Friday, August 13, 2021 Edition

Friday, August 13, 2021/ Muharram 5, 1443 AH

UPDATE ON SCHOOL CHILDREN HELD CAPTIVE

Vol. 36 No. 024 N200

FEDERAL GOVT COLLEGE BIRNIN YAURI

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

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@pmlonline

peoplesdailyng

BETHEL BAPTIST HIGH SCHOOL, KUJAMA

40 DAYS

. . . putting the people first SALIHU TANKO ISLAMIC SCHOOL, TEGINA

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Troops kill 6 IPOB/ESN members, arrest 13 in Southeast As 11 hostages flee bandits camp in Kaduna

Pg 5

Covid-19: No lockdown despite surge in Delta variant, says FG Justifies “no work no pay” policy for striking doctors >>PG 5 Cholera outbreak hits 22 states with 31,000 cases, 816 deaths

Administrator of Abuja National Mosque, Professor Shehu Ahmad Galadanci leading the funeral prayers for the late Wife of former President Shehu Shagari, Hajiya Hadiza Shagari, during the funeral prayers, at the National Mosque, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Wada Maida patriot, gentleman - Masari PDP asks court NSCDC issues 24 International Youth Day: Go to sack Gov Buni, operational licence to back to farming - Senate deputy private guards companies tells Nigerian youths pAGE 16

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My boss will not stand in my way to succeed him - Benue deputy gov pAGE 3

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

News CONTENTS News 6-18 Op.Ed

12-13

Politics 15-17 Stock Watch Business Metro

18 19-21 24

World Analysis 22 Africa News

23

World News

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NASS to pass SERVICOM bill soon - Official

By Paul Efiong,Abuja

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rs Nnenna Akajemeli, National Coordinator SERVICOM, said National Assembly will soon pass the bill backing the activities of Service Compact with all Nigerians (SERVICOM) into law.

Akajemeli made the disclosure at virtual joint stakeholders’ review, advocacy, engagement and policy dialogue forum on “SERVICOM bill”, organised by the SERVICOM to engage both the State and Non-State Actors on Thursday in Abuja.

According to her, the bill

has passed through the first and the second readings by the legislature.

“Today is joint stakeholders’ meeting to get accurate feedback from the state and the non-state actors, and also from citizens on the drafted bill which has gone through the first and the second readings.

“We are at the point of getting feedback so that we can proceed to public hearing which we are planing to do very shortly.

“The bill is to firm up the practice of improved service delivery in Nigeria. We are going through these legislative

structures to give it laws that will back up the practice of service delivery in Nigeria, “ Akajemeli explained.

The SERVICOM boss explained further that the process was a positive journey to make government’s businesses much more open to improve transparency aiming to hold service providers to be more accountable.

This she said, was to further have efficiently improved service delivery at service windows across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

“Permit me to emphasis

that the SERVICOM bill seeks to give legislative backing to SERVICOM by providing for the establishment of the Service Compact Management Bill for effective management and execution of the service compact with the citizens, “ she said.

Mr Agabaidu Jideani, a consultant and a stakeholder, who spoke on the importance of SERVICOM bill/policy, said the bill would serve as empowering mechanism for the institution to be more proactive in executing its mandates to the country.

NECO procures 8000 new biometric devices

Sports 29-31 Back Page

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Tricycle operator held for raping passenger seeks forgiveness

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro

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commercial tricycle operator, better known as Keke NAPEP, Mr Akpan Confidence, has been arrested for alleged rape of an undergraduate on Sapele road axis in Benin.

The victim (name withheld), is an undergraduate in one of the tertiary institutions in the State.

She was said to have hired Akpan on 23 July 2021 to Ugbor area towards Airport road in Benin where the 24-year-old Tricycle operator, committed the alleged crime, according to police report.

It was learnt that the suspect allegedly started the journey with the victim, but diverted midway into a lonely route, claiming the road was not motorable and brought out a machete to slay the victim who eventually buckled after a minor scuffle between the duo.

Police report also revealed that the young girl was robbed of her undisclosed sum of money and iPhone at uncompleted building, and fled the scene.

Spokesman of the Nigeria Police, Edo State Command, SP. Kotongs Bello who confirmed the report, said the suspect was arrested through high technical intelligence.

By Ochiaka Ugwu

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Feature 26

News

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News Editor, Tobias Lengnan Dapam

My boss will not stand in my way to succeed him - Benue deputy gov

From: Uche Makurdi

Nnorom,

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enue State Deputy Governor Engr.

Benson Abounu yesterday said he is doubtful if his boss will stand in his way of succeeding him as Governor in 2023.

This is just as he noted that exiting Governors are usually sceptical of handing over to their

deputies because of assumption of right on the side of their deputy.

Speaking to journalists after he consulted with the state party (PDP) working committee on his governorship aspiration in 2023, Abounu said no deputy has any right whatsoever in the constitution.

He added that all deputies are at the mercy of their principals, maintaining that any deputy

that does not assume right will surely not have problem with his principal.

According to Abounu, “the reason why some deputies fall out with their principals is because they assumed right.

“Some deputy governors have the belief that they are being short changed, they are not been given enough and that they are not getting what were due to them.

“But as deputy governor you have no right, none whatsoever, because the constitution does not ascribe anything to deputy governor.

“Only two things that are available to deputy governors are, in the event the governor goes on holiday and ask the deputy to act and the second is in the event the governor decides to give you any assignment to carry out.”

(M) inspecting craft works made by Corps Members, during his visit to NYSC Skill Acquisition Centre in IkareAkoko, Ondo on Thursday (12/8/21).

With him is the NYSC Coordinator in Ondo, Mrs Nnenna Ani (R), and others.

Surveyors, Geometicians should be solution providers – Surveyor General

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Digest

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

From left: 2nd row, representative of the Linkage Assurance Plc, Mrs Nonye Obiora-Obiabunmo; Country Director, Global Society for Anti-Corruption (GSAC), Mrs Amaka Nweke; representative of the Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management Board, Mrs Florence Eze-Chinedu; representative of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, Mr Godwin Achile; with students and officials of the Federal Government College Enugu, during the presentation of prices to the winner of GSAC Integrity Debate Competition for secondary schools in Enugu on Thursday (12/8/21).

International Youth Day: We’ve created 1,500 jobs for Nigerian youth- Silvex International

By Mustapha Adamu, Kano

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ilvex International, a leading Agribusiness and essential commodity trading company in Nigeria has created no fewer than one thousand five hundred direct jobs for youth across various agricultural value chains in Kano, Jigawa, Gombe, Bauchi and Katsina this year.

Abubakar Usman Karfi, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Company made this known while anchoring a presentation

during a webinar to celebrate the International Youth Day 2021 as contained in communique issued in Kano and signed by the moderator of the webinar Dr. Adnan Aminu Adnan.

The presentation titled “Youth Engagement in Agriculture: The Silvex Solution to Insecurity and Climate” is part of the activities to mark the International Day of Youth celebrated on 12th of August every year. The 2021 theme is “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health” The Managing Director,

Silvex International said as the world population grows, Nigerian falls under the countries suffering from a dwindling economy and object poverty with a significant per cent of its youth unemployed which directly contribute to the current security challenges bedevilling the country.

Abubakar mentioned that the 1,500 direct jobs were created in the Agribusiness sector of the economy via agricultural foods production to secure the needed grains for food security, raw material development for industries, production of

improved seeds (for grains, pulses and vegetables), organic food production for healthy consumption and environmental preservation.

“Apart from the direct jobs, we also facilitated over ten thousand indirect jobs across the value chains through farm labour especially for rural youth such as drivers, handlers, loaders, processing factory workers and buying agents, while in the direct jobs aspect, youth were engaged as crop producers, aggregators, trainers/extension agents, processors, distributors and marketers” He confirmed

urveyors and Geometicians must start thinking solutions based on the fact that surveying and geomatics is about solutions, the Surveyor General of the Federation, Surv.

Taiwo Samuel Adeniran has said.

Surv. Adeniran made this known Thursday in Abuja during a seminar organized by Association of Private Practicing Surveyors of Nigeria, FCT branch with the theme: Surveying Practice in FCT “Problems and Prospects.

Adeniran who spoke on the topic, “Surveying Practice in

Federal Capital Territory: The burden of land tenure system and lack of adaptability to change” noted that what was needed was to consider the goals and come up with geospatial solutions or inputs that can facilitate the realization of the goals.

He noted the major problem was waiting for people to create jobs for them, while they have the capacity to create it and provide solution.

Adeniran noted that surveying practice in FCT is been affected by land tenure, status of surveying capacity, level of awareness of the importance or relevance of surveying and geomatics and

adaptation to changes.

He said we should also care about challenges and how innovative and up to date are the practitioners.

He however, recommended practicing surveyor must be ready to study and analyze his environment and prepare proposal to relevant government institutions, rather than wait for advertisement in the dailies for jobs.

He stressed the need for curricula updates in universities polytechnics to take into account recent technologies and development within the field of Geomatics.

Adeniran said the margin supposed to be expended to strengthen the core surveying training and our education institutions should increasingly focus on the global market place rather than on the national scene to practicing surveyors will be on the move.

“Courses such as land information and management, oceanography, hydrology, geophysics, programming, web mapping, data mining, and big data analytics should be reflected in the new curriculum for training of surveyors.

Other courses such as entrepreneurship and

professional practice should include such areas as, principles of corporate/partnership practice, reports and proposal writing, marketing and public relations.

These courses will ensure that graduates of surveying are not only technically proficient but also corporate managers.

This will go in line with the postindustrial society’s view of itself as a society that is information and knowledge-based; brain work and information handling will dominate every facet of life and most practicing surveyors will become managers” he noted.

Corp member donates chairs, desks to school in Katsina From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

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serving member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Miss Aisien Faith has donated 45 sets of chairs and tables to the students of Gover-nment Senior College, (Day wing) Kofar Sauri in Katsina.

Speaking shortly before the presentation of the furnitures, Miss Faith Aisien said, she decided to challenge herself to alleviate the pains experienced by the students who sit on the floor to take their lessons.

“Each day I come around to teach these students, I feel pity for them because it is my first time seeing students seating on the bare floor taking lesson in a school”.

“So I was moved with pity and compassion and I vowed that I must do something”, the situation was pitiable, uncomfortable, unconducive and unacceptable for anything called a learning environment”, she added.

“I decided to take it up as my personal Community Development Service (CDS) project for the school by producing and donating the

furnitures”, she explained, calling on well meaning Nigerians, communiity leaders and corporate bodies alike to assist the students of the college who sits on the bare floor to receive daily lectures.

In his remarks, the State NYSC coordinator, Alhaji Ahidjo Yahaya thanked the leaders and the people of the community for giving the Corps Member the opportunity to serve them.

Ahidjo however appealed to other communities to assist Corps Members in their domain to enable them impact positively on the community.

The state NYSC boss commended the Corps Member for making the NYSC proud in her place of primary assignment, urging other Corps Members to borrow a leaf by exhibiting same in their respective places.

Receiving the desks and chairs, the Principal of the School, Mallam Hamisu Sanusi prayed God to bless the Corps Member for her kind gesture and commended the NYSC Scheme for the Community Development Service (CDS) programme.

Meanwhile, in a related development, a former Director

of NYSC, Alhaji Habeeb Kurawa has admonished Corps Members to be committed while carrying out their primary assignments, as this will enable them to be remembered by their host communiity.

Speaking during a visit to the orientation camp, the former NYSC Director charged the Corps Members to be actively involved in the NYSC Community Development Service (CDS) and special projects towards contributing to nation development, as well as enhancing the standard of living of host communities.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

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News

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

T

he Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) has asked a Federal High Court to sack the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni and his deputy, Idi Barde Gubana from office and install Ambassador Umar Iliya of the PDP as the state governor.

The suit marked FHC/ABJ/ CS/885/2021 is predicated upon the judgment of the Supreme Court in Eyitayo Olayinka Jegede and Anor and Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), in appeal No: SC/448/2021/ delivered on July 28, 2021.

In a split decision of four to three, the Supreme Court on Wednesday affirmed the election of Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN as Governor of Ondo State However, in a minority judgment of three Justices, the apex court questioned the validity of the Buni-led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee and declared it illegal.

It held that the party erred by allowing a sitting governor to hold the position of party national chairman in clear breach of section 183 of the 1999 constitution (as amended).

The PDP in an originating summons filed on August 12, 2021 by it’s counsel, Chief Emeka Etiaba (SAN) has urged the

PDP asks court to sack Gov Buni, deputy court to give an order directing the Chief Judge in Yobe state or any other relevant judge in his absence to immediately swear in Umar Iliya and Daguma Baba Abba Aji as governor and deputy governor of the state respectively as the offices have become vacant.

Listed as defendants in the suit are Mai Mala Buni, Idi Barde Gubana, the All Progressives Congress and the Independent National Electoral Commission.

It further urged the court to declare that having regard to the clear provisions of section 187 (1) of the 1999 Constitution and the state of law, Idi Barde Gubana of the All Progressive Congress, cannot lawfully occupy the office of the governor or deputy of Yobe state upon ceasation of the Buni occupation of the office of governor of Yobe state.

A declaration that the action of Mai Mala Buni as the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the APC while he remains the governor of the state are wrongful, null and void.

The party posed the following questions for the determination of the court; “whether the 1st defendant (Buni) did not breach the clear provisions of section 183 of the 1999 Constitution when as the governor of Yobe state, he accepted the 3rd defendant

(APC) appointment as its caretaker Committee Chairman and proceeded to occupy the office.

Whether the 1st defendant(Mai Mala Buni) who is the governor of Yobe State and the Caretaker Committee

Chairman of the 3rd defendant (APC) has not ceased to hold the office of the governor of Yobe State, having regard to the provisions of section 183 of the 1999 constitution.

Having regard to the clear provisions of section 187(1) of the

1999 constitution and the state of law, whether the 2nd plaintiff (Dama Gum Baba Abba Aji), can lawfully occupy the office of the governor or deputy governor of Yobe state upon the ceasation of Governor Buni occupation of the office.

L-R: Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State exchanging the document with Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu, during the signing of Memorandum between the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the Gombe State Government on Collaborative Funding for Gombe Regional Water Supply project, in Abuja yesterday

Group hails Wada Maida patriot, gentleman - Masari military operations against bandits From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

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From:Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

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group under the auspices of the National council for women societies( NCWS) has commended the military for the successes recorded in the ongoing aggressive onslaught against bandits and other criminal elements in Kaduna state and the north in general.

Kaduna State president of the Society, Barr. Zainab Hassan disclosed this while speaking to the media in Kaduna yesterday.

Barr. Zainab Hassan urged Nigerians to give more support to the troops in the ongoing campaign.

She described as refreshing and encouraging the recent reports of large-scale degrading and neutralization of bandits, cattle rustlers, kidnappers, and illegal armed miners in the Northwest.

overnor Aminu Bello Masari has described the late chairman of Peoples Media Limited, Malam Wada Maida as a patriot and a gentleman.

Masari stated this while receiving the management

of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on a courtesy call at the government house Katsina.

He said, “Wada Maida is a man that believed in service to humanity. His major concern is the society not his personal interest.

The governor recalled that the only time Maida asked him for a favour was the request for

the construction of a community drainage along Katsina GRA quarters.

Masari commended the forsight of NAN management of renaming the agency’s headquarter after the late Wada Maida, promising to be physically present during the formal renaming ceremony.

In his remark, the managing

director of NAN, Mr. Buki Ponle has told the governor about the remarkable work done by Late Maida in moving the agency forward.

He applauded the state governor, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari in his effort of consolidating the development of the state.

Benue 2023: Group urges Idoma to present one candidate From: Uche Makurdi

Nnorom,

A

socio-cultural group in Benue State Ochetoha K’Idoma Youth wing has appealed to Idoma elites to prevail on political parties

to present only one credible Idoma son for the Governorship contest in 2023.

It should be noted that the Idoma people have never had a shot at the Governorship since the creation of the State in 1976.

In 2009, several Idoma

sons including the incumbent deputy Governor Benson Abounu contested and late Deputy Governor Ogiri Ajene amongst other Idoma aspirants donated their votes to Sen. Gabriel Suswam to emerge as Governor.

To avoid a repeat of that scenerio, President of the group Gideon Obande said yesterday that consultation are ongoing with elders and elites of Idoma nation to ensure the emergence of one credible candidate along party line.

Niger govt to sustain partnership with FG From Yakubu Minna

Mustapha,

T

he Secretary to the Government of Niger State, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Matane has reaffirmed the State Government’s

readiness to partner with Federal Establishments in the State for employment generation and development of the State.

The SSG disclosed this in an interface with the Heads of Federal Establishments in the

State at the Federal Secretariat yesterday in Minna.

Matane expressed optimism that the interface would enhance the synergy and good working relationship between Federal Establishments and the State Government.

He assured the Heads of Federal Establishments of their support, stressing that the present administration led by Governor Abubakar Sani Bello will fill in the gaps created due to lack of regular interaction with them.

Niger Govt. partners NGO to promote children/ women nutrition From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

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iger state government has concluded plans to partner with Plan International, a non-profit organisation to give

nutritional support to women and children in the state.

Mr Robert Komakech, Plan International Nigeria Interim Country Director, said this during the startup workshop for

Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) project in Minna.

He explained that the organisation work includes; nutritional support for mothers

and young children to reduce maternal and child mortality among vulnerable women and girls.

Also, Mr Shehu Etsugaie, Project Coordinator of ANRiN in

Niger, said the workshop was to kick-start ANRiN project activities and enble stakeholders rob minds and strategies on how to have effect management of nutrition in the 12 local governments.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

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News Covid-19: No lockdown despite surge in Delta variant cases -FG ...Justifies “no work no pay” policy for striking doctors

By Egena Sunday Ode

T

he Federal Government on Wednesday allayed fears over the likelihood of a total lockdown of the country in spite of the current upsurge of the Delta variant of the Covid-19 disease.

It explained that the implications of such an action would be too much for the country to bear especially with respect to it’s crippling effects o the economy and social life of citizens.

Minister of Health Dr Osagie Ehanire who disclosed thia at the weekly ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Team noted that the experiences from the previous lockdown across the world had shown the devastating consequences of total lockdown.

Consequently, according to him, countries across the world are opting for precision lockdown, as opposed to total lockdown, to address the problem in specific locations where there is an upsurge in COVID-19 cases.

He said “Now, as for the lockdown, lockdown is a very, very last measure that countries are taken because lockdown stifles economic activity, restricts your own freedom and your business - both corporate business, government business, private

business all are affected.

“So it’s not something you do easily. And of course when we were compelled to have that lockdown at the beginning we learnt a lot of lessons. You know, at that time government provided palliatives to relieve the impact, if you couldn’t go to market if you couldn’t do your business.

“But this is not what government is aiming to do, no government wants to do a lockdown. In countries where they have had serious threats they have had to do what they call a precision lockdown like in the UK. In fact, Israel the other day announced that they’re doing some lockdown, but there’s no more generalised lockdown but precision of certain areas. “ So many countries do what they call precision lockdown. So that it’s not everybody that will be affected only certain areas to avoid too much damage to the economy, to social life. And we are not at the level yet where we are feeling that threat to do any lockdown.

“But I will tell you that many countries are not in generalised lockdown but precision lockdown.

And as I speak to you now there are several countries which are on one kind of lockdowns or the other. If my recollection is correct,

...Cholera outbreak hits 22 states with 31,000 cases, 816 deaths

at least six or seven countries that are doing one form of lockdown or the other. We do not have that on the table right now.”

Ehanire said Nigeria aimed to get about 40 million doses of Johnson and Johnson vaccines disclosing that so far the government has acquired about 29,850 million dose of the vaccine at a cost of $10 per dose and that the entire shipment will be delivered to the country before the end of August.

The Ministerinister, who disclosed that the price of the J&J vaccine has been reviewed downward from $10 to $7.50 added that the procurement and funding of the vaccines is being executed by Afriexim bank with headquarters in Cairo.

Ehanire also appealed to striking doctors, under the auspices of National Association of Resident Doctors(NARD) to go back to work, saying that embarking on an industrial action in the midst of the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic with the outbreak of Delta variant, cholera outbreak in 22 states and Marburg virus (similar to Ebola) outbreak was not only dangerous but unconscionable.

He insisted that the Federal Government will apply the International Labour

Organization’s policy of “No Work, No Pay”, if the doctors insist on carrying on with the strike, stressing that they will not be paid from tax payers money for doing nothing.

“I think Nigeria is probably the only country in the world today where doctors are dropping work in the middle of a threat to the whole country,” the Minister observed.

Director General (DG) of National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye said that the postponement of the commencement in the administration of the Mordena vaccine for Covid-19 was due to inadequate information on bar coding on the vaccine and not as a result of its efficacy.

She added that bar coding on the drug would aid drug administrators in monitoring fake vaccines in circulation emphasizing that Nigeria became the first country globally to adopt bar coding and Geographic Information System (GIS) to track vaccines distribution and monitoring.

Speaking at the.briwfing also, Executive Secretary of National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHDC) Dr. Faisal Shuaib said that Nigeria has so

Atiku mourns loss of Mohammed Fawehinmi

By Folorunso Abuja

Minister of Health Dr. Ehanire Osagie and Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina during the 18th Session of the State House Weekly briefing hosting Minister of Health, Dr. Ehanire Osagie and Agencies under the Ministry held at the State House Abuja.

Alagbede,

F

ormer Vice President, Alhajii Atiku Abubakar has expressed shock and sadness at the passing away of Mohammed Fawehinmi, son of revered human rights activist, late Gani Fawehinmi (SAN).

The former Vice President, in a statement by his Media Adviser, Mr Paul Ibe yesterday, paid tribute to Mohammed for having worked tirelessly to fill the huge gap created by the death of Gani in his selfless service to humanity.

According to Atiku, “It is undeniable that the loss of Mohammed is a hurt to the law profession and especially the civil society space, which has become a lifetime commitment of the Fawehinmis”.

The former Vice President expressed his deepest condolences to the Fawehinmi family, particularly its matriarch, Mrs Ganiat Fawehinmi.

The Waziri of Adamawa prayed for strength and comfort to the family “at this difficult moment”.

He also prayed that the Almighty Allah shall heal the family and grant Mohammed a peaceful repose.

far vaccinated about 2.3% of its eligible population since the kick off of vaccination in the country in March 2021.

Shuaib said that the government targets the vaccination of about 70% of eligible population in two years from the time the vaccination kicked off adding that the projection of the government is to have about 120 million of its citizens vaccinated under the programme.

He allayed fears of Nigerians who have taken the first dose of the Astra Zenecka vaccine, stressing that the government was expecting 3.9 million doses of the vaccine before the end of August this year to facilitate the completion of the second dose of the vaccine.

The NPHCDA boss added that the second dose of the vaccine is available to be administered to those so far vaccinated before the expiration of their first dose.

On his part, Director General of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, said recent outbreak of cholera has now spread to about 22 states of the federation, boring that over 31,000 people have been infected and about 816 dead.

PHOTO; STATE HOUSE

Troops kill 6 IPOB/ESN members, arrest 13 in southeast • As 11 hostage flee bandits camp in Kaduna

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam & Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

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he Nigerian Military said its troops killed 6 IPOB/ ESN members and arrested 13 during an operation in the southeastern part of the country.

This is as over 11 kidnapped victims fled bandits’ camps at the outskirts of Sabon Birni town, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna state, following the ongoing military operations in some parts of the state.

Speaking yesterday while addressing newsmen on the military operations in the country, Acting Director Defence Media Operations, Brigadier General, Benard Onyeuko said the operations took place from 29 July to 12 August 2021.

“Within the period under review, security forces ambushed and neutralized 6 IPOB/ESN members, who were involved in the killing of a District Police Officer (DPO) at Omuma Town in Orlu East LGA of Imo State and arrested 3.

“Furthermore, security forces

following intelligence report arrested one notorious IPOB/ESN member named Obumneke Gabriel at Umueli Amaraku Town in Isiala Mbano LGA of Imo State.

“The criminal was in possession of arms and ammunition during the arrest. Relatedly, troops raided IPOB/ESN members’ hideout at Amaechi Idodo community in Nkanu LGA of Enugu State and Nguzu Edda in Afikpo South LGA of Ebonyi State.”

Onyeuko added that during the operations, one ESN commander was neutralized and another apprehended. “Cumulatively, a total of 6 IPOB/ESN members were neutralized and 13 criminal elements arrested by own troops and other security forces operating in the Zone within the period.

Troops also recovered a total of 19 AK-47 rifles, 2 single barrel Dane guns, one G3 assault rifle and 3 locally-made pistols.

“Other items recovered were 30 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 3 daggers, and one locally-made double barrel pistol

loaded with 10 rounds of cartridges were recovered in the course of the operations.”

He assured that the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies have and will continued to remain committed to fight all forms of criminality until sustainable peace is achieved in the country.

Meanwhile, over 11 kidnapped victims have regained their freedom after fleeing from bandits camps at the outskirts of Sabon Birni town, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna state, following the ongoing military operations in some parts of the state.

This was contained in a statement by the Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, and made available to the media in Kaduna yesterday.

The statement stated that ongoing security operations dislodged many of the bandits’ camps, leaving them in disarray and enabling the escape of the hostages being held there.

“Careful checks revealed that

the 11 hostages are a mix of those kidnapped from Dumbin Rauga, Zaria LGA and also along the Kaduna-Zaria highway”.

The escaped hostages were identified as; Fatima Sani, Aisha Falalu, Amina Aliyu, Hadizatu Sani and Bashar Falalu, all from Dumbin Rauga which were all children between ages 7 and 10.

Similarly, Fatima Umar, Zara Umar, and her infant, Hadiza Madu Sharif, Hauwa Ali, Zara Madu Sharif, and Maryam Mad from the Kaduna-Zaria road were abducted while traveling from Maiduguri to Ilorin.

“It was reported that the families of those kidnapped at Dumbin Rauga had collectively paid a ransom of three million naira, but the bandits reneged on the agreement to release the captives, insisting that two motorcycles must be included in the ransom deal.

“The escapees were recovered by the troops and have since been reunited with their families”.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

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News NYSC boss inaugurates ultramodern clinic, skill acquisition centre in Ondo

By Albert Akota

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he Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim has restated the commitment of his agency to the welfare of Corps Members, including the provision of conducive environment to enable them develop their potentials for national development.

Ibrahim stated this yesterday while commissioning an ultramodern clinic inside NYSC Ondo State Orientation Camp in IkareAkoko.

He said that the clinic was anchored on the need to ensure the well-being of all Corps Members -a key policy thrust of the Scheme as they are a critical national asset that must be taken care of.

The Director-General implored the camp participants to effectively utilise the clinic with adequate maintenance of its facilities.

He also directed that the clinic should provide medical services to the host community.

Secondus seeks stiffer penalty for Indonesia .....Bemoans debasing of Nigerians abroad

By Folorunso Alagbede, Abuja

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he National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus has called on the federal Government to apply the stiffest penalty on Indonesia over the humiliating treatment of the Nigerian diplomat by the Indonesian security officials.

Prince Secondus, who expressed deep discontent on the matter, charged Nigeria government to apply no constraints in responding to the unprovoked and unwarranted

manhandling of the Nigerian diplomat.

The PDP National Chairman made the call in a statement yesterday by his Media Adviser, Mr Ike Abonyi.

Secondus maintained that no Nigerian should receive such dehumanizing treatment, more so to a diplomat who enjoys some privileges while on duty to any country.

He advised that every reasonable step should be taken, including recalling Nigeria Ambassador to Indonesia and/or the expulsion of their ambassador

here, if adequate remorse and commensurate punishment is not meted out to those Indonesian officials.

Prince Secondus expressed sadness that under the reign of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Nigeria has been debased and her nationals flagrantly insulted and humiliated abroad.

According to him, “This needless insults on Nigerians must stop, I know that APC misrule has helped to aggravate this unfortunate development, but we must protect our humanity in the comity of nations”.

He said that the ugly development is a fallout of the internal handling of rule of law in Nigeria by the ruling government who has blatantly done things that are not within the purview of decency and law.

The PDP National Chairman said that the dignity of Nigerians abroad must be reestablished using the Indonesia case as example to other nation harboring any phobia against Nigerians, pointing out that the World is watching to see how Nigeria handles the Indonesia assault on her.

Crime News

NSCDC issues 24 operational licences to private guards companies

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

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he Commandant General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has said that the Corps is committed to eliminating quackery in the private security industry to sanitize the system for effective security service delivery towards complementing the efforts of government agencies in mitigating the security challenges bedevilling our nation.

A statement issued yesterday

by NSCDC spokesperson, Olusola

Odumosu, said the CG made the statement while presenting operational licence to 24 Private Guard Companies that were successful after undergoing thorough screening to ascertain the eligibility of their applications as operators in the sector.

He charged them to see the licence as an opportunity to help nip crime in the bud by being proactive and collaborating with security agencies to provide actionable and accurate intelligence needed to deal with prevailing security challenges in

the country.

In his words Dr. Audi, said ‘’as stakeholders in the protection of lives and property, let us join hands to safeguard our future and that of the generations yet unborn and to make our country better and safer because, a secured environment will no doubt engender socio/economic development of the Country’’.

He revealed that the Corps has concluded an arrangement to make available its training facilities for the Private Guards Companies to leverage on for

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L-R; Executive Director/CEO National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuaib, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, Minister of Health Dr. Ehanire Osagie and Director General National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof Mojisola Adeyeye during the 18th Session of the State House Weekly briefing hosting Minister of Health, Dr. Ehinare Osagie and Agencies under the Ministry held at the State House Abuja. PHOTO; STATE HOUSE

Runsewe says culture will bring sustainable peace, national development

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

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he Director General of the National Council for Arts and Culture and the President of the World Crafts Council African Region, Otunba Runsewe, said culture will bring sustainable peace and national development in Nigeria.

He said his ultimate goal is to use culture to enhance unity in diversity.

Runsewe stated this at the opening of a 3 day meeting of the National Technical Stakeholders’ meeting of the National Festival of Arts and Culture, held in Ekiti State recently.

The Director General, disclosed that, time has come for Nigeria stakeholders to change

the narratives of culture in Nigeria.

He said, “it is time for all hands to be on deck to take our good hands, good ideas and good culture to other parts of the world”.

Runsewe commended the EKiti State Cultural Troupe for their wonderful performances and promised to give them more exposure to the outside world.

Speaking at the meeting,Ekiti State Governor,Dr. Kayode Fayemi,expressed his excitement that Ekiti State will be hosting 52nd edition of NAFEST later this year.

He reiterated that the readiness of Ekiti State to host this year’s NAFEST saying that NAFEST will present a good

opportunity to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Ekiti State for the world to see and to tap into its economic potentials.

Fayemi who was represented by the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State,Otunba Egbeyemi, said any state that fails to take into account the need to situate culture as a creative capacity of its people within its developmental plan is bound to face serious social, political and economic crisis in the long run.

According to him,”iam hoping that the forth coming NAFEST will promote national unity, social integration, redirect cultural activities, revenue generation .

“And also create windows of investment opportunities for

the economic growth of not only Ekiti State but Nigeria in general.

The Ekiti State Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism, Prof. Rasaki Bakare in his opening speech said that the essence of the meeting was a reminder to the stakeholders of the Iconic American President, Abraham Lincoln quote who said and I quote “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four hours sharpening the axe”.

According to him, this collective interface among all the principal implementers of the National Festival of Arts and Culture 2021 project has become and will continue to be a major success factor in every successful edition of the NAFEST.

he Comptroller of the Nigeria Immigration Service Jigawa state Command, Alhaji Abba Aliyu has condoled correspondent chapel of the NUJ over the demised of its Chairman, Comrade Ahmed Abubakar.

In a condolence visit to the office of the correspondent chapel in Dutse, the Comptroller who sent a powerful delegation led by the Assistant Comptroller, Mr Ogwu Peter said NIS was shocked by the news of Ahmed Abubakar’s death.

Mr Peter said “the death was a great lost, not only to the family, but the nation and Muslim Ummah at large. May Allah SWT grant him eternal rest and reward him with Jannatil Firdausi”.

Also the Vice Chancellor, Federal University Dutse, Professor Abdulkarim Sabo Muhammed in his condolence message prayed for the repose of the soul of the late Ahmed Abubakar.

Through the Public Relations Officer of the Institution, Abdullahi Yahya Bello, the VC described late Ahmed Abubakar as a respected Season Journalist of repute who was operating within the law and ethics of the profession.

Meanwhile, the State Commandant, Mustapha Talba (CC), on behalf of the entire officers and men of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Jigawa State Command commiserates with the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Jigawa State Chapter over the sudden demise of its State Chairman, Comrade Ahmad Abubakar.

He said, late Chairman lived an exemplary life worthy of emulation.

He was such a gentleman that has distinguished himself in his conducts. Gentle, humble, reliable, honest, responsible and above all a professional in his career that served with dexterity and sincerity of purpose.

He said, Abubakar’s death is indeed monumental not only to the Chapel but the State at large.

training, capacity building and manpower development of their staff. Reiterating that NSCDC is putting in place necessary machinery to reposition and reform the Private security sector in Nigeria in accordance with the enabling law and regulations.

The NSCDC Boss, charged all operators to work within the ambit of the law governing their operation as not to incur the wrath of the Corps because violators would have their license seized, revoked or have their operational base sealed until the

right procedure is followed.

While congratulating the newly licenced operators, Dr Audi urged them to constantly interface with the heads of PGC of the Corps in their various base stations for proper guidance, training and regulations, as his administration is committed to run an open door system to create room for better collaboration and information sharing that could help curb the security challenges in the country and guarantee adequate peace and development of the nation.

A suspected gun manufacturer parades by the Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, retired Brig-Gen. Buba Marwa, in Abuja on Thursday (12/8/21).

From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse

By Usman Shuaibu

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NIS, NSCDC, Dutse varsity condole Jigawa state correspondents for the death of Chairman

Suleja: Rafinsenyi village head urges council chairman to repair roads he Village Head of Rafinsenyi Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, Alhaji Zakari Madaki, has called on the chairman of Suleja, Alhaji Abdullahi Maje to as a matter of urgency to rehabilitate the dilapidated roads within the Rafinsenyi community.

He said if the roads within Rafinseyi community were rehabilitated, the farmers would transport their farm produce to the nearby market easily.

Madaki made the call while speaking with Peoples Daily on Tuesday in the community, also pleaded with the chairman to build a clinic in Rafinsenyi in order to prevent the people from travelling out for medical treatment, saying that part of his house was converted to Healthcare Centre in the area.

He called on the chairman to focus on the developmental projects in Suleja and its environs for the sake of the people who voted for him.

He urged the chairman to provide basic necessities of life for the people at the grassroots level, pointing out that Rafinsenyi community was neglected in terms of development for so long now.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

NHRC charges victims of human rights violations to seek redress

By Albert Akota

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he National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has tasked Nigerians, particularly victims of human rights violations to always seek redress in the Commission or the judiciary using the instrumentality of the law, saying that it pays to speak out in the face of injustice,

discrimination and other forms of human rights violations.

Executive Secretary of the Commission, Tony Ojukwu, stated this in Abuja at a joint press conference organised by the Commission in collaboration with coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria in the wake of a recent Federal High Court judgement in favour

of six (6) women raided by the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), the Police and some other security agencies.

According to Ojukwu who was represented at the occasion by the Director Women and Children, Mr. Harry Obe, said “following the raid, the Commission was called upon to exercise its mandate to uphold

justice for victims of the raid and to also investigate those culpable of the heinous act and bring them to book”.

The NHRC boss disclosed that before the recent landmark judgment, the Commission had held sittings and resolved many cases of SGBV in the six geopolitical zones of the country, cutting across the 36 states.

Stakeholders call for reintroduction of sanitation officers

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

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takeholders in the environment sector, have called for the reintroduction of environmental sanitation officers in rural areas.

The experts’ reiterated that,there is a need for sound recommendation of environmental health improvement in the country . “this will go a long way to robust framework for the improvement of environmental health in the society”.

The Chairman House Committee on Environment, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, the rural areas are more prone to environmental diseases,illnesses and all kind of communicable disease as they lack environmental amenities to handle those situations.

Ekweremadu made the made this known, at the first National

Summit on Environmental health held recently in Abuja.

He is there is a need to revisit and improved upon the ancient practice of environmental sanitation practice particularly in our villages.

“We have look round for a long time and have not seen their works around our communities”.

“Most of our environmental problems are in the villages, those in the urban centers are educated and they can read and keep good hygiene”. “ we want you to collaborate with traditional rulers in various districts and kingdoms at all levels. “massive sensitization campaign should be put in place for the villagers to enable them understanding environmental hazard and implementations before enforcement of environmental laws”,he said .

Speaking in his keynote address,Minister of Environment Dr. Mohammad Abubakar,said the environmental health sub sector is globally acclaimed to be a tool for sustainable development.

“Hence Nigeria can not afford to neglect its public and private stakeholders who must come together in partnership to make it work for our National public health to improved”. “ In the spirit of collaboration and cooperation, the summit was organized to unlocked the opportunities in Nigeria that inter sectoral collaborations are traditionally not given the desired attention”.

The Minister noted that, “it is important for all stakeholders and participants to interact, brainstorm and make sound recommendations to improve environmental health

which primary saddled to fight against diseases.

Earlier, Registrar/CEO, Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria,Dr. Yakuba Baba, said the essence of the summit was to strengthen environmental health officers to enable them to address outbreak of diseases in the country.

Baba said the federal government is doing it best at the federal government level and have a lot of practitioners working in different ministries.

“Local government are not longer recruiting environmental professionals and even the state governors.

“It is important for them to know that employing them is key, because they will work in fighting disease in those environment”, the Registrar emphasized.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

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News

Page 9

Flood: Bauchi death toll reaches 13 T

News

Key into government programme, Ukah tells Yoruba community

Monarch charges business men to creat job opportunities for Nigerians

By Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

From Ahmad Mohammed, Bauch

By Paul Efiong, Abuja

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he flood ravaging Bauchi State has so far claimed 13 lives.

Also, 24 people have been injured in the flood that affected 18 Local Government Areas of the State.

Government officials at the Bauchi State Emergency Management Agency SEMA confirmed that the number of dead people so far recorded is 13.

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orried by the increase in crime and criminalities in Nigeria, Chief of Jiwa Chiefdom, His Royal Highness (HRH) Idris Musa has charged business men and women within and outside the country to create job opportunities for the teaming unemployed Nigerian youths.

The Chief made the call while chating with journalists his domain.

Thanking God for making it possible for them to witness 2021 Salah; wishing the people within his domain and people of Abuja in general the best in the celebration, while calling for creating enable environment for job opportunities for the youth, he said: “My appeal to Nigerians is that we should be our brothers’ keepers. What is killing us in this country are among others, religious sentiment, tribal sentiment and greediness. That is what is killing the country and any country that is in corruption and similar vices doesn’t progress; they will continue to fall.

“That is why, common citizens in the country are trying to pursue the rich. A common man now will kidnap you and put you in the push and tell you to pay billions and you will pay. It is our fault. So I appeal to well meaning Nigerians that pack their money inside their houses and outside the country to invest the money I’m the country, develop the country, so as to give employment and accommodate those who are doing nothing.

“If you go to work from 6am and come back by 6pm, when will you have the time to plan evil, because after going out very early and coming back late, the next thing for iyiu s to rest. Engagement of our youths in employment will reduce crime and criminalities to the barest minimum.

In the area he would like the government to improve upon in insecurity in the country, Idris Musa had this to say: “Insecurity is government’s issue. There are many laws that say, if you did catch somebody who committed crime, you won’t treat him the way he should be treated.

“If an armed robber came to your house with gun and dealt with you and you caught him and took him to court, you will sees a lawyer protecting him; to free him from that place, which means that we are aiding them. That is what is happening now. Because there is law that is protecting them, I am appealing to God to touch their hearts to stop such.

Still speaking on the way out from insecurity, which he said was everybody’s business, the royal father therefore said that coming together of everybody with one mind would reduce the ugly trend to the barest minimum.

He however reiterated the need for the government and those who pack their money inside to invest them in this country and engage youths. “If you engage them, how can they come and harm you?” he asked.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

From left: Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), Dr Ibrahim Liman; Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers; Deputy Governor of the State, Dr Ipalibo Harry-Banigo; Commissioner of Police, Rivers Command, Eboka Friday and Chairman of PDP in Rivers State, Amb. Desmond Akawor, during the inauguration of Firefighting Truck, Ambulance and Water Tanker in Port Harcourt on Thursday (12/8/21).

FG bemoans inability to access UBEC N130b counterpart fund

By Maryam Abeeb, Abuja

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he Federal Govt has described as regrettable, the inability of some states of the Federation in accessing one hundred and thirty billion naira (#130,000,000,000) counterpart funds from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) for developing primary education in their States.

Education Minister, Adamu Adamu, who stated this at this year’s 65th National Council on Education meeting in Jalingo, Taraba State, said, funds in UBEC custody are still unutilized due to the inability of states to provide their 50 precent counterpart funds.

Speaking through the Minister of State for Education, Hon Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba,

the Minister said, the affected states need to reprioritize basic education as it is the bedrock for further and continuing education, too strategic to be ignored.

Emphasizing the need for co-operation from the states, Adamu Adamu said the tasks of developing education at all levels, securing our children and ensuring basic sanitation in our schools requires that all hands

must be on deck to achieve the desired results.

Also speaking at the ocassion in a goodwill message, former deputy governor of plateau state and current Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Dame Pauline Tallen called for greater stakeholder cooperation in the efforts to eradicate the out of school children phenomenon,adding that no child should be left behind.

Nigeria needs more data centres to end breach of data storage laws – Runsewe

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construction industry expert, Mr Temitope Runsewe has called for the establishment of more data centres and logistics parks within Nigeria to service both government and privately owned businesses.

Runsewe told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday, that the need for such centres had become even more necessary in view of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as existing government laws.

According to him, it was mandated by law for government establishments to store their data locally, pointing out that due to inadequacy of such centres, many of the agencies flout this law.

He defined data centres as physical facilities where (open) data can be stored and processed; saying they could be buildings or groups of buildings used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems.

Runsewe who is the Managing Director of Dutum Company Limited and a guest at the ongoing Real Estate Discussions and Awards conference, said that it was unfortunate that 70 per cent of Nigerian agencies stored data abroad.

“Although the need for building data centres has risen steadily across the globe, utilization of

data centres in Nigeria has not surpassed 30 per cent.

“About 70 per cent of government MDAs still host data in countries like Israel, Ukraine, UK and the U.S. inspite of data localisation guidelines in the country,” he said.

He pointed out that companies like his were willing to partner with the government and other stakeholders across Africa to bring data centres coser to businesses.

He said that the aim was to help localise data storage and curb the flagrant disregard of government regulations on data storage.

“Guidelines by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)

mandates all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) to host their websites and other web services on a registered .gov. ng domain.

“It also mandated them to source network and Internet services for which there is local capacity from local service providers while ensuring that all government data is hosted locally within the country.

“However, breaches of these guidelines remain commonplace.

This puts a lot of pressure on both the public and private sectors in Nigeria to not only focus on enforcing data localization laws, but to work together on providing data centres,” he said. (NAN)

By Albert Akota

serve as the fuel for development.

Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare, who made this known yesterday added that this year’s International Youth Day celebration offers the world an opportunity to again

implement timely policies that will harness the innovative talents of the youth for development.

According to the Minister, “Our world is increasingly technology driven by a youthful generation of brilliant and innovative minds who

are daring and ready to discover new frontiers through innovation.

From fintech, to E-medicine, e-agriculture, solar energy systems, digital arts, digital marketing, robotics and artificial intelligence, the youth hold sway”.

Youth innovation catalyst for devt -Minister

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ith the increasing uptake of technology as an enabler by a huge number in the younger generation, the innovative minds and skills of the youth will

They said out of the number, 11 out of five people died in Jamaare, Gamawa while three people died Ningi.

It also affected Toro and Dorado areas.

In their separate remarks while answering questions from our correspondent, Dr Abubakar Umar Gabarin and Adamu Nayola are silent over the number of additional dead bodies recorded, but they confirmed that it affected 2000 people.

he Secretary to the Delta State Government (SSG), Chief Patrick Ukah, on Thursday assured the Yoruba community residing in the state that the administration of Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa will continue to carry them along in the scheme of things as it concerns governance in the state.

Chief Ukah made this known when he received the Yoruba community in his country home in Okpanam during their visit to congratulate him on his appointment as Secretary to the State Government.

The SSG told them that as long as they had lived in the state for many years and were law abiding, they had the same rights and privileges as citizens of the state.

‘There is an adage which says wherever you are residing is your home, be it Asaba, Ughelli or Okpanam” he stated.

Chief Ukah charged the group to continue to ensure that they live peacefully with their neighbors if they want to do well in the state.

He further charged them to key into the various empowerment programmes of the state government which he said is an avenue that helps uplift ones standard of living.

Chief Ukah thanked the Yoruba community for their show of love towards him and the state government and assured them that their demands will be looked into.

The Secretary of the Yoruba community in the state, Mr. Olatobosun, said the visit to the SSG was to congratulate him on his appointment, even as he stated that Chief Ukah had always been friends with them even before his appointment.

He pledged the support of the Yoruba community to the state government and assured that they will continue to live peacefully with their neighbors.

Niger: Business woman bags two media awards

By Usman Shuaibu

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he proprietress of the Race Restaurant and Suites in Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, Christy Ella Edwin has been conferred with the two media awards y the orator communications limited, the publishers of orator weekly newspapers based in Niger State and FCT, Abuja.

The two media wards tagged “Ambassador of Progress” and “Icon of Humanitarian”.

Conferring the awards the Managing Editor of Orator Weekly newspapers, Mr. Nasir Oseni, said the award were bestowed on the proprietress based on her outstanding contributions in the society.

He added that the proprietress of Lace Restaurant and Suites was honoured due to the research carried out by the Editorial Board of the Orator Weekly Newspapers.

Oseni told the gathering that the management of Orator weekly newspapers deemed it necessary to honour the proprietress as a result of her selfless services rendered to the society, saying that orator organization does not honour people with questionable character.

Responding, the recipient of the day, authority of the Orator Communications Limited for recognizing her.

Some of the guests as well as some staff of the Lace Restaurant and Suites who spoke during the award ceremony, said the honour done to Christy Ella Edwin was a step in the right direction.

From left: Representative of the Minister of Interior, Mr Bola Ilori; Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), Dr Ibrahim Liman; Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Deputy Governor of the State, Dr Ipalibo Harry-Banigo; Deputy Controller-General of FFS in charge of Operations, Karebo Samson and Commissioner of Police, Rivers Command, Eboka Friday, during the inauguration of Firefighting Truck, Ambulance and Water Tanker in Port Harcourt on Thursday (12/8/21).

FG revamps Lagos Works’ Central Workshop for job creation – Official

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he Federal Government said it had begun revamping the Federal Ministry of Works’ Central Workshop in Ijora, Lagos, for mass job creation and training of artisans.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Alhaji Babangida Hussaini, said this during the inspection of facilities at the Central Workshop on Wednesday.

He said the obeselete equipment at the workshop were being replaced to make it live up to its mandate of job creation and training of artisans to bridge the skills gap in the country.

He said the Ministry of Works and Housing would soon submit its recommendations for consideration by the Federal

Executive Council to revamp the Central Workshop of the Mechanical and Electrical Development Skills section.

Babangida said the workshop had previously served as an industrial hub for fabrication and production of mechanical, automotive and electrical parts as well as a training school.

Hussaini, who led a delegation of directors of the Ministry from both Lagos and Abuja on the inspection of the centre said it’s production capacity had declined due to obselete equipment.

He said the ministry was determined to pursue the immediate reactivation of the centre by December this year for improved training of graduates and non-graduates in craftsmanship.

“This will be followed by a full

scale revamp as from January 2022, with the possible option of a Public-Private-Partnership.

“This will restore the glory of the centre and make it achieve the National Economic Sustainability Plan of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration,” he said.

He said the Minister of Works and Housing had earlier inspected the facility and that his was on an assessment tour of the centre towards making policy recommendations.

He said short and long term measures would be adopted to train artisans in various fields to bridge the skill gap while generating millions of jobs in line with policy of the Buhari rigime.

“The National Sustainability plan of this administration and the vision of Mr President is to lift 100 million

Nigerians out of poverty,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Permanent Secretary interacted with artisans undergoing training at the facility’s training section, assuring them of government’s commitment to sustaining the Centre.

He said the centre’s foundry machines had already been replaced with new models in the Lagos centre and another in Kuje, Abuja, as part of ongoing upgrade of the facilities, which were over 50 years old.

He said all hands would be on deck to ensure new technologies were adopted, while also supporting ongoing plan to continue the production of railway parts as was done in the past. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

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NGO trains 60 advocates to promote peace in Plateau

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n NGO, Centre for Advocacy of Justice and Rights (CAJR), has trained 60 women and youth as advocates for peace and social cohesion in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau.

The training, according to Miss Etty Peter, Executive Director of the organisation, was funded by the United State Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Nigeria Early Recovery Initiative (NERI).

She explained that the initiative was committed to connecting communities that were separated from each other as a result of years of violent conflicts between Fulani herders and Berom natives.

She added that the activity christened “Cash-for-Work”, would break the “no-go-area” syndrome in the locality and the state in general.

Peter said the participants were selected from three communities within the locality, adding that lessons learned would be replicated in other parts of the state.

“In this project, we brought together 60 women and youth comprising both the Berom natives and the Fulani.

“We also brought in other ethnic nationalities across Zargwom, Kaching and Ruku communities in the local government.

“The project enables them to work in public facilities like clinics, primary schools, markets, houses of traditional rulers and religious leaders in their communities.

“Under this programme, they can access places that were not mutually accessible to each other due to the lingering conflict in the locality.

“The beneficiaries have been trained through series of workshops and have carried out some practical works in their communities as a way of promoting social cohesion.

“At the end of the activity, participants will be paid stipends in order to improve their livelihoods,” she said.

Peter disclosed that the NGO had worked with the beneficiaries in the areas of early warning signals, early response and protection aimed at promoting unity and security consciousness in the communities In a remark, Mr Jock Alamba, Chairman, Management Committee of the council, thanked the NGO for playing key roles toward deepening peaceful coexistence in the area.

He commended the organisation for the gesture and expressed optimism that it would consolidate on the peace initiatives of government toward achieving lasting peace.

“We are happy that these efforts are bringing our communities back to the old glorious days of a united people.

“This humanitarian service you have delivered in Barkin-Ladi will benefit the world and we will be better off for it. (NAN)

Behavioural change: Cleric urges adequate investment on children

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astor Chucks Edmond, on Wednesday stressed the need for adequate investment in the character moulding of children at their early stages of life to promote good behaviour in the society.

Edmond, the Senior Pastor of Ambassadors Ark International Church (AIC), gave the advice an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bwari, FCT. A clergyman, spoke on the sidelines of the maiden five-day Teens Boot Camp programme for 80 children between the ages of three and seven; eight and 21, respectively, which started from

Aug. 9 to 13, in Kuduru, in Bwari.

“There is need to invest in the character moulding of young people; if we do not catch them young, it may become too late to do so.

“By investing in the behavioural change of young people, we can be sure to secure bright future not just for them but the society at large, especially in the era where godliness is fast eroding.

“When we train children the right ways at early stages of life, the menace of people rising to become bandits, kidnappers and Boko Haram will reduce drastically.

“Therefore the boot camp

initiative is to promote character moulding and to make our young generation better citizens of their fatherland.”

A participant, Dominic Daniel, 14, expressed appreciation to the organisers for boot camp initiative, saying it helped him to learn good behaviour.

“So much was learnt in terms of being truthful and on ways to resist temptation as means to become good citizen.

“I also learnt about entrepreneurship; specifically on how young people can think ahead at tender age to run a business and make profit.

“I look forward to learn about relationships and peer pressure, because bad behaviour is mostly influenced by peer pressure in the society,” Daniel said.

Another participant, Yusuf Bright, 15, commended the boot camp initiative, saying it broadened her horizon about importance of moral.

“I learnt about ethical; on how to behave myself anywhere I go, how to speak in public and how to manage what I have,” Brght said.

The high point of the event was teaching on essential life skills, entrepreneurship training; life coaching and mentoring. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

Delta Journalists laud Okowa on 2022 budget proposal

By Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

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ournalists under the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council, have lauded the state government for its proactive steps taken in approving the 2022 budget proposal of N425 billion.

The commendation was part of the resolutions reached during the monthly meeting

of the chapel held in Asaba on Thursday.

The chapel noted particularly, the emphasis which the budget proposal placed on capital projects over recurrent expenditure, which is indicative of the administration’s desire to consolidate on its infrastructural development across the state.

“This is in line with financial and development standards across the globe aimed at building infrastructure, human

capacital development and welfare of citizens.

“This commendation has become necessary at a time when most political state actors are pre-occupied with politics of 2023.

“But the Delta Government led by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa is very much concerned about the development of the state which is in line with the administration’s ‘Stronger Delta’ vision,” the resolution stated.

Also the meeting preside over by the chairman of the chapel, Mr. Dominic Adewole, reflected on the administration’s consistent high regard for traditional institution which has culminated in relatively peaceful atmosphere across communities the state.

“This has also been demonstrated with the building and inauguration of the state of the art Secretariat for royal fathers in the state,” it added.

NECO procures 8000 new biometric devices From Umar Dankano,Yola

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n an effort to improve the efficiency of its examination to surpass global standards,the National

Examination Council (NECO) has procured 8000 biometric devices.

Registrar and chief executive Officer of the council,professor Ibrahim Wushishi disclosed the

development while answering questions from journalists in Yola Yesterday.

He stressed that all hands are on deck to ensure the examination undertaken by the

council are credible and reliable.

“We have 18000 centres across the Country and we intend each centre to have its biometric equipment that can capture data digitally”.

Letter to the Editor

EDITORIAL

Ogoni: The long wait is over

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interest, the fine owed by the company was more than ten times greater than the original judgement, although Shell denied this.

The case was launched in 1991. The oil multinational had previously said it was not given the opportunity to defend itself against the claims and began international arbitration over the case earlier this year. “They ran out of tricks and decided to come to terms,” Nwosu was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

“The decision is a The oil multinational v i n d i c a t i o n had previously said of the resoluteness of it was not given the opportunity to the community defend itself against for justice.”

or people of Ogoni in Rivers State, the long wait for justice is over. Or is it?

On Wednesday, Shell Petroleum Company finally agreed to pay N45.9 billion ($ 111 million) in damages to Ogoni communities for losses from oil spills in the oil rich Niger Delta. The compensation award was granted on June 14, 2010 by a federal high court in Lagos.

Shell’s lawyer, Aham Ejelamo, a senior advocate, announced the multinational oil firm’s readiness to pay compensation w i t h o u t interest before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of federal high court, Abuja.

The waiver of interest on the principal sum was a concession by the Ogonis.

Some passengers queue to board a train at Chief Alfred Rewane Railway Station at Ujeevwu in Delta on Thursday (12/8/21).

PAGE 11

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the claims and began international arbitration over the case earlier this year.

“They ran out of tricks and decided to come to terms,” Nwosu was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

We celebrate this happy development with our Ogoni brothers and sisters who have borne the brunt of the Ejelamo had environmental sought the degradation permission caused by oil of the court production but to pay the compensation through got nothing from the gains the çhief registrar of the of it. Finally, their resolve court. However, it was and patience have paid finally agreed that the off. One minus though is money should be paid that while the case had through the lawyer to the dragged on for decades, Ogoni people, Mr. Lucius pollution from leaking oil Nwosu. pipelines had continued Last year, the Supreme to be a major issue in the Court said that, with Niger Delta.

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Rwanda-Mozambique Military pact and Pan-Africanism

By Paul Ejime

R

wanda’s decision to deploy 1,000 soldiers and police personnel from July 10 to help quell the al-Shabaab jihadist insurgency in Mozambique’s troubled northern Cabo Delgado province is a reminder of the erstwhile effective pan-Africanist solidarity initiative that facilitated the decolonization struggle and emancipation of Black Africa.

The gas-rich northern province of Mozambique has since 2017, come under deadly attacks by the jihadists believed to be affiliated to ISIS, resulting in the deaths of some 3,000 people and displacement of 800,000 others, half of them children.

According to international humanitarian agencies, some of the areas are under the jihadists’ control and inaccessible, with nearly a million people now facing severe hunger, while French Petroleum giant Total has suspended a US$20 billion LNG project in Mozambique indefinitely, due to the violence.

The Rwandan deployment followed the defence cooperation pact signed by President Paul Kagame and his Mozambican counterpart Filipe Nyusi in 2018.

The Rwandan Defence Forces have explained that the country’s contingent plan “will support efforts to restore Mozambican state authority by conducting combat and security operations, as well as stabilization and security-sector reform (SSR).”

One notable achievement of the Rwandan reinforcements was the retaking by government troops of a police station in Awase, a small but strategic settlement near the key town of Mocimboa da Praia, which had been an insurgent base for nearly a year.

Some 30 insurgents have also been taken out in battles with the support of the Rwandan forces.

Also, under a recently agreed three-month deployment plan to assist its beleaguered member state, the 16-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC), regional super power, South Africa has authorized the deployment of 1,500 troops to Mozambique.

However, the fact that Rwanda, a non-SADC member State, had to deploy its troops to Mozambique before the regional bloc is not lost on defence analysts.

So, there have been some muted diplomatic discontents over Mozambique’s decision to give priority to its bilateral pact with Rwanda over and above the SADC multilateral cooperation.

Even so, the reality is that the deadly and costly insurgency in northern Mozambique required an urgent solution. This raises the question about the relevance and effectiveness of the African Union and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as the building blocks of African integration, political and socio-economic development and progress.

Before independence, a group of Southern African countries formed the famous Frontline States (FLS) coalition against the white minority regimes, especially in the Apartheid enclave. But the FLS also received tremendous support directly and indirectly across Africa from Cape to Cairo, with Nigeria in West Africa as an adopted member of the group!

With its huge Black population and later, petrodollar, Nigeria had embraced with strong determination and commitment, the African decolonization struggle even before its own independence from Britain in October 1960. At that time, the anti-apartheid struggle was ineffective; most Western countries supported the apartheid regime in South Africa, while colonialism and discrimination against Blacks were largely unchallenged.

Africa badly needed a strong voice, a rallying point and leadership, and Nigeria was a good fit. According to the South African Institute of International Affairs, between 1960 and 1995, Nigeria alone spent over US$61 billion to support the end of the obnoxious Apartheid system, more than any other country in the world. A number of high-profile Southern African black personalities were offered asylum in Nigeria, including former presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, while some personnel of the now-ruling African National Congress (ANC) also received military training and other material, financial and diplomatic support from Nigeria.

Nigeria’s Africa-first foreign policy, which breathed new life into the struggle for independence of many African countries such as Angola (1975), Zimbabwe (1980), Namibia (1990) and South Africa in 1994, was itself a product of the foundation laid by preand immediate post-independent Africa leaders. They included the late Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Patrice Lumumba of DR Congo, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balawa of Nigeria, Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, William Talbot of Liberia, Amilcar Cabral of Guinea Bissau/Cabo Verde, Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, and Haile Selassie of Ethiopia.

Others were Sekou Toure of Guinea; Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Modibo Keita of Mali, Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya, and Sylvanus Olympio of Togo, to name but a few. These all played their part and were later succeeded by the likes of Nelson Mandela of South Africa and Moammar Gadhafi of Libya, on the still-tobe-realized United Africa project.

But regrettably, some 60 years after political independence of African countries, the once-vibrant pan-African fervour appear moribund or dead. Given the pre, during and immediate post-independence context under which they operated, many past African leaders must be proud of their achievements, which their successors were supposed to build upon and

surpass.

The Organization of African Unity (OAU) was set up in May 1963, followed with the adoption of the Lagos Plan of Action for the Economic Development of Africa in 1980, to among other objectives, boost Africa’s self-sufficiency by minimizing dependence on foreign assistance and maximizing own resources. This was reinforced with the adoption of the Treaty on the African Economic Community (AEC), the Abuja Treaty in 1991, which entered into force in May 1994.

The African Union (AU) succeeded the OAU in 2002. The “Pillars” of the OAU/AU and the AEC, include the Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CENSAD) formed in 1998, the 21-nation Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) set up in December 1994, to replace the Preferential Trade Area, which expired in 1981 and the six-nation East African Community (EAC) formed in 1967, collapsed in 1977, and revived in July 2000.There was also the Economic Community of Central African States, ECCAS or CEEAC in French, established in 1983, as successor to the Central African Customs and Economic Union, UDEAC formed in 1964, which with the mainly inactive Economic Community of Great Lake Countries (CEPGL), formed in 1976, made up the Common Market for East and Central Africa (CEMAC) in 1999.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS/CEDEAO), was set up in May 1975, with eight of its Francophone member States and Guinea Bissau forming the West African Economic and Monetary Union, UEMOA in 1994. Still within ECOWAS, the five Anglophone countries and Guinea Conakry formed the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ), in 2000.

There is also the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) founded in 1986, and the SADC, which started as the informal Frontline States grouping, before it morphed into the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) in 1980 and then transformed into the SADC in August 1992.

The Arab Maghreb Union AMU/UMA, formed in 2008 and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), set up in October 2001 and later, with its African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), were also envisaged as continental pillars. For good measure, the NEPAD had the approval of leaders of G8 countries in July 2001; and other international development partners, including the European Union, China, and Japan.

Nineteen years on, whether the Addis Abababased African Union has lived up to its potentials or the goals of the founding fathers of the OAU, which played pivotal roles in the decolonization and emancipation of Africa is subject of debate.

But the bitter truth is that Africa, with its rich endowments of natural resources, enviable tropical climate and some 1.3 billion people, representing some 16% of the world’s population, today bears the heaviest burden of curable diseases, poverty, socio-economic inequalities including high unemployment, natural and man-made disasters and endless political conflicts accentuated by mismanagement and bad governance.

To many pan-Africanists, the AU failed a very basic test spectacularly, by not raising a finger when former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was literally murdered by rebels supported and armed

by Western powers led by France. Gadhafi was not only instrumental to the formation of the AU; he was until his death, the largest individual financier of the organization. Today, from West to Central, North and Southern Africa, the majority of citizens are victims of one governance deficiency or the other, either engineered by fellow African elites acting internally or in cohort with their foreign collaborators to keep Africa down, and even worse than before independence.

There are tensions across many African countries, characterized by coups or attempted coups in Mali, Chad and Niger, troubling leadership crises and security challenges in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Benin, Guinea, Senegal, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, Tunisia, The Gambia, DR Congo, Central African Republic, inequalities in South Africa, and separatist upheavals in Cameroon and Mozambique, among others.

ECOWAS, which showed great promise at its formation, especially on regional integration peace and security agendas, including the setting up of its renowned military peacekeeping arm, ECOMOG that helped end the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone, is today hindered by leadership deficit, the canker of many African organizations, including the African Union, which has been unable to impress upon Ethiopia, its host country to end the needless bloodbath in its northern Tigray region.

Contemporary African leaders must wake up to the fact that the rest of the world does not owe the continent a living. Africa must find African solutions to African problems, including proactive and rapid response defence and security mechanisms at national, regional and continental levels. Until then, the continent and its people will remain victims of the machinations of powerful players in a globalizing and fast-moving world. Above all, African cooperation, integration, unity and solidarity are more compelling now than ever! *Paul Ejime, a Journalist, Author and former Diplomatic/War Correspondent, is a Consultant on Communications, Media, Elections and International Affairs

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

Opinion

Sad! As mass communication educators and print journalists play the ostrich while journalism goes digital

By Isaac Asabor

T

here is no denying the fact that when Reverend Henry Townsend, the founder of journalism in Nigeria, introduced the profession by publishing the first tabloid ‘Iwe Irohin Fun Awon Ara Egba’ on November 23, 1859, that he unarguably had no hunch about how fast his idea would impact posterity. It is salient in this context to say that the newspaper was published at the interval of every 15 days with a circulation of 3000 copies and cost 120 cowries. It reportages mainly dwelt on activities that pertain to the church.

With time, it began to publish classified advertisements.

He probably did not know that through decades that the profession will shed its weight of crudity and literarily embrace a world that is been driven by the internet.

Thus, 162 years down the line, journalism has speedily evolved by figuratively shoving the vendor and his “papun-papun” sounding hand-held horn aside.

Now that the media is predominantly placed on the pedestal of electronic or digital, it is hard to visualize the fact that there was ever a time before print media was invented when earliest civilizations only had oral communication. If they had news to tell, they ran to the nearest person to spread the word to others, with each communicator at the time doing the same until everyone had heard the news. Then people began to write down their news pictorially, and then in crude languages where symbols stood for words and letters.

It took the inventions of paper and the printing press for print media to come into regular use. Once it did, there was no turning back.

Explanatorily put, the print media is the printed version of telling the news, primarily through newspapers and magazines. Before the invention and

widespread use of printing presses, printed materials had to be written by hand. It was a painstaking process that made mass distribution impossible. At first, news was chiseled in stone.

Later, it was handwritten and posted in a public area much like today’s posters or read from a scroll by a town crier. As early as 131 B.C., the ancient Roman government produced daily news sheets and informed the public in this way.

Through the years, print media evolved to include entertainment, educational topics and more, instead of only conveying news.

However, in 1440, Johannes Gutenberg introduced his invention of a movable type printing press with Type that was much easier to change, making the mass production of news pages possible. The invention spread throughout Europe, and printing and distributing sheets of news became popular.

Be that as it may, as countries all over the world began to experience conurbation, including Nigeria, Gutenberg’s invention of a movable Type printing press was adopted.

To cut the long story short, by the 1980s, businesses the desktop computers became the vogue in offices, and extended its influence to the newspaper industry.

On the trail of the desktop computers was the evolvement of the World Wide Web (WWW) which was introduced to the public in 1991 prior to the introduction of Google’s Search engine in 1998, which paved the way for people to have a way of gathering huge volume of information easily from the virtual space. With seeming information revolution kick-started by Google, generations of people became acquainted with the internet. Thus at their fingertips, they began to get their news and conduct their research online instead of in print, and the internet became a clear competitor to the print media as a

way of spreading news and information.

Without recourse to over-flogging the issue, it is expedient to say that the internet technology has since then been advancing for the benefits of mankind.

Alas! Despite the disruptive trajectory which social media has over the years assumed, and its potential threat to displace the traditional media, mass communication educators are still playing the ostrich as they seem to have adopted a lackadaisical position over the issue. For the sake of clarity, “Playing the Ostrich” as a phrase simply means to ignore something that is obvious.

Ostriches are supposed to bury their heads in the sand as they are naturally try to escape from danger.

Without any iota of exaggeration, it is about time tertiary institutions that offer mass communication as course of study began to teach the curriculum of the future that meets the needs of digital age, and not that of the past analogue age. Why this view? Robots, artificial intelligence, automation among other products of technological advancement are no longer the exclusive preserve of science fiction movies as they are all leveraged to grow the social media.

Most news web today have integrated video and audio to their platforms whereas newspapers still depend on just text format.

In fact, the extant curriculum been used to teach mass communication undergraduates today arguably lacks the content that would convince anyone with a discerning mindset that communication undergraduates are been prepared to thrive in today’s changing employment landscape.

For instance, a student that begins primary school today will graduate from university in the mid-2030s and his career will last through 2060 or beyond. While it is difficult to predict exactly what future workforce’s needs will be for those that

chose to become Journalists in the middle of the century, it is very obvious that what they need are changing, and will continue to change as long as technology continues to advance. Therefore, it is expedient for mass communication educators to by each passing day to be catching up with the technological advancement that journalism has literarily embraced in this digital age.

At this juncture, it is expedient to say that journalism curriculum of today no longer focuses on any course that is applicable to work environment that is basically analogue, but leveraged on courses that are designed to give a basic understanding of how to create web content as well as in-depth training in the art of being a Journalist that is skillful enough to supply news to the web at regular interval.

Therefore, in most educational institutions in other part of the world, priorities are laid on basic introduction to the web and consequently on the basics of writing for the web, with a web-centric viewpoint. Some law knowledge follows and then finally the specific and separate functions of the internet based writer which are covered with specific reference to how best to use social media.

For instance, an online Diploma in Internet Journalism will take the student through courses that cut across, Introduction to web writing, online journalism, Readers and markets, Citizen Journalism, blogs, vlogs and podcasts as well as Google and social media.

The foregoing course, Google and Social media is aimed at helping the student to have a more comprehensive idea about what is what in the world of social media and of how to make best use of it as a journalist. Before considering interactive social media Curriculum in the ongoing journalistic dispensation looks at Google and Wikipedia and then gives pen sketches of different social media options, suggesting

how best to use them (including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Reddit and TikTok).

Added to the foregoing digital related courses is the Online editing which helps the student to understand the role of the online sub-editor and how it differs from that of the print sub-editor. It is also designed to help the student appreciate the processes involved in pasting, editing and projecting copy, how to write catchy headlines that are web-friendly as well as how to maximize search-engine optimization (SEO) and how to write captions.

In the same vein, online layout and design and successful web package are courses that have been added to traditional mass communication courses as a way of preparing today’s mass communicators for tomorrow job demand in the field of journalism. In as much as today’s mass communication curriculum focuses on how tomorrow Journalists can build up a web-based writing portfolio, it also aimed at identifying their strengths and weaknesses as web writers, and to build up a successful writing portfolio even as the training also recognizes the need to impart future Journalists with knowledge on how to avoid falling into the legal pitfalls involved in writing for the web as the future of Journalism is on virtual space.

Not only are mass communication educators playing the Ostrich, Journalists are equally in the shoes as not few of them are waving the realities of the advent of digital media aside, and thus ostensibly not looking at the possibility of upgrading to digital skills as online platform is unarguably the future of journalism.

Isaac Asabor is a Public Affairs Analyst.

Okowa: Leadership, deviance and decisiveness

By Jerome-Mario Utomi

A

lthough the word deviance often carries negative connotations, it is not synonymous with dysfunctionality.

Deviance is, at heart, a creative act-a way of searching out and inventing new approaches to doing things. Acts of deviance can point to areas where organizations/ society/nations need to change and can result in fruitful alternatives. The chief thing to keep in mind here is that norms can have expectations. By challenging a particular norm, we can play a role in changing it.

Without an iota of doubt, the above expression by Leslie Perlow, aptly captures transformational leadership prowess demonstrated in the past six years by Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, the Executive Governor of Delta state. This claim is evident in ways and manner he has to the admiration of many piloted and challenged particular norms lacking in human face at both state and Federal Levels, and in the process played a key role in changing them.

Specifically, while it is a common knowledge that the governor has recently in the state scored high points in areas such as youth empowerment, infrastructural provisions, security and peace building, it is of considerable importance to underline that Okowa is presently making in-road and covering new grounds in areas that are more national in outlook.

Commenting on these new areas is the objective of this intervention.

But before then, it is important to add that decisiveness/ transformation is not new to the Governor Okowa. He is transformation personified.

A medical Doctor turned Politician. A politician turned Administrative Secretary of Ika Local Government; Administrative Secretary turned Local Government Chairman (Ika Local Government); Local Government Chairman turned Commissioner where he at different times and places transversed about three different ministries; Commissioner turned Secretary to the State Government (SSG); Secretary to

the State Government (SSG turned Senator and of course a Senator turned Executive Governor of the state who is now serving out his second in office as the Executive Governor of the state.

Let’s look at this issues beginning with his recent call for complete overhaul of the nation’s 1999 Constitution.

It was widely reported that Senate Sub-Committee on review of the 1999 Constitution met recently, with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, in Asaba, the state capital.

Surprisingly but to the admiration of all, Governor Okowa was not only decisive but emphatic in his position/demand. While he noted that Nigeria needs a new constitution, he kicked against the amendment of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Let’s listen to him; a new constitution for the country had become necessary in view of inherent flaws in the 1999 Constitution. It’s good enough that those sent here are familiar with the zone.

So, when the people speak, they would understand “But, I also wished that some persons from other zones actually had the opportunity to come here and hear the voices of our people directly, because sometimes we do not understand the extent of the pains that the Niger Delta people truly suffer in the country. “We believe in one country and in the unity of Nigeria, but we will continue to ask for equity as a people, and I know that the people will give their opinion at the public hearing,” he stated. The governor urged the National Assembly to reconsider power devolution to the states, review revenue allocation formula, oil derivation and state police in the amendment to enable the Chairman of Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to provide a revenue allocation formula proposal directly before the lawmakers.

He lamented that the revenue allocation formula had not been reviewed for the last 24 years, whereas it was supposed to be reviewed every five years, Okowa noted that oil-producing states had continued to struggle for the 13 percent derivation fund, adding that oil was a wasting asset,

while the environment where it was being extracted had continued to be polluted and degraded.

Away from the call for complete overhaul to the call for nation restructuring, he again going by media reports captures it this way; the voices for restructuring have been very strong out there. Why will somebody even criticize restructuring?

The only thing you need to know is that restructuring is of various facets, you only have to bring forth your arguments”.

His stand came against the backdrop of the criticisms of the Asaba Declaration

by Abubakar Malami, Federal Attorney and Minister of Justice including Mallam Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman.

“I actually thought that the voices who tend to criticize the meeting failed to have an understanding. People should learn to approach things after a very deep thought rather than just looking at the surface, picking one thing and speaking about it.

“We actually came in as state governors to reaffirm our belief in the Nigerian state and secondly we do also realise that there are things going on very wrongly and there was a need to address them”, the governor said.

On the enactment of anti open grazing laws in the state, the Governor again, scored a very high point as he berated critics of southern governors on the ban of open grazing of cattle and the call for national dialogue to restructure Nigeria.

‘These were part of the decisions taken when he hosted his 16 colleagues on 11 May, 2021 in Asaba where they also called for state police and devolution of powers from the Federal Government to the States.

“We owe no apologies, because we spoke the truth and we thought that the truth we spoke was in the best interest of this nation.

Can we truly at this moment be promoting open grazing? Thank God that the President was misrepresented, because I have seen news headlines that the President is not opposed to the ban on open grazing. We need to begin to look into what is best for us.

Where we were 50 years ago should not be where we should be today and tomorrow.”

“Today, a lot of money is being spent by the Central Bank of Nigeria to encourage farmers to ensure that we are food sufficient but a lot of these efforts are lost, because of insecurity. Farmers can’t go to farm, their crops are destroyed, they are maimed and raped and some are even killed. We cannot continue like this, because if you have a programme you are spending billions on, we must secure it and we must ensure the food security of this country.”

“Ranching obviously is the only way out as is happening in other climes and it’s not impossible in this place. In some parts of Taraba State, ranching has been on for so many years and we can actually create those ranches where the cattle will have more meat, more milk and then the children can actually afford to go to school”, “We may not go into the big ranches but we can start in some form by acquiring some lands for that purpose and it may not be owned by individuals. Government can own the ranches where individuals can come and populate and pay some form of token”, the governor stated.

On power rotation in the state, Mr. Governor also created new awareness.

Speaking through, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, his Chief Press Secretary, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa among other concerns noted that there is an insinuation making the rounds that the governor came to power through zoning. That assertion, he noted, was wrong because people from other senatorial districts participated in the primaries that brought him to power. He said that there was no time in the history of the state that any primary for governorship was allowed as an exclusive preserve of any senatorial district. “We are all witnesses to the primaries that brought him to power, persons from the other senatorial districts in the state other than Delta North, participated in the exercise.

There was no time in the state, particularly in this present dispensation that any primary for governorship has been allowed to be for only one particular senatorial district. “In all the records we have, primaries had been for all comers;

people from all the senatorial districts always participated in all of that. “For the one that brought Okowa to power in 2015, we are aware that aspirants from Central and South Senatorial Districts participated, including a former minister who has become an apostle of zoning and saying that zoning consensus brought Governor Okowa to power.

He fired again; “Indeed, former Chief of Staff, Olorogun David Edevbie, came second in that race, meaning that if he had come first, there was no way they would have asked him to stay away and allow Okowa to grab the ticket on the grounds that it was the turn of Delta North to produce the governor.“In other words, it is not true that it was zoning that brought Okowa to power; it was his person, his pedigree in politics and the grace of God. He also had, as he still does, immense goodwill across the three senatorial districts.

In all these, Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa’s latest call on political appointees to be a repository of ideas that will end poverty and social vices in the country appears to be the most appreciated by the people of the state.

The governor while inaugurating eight newly-appointed special advisers at Government House, Asaba, noted that the times were difficult for Nigerians and that this was not the time for them to be lazy in their duties. Even as he urged political appointees to commit themselves to more work to revive the economy and create opportunities for the younger generation, he decried the high rate of youth unemployment which, he said, had driven many into self-help, leading to the current social vices in the country.

In my views, such comment/notion can only come from an honest and decisive National Leadership.

Utomi is the Programme Coordinator (Media and Public Policy), Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), Lagos. He could be reached via;jeromeutomi@yahoo. com/08032725374.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

PAGE 13

Comment

Online messaging: What people should know

By Azuka Onwuka

G

iven the type of messages many young people send on the social media to those who are not personally known to them in real life, one wonders if types of letter-writing are no longer taught in secondary school.

These days, it is common for people to send messages like “Hello, dude”, “Hi, angle” (note the spelling of what is supposed to be “angel”), “Good pm”, etc to complete strangers. They send such a supposed greeting and then wait for a response.

Some may even decide to sound somewhat formal by saying: “Good day, sir” or “Good day, ma’am”. But like the first set of people, they do not proceed with their message. They wait for a response first before stating their mission. In plain language, they want to “chat” with the recipient, not to send a message.

There seems to be a new thinking among many young people who use the social media that the best way to get what they want is through chatting. That way, they can confirm that their message is received. That way too, they are sure of getting an immediate answer.

Then, if the greeting is responded to, the next thing they do is to send a question like: “How was your night?” or “How is your day going?” They actually expect that the person will respond. Mind you, this is

someone who does not know them in real life. Even if they are “friends” on the social media, both of them have not had any memorable discussions to make them know each other to the extent of seeing each other as close friends. In addition, the person who is sending this may not have their real name and picture in display. But somehow such a person wants to chat.

Interestingly, many of such people complain that many people do not respond to their messages. They blame it on the arrogance of such people who think they are stars.

If you are among those who reach out to people in that format, you need to change your methodology in order to get better results.

Stop sending just “Good day, sir” or “Good day, ma’am” or “Hello” or “Hi” on Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn to people who don’t know you very well in real life and waiting for their response before telling them what you want to say.

That is the format scammers and perpetual “storytellers” use.

Therefore, most serious people won’t respond when you send that “Hello” or “Good day.” You will end up saying that they are arrogant or that they are snobs.

But the problem is you. You probably played truant when the format of formal letter-writing was being taught in school.

If you want to apply for a job in a company or make enquiries

from a company, you don’t send a “Hello” through the email and wait for a response before stating your mission. You don’t also call an office or a manager who is not your pal in real life and start with: “Hello. How was your night? How is your family?”

You may think you are being nice and courteous by sending a greeting and waiting for a response before stating your mission, but you are showing that you are not serious. You are using the informal format in a formal setting. It will elicit more of a negative reaction than a positive one.

Many people avoid responding to those who drop only “Hello” or “Good day” because the moment they respond, the stories start.

If they are not starting a scam scheme, then they are asking for a love relationship, or they are asking for money, or they are trying to sell one thing or the other. And because it is online communication, there is no way to ascertain the veracity of their claims.

Therefore, if you have something serious to send to someone via the social media, don’t let your message get ignored because of the use of the wrong approach. Like Tuco of the classic film, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, would say: “When you have to shoot, shoot; don’t talk.”

When someone does not know you in real life or has not been bonding with you on the social media, rather than just dropping

a “Hi” and waiting, why not say something like: “Good day, Mrs Kanami. I read your article on career choice for young people and found it exciting, especially as regards your point on apprenticeship.

“I would like to invite you to feature in our Facebook group ‘Youths on the Go’ on any Saturday evening of your choice.

Members will ask you questions about career choice and you will provide answers. It will last for two hours.

“Kindly confirm to us your availability and the date you hope to feature.

“We would be glad to be blessed with your wealth of experience.

If this person reads this but does not respond, you can send a reminder, maybe a week or two after. The person may have read it and forgotten to respond because of many other things competing for the person’s attention. The reminder is very important.

If after the reminder, there is no response from that person, then you are free to assume that the person is one of those people who don’t like to respond to requests they do not want to honour. But most likely, the person would respond to you because you have shown that you are serious and that you are someone who knows how to communicate officially, something millions of other young people do not know how to do. Most importantly, you

have also shown that you are not a scammer or a “storyteller” going from one inbox to another.

Even if your mission is just to commend the person for a wonderful write-up or video message, just say it straightaway in your first message. Do not ask about their night or day or family or work. It is none of your business. Such questions irritate those who are not your buddies.

You can only ask your pals and family members such private questions.

Most importantly, don’t just type your message and send it off.

Spend some time to proofread it, tinker with it, and edit it. Reading a message that is littered with errors is a turn-off. Don’t blame it on the auto-correct facility on your phone which changed your “hold” to “gold” or “Azuka” to “Abuja.” Draft your message, review it for some hours or for a day or two before sending it out.

Again, please don’t drop a “Hello” or “Good day” and sit back waiting for a response. Don’t put yourself in the same boat with scammers and “storytellers”.

Distinguish yourself by showing that you are a serious person who understands official communication.

Be a professional; act like a professional; talk like a professional. You will get more results.

Azuka Onwuka is a Public Affairs Analyst.

Electronic transmission of election results and conspiracy against democracy

By Sunday Onyemaechi Eze

T

he conspiracy of the National Assembly against the Nigerian people was glaring.

Imagine inviting the Nigerian Communications Commission to make a presentation on an issue right at the heart of elections which the House of Representatives will rely on in making decision.

The growing demand for free, fair, credible and transparent elections in Nigeria suffered another set back as the National Assembly shut the door against e-transmisson of election results from polling units.

The parliamentarians deliberately killed and buried a growing national aspiration with obnoxious technicalities.

Surprisingly, the same National Assembly approved the use of any other electronic means during elections as INEC deems fit but hinged the electronic transmission of results on the express approval by National Assembly and the Nigerian Communications Commission.

Unbelievable!

In his view on the subject under review, the former INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega said; “the National Assembly’s decision to allow INEC to use electronic voting without the electronic transmission of results is counterproductive. You can’t permit INEC on one hand to use electronic voting and not use electronic transmission of results because usually, they go as a package.

Once there is a robust software and hardware for doing so, it now brings efficiency, transparency and realtime ability to see the result as they are transmitted from the polling unit to a National Collation Centre.”

The will of the majority is abused or circumvented if and when policies and institutions established to drive credibility of elections are selfish, partisan, handicapped or outrightly ridiculous. In Nigeria, the need for free, fair and credible elections has been in the front burner of electoral reforms. The Electoral Reform Act of 2010 was borne out of a genuine desire to advance and address this course.

But the amendment of Clause 52 (2) of the Electoral Act, 2010, which seeks to adopt electronic transmission of election results in the Senate and House Committees on INEC was roundly rejected. On the clause-by-clause consideration of the report, selfish, partisan and regional interests prevailed over national interest. Both chambers came up with a surprise package. A self-serving package not reflective of the wishes and desires of Nigerians.

While 52 out of 88 senators at the plenary voted against e-transmission of election results, 28 said yes.

Incidentally, all the 52 senators who voted against the proposed amendment are all members of the All Progressive Congress, APC. One sore reminder of the disingenuous nature of politicians was that the chairman Senate Committee on INEC, Kabir Gaya voted against the recommendation of his own committee.

One had envisaged that the APC will take a detour from the old normal by bequeathing a legacy of unprecedented electoral reforms before 2023. Instead they came up with a retrogressive clause which stands logic on its head and hands over power of determining how and

when to transmit election results to the Nigerian Communications Commission and the National Assembly.

No Act of the National Assembly or any other piece of legislation for that matter is superior to the Constitution. Therefore, the powers of INEC as enshrined in third Schedule, Part 1(f) Section15 says: “INEC has power to organise, undertake and supervise all elections to the offices of the President, Vice President, Governor and Deputy Governor of a state, and to the membership of the Senate, the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly of each state of the Federation.” The Constitution further provides that INEC operations shall not be subject to the direction of anybody or authority.”

In fact, INEC understood the letters of the law and the constitution as they relate to their responsibilities and shunned the invitation by the House of Representatives on the issue. This strange parliamentary enactment could possibly be applicable only in Nigeria. What this invariably means is that we now have three electoral bodies in Nigeria namely: INEC, NCC and NASS. The hallmark of democracy is deeply engraved in free, fair and credible elections. One vital element is the transparent nature of the process in arriving at the desired answers.

Election rigging which involves all sorts of desperate measures and manipulations in forms of ballot snatching, ballot stuffing, change of results at polling units or along the way to submission, intimidation of candidates using political thugs and conventional security agencies and even killing of innocent citizens

are all good reasons to transmit the election results direct from polling units.

But the National Assembly and the election rigging elite they represent in their wisdom will not respect the wishes of the majority. It is now clear that politicians are the clog in the wheel of the progress of transparent elections in Nigeria. Most of them are bad products who win elections by other means. Therefore, voting in favour of e-transmission of results puts a lid on their profession and aspirations come 2023 and beyond.

Members of the National Assembly who stood against this change are anti-democracy and should be denied of any democratic opportunities in their life time. Their willingness to support the level of crass rigging and all forms of electoral malpractices which has characterised our electoral process since 1999 is clear.

Before the APC won election in 2015, they had brilliant ideas on all sorts of electoral reforms they had espoused. What stops APC from the implementation of these plans six years after beats one’s imagination.

Anyway, every African opposition political party always come up with great and brilliant ideas.

But when they mount the saddle, the reverse becomes the case. The honest process in respecting the will of the majority in selecting who they prefer to lead them is what stands out in global elections. This will of the majority in selecting who they want to govern them is what makes any government democratic.

The conspiracy of the National Assembly against the Nigerian people was glaring. Imagine inviting

the Nigerian Communications Commission to make a presentation on an issue right at the heart of elections which the House of Representatives will rely on in making decision.

It was hastily concluded without the input of INEC – the statutory electoral body. Nobody bothered to ask why the commission did not hounour NASS invitation. The absence of INEC sent an important message invalidating whatever NCC presented. As if that was not enough the NCC presented a 2018 report showing 43 per cent national network coverage. However, it has been established that as at 2021, the national network coverage stands at 74 per cent.

Good enough, INEC has repeatedly said they have the capacity to transmit elections results from polling units all over the nation. The belief that the nation is on its path to true democracy has been decimated by this self-serving action of NASS. For now this is the end of the road for electronic transmission of election results in Nigeria.

Only President Buhari has the power to revive the hope of a transparent electoral process by declining his assent on that piece of self-serving legislation which has complicated the electoral process and seeks to take the nation many years backward. The votes to stop e-transmission of elections results is a conspiracy against democracy.

Eze, a Media and Communication Specialist wrote via sunnyeze02 @yahoo. com

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

PAGE 14

News

Ortom advises Presidency not to assent to Electoral Amendment without electronic transmission of election From: Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

B

enue State Governor Samuel Ortom has advised the Presidency not to assent to the Electoral Amendment without inclusion of transmission of election results electronically.

Governor Ortom gave this advice yesterday while speaking with Journalists on his return from the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP Governors’ Forum meeting in Abuja.

He noted that Nigeria has the capacity to do electronic transmission of election

results, stressing that any attempt to continue manual voting will mean denial of voters right to vote and be counted.

“I think as a country we have come of age. We cannot go back to analog when the whole world is going digital. Mr. President must have a rethink. I want to

advice him not to sign the amendment without electronic transmission.

“For us here in the State, we will be fully mobilized, anyone that comes to rig election in 2023, should say his last prayer. You cannot rig where we are in the majority. It is impossible.”

Delta Govt charges appointees Gbajabiamila CVR: to relocate to constituencies eulogises Baba Adinni D of Lagos at 99

By Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

elta Government on Monday charged all its political appointees to relocate to their constituencies to mobilise and sensitize eligible

voters to register in the ongoing voters registration exercise.

The State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, who briefed newsmen on the position of the government, had earlier

met with the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in his office in Asaba.

Aniagwu said that the action would enable a political millage in the state chapter of the party

to entrench electoral integrity and capture eligible voters who had crossed 18 years.

He also said that the stateowned media outfits had been directed to grant free-to-air on the ongoing voters registration.

By Christiana Ekpa

T

he Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has eulogised the Baba Adinni of Lagos State, Alhaji Abdulhafeez Abou, on his 99th birthday.

Gbajabiamila said attaining 99 years is a blessing and favour from the Almighty Allah, which should not be taken for granted, saying the Baba Adinni is worth celebrating.

The Speaker, in a statement by Lanre Lasisi, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity noted that the Baba Adinni has lived his life worshipping the Almighty Allah and serving humanity the best way he could.

He said Lagosians and indeed Nigerians would remain grateful to the Baba Adinni for the way he took his time to impact knowledge to different generations of Nigerians.

The life of the nonagenarian is one that Nigerians should emulate, Gbajabiamila said, adding that he learnt a lot from the Baba Adinni being one of the Speaker’s constituents.

The exemplar lifestyle of Sheikh Abou is manifest in one of his fruits, the Chief Imam of Lagos, Alhaji Sulaimon AbouNolla, who has demonstrated good leadership for the Muslim Ummah in our dear State.

The Speaker said Nigerians, especially Lagosians, would remain grateful to the Almighty Allah for blessing them with the Baba Adinni “who is a unifier and a great leader among his people.”

Speaker Gbajabiamila prayed Allah (SWT) to continue to protect the Baba Adinni and bless him with more wisdom.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

PAGE 15

Presidency: PCG lobbies NASS leaders, APC Govs, party bigwigs for Osinbajo

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

A

head of the 2023 presidential election, a group of stakeholders within the All Progressives Congress (APC) is mounting intense pressure on highly-placed party members to join its efforts towards mobilizing support for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.

The stakeholders identified as Progressives Consolidation Group (PCG), in an acknowledged copies of a three-page letter to the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan and other top party leaders, indicates that several APC state Governors, principal officers in the Senate and House of Representatives, members of the APC National Caretaker Committee, former and serving federal legislators, other stakeholders, as well as the political

aides of Vice President Osinbajo, are being lobbied to partake in the mobilization process.

The PCG’s letter dated July 14, 2021, titled: ‘APC AND THE FUTURE OF NIGERIA: WHY WE MUST GET IT RIGHT AND CONSIDER THE OSINBAJO OPTION IN 2023’ and signed

by Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed, National Coordinator and Dr. Eberechukwu Eli Dibia, National Secretary, emphasized the need for early preparations towards ensuring that Osinbajo and some elements within the current administration emerged to deepen APC and President Buhari’s legacies after 2023.

“Your Excellency, we are writing you as the Senate President and as one of the National Leaders of our Party and by whatever parameter of assessment, you remain one of those citizens whom God has chosen to elevate to impact our

history through the performance of constitutional responsibilities as well as other innumerable lines of action.

“With history in mind, we, members of the Progressive Consolidation Group (PCG) hereby solemnly join our voices with that of many others in appealing that you throw your weight behind our call for consideration of an Osinbajo successor administration after that of President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR), would have run a full course in 2023.

“We believe - without any iota of doubt – that giving a worthy element within the system, such as Vice President Osinbajo, the chance to lead, would not only enrich the system; it would certainly be the best assurance of stability and progress for extant developmental objectives,” they stated.

According to the PCG’s letter,

the APC group comprises sitting and former State Governors, serving and former legislators, leaders of women and youths groups, and many stakeholders from the national and state chapters of APC. Unimpressed by the indifference they had encountered with aides of the Vice President whom they urged to ‘wake up’, the PCG asserted that the forthcoming national elections are too crucial for the fate of APC, democracy and the history of Nigeria.

“Against this background, it is apparent that the dynamics and outcome of the seventh national election since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, would significantly determine the future of Nigeria’s democracy and development.

“Thus, it is with this great sense of reasoning and respect for leaders like you as well as

future generations, that we strongly appeal to you as a major stakeholder in the affairs of our Party to join hands with us by asking other stakeholders in the Party to consider Prof.

Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, as an appropriate person to fly our party’s presidential flag in 2023,” they stressed.

Pointing out that their aim goes beyond mere politics, the PCG expressed conviction that the task of inspiring party members ‘towards shared consciousness of insightful search for President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor come 2023’, should not be left to chance or last minute ‘survival of the fittest’ contests, stressing that the Vice President, Professor Osinbajo, should be collectively adopted as the right successor for President Buhari.

International Youth Day: We can reshape future of Nigeria - APC youth leader says

By Christiana Ekpa

T

he Youth representative in the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ismaeel Ahmed, has said Nigerian youths have the powers and potentials to reshape the future of the country.

In a statement he issued yesterday in Abuja to celebrate this year’s International Youth Day, the APC Youth leader said with a large percentage of the Nation’s population under the age of 35, the generation of young people will find the solutions to some of the toughest challenges facing Nigeria and African continent as a whole.

“Our great party, The APC, her leadership and the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari

A mother sees off her daughter to school at Tombia in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa on Thursday (12/8/21).

School Feeding: FG enumerates 560,000 pupils in Niger

T

he Federal Government has commenced biometric data capture of 560,000 pupils from 2,632 primary schools benefitting from the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) in Niger.

Hajiya Fatima Bisallah, Team Leader for the enumeration from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, disclosed this in Minna on Wednesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NHGSFP

is a Federal Government-led N70 per day school feeding programme aimed at improving the health and educational status of public school pupils.

Bisallah said the exercise was a physical verification to capture and get accurate biometric data of pupils and cooks in the state to scale up the programme to include more pupils.

“The exercise is to know the exact figure of the pupils benefitting from the programme as well as have their data base to

enable us scale up the number of pupils,” she said.

She said the ministry was collaborating with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for the data capture.

She added that the security challenges in part of the state would not hinder the exercise as appropriate measures had been put in place to cover the no-goareas.

Also speaking, Malam Hamza Audu, the Director of NOA

in Niger, said the agency has fully sensitised stakeholders and communities to ensure the success of the exercise.

Mrs Amina Gu’ar, Focal Person of Social Investment Programme (SIP) in Niger, expressed satisfaction with the quality of food being served to pupils by the vendors.

She said that about 560,000 pupils were benefitting from the programme in the state with over 5,000 food vendors engaged by the government. (NAN)

through words and actions remains committed to providing opportunity for young people to ensure they are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but also leaders of today.

“My utmost goal and that of the Caretaker Chairman of our great party, the APC is in building skills to strengthen youth leadership in party administration, governance, business, academia, providing young entrepreneurs with the capital and network to grow a startup.

“Youth are often the voices at the forefront of advocating for our party before, during and after the various campaigns”, Ismaeel Ahmed said.

He therefore commemorated the energetic spirit of young people all over Nigeria and their ability to improve and secure the future of their motherland.

L-R; L-R; Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, Minister of Health Dr. Ehanire Osagie, Director General National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof Mojisola Adeyeye and Executive Director/CEO National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuaib during the 18th Session of the State House Weekly briefing hosting Minister of Health, Dr. Ehinare Osagie and Agencies under the Ministry held at the State House Abuja.

PHOTO; STATE HOUSE

Alleged funds diversion: I have nothing to hide - Dickson tells EFCC

By Musa Baba Adamu

T

he Senator representing Bayelsa West in the National Assembly, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, has said that he has nothing to hide from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the allegations of fund diversion made against him by the anti crime agency.

Dickson spoke while playing host to the Local Chairmen from Bayelsa State, who paid him a solidarity visit on Thursday, following his invitation by the EFCC on allegation on flood funds diversion and undeclared assets.

The former Governor

reiterated that he has declared the assets in question which he acquired before he became Governor to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) for the fifth time.

He said that the indisputable evidence of the declaration of the assets are before the CCB and the investigating body, the EFCC. He stressed that he had nothing to hide on his eight yearrule in Bayelsa, which he claimed, was marked by unprecedented development in the state.

Senator Dickson who also spoke on the alleged diversion of N17.5 billion flood funds, said that no such donation was received in Bayelsa during the 2012 flood.

He recalled that the state

government set up the Flood Management Committee under the Deputy Governor, which received logistic support from the government at the time.

Dickson who expressed shock at the allegation, stated further that the Government set up the post Flood Committee headed by distinguished and trusted men of integrity, a former National Security Adviser, the late Gen. Owoye Azazi and Hon Iniruo Will as chairman and secretary respectively.

According to him, the only cash donation which was received in the state was N500 million from the Chairman of Globacom, Chief Mike Adenuga.

He added that the call of the state government for donations because of the devastating effect of the flood was ignored even by the Federal Government, though some public spirited individuals donated relief materials.

He said that the petition written by the NGO had no name of donor and the name of the bank that received or transferred the N17.5 billion, even as he expressed further shock that he did not contest any reelection in 2019 as alleged in the petition to the EFCC. Leader of the delegation, who is also the Chairman of the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Nigeria Kia, said that it

would be unacceptable to the grassroots for anybody to take deliberate action to bring down the Senator whom they described as one of the most vocal voices in the Niger Delta.

The council chairmen called on the Federal Government to ensure fairness in the ongoing probe of allegations made against Senator Dickson by a non governmental organization.

While pledging their support to Senator Dickson for his unique leadership style which they said created the opportunity for them to be council chairmen, the group noted that Dickson has the record of a Governor who did not touch local government funds for eight years.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

PAGE 16

POLITICS

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

International Youth Day: Go back to farming - Senate tells Nigerian youths

Youths to occupy 30 percent of my cabinet if reelected – Gov Oyetola promises

By Musa Baba Adamu

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

A

s Nigeria joins other countries of the world to mark this year’s International Youth Day, the Senate has charged the Nigerian youths to embrace farming and work towards ensuring food security by focusing and diverting more energy to the practice of agriculture.

In a statement issued yesterday by the Senate spokesman, Ajibola Surajudeen Basiru, Senate congratulated the youths for their resilience in contributing to national development.

The theme of the International Youth Day 2021 is “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Plenary Health”.

To this end, the Senate highlighted that the relevance of this year’s theme at the period in Nigeria’s national life and development efforts is huge and cannot be over emphasised; especially coming at the time of rising staple food prices and at the time when youths should focus and divert more energy to the practice of agriculture.

“The issues involved in this year’s theme are agriculture and sustainable food production,

adequate provision and supply of water for agricultural purposes, especially when seasonal rainfall can no longer be adequate to meet agricultural needs and the effects of weather changes on plants due to climate change.

“Therefore, there must be deliberate efforts to produce larger volume of food to cater for the good health and well being of not only the existing population but also to prepare and cater for future population increase.

“As we celebrate Nigerian youths in the different positive ways in which they have been contributing to National Development, we must say that

they are strategic to securing National Food Chain and should be active partners if the Nation will join the world global community to realise the importance of this year’s theme.

“The Senate, therefore, wishes to encourage the youth to come up with entrepreneurial schemes to improve water and food security through Innovations, direct involvement, determination and dynamism.

“Governments at all levels must also encourage such Youth entrepreneurship created around food supply, preservation and availability of adequate water, production of

food choices that enhances good health and produce the energy needed to make people engage in productive ventures”, the statement said.

The Senate said Nigeria’s quest to attain the level already attained by the developed World is to focus on agriculture and sustainable food production, not only to meet local needs but also to export to the world at large.

It said to fill this gap, all sectors, youths inclusive, must make major impacts in creative innovation, advocacy and improvements in Agriculture, urging them to brace up to this vital sector.

Oshiomhole denies plotting to return as APC national chairman

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

F

ormer National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has denied a suggestion that he was plotting to return to office.

Oshiomhole, in a statement by his Media Aide, Victor Oshioke, in Abuja on Wednesday, described the speculation as untrue.

He, however, reaffirms his loyalty to the APC under the able leadership of His Excellency, Governor Mai-Mala Buni.

The statement partly read: “Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who’s now a member of the APC and self-styled aide of Minister of Transportation, Chief

Rotimi Amaechi.

“In the said statement wide­ ly reported in the media, Chief Eze was quoted as saying that Mr. Festus Keyamo SAN, Hon. Minister of State for Labour and Employment and others were plotting to bring back Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as national chairman of the APC. “Ordinarily, we would have ignored this nonsensical suggestion.

However, it’s pertinent to set the records straight and put to rest this ridiculous falsehood being marketed by Eze Chukwuemeka Eze.” “This is an opportunity to further reaffirm Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s loyalty to the APC under the able leadership of His Excellency, Governor Mai-Mala Buni,” the statement added.

From left: Executive Commissioner Corporate Services, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr Ibrahim Boyi; Executive Commissioner of Operations, SEC, Mr Dayo Obisan; and Director-General of SEC, Mr Lamido Yuguda, during the second 2021 Virtual Capital Market Committee Meeting in Abuja on Thursday

School fees hike: Niger PDP accuses APC of turning IBB varsity to money machine

By Christiana Ekpa

T

he Niger State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of turning the state-owned Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, to a money spinning venture.

Frowning at the recent hike in school fees in a press statement signed by the state PDP Publicity Secretary, Suleiman Ahmed Aliyu, and made available to

newsmen in Minna, it said everything that the party touches gets out of the reach of poor people in the society.

The party argued that the university was established under the PDP administration of late former governor, Abdulkadir A. Kure, to meet the educational needs of the less privileged in the state.

The party insisted that rather than maintaining the purpose of its establishment, the APC in the state has turned it into a money

making machine and beyond the reach of the poor.

According to the party, “The PDP through former governor Abdulkadir A. Kure and his visionary team saw the need to have a University that will cater for the educational needs of the poor Nigerlites and then established IBBUL, but under APC it is now a money milling machine just like everything the APC touched, from top to bottom it gets out of the reach of the poor, from food to fuel all are now not

affordable anymore.”

Hence, it called on the management of IBBUL to revert to its former school fees before the recent excessive increase.

The statement further read in part, “as a party, we are calling on the management of the University to be considerate as the spirit behind the establishment of the University is not a business venture but to give education to children of the poor at an affordable rate.”

The state PDP maintained

that the fastest and easiest way to get Nigerlites empowered is through quality and affordable education.

It would be recalled that the governing council and management of the institution increased school fees and other charges by 100 percent.

While returning students of Niger state origin are now to pay N67,925 as against N27,500, the new students are expected to pay N129,675 as against N52,500 for the 2020/2021 session.

Gov Buni has fortified APC to retain power in 2023 - Ex Imo commissioner, Ajumbe

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

A

Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Imo State, Prof Vitalis Orikeze Ajumbe, has lashed out at those opposed to the leadership of the Chairman of Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) and Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni.

Speaking to newsmen in Abuja, Ajumbe said those seeking Buni’s exit are enemies of the

party, who are chasing shadow, and who have deliberately refused to acknowledge the remarkable achievements recorded thus far by the CECPC. He stated that the Gov. Buni led CECPC has successfully repositioned the APC, to remain formidable as the ruling party in the country, noting that the APC under Bumi’s leadership, has become fortified to retain power at the center and at the States in 2023.

He stated that CECPC deserves

accolades for attracting to the party’s fold, three Governors from the opposition PDP, namely Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State and Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, Senators and some leaders of the opposition party.

He also described the membership and revalidation exercise embarked upon by the Buni led CECPC, as part of the vision and commitment of the Yobe State Governor, to re

energize the APC ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Ajumbe, a former Commissioner for Information, Tourism and Public Utilities in Imo State, also commended APC State Governors, for recently passing a vote of confidence on the CECPC, because of it’s impressive performances in office.

Ajumbe, who was Imo State Chairman of defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, one of the legacy Parties which formed the APC, advised new entrants into

the APC from other political parties, to have good intentions and resist the temptation of causing disharmony in the party, or nurse a hidden agenda aimed at bringing discord in the APC. “Those coming to the APC from the PDP and other opposition parties, should be committed to the ideals of the party” he said.

He called on the national leadership of the party to continue to ensure peace and harmony among stakeholders and members of the APC.

G

overnor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State has assured better youths involvement and representation in governance.

He claimed that if reelected, youths will occupy about 30 percent of his cabinet.

Oyetola, while receiving Osun youths at his office after the 20 kilometres march, expressed delight in the youths’ reciprocal gestures, adding that his administration’s prioritisation of the concerns of youths is rooted in his belief in the future of the state.

He also charged youths to embrace peace and pursue developmental objectives in the interest of the state, adding that his political ambition is not worth the blood of any Osun youth.

The governor urged the youths not to allow themselves be used by political jobbers and evildoers, “Let your future be your priority.

Your future must be paramount to all of you. Don’t be instruments in the hands of the wicked.”

“Thank you for your support.

You really surprised and amazed me. This is not a rally staged by the government, and this is not a rented crowd. You decided to organise these yourselves and the outcome is this massive population of grateful youths.

“This is really surprising and I am highly excited seeing thousands of youths across the State showing their unalloyed support and solidarity for our government.

“Please, don’t relent in your efforts. I want you to remain resolute in your support, don’t be distracted and don’t be deterred.

We are committed to your course, and we will do more for you.

“As you all know, we have appointed capable youths among you and they are doing fine. But by the grace of God, if I am re-elected, at least 30 percent of my cabinet will be youths, Oyetola said.

Speaking at the end of the march, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Student Affairs and Social Mobilisation, Comrade Kehinde Ayantunji, described the walk as a token of appreciation for Oyetola’s inclusiveness of youths in governance.

“The International Youth Day affords us the opportunity of assessing our challenges and successes across the globe. In Osun, we have made a holistic review of facts and figures and it is clear that Governor Oyetola, in the history of Osun, has included the highest number of youths in governance, particularly with the recent local government appointments.

“Out of 585 caretaker members across the State, the youths who are below 40years are more than 300. This is highly unprecedented and that is why we felt there is need to commend the Governor for ensuring youth inclusion in governance and for breaking the jinx of youth inclusion in the nation’s politics.

“This is to show that we are strongly behind him against internal and external aggression as we are assuring him that those that have been appointed will surely deliver”, Ayantunji said.

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POLITICS

I’m not party to crisis that consumed you – Keyamo tells Oshiomhole

By Christiana Ekpa

M

inister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has absolved himself of any involvement in the political misfortune of Adams Oshiomhole, former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Keyamo said he was not involved in the crisis that “consumed” Oshiomhole during the last governorship election in Edo State.

The minister said the former governor is still suffering from the political disappointment he suffered during the election.

Oshiomhole, through his aide, Victor Oshioke, had denied claims

of plotting to return as APC’s National Chairman.

He had affirmed his loyalty to the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led leadership of the APC. Within the APC, there were speculations that Keyamo and some party chieftains were plotting to return Oshiomhole.

However, Keyamo, in a statement by his aide, Tunde Moshood, rubbished claims made by the former APC National Chairman.

A statement by Moshood explained that the minister is not struggling with anyone over occupying positions of the party.

The statement reads partly: “The story of the political tussle between Gov. Godwin Obaseki

and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in Edo State is so well documented that we do not need to remind Nigerians about it. Mr Keyamo had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with it.

“When the crises finally consumed Oshiomhole, Mr Keyamo was not in any strategic legal position like the office of the AGF, APC legal adviser or an SA to any high office within the system on legal matters. Mr Keyamo is not PRIVY to how members of the CECPC were nominated and/ or selected, so he did not have the benefit of the opportunity to point out any legal disabilities.

Regrettably, the respected Comrade must have given in to gossip and rumours.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Mr Keyamo has no personal interest to serve. He is very content with the assignment given to him by Mr President and is very much ready and willing to return to his striving legal practice whenever his assignment is over.

“Keyamo is not struggling with anyone for anything other than to enthrone justice and fairness within the system. The minister has climbed the highest ladder in his chosen profession before being called upon to public office.

Public office is not a do-or-die affair for him. All insinuations in Oshiomhole’s release that Mr Keyamo is after some PERSONAL gain is pure balderdash.”

Outgoing Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs (FMWA), Dr Anthonia Ekpa (R), hands over to her counterpart, Mr Adebiyi Olufunso, during the handing over in Abuja on Wednesday (11/8/21).

Makinde made Oyo lose N26bn World Bank project – AD chieftain, Alao

By Musa Baba Adamu

A

chieftain of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Oyo State, Engineer Oyedele Hakeem Alao, has alleged that inordinate ambition and docility of Governor Seyi Makinde, has resulted in the forfeiture of a N26 billion World Bank-funded project in the state.

A World Bank-funded project, ‘Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project (IUFMP)’, was initiated during the administration of the immediate past governor, late Abiola Ajimobi.

World Bank has concluded plans to withdraw its support for the project due to lack of commitment from the state government led by Makinde.

The World Bank, in a statement signed by Shubham Chaudhuri, Country Director, Nigeria, Western and Central Africa Region, vowed to withdraw its support.

By withdrawing its support towards the project, Oyo State has forfeit N26 billion.

Alao, while reacting, noted that inordinate ambition and docility of Makinde made the state to forfeit the project worth $52 million.

In a statement on Thursday, by his Media Aide, Omotayo Iyanda, Alao pointed out that he had called the attention of the residents of the state to the possibility of losing the World Bank-funded project in February, 2021.

Alao in February this year, cautioned Makinde against undue interference in the selection of contactor for the project.

He stated that the contractor that would execute the project has been selected but the governor insisted on his preferred candidate.

He noted that this made the World Bank withdraw its support in a letter recently addressed to the state government.

The statement read, “Engineer Oyedele Hakeem Alao has echoed an alarm that the Oyo State Government under Engr Seyi Makinde will lose N26b World Bank (WB) project which will be beneficial to the people of the state in the area of environmental flood control describing the present members of the state assembly as Lilliputians, inexperienced and incompetent.

“After the contractors that would handle the project had been selected based on global procedures and practices of the WB, Governor Makinde reportedly insisted that if the project would not be handled by his preferred candidates, then the project could be taken to another state.

“The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has initially withdrawn their support and involvement in the project when Governor Makinde refused to follow the best global bidding practices for the project.

“It was very sad that the project/fund had been “withdrawn” by the World Bank due to inordinate ambition, inexperience of the state assembly, the docility of the opposition and the inability of our people to see anything wrong in the activities of the administration of Governor Makinde just because we “love” him. We’ll be doing a lot of disservice to our state if we continue to be docile, gloss over issues and refrain from telling the Governor Makinde the bitter truth all in the name of politics, favoritism, nepotism and unreasonable solidarity.

“He refused to listen to us on the establishment of PMS, and judgement was obtained against him by NURTW; also the apex court in the country delivered a landmark judgement against him on the matter of hurried local government dissolution after we told him it was unconstitutional to do so.”

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

Page 19

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DMO debunks report of Nigeria being among High-Debt Risk Nations

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Debt Management Office (DMO) yesterday debunked report on national daily that Nigeria was among the high-debt risk nations, as released by the World Bank.

DMO however, debunked the report, saying that the World Bank’s Report was an assessment of the performance of the International Development Association (IDA) and not the performance of the IDA Loans nor the debt repayment capacity of the beneficiaries of IDA Loans.

The office said, by way of explanation, the World Bank through IDA, gives concessional loans to poor and developing countries to help them achieve improvements in growth, job creation, poverty reduction, governance, the environment, climate adaptation and resilience, human capital, infrastructure, and debt transparency. Nigeria is a beneficiary of IDA Loans.

It noted that Nigeria’s IDA’s Debt Stock as at June 30, 2021 was USD11.7 billion.

IDA Loans represent one of the most favourable borrowing options for countries like Nigeria and is also consistent with the Medium Term Debt Management Strategy of the Federal Government.

The statement read in

parts: “attention of the Debt Management Office (DMO) has been drawn to the publication on Page 19 of The Punch Newspaper of Wednesday, August 11, 2021, captioned “World Bank lists Nigeria, nine others high-debt risk nations”.

In the publication of The Punch Newspaper, it was stated that the World Bank has classified Nigeria as one of the top ten (10) ‘high-debt risk nations’ in the International Development Association (IDA) Audited Financial Statement for the Fiscal Year 2021 (July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021) published on Monday, August 9, 2021.

“The publication of The Punch Newspaper is not only false and misleading but also suggests an inadequate understanding of the essence of the World Bank’s Report.

“The World Bank’s Report was an assessment of the performance of IDA and not the performance of the IDA Loans nor the debt repayment capacity of the beneficiaries of IDA Loans.

“By way of explanation, the World Bank through IDA, gives concessional loans to poor and developing countries to help them achieve improvements in growth, job creation, poverty reduction, governance, the environment, climate adaptation and resilience, human capital, infrastructure, and debt transparency. Nigeria

is a beneficiary of IDA Loans.

“It is important to reemphasize that the World Bank’s Report, which was misrepresented

by The Punch Newspaper, was focused only on the composition of IDA’s Loan Portfolio and did not make any reference to the debt sustainability of the top ten (10) beneficiary countries of IDA Loans, such as India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana that the Newspaper erroneously referred to as ‘high-debt risk nations’.

“IDA Loans are typically

for Tenors of 30 – 40 years, Grace Period (moratorium on principal repayment) of 7 – 10 years and Service Fee of only 0.75%. The highly concessional nature of IDA Loans satisfies the requirements of the provision of Section 41(1)(a) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007, which states that Government at all tiers shall only borrow on concessional terms with low interest rate and with a reasonably long amortization period. The cost of IDA Loans,

which is the Service Fee of 0.75%, is considerable low thereby moderating the cost of debt service.

“The DMO wishes to state that Nigeria’s IDA’s Debt Stock as at June 30, 2021 was USD11.7 billion. IDA Loans represent one of the most favourable borrowing options for countries like Nigeria and is also consistent with the Medium Term Debt Management Strategy of the Federal Government”, the statement said.

L R: Director General, Small & Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda with Representative of the Statistician-General of the Federation, National Bureau of Statistics(NBS), Mr. Adeyemi Adeniran, during a press briefing on 2021 National survey on MSMEs held at the SMEDAN Headquarters, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

NCC, NESG synergise to boost Nigeria’s economy

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) are considering possible areas of increasing collaboration to enhance the impact and contribution of telecommunications sector on Nigeria’s socio-economic development.

This was the crux of deliberations during a courtesy visit by a delegation of the National Assembly Business Environment Round Table (NASSBER), a policy unit at NESG led by Nnanna Ude and a member of the technical committee of NASSBER, Yemi Keri.

The need for stakeholder collaboration and engagement between the Commission and other stakeholders in order to conduct an impact assessment and gap analysis of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, which will lead to improvement of the legal instrument and reflect new trends,

especially in a post-pandemic world, was the primary focus of the visit.

The two entities also considered synergy in the area of Research and Development (R&D); while NESG has expressed its desire to have the Commission feature prominently in the forthcoming Nigeria Economic Summit (NES), an annual summit organised by the NESG, scheduled to hold in October this year.

While receiving the delegation on behalf the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, the Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, stated that the meeting was a welcome development, as it aligns with the telecom regulator’s strategic partnership and collaboration objectives.

Adinde stated that the NCA 2003 is a robust regulatory instrument, which has given the NCC the mandate to regulate the telecom sector effectively, as seen in the contribution to the overall economic development of the

country.

He stated further that, by virtue of Section 70 of the NCA 2003, the Commission has developed various regulations and issued guidelines that have helped in addressing critical issues pertaining to its regulatory activities.

Other senior management staff of the Commission, including the Director, Licensing & Authorisation, Muhammed Babajika; Director, Technical Standards & Network Integrity, Bako Wakil and representatives of the departments of Legal & Regulatory Services; Policy Competition & Economic Analysis; and Financial Services of the Commission, took turns to talk about the activities of the Commission in implementing its regulatory mandate for the benefit of the country.

Mr Babajika spoke on the licensing regime of the Commission and its impact on innovation in the economy, while Engr Wakil spoke about NCC’s regulatory efforts and collaborations with various

stakeholders, such as the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) towards addressing challenges to quality of service (QoS) in telecom industry.

The impact of these challenges such as multiple taxation and regulations, fibre cuts, vandalism, high cost of Right of Way (RoW), theft of telecoms facilities and the need for the passage of the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) Bill into law.

Speaking earlier on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer of NESG, Laoye Jaiyeola; Ude acknowledged the critical role NCC is playing in the provision of essential digital support for the Nigerian economy. He noted that, in 20 years of telecoms liberalisation, the Commission has been contributing significantly to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Ude explained that the visit was part of the efforts of the NESG to strengthen collaboration with key institutions of government such as the NCC. He extolled the role of the Commission in driving

telecommunications sector growth through efficient and resultoriented regulations, noting that the impact of the regulations are evident in industry performance indicators which have shown upward trajectory over the recent years.

“The NCC is key to the digital transformation agenda of the government and we can see the footprints of the readiness of the country on that journey, in terms of the level of broadband penetration, internet subscription, teledensity and other critical indicators,” he said.

Meanwhile, Adinde, stated that the Commission was excited by the prospects of partnering with NESG and NASSBER, noting that such partnership will further enhance telecoms contribution to Nigeria’s socio-economic growth.

He added that “all the issues discussed will be articulated in a memorandum, which will be submitted to Management for consideration.”

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

Page 20

B U S I N ESS

SEC commences implementation of Risk-based Supervision Project

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has commenced the implementation of the regulatory capacity improvements under the riskbased supervision framework and capacity building project.

The project funded from the AfDB Group administered/ Capital Markets Development Trust Fund is to finance

the Risk Based Supervision Framework Implementation and Capacity Development Project.

According to the SEC, the principal objectives of the project are to provide technical assistance and capacity building on selected areas of the Commission’s operations, support implementation of risk-based supervision framework, improve the securities markets regulatory

environment and broadening of market instruments that will help deepen the capital markets in Nigeria and strengthen the Commission’s supervisory tools as well as its capacity to achieve its mandate of investor protection and minimising systemic risk.

For the project, the mode of procurement to be adopted is Quality and Cost Based (QCBS) and the risk-based supervision

framework implementation component would involve the development of best practise risk based supervision inspection manuals, tools and guidelines for the market.

“The envisaged activities also include capacity building on prudential riskbased supervision approach including the development or update of relevant risk matrices and models for data

analysis and interpretation as well as expansion of existing AML/CFT matrix.

“Capacity building in riskbased supervision will focus on enhancing SEC’s approach in carrying out its monitoring and supervisory role over all capital market operators namely fund/investment managers, conventional & commodity exchanges, stockbrokers, issuing houses (investment banks) etc” The SEC stated.

The view of the newly built and fully equipped clinic for NYSC corps members in Ondo State Permanent Orientation Camp before its inauguration by the DirectorGeneral in Ikare-Akoko, Ondo on Thursday (12/8/21).

Metering key to Customer Satisfaction - KEDCO MD/CEO

T

he Management of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) has said that metering remained key to customer satisfaction as well as improving Non Maximum Demand Customers’ collection.

The Managing Director/

Chief Executive Officer of KEDCO, Dr Jamil Isyaku Gwamna who stated this said the company was fasttracking all metering processes to achieve complete meter coverage of all customers in Kano franchise.

Dr Gwamna said doing

that would help guarantee the satisfaction of its numerous customers across Kano, Katsina and Jigawa States.

He said metering was a solution to many of the challenges in power distribution like ending complaints on estimated billing and ensuring

adequate measurement of connection and other practices inimical to the implementation energy consumption.

That’s “why we are enforcing of metering programme in the policy in full in line with Kano franchise.

The Kano DisCo CEO the intention of the Federal also appealed to customers Government.

It is in this light that we are to jettison meter apathy, also calling on all our customers adding that “metering will do to stop meter bypass and illegal everybody a lot of good.”

Ethiopia is a major producer of coffee

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

Construction of N1.8bn Kagini rail station access road takes off

By Stanley Onyekwere

T

he construction of access road and car park for the Kagini Light Rail station, estimated to cost about N1,830,392,695.00, financed from the Green Bond fund domiciled in the Ministry of Environment, The project was said to have been awarded to an indigenous contractor and expected to be completed within twelve months.

FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, at the flag-off ceremony, said the project was earlier this year approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, as part of efforts towards accelerating infractural development in the nation’s capital.

Bello noted that Kagini rail station was designed to enable residents within the area and other adjoining Districts enjoy the benefits of a modern rail transportation system, while also helping to reduce carbon emissions that destroy the environment.

Also, the Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohmood Abubakar, who was the special guest and also performed the ceremony said the project was funded from the proceeds of the second issuance of the Sovereign Green Bond of the Federal government.

He also pledged that his Ministry would partner with FCT in solving the protracted poor traffic lights management through the Green Bond initiative.

Abubakar noted that government was using the Green Bond project in tackling the menace of climate change in the country.

On her part, FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Aliyu, disclosed that the project was in line with the Administration’s commitment to improving and providing services that have direct impact on the citizens.

Aliyu further added that the administration was mobilizing private sector stakeholders and resources for more people oriented projects that enriches lives.

METRO

Page 21

Mpape: More shops, worship Centres demolished as FCTA ups demolition ... Exercise to last 3 weeks- FCTA

By Stanley Onyekwere

T

he FCT Administration has intensified demolition of illegal structures and other encroachments on the right of way in Mpape community, one of the densely populated suburbs of Abuja, barely twenty-four hours the exercise commenced, eleven years after failed attempts.

Officials of the FCTA armed with bulldozers and excavators yesterday returned to Mpape, and removed hundreds of solid structures (mainly shops) on Berger Quarry Road corridors in the community.

In particular, worship Centres, clusters of shops and restaurants, bars were reduced to rumbles within few hours of the exercise.

Also, assorted roadside shanties and big bill boards situated at Jubilation Avenue, along Katampe 1&2 Road, Mpape Hills, Abuja.

Explaining the exercise, Chairman, FCT Ministerial Taskteam on City Sanitation, Ikharo Attah who led the operation, along with security agencies, noted that the Mpape demolition exercise would last for three weeks.

Attah said the removal of environmental nuisances and other sundry infractions on the major road corridors in the community and environs was long overdue.

According to him, “The major illegalities identified here are worship centres, business shops, shanties, and other illegal structures build on road corridors which makes Mpape Community looks very offensive due to nuisance. “ The demolition of such environmental nuisance started on Wednesday which we are able

One of the shopping malls demolished yesterday, during the day two of the planned two weeks removal exercise, in Mpape Community, Abuja.

Photo: Stanley Onyekwere. to clear a number of shanties and containers on roadside and across and deep inside the Mpape Market. “ Similarly, today we carried out major operation and cleared illegal structures and others that were extended to the road shoulders and we shifted them back. “ We also shifted part of the market back and we are able to do what we did here today, knowing that the exercise will last for three weeks”.

Explaining further, the chairman said all the plots that would be reclaim at the end of the exercise would be handle by the relavant departments of the administration. “ The ones that are concern by actually road expansion, the department will be doing their

job and one concern within the greening will be carried out by relavant departments. “ Ours as enforcement officers is to clear the road, remove all the incumbrances, illegalities and once our job is done we are satisfy that we have done our part”, he stressed.

Similarly, Secretary, Command and Control Centre of the FCTA, Peter Olumuji, reiterated that the exercise was part of the strategy to curb criminality in the Territory.

Olumuji said: “And here (Mpape) the opportunities that we noticed is the people started developing unplanned settlement and shanties which breed criminality. “ So removing all this shanties is removing the opportunity for criminals to hibernate and commit

crime”.

Reacting to the development, a Landlord in the community, Vincent Victor, whose shop was demolished on the second day of the exercise, who bemoaned the exercise, however admitted that non of the affected structures were approved.

Victor, however, appealed to the FCTA to consider providing alternative location to enable them continue their business, as it’s the only source of fending for their families.

Recall that on the first day of the exercise, no fewer than one thousand illegal structures, mostly shanties were demolished in the community, hitherto obstructing traffic flows in the area, following three months of abatement notices and sensitisation.

IYD: FCT Natives advocate youth empowerment to end insecurity

By Stanley Onyekwere

A

s the world celebrates this year’s International Youth Day, an indigenous organisation under the auspices of Abuja Original Youths Empowerment Organisation (AOIYEO) has called on the federal government to invest massively in youth development as a way of tackling insecurity in the country.

President of the organisation, Amb. Isaac David, made this call in a press briefing yesterday, to ark the International Youth Day in Abuja, said the reasons youths engage in social vices that have become detrimental to society is a result of the prolonged neglect from the past and present governments.

He noted that if the government decides today, to invest in the youths through education and skills, and social development, it will provide

opportunities for youths to be meaningfully engaged instead of indulging in violence and crime.

According to him, the government at all levels has a stake towards ensuring that the society is safe, so they need stakeholders to invest in the people, mostly the young Nigerians, who are seen as the youth.

He further stressed that only sincere investment in youth development and education would help the teeming youths to follow the right track, thereby appealing to the government to use International Youths Day to redirect their plans for Nigerian youths and ensure that they are properly empowered.

“The government should think of programs that would empower Nigerian youth and ensure that they are engaged through skills acquisitions and education. If our youths are properly educated they

will not be easily lured into crimes by anyone.

“I will also want to advise Nigerian youth to shun violence, crimes, and criminality, because this is the only country we can call our own, and if we destroy it today, where are we going to run to? Nigerian youths should think of better ways to engage themselves for the good of their family and the society at large,” he said.

Amb. David also frowned at the fact that in the present administration of Malam Muhammad Bello, the Minister of FCT, there is not a position for the Special Adviser to the minister on Youths Matters to advise the government on how the youths can be utilized for the benefit of the government and society.

“It is a shame that the youthful minister cannot carry the youths along in his administration. I will

say that if we have a Special Adviser on Youths Matters in this FCT administration, the challenges that the youths are facing in the territory would be tackled headlong because he will advise the minister on the way to go about them.

“The truth is that the SA on Youths Matters is very important and should be looked into by the Minister. Also, we have noticed that in the entire cabinet of the minister, no youth is represented in any way.

That is not the way to go, if we want the country to grow, because the youths are the life wire of any development.

“We are appealing to him to think twice and carry the youths of FCT along in his government, because he was once a youth and was given the opportunity then to prove himself, that is why he is where he is today as the Minister of FCT,” he said.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

Page 22

world news

international_peoplesdailyng@yahoo.com

Briton suspected of spying for Russia arrested in Germany A

British man has been arrested in Germany on suspicion of spying for Russia.

German federal prosecutors said the man - named only as David S - worked at the British embassy in Berlin.

He allegedly passed documents to Russian intelligence “at least once” in exchange for an “unknown amount” of money.

He was arrested in Potsdam outside Berlin on Tuesday and his home and workplace have been searched.

A spokesman for Germany’s foreign ministry quoted by AFP news agency said Berlin was taking the case “very seriously”, and said spying by “a close alliance partner on German soil is unacceptable”.

The arrest was the result of a joint UK-German investigation, the statement read.

It was intelligence-led and had been going on for some time leading up to the arrest, the BBC’s Security Correspondent Gordon Corera says. MI5 and other UK agencies, as well as British police, had been working with the Germans to learn as much as they could about the alleged activity.

London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrest of a 57-yearold British national in Germany, as well as the involvement of

who spies are interested in.

Locally hired staff - ranging from drivers to security guards to cleaners - can also be targeted with cash or other inducements because they can provide access to rooms to plant listening devices or gather information themselves.

the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.

German authorities are in charge of the investigation, but officers will continue to work with German counterparts, the police said.

The man is due to appear before an investigating judge on Wednesday.

Prosecutors said he was hired as a local staff member at the

embassy.

German online news site Focus Online reports that the documents passed on were to do with counterterrorism, and that the man is not thought to have diplomatic immunity.

Berlin was the epicentre of Cold War espionage with spies working its streets and alleys in search of secrets.

Intelligence gathering has

changed since those days and often involves cyber-espionage carried out remotely nowadays.

But the old ways have not disappeared. Spy services still seek out people whom they can recruit to pass on sensitive information and that makes embassies a prime target with Berlin still a major focus.

And it is not just diplomats who have direct access to secrets

German and UK relations with Russia are already strained after several high-profile incidents in recent years.

The UK accused Russia of being responsible for a 2018 nerve agent attack in Salisbury against Sergei and Yulia Skripal - an accusation Russia has repeatedly denied.

Both survived the attack. But a local woman died after she came into contact with a perfume bottle thought to have been used in the incident and then discarded.

Germany meanwhile treated Russian dissident Alexei Navalny after he was poisoned with the Novichok nerve agent on a Russian flight last year. Russian authorities have also repeatedly denied their involvement in this incident.

Last month German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Joe Biden vowed to stand together “against Russian aggression”.

Source: BBC

as many as 60 percent of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. went undetected as of March 7, 2021 due to major flaws in data sources, including biases in data capture and delayed reporting.

How could the U.S., which boasts the world’s most advanced medical technologies, most abundant medical resources, and the strongest medical care capacity, become the worst-hit country in the pandemic?

The reason for the surprising contrast is the serious “underlying diseases” of the U.S. society, where political polarization is intensifying, partisan disputes are heating up, federal system is plagued by excuse-making partisanship, and deep-seated institutional flaws are prominent.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic is identified, the two major political parties in the U.S. have been unable to bridge their political differences, which have seriously encumbered the country’s fight against the pandemic.

Amid endless partisan struggles, the U.S. wasted crucial weeks’ time for pandemic prevention and control, and was held back from the implementation of various epidemic prevention and control measures, including nucleic acid testing, masks wearing, social distancing, home quarantine, vaccinations, the distribution of strategic medical reserves, and emergency relief bills.

As the country is rife with disagreements between the two major parties at the federal, state,

and local levels, and between executive, legislative and judicial branches, anti-epidemic policy became a bargaining chip in the political game between the two parties, and pandemic prevention and control has been mired in “politicized internal frictions”.

The federal government hadn’t formulated a unified national strategy to protect people’s health even six months after the first case identified in America, according to James E. Clyburn, Chairman of the House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis.

“Chronic ills—a corrupt political class, a sclerotic bureaucracy, a heartless economy, a divided and distracted public—had gone untreated for years,” pointed out an article titled “We Are Living in a Failed State,” which was published in American magazine The Atlantic.

Apart from its failure to cope with the pandemic, the U.S. has also seriously disturbed and disrupted global anti-epidemic cooperation.

While other countries have been making joint efforts to fight against the pandemic, the U.S. has wantonly pursued unilateralism, “vaccine nationalism” and practiced “origin tracing terrorism”, becoming the widely criticized “country where the virus spread”, the “suspected source of the outbreak”, and the “country where the global response to the virus has been devastated”, said the recent research report of Chinese think tanks.

From November 2020 to

January 2021, the average daily number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. exceeded 186,000.

During the same period, the average daily number of U.S. citizens traveling abroad reached 87,000.

The outbound travel rush during the peak period of the pandemic resulted in imported COVID-19 cases from the U.S. in many countries.

In addition, the U.S. has ignored the opposition of the international community and disregarded international morality by massively deporting illegal immigrants, causing the pandemic to intensify in some developing countries.

Moreover, the self-anointed “beacon of human rights” has disappointed the international community by hoarding COVID-19 vaccines, restricting export of raw materials for the production of vaccines, and artificially aggravating the immunity gap between countries.

As pointed out by the recent research report, many scientific issues, such as the anti-pandemic model, the origin tracing of the pandemic, and the effectiveness of the vaccine, have been politicized by the U.S. Besides, the country has also constantly fabricated and spread rumors regarding the pandemic to wantonly smear and attack other countries.

From maliciously calling the novel coronavirus the “China virus” to openly clamoring for so-called “accountability and

compensation” from China, and from repeatedly hyping up the “lab leak theory” to the infamous act of involving intelligence agencies in the COVID-19 origin tracing, U.S. politicians have always fixed their eyes on their selfish interests and never pulled their minds out of the vicious circle of politicization.

Famous American scholar Graham Allison pointed out that the political elite in Washington will remain focused on China throughout the pandemic, thus avoiding shouldering their own responsibility for the failure to control the virus.

The U.S. has turned the dangerous virus into an international means of blackmail, said a critique published on the website of Russian television channel Tsargrad TV. The U.S. shouldn’t have been the country that failed to contain the COVID-19. However, its serious “underlying diseases” have made it unable to focus on fighting the pandemic, which is the root cause of its failure to control the pandemic.

Placing politics above science, selfish interests above people’s lives and health, and American hegemony above global antiepidemic cooperation will neither help the U.S. fight against the pandemic nor cure its “underlying diseases.”

As new COVID-19 infections surge in the U.S., it is about time the country realized its mistakes, returned to the right path, and made the right choice.

The man worked at the British embassy in Berlin, German prosecutors said

U.S. can’t cure its underlying diseases by shifting blame

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

T

he COVID-19 situation in the U.S. is entering a new stage of upsurge, with core indicators, including daily numbers of new confirmed cases, hospitalizations, and deaths rebounding sharply, and the daily average tally of new confirmed cases during the past week exceeding 100,000.

Shockingly, the country’s politicians are still busy stigmatizing acts of other countries regarding the pandemic, attaching geographical labels to the virus, and politicizing COVID-19 origin tracing, repeatedly playing the old trick of buck-passing.

Such despicable deeds not only show U.S. politicians’ indifference to the lives the U.S. has tragically lost in the pandemic, but constitute blasphemy against facts, science, and justice.

On August 9, three Chinese think tanks jointly released a research report titled “‘America Ranked First’?! The Truth about America’s fight against COVID-19” to reveal the underlying causes of the failure of the U.S. in its pandemic control.

The curve of the COVID-19 situation in the U.S. has never flattened, but continued to rise.

As of 6 p.m. EST on August 8, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in the U.S. had reached 35,757,980, and death toll 616,816, suggested statistics from Johns Hopkins University.

According to the latest research result of University of Washington,

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Ethiopia using rape as strategy in Tigray war - Amnesty

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he Ethiopian military and its allies are responsible for widespread sexual violence against women in Tigray, using rape as a strategy of war, Amnesty International says.

The scale of violations during the nine-month conflict in the north of the country amounts to war crimes, the human rights group says.

One woman reported being gang-raped in front of her children.

Ethiopia’s government says the report is based on “flawed methodology”.

The foreign ministry accused Amnesty of waging “sensationalised attacks and smear campaigns” against Ethiopia, saying the country condemned sexual violence in all circumstances.

Amnesty said it had “overwhelming evidence” to show such violence had been rampant since the start of the conflict.

It began last November when the region’s Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) party stormed a military base after falling out with the prime minister over his political reforms.

Warning: Some people may find details in this story upsetting.

The rights group interviewed 63 women and children from Tigray who said they had been raped by Ethiopian troops, their Eritrean

Thousands of people have been killed in the conflict in Tigray allies, or by pro-government fighters from the neighbouring region of Amhara.

The author, Donatella Rovera, told the BBC that the testimonies had been among the worst she had ever heard.

“The level of sadistic and gratuitous brutality in addition to the rape was absolutely shocking,” she said.

A 39-year-old woman reported being seized by Eritrean soldiers

as she was travelling with her two children. “Five of them raped me in front of my children,” she told Amnesty.

“They used an iron rod, which is used to clean the gun, to burn me. They inserted pieces of metal in my womb... Then they left me on the street.”

Some women Amnesty interviewed said they had been detained for weeks and repeatedly raped, often by several men.

Tigray forces defiant in face of Ethiopia call-up

T

he spokesperson for Tigrayan forces in Ethiopia has told the BBC they will continue to pursue the national army and its allies even if it takes them to the capital, Addis Ababa.

Getachew Reda says their aim is to force the central government to end the siege on the northern region of Tigray, where communication lines have been cut and the distribution of aid blocked following nine months of conflict.

The government has denied allegations that it has stopped services from reaching Tigray.

The US has called on the Tigrayan forces, made up of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and its allies, to pull back from the neighbouring Amhara and Afar regions where the conflict has spread in recent weeks.

The Tigrayan fighters have made several gains and now say their forces have captured the city of Weldiya, 700km (about 435 miles) north of the capital.

The government has accused forces from Tigray of trying to destabilise the country.

It has designated the TPLF a terrorist organisation, though

the group says it is the legitimate regional government of Tigray.

Mr Getachew, the TPLF’s spokesman, told the BBC the intention was not to gain territory or change the government but to protect Tigrayans.

He said they would not pull back from neighbouring regions until their demands were met.

On Tuesday, the prime minister called on all capable adults to join the army to fight Tigrayan forces.

Mr Getachew told the BBC the call to arms would lead to thousands losing their lives.

Source: BBC

Almost half of the women accused Eritrean soldiers of carrying out the violations, identified by their Tigrinya accents and uniforms.

The Eritrean authorities did not respond to Amnesty’s requests for comment.

Amnesty is calling on the UN to send a team of experts to Tigray to further investigate the allegations that may amount to crimes against humanity.

WHO to test malaria drug as treatment for Covid-19

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he World Health Organization (WHO) has included artesunate, a treatment for malaria, in its latest group of drugs to be tested for their capacity to treat Covid-19 patients in hospital.

It is one of the derivatives of artemisinin, extracted from the artemisia annua plant, the main herb behind Madagascar’s purported Covid-19 herbal cure announced last year.

Artesunate will be part of a global trial together with imatinib, a drug used for certain cancers, and infliximab used for diseases of the immune system.

Election fever grips Zambia

E

lection fever is palpable on the streets of Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, as various political parties make their final push for votes.

Incumbent President Edgar Lungu is hosting a virtual final election rally this afternoon.

But supporters of the

governing Patriotic Front (PF) are lining the streets hoping Mr Lungu will come out to address them.

PF members have also been driving around Freedom Square handing out party regalia to excited party supporters and street vendors.

While Mr Lungu’s main rival, the leader of the United Party for National Development, Hakainde Hichilema, hosted a press briefing at his residence.

He appealed to international observers not to feel under pressure by declaring free and

The widespread nature of the assaults suggests military officials knew what was happening and that it was being tolerated at the highest level of government in Ethiopia and Eritrea, Amnesty said.

“The patterns of sexual violence emerging from survivors’ accounts indicate that the violations have been part of a strategy to terrorise, degrade, and humiliate both the victims and their ethnic group,” the report said.

Ms Rovera said the victims of the assaults have not had access to the support they need to recover and many are living in poverty in Sudanese refugee camps, or camps in Tigray.

On Tuesday, when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called on civilians to join the army to fight in Tigray, he also accused Tigrayan forces, made of up the TPLF and its allies, of recruiting child soldiers, raping women and blocking aid.

Amnesty says none of the women it had interviewed accused Tigrayan forces of rape, but said that it would be monitoring the situation now the conflict had spread beyond Tigray’s borders.

The TPLF, which has been designated a terrorist organisation by the government but says it is the legitimate regional government of Tigray, has accused the federal authorities of blocking aid.

fair elections without tangible evidence to support this.

Mr Hichilema believes Thursday’s election will translate into a victory for his party after having lost elections five times.

He also appealed to members of the police and the military to ensure stability and the rule of

The study is expected to be completed by May next year.

“These drugs were chosen by an independent panel of experts that evaluates all the available evidence on all potential therapeutics,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director general.

The inclusion of the drug is not an indication that it is effective in treating Covid-19.

Previously, four drugs were evaluated and the results showed all of them - remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir and interferon - had little or no effect on hospitalized patients with Covid.

law and urged the country’s over seven million registered voters to go out in their numbers to cast their ballots.

One analyst has tweeted a helpful election day checklist, which reminds women not to paint their nails if they want to vote

Kenyan teacher to defy Covid jab order

A

Kenyan teacher has told the BBC he will defy a government order for civil servants to be vaccinated by 23 August or face unspecified disciplinary measures.

Alvans Odhiambo told the Newsday programme

that he was not convinced about vaccine safety and the availability of the second dose.

“I feel that those are just threats because in my job description there’s nowhere I signed that if I don’t take a jab [ there would be]

disciplinary action against me,” he said.

Mr Odhiambo’s said his school has a low uptake of the vaccine with only three out of 22 teachers vaccinated.

“If they convince me medically I will do it because

I was a victim of Covid...I was in ICU for about 11 days,” he said.

“I believe there’s a vaccine but which one is the right one?” he questioned.

The order to have all civil servants vaccinated follows concern of low uptake of the

jabs.

Last week, the government said it had administered more than 1.7 million AstraZeneca vaccines, most of them being first doses.

It target to vaccinate 10 million people by the end of the year.

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China sees improved protection over Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys

By Zhang Fan, Xu Yuanfeng, People’s Daily Online

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n Xiangguqing, located in Baima Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve in Deqin county, southwest China’s Yunnan province, live over 60 Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys from 10 “families.” It is the only place in China where people can observe the creatures closely.

These snub-nosed monkeys have established a unique relationship with the rangers who spend most of their time in the forest protecting the animals every day. Only with the calls of the rangers, they would come out from the thick forest and meet visitors.

With an upturned nose, pink lips and big eyes, the Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys are an endangered species unique to China under national first-class protection. They live in alpine forests with an altitude ranging from 2,500 to 4,700 meters.

Baima Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve sits in the core zone of the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is home to around 60 percent of the total population of Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys.

China’s long-term protection efforts are paying off. The groups and population of the animals are constantly rising. As of the end of April this year, there had been 23 groups of the animals, up from 13 in 1996, according to a two-year monitoring program by the forestry and grassland bureau of Yunnan province. The total population of the Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys also rose from a number between 1,000 and 1,500 to over 3,300 during the same period.

To improve habitats is a prerequisite of biodiversity protection. In the past, many villagers near Xiangguqing made a living

Ranger Yu Jianhua. (Photo courtesy of Baima Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve in Deqin county, southwest China’s Yunnan province) by hunting or lumbering, which severely monkeys in 1997. He works from 6 am to 8 impacted the habitats of the snub-nosed pm in Xiangguqing every day to safeguard monkeys, and the number of monkey the species. In the morning, he guides the animals from their habitats to the groups was on the decrease.

The protection of the creatures started observation site, where he feeds them usnea in 1983 when the provincial government and apples and meets visiting tourists.

Yu is able to recognize every monkey of Yunnan approved of establishing Baima Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve. there, and can even tell their moods A management administration has been set according to their cries. This owes to a up in the reserve by the forestry department “census” system established by scientific of Deqin county, together with multiple researchers that records “family profiles” of all snub-nosed monkeys, including family protection stations.

After decades of efforts, the number of members, age structure and kinship.

“Field patrol can only discover monkey rangers in Xiangguqing has been expanded from three to 28, many of whom were groups and help us gain a general knowledge once hunters. Yu Jianhua, 69, is one of of their amount and distribution, while them. Yu lived on hunting between 14 the ‘census’ system allows us to have a and 45, and became one of the first three closer look into the species, so that we can rangers protecting the Yunnan snub-nosed better carry out conservation biology and

behavioral ecology studies,” said Zhong Tai, head of the management administration of Baima Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve.

Yu Jianhua’s son Yu Zhonghua has also been working as a ranger in the reserve for 15 years. “We always had to live in the wild on patrol missions in the old days, while now we have infrared cameras to observe animal activities and collect scientific data,” he told People’s Daily, adding that an infrared camera is able to monitor animals within two kilometers from it.

The videos captured are directly sent to relevant departments of Yunnan province and Diqing Tibetan autonomous prefecture for remote control.

Yu Zhonghua’s experience told him that the Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys prefer biologically diverse places with stable forest ecology. “They would not go to man-made forests by a single species,” he said.

In July 2019, the forestry and grassland bureau of Yunnan province established a snub-nosed monkey protection network in collaboration with over ten social organizations and scientific institutions, including Yunnan Green Environment Development Foundation, to enhance conservation of the animals and their habitats. As of the end of last year, the protection network has restored 6,100 mu (407 hectares) of forests, where 630,000 spruces, Chinese white pines and firs are planted.

“The enhanced protection over Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys over the years is paying off,” said Xie Hongfang, former director of the management administration of Baima Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve. “Eyeing on the future, we will better mobilize surrounding villagers, and bring them more benefits with the protection efforts,” he said.

China registers foreign trade growth for 14 consecutive months

By Du Haitao, People’s Daily

C

hina’s foreign trade maintained yearon-year growth for the 14th consecutive month in July, said the General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Aug. 7.

The country’s total export and import of goods stood at 21.34 trillion yuan ($3.3 trillion) in the first seven months of this year, up 24.5 percent from a year ago, or 22.3 percent from that in 2019. Exports were 11.66 trillion yuan, growing 24.5 percent year on year, or up 23 percent from 2019, and imports stood at 9.68 trillion yuan, increasing 24.4 percent and 21.4 percent respectively from 2020 and 2019. The trade surplus was 1.98 trillion yuan, up 24.8 percent year on year.

In the first seven months, general foreign trade was 13.21 trillion yuan, up 27.6 percent from a year ago. It accounted for 61.9 percent of China’s total foreign trade, up 1.5 percentage points compared with that a year ago.

Growth was observed in trade with major partners including ASEAN, the EU and the US. In the first seven months, ASEAN was the largest trading partner of China. The total imports and exports between China and ASEAN nations stood at 3.12 trillion yuan, up 24.6 percent. During the same period, China’s imports to the EU, its second largest trading partner, also grew 23.4 percent to 2.96 trillion yuan.

From the January-July period, trade with the Belt and Road countries increased by 25.5 percent to 6.3 trillion yuan.

The private sector saw the fastest growth and an improved proportion in China’s foreign trade. From January to July, private firms reported imports and exports of 10.23 trillion yuan, up 31 percent and accounting for 47.9 percent of China’s foreign trade, 2.4 percentages higher from a year ago.

Vehicles to be exported are parked at a port in Yantai, east China’s Shandong province, Aug. 7, 2021. (Photo by Tangke/People’s Daily Online) Meanwhile, the imports and exports of included) stood at 114.08 trillion yuan, up foreign-invested companies saw an uptick of 102.5 percent.

The stable growth of the domestic 16.7 percent and accounted for 36.4 percent of China’s foreign trade. Besides, state-owned economy and the enhanced vitality of enterprises also saw a 24.4 percent growth in market entities were the major reason for their imports and exports, which took up 15.3 China’s growing foreign trade, said GAC spokesperson and director of the GAC’s percent of China’s foreign trade.

According to GAC statistics, the exports statistics and analysis department Li Kuiwen, of mechanical and electrical products adding that they offered strong support for maintained positive growth. In the first the stability and growth of foreign trade.

China’s stable economic recovery, the seven months, China exported 6.88 trillion yuan of such products, up 25.5 percent and momentum for stable growth in major accounting for 59 percent of the country’s economic indexes such as industrial valuetotal exports. Among them, the exports added, fixed asset investment, and total of automatic data processing devices and retail sales of consumer goods, as well as relevant spare parts stood at 879.28 billion the picking-up production demand in the yuan, up 14.2 percent; the exports of mobile first half of this year, have all laid a solid phones stood at 485.21 billion yuan, up 15.6 foundation for foreign trade growth.

Besides, the constant recovery of the world percent; the exports of automobiles (chassis

economy has also driven external demand, Li explained. In the first six months of this year, multiple international organizations have lifted their expectation on global growth this year. For instance, the International Monetary Fund in April upgraded its global economic growth forecast to 6 percent, and the World Bank also lifted its forecast to 5.6 percent two months later. The revival of global economy vitalized global trade and the exports of Chinese products.

According to Li, last year’s lower base and price factors also, to some extent, helped drive the growth of foreign trade. In the first half of 2020, China’s foreign trade fell slightly by 3.3 percent and was equivalent to that in the same period of 2018. This year, the overall price of international commodity markets has been on a rise. At the end of June, the Commodity Research Bureau Index, a representative indicator of global commodity markets, increased by over 25% since the beginning of 2021 and more than doubled compared with the lowest point in the first half of last year.

Influenced by the rising prices of global major commodities, China’s import price index is estimated to be 108.5 for the first half of this year, while the contribution rate of price to import growth is estimated to be 35.4%.

As for China’s foreign trade outlook in the second half of the year, Li said that as COVID-19 keeps wreaking havoc in many parts of the world, China’s foreign trade still faces uncertainties in a complex global epidemic environment. In the second half of last year, China’s total imports and exports grew 27 percent compared with the first half of last year. With a higher base, the growth rate of China’s foreign trade may slow down in the second half of this year. However, imports and exports are still expected to maintain relatively rapid growth throughout the year.

Environment Ekwueme Federal Varsity to plant 100,000 trees

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he Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, is to plant more than 100,000 fast growing timbers by 2022, thereby creating as a source of internally generated revenue.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof.

Sunday Elom, stated this in a statement issued by the institution’s spokesman, Mr Ikechukwu Ubochi, on Tuesday, July 20, 2021 in Abakaliki.

Elom also said that the institution would also use the trees to combat climate change.

“Efforts will be made to create reserve areas within the university land for aggressive planting of about 100,000 fast-growing timbers by 2022.

“It will serve as source of internally generated revenue through timber. These trees will yield billions of naira in 20 years.

We have earlier launched Campus-Green Initiative of the university which has the goal of building a campus-in-a-garden, thus making the university one of the most beautiful and ecofriendly campuses in Nigeria,’’ Elom stated.

The vice chancellor explained that the green initiative, which started in 2016, had led to aggressive annual tree planting campaign, with more than 33, 000 ornamental and fruit trees already planted in the university.

“With some of the trees the campus is also becoming beautiful and environmental-friendly,’’ Elom said.

Source: Environewsnigeria

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

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ESV widest profession within the built environment -ESV. Ofi By Mashe Gwamna

Umaru

A

n Estate Surveyor and Valuer (ESV) Oladiran Ofi, has viewed the profession as one of the widest and deepest professional practices within the built environment.

Ofi, stated this in a chat with Our reporter in Abuja.

“This profession in view of its wide spectrum curriculum encompasses Land Administration, Valuation, Property Management, Plant and Machinery Valuation, Project Management, Estate agency, Arbitration, Property Taxation and Rating, Environmental Impact Assessment, Feasibility and viability studies, Building construction, Facility Management and host of other stakes in the built environment makes the profession to standout.

“It goes without saying that a well-trained Estate Surveyor and Valuer from

a reputable University or Polytechnic must have undergone various courses that cuts across

to many unwanted items being dumped in waterways and other sites, causing environmental degradation, a leading cause of climate change.

According to Laing, Nigeria generates around 32 million tonnes of solid waste per year, and in 2020, Nigeria was estimated to be among the top 20 countries contributing to marine debris.

Laing, however, noted that the HoBeei initiative was a welcome development to tackling these environmental challenges and pledged to raise her voice to support the initiative.

“I am committed to encouraging my colleague Ambassadors, convince the diplomatic community and ensure their voices are

heard on this initiative.

“I will use our platforms and social media to ensure our voices are heard so that people can also join the course of donating the preowned items to others just like I did today.

“There has not been enough awareness and sensitisation given to free-cycling like other environmental issues.

“Nigeria is in the top 20 contributors to the stuffs that end up in the seas so it is a hugely important areas, it is not something that has enough attention.

And of course, it impacts on all of our lives because climate change is impacting on all of our lives right now,” Laing said.

Laing also noted that it was good for the government to develop policies, the

many disciplines that have impact in the environment, such as Architecture, Land Surveying, Building

Construction Law (as it relates to land, contract Tort Arbitration etc) Town Planning, Valuation, Sociology, Philosophy etc.”

He said with all the fields of studies, it is necessary to acknowledge that the practice of Estate Surveying and Valuation, adding that, “since the knowledge and training of a qualified Estate Surveyors and Valuers covers Economics, Engineering, Estate Management, Law and Sociology among others, it then means that only those Estate Surveyors and Valuers who have actually excelled that will be able to meet the requirement for sufficiency and currency of knowledge in practice.

“It is therefore incumbent in the Valuer to continually expose themselves to contemporary international practices, laws and conventions, so that the quality of their service meets the required standard.”

Waste management: British envoy pledges support to free-cycling initiative

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he British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, has pledged her support to the HoBeei Freecycling Initiative, to ensure proper waste management and reduce environmental degradation.

Laing made this known in Abuja during a Free-cycling awareness Initiative, as the British High Commissioner and Staff donated their preowned items via the HoBeei platform to the Nigerian public.

According to Laing, the idea of free-cycling is to promote the three Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle), making it easier for people to give away their unwanted but reusable items to people who can use them.

This, she said, had led

policy environment, the legal environment and also to provide an enabling environment to promote this great initiative.

Founder of the HoBeei Initiative, Ms Mariam Eluma, said that the initiative is aimed at creating a platform where people could cycle their items to improve savings and preserve the environment.

Eluma said it is also a platform that creates equality among all classes as anyone could bid to own any item that has been uploaded and not necessarily the poor and needy.

“The aim of HoBeei is to help people improve savings while also encouraging useful benefits to the environment.

People can upload their unwanted items and others who need these items can obtain them using our virtual tokens.

“So the whole point of the virtual token is to reduce the amount of money people use to obtain these items.

“And so far so good, about N4 million worth of items have been obtained for less than N800,000 and that is a lot of money saved and also, over 1,500 items have been free-cycled on the platform.

She said the organisation plans to visit university campuses so that students could free-cycle with each other, especially like outgoing students freecycle their items to new students to help them save money.

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Feature

How we can all get more high-quality sleep

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icole Baker is one of the many people who have struggled with insomnia since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I went from someone who can drop asleep at 9pm every day, to being awake at 3am every night,” she says. “It was draining and really worrying, as during the day I would really struggle to stay focused.”

Ms Baker, who works as a facilities coordinator, put her sleep issues down to increased anxiety.

“I felt that the constant worry of Covid-19 death rates, job security, my family, not being able to have the freedom of travelling, and the uncertainty of the future, really put great amounts of stress and anxiety on my mind,” she says.

“My mind was in absolute overload, constantly running and worrying about life 24/7, making it impossible for me to sleep at night.”

In the UK, the number of people experiencing insomnia rose from one in six before the pandemic, to one in four during it, according to a study last year by the University of Southampton.

Meanwhile, the word “insomnia” was Googled in the US in 2020 more than ever before.

As well as increased general stress and anxiety levels, a rise in sleep problems has been put down to other factors caused by the pandemic - such as the enforced changes to daily routines and social lives.

With tired staff less productive, the pandemic has led to a number of companies focusing on helping their employees get a better quantity, and quality, of sleep. Ms Baker’s employer, a London-based marketing firm called MVF, is one such business.

When the pandemic hit, MVF expanded its wellbeing support for employees, to offer mental health coaching sessions and workshops focused on sleep, along with free subscriptions to the meditation app, Headspace.

Ms Baker says the extra support has helped her insomnia. “[The resources] helped me learn to recognise and manage how the pandemic has affected me and the people around me, and put my mind at ease a little, which is a big relief,” she says.

Katie Fischer, a sleep coach and founder of Circadian Sleep Coaching, works with businesses to provide support to employees. Along with the increase in anxiety, being stuck inside during lockdown has been a contributor to the rise in sleep disruption, she says.

“Many people have been sleeping later [in the day] because they are getting outside less,” she says. “They

Nicole Baker says her insomnia was “draining”

She says firms should set parameters around work and home life, and encourage people who are not working in the office to have a regular routine.

“Some companies try to preserve that opportunity at the end of the day for employees to wind down and relax, so they can support that ability to fall asleep and start afresh the next day,” says Ms Fischer.

She also advises that people stick to a regular wake-up time in the morning, regardless of whether they are working from home that day, or going into the office, to promote better quality sleep.

Max Kirsten, a hypnotherapist and sleep coach, adds that many of the bad habits people have fallen into during the pandemic, such as increased time spent on phones or tablets, are playing havoc with sleep patterns.

“People are going from screens for work, to screens in their spare time, and then screens at bedtime,” he says. “This is not helped by side issues like alcohol, or too much caffeine in the afternoon or evening,” he says.

The UK trade body, the Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE), enlisted Mr Kirsten to host a workshop for its employees dealing with sleep problems brought on by the pandemic.

Lily Frenchman, head of operations at ADE, says the organisation has also focused on enabling staff to speak up about the challenges they face regarding their mental health. “If someone was having trouble sleeping I would want to hear, because that’s a sign something’s not working.

“Whether that’s work, or personal, that person needs support,” she says.

For those struggling with insomnia, Mr Kirsten advises getting the conditions right for a good night’s sleep, such as ensuring the room you sleep in is dark and cool, disengaging from screen time and work-related thinking before bed, and, crucially, making sleep a priority in your life.

“Sleep should never be [thought of as] an inconvenience, it’s the pillar that gives you the performance edge,” he says. “It’s about creating special time for this incredible process called sleep.”

MVF holds coaching sessions with staff, including meditation classes happy, healthy and well slept.” are less active and finding it really for its employees.

Even before the pandemic, GroupM had already been hard to decompress at the end of the running a sleep-coaching service for sleep-deprived workers cost the day.

“It’s hard not having that parents of young children on its staff, UK economy up to £40bn a year, commute, that demarcation that but during the pandemic it expanded due to tired employees being less productive, or absent from work frames the day, gets you up and out the service to all employees.

In these sessions, Ms altogether, according to a 2016 study into the daylight.” assesses a person’s from research firm Rand Europe.

Global advertising company Fischer With many companies set to background, personal GroupM is one of the businesses that health circumstances, and adopt a hybrid-working model as the reasons behind the world slowly returns to normal their challenges with after the pandemic - allowing their sleep, to help come staff to continue to work from home up with ways to part of the time - Ms Fischer advises that businesses check in regularly resolve them.

Source: BBC Jennifer Harley, with employees. people business partner at GroupM, says that sleep support will continue to be a critical aspect of the company’s health and wellbeing programme. “When we don’t have enough sleep, we don’t bring our best selves to work, so we need to invest in wellbeing,” she says.

Ms Fischer works with, providing “Businesses should care about the one-to-one sleep-coaching sessions impact of having people who are Max Kirsten reminds people that alcohol and caffeine can worsen sleep issues

the UK, the number of people “ Inexperiencing insomnia rose from one in

six before the pandemic, to one in four during it, according to a study last year by the University of Southampton.

Meanwhile, the word “insomnia” was Googled in the US in 2020 more than ever before.

As well as increased general stress and anxiety levels, a rise in sleep problems has been put down to other factors”

EDUCATION

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

PAGE 27

Grammatical Errors: Common Grammar Mistakes in English What are Grammatical Errors? rammar is the study of words and how they work together to form sentences. It includes the rules about how to structure a sentence. A grammatical error is simply a mistake in writing.

It is an error that goes against the rules. It can include a controversial usage of grammar because even the experts sometimes disagree on the best way to use the language.

Grammatical errors are often overlooked or ignored. Someone may recognize the error, but still understand the message that was meant to be conveyed. There are times though, that grammatical errors can cause confusion.

G

Why Learn Grammar Mistakes?

Have you ever applied for a job that was perfect for you? You fit the requirements perfectly. You had the exact experience they wanted.

You had great references. But you never heard back from them.

One reason could have to do with grammatical errors. In other words, you made a mistake that you did not catch on your resume or cover letter. Unfortunately, your potential employer caught it and your resume went in the trash.

Types of Grammatical Errors Grammatical errors can be broken down into several common categories.

Common Grammar Mistakes Learn a useful list of common grammar mistakes you might be making – and how to avoid and correct them with example sentences and ESL printable worksheets.

Examples of 170+ common grammatical errors in English and how to correct them.

Incorrect: I have a good news for you.

Correct: I have good news for you Incorrect: Worry kills more the men than work.

Correct: Worry kills more men than work.

Incorrect: We learn not at the school, but in life.

Correct: We learn not at school, but in life.

Incorrect: He sent a word that he would come soon.

Correct: He sent word that he would come soon.

Incorrect: I have read the Shakespeare’s King Lear.

Correct: I have read Shakespeare’s King Lear.

Incorrect: You cannot set a foot in this house.

Correct: You cannot set foot in this house.

Incorrect: It’s not good to go to the bed late.

Correct: It’s not good to go to bed late.

Incorrect: He is Daniel in judgment.

Correct: He is a Daniel in judgment.

Incorrect: It was tough decision to make.

Correct: It was a tough decision to make.

Incorrect: A little spark kindles great fire.

Correct: A little spark kindles a great fire.

Incorrect: The clock has struck seven hours.

Correct: The clock has struck seven.

Incorrect: There is no place in the hall.

Correct: There is no room in the hall.

Incorrect: We came by the 4:30 o’clock train.

Correct: We came by the 4:30 train.

Incorrect: He left with his belonging luggage.

Correct: He left with his luggage.

Incorrect: I gladly avail of your offer.

Correct: I gladly avail myself of your offer.

Incorrect: You can try it more…

Correct: You can try a few times…

Incorrect: He went to abroad to further his study.

Correct: He went abroad to further his study.

Incorrect: Today, I’ll cut my hair.

Correct: I’ll have my hair cut today.

Incorrect: Did China come into rain season?

Correct: Is it the rainy season in China?

Incorrect: How was your

sleeping yesterday?

Correct: Did you have a good sleep yesterday?

Incorrect: Why don’t stay more time here?

Correct: Why don’t you stay a little longer?

Incorrect: You like ice cream, isn’t it?

Correct: You like ice cream, don’t you?

Incorrect: It is a high pay job.

Correct: It is a high-paying job.

Incorrect: I can’t get over how you look well.

Correct: I can’t get over how well you look.

Incorrect: How much is the temperature?

Correct: What is the temperature?

Incorrect: Don’t feel anger with me !!! I’m just kidding.

Correct: Don’t be mad at me !!! I’m just kidding.

Incorrect: I have been abroad 10 years.

Correct: I have been abroad for 10 years.

Incorrect: How does he like ?

Correct: What does he look like ?

Incorrect: Lilian is living far away with China.

Correct: Lilian is living far away from China.

Incorrect: Are you a saler, Jame?

Correct: Are you a salesman, Jame?

Incorrect: Linda’s work is more perfect than Jamie’s.

Correct: Lind’s work is better

than/superior to Jamie’s.

Incorrect: I don’t have enough money to buy new bicycle.

Correct: I don’t have enough money to buy a new bicycle.

Incorrect: Why do you need hundred dollars ?

Correct: Why do you need a hundred dollars ?

Incorrect: He has good knowledge of English grammar.

Correct: He has a good knowledge of English grammar.

Incorrect: I often go to theater on the weekend.

Correct: I often go to the theater on the weekend.

Incorrect: Your advice is great significance.

Correct: Your advice is of great significance.

Incorrect: The event is bound to attracting wide press coverage .

Correct: The event is bound to attract wide press coverage .

Incorrect: Please persuade him don’t do that.

Correct: Please persuade him not to do that.

Incorrect: I saw them to work.

Correct: I saw them work.

Incorrect: She looks cheerfully today.

Correct: Shelley looks cheerful today.

Incorrect: The lights his room’s are on.

Correct: The lights of his room are on.

Incorrect: Either of the plans are equally dangerous.

Correct: Either of the plans is equally dangerous.

Incorrect: Don’t pretend to not recognize me.

Correct: Don’t pretend not to recognize me.

Incorrect: He neither has talent nor the desire to learn.

Correct: He has neither talent nor the desire to learn.

Incorrect: Only I and my friend were at the concert.

Correct: Only my friend and I were at the concert.

Incorrect: Lizzie approached me and held my hand, say, “Hello !”

Correct: Lizzie approached me, held my hand, and said, “Hello !”

Incorrect: She found difficult to sustain the children’s interest.

Correct: She found it difficult to sustain the children’s interest.

Incorrect: I would have made a big fault only you advised.

Correct: I would have made a big mistake only you advised.

Incorrect: He goes better every day.

Correct: He gets better every day.

Incorrect: I’ve passed the hearing test with a high score.

Correct: I’ve passed a listening test with a high score.

Incorrect: It was still bright outside.

Correct: It was still light outside.

Incorrect: Who cooked this salad ?

Correct: Who made this salad ?

Incorrect: Different from me, she is proficient in Chinese.

Correct: Unlike me, she is proficient in Chinese.

Incorrect: Little children are difficult to understand that.

Correct: It is difficult for children to understand that.

Source: https://7esl.com/ grammar-mistakes/

T

poetry is morally suspect and should therefore be expunged from a perfect society. Aristotle takes a different approach, analyzing the purpose of poetry. He argues that creative endeavors like poetry and theater provides catharsis, or the beneficial purging of emotions through art.

he Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) made significant and lasting contributions to nearly every aspect of human knowledge, from logic to biology to ethics and aesthetics. Though overshadowed in classical times by the work of his teacher Plato, from late antiquity through the Enlightenment, Aristotle’s surviving writings were incredibly influential. In Arabic philosophy, he was known simply as “The First Teacher”; in the West, he was “The Philosopher.”

Aristotle’s Early Life Aristotle was born in 384 B.C. in Stagira in northern Greece. Both of his parents were members of traditional medical families, and his father, Nicomachus, served as court physician to King Amyntus III of Macedonia. His parents died while he was young, and he was likely raised at his family’s home in Stagira. At age 17 he was sent to Athens to enroll in Plato’s Academy. He spent 20 years as a student and teacher at the school, emerging with both a great respect and a good deal of criticism for his teacher’s theories. Plato’s own later writings, in which he softened some earlier positions, likely bear the mark of repeated discussions with his most gifted student.

Did you know? Aristotle’s surviving works were likely meant as lecture notes rather than literature, and his nowlost writings were apparently of much better quality. The Roman philosopher Cicero said that “If Plato’s prose was silver, Aristotle’s was a flowing river of gold.”

When Plato died in 347, control of the Academy passed to his nephew Speusippus. Aristotle left Athens soon after, though it is not clear whether frustrations at the Academy or political difficulties due to his family’s Macedonian connections hastened his exit. He spent five years on the coast of Asia Minor as a guest of former students at Assos and Lesbos. It was here that he undertook his pioneering research into marine biology and married his wife Pythias, with whom he had his only daughter, also named Pythias.

In 342 Aristotle was summoned to Macedonia by King Philip II to tutor his son, the future Alexander the Great—a meeting of great historical figures that, in the words of one modern commentator, “made remarkably little impact on either of them.”

Aristotle and the Lyceum Aristotle returned to Athens in 335 B.C. As an alien, he couldn’t own property, so he rented space in the Lyceum, a former wrestling school outside the city. Like Plato’s Academy, the Lyceum attracted students from throughout the Greek world and developed a curriculum centered on its founder’s teachings. In accordance with Aristotle’s principle of

Aristotle’s Death and Legacy After the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C., antiMacedonian sentiment again forced Aristotle to flee Athens. He died a little north of the city in 322, of a digestive complaint. He asked to be buried next to his wife, who had died some years before. In his last years he had a relationship with his slave Herpyllis, who bore him Nicomachus, the son for whom his great ethical treatise is named.

Aristotle’s favored students took over the Lyceum, but within a few decades the school’s influence had faded in comparison to the rival Academy. For several generations Aristotle’s works were all but forgotten. The historian Strabo says they were stored for centuries in a moldy cellar in Asia Minor before their rediscovery in the first century B.C., though it is unlikely that these were the only copies.

surveying the writings of others as part of the philosophical process, the Lyceum assembled a collection of manuscripts that comprised one of the world’s first great libraries.

Aristotle’s Works It was at the Lyceum that Aristotle probably composed most of his approximately 200 works, of which only 31 survive. In style, his known works are dense and almost jumbled, suggesting that they were lecture notes for internal use at his school. The surviving works of Aristotle are grouped into four categories. The “Organon” is a set of writings that provide a logical toolkit for use in any philosophical or scientific investigation. Next come Aristotle’s theoretical works, most famously his treatises on animals (“Parts of Animals,” “Movement of Animals,” etc.), cosmology, the “Physics” (a basic inquiry about the nature of matter and change) and the “Metaphysics” (a quasi-theological investigation of existence itself).

Third are Aristotle’s socalled practical works, notably the “Nicomachean Ethics” and “Politics,” both deep investigations into the nature of human flourishing on the individual,

familial and societal levels. Finally, his “Rhetoric” and “Poetics” examine the finished products of human productivity, including what makes for a convincing argument and how a well-wrought tragedy can instill cathartic fear and pity.

The Organon “The Organon” (Latin for “instrument”) is a series of Aristotle’s works on logic (what he himself would call analytics) put together around 40 B.C. by Andronicus of Rhodes and his followers. The set of six books includes “Categories,” “On Interpretation,” “Prior Analytics,” “Posterior Analytics,” “Topics,” and “On Sophistical Refutations.”

The Organon contains Aristotle’s worth on syllogisms (from the Greek syllogismos, or “conclusions”), a form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn from two assumed premises. For example, all men are mortal, all Greeks are men, therefore all Greeks are mortal.

Metaphysics Aristotle’s “Metaphysics,” written quite literally after his “Physics,” studies the nature of

existence. He called metaphysics the “first philosophy,” or “wisdom.”

His primary area of focus was “being qua being,” which examined what can be said about being based on what it is, not because of any particular qualities it may have.

In “Metaphysics,” Aristotle also muses on causation, form, matter and even a logic-based argument for the existence of God. Rhetoric To Aristotle, rhetoric is “the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion.” He identified three main methods of rhetoric: ethos (ethics), pathos (emotional), and logos (logic). He also broke rhetoric into types of speeches: epideictic (ceremonial), forensic (judicial) and deliberative (where the audience is required to reach a verdict). His groundbreaking work in this field earned him the nickname “the father of rhetoric.”

Poetics Aristotle’s “Poetics” was composed around 330 B.C. and is the earliest extant work of dramatic theory. It is often interpreted as a rebuttal to his teacher Plato’s argument that

In 30 B.C. Andronicus of Rhodes grouped and edited Aristotle’s remaining works in what became the basis for all later editions. After the fall of Rome, Aristotle was still read in Byzantium and became wellknown in the Islamic world, where thinkers like Avicenna (9701037), Averroes (1126-1204) and the Jewish scholar Maimonodes (1134-1204) revitalized Aritotle’s logical and scientific precepts.

Aristotle in the Middle Ages and Beyond In the 13th century, Aristotle was reintroduced to the West through the work of Albertus Magnus and especially Thomas Aquinas, whose brilliant synthesis of Aristotelian and Christian thought provided a bedrock for late medieval Catholic philosophy, theology and science.

Aristotle’s universal influence waned somewhat during the Renaissance and Reformation, as religious and scientific reformers questioned the way the Catholic Church had subsumed his precepts.

Scientists like Galileo and Copernicus disproved his geocentric model of the solar system, while anatomists such as William Harvey dismantled many of his biological theories.

However, even today, Aristotle’s work remains a significant starting point for any argument in the fields of logic, aesthetics, political theory and ethics.

Source: history.com

Sports

PEOPLES DAILY

BIOGRAPHY Who is Aristotle?

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

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sports@peoplesdailyng.com, SMS- 08142929046

Anyanacho ranked 28th after earning Olympic qualifying points

By Albert Akota

I

n the latest world ranking released by World Taekwondo, Nigeria’s Elizabeth Anyanacho has broken into the top thirty and is now ranked 28th in the world, after her participation at the G-20 ranked Tokyo Olympic Games.

The 22-year-old who lost in the round of 16 to former world champion and double Olympic medalist, Nur Tartar of Turkey, also saw her Olympic ranking improve to 42 in the world from the 65th position that it was prior to the Olympics.

The improved Olympic ranking will be a booster to Elizabeth Anyanacho’s target to qualify automatically for the Paris 2024 Olympic games as qualification rules allocate automatic qualification slots to the top six Olympic-ranked athletes, in the months leading up to the Olympics.

A look at the World Taekwondo calendar already shows upcoming ranked events in Poland, Albania, Pakistan, Netherlands, France, Italy, Fujairah and a host of other nations.

Anyanacho’s ability to improve her current ranking will be depending on securing resources to attend these events.

In clinching the Olympic ticket, Anyanacho made history as she became the second ever female Olympic-bound taekwondoist for Nigeria, after Princess Dudu last achieved the feat at the Athens 2004 Olympics.

The Federal University of Technology undergraduate has nurtured a steadily rising profile since making her debut on the competitive scene just four years ago at the Ghana International Open in 2017, where she won a Gold.

She followed the performance

with a Gold at the 2017 Dakar International Open before winning gold medals at backto-back editions of the Nigeria Taekwondo International Open in 2017 and 2019.

In-between, she won a Silver at the 2018 West African University Games and became national champion when she clinched a gold at the Abuja 2008 National Sports Festival, defeating two former national champions en route to a famous victory.

The 300-level Statistics student cemented her announcement on the big stage when she clinched an inaugural continental medal by winning a bronze medal for Nigeria at the 2019 All African Games.

She followed up by winning a bronze at the World Taekwondo G-1 ranked Fujairah Open in February 2020 before slamming a home run two weeks later when she clinched the Tokyo 2020 Olympic ticket.

In June 2021, she defeated the current African Champion Hedaya Malak in the semi finals of the African Taekwondo Championships before narrowly losing to former world champion, Ruth Gbagbi of Cote D’Ivoire in the finals.

Leading up to the Olympics, the nascent Elizabeth claimed another major international gold medal when she won the World Taekwondo G-2 ranked Beirut Open, the last event on the WT calendar before the Tokyo Olympics game.

Elizabeth’s debut at the Tokyo Olympics has given her critical Olympic experience, and critical Olympic qualifying points, that can be robustly built on towards preparing for the Paris 2024 Olympics, if supported with the adequate resources.

2020 Tokyo Paralympics: Team Nigeria get Captain

A

head of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics games, Team Nigeria has got team captain going into the competition.

Table tennis star Aruna Quadri was unanimously elected to be captain of Team Nigeria to the just concluded Tokyo 2020 Olympics games with the country finishing with two medals.

Lucy Ejuke has been picked to be the captain of Team Nigeria at the Paralympics events in Tokyo.

Ejike has wealth of experience going to the Paralympic Games, having won 5 medals: 3 Golds a d 2 Silver since her first participation in Sydney 2000.

22 athletes will represent Nigeria at the Paralympic Games.

PAGE 30

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

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t

Amaju Pinnick almost ruined Ese Brume’s Career – National Team Coach

N

ational team coach and statistician, Lekan Soetan has said that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, Amaju Pinnick almost ruined the career of Nigeria’s Long Jumper, Ese Brume.

Pinnick was particularly delighted at the performance of the multi-talented athlete who won the women’s long jump bronze in the just-concluded 2020 Olympic Games in Japan.

“I am happy for Ese (Brume) because I played a role in her discovery and nurturing.” The former Delta State FA Chairman claimed.

“I am fulfilled at her career progression and I believe she will be there in Paris in three years’ time to win the gold medal,” the FIFA Council member said.

Reacting via WhatsApp group (AFN Media Info Channel), Lekan described Pinnick’s statement as claiming another man’s glory. He added that her coach, Kayode Yaya sacrificed a lot including leaving his family in Nigeria and traveled to Cyprus to save her career when it was dwindling.

“Amaju Pinnick almost truncated Ese Brume’s dream of becoming world beater.” Lekan stated “Once upon a time when Ese just won her first major Continental title as U18, chief Solomon Ogba, the then AFN president planned with Mary Onyali and Amaju Pinnick,

the then Delta state sports commissioner (the successor to Ogba) to separate Ese Brume from her coach Kayode Yaya.” He recounted.

He continued, “They claimed Delta state gave her scholarship to study in the US and at the same time Mary Onyali claimed a school in US gave her scholarship too.

“The US embassy refused Brume student visa because they felt some things were not right.

How can a state be sponsoring Ese on scholarship in US and a school was at the same time doing so?

“The plan by these trio I mentioned was to separate Ese and her coach.

“It is only Coach Yaya that can lay claim to have rescued Ese from the snares of the pretenders.

Victor Olaniyan gave Ese Brume scholarship to study at Eastern Mediterranean University in Cyprus. Ask Ese she’ll confirm this my assertions?

“Ese’s performance was dwindling while in the Cyprus university and her coach’s wife Kesiena, a former top sprinter from Delta state who “Ogbalization” in Delta truncated her career when similar plans by Pinnick were made for her as a youngster advised her husband Yaya to go and live in Cyprus to be able to monitor Ese closely.

“Victor Olaniyan a student admission consultant created the opportunity to get Kayode Yaya employed as a school coach in the Cyprus university.” He concluded

B

ayelsa United pocketed the sum of N25million following their triumph in the 2021 Aiteo Cup final with Nasarawa United earning N10million as run up.

Bayelsa Queens, the 2021 Women’s Aiteo Cup Champions got N10million to the good, and second best, FC Robo Queens returned to Lagos with N5million.

For the first time in the history of Nigeria’s Cup competitions, one State claimed both the women and men titles as secondtier Bayelsa United and Bayelsa Queens were crowned winners of the 2021 AITEO Cup competition in Benin City on Sunday.

Epic battles were fought by both teams in each of the finals under driving rain in the Edo State capital, and an avalanche of 10 goals made the evening well worth it for football actionstarved fans at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.

It was a delightful experience for dignitaries and spectators as the AITEO Cup returned with

fanfare and pomp after the global coronavirus pandemic forced cancellation of the competition last year.

Bayelsa Q u e e n s ’ livewire Mary Anjor set the ball rolling for a fruitful day for the ‘Glory of all Lands’ when she poked in her eighth goal of the competition in the 15th minute of the women’s final to put her team ahead.

FC R o b o ’ s c a p t a i n Gift Monday replied sharply four minutes later, but Juliet Sunday (37th minute) and Peace Efih (43rd minute) made sure the girls from Yenagoa held a comfortable lead going into the break.

On resumption, both teams continued to delight the crowd that included Governor

Godwin Obaseki and the Deputy Governors of Edo, Bayelsa, and Nasarawa States. There were also President of NFF and FIFA Council Member, Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick and AITEO’s Head of Corporate

PAGE 30

BBNaija: B Why I may not have sex with Michael – Jackie B

I’m sexually attracted to Cross – Angel reveals

ig Brother Naija housemate Jackie B has revealed that she is attracted to Michael.

Jackie made the revelation during a chat with Angel.

When Angel asked if she would have sex with Michael, Jackie B said she is not yet sure.

She further stated that she is not sure he has a big manhood because she likes it big.

Jackie B said, “There’s an attraction. I’m not sure if his size is big though.

However, Angel added that she saw him naked while having his bath and Michael’s manhood is not big.

B

ig Brother Naija, BBNaija Season 6 housemate, Angel has revealed the male housemate she is sexually attracted to.

Recall Angel had said she’s not sexually attracted to Sammie who has feelings for her.

According to her, she’s only mentally attracted to Sammie.

Discussing with Cross in the house, she told him she’s sexually attracted to him.

This is the first time Angel

would admit she feels something for Cross.

Angel said: “Let me tell you something today.

“I’m sexually attracted to you, do you know that?”

Cross, responding, said he had no idea Angel was attracted to him.

Meanwhile, Cross had earlier said he would like to have a relationship with Peace outside the house if possible.

Source: dailypost.ng

Wizkid gets MTV VMAs nomination for ‘Brown Skin Girl’

N

igerian music superstar Wizkid has grabbed another nomination with ‘Brown Skin Girl’, his 2019 collaboration with Beyonce.

Wizkid and American rapper SAINt JHN joined Beyonce on the record from her 2019 soundtrack album The Lion King: The Gift.

The nominations for the 2021 MTV Music Video Awards (VMAs) just dropped, and the record is in the running for Best R&B. Other records in the category include; ‘Leave the Door Open’ by Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic, ‘Go Crazy by Chris Brown and Young Thug, ‘Heartbreak Anniversary’ by Giveon, ‘Come Through by H.E.R. ft.

Chris Brown and ‘Good Days’ by SZA. With this collaboration, Wizkid has enjoyed success with several awards.

He has won two Soul Train Music Awards, the BET Awards, a NAACP Image Award and a Grammy Award for Best Video in 2021. pulse.ng

Bayelsa United get N25 million as Aiteo Cup Champion

By Albert Akota

ENTERTAINMENT

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

Communications Ndiana Matthew.

Habibat Akinwande pulled one back for the girls from Lagos in the 65th minute, but substitute Joy Bokiri made the game safe with a spectacular fourth goal from a free kick 22 yards out.

In the men’s final, NPFL side Nasarawa United had no reason to underrate Bayelsa U n i t e d , aware that the boys coached by former international Dipreye Teibowei had claimed the scalps of NPFL juggernauts Rangers International, Lobi Stars and Rivers United on their way to the

final.

Yet, they were slack to things as Inikurogha Okardi smashed in from the right in the 19th minute.

The loud ovation that greeted the goal was still on when Chinedu Ohanachom sent a pile driver past goalkeeper John Shaibu for the leveler.

Aliyu Abdullahi shot the Solid Miners in front in the 26th minute, but 10 minutes later, Emo James rose highest in the box to nod home a sweet equalizer for the Bayelsa boys.

The second period was a tight and tense affair that however produced no goal. In the ensuing penalty shootout, the boys from Bayelsa prevailed 4-3 to claim their first-ever national silverware.

Bayelsa Queens’ Mary Anjor emerged the Top Scorer of the women’s competition, and also claimed the Most Valuable Player award. In the men’s competition, the Top Scorer award went to Gafaar Olafimihan of 3SC while Nasarawa United goalkeeper Mohammed Galadima claimed the Most Valuable Player award.

Watch Mercy Johnson-Okojie, Toyin Abraham in star-studded teaser for ‘The Ghost and the Tout Too’

A

brand new teaser for ‘The Ghost and the Tout Too’ has debuted ahead of its anticipated release this September.

Produced by Toyin Abraham and directed by Michael ‘Amapsalmist’ Akinrogunde, the sequel will continue the comic adventures of Isila (Abraham), a tout with psychic abilities to communicate with the dead.

The new teaser confirms Isila will have a new partner played by star actress, Mercy Johnson-Okojie.

Principal photography kicked off for the sequel in May with a star-studded cast including Patience Ozokwo, Iyabo Ojo, Odunlade Adekola, Deyemi Okanlawon, Ini Edo, Ali Nuhu, Anita ‘Real Warri Pikin’ Asuoha, 9ice among others.

‘The Ghost and the Tout Too’ is co-executive produced

by Abraham’s Toyin Abraham Film Productions and FilmOne Entertainment.

Meghan Markle boasts best voice to calm listeners, expert says

M

eghan Markle boasts the best celebrity voice to calm listeners and is perfect for podcasts and audiobooks, a vocal expert has claimed.

According to Natalie Eastwood, a vocal rehabilitation expert for performing experts, the Duchess of Sussex, 40, who is currently living in her $14 million mansion in Santa Barbara, can soothe audiences with her confident Californian accent and slow, deliberate delivery.

After analysing dozens of celebrity voices according to their tone, volume, pitch and rate of speech, Natalie identified Meghan’s as the best female voice for relaxing listeners.

Since stepping back from royal duty last year, the Duchess has signed a £18 million deal with Spotify for a podcast series, and released an audio version of her first children’s book The Bench.

Meghan Markle talking on a cell

63.

phone: Meghan Markle, 40, boasts the best celebrity voice to calm listeners and is perfect for podcasts and audiobooks, a vocal expert has claimed© Provided by Daily Mail Meghan Markle, 40, boasts the best celebrity voice to calm listeners and is perfect for podcasts and audiobooks, a vocal expert has claimed Self-assured former actress

Meghan is said to have a voice to ‘soothe, calm and motivate’ as she ‘varies her rate, pitch and volume for emphasis’.

And at an average 105 words per minute, her delivery is relatively slow and deliberate with plenty of pauses and ‘mild breathiness’.

Other celebrities analysed by the vocal expert included former host of quiz show QI, Stephen Fry,

Long a favourite with advertisers for voiceovers, he is said to be ‘captivating, colourful and calming’.

His Received Pronunciation is ‘authoritative’ and there is a ‘technical brilliance’ to his articulation of an average 125 words per minute.

Actor Richard E Grant, 64, is said to be similarly soothing because of his ‘confident posh voice’.

Anyone in search of motivation rather than sleep should try listening to Danny Dyer.

The EastEnders star’s working class Cockney accent apparently has a ‘slight roughiness’ that conveys ‘emotion and encouragement’.

Those looking to learn should listen to author Zadie Smith or TV presenter Louis Theroux, whose voices are both thoughtful and entertaining.

Source: msn.com

15 Books Like The Kissing Booth That Are Sure to Make You Swoon

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here’s a reason why The Kissing Booth is one of the most rewatched Netflix originals in history it’s irresistibly charming.

Based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Beth Reekles, the franchise follows a quirky teenager named Elle as she navigates her friendship with Lee and her blossoming romance with his older brother Noah.

Since the release of the first film in 2018, the book sequels and film sequels have pretty much gone handin-hand, with The Kissing Booth 2: Going the Distance book being released in January 2020, and the film adaptation being released later that year. Following the release of The Kissing Booth 3 on Aug. 11, the third book is set to be released on Aug. 17. As we wait to see how Elle’s story plays out in the book, here are 15 other titles to keep you occupied in the meantime.

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021

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SPORTS Taliban seizes key Afghan cities, Washington stuck in limbo amid troop withdrawal

latest

Nigeria drop seven places in FIFA ranking

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he Taliban on Tuesday Augustc10 claimed it had seized Farah city, capital of Afghanistan’s western Farah province, which is the seventh provincial capital it has captured over the past four days.The rapid deterioration in Afghanistan’s security is mainly attributed to the “hasty” retreat of U.S. troops, which has only left a mess and violence after a 20-year war, according to analysts.

By Albert Akota

W

orld soccer governing body (FIFA) yesterday released the latest ranking and it was a slide for Nigeria’s Super Eagles as they dropped in position.

The newest ranking indicated that Nigeria dropped down in 7 places to 34th position in the world and 5th in Africa.

Nigeria’s senior men’s side garnered 1480 points as against 1487 it recorded in the previous ranking.

Senegal remained the number top team in the continent and we’re ranked 21st in the World.

Carthage Eagles of Tunisia remained in the second spot and 28th in Africa while Africa champion Algeria climbed 12 places to 30th in the world and 3rd in Africa.

Super Eagles of Nigeria will have the opportunity to improve its ranking when the 2022 FIFA world cup qualifier resumed in Taye Taiwo 2021. and Oduamadi September

Advert: news: Kano: lagos:

S W I F T DETERIORATION Apart from Farah city, the Taliban has reportedly seized over the past week Sari Pul, Kunduz, Shiberghan, Aybak and Taluqan cities in the northern region, and Zaranj city in the western part of the country.In recent days, the United States has carried out airstrikes against the Taliban as the group made rapid military advances across the country.

Many Afghan cities and about half of the country’s 34 provinces have seen heavy battles and street fighting between Afghan forces and Taliban fighters.”What we are doing around the clock is seeking to find a way out of this,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters in a daily briefing, noting that U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad is in Doha for meetings with representatives from regional countries to press for a reduction in violence and a ceasefire. Earlier this month, Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani blamed the speedy withdrawal of U.S.led troops for the worsening violence in his country.

Stanislav Zas, secretary general of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization, noted that after the United States and its allies withdrew troops from Afghanistan, the situation there has significantly aggravated and the country is being increasingly engulfed by chaos, causing instability in the region, reported the TASS

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By Xinhua news agency on Monday.

Since 2009 when the United Nations reporting began, the fighting across Afghanistan has claimed over 40,000 lives. In July alone, more than 1,000 people have been killed or injured by attacks in Hilmand, Kandahar and Hirat provinces, said UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths in a statement.

“ANOTHER SYRIA” Observers believe that if the conflict between the Taliban and the government forces turns into a long-term military impasse, Afghanistan will become “another Syria.”

Wang Shida, deputy director of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told Xinhua that over the past decade, the Taliban has been expanding its influence in Afghanistan’s rural areas, especially those near provincial capitals, which is why it can seize large swathes of rural areas quickly and even take provincial capitals. Meanwhile, Afghan government forces have been long operating in urban areas,

especially in capital Kabul and its surroundings. Therefore, whether the Taliban can overthrow the Afghan government in a short term remains unclear, Wang said.

Zhu Yongbiao, director of the Research Center for Afghanistan at China’s Lanzhou University, shares a similar view with Wang, saying Afghanistan may follow in the steps of Syria.

Considering the Taliban has lost many mid-level commanders in recent battles and it takes time to train new commanders, the group may slow the pace of fighting.

Meanwhile, the government forces are unlikely to be defeated in a short time, Zhu explained.Leon Panette, former U.S. defense secretary, said: “The most you can hope for now is some kind of stalemate” between Afghan forces and Taliban fighters, who have shown little interest in reaching an accord since the American troop withdrawal was announced, the New York Times reported Sunday.

WASHINGTON’S DILEMMA On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden called on the Afghan

Shida, deputy director of the “ Wang China Institutes of Contemporary

International Relations, told Xinhua that over the past decade, the Taliban has been expanding its influence in Afghanistan’s rural areas, especially those near provincial capitals, which is why it can seize large swathes of rural areas quickly and even take provincial capitals”

troops to fend for themselves as well as promised to keep Washington’s word.

“We spent over a trillion dollars over 20 years. We trained and equipped with modern equipment over 300,000 Afghan forces. And Afghan leaders have to come together,” Biden told reporters at the White House. “They’ve got to fight for themselves, fight for their nation.””We are going to continue to keep our commitment,” he added, noting he does not regret his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from the country. The U.S. retreat and its spillover have drawn criticism from inside the United States and its allies. Wesley Clark, former top NATO general, called the Taliban’s territorial takeovers “a consequence of American misjudgments and failures.”

The impact of the U.S. drawdown “could be tragic for the country and dangerous for the U.S. and the wider world,” wrote Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs commentator of the Financial Times, in late July.”If the United States ceases anti-Taliban operations on Aug. 31, that would send confusing messages and could have a demoralizing impact on the ANSF (Afghan National Security Forces). But if it continues such ops, U.S. is basically continuing its war, even post-withdrawal,” tweeted Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program and senior associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center based in Washington.

DAN GAYE Dangai

No plans to impose presidential candidate in 2023 - APC

Let’s wait and see

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