to check the excesses. Many countries are trying to control the situation. The Europeans have placed a new law that holds the companies responsible.

“In United Kingdom, the parliament has received a report on social media. There is a youth addiction to it, just like cigarettes. Without any form of control, it has done harm

to women, ethnic minorities, individuals, institutions and countries,’’ he said.

Shehu said the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had consistently called for a meeting of stakeholders to agree on modalities for regulating the social media, but was rebuffed.

“The federal government is saying that stakeholders should come together and agree on regulation. We know

that no matter how bad the situation it favours someone.

“Some have argued that our constitution already has laws in libel, but the laws of the ‘60s never anticipated social media.

“No government has the right to muzzle freedom of speech. We don’t support the taking of lives as punishment.

People insult others and share false information on social media. I hope that hate speech

will be tackled so that Nigeria will be a sane place to live in,’’ he added.

The Senior Special Assistant noted that in every part of the world journalists go through some form of training, accreditation and licensing before plying their trade, like doctors, but “with a phone, a tablet or laptop anyone can reach millions, sometimes for good and other times with ulterior motives.’’

Shehu said hate speech preceded the social media, but it was traceable through the media platform and controlled, explaining that the social media, while emerging, portends a great force, and needs to be regulated for safety and peaceful co-existence.

The Special Adviser to the President, Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina and Shehu were honoured with “Media Excellence of the Year.’’

Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Adm. IbokEte Ibas, performing the keel laying ceremony for the commencement of the construction of Nigeria’s latest warship, a landing ship tank, yesterday in Albwardy Damen Shipyards, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates .

Photo: NAN

Buhari directs AGF to publish MDA’s financial statements daily

By Ese Awhotu

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Accountant General of the Federation, AGF, to publish all payments above N10 million to Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, as well as financial inflows and outflows of the federal government.

The President gave the directives at the official launch of the Financial Transparency Policy and Implementation Guidelines in Abuja, He said that, the daily

treasury statements by the AGF will give the breakdown of all agencies responsible for each payment.

The president was represented by the Minister of State for Niger Delta, Tayo Alasoadura.

According to him, the directives are part of efforts to promote transparency and accountability in the management of public finance.

He said daily payment reports will equally outline the MDAs, the beneficiary, purpose and amount of the payment,

while MDAs must compulsorily publish payments above N5 million.

Buhari said , “the OAGF and all MDAs are expected to, within seven days of the end of the month, publish monthly budget performance report, including their functions, and economic activities performed by them.

“In addition, the OAGF was directed to also publish monthly fiscal accounts within 14 days of the end of the month showing the fiscal performance of the Federation in terms of revenue

receipts from all collecting agencies and payments out of the Federation Account. “ the OAGF is expected to publish a quarterly consolidated unaudited financial statement of the Federal Government within a month of the end of the quarter, in addition to an annual general purpose financial report.

“The audited financial statements for the federal government and all public sector entities are to be published within a month of the end of the first quarter of the following year.”

$9.6bn P&ID judgment: Court refuses Briton’s plea for bail variation

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

J

ustice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday, refused an application for bail variation filed by the British national, James Nolan for lacking in merit.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) claimed that he forged resident permit and that if granted bail he might jump bail.

Refusing the bail variation, justice Abang wondered why Nolan

could not respond to the serious allegation that he might jump bail.

Justice Abang had, on Nov. 7, admitted Nolan to a bail in the sum of N500 million, the decision he said was a rick on his own part.

The bail was on the condition that the applicant must produce a surety in like sum, who must be a Nigerian and a serving senator not standing any criminal trial in any court in Nigeria.

Besides, he held that the proposed surety must submit a three years tax clearance certificate

and sign an undertaking to always be present in court with the defendant throughout the duration of the trial.

“The senator must have a landed property fully developed in Maitama District of Abuja and fully certified by the FCDA. ”The surety must submit two passport photographs,” Abang had ruled.

The court also ordered the defendant to surrender all his international passports, even as it mandated the Nigerian

Immigration Service to confirm how many passports that were issued to him within the past 20 years.

On October 21, Nolan and Adam Quinn (at large), both British nationals, were arraigned over their alleged complicity in the 9.6 billion dollars judgment against Nigeria.

Process and Industrial Development (P&ID), an Irish engineering company, had secured the award against Nigeria following the non-execution of a 20-year gas

and supply processing agreement (GSPA) the company had with the federal government.

The arraignment of the two British nationals is coming weeks after two P&ID directors were convicted over the deal.

The defendants, both directors of Goidel Resources Limited, a Designated Non-Financial Institution and ICIL Limited, were arraigned on a 16-count charge bordering on money laundering.

The matter has been adjourned till Dec. 10 for trial continuation.

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PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

News EFCC calls for stiffer laws against corruption From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

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he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has called for stiffer legislation against corruption in Nigeria.

Zonal Head of the Commission in charge of Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba and Plateau States, Dr. Johnson Babalola who made the call yesterday during the celebration of the International Anti- Corruption Day in Makurdi, Benue State capital, noted that if there are tough measures against hate speech, the toughest measures should be reserved for corruption entrepreneurs.

Dr. Babalola said the theme of the day is ‘Zero Tolerance to Corruption’ , noting that corruption is a cancer, a terminal disease in our national polity.

He added that corruption is an existential epidemic, positing that the EFCC does not only frown at looting but also, against marginal stealing and situational thieves.

The EFCC head intimated that the Commission has secured 18 convictions while 53 cases are in court.

“The convictions cut across fraudsters (yahoo boys), procurements as well as marginal

issues. We do not have localized challenges because we enjoy mass support and cooperation from the Benue people and the judiciary.

“We have taken corruption

campaigns to schools and collaborating with nongovernmental organizations, NYSC and other security agencies to ensure that corruption is wiped out

from our body polity. Everything is in comatose as a result of corruption.

“We therefore, enlist the participation and support of all

Polio Certification Commission begins verification visit to Nigeria

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

T

he Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) for poliomyelitis eradication has commenced a two-week visit to Nigeria on 09 December 2019.

The Commission is in the country to conduct critical analysis and verify the accuracy of the certification documents prepared by the Nigerian government.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) made this known in a

statement issued yesterday, said the independent commission has already accepted the documentation of 43 African countries as part of the process to certify the African Region free from all types of wild poliovirus, with only Cameroon, Central African Republic, Nigeria and South Sudan remaining.

According to the statement, no wild poliovirus has been detected anywhere in Africa since 2016, noting that the last wild polioviruscaused paralysis was detected on 21

August 2016 in Nigeria, while the last environment sample with traces of the wild poliovirus was detected in Kaduna State from a sewage sample collected on 5 May 2014. “The ARCC has invited Nigeria to present its final documentation to receive a wild poliofree status in June 2020.

Also, the ARCC has planned two field verification visits. The first is to the Southern States from 9 to 20 December 2019 and the second is to the Northern States, from 2 to 13 March 2020,” said Dr Faisal Shuaib,

T

executive director of National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).

“Having achieved the milestones of primary requirements, the ARCC will first review the complete documentation report of the interruption of wild poliovirus type 1 and then proceed to conduct field verification visits to select states in the south of Nigeria,” said Dr Fiona Braka, the WHO Nigeria Team Lead, Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI)

Matawalle bags Kwararrafa Reporters award as ‘best gov. on security’ From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

G

overnor Bello Muhammad Matawalle of Zamfara State has been presented with the Award of Excellence by the Kwarrafa Reporters in Abuja.

In a statement by the Press Secretary to Governor Matawalle, Comrade Jamilu Iliyasu Birnin Magaji, the award was presented to the Governor at the 3rd- year Anniversary

Award Ceremony and launching of the Kwarrafa Reporters magazine held at NBC Century House, Lusaka Street Wuse Zone 6 Abuja.

Governor Bello Muhammad Matawallen Maradun was presented with the award as the Governor of the year on security based on his commitment to ensure the restoration of peace and tranquility in Zamfara State and beyond within shortest possible time.

Matawalle, who was represented at the occasion by his Special Adviser on Media Malam Zailani Baffa assured unreserved commitment towards sustaining the peace so far achieved in the state.

Other awardees includes: President Muhammadu Buhari who was presented with political icon of the year Award, Minister of Power Engr Saleh Mamman as the Minister of the year, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha as the

Senator of the year.

Others are Senator Dino Melaye as the Man of the year, and Malam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity as the Excellence Man of the year.

Among the awardees also were, the Director General National Broadcasting Commission NBC Malam Modibbo Kawu as the media Transformation of the year Award, Gwammaja Farms and investment amongst others.

Shun corrupt practices, Gov. Fintiri urges new LG chairs From Umar Dankano, Yola

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he Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintir has charged the 21 newly elected local government area chairmen to harp on projects that have direct bearing on their people.

Governor Fintiri gave the

charge in Yola Monday at the official swearing ceremony of the elected chairmen, warning them that his government as well as their party,the PDP will not cordon corrupt practices in the cause of governance.

Governor Fintiri adviced them to carry their people along so that

they can accord a say in governance noting that his style of governance is all inclusive from the grass root.

He commended the state electoral umpire for a job well done, noting that despite the little hitches recorded, the election was the best ever in the state.

Responding on behalf of the

Yobe: Ward head suspended over alleged rape of 6-year old boy From Uche Uche, Damaturu.

Convener, “Say No Campaign”, Comrade Ezenwa Nwagu leading members of coalition of Civil societies on road show sensitizing the public on evil of corruption in Nigeria as the world marks 2019 international Anti-Corruption day , Tags: “United Against Corruption” , yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo,

12 killed in Niger car accident he Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Niger State says 12 people died in an accident on Sunday at Sawmill village along Mokwa -Makera road in Mokwa Local Government Area of the state.

The FRSC Sector Commander in the state, Joel Dagwa, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Minna that the accident involved a Truck with registration No. KJ 555 XX heading to Lagos.

Mr Dagwa said the truck that came from Maiduguri picked passengers from Zaria in Kaduna State before heading to Lagos.

“The accident involved 103 people: 55 female, 40 male, eight children, five adults,” he said.

He said 12 people were killed while 91 sustained injuries and taken to Mokwa general hospital for treatment.

“All the 12 corpses have been deposited at the hospital’s morgue,” he said.

He blamed the accident on speeding on a sharp bend corner of the road.

The sector commander said the Corps would continue to monitor road users to guard against overloading and dangerous driving.

“We have since embarked on aggressive patrols across all major highways to ensure that road users adhere strictly to traffic rules and regulations to avoid road accidents before, during and after the Christmas and New year festivities,” he said.(NAN)

Nigerians across divides i.e religion, tribes, profession, age diversities to join hands with the EFCC to wipe this malaise out of our nation’s body polity “, Babalola stated.

elected chairmen, chairman of Michika Local Government Area, Michael Shehu pledged to uphold the interests of their people.

He also promised to work handin-hand with the state government to ensure the entrenchment of dividends of democracy in their various local governments.

PAGE 7

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

A

ward head in Bade Local Government Area of Yobe State has been suspended indefinitely by the Bade Emirate Council on the suspicion of raping a six years old boy.

A press statement from the state Commissioner of Information, Home Affairs and Culture, Hon. Abdullahi Bego, and made available to our reporter, the suspension followed a directive from the state governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni.

The statement said after the governor was briefed on the incident by the Emirate Council he directed the Emirate Council to take any administrative and legal measures to investigate and prosecute the matter.

Consequent upon the governor’s directive, the ward head from Fannami Ward in Gashu’a, headquarters of Bade, has been suspended immediately and served with a letter to that effect, while investigation to authenticate or otherwise is ongoing.

The victim has also been examined and treated at the general hospital in Gashu’a, according to the statement.

CRIME News

Court jails quack doctor for 44 years in Yola From Umar Dankano, Yola.

A

Yola High Court has sentenced one Ibrahim Mustapha to 44 years imprisonment for operating as a medical doctor under false pretence in Adamawa State.

Delivering the verdict at the court’s sitting in Yola Monday,Justice Nathan Musa ruled that the convict is to spend a concurrent term of 10 years stressing that,various sentences are of six months, three years

and 10 years on 10 counts levelled against him, indicated that the sentences are to run concurrently.

Justice Musa, said Ibrahim Mustapha needed to be punished for his potentially life-taking act of faking medical knowledge.

The judge said, “Only God can adequately quantify the damage you did as an unqualified doctor.

Your act is condemnable and should be punished.”

The convict worked under the Adamawa State Government with a medical degree and professional

license he took from a certified medical doctor.

He rose as an employee of the government to become a principal medical officer with Cottage Hospital, Fufore in Fufore Local Government Area, but was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) in June this year.

The DSS director in the state, Bola Olori, had told the media at the time that Mustapha held National Board of Technical Education (NBTE) certificate, an

equivalent of Senior Secondary School certificate.

Ibrahim had confessed to forging MBBS credentials at the time but denied insinuation that people died in his hands.

“Yes, I’ve forged the documents as stated by the DSS boss and also done both major and minor surgical operations, including caesarian section, altogether more than 500 surgeries without causing the death of any of my patients as claimed,” Mustapha said.

R-L: Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar; Chief of Training and Operations Air force, Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao and Air Commodore Abraham Adole during an investigative hearing on the incessant non – combat related air crashes by the Nigerian Air Force with members of the House of Representatives committee on Air Force at the National Assembly, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Is a.

EFCC convicts 84, recovers N217m across Edo, Delta, Ondo

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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he Benin Zonal office of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has convicted 84 Nigerians for corruption.

The Commission which

did not give the names of the individuals said it recovered a total of N217, 268, 236 and forfeiture of property, houses and vessels in the zone, comprising Edo, Delta and Bayelsa States.

Head, Benin Zonal office of EFCC, Mr Muhtar Bello made the remark in at the 2019 World

Anti-corruption Day on Monday in Benin City, Edo State capital.

He urged members, leaders of the various interest groups including trade unions, Civil Society Organizations and professional bodies to facilitate mass education, mobilization and active participation of

Nigerians in the fight against corruption.

“We salute those who are willing to stand up and be counted in the fight against corruption. Our promise to you is that we remain resolute a DJ determined to defeat corruption in our Country.

According to him, The theme for this year’s Celebration is “United against Corruption and the sub-theme, “ Zero tolerance for Corruption”, which underscores the need for Nigerians to come together and collectively raise awareness on the ills of corruption.”

Mob beats housewife to coma over stolen food in Delta From Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

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ngry mob in Okwe quarters in Asaba, Delta State on Monday allegedly beat up a housewife to coma following stolen pots of prepared soup from her neighbour’s kitchen in the early hours.

Eyewitness Miracle Ebi said that the suspect identified as Mary Okonkwo,a mother of two children has been the bread winner in her matrimonial house after the husband who used to drive for one of the big transport companies in the state lost his job for alleged stealing and sharp practices before the bubble burst on the fateful day It was gathered that the woman a petty trader had in the early hours tip -toed out of her room

after she had seen her neighbour warming the prepared pots of soup said to have been loaded with pieces of meat including disarming and inviting aroma which attracted the suspect to hid behind a door watching the movement of the owner of the pots of soup who after a period of time was said to have dashed into her room from the kitchen only before her return, the suspect quickly removed the pots and disappeared into the thin air It was further gathered that while the suspect was battling with the two pots of soup, the angry mob who sighted her moved into her room and unfortunately for the two pots of soup were on the floor of her room and upon interrogation, she admitted to the

crime after she was beating blue black by the mob, saying that she stole the pots of soup because she and her family members have been hungry without food, adding that it was her first time to steal since she got married few years ago to her husband.

Investigation revealed that there has been hue and cry of missing pots of soup in Okwe quarters in the last few weeks, especially prepared soups,a situation some of the residents who spoke to our reporter on condition of anonymity attributed to hunger and poor economic growth, adding that the situation might continue as the leadership of the country has nothing tangible to improve on the already destroyed economic

Speaking to our reporter, an elder statesman in the area Ogbueshi Chika Osakwe said” this is attributed to the bad leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari who up until now has not provided Nigerians the platform to deal with hunger adding that the woman suspect claimed she was hungry and an angry man is a hungry man and appealed to President Buhari to improve on Nigeria”s economic as the only way to make Nigeria can be Independent and deal with hunger But the Police officers at Okwe quarters in Asaba refused to speak on the issue, saying that the woman is still being detained for further investigation, adding that the suspect confessed to the crime.

In a swift reaction, the Police

Commissioner in the state, Adeleke Adeyinka who confirmed the incident to Journalists in Asaba, said that the suspect will be charged to court on completion of investigation adding that cases of stealing pots of soup in the fire was becoming too rampant in the state in the recent times.

He assured of the police commitment to protect the lives and properties of the people in the state.

The suspect was said to have been beating servely by the mob as she fell into coma before she was revived by her neighbours who begged the angry mob to let her off the hook but her husband who refused to give her name said he was not aware of his wife attitude to stealing, especially pots of soup

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

PAGE 8

News

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il prices fell on Monday after data showed Chinese exports declined for a fourth straight month, sending jitters through a market already concerned about damage to global demand by the trade war between Washington and Beijing.

Brent futures were down 9 cents at $64.30 per barrel, after gaining about 3% last week on news that OPEC and its allies would deepen output cuts.

West Texas Intermediate oil futures were down 12 cents, or 0.2%, at $59.08, having risen about 7% last week on the prospects for lower production from “OPEC+”, which is made up of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and associated producers including Russia.

Monday’s sudden chill came after customs data released on Sunday showed exports from China in November fell 1.1%

Oil slips as weak China exports highlight trade war impact from a year earlier, confounding expectations for a 1% rise in a Reuters poll.

“That China trade data is a factor, certainly,” said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital.

Washington and Beijing have been trying to agree a trade deal that will end tit-for-tat tariffs, but talks have dragged on for months.

“We’re coming up to a bit of a precipice, with the potential for new tariffs to be slapped on Sunday, so this is going to be

an intense week,” Kilduff said.

Additional tariffs could weigh on the demand outlook for crude, he added.

Beijing hopes an agreement with the United States can be reached as soon as possible, China’s Assistant Commerce Minister Ren Hongbin said on Monday.

Monday’s declines also went against signs on Friday that China was easing its stance on resolving the trade dispute with the United States, confirming that it was waiving import

tariffs for some soybean and pork shipments.

The price drop also put an end to a strong run in previous sessions fuelled by hopes for the OPEC+ production curb deal.

On Friday, OPEC+ agreed to deepen their output cuts from 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) to 1.7 million bpd, representing about 1.7% of global production.

“This decision crystallises an important shift in strategy to managing short-term physical imbalances rather than trying to correct perceived long-term

imbalances through openended commitments,” Goldman Sachs said in a note.

The bank revised its Brent spot price forecast to $63 per barrel for 2020, up from a previous estimate of $60.

BofA Merrill Lynch said in a note that strong compliance with the OPEC+ along with positive economic developments such as a U.S.China trade deal could push Brent to $70 a barrel before the second quarter of 2020.

(By CNBC)

Gowon, Okowa , others pray for Nigeria’s betterment From Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

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he Governor of Delta, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has urged Nigerians to continue to pray for God to turn things around for good in the country.

Governor Okowa gave the charge a in a goodwill message at a one-day national prayer rally for the South-South Zone, organised by members of Nigeria Prays with the theme : “Possessing the Land” in Asaba .

The Governor who thanked the former Head of State and Chairman of Nigeria Prays, General Yakubu Gowon for his continued intersession for the betterment of Nigeria as a nation, noted that the initiative was impactful as Nigeria would be set on the path to glory.

“We must continue to trust God; and look unto God in our daily lives “, he said .

“It matters that members of this group are from different parts of this country and even as we leave here today, we must continue to pray for our country and God will heal our land” “It is a message of truth, a message of salvation, and a message of unity for our country, Nigeria” the Governor added.

On his part, the Chairmen of Nigeria Prays, General Yakubu Gowon, thanked the Governor for the support towards the programme in the state and also finding time to attend the rally.

The one-day prayer rally featured intersession prayers for the security of the nation , leaders at all levels as well as institutions and various sectors of the Nigeria nation.

L-R: Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege; Executive Director, Youth Alive Foundation (YAF), Dr Udy Okon; representative of the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Oliko Christiana; and representative of the Secretary General, Staff Committee of Vice-Chancellor, Saratu Galadanci, during the policy dialogue on ‘Anti-Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Education Bill’ organised by YAF , yesterday in Abuja

WHO, US agency bemoan increased cases of measles in 2019 From Uche Uche, Damaturu

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he World Health Organization and U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention has found that measles cases between January and November this year rose three-fold compared to the same period in 2018 and the organizations gave estimated that more than 140,000 people died of measles in 2018, up

from an all-time low of 90,000 in 2016.

As contained in WHO press release, WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus denounced the total as an “outrage” and “collective failure” given the disease’s preventability by vaccine.

According to the findings of the two organization, measles outbreaks occurred in every region of the world

in 2018, and some countries scrambled to vaccinate citizens only after outbreaks began. In Samoa, where more than four thousand measles cases have been reported in recent weeks, the government shut down to carry out a mass vaccination campaign “Measles, the most contagious of all vaccinepreventable diseases, is the tip of the iceberg of other vaccine-

preventable disease threats and should be a wake-up call,” Heidi Larson of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine told the BBC. “Anti-vax misinformation spread through social media is contributing to a rise in cases in affluent countries such as the UK and U.S., while problems in health services play a big part elsewhere,” Sarah Boseley writes for the Guardian.

Police dismantle kidnappers’ camps, arrest suspect in FCT

T

he Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory on Monday said it has dismantled kidnappers’ camps and arrested a suspect along KwaliKwaita axis of the territory.

The Deputy Police Public Relations Officer in the FCT, ASP Mariam Yusuf disclosed this in a

statement in Abuja.

She said the camps were dismantled during CounterKidnapping Operations in the FCT, particularly those located along Kwali-Kwaita axis.

Yusuf said the operation, using overt/covert means dismantled the camps and dislodged the

kidnappers prompting them to seek refuge.

“The fleeing kidnappers while scampering for safety entered the highway, shot at an oncoming vehicle and killed four persons along that axis.

“The swift intervention of police operatives led to the immediate

arrest of one of the suspected kidnappers while efforts are on to apprehend his cohorts,” she said.

She said the command commiserates with the families of the deceased and pledged to provide maximum security in the territory to ensure hitch-free Yuletide.(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

Page 9

News

Osinbajo: Words, platitudes won’t change predisposition to intolerance

By Lawrence Olaoye

V

ice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that words and platitudes won’t change people’s predisposition to intolerance, hate and prejudices but acts of deep humility and personal sacrifice, especially by leaders across board.

Osinbajo, who noted that the world is increasingly being plagued by activities of the agents of intolerance and religious extremism, made this observation yesterday in an address he delivered in Abu Dhabi at the opening session of the Sixth Assembly of the Forum for Promoting Peace organized by the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

He said “no amount of words or platitudes can change the human predisposition to prejudice and parochialism. Only acts of deep humility and personal sacrifice can.

“There is no question at all that this is the responsibility leadership places on those of us who are religious and political leaders in our countries.

“The responsibility of leadership is not just words, it is not text, it is not just laws. The responsibility of leadership is self-sacrifice, it is putting our reputation on the line, it is putting our words into action.

“It is my respectful submission that the burden rests squarely on leaders, especially religious and political leaders, and others we may describe as the elite in our nations and communities.”

Continuing on the role of leaders

UniAbuja, JICA hold workshop on rice production

By Usman Shuaibu

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he Faculty of Agriculture, University of Abuja in partnership with Japan International Agency (JICA) on Tuesday hold a workshop on rice production and processing technology.

The three-day workshop will take place at permanent site of the University under the chairmanship of Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah.

The general public as well as stakeholders in agricultural sector are expected to grace the occasion.

However, Agbonika Dora in the Department of Agricultural Economics will be the presenter of the workshop.

of communities in promoting peaceful coexistence, Osinbajo said, “it is our role not only to articulate, as we are doing in this assembly today, the theoretical and doctrinal foundations for a more tolerant world, but more importantly, to make the personal sacrifices that would compel our societies to commit themselves to lifestyles of tolerance.”

Speaking on how technology and globalization can also be used in promoting hate and intolerance, the Vice President said leaders who exemplified selflessness and love are better positioned to reverse the negative trend.

He said, “The defining paradox of our world today is that, thanks to technology and globalization, we

have never been more connected than we are today, and at the same time, we have probably never been more divided than we are today, and this is the handiwork of agents of intolerance who weaponize our fear of the ‘other’.

“In recent years, we have witnessed a rise of religious extremism, right wing populism and ultra-nationalism. We have seen extremists hijack the symbols and letters of the faiths and use them to prosecute violent campaigns that violate the sanctity of human life on a global scale: ISIS, ISWAP, Boko Haram etc.

“Therefore, if we are to prevent an endless cycle of strife and conflict, tolerance is a necessity.”

The Vice President added that

it was the responsibility of leaders, “especially religious and political leaders, and the elite in our nations and communities, to bear the torch of tolerance and illuminate new pathways to a shared future.”

Citing the examples of some community and religious leaders in Nigeria who offered their lives to save people of different faiths from theirs, Osinbajo urged leaders of groups and communities to imbibe the principles of tolerance and empathy.

According to him, “the great conflict of our time is not between Islam and Christianity, or between Islam and other religions, but between extremism and human solidarity, between the forces of hate and intolerance and those of

empathy and peace – that is the great conflict today.

“We must emphasize the central place of the principle of empathy; this is a thread that runs through our moral traditions, and is summed up in the Golden Rule in the words of Jesus Christ where he said, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Jesus Christ goes further to say that “we must love our enemies; we must even pray for our enemies.”

“This is the notion of selfsacrifice. In other words, all of these is summed up in the general principle that we must treat others as we ourselves would like to be treated, and this is embedded in the Abrahamic traditions and other major religions,” he stressed.

L-R: President, Women Arise (WA), Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin; Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 2, Onikan, Ahmed Iliyasu; Deputy Commissioner (DC), Investigation and Intelligent Department, Abdul Kadiri Jimoh; and DC, Prisons Operation, Friday Buko, during Okei-Odumakin’s visit to the AIG office to commemorate the 2019 World Anti Corruption Day, yesterday in Lagos . Photo: NAN

Winners emerge at 2019 Scripture Union quiz comp

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

W

inners at the weekend emerged from the 2019 Scripture Union (SU) bible quiz competition, carting away different prices, in founding television set, home theater, electric fan, refrigerator, among others award items.

The overall winner of 2019 National Youth Bible Quiz competition, Miss Jegede Treasure speaking shortly after emerging the overall winner in the competition, expressed gratitude to God for seeing her through to the top of the championship.

She said that the SU Youth Bible Quiz has helped her to draw closer to God, adding that she also discovered that all answers to life questions are contained in the scripture.

She went home with the

following start prize; 32 inches LED TV set and Home Theatre, with DVD. Also, 32 inches LED TV set and DVD went to second runner up, while Table Top Refrigerator went to the third runner up, other categories winners going home with electric fans, and other awards.

Speaking on the objective of the annual bible quiz competition, the Head of Department Scripture Union (Nig) Schools, Pastor John Nwaoha, noted that the principal aim of the competition was to help youths of this generation cultivate the habit of daily bible reading.

He said meeting their God daily and balancing the development of human intellect which parents place premium on with the spiritual side of their lives, will give them better focus to life.

While appraising the performance of the participants at

the 2019 edition of the competition, Nwaoha applauded their performance, noting that there was remarkable improvement compared to previous editions.

Similarly, the Executive Director Scripture Union (Nig) Press and Book Ltd, Godwin Egu, who attributed the social crisis facing the world today as sign of end time, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to do a lot more to focus governance in building the economy.

Speaking at the grand finale of the 2019 National Youth Bible Quiz competition organized by Scripture Union (Nig), in Abuja, he said that successive administration has not done enough in growing the economy, hence the continued escalation of unemployment in the country.

The Executive Director explained that the 2019 National

Youth Bible Quiz competition was designed to motivate younger generation to read the bible so as to draw close to God and be better citizens who obey the law and respect constituted authorities.

“With critical mass of youths who understands the virtue of God, the country will be better for it as Nigeria will have citizens who will not be given to crime, gangsterism, drug addition, cultism and other sundry crimes that youths of this generation are engulfed in,” he further explained.

While attributing the rising wave of crime in the society to clandestine activities of false prophets and fake pastors, Egu said that the gospel of Christ preached by true savants of God transforms lives and character while the mundane and materialistic preaching of fake pastors drive their followers to crime.

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

PAGE 10

News Kaduna govt. assures on zero tolerance to gender-based violence From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

K

aduna State Government has vowed to ensure a zero tolerance to gender-based violence in the state.

The State Commissioner for Social Development and Human Services, Hajiya Hafsat Baba, disclosed this during a walk against genderbased violence in Kaduna State.

Hasfat stated that the state is observing the 16 Days of Activism against all forms of gender-based violence and the is a walk involves every single person to create awareness in Nigeria and Kaduna State,” she said. “ We want justice for the victims and punishment for those perpetrating any of these crimes. In Kaduna, we don’t tolerate any kind of violence.

“That is why the Acting Governor, Commissioners and other top government functionaries and many civil society groups and the media are joining in this walk. It an important walk from NEPA roundabout to Sir Ibrahim Kashim house,” she said.

The Acting Governor of the state Hajiya Hadiza Balarabe led a walk which commenced from NEPA roundabout to Sir Ibrahim Kashim House.

The walk is part of activities marking this year’s 16 Days of Activism, an annual event that raises public awareness on rape, gender-based violence and gender inclusion issues.

It also aims to pressure relevant government authorities and stakeholders, including religious leaders, to do more to stop all forms of gender-based violence in society.

Bauchi to reduce out-of-school children by 15 percent in 2020 -Official From Ahmad Mohammed, Bauchi

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he Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has announced plans to reduce the number of outof-school children in the state in the 2019/2020 academic session by 15 per cent.

State Chairman of SUBEB, Dr Abubakar Sheikh Dahiru stated this when he paid a high level sensitization visit to the Emirs of Bauchi, Misau, Jama’are and Dass in the state.

He said the programme would be done through the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA), which is a programme in collaboration with the Federal Government State Government and World Bank, to mop up no fewer than 70, 000 children off the streets.

He said, the partnership is as a result of data from the Nigeria

Education Data Survey (NEDS) 2015, which put the statistics of outof-school children in Bauchi State at 1.3million which is the highest number in the North Eastern Part of the Country Dr Surumbai said we have already commenced the programme and Bauchi state is making effort to reach its 2019 target before the year runs out we will mop out these children off the streets yearly by 15 per cent. We are giving in all our best because of the danger, the menace poses to the future of our children, all action plans, all deliveries and tools have been put in place, meetings have been concluded for the mop up of such out-of-school children for the 2019 15 per cent target.”

Dr Surumbai said, “The programme which was commenced in 2017 and will end in 2022 and Bauchi State government is giving its counterpart funding by either

renovation, expanding the present schools or building new ones in the places where all these challenges are identified, we are happy that the new administration of Governor Mohammed Bala Abdulkadir has keyed into the UBEC programme to see that all challenges in the Education sector are addressed,’’ Chairman said unlike the previous programmes BESDA programme is result-oriented as there are indices to check as we mop the age group back to school, we will attract intervention from the World Bank.’

He expressed confidence that the target would be met this year as a result of the present administration’s drive to resuscitate the sector by providing the needed counterpart funding to woo investment in that regard.

In their separate remarks the Emirs pledged to give their support to the programme and directed all

Tsangaya stake holders parents in their domains to accept the programme to reduce the high number of out of school children in the state.

Emir of Bauchi Alhaji Rilwanu Suleimanu Adamu blamed the highest number of out- school children in the state to the high number of Internal Displaced Person that come to Bauchi from the neighboring states where there is the problems of security challenges.

Emir of Misau, Alhaji Ahmed Suleiman and the Emir of Jamaare Ahaji Ahmadu Muhammadu Wabi and the Emir of Dass Usman Bilyaminu Othman pledged to take BESDA campaign to all the stakeholders for the development of their areas.

He appealed to SUBEB chairman to put more classrooms for renovation and construct more classes in their schools.

Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare,, Minister of State for Transportation, Gbemi Saraki, , Chairman,NIDCOM, Abike Dabari-Erewa, Prof. Wole Soyinka, and Former INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega , Minister of communications and Digital Economy , Dr. Isa Ibrahim Patani during the . Unveiling of EFCC book on «Curbing Electoral Spending” at a one-day summit organized by agencies of FMOT and EFCC yesterday at the State House, Abuja. .

Kaduna: Expert bemoans inadequate funding on malaria fight From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

K

aduna State Technical Officer, Malaria Consortium, Dr Finma Augustine, has expressed dismay over inadequate funding to quash Malaria menace in the state.

He stated this during advocacy focused media meeting held in Kaduna yesterday.

He, however, said there must be accountability and judicious use of commodities, saying while

the partners are ready to support in the fight against Malaria via donations of commodities, it is logical for them to demand transparency in disbursement and use of such commodities In his remark, Director Epidemiology and Disease Control, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Aliyu Aminu, advised that it is time civil society organizations should start looking for means to eradicate

the Malaria parasites instead of treatment.

Giving credence to this, the Programme Manager, State Malaria Elimination Programme, Yusuf Mohammed, said they will work with CSOs to reduce malaria parasites menace in the state.

Speaking earlier, Programme Officer Civil Society in Malaria Control, Immunization and Nutrition, (ACOMIN), Mr Ogidi Nicodemus said there is an

urgent need to have Malaria champions in the state to help in fighting the menace .

He called for more private sectors involvement in the fight against Malaria in order to achieve the desired result.

The project is being implemented in the thirteen GF supported states Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Kwara, Niger, Taraba, Gombe, Yobe, Adamawa, Ogun, Osun and Delta.

Senator Bala Na’allah commended over TV, Radio stations in Zuru From Ahmed Idris Birnin Kebbi

V

eteran Journalist and Public Relations Consultant, Abubakar Bagudu Kalgo has commended the bold effort of Senator Bala Ibn na Allah for establishing Radio and Television Stations in Zuru describing it as one of the

most remarkable achievements so far under the current dispensation in Kebbi State.

He stated this while fielding questions from newsmen in the development adding that as worthy Ambassador of Kebbi South in the Senate, the initiative could aptly be described as “Responding to

the needs and circumstances of the Society” by the Distinguish Senator.

“The Stations will put to rest years of agitation and calls for inclusiveness by people of Kebbi South Senatorial Zone who have been in total media blackout for decades : resulting in the absence of two flow way

of information dissemination in the axis” he added.

The Media Consultant opined that establishment of the media Stations will spur accelerated progress and development in the Zone as many opportunities and Investment potentials would be showcased to the outside World

for optimal utilisation.

He said despite the presence of NTA Sub Station and Kebbi Radio Station in Zuru: successive Administrations at Federal and State levels have not placed due priority to make them active in line with the yearnings and Aspirations of the populace.

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

PAGE 11

Letter to the Editor

EDITORIAL

Nigeria’s dirtiest city

Corruption takes down Kalu

S

enator Orji Uzor Kalu, himself a former state governor, was Thursday, last week, sentenced to 12 years in prison for a multi-billion naira fraud he committed while in office.

He was the governor of Abia state between 1999 and 2007. Kalu was first arrested on July 11, 2007, on charges of corruption and was later released on bail The former governor was found guilty of a 34-count charge of fraud and money laundering to the tune of 7.65 billion naira (21.1 million US. dollars) by a federal high court in Lagos. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria’s main anti-graft agency, led the prosecution against Kalu. According to EFCC, the former governor used the bank account of his company, Slok Nigeria Limited, to defraud the Abia state government between August 2001 and October 2005.

is clear upon the facts before this court that the prosecution had this case conclusively investigated before opting to bring this charge against the defendants.

In other words, the prosecution did an in-depth and conclusive investigation. In totality, I, sincerely, cannot find my way clear in finding these defendants not guilty of the offences charged.

Having reviewed all that has been provided by the prosecution in terms of oral and documentary evidence, I am Two or three inclined to resolve important things the singular issue to take away for determination favour of the from this case. in prosecution herein.”

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One, Kalu is the third former governor after Jolly Nyame and Joshua Dariye, that the EFCC has been able to take to trial and win

Kalu was charged alongside a former commissioner for finance, Jones Udeogo. As an accomplice, he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. The court also ruled that the Slok Nig. Ltd. should be wound up and its assets forfeited to the Nigerian government.

The judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, hailed the good job EFCC did of the investigation. “No gaps were left unfilled. This is the acceptable standard,” he said. “I hold the view that the prosecution has established its case against the defendants; it did not fall short of the standard required by law in money laundering offences. It OUR MISSION

Two or three important things to take away from this case. One, Kalu is the third former governor after Jolly Nyame and Joshua Dariye, that the EFCC has been able to take to trial and win. In the past, high profile cases had foundered in court because of poor investigation. Kudos to EFCC for getting it right now. Secondly, all three convictions have been achieved in the lifespan of the Buhari government. This indicates that the war against graft is very much alive. Thirdly, Orji Kalu is an All Progressives Congress (APC) senator and the majority leader in the Senate. The fact that President Muhammadu Buhari, the APC leader, did not shield Kalu but allowed the trial to go ahead takes the wind out of the sail of the opposition that says the onslaught on corruption is one-sided. In the EFCC net, all fish is fish as it has turned out.

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Chairman “To be the market Malam Wada Maida, place of ideas and Oon, Fnge the leading player in the industry by putting the people first, upholding the Chief Operating Officer Editor, Daily truth, maintaining the Hameed M. Bello, PhD highest professional and ethical standards while Manager, administration delivering value to Hassan Hammanyaji our stakeholders”

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By Justus B. Obekpah

L

ocated on the banks of the River Benue, the historically accommodating North Central Nigerian city of Makurdi does offer, in relative abundance, natural, idyllic and strategic features that should ordinarily make it a pleasant place of abode for its inhabitants. Beyond these critical advantages that the riverine metropolis is imbued with, Benue State in general is endowed with political and intellectual elites whose knowledge, wisdom and hard work, if responsibly and systematically applied, would have by now greatly transformed the squalid and riotous landscape of its backward communities of which the state capital is today a telling example of administrative blight and political truancy at their most egregious and retrogressive.

That Makurdi is now an eyesore is an understatement. It is arguably the world’s dirtiest city. Let’s scrutinize five main areas of concern, namely, sanitation, flooding and lack of adequate drainage, the ‘Okada’ menace, illegal ‘street’ motor parks and illegal street markets and how they negatively impact the citizens and their socioeconomic aspirations for better, more fulfilling and decent lives.

Sanitation.

The Refuse Conundrum. Mountains upon mountains of decomposing and unsightly refuse litter the entire environment , without exception, including around key landmarks like the Benue State University’s main campus, the Teaching Hospital, the Federal Medical Centre, the Old GRA and Benue Hotel. Major arteries like Gboko Road, Otukpo Road, Abu King Shiluwa Road, Atiku Abubakar Way; entire neighbourhoods like the overcrowded and raucous High Level, Akpehe, Gyado Villa, Idye Nender, shanties around Wurukum and Wadata , all these places are so bushy or decrepit, disorderly and noisy, with stench-infested and debris-filled open gutters (where there are any) perpetually fouling the atmosphere that any talk of decent living there is a mirage. It is as if there is no government in Benue. Refuse management is near-zero or mostly incompetent, with the crazy and dangerous habit these days of residents having to leave their rubbish on street dividers , much of it flying in the wind and thereby making the town roads much dirtier.

Domestic Waste Management. Still on sanitation, domestic waste management leaves much to be desired. A lot of buildings in Makurdi do not have running water and there is no law or requirement compelling owners of houses to install pipe-borne water for household functions, including human waste evacuation. The situation is so bad that even in the highbrow Judges Quarters, one witnesses the unnerving presence of pit latrines. And to further complicate matters, people are busy raising all sorts of animals, pigs included, in residential areas! Again, the Judges Quarters enclave is also home to this kind of unhealthy, though rampant but illegal practice.

Noise Pollution.

Another aspect of environmental sanitation that is crucial to the quality of life is that which has to do with the matter of noise pollution and its nefarious consequences. It requires mentioning that Lagos State is today leading the way in fine-tuning legislative and punitive measures regarding this huge problem confronting our society.

Whether it is perpetrated by worship centres, commercial entertainment outfits or by ordinary neighbours, noise pollution can be detrimental to health and as such should not be tolerated by citizens.

Rainfall, Flooding and Lack of adequate Drainage The attitude on the part of the state government to the handling of rainfall and attendant problems like the perennial flooding has been nonchalant, to put it mildly. Compared to the rural areas, it doesn’t rain much in Makurdi, at least not at levels that cannot be sufficiently managed with a drainage infrastructure that is in tune with the ecological realities of the place. Even the periodical flooding occasioned by water released from faraway dams ought to be handled appropriately if the political will were there. The terrible inundation of 2012 that befell much of the state capital and its environs did see the federal government responding in a responsible and adequate manner. Funds were released for the establishment of a proper drainage system around the city as well as the rehabilitation of properties that were damaged by that calamity. Huge amounts of those funds were said to have been embezzled with no consequences to the perpetrators of such brazen criminality. Today, tentativeness and lackadaisical posturing are still the order of the day regarding the government’s treatment of natural disasters and critical environmental issues.

Traffic Chaos and related matters. If there is any traffic policy in place in Makurdi, it has only succeeded in rendering Makurdi roads and neighbourhoods a permanent bedlam of hellish and boisterous, if illegal ‘street’ motor parks, unlicensed riders of tricycles, also known as ‘Keke’, a nightmarish swarm of mostly used, rickety and accident-prone motor bikes (‘Okada’) ridden by mainly hardened urchins and dangerous criminals, many of whom were recruited from the rural areas as

peasant thugs to help the PDP’s rigging agenda. Most of these Okada riders are barely literate, are ignorant of traffic regulations, are averse to the latter, bear no legitimate ‘driving’ licences and were unleashed on the society as ‘entrepreneurs’ at the end of the 2019 electoral fiasco. Nowadays, often disheveled in appearance and bad-mannered, the Okada riders are responsible for most traffic accidents. They have become a nuisance and a terrible threat to the safety and security of the society. In the evenings mostly, they reportedly commit robberies and other crimes against passengers and non-passengers alike. It is hardly surprising that where there are progressive governments having political will like in the case of the FCTA and Lagos, both corrective and preventive measures of mass transit commuting, amongst others, have been adopted to tackle the Okada menace. Strategies should also be put in place to encourage the taxi business in especially Makurdi where operators are increasingly complaining of a stiff decline in patronage. In the final analysis, it is a secure transport system and related structures that can, amongst other benefits, sustain a pivotal industry like tourism.

In Makurdi, the unseemly phenomenon of illegal ‘street’ motor parks has a negative ecological and economic impact. The main entrances to the town, from the North and South of the country, are clogged (at approximately the level of the Food Basket roundabout right to the Benue State University and the commercial banks on the Old Otukpo Road ) by chaotic scenes of street motor parks that have developed side by side authorized motor parks and rowdy illegal street markets. This is a case of environmental degradation at its most deplorable. It is an avoidable defacement of what should otherwise be prime advertisements for the city and its dwellers.

Distressingly, these illegal motor parks and markets popping up everywhere, like the other illegal economic activities, are a big drain on the economy when one considers the fact that the International Market along Senator George Akume Way is pretty idle or underutilized, thereby depriving the state of much needed internally generated revenue by way of taxes. We have it on good authority that these illegal economic activities are persisting mostly because highly placed individuals in government or close to people in government are unduly benefitting from the extortionist and thieving schemes of crooked so-called tax agents . As a pointer to what can be done differently, next-door Nasarawa State has a law banning illegal and unauthorized street markets.

It has recently been enforcing that law in Lafia and other localities.

It is truly heart-wrenching that a government worth that name would allow such maddening tableaux of dissembling barbarity and ugliness to assault our individual and collective sensibilities, all in the name of trading, in such a quotidian and dastardly fashion with seemingly nothing being done to put a stop to the orgies of urban depravity and mayhem. Significantly, in order to get a full grasp of why sustainable development is eluding our urban centres and the state in general, it is important to situate such failure of governance in its proper perspective.

In Makurdi, a sinister and worrying scenario is at play. For some time now, conmen and forces of hedonistic immorality and greed, primitive accumulation and remorseless self-enrichment have been allowed to invade and take over our public spaces. These forces of evil are misguidedly running down both the centre and the state’s periphery without any countervailing influences ready or willing to take up the patriotic challenge of dislodging the heathens. It is an act extreme short sightedness for decent citizens to remain in their relative comfort zones and opt to do nothing.

This is a clarion call. The nation must never allow reprobates of every hue, dangerous thugs and their sponsors inflicted with an agbero-like cum pigsty mentality, not to mention an Augean Stables syndrome, to continue destroying our sense of community through the systematic spoliation of an otherwise habitable cynosure that we should joyously bequeath to our children and grandchildren.

As a potent metaphor for the emancipation of other blighted communities like Gboko, Katsina-Ala and Otukpo, the state capital deserves to be salvaged from its anarchical environment of filth, disorder and criminality. Our vision is its transformation into a truly modern city capable of attracting investors, tourists, educationists, students from far and wide, etc. In order to make the capital and other areas of the state conducive to human habitation in our postmodern world, the governments at all levels should be willing and politically savvy enough to be ready to hire or attract the services of forward-looking town planners, managers, developers, environmentalists, architects, businessmen, economists, artistes and artisans alike. In short, there needs to be a conscious effort to move Makurdi away from its current undeserved image as an atrociously dirty city of ubiquitous ghastliness, penury and pandemonium.

Obekpah wrote in from Makurdi

PAGE 12

Opinion

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

Religious comedy: The abuse of religions

By Auwal Ahmed Ibrahim Goronyo

I

t is blasphemy not a joke the way some comedian actors use religious imitations and names to crack laughter.

To me is never a joke for someone to use religious rites to play pun. Religion is a sacred doctrine that requires special respect from all humanity.

The law of Nigeria forbids the use of discreed words on the religions of people by any means or use any display that disputes the ethics of any religion.

The Federal Republic of Nigeria operates two court systems and both systems can punish for blasphemy. The Constitution provides a Customary (secular) system and a system that incorporates Sharia. The Customary system prohibits blasphemy by section 204 of Nigeria’s Criminal Code.

Section 204 defined blasphemy in a simple term as an “Insult to religion”. The section of the constitution states that: “Any person who does an act which any class of persons consider as a public insult on their religion, with the intention that they should consider the act such an insult, and any person who does an unlawful act with the knowledge that any class of persons will consider it such an insult, is guilty of a misdemeanour, and is liable to imprisonment for two years.”

There is no doubt that most if not all Nigerian comedians are entangled to this unlawful act of blasphemy. Comedians seek fund through fun and abuse peoples’ religions while the people pay exuberant amount as gate pass, seat behind, watch and laugh from the mess some comedians are doing to their own faith.

The most devastating thing of all these, is people of other faiths who have no knowledge and intellect of the religion of other people intentionally tend to dilute the religious rites of people. Meaning a Christian comedian plays with the religion of Muslims while the case goes to Muslims comedians.I look at this unlawful jest as

catastrophic incidence which will never yields an ideal divine endowment to our existence as humans of knowledge and religion.

The Bible has many references that forbid blasphemy and acts that disdain Jesus and Christianity; Exodus Ch.22:28 says, ‘ Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.’ and Psalm 22:23 talks about how Christians should honour Jesus. It says ‘You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!’

God created all of us to worship Him and He said “Do you think we created you to play that makes you doubt of coming back to us?” Qur’an, Al-Muminuun, 115. while, the case is the same with other religions because there is no religion that entertains mockery on itself. In Islam, it is said when people become loose to their religion, the people will become wayward and lost the Lord’s glory.

Our comedians in home and outside plunged into blasphemy to crack jokes for payment. Recently, in August, Comedian Sarah Silverman in her play said “Jesus Is Magic.” The statement triggered one of the pastors in Florida which called her “a witch,” “jezebel” and wish for her “untimely death” because the preacher believed that Jesus is not a toy.

The Black Jesus comedy by Quappiah Comedy is an abuse of religion and a direct

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ridicule to the Holy Jesus. The act is a subvertion to Christianity which is aimed to adulterate the minds of Christians adherents. Also, the Yooyo production of the Hungry Pastor is a loath and obscence video to children and the people at large.

The video is obscure to pastors which are men of truth and respect.

Chinedu Ani Emmanuel an Igbo Christian who is popular known as Sister Nnkechi and Alhaji Musa can never do justice to Islamic religion and the culture of Hausa people he is imitating to make living. His plays are full of flaws to the condition of Hausa cultural norms and values. Truly, Chinedu is sabotaging every effort of Islamic teaching and its values while, his randy attitudes of womanising in his comic films are not only parallel to the dignity of a Muslim Hausa man he is representing but subjugating the good conducts of Islamic virtues. Even the Muslim comedians participate in this deregulatory act. The ‘Mazaje ne’ funeral prayer comedy is a slap on Islamic clerics because Islam has endowed Muslims with armful protective prayers and if an Imam (Islamic Teacher) will run from a ghost or a dead resurrected body it means Islam is insuffient. Lots of similar videos from Arabs and Nigerians circulating on the internet are only posing threats to our religions and ridiculing the adherents.

People should rise to protect their religions before they fades away and

Truly, Chinedu is sabotaging every effort of Islamic teaching and its values while, his randy attitudes of womanising in his comic films are not only parallel to the dignity of a Muslim Hausa man he is representing but subjugating the good conducts of Islamic virtues.

become puppets in the hands of the coming generation by constituting committees among them to halt this doom that is befalling our existence, surely the act is envoking the wrath of the God upon people.

Nigerians are always decrying for retrogressive changes and with all the good effort of our leaders the country is facing some difficulties to progress and peace, and no doubt the effect is from our woes because we pay for mocking and abusing of the Lord that we lay our lives and prospects.

The authority should stand to this and enact laws that will look at the display and write-ups of comedians to reduce our burdens of atroties to the entire nation.

The authority concern should not only rely on prosecuting offenders but should also create platforms and channels to create awareness to the danger of this dooming act.

The clerics of all religions should stand before their congregation and admonish the adherents on the effects of the nonchalant attitudes of fighting the God. They should let their people know how those dehumane attitudes are putting the country at stake of jeopardy.

Nigerian government should not neglect to take very drastic measures on this creeping jeopardy because of our volatile nature and to save our vulnerable youths from religious dilution and waywardness. Religion is one of the cardinal guidance of man’s thought that provides serene admosphere of peace and tranquility. Religion is the soccour of human minds against odds and misery and when it is loose lots of people will not have borders of committing atrocities. No matter what we should give respect to our religions because of the rewards we are certain to reap in the hereafter.

Auwal Ahmed Ibrahim Goronyo is a lecturer of Mass Communication in Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna

Indigenous experts can develop Nigeria

By Joseph Udo

N

ot all that glitters is gold,” is a popular adage. Yet, in Nigeria, we seem to keep trying to get gold only from glittering gems when we can save resources and accelerate development of the Nigerian economy by appointing proven experts who have been successful locally rather than ‘import’ technocrats to do the job.

I am not saying that there is no value in inviting Nigerian talents who are based overseas to come and contribute to development in the country, but my worry is the frequent reliance on such technocrats to bail us out. What I remember most about some of such technocrats who get appointments to lead critical government ministries and agencies is their foreign accent and rich social network (some are even classmates with world leaders in Great Britain and the United States, and often drop those names in public discussions).

Besides these social etiquettes, I only remember the lengthy and controversial discussions in the public sphere about

what policy suits the international community (of which they are postulates) and what Nigerians actually need (which they feel is not right). And you wonder how they would ever understand what Nigerians need when they do not feel the pain of sitting in traffic for long hours, sleeping at night with mosquitoes humming because there is no electricity to power the fan or air-conditioning system in the sitting room, walking a long distance to the village stream to fetch water, watching your children return from school in the morning because you are unable to pay school fees, drinking ‘garri and groundnut’ for lunch at work because you can’t afford anything better, and crying along with your sick child because you don’t have money to take him to the hospital and no one is willing to lend you some money.

This article will avoid highlighting examples of ‘foreign technocrats’ who have performed below par and let us down. But readers can pick their choice from immediate past governments and failed institutions in the country. Not all that glitters is gold, definitely. Given our

peculiar circumstances, having degrees from the best university in the world and leading a world-renowned organisation do not imply that a particular candidate would be successful in our local clime.

I believe that first-hand understanding of our local environment should be mandatory in most cases. As such I would like our leaders who take decisions on appointments to take a cue from sports coaches, especially experienced football coaches who often select ‘form over class.’ For example, a club side recruits a marquee player for about £50m, but after a few matches the coach notices that the player is yet to adapt to the club and the league. Instead of continuing to use the celebrated player to please fans, an experienced coach will leave him on the bench and use another player who is in form and can perform better. That is why is you see coaches’ substitute or bench star players in a match even when they are not injured.

The joy is that if you look around you will find a handful of Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in various fields and are ready to contribute at the top

level. We can find such ‘in form’ Nigerians in corporate institutions and government agencies. They have been in Nigeria most of their lives and know common practices and what should be best practices. The transformation of the agricultural sector in the previous administration is a classic example of a job well done by an ‘in form’ Nigerian. Lagos State government has pioneered several successful projects in taxation, and other areas, led by ‘in form’ Nigerians. And there are many more examples in government agencies, corporate institutions and Small and Medium Enterprises.

Another opportunity is here to start afresh as the federal government and some states ponder appointments to key positions. ‘Class’ epitomised by foreign degrees and experience like fine wine is what we all crave – but where it has not been tested in our local environment, I would suggest that indigenous (in form) experts should be nominated for assured high performance and economic reconstruction.

Udo sent in this piece via josephfudo@gmail.com

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

PAGE 13

Comment

100 Fake Professors: Pointer to larger frames of challenge

By Jerome-Mario Utomi

W

riting on the topic; The Questions Every Entrepreneur Must Answer, Amar Bhide, Professor at Harvard University, among other remarks, noted that formulating a sound strategy is more basic to an organization than resolving hiring issues, designing control systems, setting reporting relationship or defining the founder’s role.

Ventures based on a good strategy can survive confusion and poor leadership, but sophisticated control systems and organizational structure cannot compensate for an unsound strategy.

As an escape route, he advised entrepreneurs to always put their strategies to the following four tests; is the strategy well defined? Can the strategy generate sufficient profit and growth? Is the strategy sustainable? Are my goals for growth too conservative or too aggressive?

Each time I remember the news recently published by the National Universities Commission (NUC), where Abubakar Rasheed, the Executive Secretary, inter alia announced that the commission has uncovered about 100 fake professors across Nigerian universities, it does not only leave me lost in the maze of high voltage confusion of what the nation’s education sector has become but naturally allows the warnings by Amar Bhide, come flooding.

Expectedly, since our ‘national culture’ towards public institutions in the country tends to reflect a management system, that anticipates and appreciates sympathy/ excuses more than objective criticism, especially now that NUC –as the regulatory agency, claims to have evidence of a farreaching recommendation of basic rules guiding the appointment of full professors in their latest published version (2017) of the Directory of Full Professors in the Nigerian university system, such sign of diligence, in the estimation of some Nigerians is enough to absolve NUC of being culpable in this event, without looking at other areas the Commission failed in its responsibilities.

Conversely, not only will the above offer NUC advocates considerable potentials to

absolve the Commission of all wrongdoing but discredit this piece with such poser; what is the correlation between Bhide’s admonition and 100 fake Professors? Or what is the link with the general challenge fronting education sector in Nigeria since that admonition was private-sector specific? What business has government institutions such as the NUC got to do with Bhide’s business ideology that is roundly profit-centred?

Without doubt, thinking along such a narrow axis remains a sign of nonunderstanding that the same quality required for success in private organizations are similar to qualities needed for achieving sustainable growth in public institutions.

Just as factors that impede success in private institutions also undermines and engineers failures in public institutions.

For a better understanding of this piece, there is first an important distinction to make.

Though the news about the advent of fake Professors sowed confusion, portrays the country as a space drained of its national will and dangerously diverted attention from real threat deserving of healthy and appropriate fear, it is, however, imperative to note that the interest of this piece is to underline how lack of well-defined strategy, unsustained policies and other mirage of challenges such as the ‘fake Professors’ daily retard educational development in Nigeria.

Essentially, the problem of Nigerian universities, going by records started a long time ago. Before independence in 1960, Nigeria had only one university, University College, Ibadan, which then was an appendage of the University of London.

This, the colonial masters and Nigerian nationalists reasoned would not be adequate for the country which was going to be independent and would require high-level manpower to build and sustain its economic and infrastructural needs. It thus, set up the Sir Eric Ashby commission in 1959, to identify the high-level manpower needs of the country for the future.

The committee report recommended that education was, indeed, the bedrock for our nation’s national economic expansion and

the social emancipation of the individuals.

Toward this end, it recommended the establishment of four federal universities in the country and prescribed some vital courses for them to undertake. These universities were established as follows; University of Nigeria, Nsukka, (1960), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria(1962), University of Ife, Ile-Ife(1962), The University of Lagos, Lagos(1962), and the University of Ibadan, first established as University College, Ibadan in 1948. In 1972, the University of Benin was established. By 1999; Nigeria had 41 universities made of 25 Federals, 12 states and four privately owned. And today, the nation is ‘blessed’ with over 170 universities.

During this period of ‘rapid growth in the number of universities in the country’, a judgemental error occurred- low investment/ inadequate funding of the sector crippled in. And is then, the consequences of such strategic mistake have refused to forgive the nation -as we can see from the continued low national growth.

To explain this fact, it is on public domain that inadequate funding by all strata of government remains the most fundamental challenge of education on our shore. This particular challenge is more pronounced in the government’s inabilities to complying with the United Nation Educational Scientific, and Cultural Organization [UNESCO] budgetary recommendation which states that any nation desirous of achieving a hypermodern development must allocate at least 20% of its annual budget to the educational sector.

This is against the nation’s 2019 budgetary allocation for education, which is about 7%.

Even the recurrent Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) face-off with the FG has its root on inadequate funding.

Now, these are the consequences of such wicked neglect.

The most alarming effect of perennial underfunding is that it has taken the sector to a level where Nigerian universities are now reputed for producing graduates that are extremely educated in negative values of life and ill-informed/misinformed in the values that promote life chances of citizens; impedes lecturers from carrying out scholarly

researches, truncates academic calendar with strike actions, lace Nigerian universities with dilapidated and overstretched learning facilities with the universities producing graduates devoid of linkage with the manpower demand by the nation’s industrial sector.

Under this arrangement, why can’t fake Professors appear on the nation’s tertiary institutions?

This may not be the only explanation.

Inconsistency in policies made by the government is another issue. Policy somersault from what experts are saying is usually driven by several panels set up by the government to recommend measures to enhance the qualities of education country.

The problem is not so much with the recommendation of the various panels but their poor implementation by those entrusted to do so.

Effect of such poor implementation manifested in the recent complaint by Shuaibu Ibrahim, Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), during a meeting with vice-chancellors and NUC, where he among other things express concern that some corps members’ degree certificates obtained from some prestigious universities were questionable. It further lays out the dilemma posed by the impact of a nation that is both certificate and title conscious as against skills development needed for both personal and national growth.

But like every ideological debate which comes with ‘productive innovation and destructive demagoguery’’, the NUC’s observation has the capacity to kick start real reforms of the sector if the government commits its resources in getting to the root of the challenge, in doing this, the potential consequence could be lower than that of other challenges currently ravaging the country.

To get started, the Nigerian government should work with like-minded individuals and organizations to define a new set of standards on issues that concern education.

Jerome-Mario Utomi (jeromeutomi@ yahoo.com) writes from Lagos.

How we are killing education In Nigeria

By Rabiu Oladele

T

hese are the things I hear each and every one of us want from our government to provide for us, but do you know that we are the cause of the reason they have not been doing what we want.

Education is what builds a nation. But since we all have neglect education, the government has their choice not to do it for us. They have noticed that we have misplaced our priorities.

You might want to wonder how am I a contributor to the inefficiency of the government to produce what’s needed towards education. I will like to let you know that for anyone/organization/politicians who want to get a desired result for any set goals, they put into consideration who their audience are and how to get their attention.

These leads them to making lot of research to be sure on how to get their desired results.

One of the best place to get attention of their audience is the cyber space which could also be the Social Media. What they do is to get to know what you and I do online, what is our interest, how do we respond to issues online.

After getting all these statistics, they put it in the proper usage to get our attention and manipulate the way we think.

Due to my professional career as a digital

marketer, I have the opportunity to follow up on online trending issues via various channel or platforms (Facebook, twitter, Instagram, google, etc…)

Some months ago, there was a serious argument online when someone from University of Nigeria Nnsuka graduated with 1st class and was awarded the sun of 10,000 naira only as compared to the winner of Big Brother Africa who is awarded millions of naira. To me, it’s not the fault of any organization that is not sponsoring educational activities, WE caused it. I will like you to do me a favor, go online and try to know what are the things Nigerians ask GOOGLE search engine and you will be surprise to see what the results are. Nigerians lack the will to learn. The response you will likely see are : how to tie GELE; how to dance SHAKU SHAKU; Wizkid music SOCO; who is the richest musician in Nigeria; BLACK PANTHER; NPOWER; How to prepare banger soup; BET9JA; NAIRABET; who is the best between RONALDO and MESSI; football FIXTURES and RESULT and so many un educating queries. Now, if any organization is ready to have a positive result towards the benefit of its organization, they will rather want to go along with what the audience wants and better organize a SHAKU SHAKU dance challenge which they

know they will get enough engagement from the audience and at the end, will gain more customers, so in return, they give out token to the winners.

Some weeks ago, there was an online trend of BANKS WAR in Nigeria and a lot of banks keeps using polite insult against each other. The bank (name withheld) that started it doesn’t just decided to do that, it had understudied that Twitter has become a savage country where people insult anyhow.

And obviously, the bank wasn’t getting enough engagement and they needed to do something to bring enough audience to their timeline, this definitely work out for them because for almost throughout that week, the trending issue was all about the BANKS WAR. In 2015, the politicians noticed that propaganda is what they could use to get the attention of the masses, then made use of it to their advantage, it helped the present ruling party to win that particular election. As a politician who already have the knowledge of what people are looking for online can also just make a promise that he will make sure he bring Cristiano Ronaldo to the country to train with the super eagles and a lot will fall for it because all we want is ENTERTAINMENT and FOOTBALL. If you try to get what the advanced countries like UK query the search engines,

you will see topics like; how to make money online, how to buy and sell bitcoin, where can i get the nearest library; where to get academic scholarship; how to get sponsors for academic research etc… these type of search engine queries is what will motivate and encourage organizations on developing contents that will encourage learning and at the same time organize events that will make people want to learn more Our priorities as human or even Nigerian citizens should not be misplaced. Yes, we can have fun, we can play but we shouldn’t sacrifice the ability to learn for jokes and having fun alone, you and I are the one that is making education going down the drain when we are not interested in learning, teaching and also re learning.

Let us try to work on ourselves and get to know more of the necessary things that we all need to improve our Nation Nigeria. It is said that if you want to kill a nation, kill education first and the nation is dead, so also if you want to build a nation, improve on the ability of people to learn and the nation will be great.

This is a reason why our founding fathers took education very serious and you can see the impact of that in the development of Nigeria then as against the Nigeria we have now.

Rabiu Oladele is a Public Affairs Analyst.

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PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

NEWS Gen. Abdulsalami’s son, brother emerge as Wakilin/ Walin Minna From Yakubu Minna

Mustapha,

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he Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Faruq Bahago, has bestowed the traditional title of Walin Minna Karami on Isah Dan Asabe Abubakar, the son of former Military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar.

He explained that the ex- Head

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he Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) will deploy 1,700 personnel to control traffic on highways across Ogun State during the Christmas festival.

The spokesperson of the agency in the state, Florence Okpe, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

Ms Okpe said the focus of the agency will be on the LagosIbadan expressway; Sagamu – Ijebu Ode ; Sagamu – Mosinmi – Ikorodu; Abeokuta – Sagamu; Abeokuta – Ibadan; Abeokuta – Ifo – Sango – Ota – Lagos corridors, as well as the Ota – Idiroko international corridor.

She said operational equipment has been provided to ensure the desired impact on the entire stretch of highways across Ogun State.

These include 35 patrol vehicles, four Advanced Life Support Ambulances, five patrol motorbikes, one heavyduty tow truck, Brethlisers for testing drivers for drugs and alcohol consumption and Excriciating machines for rescuing trapped crash victims She said FRSC personnel, assisted by sister security and emergency agencies, have been set up to ensure easy intervention in traffic distress from the boundaries of Ogun State with neighbouring states of Lagos, Oyo and Ondo.

“Traffic Rest Areas have also been established at Mowe ; Sagamu; Ogere; Ogunmakin ; IJebu – Ode ; Itori ; Ota and Abeokuta, where tired travellers could briefly rest before continuing their journey,” Ms Okpe said.

“Equally, all the FRSC Ambulances points in Ogun State located at ITORI; SAGAMU; IJEBU ODE and OGUNMAKIN, in addition to the night rescue teams at various FRSC formations would operate 24-hour Rescue Operations throughout the duration of the Special Patrol Operations.”

Ms Okpe said the command was also on aggressive motor parks public enlightenment campaigns across the state.

of States son deserves the title for following the footsteps of his father in attracting development to the emirate.

The two were turbaned at the weekend at the Emir’s Palace in Minna, hence, Isah Abubakar has become the holder of the Walin Minna in junior capacity while his father General Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar remained the substantive Walin Minna.

The monarch also installed the junior brother to the former Head of State, Mallam Yakubu Dan Asabe Abubakar as the Wakilin Minna.

He said that the philanthropic gesture of the recipients across the country were worthy of recognition and emulation.

According to him, “ I urge you to whole heartedly receive these titles which should not be seen

as burden. You should see the positions as opportunity to bring in good friends to the emirate. You are worthy of these titles because you have taken to the footsteps of your fathers in all aspects.”

The royal father urged them to remain dedicated and committed to the development of Minna Emirate, adding that their appointments were based on merit.

In a remark, Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello said that the appointees will bring to bear their wealth of experiences in the development of the emirate.

He advised them to always open their doors to the people of the state while commending the Emir of Minna for honouring them with the prestigious chieftaincy titles.

Christmas: FRSC deploys 1,700 personnel on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, others She said the FRSC has arranged with the NDLEA to conduct joint drug tests on drivers.

“In addition, eye examinations would be conducted in partnership with the National Optometric Association (NOA) , to ensure that only drivers with good eyesight are allowed to drive passengers during the Yuletide.”

The agency called on motorists traveling during this period to be extra careful and ensure their journeys are properly planned, with their

vehicles routinely serviced.

It also urged motorists to pay special attention to construction areas where overtaking is prohibited and maximum speed is pegged at 50km per hour, especially at construction zones where traffic is diverted’.

The Sector Commander, Clement Oladele, on his part urged motorists to imbibe the theme of this year’s Special Patrol Operations of ” Road Safety is a state of mind, traffic crash is an absence of mind – stay safe , stay alert.”

He warned that any motorist apprehended flouting traffic rules during the Yuletide may be treated as driving dangerously and could be prosecuted.

“The FRSC has concluded arrangements with the Ogun State Judiciary to intensify the conduct of mobile courts during the Yuletide to support the Special Patrol Operations across the road corridors in Ogun State’.

“The FRSC Ogun State Command, as customary would provide timely traffic situation on corridors across Ogun State, to guide motorists in having

seamless travel experience. This would be through social media and in conjunction with the print and electronic media’ “This traffic broadcast would also be available through the National Traffic Radio 107.1 FM Abuja, which can be streamed online.

“In case of a road traffic crash and obstruction, the FRSC could be reached on the FRSC toll-free number 122. Details of the Special Patrol Operations is available on www.frsc.gov. ng and www.facebook.com/frsc nigeria.”

Left, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the African, Caribbean and Pacific Heads of State and Government Summit 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya, and Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, at the opening ceremony on Monday, December 9.

Photo: MB&NP

EFCC receives 580 petitions, convicts 27

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he Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Kaduna Zonal Office, has received over 580 petitions and convicted 27 from January to date.

The Zonal Head, Mailafiya Yakubu, disclosed this after a walk from the EFCC Office as part of activity to mark the 2019 International Anti-corruption Day. Mr Yakubu also said the office

currently has about 100 cases ongoing in courts, adding that more would be convicted before the end of the year.

He said close to N300 million had been recovered and returned to people that have been defrauded within the period.

“Not only that, we have gotten interim forfeiture of 15 houses acquired through illicit means and currently working towards getting

final forfeiture.

“That we have been able to receive over 580 petitions in 11 months is an indication of public confidence in EFCC. “So far so good. We have gotten reasonable conviction and still counting and we will continue to arrest and prosecute, even on Christmas day,” he said.

He explained that the objective of the walk was to enlighten the

public on the ills of corruption and its negative effect on the society.

“We want the people to know that corruption is evil, dangerous and disastrous and the public must join the fight against all forms of corruption.

“I am happy that we have gotten the public on our side. This is a good achievement in the fight against corruption in the country,” Mr Yakubu added.(NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

Senate under fire as stakeholders condemn Hate Speech Bill

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

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orrent of attacks were launched at the Senate of the federal republic of Nigeria Monday in Abuja by participants at the Social Media Summit organised by MYEVENTS International.

The attacks launched at the Senate at the summit which held in the Auditorium of the Nigerian Airforce dwelled on the Bill prohibiting hate speech sponsored by Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC Niger North), proposing death penalty for offenders if eventually passed into law.

First to condemn the bill in its entirety and capital punishment prescribed, is the Chief Executive Officer of MYEVENTS, Miebaka Adoki who said “what Nigeria needed now is not busybody legislation but development driven ones”.

According to him, relevant laws of the land are there to take care of anything categorised as hate speech and besides , prescribing death penalty for that is complete hatred against freedom of speech itself which is unacceptable in a democracy.

“The bill is unwanted and not desirable in anyway. The social media needs to be regulated but not gagged under whatever guise.

“There are far more important issues in the land requiring legislative interventions that are not being addressed by the Senator sponsoring the Hate Speech bill or the Senate entertaining it”, he said.

He explained that the summit was organised to enlighten and empower the youths on how to make maximum benefits from the usage of mobile phones and other devices used for social media.

Also in his remarks at the occasion, a Professor from India and blogger, Kiruba Shankar said in as much as regulating the social media is necessary in tackling fake news and other forms of recklessness, prescribing death for such, is too high a price for anybody to pay.

“As government is trying to regulate social media in Nigeria, so also it is in India, but nobody is talking of death penalty for offence committed.

“The Nigerian Senate will have to in considering any bill before it in that respect , remove any provision that is draconian.

“The social media is a viable platform needed by any country whose people cherish freedom of speech, the very reason why we are here today to further encourage the Nigerian youths to make the best out of it in terms of effective communication and digital know-how”, he said.

In his own remarks, the Speaker of the Nigerian Youth Parliament, Hon Ulaka Adams said no amount of draconian legislation will take the social media away from the Nigeria media space.

“Any move to gag the press and in particular, the social media in Nigeria will be vehemently resisted. The earlier the Senate throws away any bill before it aiming at that, the better”, he said.

Open treasury portal to tackle public sector corruption - APC

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

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he All Progressives Congress (APC) has commended President Muhammadu Buhari on the launch of the Open Treasury Portal (OTP), saying it is another groundbreaking initiative that will tackle public sector corruption and plug leakages in the public treasury.

“The launch of OTP is yet another giant step in our pursuit of open governance, transparency, and anti-corruption fight electoral promises APC made to Nigerians”, a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu,

said.

It said also that those who want to do business with government should understand that henceforth, everything would be done in the open, adding that every Nigerian can now have access to every naira the government is making and every naira that the government is spending and on what it is being spent.

“In the fight against public sector corruption, the OTP complements other initiatives such as the administration’s full implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) which has increased the level of accountability and transparency

in the financial resources of the government. “stoppage of budget padding, contrary to what we witnessed throughout the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and pruning out thousands of ghost workers through stricter implementation of Integrated Personnel Payroll System (IPPIS)”, APC said in the statement.

It pointed out that to name a few of OTP’s requirements, all MDAs are to publish: daily reports of payments from N5m; monthly budget performance; quarterly financial statements; and annual financial statements prepared in compliance with

International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS).

“All the reports are to be published within stipulated deadlines on the OTP portal which will be open to and can be accessed by all. The APC administration invites all who mean well for the country to support ongoing efforts at plug g ing re ve nue le akag e , tackling graft and ultimately rebuilding our country.

“This is notwithstanding political and other affiliations.

Countries progress when government and citizens put the interest of the nation above any other consideration”, the statement concluded.

L-R: Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity/chairman of the occasion, Malam Garba Shehu presenting the ‘Man of the Year’ 2019 Award to Senator Dino Melaye, at the Kwararafa Reporters’ Awards Night, at the weekend in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

PDP tells Bode George, others: Don’t fight party leadership in Lagos

By Lateef Ibrahim

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he national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on all critical stakeholders and teeming members of its Lagos state chapter to close ranks, put aside all personal and parochial interests and work with the newly elected leadership in the state.

This, PDP leaders reasoned, will help to strengthen the party and provide the people of Lagos that credible platform to rescue their state from the strangulating and exploitative regime of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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

The National Working Committee stated that for the avoidance of doubt, the process that produced the elected Adedeji Doherty-led Lagos State Executive Committee followed all due process as stipulated by the PDP Constitution, the Party Guidelines, the Electoral Act; and without any whimsical interference by the national leadership.

The party maintained that all actions taken by its members in Lagos, in filling vacancies left either by resignations, defections and or death of occupants of those offices, followed due process.

The election of the new executive committee members in Lagos State, the PDP maintained, was a collective decision of the majority of the members in the state, taken in a determination to reposition the party for the challenges ahead; a development which ought to be commended by well-meaning leaders and members of our party.

The statement by the PDP reads, “The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has noted a media publication credited to Chief Olabode George, a former national deputy chairman of our party, wherein he reportedly made some allegations against the Prince Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee (NWC), with regard to the election of the Lagos State Executive Committee of our great party.

“Perusing the said publication, it is easily decipherable by all informed members and critical stakeholders that Chief George mixed up issues.

“We believe he did this inadvertently, and unfortunately came to an erroneous conclusion, probably because he does not have the correct facts on the matter at hand.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the NWC wishes to state that the process that produced the elected Adedeji Doherty-led Lagos State Executive Committee followed all due process as stipulated by the PDP Constitution, the Party Guidelines, the Electoral Act; and without any whimsical interference by the national leadership.

“All actions taken by our members in Lagos in filling vacancies left either by resignations, defections and or death of occupants of those offices followed due process.

“It was a collective decision of the majority of our members in the state taken in a determination to reposition our party for the challenges ahead; a development which ought to be commended by well-meaning leaders and members of our party.

“Nigerians, especially, Lagosians, are aware that PDP members and her supporters are in the majority in the state but have wondered over the years why the fortunes of the

party have not measured up to her numerical strength in successive general elections.

“No responsible and meaningful national party leadership and committed followership would allow a promising state chapter of her party, like the PDP, to be eternally polarized, balkanized and stifled, through continuous decimation of her membership due to unwarranted wrangling.

“The PDP therefore calls on all critical stakeholders and teeming members in Lagos state to close ranks, put aside all personal and parochial interests and work with the newly elected leadership to strengthen our party and provide Lagosians that credible platform to rescue their state from the strangulating and exploitative regime of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Indeed, Nigerians are looking up to our party for solutions and we must not fail them in getting the stage ready for the collective quest to retrieve the reins of governance from the anti-people, oppressive, incompetent, corrupt and vindictive APC at all levels”, it said.

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PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

politics

Goje to bow out of elective position, vows continue support for Gov Yahaya From David Hassan, Gombe

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enator representing Gombe Central, Danjuma Goje has said his carrier in the area of politics will soon put to rest as he announced his retirement in elective position.

He made this known in Gombe when he distributed items to empowered people of his constituency, the items which include cars, tricycles, and cash was aimed at putting his people first in politics.

He said he resolved to retire because he had achieved a lot in life, as well as pave way for others to contest.

“I am retiring from contesting elective post but not entirely from politics. I will remain an active member of my party APC as well as a supporter of President Buhari and Governor Inuwa Yahaya.

“I appreciate God and my people for giving me all the needed support,” he said.

According to him, their cooperation and support led to his success in all the seven political posts he contested and won.

Goje further said that a total of 12 cars, 90 tricycles, 114 motorcycles and Cash of N19.4 millions would be distributed to party Executives, from ward to states, as well as youths and women groups.

Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe commended Goje and assured to follow his footstep. He said he has directed the release of N500 million for the payment of retirees gratuity.

According to him, plight of the retirees who laboured for their father land remains a priority, adding that the local Government elections would soon be conducted in the state.

Oshiomhole ex-aide warns of imminent implosion in Edo APC

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo state, Charles has predicted implosion in Edo State Chapter of the party, ahead of the party primary election in the State.

He however called for the resignation of Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman of the party for lacking in character to save the party from collapse.

Idahosa, former Special Adviser to Oshiomhole disclosed

this at a Media briefing on Monday in Benin City, Edo State Capital in relation to APC crisis in the State where he repeated assertion that Governor, Godwin Obaseki will win the 2020 APC Governorship primaries in the State.

He said the ruling APC was gradually losing relevance over the overbearing influence of the Oshiomhole, former Governor of the State.

“Adams Oshiomhole as at that time was still carrying placards on the streets of Lagos and Abuja, protesting as a labour leader. That was when

we formed this party. We knew the roles he played that time.

“From the way we have seen issues, under Oshiomhole, APC is dying gradually and there is no way somebody like me can see issues and pretend not to see it”, Idahosa said.

According to him, Oshiomhole had been suspended said by his Ward, Local Government Area in Edo State and by the State Chapter of the party and that the only way out for him is to tender his resignation letter as he lacks the political acumen to lead the party but can best function as a

labour leader.

“That is one of the reasons I cannot keep quite. I am a founding father I see people just coming into the party to destroy it”, he said.

He assured that the state governor, Obaseki would get the party’s ticket whether through direct primaries or indirect primaries Idahosa also asked the former labour leader to take responsibility for the alleged refusal by the 12 lawmakerselect and two others whose seats had been declared by the State House of Assembly.

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he Federal Government has said that a committee led by the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum is already working on an arrangement that would enable states enjoy full control of the solid mineral resources in their domain.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Ernest Umakhihe, stated this on

politics

Gbajabiamila decries incessant military air crashes

By Christiana Ekpa

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he Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabimaila has regretted the incessant military air crashes in the country, describing it as frightening.

The Speaker who disclosed this at the opening ceremony of an investigative hearing of the House Committee on Air Force on “Incessant Non-Combatant Related Air Crashes by the Nigerian Air Force” at the National Assembly complex in Abuja on Monday said the number of air crashed between 2015 and 2019 at conservatively 8.

Recent checks indicated that the Nigerian Airforce had recorded at least 8 air mishaps between 2015 and now.

For instance, on 29th of August 2015, Nigeria Air Force Dornier 228 crashed in Kaduna. Similarly, on the 10th of October 10, 2015, the F-7Nl crashed with one (1) casualty, while on the 15th November 2016 In Makurdi, Augusta Westland 101 Helicopter crashed.

Also, on the 2nd of January 2019 in Damasak, Borno state, the Nigeria Air force (NAF) Ml-35M Helicopter crashed with 5 casualties, and on the 12th June 2019, another Nigeria Air Force Helicopter crashed in Katsina Airport with one (1) instructor pilot casualty.

On the 17th August 2019, Nigeria Air Force Air Beetle Aircraft crashed in Kaduna, and recently on the November 14, 2019, the Nigeria Air Force Helicopter crashed in Enugu.

While commending the Nigerian Air Force for being at the vanguard of the country’s airspace and security, Gbajabimaila said that the investigation was necessary to determine the cause and proffer solutions to the crashes.

He said: “The Nigerian Airforce plays an important role in our national security architecture. The Officers and men of the

•As Reps probe Nigerian Air Force behind closed doors Airforce provide air support for ground forces, transport materials and men, conduct recognizance mission to gather intelligence to support the security operations anywhere.

“They protect our skies through peace and conflict, often paying the ultimate price in the service of our father land. We have an obligation to support the airforce, provide them the resources they need for training and equipment and to ensure that the welfare of the men who wear the uniform.

“We are also required to ensure that the airforce and all men of the armed forces conduct their affairs with the highest integrity and fidelity to the mandate of military good conduct. Our gathering here today is in furtherance of that obligation.

Between 2015 and 2019, we have recorded at least 8 crashes of airforce aircraft in non combat missions.

“I have actually taken a look at the figures here and the number and the value is quite frightening. These crashes have led to the loss of human lives, have endangered property and created panic. It has also led to the loss of expensive military equipment at the time when limited resources already limited our ability to provide the equipment our armed forces requires for optimal operations.

“The House of Representatives has resolved to undertake into the immediate and remote causes of these air crashes and recommend ways of preventing future occurrences. We have also resolved to access the level of financial loss suffered by the country due to these crashes and examine the utility of the insurance coverage in reimbursing the government for losses, compensating the wounded and providing for the families of those who have lost their dear lives.

“It falls to the House of Representatives

Hon. Speaker, Femi Gbajabimaila Committee on Airforce to carry out this mandate and do so very quickly so that we can begin to take recommended actions to prevent future occurrences of this unfortunate incidence”.

In his welcome address, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Shehu Koko said that the list of crashes was not encouraging.

“The list is not encouraging given the calibre of dynamic leadership in the Nigeria Air Force. We therefore set to find out the problems; Is it funds? Is it capacity or anything extraneous? We are set to find out and proffer lasting solution to stop it for the

future of the Military and the safety of our personnel”, he said.

Making his remarks, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall, Sadiq Abubakar commended the Committee, the House of Representatives and Nigerians for taking more than a passing interest in the activities of the Nigerian Air Force.

“I am particularly also delighted that in addition recognising the enormous contributions of the officers and men to the security of Nigerians. Today, you have looked other areas where we are having some drawbacks and you are interested in what is going on. I think that is the tight way to follow.

“I want to therefore appreciate this initiative and I want to also say that for us in the airforce, expensive airplanes to ensure that our people fly safe and in terms of quality of training we have we have best quality of training. In terms of spare parts and other maintenance,we have ...2015 when the serviceability of aircraft was only 30 per cent. But today, as at left the office, serviceability status is 70 percent.

“So, personally, the government is doing everything human possible to support us and we are also doing everything human possible to ensure that life is saved. We have an armed forces attitude to safety that is particularly put in place on the issue of safe conduct for pilots and for those that are not pilots.

“As I speak to you, we have a number of instructor pilots and student pilots that are doing a safely flying activity. That is supposed to ensure they have what is required to be safe”, Abubakar said.

Meanwhile, the hearing continued behind closed doors as Journalists were excused by the Committee after the preliminary proceedings.

Why I’m proposing amendments to Electoral Act – Omo-Agege

D Gombe state Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya laying the 2020 budget proposal before the state House of Assembly, yesterday in Gombe

FG to empower states on solid mineral exploration, control

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi and Musa Adamu

PAGE 17

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

Monday as a panelist, at the joint retreat organised by the Senate Committee on National Planning and Economic Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja.

He was responding to a demand by panelists at the technical session who berated the current overbearing influence of the federal government on the nation’s resources and called for an arrangement that would make states to generate revenue to meet

the needs of their people.

Other panelists included Governor Kayode Fayemi, his counterpart from Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, a former Chairman of the National Planning Commission, Prof Ode Ojowu.

They all agreed a robust, inclusive and sustained national policy that would involve active participation of government at all levels was necessary to tackle the various social and economic challenges currently confronting

the nation.

Umakhihe noted that the era where states would rely on the monthly allocation from the federation account to meet their needs would soon be over as the federal government was already addressing certain aspects of resource control.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Ernest Umakhihe said State governments should get their priority right, adding that planning should

not be purely based on revenue allocation.

“States should device better way of generating revenue to meet the basic needs of their people. The emphasis at the National Economic Council is the diversification of the economy such that the states would become on their own self sufficient without relying heavily on the allocation from the federation account before they can execute some of their agenda.”

eputy Senate President, Ovie OmoAgege on Monday, said he had introduced a bill for comprehensive amendment of the Electoral Act No. 6 of 2010.

Omo-Agege said this at the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room Stakeholders Forum on Elections, organised by the coalition of more than 70 civil societies in Abuja.

He said the bill, co-sponsored with Abubakar Kyari, the senator representing Borno North Senatorial District, was now making its way to public hearing, having scaled Second Reading with overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate.

“It is a decisive response to a plethora of our Supreme Court’s decision inviting the National Assembly to make sensible amendments to the Electoral Act. “And I believe it is responsible for us to take the apex court’s constructive guidance on issues that fundamentally affect our democracy.

“This apart, Section 153 of the Electoral Act, 2010, as amended, specifically and expressly empowers INEC to “issue regulations, guidelines, or manuals for the purpose of giving effects to the provisions of this Act and for its administration thereof.

“The pervasive non-compliance with

the Guidelines, Regulations and Manuals, would carry clear consequences for people who think violating electoral due process is a rewarding exercise.

“The proposed Bill to amend the Electoral Act would focus on resolving issues surrounding INEC’s introduction of modern technologies into the electoral process, particularly accreditation of voters.’’

Omo-Agege said that the bill would also mandate INEC to publish the Voters’ Register for public scrutiny at every Registration Area and on its website, at least seven days before a general election.

He said it also mandates INEC to suspend an election in order to allow a political party that losses its candidate before or during an election to conduct a fresh primary to elect a replacement or new candidate.

He said the bill would grant agents of political parties the right to inspect original electoral materials before the commencement of election, define overvoting to include situations where “total votes cast also exceed total number of accredited voters’’.

The lawmaker said it also provides greater clarity and transparency in the process of reaching the final announcement of election results, starting with sorting of

ballots, counting of votes among others.

Mr Omo-Agege said the bill would mandate INEC to record and keep relevant detailed information of results sheets, ballot papers and other sensitive electoral materials used in an election, with clear consequences for violation.

He said the bill also provided sanctions for giving false information on registration of a political party, and that failure by INEC and others to comply with any provision of the Act carried clear and adequate sanctions.

INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, who was represented by Festus Okoye, Chairman Information and Voter Education, said the Commission was committed to electoral reforms that would strengthen the power and value of the vote.

Mr Yakubu said the Commission would work assiduously with critical stakeholders in the electoral process in providing clarity, removing ambiguities, plugging existing lacuna in laws and constitutionally implementing those aspects of the law that guaranteed the credibility of elections.

“The Commission will definitely send its proposals to the National Assembly to clearly state aspects of the existing Law it supports, aspects that need further retooling, and new proposals that will strengthen the electoral

process and the regulatory functions of the Commission.’’

Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was committed to tackling electoral fraud and violence through the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission.

Mr Malami who was represented by Juliet Ibekaku, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Ethics and Justice, said the government was already working with the 9th National Assembly with a view to ensuring an early passage of amendments to the Electoral Act and the Election Offences Commission Bill into law.

Earlier, Clement Nwankwo, Convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, said the objective of the event was to discuss the current state of the electoral environment in the country.

Mr Nwankwo said it also aimed to make recommendations and suggestions that would improve the political and electoral process in Nigeria.

“We believe INEC has the responsibility to be a key driver of the much needed change in the electoral sector,’’ he added.

(NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

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PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

Stock Watch: Monday, December 9, 2019 Low

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NNPC, NARTO, Others join forces to combat Pipeline Vandalism

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has forged a formidable alliance with some key stakeholders in the Downstream Sector of the Petroleum Industry with a view to stamping out the ugly incidences of oil pipeline vandalism while ultimately sustaining the prevailing sanity in the supply and distribution of Petroleum Products across the country.

The Acting Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Samson Makoji in a statement said leading a team of critical stakeholders to the site of a recent oilpipeline fire in Baruwa Community, Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos, Engr. Yemi Adetunji, Chief Operating Officer, Downstream of the NNPC, said it had become imperative for players and stakeholders in the Industry to come on board with the corporation in its effort to stamp out the ugly menace.

He said the fire incident of

Youths disseminate consumer messages better, says CPC DG

By Miriam Humbe

C

hief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, (FCCPC), Mr. Babatunde Irukera has said that some of the most important people to pass the message of rights on consumer issues are the young.

Irukera said this at the 5th edition of the National Young Consumer Contest award giving ceremony, organized by the FCCPC in Abuja on Monday.

Themed: Making the Digital Market Place Fairer, the contest was participated in by over 106 schools in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The CEO who said that the young people understand the importance of messaging and how best to disseminate such messages described the event as an opportunity to explore the youthful minds with the essence of creating healthy competition among them.

He challenged educators and regulators alike to rise to the occasion and help the youth to find inspiration in their passions, and to provide the young ones with the means to express their passions.

He challenged the students to brace up for more knowledge and inspiration saying that, "What makes you great is what is inside of you and not what is in the books alone".

5THDecember, 2019 which was immediately extinguished within 24 hours with subsequent restoration of the affected line, was one ugly episode which must not be allowed to fester, especially in the System 2B Pipeline Network which serves as an invaluable corridor for seamless supply of petroleum products.

He noted that last year there was a fire outbreak in the same Baruwa community and this year two incidences were reported in November and December, saying security agencies and the local community must rise up to the

challenge and secure oil pipeline facilities which he described as critical national assets.

The COO, however, assured that the Baruwa pipeline attacks would not affect the current seamless supply and distribution of petroleum products nationwide, even as he added that the corporation had emplaced a reliable product supply mechanism to handle situations of this nature.

Mr. Aloga Ogbogo, the Executive Secretary, National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) said that the protection of oil pipeline infrastructure should be the

responsibility of every well-meaning Nigerian.

Comrade Salmon Oladiti, National Chairman of Petroleum Tanker Drivers branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), affirmed the commitment of his members to work with NNPC to combat the activities of oil thieves and pipeline hackers.

He said PTD prohibited its members from partaking in the illicit transport of stolen products because it views it as an act of economic sabotage.

The Chairman of Peace Estate

Development Association, Engr.

Omojowo Adedeji, said that the entire residents of the estate, which borders the scene of incessant attacks, fully aligned with the renewed drive by the NNPC to stamp out the illicit trade in stolen oil within and around the community.

Alhaji Khalid Baruwa, the Bale of Baruwa Community also identified with the push by the corporation to tackle the issue headlong.

He stressed the need to fortify surveillance around the community with clear demarcation of pipeline Right-of-Way.

L-R: Board Chairman, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) , Otunba Femi Pedro, Member of the Board and Vice President, Eastern Zone of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Mrs. Ekama Akpan and the Director General SMEDAN, Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda, during the Agency board and Management meeting for the development of Small and Medium enterprise in Nigeria , yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-owo

Dangote to partner Government in building inclusive economy

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Dangote Group has reiterated its commitment towards partnering various tiers of Governments in the country, in building sustainable, and inclusive economy for the benefit of all Nigerians.

In this regard, the Group said it has concluded plans to scale up investment in the agricultural sector, in response to the on-going public policy focus of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Group made the disclosure on Sunday in Kano, during a ceremony organised to mark it’s ‘Special Day’, at the on-going 40 th Kano International Trade Fair, noting that it particularly, intends expanding its sugar industry.

Mansur Ahmed, Group Executive Director, strategy and governmental relations, who represented the President/CE, Aliko Dangote at the Special Day, hinted that as part of the Company `s support to the development of agric sector, the 3 million ton per year Fertilizer Plant it is developing is set for commissioning early next year.

Aliko said that the Conglomerate also intends kick-starting the developing of six Large Scale Rice Milling Plants to be situated in six northern states namely Kano, Jigawa, Zamfara, Niger, Kebbi, and Sokoto, with a combined total milling capacity of 1.5 million per annum.

He said Dangote`s growing investment in the agric sector, is to complement the existing and

continuing investments being made in other sectors, such as: Cement, Salt and other consumer products.

“We are also, as some of you may be aware, significantly involved in the Oil and Gas sector, with an on-going construction of one of the World`s Largest Petroleum Refinery which we hope to commission within the next 12 to 15 months.

“This will not only put an end to the embarrassing importation of products into our crude oil rich country, but will also significantly boost our intraAfrican trade position”, told at large gathering participants at the event.

Dangote commended Federal Government’s policy, as efforts to bring Nigeria back on track, adding that such policy initiatives are necessary, if the nation is to attain sustainable economic development and poverty alleviation.

“I must also commend the leadership of KACCIMA for the very apt theme of this year’s edition of the Fair: Promoting Agricultural Value Chain for Nigeria`s Sustainable Economic Development.

“Clearly, given the current focus of both the Federal Government and the Kano State and indeed most other states in the country on the Agricultural Sector as the only incontestable route for the revival and sustained growth of the Nigerian Economy, there can be no more pertinent subject matter to which we should direct the attention of all the participants at this Fair.

“This is especially so in Kano which had in the past been recognized as the leading Agro-Industrial hub not only in Nigeria, but indeed for the entire Sahelian region of Africa. I have no doubt that a few of us in this gathering can remember, with some nostalgia I hope, the sights, sounds and smells of a bustling industrial life that hit you as you approach Bompai and Sharada Industrial in the 1960s and 1970s.

“Those bustling industries which were clearly the manufacturing components of a carefully planned Agricultural Value Chain Linkages, including Groundnuts, Leather, Cotton, etc, created the dynamic Kano economy of the 1960s and 70s which helped sustain and consolidate Kano`s long –standing status as the great Entrepot of the Trans –Saharan Trade Route.

“I have no doubt that had our leaders continued to develop those value chains our experiences as people and as a Nation, over the past half a century, would have been incredibly different and certainly much more pleasant” he stated.

He noted that regrettably Military misadventure into the nation`s socioeconomic and political development which precipitated the civic war and its attendance oil curse, changed the steady and orderly economy attainment.

“But we must thank Allah for our current leaders and their efforts to bring us back to our sense. For

it is incontestable that for Nigeria and indeed for Africa, the route to sustainable economic development and poverty alleviation is through the effective exploitation of our enormous agricultural resources.

“President Buhari `s insistence that we cannot expect to achieve development and modernization until we create the capacity to produce what we consume. It is only by developing our agriculture along its various value chains that we can ensure sustainable, inclusive economic growth that create jobs for the teeming youthful population.

“This is especially true for our State. Indeed it was the neglect of this most sensible strategy that led to the decimation of Kano `s thriving industrial capacity, throwing our huge population of youths into unemployment and the majority of our citizens into abject poverty” he pointed out.

He urged Kano state to re-capture its past economic glory as the current shift towards agro-industrial development by the Federal Government represents a golden opportunity for it to do so.

“Restoring Kano `s once thriving Agro-Industrial capacity is to my mind a golden opportunity for the State to recapture its past glory. This is even truer at this auspicious time when the whole of Africa is turning to look inwards for the peoples `salvation through the on-going African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) Agreement.

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

Page 20

ICT

Danbatta is now Nigeria’s Security Emergency Management Ambassador

By Etuka Sunday

F

or his significant contribution to the Federal Government’s agenda aimed at improving security of lives and property through leveraging Information Technology facilities, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, has been recognised as Nigeria’s Goodwill Ambassador for Security and Emergency Management in Nigeria.

This is following his efforts towards fast-tracking implementation of Emergency Communication centres (ECCs) especially at a time the country is faced with a number of security situations, as before his appointment in 2015 no single emergency communications center was operational in the country but Nigeria boasts on 18 centers now.

Danbatta received the recognition at the first-ever Security and Emergency Management Awards (SAEMA 2019)

organised in Abuja by the Emergency Digest, a publication of Image Merchants Promotion Limited, in conjunction with the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC).

At the event, which was attended by many stakeholders, particularly agencies in the security governance sector, Danbatta beat other contenders and nominees in the category to emerge winner for his proactive decision to activate and oxygenate the implementation of ECC across states of the Federation and federal capital territory (FCT), Abuja.

The Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Henry Nkemadu in a statement said, the NCC, as a corporate entity, was also recognised with the Corporate Social responsibility Award in Security and Emergency Management in the country.

On assuming office as EVC of NCC in 2015, Danbatta quickly put machinery in place to accelerate the implementation of ECC across the country in line with the

decision of the Nigerian government to enhance security of lives and properties in the country and in line with the provision of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003.

Danbatta’s decision was based on his recognition of the NCC’s mandate in this regard, which is to promote and enhance public safety through the use of a particular number which shall be designed as the universal safety and emergency assistance number for telephone services generally; as well as encourage and facilitate the prompt deployment throughout Nigeria of seamless, ubiquitous and reliable endto-end infrastructure for emergency communications needs.

Consequently, the Danbatta-led NCC has fully activated and operationalised ECC in 17 States across the country and the FCT. The list of the states include Benue, Kwara, Plateau, Kaduna , Kano, Katsina, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo, edo, Akwa Ibom, Cross Rivers,

Imo, Enugu, Anambra and Adamawa.

Speaking during the presentation of the award to the EVC, the Chairman of Panel of Jury for SAEMA 2019, Mohammed AuduBida, said nominations for winners were based on verifiable outstanding performance and track record of excellence in the category for which the nomination was made.

According to him, a total of 254 entries were received for all the categories, out of which 136 nominees qualified for the competition. Thereafter, 54 finalists were selected by the jury from which 18 winners of the 18 categories emerged.

The Awards is instituted to recognise remarkable and invaluable contributions to the security, emergency management and peace development by individuals, groups and relevant stakeholders. The Award also recognises gallantry, rescue efforts, safety measures, teamwork and outstanding contributions to security and emergency management in Nigeria.

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

By Stanley Onyekwere

I

n a bid to ensure the attainment of food security, the FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat (ARDS) is to intensify efforts in creating awareness amongst residents particularly farmers on the dangers of the Aflatoxin chemical infection in food crops.

The Director of Administration and Finance of the ARDS, Mr. Ibe Prospect Chukwuemeka stated this at an interactive session with members of the Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa (PACA), an advocacy group that is providing support for the adoption of proven solutions towards mitigating the impact of Aflatoxin in the quest to attain food security.

Ibe expressed concern on the increase in the rate of Aflatoxin contamination in food crops.

He stressed the need for a well-coordinated approach and

Page 21

METRO

Food security: ARDS to sensitise FCT residents on aflatoxin control, prevention collaboration with well-meaning organizations such as PACA to share ideas with relevant authorities and create awareness on Aflatoxin prevention along the value chain from crop production, to processing to preparation for consumption.

This, according to him is in addition to the dire health effects in both human and animalw; and diseases such as hepatitis, liver and lung infections have been linked to the presence of the toxins, which also causes stunted growth in children.

He added that animals that are fed with contaminated food can pass thetoxins to eggs and milk and meat.

He however disclosed that the Agric Secretariat has intensified efforts in reaching out to farmers through its extension workers to not only sensitise them on crops that are prone to the contamination but also teach them best practices before, during and harvesting stages as well as storage practices.

Earlier in her address, the Country Officer of PACA, Mrs. Stella Denloye disclosed that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has categorized the Aflatoxin as one of the most toxic substance found in nature.

Mrs. Denloye specifically listed some of the crops prone to Aflatoxin infection as rice, corn,

nuts, maize, cereals etc.

She noted that records from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) indicates that about 25% of food crops produced world-wide are contaminated by Aflatoxins which is a threat to security.

She added that that the degree of contamination in food crops are determined by the soil type, temperature as well as storage conditions.

Explaining further, she opined that preventive measures require both pre and post-harvest activities that will enhance the capacity of plants to resist fungal formation and growth.

She said PACA is

implementing programmes in the FCT that supports capacity building as well as scientific researches to prevent and manage Aflatoxin.

While thanking the group for the visit, the Director, Agric Services Dr. Nkem Akanegbu emphasized the need for pre and post-harvest Aflatoxin testing as on measure that can help in identifying the presence of the toxin in crops.

She assured them of the preparedness of the Secretariat to collaborate with the group especially in the training Agric extension workers not just for the benefit of farmers but also guarantee food security.

Evolution and Future Generation of TV: The LG Transformation

By Etuka Sunday

T

elevisions can be found in billions of homes around the world. But 100 years ago, nobody even knew what a television was. Since replacing radio as the most popular mass medium in the 1950s, television has played such an integral role in modern life that, for some, it is difficult to imagine being without it. Both reflecting and shaping cultural values, television has at times been criticized for its alleged negative influences on children and young people and at other times lauded for its ability to create a common experience for all its viewers.

How such a ground-breaking technology turn from a niche invention to a living room mainstay remains one of the most interesting story about human development over the last decades.

Interestingly, the world’s first electronic television was created by a 21 year old inventor named Philo Taylor Farnsworth. That inventor lived in a house without electricity until he was age 14. Starting in high school, he began to think of a system that could capture moving images, transform those images into code, then move those images along radio waves to different devices.

We can see the advancement and the evolutionary journey of how the TV resolution and picture quality have improved in the last 20 years. The changeover from analog to digital television technology was a slow process, and it wasn’t until the mid-1990s that HDTV broadcasting began. At that time, most HDTVs were plasma TVs, which were expensive, so HDTV adoption was slow. By the mid-2000s however, affordable 40inch LCDs started to be sold.

By the end of the decade, LCD HDTVs were outselling traditional cathode ray tube (CRT) TVs as well as plasma TVs. Post HDTVs, companies started looking for newer technologies that could be offered to consumers.

The last few years have including curved screens, high dynamic range (HDR), smart TVs, OLED TVs, and 4K. Now with the hyperrealist detail and picture quality of 8K available to consumers, the next generation of TVs are upon us.

One of the major factors that influence TV preference in many homes today is the picture quality.

In the last two decades, LG has taken a lead in the adoption of Artificial Intelligence, 8K technology; dived into gaming innovation, Nano Cell, OLED, projector and introduced some of the best TVs with high-quality resolution. It’s a range of TVs has covered all the new innovations in OLED TVs, NanoCell TVs, ULTRA HD 4K TVs, Full HD Smart TVs and Full HDTVs. According to Mr. Vanjamin Kim, General Manager, Home Electronics Division at LG Electronics West Africa, “Life’s about more than having the latest technology. It’s about

the experiences technology creates.

Beyond technology, the picture quality of our TV is second to none. We are a pacesetter in the industry and we will continue to deliver consumer electronics that let you embrace life and prepare you for its greatest moments.

“LG Electronics designs consumer electronics that are intuitive, responsive and energy efficient so you can spend wisely, be more productive and lessen the impact on the world around you. We’re committed to providing electronics that work best for the way you live and to keeping you updated with the latest technological advances. After all, life’s better when you’re prepared.

“LG guarantees memorable, cinematic viewing sessions with LG 8K OLED TV and 8K NanoCellTV that feature Cinema HDR, encompassing support for Dolby Vision and Advanced HDR byTechnicolor up to 4K and HLG and HDR 10 up to 8K.

LG’s first Ultra Short Throw (UST) 4K UHDCineBeam Laser projector produces amazingly sharp and largescale images”, he said.

Most recently, LG’s mainstream OLED TV line-up which include the B9, C9, E9 and W9 (wallpaper) ranges have become some of the most-sought after TVs. LG B9 and C9 come with a slim design without distinctive design elements, whereas E9 has a glass design and W9 has the special wallpaper design with a separate electronics box that doubles as a soundbar with Dolby Atmos.

This makes the actual W9 screen extremely thin.

The company said that it is planning to increase its focus on large-format TVs as market data reveals that consumers have a big appetitive for 70”+ TVs. In this segment, LCD TVs rule as they are much more affordable.

With plans in top gear to introduce HDMI 2.1 in its high-end TVs, LG is

also partnering with other global companies to disrupt the market with hi-tech innovations. The company is partnering with Apple, Google, Alexa among others to further enrich customer experience.

LG AI TVs are the first with the Google Assistant and Alexa, using LG ThinQ AI technology to become the center for your connected home.

The Airplay 2 support coming by way of Apple also enables streaming of iTunes movies and TV shows.

There will be a host of visual enhancements with the new Alpha A9 (Gen. 2) processor, for better colour correction and support for 120fps frame rates on high-end LG TVs – and, more importantly, the first of rollable OLED television, the LG Signature Series OLED TV R. Many industry experts believe LG will be playing a major role in the future of TV evolution in areas of innovation, picture quality, AI and other groundbreaking features.

Cross section of beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer of National cash Transfer programme during the 2019 international anti corruption day event focus on the cash transfer, theme “Highlighting the Impact of Using Recovery Asset to Alleviate Poverty in Nigeria” at Kuje area council, yesterday in Abuja,

Karu Monarch harps on support for private schools

By Stanley Onyekwere

T

he Esu of Karu, Pharm.

Luka Panye, has called on the government to support the management of private schools, as it’s critical to tackling the enormous challenges in education sector.

In particular, the Monarch noted that the management of private schools should not be left in hands of private individuals.

Panye, who made this call during a scholarship award ceremony in Delchi Academy Angwan Adamu, Nasarawa State, that Represented by the

Galadima of Karu, Mr. Godwin Gabe, the monarch commended the founder of Delchi Academy, Prince Emmanuel Ezewuiro for his result-oriented and the management of the school.

On his part, chairman of the occasion, Barrister Linda Okenwa said that Delchi Academy

accommodates practically all of its pupils in all Nigeria languages and foreign nations.

Similarly, chairman of Karu local government of Nasarawa State, represented by Alhaji Ado Karshi, explained that the people of Karu are happy that Shiloh Global Development

Empowerment Foundation could bring scholarship to their people.

Karshi said the local government will do all what it could to stand by Shiloh Global in order to carry out all the exercise while supporting our children educationally.

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

Page 22

world news

N

international_peoplesdailyng@yahoo.com

‘No political bias’ in FBI probe of Trump campaign

A

US watchdog has found no evidence of political bias when the FBI launched a probe into the 2016 Trump campaign, despite “serious performance failures”.

The US Department of Justice inspector general’s report concluded the law enforcement bureau had “authorised purpose” to initiate the inquiry.

But the report also found applications to spy on a Trump aide had “significant inaccuracies and omissions”.

The 476-page report provides fodder for Trump critics and supporters alike.

Inspector General Michael Horowitz first announced the Department of Justice investigation in March last year.

Since then, he has reviewed more than one million records and conducted over 100 interviews.

The FBI launched its inquiry in 2016 to look for any collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government before the US presidential election.

The watchdog’s report sought to assess the basis for the FBI’s surveillance of Carter Page, a former

Trump campaign adviser who had lived and worked in Russia.

Mr Horowitz’s report found the FBI’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with agency rules.

But the inspector general identified 17 “significant inaccuracies or omissions” when the FBI applied to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (Fisa) for surveillance warrants to monitor the communications of former Trump campaign adviser

Carter Page.

The watchdog said the errors resulted in “applications that made it appear that the information supporting probable cause was stronger than was actually the case”.

“That so many basic and fundamental errors were made on four Fisa applications by three separate, hand-picked teams, on one of the most sensitive FBI investigations... raised significant

questions regarding the FBI chain of command’s management and supervision of the Fisa process,” the report says.

The watchdog also faulted how the FBI presented the work of former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele, who authored the so-called Steele dossier - a series of largely unsubstantiated allegations about Mr Trump.

Mr Steele was hired to do the

Public counter-terror training course launched by police

F

ree online training for the public on how to react to a terrorism incident is being made available by police.

The course devised by UK counterterrorism officers and experts was previously only open to company staff working in crowded places such as shopping centres.

Counter Terrorism Policing is inviting people to take the course and become so-called CT Citizens.

Police said the move was not in response to the London Bridge attack.

But the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said the 29 November incident, which left two people dead,

was a “stark reminder” of the “ongoing threat and the need for vigilance”.

Called ACT Awareness, the training comprises seven modules and takes 45 minutes to complete.

Users are asked give details including an email and home address in order to register for the course.

Registration can then take up to seven days to complete, according to the website.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Lucy D’Orsi, senior national coordinator for protective security at the an attack is highly likely - on 4 November.

What can you expect from the course?

The seven modules aim to teach you the essentials - how to identify security risks and what to do about them.

Actors play out scenarios in most sections, before you’re asked to flag risks and quizzed on how you should act.

The scenarios - including a bomb threat phone call - are all designed to teach you what to do when.

Other videos are more direct - do you know how wide to set up a cordon for a suspicious package? 100m for a briefcase, 200m for a car and 400m for a lorry.

research through a law firm on behalf of Mr Trump’s political opponents, including Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

Mr Horowitz said the FBI “overstated the significance” of Mr Steele’s past work when asserting it had been “corroborated and used in criminal proceedings”.

The watchdog also said the FBI left out relevant information about one of Mr Steele’s sources, whom Mr Steele himself had called a “boaster” prone to “embellishment”.

US Attorney General William Barr issued a statement on Monday undercutting the inspector general’s main conclusion that there was enough evidence for the FBI to launch its investigation of the Trump campaign.

“The Inspector General’s report now makes clear that the FBI launched an intrusive investigation of a US presidential campaign on the thinnest of suspicions that, in my view, were insufficient to justify the steps taken,” America’s top law official said.

President Donald Trump commented on the report ahead of its release, tweeting on Sunday that it would be “the big story”.

Pensacola attack is presumed terrorism - FBI The FBI says it is treating Friday’s deadly attack on a Florida navy base as a presumed terrorist attack.

The Saudi gunman - who was training at the Pensacola site - killed three sailors before he was shot dead.

Special agent Rachel Rojas said the FBI was trying to determine if he had acted alone or had connections to a group.

She said other Saudi students had been questioned but not arrested. They were reportedly confined to the base and co-operating with investigators.

The victims of the attack have been named as Joshua Kaleb Watson, 23, Mohammed Sameh Haitham, 19, and Cameron Scott Walters, 21.

The US Navy said the sailors “showed exceptional heroism and bravery in the face of evil”.

In Sunday’s press conference, Ms Rojas gave almost no details of the investigation’s findings so far.

Media captionRachel Rojas says there is no new ‘credible’ threat following the shooting

However, she did say that the gunman, 21-year-old Mohammed Alshamrani, bought his weapon legally in the US. It was a 9mm handgun.

It has been reported in US media that Alshamrani played mass-shooting videos to others at a dinner earlier in the week, according to an anonymous official briefed on the investigation.

A Twitter user appearing to match Alshamrani’s identity also made a series of anti-US posts before the shooting, an online monitoring group says.

Alshamrani had also filed a formal complaint against one of his instructors over a nickname which he said had humiliated him.

Alshamrani alleged the instructor had called him “Porn Stash”, an apparent reference to the moustache of a porn actor, in front of 10 other aviation students in April.

“I was infuriated as to why he would say that in front of the class,” Alshamrani wrote in the complaint, the New York Times reported.

At a separate press conference on Sunday,

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the gunman had “a major social media trail” and called for more stringent security measures.

“This guy was somebody who just had a deep-seated hatred for the United States and that was pretty clear from that,” he said.

“My view is that... for us to be bringing in these foreign nationals, you have to take precautions to protect the country.”

Why were Saudis at the US base?

The Pensacola base has long offered aviation training to foreign military forces.

Saudi pilots started training there in 1995, alongside other personnel from Italy, Singapore and Germany.

Cpt Kinsella Jnr said that about 200 international students were enrolled in programmes there. According to its website, the base employs more than 16,000 military and 7,400 civilian personnel.

Alshamrani was a second lieutenant in the Saudi Air Force.

Earlier US Defence Secretary Mark Esper ordered a review of the screening process for

F

She will be the third female prime minister in the Nordic country.

What is Ms Marin’s background?

Media reports say Sanna Marin was raised in a “rainbow family”, living in a rented apartment with her mother and her mother’s female partner.

She told the Menaiset website (in Finnish) in 2015 that as a child she felt “invisible” because she was unable to talk openly about her family.

But she said her mother had always been supportive and made her believe she could do anything she wanted.

She was the first person in her family to go to university.

Ms Marin rose quickly through the ranks of the Social Democrats, heading the city administration in Tampere at the age of 27 and becoming an MP in 2015.

She has been transport and communications minister since June and has a 22-month-old daughter.

Analysts say it may be a coincidence that Finland now has a female prime minister and four party leaders in the ruling coalition who are women, but gender equality is a big issue in Finland and women in Finnish politics have been bubbling under for a long time.

A couple of decades ago, researchers noticed that many parties had young women in prominent positions, either second or third in command, Reetta Siukola, development manager at the Centre for Gender Equality Information, told the BBC. There have been two female prime ministers this century, though both were short-lived.

Indeed women, especially younger women,

e w s

Gunshots fired to chase away swarms of locusts

P

eople in the self-declared republic of Somaliland have started shooting at swarms of locusts to try to drive them away.

In other locust-affected areas, including Ethiopia and Somalia, people have been banging pots and pans to try to frighten them away.

The United Nations has described the current locust infestation in the Horn of Africa as extremely serious. In some areas, farmers have lost their entire crops to the pests.

Somaliland’s agriculture minister, Ahmed Mumin Seed, confirmed to BBC Somali that locals were shooting at the locusts, but this was “not good”.

“In the coming two days, we are sending cars with spray chemicals and other equipment that people can use. We will deploy these to all regions affected by the locusts,” he added.

A swarm of the Red Locusts 20 kilometres north of the town of Sakaraha, south west Madagascar on April 27, 2013

Veteran antiapartheid activist Ben Turok dies

A

prominent South African anti-apartheid activist, Ben Turok, has died at the age

Rachel Rojas says there is no new ‘credible’ threat following the shooting foreign military in the US. Mr Esper told Fox News Sunday he had instructed top defence officials to look into security measures at bases.

Finnish minister Sanna Marin, 34, to become world’s youngest PM

inland’s Sanna Marin is to become the world’s youngest prime minister at the age of 34.

The transport minister was picked by her Social Democratic party after its leader, Antti Rinne, quit as PM. She will be sworn in this week.

She will lead a centre-left coalition with four other parties, all headed by women, three of whom are under 35.

Mr Rinne stepped down after losing the confidence of a coalition member over his handling of a postal strike.

When she takes office, Ms Marin will be the world’s youngest sitting prime minister. New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern is 39, while Ukrainian premier Oleksiy Honcharuk is 35.

Women MPs say abuse forcing them from politics

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

have always been active in Finnish politics, and in recent years the public has come to expect 40% or more women ministers in its governments.

That changed in 2015, when the relatively male-dominated centre-right government of Juha Sipila took power - only 36% of its ministers were female.

Combined with the rise of the #MeToo movement worldwide, this was a huge wake-up call for gender equality advocates prompting a very active civil society discussion, Ms Siukola says.

What direction is Ms Marin likely to take?

There are unlikely to be any major policy changes, as the coalition agreed a programme when it took office.

Source: BBC

of 92.

He was a lifelong member of the African National Congress (ANC), but became a fierce critic of the corruption within its ranks after it took power in 1994.

“He was always outspoken and dedicated his whole life to fighting for freedom, equality and social justice in South Africa,” his son Ivan Turok said in the statement.

“He was a loyal, lifetime member of the ANC, but retained an independent perspective throughout. His wisdom and counsel will be sorely missed,” he added.

Local media reported that Turok - an economics professor who was also a former member of the South African Communist Party (SACP) - had been in hospital in Cape Town for some time.

He had spent three years in prison for his anti-apartheid activities,and later went into exile before returning to South Africa after the unbanning of the ANC, SACP and other political movements in 1990.

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Angolan ex-president’s son on trial for corruption

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he son of Angola’s former president has gone on trial for corruption.

Jose Filomeno dos Santos and his coaccused, former central bank governor Valter Filipe, helped spirit $0.5bn (£0.4bn) out of the country during his time as head of Angola’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, prosecutors say.

They have pleaded not guilty.

The case is being seen as a test of the country’s commitment to undoing the corruption that flourished during the four-decade rule of former President Jose Eduardo dos Santos.

Two years ago, his son, better known as Zenu, was untouchable - a member of the all-powerful Dos Santos family whose influence seemed to reach into every corner of Angola.

So, his trial in the capital, Luanda, is an extraordinary moment for a famously corrupt, impoverished and oil-rich country.

In 2017, Jose Eduardo dos Santos stepped down after 38 years in power.

But his successor, João Lourenço, from the same governing party, abruptly turned against the Dos Santos clan and promised reforms and a clean-up.

Across Africa, ageing liberation parties are busy trying to reinvent themselves - pushing out old leaders, vowing to modernise, determined to hold on to power. So far, the results have been, at best, mixed.

Jose Filomeno dos Santos is the first member of the former president’s family to be put on trial

Scandal-hit SA rail firm put into administration

S

outh Africa’s state-owned rail company has been put into administration.

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has dissolved the interim board, saying it had done nothing to improve services.

The Passenger Rail Agency has

been accused of irregular expenditure amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.

The company has been beset by other problems, including ordering trains that were not suited for South African rail lines.

The country’s transport sector has been struggling in recent months.

The state-owned airline company, South African Airways, is close to financial collapse, with flights grounded in November due to strike action.

Flashy Nairobi governor pleads not guilty to corruption

T

he flamboyant governor of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, has pleaded not guilty to more than 30 counts of corruption, including money laundering and receiving bribes.

Mike Sonko is accused of making more than

$3m (£2.3m) through unlawful activities.

The court was surrounded by riot police after Mr Sonko’s supporters called for protests.

He is a controversial figure and has already spent time in jail.

He models himself on American rappers, wearing expensive jewellery, and golden hats and shoes.

He runs fleets of personally branded fire trucks, ambulances and hearses to assist slum dwellers.

Anger in Ghana over ‘snub’ by US rapper Cardi B

T

here is furore in Ghana after American rapper Cardi B failed to meet local celebrities who had gathered at her hotel in the capital, Accra, on Sunday.

Prior to her performance at a Livespot X Festival in the city, videos of some local celebrities taking a swipe at Cardi B went viral amid claims she showed disrespect towards her hosts.

The American rapper, known in real life as Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, has since said she was not aware that the meet and greet session was going ahead.

“I asked my booking agent do I have a meet and greet today and he said no.”

“I did not know I have a meet and greet... for that I apologise but then again it wasn’t my fault,” she said.

Twitter users in Ghana and Nigeria have been vocal about the incident, which is currently trending at number one in both countries.

The rapper performed in Nigeria before visiting Ghana, and some have used the opportunity to revive the friendly rivalry feud between the two nations:

US Peace Corps hit by Liberia cash crisis US Peace Corps hit by Liberia cash crisis

T

he US embassy in Liberia has been hit by the worsening financial crisis in the West African state, forcing it to temporarily withdraw Peace Corps volunteers from 12 of the country’s 15 counties.

An embassy spokesperson in the capital, Monrovia, confirmed the pull-out decision, saying

difficulties in “reliably obtaining needed funds from banks up-country and in Monrovia are affecting the ability of the Peace Corps to sustain volunteers”.

The withdrawal is a blow to Liberia’s education sector because the volunteers were assigned to government-run schools in remote areas to teach

mainly science courses because of a shortage of teachers.

Liberia’s economy has deteriorated under the government of former international football star George Weah, who became president in January last year following his victory in election. Source: BBC

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PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

New Zealand volcano: At least five dead after White Island eruption A

volcano has erupted in New Zealand, leaving five people dead and several unaccounted for, police have said.

Tourists were seen walking inside the crater of White Island volcano moments before Monday’s eruption.

Twenty-three people have been rescued, but it is unclear how many people remained on the island. Police say aerial reconnaissance flights have not identified any sign of life there.

White Island, also called Whakaari, is the country’s most active volcano.

Despite that, the privately owned island is a tourist destination with frequent day tours and scenic flights available.

Police have said fewer than 50 people were on the island when the volcano erupted. Deputy Police Commissioner John Tims told reporters that “both New Zealand and overseas tourists” were believed to be involved.

Rescuers are not able to reach the island because of the risk of further eruptions, he added. It is currently night time in the area.

Tourists could be seen waiting to be evacuated from White Island Some of those injured are in a critical condition, Radio New Zealand reported.

What happened at the volcano?

The eruption of White Island began at about 14:11 local time (01:11 GMT).

Visitor Michael Schade - who was on a boat leaving the island after a morning tour - filmed a thick plume of ash and smoke as the volcano

Citizenship Amendment Bill: India’s new ‘anti-Muslim’ law causes uproar

I

ndia’s government has tabled a bill in parliament which offers amnesty to non-Muslim illegal immigrants from three neighbouring countries.

The controversial bill seeks to provide citizenship to religious minorities in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

The government, led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), says this will give sanctuary to people fleeing religious persecution.

Critics say the bill is part of a BJP agenda to marginalise Muslims.

The passage of the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) will be a test for the ruling party, which commands a majority in the lower house but is short of numbers in the upper house of parliament. A bill needs to be ratified by both houses to become a law.

The bill has already prompted widespread protests in the northeast of the country which borders Bangladesh, as people there feel that they will be “overrun” by immigrants from across the border.

What does the bill say?

The CAB amends the 64-yearold Indian Citizenship law, which currently prohibits illegal migrants from becoming Indian citizens.

It defines illegal immigrants as foreigners who enter India without a valid passport or travel documents, or stay beyond the permitted time. Illegal immigrants can be deported or jailed.

The new bill also amends a provision which says a person must have lived in India or worked for the federal government for at least 11 years before they can apply for citizenship.

Now, there will be an exception for members of six religious minority communities - Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian - if they can prove that they are from Pakistan, Afghanistan or Bangladesh. They will only have to live or work in India for six years to be eligible for citizenship by naturalisation, the process by which a non-citizen acquires the citizenship or nationality of that country.

It also says people holding Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards - an immigration status permitting a foreign citizen of Indian origin to live and work in India indefinitely - can lose their status if they violate local laws for major and minor offences and violations.

Why is the bill controversial?

Opponents of the bill say it is exclusionary and violates the secular principles enshrined in the constitution. They say faith cannot be made a condition of citizenship.

The constitution prohibits religious discrimination against its citizens, and guarantees all persons equality before the law and equal protection of the law.

Delhi-based lawyer Gautam Bhatia says that by dividing alleged migrants into Muslims and non-Muslims, the bill “explicitly and blatantly, seeks to enshrine religious discrimination into law, contrary to our long-standing, secular constitutional ethos”.

Historian Mukul Kesavan says the bill is “couched in the language of refuge and seemingly directed at foreigners, but its main purpose is the delegitimisation of Muslims citizenship”.

Suorce: BBC

erupted.

“It was still safe-ish but they were trying to limit the group sizes [of people visiting the volcano].”

Describing the eruption, he said: “We had just got on the boat... then someone pointed it out and we saw it.

I was basically just shocked. The boat turned back and we grabbed some people that were waiting on the pier.”

Another witness, Brazilian

Allessandro Kauffmann, narrowly missed the eruption.

“There were two tours that went to this volcano today. One of them was ours, which was the first. We left five minutes before the volcano erupted,” he posted on Instagram in Portuguese.

“This other tour that arrived right after, unfortunately they did not manage to leave in time, and there were some people that suffered serious burns.”

A live feed from the volcano showed a group of visitors inside the crater before images went dark.

Who was on the island?

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said: “I know there will be a huge amount of concern and anxiety for those who have loved ones at the island at that time - and I can assure them police are doing everything they can.”

She said falling ash was hampering attempts by rescuers to get to the site.

The New Zealand Defence Force is now helping the rescue operation.

A military plane has carried out

surveillance and two helicopters and personnel are ready to assist.

Police initially said there were 100 people on or near the island, but later revised down the number to 50.

Some of them were passengers from the Ovation of the Seas, a cruise ship owned by Royal Caribbean. It is currently at port in Tauranga, a coastal city near White Island.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australians had “been caught up in this terrible event”, adding that authorities were “working to determine their wellbeing”.

Was there any forewarning of an eruption?

On 3 December, geological hazard monitoring website GeoNet warned “the volcano may be entering a period where eruptive activity is more likely than normal”, although it added “the current level of activity does not pose a direct hazard to visitors”.

University of Auckland associate professor Jan Lindsay said the alert level was recently raised from one to two. “There was a heightened level of unrest and everyone was aware,” she said.

Saudi Arabia ends gender segregation in restaurants

S

audi Arabia will no longer require restaurants to have separate entrances segregated by sex, the government says.

Previously, it was mandatory to have one entrance for families and women, and another for men on their own.

The restrictions had already been quietly eased in practice, with many restaurants, cafes and other meeting places no longer enforcing segregation.

A series of sweeping social reforms in Saudi Arabia has been accompanied by an intensified crackdown on dissent.

Earlier this year, a royal decree allowed Saudi women to travel abroad without a male guardian’s permission, and in 2018 the Gulf kingdom ended a decades-long ban on female drivers.

But activists complain that many laws discriminatory against women remain in place. And several prominent women’s rights advocates have been arrested even as the government has made reforms.

On Sunday, the Saudi ministry of municipalities said that restaurants would no longer need to maintain sexsegregated entrances. Instead it would be left up to businesses to decide.

A segregation board separates women and families from men at a McDonalds restaurant in Riyadh Until now, inside restaurants, families and women were usually cut off and separated from men on their own by screens.

Who is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed?

Since Mohammed bin Salman was elevated to crown prince in 2017, he has made moves to open up Saudi Arabia’s extremely conservative society.

His reforms have won praise in the international community but have been accompanied by a wave of repression.

The murder of prominent Saudi

journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 in the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul drew intense international condemnation but key world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, have continued to stand by Saudi Arabia.

Saudi officials have said Khashoggi, a high-profile critic of the government in Riyadh, was killed in a “rogue operation” by a team of agents. But many critics believe otherwise and a UN expert concluded that the death was an “extrajudicial execution”.

Tesco considers sale of Thai and Malaysian operations

T

he UK’s biggest retailer, Tesco, is considering a retreat from markets in Asia with the sale of its profitable operations in Thailand and Malaysia.

Analysts say the 2,000 stores, which operate under the Tesco Lotus brand, could be worth more than £7bn.

Tesco’s only other overseas stores are in Ireland and in central Europe, including Poland and Hungary.

The company said it was reviewing its Thai and much smaller Malaysian

arms after interest from potential bidders.

In a statement, the retailer said it had had received “inbound interest”, but did not name the potential buyer or buyers. Tesco Lotus employs about 60,000 people.

The statement also said the review was at an early stage, and “no decisions concerning the future of Tesco Thailand or Malaysia have been taken”.

‘Trophy asset’

The Asian operation, which had combined revenues of £4.9bn, was a “trophy asset” and likely to achieve a knock-out price, said Clive Black, an analyst at Shore Capital.

A valuation of £6.5bn to £7.2bn seemed “fair”, according to Bruno Monteyne, analyst at Bernstein.

Laura Lambie, senior investment director at Investec Wealth and Investment, told the BBC’s Today programme that Thailand was an important market for Tesco.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, December 10, 2019

Feature

25

Chalk Back: Kenyan women fight back against street harassment Y

oung women and girls in Kibera, one of Africa’s largest informal settlements, are writing their street harassment experiences on roads and canvasses to highlight the damaging nature of sexual harassment.

Warning: Some readers may find part of this article distressing Zubeida Yusuf has lived in Kibera, in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, all her life, and for as long as she can remember, street harassment has been a part of her life.

“Men will say things like: ‘You’re very fat. Is your mother a butcher? Did God use his last piece of clay on you because you have large breasts and a big behind.’

“It’s a lot for us to take in when we walk out here (in the streets),” says the 22-year-old.

But over time, Ms Yusuf has learnt to fight back and she is helping other women in Kibera claim their voices back in situations where some women say they feel powerless.

Using chalk and markers, in a campaign dubbed “Chalk Back”, Ms Yusuf and other girls and women are writing down their experiences of street harassment.

The campaign, they hope, will spur conversations around the damaging nature of street sexual harassment.

“Nowadays, when the men insult me, I stop and ask them to their faces, why they are insulting me. However, for underage girls fighting back may be harder,” she says.

“That’s why campaigns like these are important. More of us need to push back and tell people it is not okay to speak to women this way.”

Shocking messages “Respect my body,” one message on the road screams.

Others, written in Swahili, reveal more disturbing messages.

The impact of street harassment some girls say can be emotionally distressing “Unaringa, wewe ni vajo” (You think you are too good for us, yet you’re still a virgin).

“Chura hii” (slang for prostitute, which also means frog in Swahili).

Caroline Mwikali, who is 20 years old and also a Kibera resident, confesses some of the slurs used against her have cut deeper than the perpetrators

Girls in Kibera say they face street harassment on a daily basis

The impact of street harassment some girls say can be emotionally distressing

realise.

“You really can’t walk down these streets without a man saying something nasty to you.

Sometimes we’re even likened

to animals.

“It affects one’s self esteem.

When I sit by myself, I wonder: ‘Am I really as worthless or as ugly as that person has said I

“

am?’”

Women say rampant street harassment makes them feel unsafe to But it’s not just the emotional

According to the UN, the lack of conclusive and comparative national data and policies on street harassment within countries is one among many of the challenges when it comes to combating the problem and ensuring the safety of girls and women in public spaces.

cost of street harassment that is the problem.

No-go areas for women According to the UN, the lack of conclusive and comparative national data and policies on street harassment within countries is one among many of the challenges when it comes to combating the problem and ensuring the safety of girls and women in public spaces.

A 2019 Plan International street harassment survey of five cities revealed that less than one in 10 of the women and girls interviewed reported their experiences to the authorities.

This is because women were unsure of what exactly authorities could do, and whether street harassment could be termed as a “serious” crime.

Experts agree that street harassment continues to curtail women’s participation in public spaces socially and economically. Often, women are forced to modify their behaviour to fit in.

“There are certain places and scenarios I avoid. When I see a large group of men congregated somewhere, I won’t pass there,” says Ms Mwikali.

“There are also places, especially in the evening that will never find me outside. Women have been raped in some of these areas.”

As the world continues to mark days of activism against gender-based violence, women around the world have been marching to demand more action and justice when it comes to such crimes.

Some men have also picked up the chalk As Ms Mwikali and other women continue to write on the streets, some men gather around. They confess that the women’s revelations of the impact of street harassment has been eye-opening.

“Our mentality for a long time has been that we are entitled to women. We think if we talk to a girl she must talk back. We didn’t know that it was not OK until recently. We are slowly learning,” says 25-yearold Wilson Maina.

“I think we know better now.

We have been enlightened about issues surrounding sexual and gender-based violence and how to deal with it,” 26-year-old Jairus Omulando adds.

Source: BBC

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, December 10, 2019

26

Digest

Just half an hour of brisk walking every day could reduce the risk of diabetes - but only in men, study finds

By Mary Kekatos Health Reporter For Dailymail.com

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PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

oing moderate-intensity exercise every day can lower your risk of developing diabetes, a new study suggests.

It’s well-known that being sedentary raises the risk of health problems such as heart disease and obesity.

But researchers found that doing simple activities such as brisk walking or gardening for just 30 minutes raised levels of a hormone that reduces appetite and lowers blood sugar levels.

However, the results were only apparent in men, which the team says could be due to physiological differences between men and women, or the fact that women generally tended to lower activity levels.

The study authors, from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, say their findings imply that even relatively short bouts of low-intensity daily physical activity may help prevent metabolic diseases like diabetes, at least in men.

For the study, published in the journal Endocrine Connections, the team looked at the link between daily physical activity and a hormone that may indirectly lower the risk of diabetes.

The hormone, called Glucagon-like

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A new study from the University of Copenhagen found that activities such as brisk walking or gardening secreted a hormone that suppressed appetite and lowered blood sugar levels (file image)

peptide-1 (GLP-1), inhibits appetite, stimulates the production of insulin and helps lower blood sugar levels.

Previous research has suggested that exercise may cause GLP-1 secretion, but results been inconclusive.

But researchers think increasing levels of this hormone may lower the risk of metabolic disease.

To see if there was merit to this theory, the team recruited more than 1,300 overweight men and women and monitored their heart rates daily.

Levels of GLP-1 levels were measured before and after the participants drank glucose - a sort of nutritional drink sometimes given to people who are too sick to eat - to determine how much

physical activity affected secretion of the hormone.

This was the equivalent of someone who is a pre-diabetic getting a blood sugar spike.

Results showed that 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercises increased levels of GLP-1 in men. However, the same was not true for women, but the team says this may be because they were active only an average of 20 minutes a day.

‘The association between physical activity and GLP-1 secretion may only be seen in men due to physiological differences and generally lower activity levels for women in this study,’ said Dr Signe Torekov, an associate professor in

“

The association between physical activity and GLP-1 secretion may only be seen in men due to physiological differences and generally lower activity levels for women in this study

the department of biomedical sciences at the University of Copenhagen.

‘It may also indicate that a certain minimum level of physical activity is required for the positive effect on GLP-1 levels, however more studies are required to confirm this.’

The researchers says the findings suggest at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day could improve metabolic health.

They note that high-intensity exercise can be too time consuming or physically demanding for many people.

Therefore, simply walking half an hour a day instead of taking public transportation could count as daily exercise.

‘Our study is encouraging as the results suggest that daily activity, even at a relatively low intensity and for a short amount of time such as brisk walking, gardening and playing with grandchildren, could improve appetite and blood glucose regulation,’ said Charlotte Janus, a PhD Student at the University of Copenhagen.

‘If you don’t have the time or ability to do high-intensity exercise, increasing your daily physical activity level may still...have positive impacts on your health.’

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ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE MBANO PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990, (CAP C20, LFN 2004).

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. OBI STANLEY CHIMANKPA - CHAIRMAN 2. AKALONU IFEANYICHUKWU RICHARD - SECRETARY 3. CHUKWU ISRAEL UZOMA 4. OHAKA COSMAS CHIBUIKE 5. NNANNA ADINDU JUDE 6. AWURUM KELECHI 7. ONYEIWU KELECHI TIMOTHY - PROVOST 8. IKE JOHNSON KELECHI - P. R. O 9. EGERUE CHARLES ONYEMA - FINANCIAL SECRETARY 10. DIALA IYKE - TREASURER THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE : 1. TO BRING ITS MEMBER TOGETHER FOR PEACE AND UNITY FOR THE PROGRESS OF THE GROUP. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1.ISRAEL OLUSANYA SOLOMON - CHAIRMAN 2.ISRAEL IFEOLUWA MOSES 3.ISRAEL RACHEL KEHINDE - SECRETARY 4.ISRAEL OLAOLUWA EMMANUEL THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE : (1) To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ for soul winning worldwide.

(2) To promote the study of the Holy Bible through declarations discipleship and inspiration.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990, (CAP C20, LFN 2004).

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. EDAGHA EFIONG ETIM

- CHAIRMAN 2. EDAGHA EMMANUEL EFIONG ASUQUO 3. EKPO JOSHUA ASUQUO 4. EMANSON MMEYENE FIDELIS - SECRETARY THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE : a.

To assist the less privileged in the society. b.

To carter for the needy and the orphans. c.

To provide free education and healthcare services to the less privileged children and youths in the society.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

ZOBADA ASSOCIATION GALADIMAWA COMMUNITY

MOUNT LIGHT GOSPEL PLACE INT’L.

THE TABERNACLE CHRIST’S CHURCH OF ALL NATIONS

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990, (CAP C20, LFN 2004).

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1)TIMOTHY TAYAJELO (Chairman) 2)AYUBA NUHU (Secretary) (3)SIMAN HARUNA (4)ISTIFANUS JATOU ALOBA (5)REUBEN ISHAYA 6)DANLADI TUMAKA (7)IKO ELISHA 8)NUHU LUKA (9)THOMAS DANIEL 10)IRIMIYA DNASUWA (11)JONATHAN ILIYA (12)NUHU TASAMI. THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE : 1.To encouragd, love, peace and unity among members.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990, (CAP C20, LFN 2004).

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1.EDEH COLLINS NKEMJIKA 2.OKOLI ZITIFE AMALACHUKWU THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE : 1.To Preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

APOSTOLIC GRACE REVIVAL OUTREACH WORLDWIDE

WEDDING NOTIFICATION

The General Public is hereby informed that the above named organization has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under part “C” of the companies and Allied Matters Acts, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. REV’D ISAAC FANO UDUARIGHE

- PRESIDENT 2. PASTOR (MRS.) SARAH UYOYO UDUARIGHE - VICE PRESIDENT AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1.

To preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Prisons and Hospitals Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, P.M.B 198, Abuja, within Twenty Eight (28) days of this publication.

Signed: PASTOR EDWIN EMOJEVU 08039230250

THIS IS TO SATIFY THAT MR RAD, GIDEON ISHAKU SUNA OF MAIKATAKO CLOSE, OPPOSITE GLAMOUR RESTURANT LAFIA AND MISS, ALEKUFO PRISCA SUNDAY OF LADI CLOSE BEHIND ECWA 3 TUDUN GWANDARA LAFIA HAVE GIVEN NOTICE OF THEIR INTENTION TO GET MARRIED TO EACH OTHER ON 24TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2019 AT CHIEF MAGISTRATE COURT 2 LAFIA. IF THERE IS ANY IMPENDENT OF KINDERED OR ANY HINDERANCE TO THE SAID INTENDED MARRIED OBJECTION SHOULD BE RAISE WITHIN TWO WEEKSOF PUBLICATION. (Ahmed A. Sani, Esq.) Probate Registrar Nasarawa State of Nigeria

The General Public is hereby informed that the above named ministry has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under part ‘’C’’ of the companies and allied matters Acts, 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE: POSITION: 1. PASTOR AB IYASERE FOUNDER/GENERAL OVERSEER 2. HON LUCKY OKETETE SECRETARY 3. AKPOBARO ROBINSON MEMBER 4. SIS IYASERE BUKKY

MEMBER 5. PASTOR FENENE KISTA

MEMBER 6. BRO OBRUCHE ESEOGHENE MEMBER 7. PASTOR AKRAWAH KINGSLEY MEMBER AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1.

To preach the gospel of Christ Jesus to all nations of the world.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironis street, Maitama, P.M.B 198, Abuja, within Twenty Eight (28) days of this publication.

Signed: PASTOR EDWIN EMOJEVU 08039230250

PUBLIC NOTICE

TRUST CHARIOTS FOUNDATION THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC),ABUJA, FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE 1. Aminu Abdulkadir Mamman 2. Abdulazeez Aminu 3. Dr Salu Ilyasu 4. Umar Babakano 5. Abulkadir Aminu Babangida 6. Faiza Aminu 7. Farida Aminu 8. Maryann Aminu 9. Faisal Aminu.

10. Halima Aminu 11. Hauwa Aminu.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: HEALTHCARE ASSISTANCE AND HEALTHCARE AWARENESS ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY.

PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

CLASSIFIED LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE PROBATE DIVISION BIRNIN KEBBI, KEBBI STATE

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE PROBATE DIVISION BIRNIN KEBBI, KEBBI STATE

Whereas the person whose name is set out in the first column here under died date and place stated in the said column.

Whereas the person whose address had claimed relationship with the said deceased is set in the second column here under has applied to the High Court of Justice for GRANT OF LETTER OF ADMINISTRATION of the personal property.

Notice is hereby given that the said LETTER OF ADMINISTRATION will be granted to such person unless a notice to prohibit the grant there of is filed in the Probate Registry High Court of Justice Birnin Kebbi, within TWENTY ONE DAYS from the date of publication of this notice.

SCHEDULE Name and Address of Deceased Applicant Name and Address AP\ NO. 126633 ASP MUSA ALHASSAN LUKMAN MUSA NIGERIA POLICE FORCE LAILABA AREA, ATTACHED TO SCID LAILABA ARGUNGU L. G. BIRNIN KEBBI KEBBI STATE KEBBI STATE.

Whereas the person whose name is set out in the first column here under died date and place stated in the said column.

Whereas the person whose address had claimed relationship with the said deceased is set in the second column here under has applied to the High Court of Justice for GRANT OF LETTER OF ADMINISTRATION of the personal property.

Notice is hereby given that the said LETTER OF ADMINISTRATION will be granted to such person unless a notice to prohibit the grant there of is filed in the Probate Registry High Court of Justice Birnin Kebbi, within TWENTY ONE DAYS from the date of publication of this notice.

Who died on the 01ST NOVEMBER, 2019 Dated at Birnin Kebbi on the 9TH DECEMBER, 2019 HUSSAINI ABDULLAHI Probate Registrar

Blessing I, formerly known as Shukurat Bashiru now wish to be known andvadressed as Blessing Bashir. All former documents remain valid.

Authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

ISHAM I, formerly known as CHIAJI AWUESE VERONICA now wish to be known andvadressed as ISHAM JOY. All former documents remain valid.

Authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

ALI I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS ALHAJI ALI GARBA. NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AS ALI GARBA ADAMU . ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. ALL AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

BRAINY COVENANT CHURCH THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC),ABUJA, FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART "C" OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE. 1. Aliemeh Samuel - General Overseer 2. Gabriel Bukola - Secretary Objective: 1. To propagate the gospel of Christ ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: Barr Nephie Iyalomhe

I, formerly known as HARUNA BARNABAS now wish to be known and addressed as. HARUNA BARNABAS SAIDU. All former documents remain valid. Authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

loss of document THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF THE LOSS OF ORIGINAL RIGHT OF OCCUPANCY ( R OF O) IN RESPECT OF PLOT NO.3269 WITH NEW FILE NO. MISC 129653 MEASURING ABOUT 4947.45SQUARE METER LOCATED AT CADASTRAL ZONE F18, DAWAKI DISTRICT,ABUJA BELONGING TO FAIRSTAR NIG. LTD. 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. MUKHTAR I, formerly known as SHAMSUDDEEN ILIYA now wish to be known and addressed as. MUKHTAR UMAR MUHAMMED. All former documents remain valid. Authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

ISAH I, formerly known as ISAH BELLO now wish to be known and addressed as. ISAH BELLO YAHAYA MY DATE OF BIRTH IS 9-12-1995. All former documents remain valid. Authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

HARUNA I, formerly known as HARUNA BARNABAS now wish to be known and addressed as. HARUNA BARNABAS SAIDU. All former documents remain valid. Authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

THE DIVINE CHRISTIAN COVENANT LIVING MINISTRY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC),ABUJA, FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART "C" OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE. 1. PST HASSAN KIDDA MAKU (CHAIRMAN) 2. MR. HUSSAINI KIDDA MAKU (MEMBER) 3. MRS MALAKU BAPPAH (MEMBER) 4. BARR. SAMUEL LANDER (SEC).

Objective: 1. To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to the whole world ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

loss of document THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF THE LOSS OF ORIGINAL RIGHT OF OCCUPANCY ( R OF O) IN RESPECT OF PLOT NO.3269 WITH NEW FILE NO. MISC 129653 MEASURING ABOUT 4947.45SQUARE METER LOCATED AT CADASTRAL ZONE F18, DAWAKI DISTRICT,ABUJA BELONGING TO FAIRSTAR NIG. LTD. 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. UMMEH I, formerly known as UMEBATU DAHIRU now wish to be known and addressed as. UMMEH SHITU ADAMU. All former documents remain valid. Authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

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29

sports@peoplesdailyng.com, SMS- 08142929046

If anybody were to die, let it be me: How Victoria Nlemigbo survived accident

HUSSAINI ABDULLAHI Probate Registrar

Public Notice

Sports

tuesday, December 10, 2019

SCHEDULE Name and Address of Deceased Applicant Name and Address INSP. ABUBAKAR SAKE MARAF SHAFA’ATU ABUBAKAR RIJAU DIVISION DANKO WASAGU LOCAL GOVT. NIGER STATE POLICE COMMAND KENYA WARD GWAZAWA KEBBI STATE

Who died on the 20TH JULY, 2019 Dated at Birnin Kebbi on the 9TH DECEMBER, 2019

Public Notice HARUNA

winding up

PEOPLES DAILY

PAGE 28

Public Notice

HEALING LAND DELIVERANCE MINISTRY INTERNATIONAL

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC),ABUJA, FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART "C" OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE. 1. ATATI DAVID ATACHI 2. DODO WISDOM BEN 3. AGONOU JOSEPHONE TEWUIA 4. ANATUI LUCK 5. AGONOU EMMANUEL TEWUIA 6. AUGUSTINE MONDAY Objective: 1. CHURCH BRINGING MEN UNTO THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND HELPING THEM GROWING IN FAITH. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR KATE OTUMU

Public Notice

FRIENDSHIP BADMINTON CLUB THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC),ABUJA, FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART "C" OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE. 1. Abdulrashid sirajo - chairman 2. Babangida Muhammad Mustapha - secretary 3. Abubakar Alkali Ali - financial secretary 4. Zainab Kitchener - Treasurer 5. Dr. Hassan Ibrahim 6. Alh. Hussaini Adamu Objective: 1. To promote exercise and friendship 2. To promote the game of badminton in kaduna 3. To promote unity and progress of members.

4. To make sure all members are treated equitably.

5. To inculcate a spirit of brotherhood and friendship among members as well as their progress.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: secretary

Public Notice

INTEGRITY INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS OF FRIENDS

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC),ABUJA, FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART "C" OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE. 1. MR PAUL AWOYALE - CHAIRMAN 2. MR LANRE ASIWAJU - VICE CHAIRMAN. 3. MR.FEMI ELUWOLE (SECRETARY)- MEMBER 3. MR. TOYIN OLADUNTUN (TREASURER) 4. MR.DAPO SALAMI( PRO) 5. MR.SAMUEL OKUNOLA(DIR.WELFARE/ORGANISING) 6. ALHAJI RAMAN ATOLAGBE(FIN SEC) 7. MR.LANRE THOMAS(PROVOST) (8) OLAMIDE ADARAMOLA,ESQ(LEGAL ADVISER Objective: 1. To cater for the welfare of members,the needy, homeless and oppressed in the society ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: secretary

By Amaechi Agbo

A

ccording to the Federal Road Safety Corps, cars are good servants bad dangerous masters. When they are in control, danger looms.

No driver goes into his or her car in anticipation of accident but more often than not, accidents happen. Most times what caused an accident maybe as infinitesimal compared to how that accident was handled by the driver to avert doom and gloom.

On Thursday, December 5th, 2019, former board member of FCT Football Association and Chairman Women Football Development Committee of the Fa, Barrister Victoria Nlemigbo, as was the case within the week, gone to Nigeria Institute of Sports, NIS to write her exams.

Having enrolled in the study few months ago, Barrister Nlemigbo who is the chairperson/ founder of Women Football All Stars Association of Nigeria WOFAAN, was involved in a ghastly accident on her way back from the NIS exams.

The accident occurred close to Games Village, Abuja. The tyre first clamped. It was after the mechanic who she called to fix the tyre had worked on it and asked her to drive the car to his workshop that the accident that could have killed a mother and her three children happened.

Narrating her experience, Mrs Nlemigbo who was full of praises to God for saving her from jaws of death said “I thank God for life. The accident happened on the road towards Games Village, Abuja. We finished exam on Thursday, I was with Buka (a friend) and approaching the Roundabout before Area 1 Bridge, the tyre clamped and the car refused to go. I called a mechanical who came and worked on it and told me to drive it to his workshop which is around Human Right Radio’s office.

“He reversed the car and I entered alone because Buka had left. So as I started the car within 5 seconds, I matched the brake but it was no longer there. The car started flying. The road was always very busy, I could not control the brake. It was just between me and the steering trying to control the car. I was dodging everything and everybody, swerving from left to right, back and forth.

When I looked and saw that the next car in front of me was a woman carrying three children, I swerved the car towards

a culvert. I entered the culvert so I can reach the side they were still constructing.

“I did everything and in my mind I said ‘if anybody is to be dead in this accident, God, please, let the person be me. Let me not go and carry innocent people’.

That was the last thing on my mind and I told God ‘please accept my soul and do as you wish.’

“I then entered the culvert, hit a long concrete pole hoping that the car would stop but it got worse. As I was dragging the steering, I was at the same time hitting and brushing some cars along the line.

I brushed about 15 cars before it finally stopped.

“What happened to me is better imagined. It was like a movie. I came out of the car, nothing happened to me. Not even a scratch,” she narrated. Adding that “Of course people’s cars were damaged.

My own car was damaged seriously.

Everything damaged except the engine.

The mechanic latter came and tolled the car to his workshop.

“I was not hurt. On the following day, Friday, I went back to NIS to finish my exams. I did not have any issue. Friday was the day we wrote our final exams.

“Most of the people I damaged their cars, came and hugged me and said ‘this woman, you are a child of God.’ The accident happened for a long stretch.

They saw what I was battling with, to avoid hitting anybody. They were concerned and thanked God for the way I handled the accident. They accepted to repair their cars. Just a few ones that were saying ‘madam, why didn’t you entre a ditch.’ But I did not have the mouth to answer them. It was people that were blaming them.

“The children I wrote the exam with celebrated me as if I resurrected from the dead,” she explained.

On the importance of NIS study, she described the course as the engine room of coaching and enjoined every individual who wants to build career in football in whatever form, to go for the course.

“It is an eye opener. I have been in football for more than 20 years and I have been a member of coaches association for about ten years. I never really thought of the importance of going to acquire the basic knowledge of coaching. That is a course that everybody that has anything to do with football needs to know, it does not matter if you are a coach.

“You need to have an understanding of the basis of how to handle and understand

Barrister Victoria Nlemigbo

players. To even discover a talent, you need to have an eye for the game you are interested in. it is a loaded, compact programme. It may be basics but it worth

it. It has opened my mind to the need for capacity building which everybody must have if you want to impact on your field,” she concluded.

AFN sets up 6-man panel to investigate Puma contract deal

>>>PG 30

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PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

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Niger State Governor promises to Chioma Ajunwa, lauds minister on stipend, support Life Camp Volleyball Inter- pension for athletes, ex internationals club tournament

By Amaechi Agbo

CLASSIFIED Public Notice

Team Orange won the Female Category

By Amaechi Agbo

N

iger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello has promised to support Life Camp Volleyball Club Inter-club Tournament.

The governor made the promise on Sunday during the final of the 4th edition of the tournament held at Jabi Lake, Abuja.

Speaking at the final, the governor who was represented by the Commissioner for commerce/ Investment and Industry, Dr Mustapha Jibril described the tournament as laudable adding that the state government will support the championship to see that its aim is actualized.

According to Dr Mustapha who said had attended the 2nd edition of the tournament two years ago, he added that as a sports loving governor, the state government will support the organizers to ensure that it is given a pride of place in the country.

“Niger State government has passion for sports development.

This passion can be seen on how we have been able to revamp sports in the state. we will identify with sports anywhere and that is why the governor deemed it to grace this final. He wanted to be here in person but there were issues that needed his attention hence my coming to represent him.

“The governor commends the organizers of the Life Camp Volleyball Inter-club tournament which is in its fourth edition. I was also here during the 2nd edition two years ago and today I am here also. It means that our partnership is working already and the state government will do our best to support the club.

“As a medical doctor, I know the importance of sports. Apart from the fact that by engaging in sports you drive joy, you also exercise your body, maintain a healthy life style and extend your

life span,” he said.

Speaking on the essence of the tournament, coordinator of the Life Camp Volleyball Club, Hassan Abdulahi said that the tournament is the club’s way of ending the year adding that the club which had produced national players has its membership from across different professions and states in the country.

“The Life Camp Volleyball Inter-club tournament is an annual championship played among members of the club in honour of Justice B. Kanyip, a patron of the club, who was recently appointed as the president of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.

“The tournament commenced on Friday the 6th December. It is our own way of coming together to round off our activities for the year.

“Life Camp Volleyball Club, Abuja is duly registered with the CAC for leisure and development of volleyball. Membership cuts across various professions and ethnicity. The club is being funded by contributions from members, support from the patrons and assistance from friends and associates.

“It will interest you to know that the club has produced national players and coaches for the country,” he said.

In the male final played on Sunday, Team Red Won Team White 2-1 with scores 25-17, 2830, 25-17.

In the female category, Team Orange defeat Team White 3-2 in five set thriller 25-23, 25-18, 19-25, 20-25, 15-7.

In the 3rd place matches, Team Green defeated Team Blue 2-1 in the male category Male with 26-24, 22-25, 18-16 scores While Team Red was too hot for Team Purple as the former defeated the latter 2-1 to clinch the bronze medal with 29-27, 15-25, 15-12 scores.

By Amaechi Agbo

T

he Athletic Federation of Nigeria, AFN Monday set up a 6-man panel to investigate how the federation signed a contract deal with a kit manufacturing company, Puma.

The five-member committee is chaired by Afolabi, Oluwole Olawale while Bolaji Dejiis the secretary.

Setting up the committee at the AFN secretariat in Abuja, the acting President of the federation, Olamide Geroge noted that the formation of the investigative panel became necessary following reports and clandestine moves surrounding the contractual deal.

The president gave the committee two weeks to submit its report.

According to the president, the committee’s terms of reference include: “To evaluate the PUMA sponsorships terms of engagement, possible payments made, equipment delivered to AFN and any other.

To evaluate the violation of the AFN Constitution Article 6:6.1.4 by the President, Engr. Ibrahim Shehu Gusau by calling Annual General Congress of AFN without due process To examine the records of expenditure of major championships, include but not limited to: Africa U18 and U20 Athletics Championships in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

IAAF World Championships in London and Doha, Qatar in 2017 and 2019 respectively and ascertain the amount approved by the Federal Ministry

Public Notice

Public Notice

El-kanemi Memorial Foundation

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC),ABUJA, FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART "C" OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

N

igeria’s only female Olympic gold medallist at Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games in USA, Chioma Ajunwa, has lauded the plan by the minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare to begin payment of monthly stipend and pension to active and retired Nigeria athletes, respectively, Bestchoicesports. com.ng can report.

Mrs Ajunwa made the commendation on Wednesday in the wake of the ministry’s plan to begin to pay monthly stipend to active athletes as well as pension for retired ones.

The Minister had last month expressed his desire and plan to establish various trust funds where the ministry can give grants or stipend to athletes and also take care of retired ones who had served the country very well.

Mr Dare noted that the idea behind such plans is to encourage and motivate athletes especially when during free windows when they do not take part in events.

Mrs Ajunwa who won Gold in Long Jump at the 1996 Olympics said with such structure on ground, Nigeria will be reaping from her athletes noting that lack of motivation has been the bane of athletes’ performance in the country.

“It is good enough for both the ex and upcoming athletes and those who are still participating. If such a thing can be done here in Nigeria, you will see that every stadium in the country will be filled to the brim because everybody will be encouraged to participate in sports.

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PEOPLES DAILY, tuesday, December 10, 2019

THE TRUSTEES ARE. 1. Muhammad ibn Mustapha (ii el_kanemi) 2. Abba_kyariAbatcha.

3. Babagana Abatcha 4. Muhammad Abbator 5. Abbakawu fufai Objective: To promote and protect children in order to live in a sustainable life.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: secretary

Nigeria’s only female Olympic gold medallist, Chioma Ajunwa “I could remember when I came back from the Olympics, because they heard that I was given one million, when you come to the national stadium everybody then wanted to be a sports man or woman so that they can win and get such motivation. If our new minister is bringing this to Nigeria, the heaven will just be the starting point of our athletes.

“There is nothing that when you see an athlete working, you motivate him or her. When you do this, you are not just encouraging the ones involved to do more but you are also attracting other onlookers to come and join sports.

Why we have not been able to replicate more Chioma Ajunwas in the country since 1996 is because there was not motivation.

“There was no support from anywhere during and after the Olympics 24 years ago. If you assess me based on the glory I have brought to this nation, you will know that I am nobody. The exinternationals are treated the same

way, it is not just about me. So when other young ones see us, despite our service to our fatherland, they feel there is no need to serve the country through sports.

“For instance, when I travel to Abuja, I stay in a hotel. I do not have a house there. But if it where in other countries, all the athletes that won Olympic medals, not just gold, are well taking care of.

“That is why you see Jamaicans keep on improving, Trinidad and Tobago, the Americans, Russia and Kenya and Ethiopia in Africa here also. These people are doing well because there is a structure for their athletes both for when they are active or retired. They will still be living fine. Private companies will still be using them in various ways making them to be relevant. So I thank God that a minister who knows what sport is all about, knows what a sacrifice it is for one to have represented his country at international events, has recognised this value. If he can do this, kudos to him,” she said.

AFN sets up 6-man panel to investigate Puma contract deal

of Youth and Sports Development and genuineness of all payments.

To examine and evaluate factors responsible for the viament of funds meant for payments to athletes, coaches and officials allowance at international events.

Identify and report the role and responsibility of the International Association of Athletics Federations, IAAF on the hosting of world championships to athletes and officials To identify and report any other matters for further investigation to relevant agencies To make recommendations that will ensure an improved and smooth Athletics Federation of Nigeria To make any other recommendations as may be deemed fit by the committee.

The Committee is hereby inaugurated today Monday, December 9, 2019 at 4:00pm and is given two weeks to conclude its assignment and

submit report.

It is expected that every member of the Committee will bring their wealth of experience as to ensure that the job is done discretely and objectively for the benefit of the sport.

Please, accept the compliments of the Ag. President and Executive Board Members of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria.”

Members of the committee include: Afolabi, Oluwole Olawale – Chairman: Timmon Gunnen – Member; Mkpa A. B. – Member; Jacob Onu – Member; Kenneth Iworari - Member and Bolaji Deji – Secretary.

Speaking after the inauguration, the committee chairman, Afolabi, Oluwole Olawale said that the panel will be diligent and forthright in carrying out their responsibility adding that invitation will be extended to the suspended chairman of the AFN, Ibrahim Gusau.

Public Notice

Public Notice

AFANI FOUNDATION

- -

This is to inform the general public that the above named INITIATIVE has applied for Registration to the Corporate Affairs Commission under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. OTUNBA STEPHEN O. AKINRULI - CHAIRMAN 2. DR. MRS. MERCY EFFIOM - SECRETARY 3. ISMAEEL ABIDEMI ODULANA 4. GEORGE OBUMSELU 5. IDRIS SARKI BAKA 6. JOSEPH AKINYELE AKINRULI 7. COMFORT FUMILAYO ADEBAYO THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. Assist vulnerable members of the Society; especially indigent Youth, Young girls, Single Mothers, Widows and the Physically challenged towards achieving their aims in life.

Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar general, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Secretary

Public Notice

This is to inform the general public that the above named FOUNDATION has applied for Registration to the Corporate Affairs Commission under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. ELIZABETH PEDRO 2. EVBUOMWAN JULIET E.

YOUTH PEER TO PEER EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE

CHAIRMAN SECRETARY

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1.

To train and empower women and youths in the society, and equip them with that they need to face life challenges.

Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar general, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Osawaru Famous Eremwanarue 08062321490

ASSOCIATION OF SOKOTO INDIGENES CIVIL/ PUBLIC SERVANTS BASED IN ABUJA

This is to inform the general public that the above named FOUNDATION has applied for Registration to the Corporate Affairs Commission under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.

MUHAMMAD ABDULLAHI (CHAIRMAN) 2. YUSUF ALIYU DOGON DAJI (SECRETARY) 3.

NASIRU ALIYU 4. KABIRU MUH'D SAMBO THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To assist the less privilege in Sokoto.

2. To promote self-reliance efforts of the less privileged.

3. To care for the needy and empower the youths in the society.

Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar general, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Osawaru Famous Eremwanarue 08062321490

ISAH

YUSUF

SULAIMAN

I, formerly known as ISAH NASIRU NAZIRU now wish to be known and addressed as.

ISAH NASIRU SALIHU. All former documents remain valid. Authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

I, formerly known as YUSIF LITi now wish to be known and addressed as. YUSUF MUHAMMAD. All former documents remain valid.

Authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

I, formerly known as SULEIMAN BELLO YAHAYA now wish to be known and addressed as.

SULAIMAN BELLO. All former documents remain valid. Authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

UMAR

SULAIMAN

I, formerly known as RABIU UMARU MAIMAIKO now wish to be known and addressed as. UMAR RABI'U UBANDOMA. All former documents remain valid.

Authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

I, formerly known as SULEIMAN BELLO now wish to be known and addressed as. SULAIMAN BELLO AND MY DATE OF BIRTH IS 20-2-1995. All former documents remain valid. Authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

TuesDAY, December 10, 2019

SPORTS latest

I met N300 Million debt in NFF in 2006, left N2.8 billion in 2010 – Sani Lulu

Alhaji Sani Lulu, Former NFF President

By Amaechi Agbo

F

ormer Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, President, Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdulahi has stated that he met a debt of three hundred million naira (N300, 000, 000) in the account of the federation when he assumed office in 2006.

The former Kogi State governorship aspirant disclosed this on Friday when he featured on the Human Rights Radio programme, Berekete Family in Abuja.

Alhaji Lulu who was NFF President between 2006 and 2010 explained that despite the crisis he met then which he managed very well, he still left the sum of two billion, eighty hundred million naira (N2.8 billion) in the NFF account as at when he exited the office in 2010 “When I came into NFF, I clearly demonstrated my principle on accountable and transparent leadership. For the duration I served in public sector, I have demonstrated at all times my capacity to deliver on my mandate.

“When I became the NFF president in 2006, I met a debt of three million naira (N300, 000, 000) in NFF. One naira was not in the account and within four years, all that I promised Nigerians that I was going to do, go and check the record, I did everything to say I have delivered my vision and mandate.

“By 2010, I was leaving the office, I had about N2.8 billion in the account of NFF. The records are there for all to see,” he said.

It could be recalled that some football stakeholders had gone to the Human Rights Radio to lodge complaints over alleged endemic corruption in the Nigeria Football Federation.

Top officials of the federations are currently standing trials on alleged corruption charges by the nation’s anti-graft Taye Taiwo and agencies.

Oduamadi

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Kudos, knocks for Sule, Almakura

S

omething of a storm brewed out in Nasarawa State.

Although it started in Nasarawa state, it extended its tentacles to Abuja, the nation’s capital where it was given a life of its own so to speak and blown up like a typhoon; no thanks to Governor Abdullahi A. Sule and his immediate predecessor now Senator Umaru Tanko Abdullahi who elected personally, to make a public show of the matter. How? Governor Sule and his deputy, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe (that is, the number one and number two citizens of Nasarawa state) visited Senator Almakura in his residence in Abuja last week, specifically “to clear the air and restate with resounding clarity that Governor Sule has never raised an alarm or complained about alleged budget support obtained by Nasarawa state whether by the immediate past administration of Al-makura or at any other time in the history of Nasarawa state”. Thereafter, they held a joint press briefing on the matter.

This shows the seriousness and concern with which the leaders view the originating news report from Nasarawa state, such that they had to bring the full weight of their persons and positions to “refute” it.

But first, let me do a recap of the news story that precipitated all this. At a meeting with elected councillors of all 13 local government councils in the state, Governor Sule was quoted as having advised them and the management of local government councils, to focus more attention on initiating ideas on how to generate revenue to enable the Councils do more than just paying salaries. While describing Nasarawa state as being among the most disadvantaged state in the federation in terms of allocations from the federation account and internally generated revenue, the governor listed three major debt burdens which the state must settle. “The economy of the state is facing serious challenge with dwindling federal revenue as it has to contend with settling three major debts namely, excess crude account debt, bailout funds and budget support all collected between 2015 – 2018”, he lamented. This formed the basis of an editorial

by Nasarawa Eye, a Lafia-based newspaper. The governor echoed similar views at a retreat for public officials. Some other newspapers crafted a bolder headline of the

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Tuesday Column

By VICTORIA NGOZI IKEANO vikeano@yahoo.co.uk 08033077519 story such as, ‘Gov. Sule cries out over N18.9bn debt inherited from Al-makura”.

In their joint press briefing, both the current and immediate past governors seemed to be particular about stressing that there is no rift whatsoever between them as insinuated by some from the news report of what Sule had said. In our ‘toxic’ Nigerian environment, politics appear to cloak virtually everything. Whereas one looked at the matter from an economic perspective, many others read political meanings into it. Said Engr Sule at the Abuja briefing, “At no time have I stated that there is a debt N18 billion taken by Governor Umaru Al-Makura and that it had stopped the running of government. For the purpose of clarification, I mentioned to stakeholders during the recent retreat for public office holders that we should all tighten our belts in view of expenses ahead and the reduction in revenue accruing to the state from the Federation Account. I mentioned the need for us to all wake up and improve our revenue base in order to continue to prosper as a state. I mentioned that currently we are having some deductions from our allocation due to the federal government intervention such as the bailout which is not peculiar to Nasarawa state”.

And former governor Al-makura stated, “I am saying with every sense of sincerity that I did not go to any bank to take any loan on behalf of the state government while in office. We are here to

“

reassure the people of Nasarawa state that whoever is wishing to see that we have friction with the current administration is chasing shadow”.

Apparently another of their concerns is that the ‘debt’ being spoken about is being misconstrued as a bank debt. This is so at first glance until you read the body of the story. The fact is whether from a commercial bank, the stock exchange or the federal government, a loan is a loan and in so far as it has to be repaid it remains a debt. The difference between a government and bank loan is that the latter comes with huge interest while the former is a soft loan with little or no interest attached to it. There is certainly nothing to be ashamed of in calling it a debt as far as one specifies the type of facility it is.

It is good that both Sule and Al-makura have set the records straight. Kudos. Every wrongly interpreted story should be refuted quickly before it grows wings One is disappointed though that they had to do this personally with a pubic visitation outside of Nasarawa state to wit. When I was a media assistant to a former governor of Nasarawa state, there was only one resident correspondent in the state – Daily Trust. Whenever there were big events in Lafia and elsewhere in Nasarawa state, reporters used to come from Abuja to cover them.

I felt this was not good enough and I challenged my colleagues, the editors in Lagos, to have their reporters on ground in Lafia,

The difference between a government and bank loan is that the latter comes with huge interest while the former is a soft loan with little or no interest attached to it.

Nasarawa state. I can say without being immodest that the fact that today, there are a plethora of resident reporters in Lafia specifically covering happenings in Lafia/Nasarawa state is a legacy I bequeathed to Government House. You can therefore feel how depressing it is to me that the assembled press in Abuja had to be called to address them in Abuja on a wholly Nasarawa state issue which germinated in Nasarawa state. Secondly, the two leaders need not to have gone to the extent of personally refuting the reports with their presences.

It would have sufficed for their media aides to issue statements in the names of their bosses denying the newspaper reports.

The rebuttals would equally have been given prominence in the media because it is ‘hot’ news.

Thirdly, Governor Sule and his deputy should not have gone to publicly pay a courtesy visit to former governor Al-makura where he reportedly pledged his loyalty, trust, respect for his predecessor. It is an unnecessary dramatization. He should have just paid him a private visit where they can discuss privately and make mutual vows to each other, if you like. They both have shared mutual interest which is to move Nasarawa state forward and their loyalty is to the people and the Almighty – to serve the people and to obey/adhere to the Will of God at all times which is nothing other than to spread happiness and peace in their duty posts.

Nobody should endeavour to put any wedge between the two or any other former governor. All of them should work in unity for the overall interest of Nasarawa state.

Dan GAYE gaye DAN Quack doctor jailed 44 years in Yola -News

Hold him tight!

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