Tuesday, March 16, 2021 Edition

Tuesday, March 16, 2021/ Sha’aban 2, 1442 AH Vol. 36 No. 027 N200

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The nation awaits rescue of the remaining abducted Chibok schoolgirls

Abductions: Atiku wants FG to declare state of emergency on education >>>page 5

Govs to decide on new fuel price tomorrow page 5

Top Management Staff of the NCC during the First Virtual World Press Conference addressed by the Executive Vice-Chairman to mark the 2021 World Consumer Rights Day in Abuja. L-R: Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, Public Affairs Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC);Josephine Amuwa, Director, Legal and Regulatory Services; Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice- Chairman/CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission;Barr. Adeleke Adewolu, Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management; Mr. Efosa Idehen, Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau; Engr. Bako Wakil, Director, Technical Standards & Network Integrity; Ephraim Nwokenneya, Director, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement; Mohammed Babajika, Director, Licensing and Authorisation.

Buhari to Okonjo-Iweala: Despite our support, you earned WTO job with record of peformance

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NCC set to issue NAFDAC destroys Troops eliminate CAMA: Regulation on N2.6bn counterfeit scores of terrorists CAN drags e-Waste, Plastic drugs, other along Lake Chad FG to Pollution -Danbatta products – Army court pAGE 5

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PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

News CONTENTS News 2-14 Op.Ed

12-13

Politics 15-17 Stock Watch Business Metro

18 19-20 21

World Analysis 22 Africa News

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World News

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CAMA: CAN drags FG to court

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

T

he Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has gone to court to challenge the legality or otherwise of the just gazetted controversial Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020 popularly called CAMA. The association expressly declared that it is not comfortable with some provisions the CAMA act.

The suit No FHC/ABJ/ CS/244/2021 between the Incorporated Trustees of

Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, and Minister of Industry, Trade and Investmen,t was filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The case was mentioned at the Federal High Court, Abuja yesterday.

The Plaintiff Counsels, led

by Joe-Kyari Gadzama, SAN, include but not limited to Prof J. Amupitan, SAN, Wale Adesokan, SAN, Isaac Okpanachi, Esq., Comfort Otera Chigbue, Esq, Godswill Iyoke, Esq., Dr Cyril Obika, Esq., Geraldine Mbah,

Esq., Francis Oronsaye, Esq., Oluniyi Adediji, Esq., Charles Ndukwe, Esq., Emmanuel Ekong, Esq., and Darlington Onyekwere, Esq., Madu JoeKyari Gadzama, Esq,. Lama Joe-Kyari Gadzama, Esq, Rev Fr. Joseph Ilorah, Esq., Jerry Onbugadu Musa, Esq., Amazing Ikpala, Esq., and a host of other legal luminaries.

The CAN leaders present in the court included the General Secretary, Joseph Bade Daramola, Esq., Elder Kunle Fagbemi, Senator Philip Gyunka, Elder Tunde

Adegbesan, Rev Dr Testimony Onifade, the Director, Legal and Public Affairs, Comfort Otera Chigbue, Esq., and Senator Jonathan Zwingina.

The Association, in a statement yesterday by its General Secretary, Joseph Bade Babalola, explained that it resolved to go to court after all attempts to convince the Federal government as to why it should not intervene or interfere with the management of the Church in the country through any of its agencies failed.

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which took place around the fringes of the Tumbus of Lake Chad region also led to the destruction of terrorists’ gun trucks and recovery of large cache of arms and ammunition.

He said that the combined troops of Sector 2 advanced and cleared Daban Massara and Ali Sherifti villages among other settlements before they harbored for replenishment and retrofitting

along the axis.

The army has began the second phase of their operations and advancing along the Kukawa – Monguno road, about 14 kilometers to their base, they sighted terrorists’ gun trucks and swiftly commenced pursuit with heavy fire and deft manouver.

“In the course of the hot pursuit which was aided by air cover provided by the Air

Task Team of Operation Lafia Dole, several terrorists were neutralized and their gun trucks destroyed.

“Unfortunately however, one officer and three gallant soldiers paid the supreme sacrifices while those wounded in action are currently receiving medical attention at 7 Division Medical Services and Hospital in Maimalari Cantonment.

45-year old man, 41 others obtain SSCE certificate under FCT Mass education programme

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Feature 26

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he Nigerian Army says the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole, have eliminated scores of the Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists on Saturday in Borno.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Yerima, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

Yerima said the encounters,

R-L-The Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security Home Affairs,Mr.Samuel Aruwan ,the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists [NUJ] Kaduna State Council,Mr.Adamu Yusuf and the Council Finance Secretary, Mr.Noah Ebije during the Commissioner press briefing on update on security situation in Kaduna state, Photo: Shehu k Goro

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Sports 30-31

Ag News Editor, Tobias Lengnam News Troops eliminate scores of terrorists along Lake Chad – Army

“Above is on-the-spot account of the encounter between Nigerian troops and the Boko Haram/ ISWAP terrorists in Mugono area and environs.

“Members of the public are assured that the troops are on top of the situation and working assiduously to end the insurgency and terrorism in country in line with the directives of the Chief of Army Staff,” he said. (NAN)

Italy enters new phase of COVID-19 lockdowns

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Biafra customary govt: Dokubo a joker seeking attention – FG Digest

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PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

National Chairman,African Action Congress (AAC) Dr Leonard Nzenwa, talking to INEC official during a protest over INEC plan imposition of the AAC expelled former national chairman, yesterday at the INEC office in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Firm partners with Bauchi govt on $100m investment in rice, sugar production From Bauchi

B

Ahmad

Mohammed,

auchi State Government has agreed to partner with a private agricultural firm, Umza International Farming Limited to embark on a $100m investment in rice and sugarcane production, as part of effort to boost and promote agriculture and food security in the state, Chairman of the firm, Alhaji Mohammed Maifata stated this today in Bauchi, when he led officials of the firm to a courtsey

call visit to the State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir at the government house.He said that the $100m investment bring in the sum of N30b a year as turnover into the state after all deductions must have been made at the end of each year of activities.

Maifata said that the firm will provide all the necessary inputs for sugar and rice production in the state thereby providing opportunity for over 3000 outgrowers on Umza farms and over 5000 out-growers in their own

various farms.

“We are here to look at ways of investing in the agricultural sector in Bauchi State, as you are aware, we are the biggest rice mill in Africa with the largest production capacity.

He said that “We are not only investing in rice but in other commodities such as oil and sugar. We are ready to expand our operations in various ways for the economic development of Bauchi state.”

Governor, Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir said that the

state is blessed with abundant mineral resources and therefore his administration will work assiduously to ensure all the potentials of the state are exploited, no matter their location.

The governor said that the state government is ready to provide a level playing field for critical stakeholders in the sector to invest in the agricultural sector of Bauchi state to raise GDP and ensure compliance with modern techniques in farming.

45-year old man was among 42 graduates that obtained the 2019/2020 Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE), under the FCT Department of Mass Education (DME) Adult literacy programme.

Malam Zakari Yau-Salihu, a businessman, said he chose to acquire formal education to enable him communicate, manage his resources and ensure he was not left behind in the society.

Yau-Salihu, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the graduation ceremony of the 2019/2020 FCT DME programme in Abuja.

“I grew up in the north and

migrated to Abuja to look for money, to take care of myself and my family.

“When I arrived Abuja, I found it difficult to communicate with people because of lack of education.

My business suffered setback because people do not understand what I am saying because they don’t speak my language.

“I couldn’t read, write or even speak English language because I didn’t go to school.

“So I decided to go to school and one of my friends told me about the FCT department of mass education in Karu, where I started in 2011 and registered at the primary level.

“I spent three years in primary

and wrote common entrance to secondary level, where I did my junior school exams before proceeding to senior secondary school.

“Today is our graduation day and it is a great day for me,’’ he said.

He said despite the challenges and discouragement from family members and neighbors, he was able to endure for over 10 years to enable him acquire formal education.

Yau-Salihu said he was already preparing for the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination to enable him further his education to the university

level.

He explained that majority of his classmates were married and older than him, but that did not hinder them from learning patiently from the much younger facilitators, who taught and groomed them for several years.

He encouraged others to also seize the opportunity to acquire formal education, which would enable them become better citizens, and have alternative source of livelihood.

“Mt advice to my fellow students, illiteracy is a serious thing, you cannot become a useful person to the society without education.NAN

Ban on charcoal exportation will mitigate environmental challenges — Environmentalist

M

r Ene Baba-Owoh, National Coordinator, Clean-Up Nigeria, a Non-Governmental Organisation, says the recent ban on charcoal exportation by the Federal Government will mitigate environmental challenges in the country.

Baba-Owoh, who is also an environmentalist, made his view known while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.

NAN reports that recently, the Minister

of Environment, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, announced the ban on exportation of charcoal in the country, saying that it contributed to environmental challenges.

The environmentalist said that production of charcoal increased emissions, thereby causing environmental problems.

Baba-Owoh said that production of charcoal was the first instance that led to land degradation and climate change.

According to him, one of the major causes of climate change in the environment was the destruction of tropical forest as trees were used to produce charcoal.

“Production of charcoal encourages more cutting of trees and thus affects our forests.

“Deforestation is a permanent destruction of our forests. This can include clearing the land for agriculture, grazing or using the timber for fuel, construction or manufacturing. NAN

talian government on Monday effected a new phase of lockdown for more than 40 million people due to rise in Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.

Apart for Sardinia, where hardly any restrictions applied, all Italian regions are subject to the medium-strict rules of an orange zone under Italy’s colour-coded system, or the strictest lockdown rules of a red zone.

In addition to the economically strong Lombardy with its metropolis of Milan and Lazio with its capital Rome, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna also fall into the red zone.

People there are only supposed to leave their homes in urgent cases, such as for shopping, emergencies or work.

Sports in the fresh air are only allowed alone. Pupils have to switch back to lessons via the internet.

“Distance lessons have become unbearable for me, especially after I was allowed to have some face-to-face lessons again,” a pupil from Rome told said.

In view of the Easter holidays, the government under former European Central Bank (ECB) Chief Mario Draghi already decided on Friday that the red zone would apply to the entire country between April 3 and 5.

Most recently, the coronavirus pandemic had worsened in the country of 60 million people, with new infections rising daily and incidence values increasing on a weekly basis.

So far, more than 102,000 people have died as a result of an infection with the coronavirus and authorities have recorded more than 3.223 million cases.

The rules now in force were decided “according to the principle of the greatest possible caution,” the Health Ministry expert, Franco Locatelli said in an interview with Monday’s edition of the newspaper Corriere della Sera.

The aim, he said, was to be in a better epidemiological situation after Easter. Health comes first, even if a socio-economic crisis prevails, Locatelli explained further. (dpa/NAN)

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News

By Egena Sunday Ode

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resident Muhammadu Buhari Monday hosted in audience Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the newly appointed Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), telling her that despite the robust support Nigeria gave to her candidacy for the position, “You also earned it.

We are happy you made it, but you earned it with your record of performance both at home and abroad.”

The President said Dr OkonjoIweala was putting Nigeria more on the world map, “and I congratulate you, as well as the country.

I know you will represent us so well.”

President Buhari lauded Ni-

Gani Adams seeks compensations for Abule Ado pipeline explosion victims

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he Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has called on the Federal and Lagos State Government to compensate victims of the March 2020 Abule Ado pipeline explosion in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adams made the call on Sunday in Lagos at a memorial prayer in honour of those who lost their lives during the pipeline explosion on March 15, 2020. NAN reports that the event, organised by the Soba Landlords and Residents Association ( SLARA ), was held at the site of former Bethlehem Girls College where five people, including the School’s Principal, Rev. Sis. Henriatta Alokha, died.

Adams, who is also the Chairman of the Association, said the event was to ensure that memories of the incident; the lives lost, the losses incurred and the damage to the community, was not forgotten.

He added that it was also to remind the government of the promises made to the victims and urged them not to relent in fulfilling them.

According to him, it was unfortunate that the association had to resort to publicly reminding the government of their promises.

He noted that 30 people including the Association’s Vice Chairman, his wife and two children, died instantly from the explosion, and over 300 houses were destroyed during the explosion.

“The governor was here, even the speaker of the house was here, some South-West governors were here and they made promises to those affected by the disaster that certain amount will be paid as compensation.

“We are using this opportunity to appeal to the LASG , as a state with honour and the economic nerver centre of our nation that they fulfill all promises made to the victims,” he said.

“The federal government should also do something tangible for the victims,” he said.

Adams disclosed that the Association had taken legal action against the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC ) over the disaster. He appealed to LASG to upgrade the status of the traditional ruler of the community in recognition of his efforts at developing the area.

PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

Buhari to Okonjo-Iweala: Despite our support, you earned WTO job with record of peformance ***As WTO DG allays fears for Nigerian’’s economy

gerian women once again, pointing to key positions they hold like Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, and many others. He said the same way, government would encourage the youths, “so that they can be ready for the challenges of the future.”

The new WTO DG thanked President Buhari for the pulsating support she received from her own country in the race for the position.

“You nominated me, you wrote hundreds of letters, called up hundreds of world leaders.

Without your personal and direct intervention, it may not have worked. The people of Nigeria also supported me massively. The youths were wonderful, always encouraging, backing me up on social media.

“Mr President, the world recognizes what you have done.

Since its establishment, only men

have led the WTO. Now, a woman has emerged for the first time, and she’s a Nigerian. We are so honoured,” Dr Okonjo-Iweala said.

She apprised the President of the opportunities for Nigeria in the global organization, as well as the challenges, stressing that “WTO will do more to help Nigeria, but we need to add value to our products in order to trade more. We should exploit all the opportunities in front of us.”

She added that the support and leadership of President Buhari will help her a lot in her position as DG. Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala assumed office on March 1, 2021 as the first female DG of the World Trade Organization.

Fielding questions from newsmen after the audience with the president, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, allayed fears that embracing the free trade policy of the world body would harm Nigeria’s economic diversification drive.

She affirmed that special and differential treatment could be applied to prevent vulnerable countries from collapsing under completion.

However, she added that the special treatment would not be forever as such countries would have to eventually open up for competition.

The former Nigerian Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, also said duties could be applied on imports to prevent the country from being a dumping ground.

Okonjo-Iweala conceded that despite lifting millions out of poverty, tree trade had not been beneficial to all especially women, saying that in recognition of thiat the WTO has a deliberate policy to support women.

“I know that we suffer sometimes with cheaper products like our textiles which I wear. And I’ve seen that. So the measures you can draw on to be able to do

this and Minister of Trade and Industry, I think they’ve already been looking at some of these measures to be able to…, so don’t worry, within the WTO principles, there are certain provisions that you can use to help us do what we need to do.

“But I just want to return to one thing, I know what you’re getting at, free trade has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. But it has also left some people behind. So there is no doubt that there is inequality, not everybody have been lifted up. They are poor people within rich countries and poor countries, in parallel with rich ones who have not benefited from trade. This is why we are very keen at the WTO to support women entrepreneurs,” Okonjo-Iweala noted.

She said she had discussions in many areas with President Buhari on how the WTO could do not improve the Nigerian economy.

Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (2nd right), Minister of Science and Technology, Dr.. Ogbonnaya Onu (2nd left), Chapman Senate Committee on Science and Technology, Sen. Uche Ekwunife (right) and the Director General, Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), Prof. Samson Duna, during the inspection tour of NBRRI pavilion at the ongoing Technology and Innovation Expo 2021. Theme: “Science , Technology and innovation for Economic Recovery and sustainability amidst COVID-18 Challenges”, organised by the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, held yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Biafra customary govt: Dokubo a joker seeking attention – FG

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he Federal Government has described the reported formation of Biafra Customary Government by Asari Dokubo as a “theatre of the absurd by a joker seeking attention’’.

Speaking with News Agency of Nigeria on the development in Lagos on Monday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the President

Muhammadu Buhari’s administration will not be distracted by the absurdity.

“I am sure you have heard of the theatre of the absurd, that is the best way I can describe it.

“If Asari Dokubo wants to form and run a fathom government, I think he is free to do so.

“This administration will not be distracted because we

still have a lot to do.

“We are not ready to give any attention or time to a joker like Dokubo who is just looking for attention.

“We will just take it as one of these entertainment thing.

“The beauty about Nigeria is that it is never a dull country, you must have one thing or the other to entertain you,’’ he

said.

Dokubo, leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Salvation Force reportedly announced himself as the leader of the new Biafra Customary Government.

The fathom government was announced with names of some leaders by one Uche Mefor, who claimed to be its head of information and communications. (NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

Consumer protection: FCCPC, plastic companies to tackle pollution

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he Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) says it will engage with plastic companies across the country to tackle plastic pollution and protect consumer rights.

The Executive Vice Chairman of FCCPC, Mr Babatunde Irukera, said this at the 2021 Consumer Rights Day Virtual Education of stakeholders and students in Abuja on Monday.

Irukera, represented by Alhaji Ahmed Abdullahi, the Executive Commissioner, Corporate Services of the commission, said the engagement would be aimed at making companies to find solution to plastics.

The executive vice chairman disclosed that the commission was also working to find other ways to tackle the plastics pollution and protect consumers.

He said that the commission decided to educate students from various schools across the country to positively involve them at a young age.

“What we are trying to do in the commission this year is to look at the problems and proffer solutions.

“It is not going to be easy because old habits die hard but we have older habits that we can always revert to and this plastic pollution thing will be a thing of the past.

“Before now, our mothers go to the market with baskets so, the issue of plastic bags did not even arise.

“The best thing we can do is to encourage them and find a way out of this and the solution that we think will work for us is to catch them young. “ In the same manner, we have to liaise with plastic companies, talk to them, and engage them as stakeholders in this field so that they can look at other uses of plastics.

“We look at them as stakeholders not culprits,’’ Irukera said.

Hajia Intissar Kurfi, a green architect and the Founder of the Ifrique Ecosolution in a lecture, said that plastic pollution was a collective problem of all and not the government alone.

Kurfi said plastic wastes produced toxic fumes when burnt which could be hazardous to the environment.

She noted that plastic wastes could be up-cycled to make interlocking, roofing and floor tiles adding that Ecosolution Company was currently engaged in up-cycling of plastic wastes.

The expert appealed to all stakeholders including students to become change agents toward addressing plastics pollution.

Mr Shamm Kolo of the Surveillance and Enforcement Department of FCCPC, urged the students to become ethical consumers especially in tackling plastic pollution.

Some of the schools that participated at the forum promised to become agents of change in their various aspects of life toward addressing plastic pollution.

The theme of the day is `Tackling Plastic Pollution’.

(NAN)

News

State Govs to decide on new fuel price tomorrow

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

G

overnors of the 36 States of the federation are expected to take a decision on the lingering issue of fuel price when they hold their 28th teleconference meeting tomorrow.

A statement by the head, media and public affairs of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) secretariat, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, said the state chief executives will be briefed by the Governor Nasir el-Rufai committee on “subsidy on PMS

before any decisions on the supply and or retailing of the product is taken.”

The statement stressed further that the Governor Ifeanyi Okowaled governors’ committee that interfaced with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, will brief his colleagues on the situation with the vaccines roll out and their attendant encumbrances.

According to the statement, the governors will be given update on the meeting between the NGF Chairman and the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State

Universities.

The pro-chancellors met with Governor Kayode Fayemi last week and presented a number of requests which they believed would improve education at the subnational level.

The statement reads,in part, “The governors will also listen to the activities of the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum to hear how their wives fared last week when they engaged the country attending several activities that marked the International Women’s Day on March 8th.

“The meeting will also play host to three external presentations top of which will be made by the newly minted National Drug Law Enforcement Boss, General Buba Marwa.

“The DFID will be making a presentation on the NNPC Audit reports and what the states should know while the last presentation, which is by no means the least will be speaking to trade facilitation in Nigeria through e-customs and a PPP structure in partnership with the British High Commission”, it said.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (M) presents the Over-all Winner’s Prize to Master Edeani Godswill of Enugu State, during the opening of Technology and Innovation Expo 2021, at the Eagle Square in Abuja on Monday (15/3/21). With them are the Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu (2nd, R); Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Chief Niyi Adebayo (L) and Chairman, Senate Committee on Science and Technology, Sen. Uche Ekwunife.

Abductions: Atiku urges FG to declare state of emergency on education

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

F

ormer Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has, again, called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the nation’s education sector.

Atiku also made case for a-24 hour posting of armed guards at every school in the affected and neighbouring states.

The former Vice President made the call in a statement personally signed by him yesterday in Abuja.

He pointed out that the call became necessary with the latest Kaduna school pupils’ abduction.

The presidential candidate

....Suggests 24-hour post of armed guards to schools of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 general election maintained that no expense must be spared to keep the nation’s schools safe.

He noted that with 13.5 million children, Nigeria is already the world headquarters for out of school kids, stressing that the present situation of things in the country can only make things worse.

Atiku warned that the nation must also stop paying ransom at random.

Such, he declared, is just a short term solution that will cause much long term destruction.

Nigeria, he said, must impose law and order now, or “we will bequeath lawlessness and disorder to the next generation”.

The statement by Atiku reads, “With the latest Kaduna school abduction, I repeat my call for the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the education sector, and to post 24 hour armed guards at every school in the affected and neighbouring states.

“No expense must be spared to keep our schools safe.

“With 13.5 million children, Nigeria is already the world headquarters for out of school

kids. This can only make things worse.

“It behooves on us as a nation to act decisively and excise this cancer of school abductions from our polity with clinically precise policies.

“We must also stop paying ransom at random. It is a short term solution that will cause much long term destruction. “We must, as a nation, impose law and order now, or we will bequeath lawlessness and disorder to the next generation. And may God forbid that”, he submitted.

PAGE 6

News

Rep ask Wike to flag off 2023 Presidential election

By Christiana Ekpa

A

member of the House of Representatives, representing Kabba-Bunu/ Ijumu Federal Constituency of Kogi state, Hon. Tajudeen Yusuf has asked Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike to fly the PDP presidential flag for the 2023 presidential election.

Yusuf said In spite of prevailing challenges across the federation, the Rivers state governor has continues to impact positively on the economy of his state through people oriented projects thereby giving positive prospects of Nigerian democracy.

The lawmaker said Gov Wike’s populist approach to governance and the execution of significant capital projects stands in deep contrast against the dismal records of of the ruling party in Abuja.

He said “Gov Nyesom Wike’s outstanding achievements amply recommend him for higher responsibilities in Nigeria; his effective management of state resources for execution of major projects already project him as a leading light in this dark moment of our democracy.

“Beyond the ongoing massive infrastructural development and various project commissioning which continue to attract the attention and presence of eminent leaders across the federation, Gov Wike has positively impacted all sectors of the state’s economy while revolutions in the health, agricultural and education sectors, the strings of flyovers scattered all over strategic points in Port Harcourt to decongest a seemingly insurmountable traffic situation are clear attestation to what visionary and people-oriented leadership can do.

“Agricultural productivity is being boosted with a state Cassava Processing Company with 3,000 uptakers, there are three new campuses for the State University supported with N9billion takeoff grant; Gov Wike established a Medical School for the state university and gave scholarships to Rivers indigenes studying Medicine at Pamo University.

“In addition, 5,000 youths are now being recruited into the Rivers state civil service towards reducing youth unemployment, in sports, the Real Madrid Football Academy has been established to combine education and football towards addressing youth development and grooming of future stars.

In the health sector, there is now a Mother/Child Hospital to address antenatal and paediatric health issues while a Cancer/ Cardiovascular Disease Centre is about to be established in Rivers state”.

PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

NAFDAC destroys N2.6bn counterfeit drugs, other products T he National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), says it has destroyed counterfeit medical products worth over N2.655 billion in Kano and Anambra states.

NAFDAC made this known in a statement by the agency’s resident media consultant, Mr Olusayo Akintola, and issued to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja.

Akintola said products destroyed by the agency were drugs, vaccines, cosmetics and expired food items, in three geo-political zones of North West, South Eeast and South South respectively.

He noted that the NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Mojisola

Adeyeye, had also warned that henceforth, there would be no hiding place for the merchants of death, who derived joy in unpatriotic acts of circulating expired products.

The consultant said that the products were seized from manufacturers, distributors and importers, and those handed over to the agency.

He said some of the products destroyed such as unregistered drugs, improperly stored vaccine and tramadol, were confiscated by the Nigerian Customs Service.

He listed others as Rohypinol, intercepted on Benin Asaba expressway, and other fake medical

products intercepted at different times.

“The estimated value of the products destroyed in Kano is N613,300,290.00 while fake products worth N1, 429,580,683.00 were destroyed in Awka, Anambra State, totalling N2,042,880,973.00.

“The products include drugs such as antibiotics, antihypertensive, antimalarial, herbal remedies, psychoactive, controlled substance and food products such as spaghetti, vegetable oil, non-alcoholic beverages, sachet water, Chocolates, Noodles.

“Also destroyed are cosmetics such as creams, pomade, and insecticides’’, she added.

According to NAFDAC, the destruction of the dangerous products would eliminate the risk of their reintroduction into the market.

The agency noted that the destruction of the products was a proof of its resolve to safeguard the health of the people and ensure that only genuine, wholesome medicines were sold in Nigeria.

NAFDAC also disclosed in the statement that a warehouse of banned, controlled, fake and counterfeit products, worth millions of Naira, was uncovered in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra.

It said the items were awaiting destruction, pending the setting aside of a Court Order.

PAGE 7

PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

Vigilante kill 9, arrests 4 bandits rescue others in Niger

From Minna

Yakubu

Mustapha,

N

o fewer than nine armed bandits were killed, four others arrested while many victims were rescued by vigilantes during an exchange of fire at Fapo, near Gulu in Azza community of

Lapai local government of Niger state.

The incident occurred on Sunday, around 12 noon when two persons who were going to pay ransom of their relations coincidentally met the vigilantes in the bush, while following the bandits description and direction to

deliver the money.

According to report, those going to pay ransom were told by the abductors to go back and buy them rice, bread, semovita and recharge cards.

The people were said to have informed vigilantes on the matter, which led to the encounter.

An eye witness told our reporter that the vigilantes reenforced and begun to attack the bandits, leading to exchange of fire for hours resulting to the death of nine armed bandits.

Efforts to get the PPRO, ASP Wasiu Abiodun for confirmation of the incident proved abortive, as his phone was switched off.

News Kaduna Govt confirms kidnapping of 3 teachers in Birnin-Gwari From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

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arely 48 hours after gunmen stormed Goverment Science Secondary School, Ikara, in Ikara Local Government Area of kaduna State, another set of armed bandits yesterday invaded a primary school in Rema, Birnin-Gwari LGA and took away pupils and teachers.

The State Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, confirmed this during Press conference in kaduna yesterday.

According to Aruwan, security report confirmed that there was indeed an invasion of the said school.

He also confirmed that three teachers, Rabiu Salisu, Umar Hassan, and Bala Adamu have been kidnapped. “ Pupils who had just arrived the school to begin the day’s activities, took to their heels in the course of the commotion, as the bandits invaded the premises on motorcycles.

“This led to two pupils going missing, identified as Ahmad Halilu and Kabiru Yahaya. “ However, we are happy to inform you that the two missing pupils have been found.”

Navy destroys illegal refineries in Delta, Benin river basin

By Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

T From left: Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo; Director General, World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweal and Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari addressing State House Correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at th Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday (15/3/2021)

Anambra guber: Okonkwo lists youth empowerment, sound education as priorities if elected

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

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head of the November 6 this year’s governorship election in Anambra State, an aspirant to the office on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr Obiora Okonkwo has listed youth empowerment, sound education and infrastructural development as some of the pivotal programmes on his agenda if elected governor.

Okonkwo equally advised the PDP to consider zoning the governorship ticket to Anambra Central senatorial district, in the interest of the party’s victory at the poll.

The governorship aspirant said these yesterday when he came to the PDP national secretariat, Abuja, to obtain his expression of interest and nomination forms.

Dr Okonkwo pointed out that as a grassroots politician, he knows

the problem of the people, stressing that he has designed a 10-point agenda as his campaign manifesto.

Speaking about youth empowerment as one of the pivotal programmes on his agenda, the aspirant disclosed that he has been creating employment opportunities for youth in his private establishment and will take care of larger number of youths as a state governor.

Answering questions from Journalists shortly after obtaining his expression of interest and nomination forms, Okonkwo said only a functional education system would help Nigeria realize her full potentials and become one of the leading nations on earth.

According to him, “We are going to lay special emphasis on talented individuals.

“We are going to set up special schools for those with special skills and talents. “These schools will

be opened in the three senatorial districts of Anambra state, and will be well funded by the government.

“We are going to invest a whole lot on our educational infrastructure and then make sure that at the levels of primary and secondary schools, people have easy access to education.

“Our tertiary institutions will attract a whole lot of investment.

Our budget to education will be huge because we have lost a lot of time in the last 21 years.

“So most of the foundation we are going to put on ground might be something that will start featuring on the stage when we are gone. Ours is about legacy.

“We will like that 20 - 30 years after, people will be talking about the strong educational foundation we have laid,” he said.

Dr Okonkwo also spoke of the development that awaits the SouthEastern state under his stewardship, saying, “we expect that our huge

infrastructural development with rural development will shore up a whole lot of revenue.

“We shall target a whole lot of private infrastructural development through Public Private Partnership, PPP. “Rest assured that the private estate developers both in Lagos and Abuja and who, one way or the other have their root in Anambra, will be fully involved.

“We shall create an enabling environment for them to engage and partner with government. This investment, I believe will not be too much of a stress for our government to achieve.

“We are also going to have a look at our Land Use Act. We are going to make sure that everything is put in place and planned to ensure that a typical person who has investment in land can convert it to money and that can only be when he has easy access to his Certificate of Occupancy.

The Wife of the Emir of Lafia and. “Yaa Gumsu’n Lafiya”, Her Royal Majesty, Hajiya Maimuna Sudi Bage (2nd Right front row sitting), Chief Operating Officer, Helpline foundation for the Needy, Mrs Funmi Ajare (right front row standing) Miss Gbagy Nigeria, Miss Grace Timothy (2nd left standing) Hajiya Rekiya Maidaji (1st right sitting) with other members of helpline foundation and Gumsu initiative, during the Helpline foundation for the needy Abuja, in collaboration with the GUMSU Empowerment Initiative Lafiya, organized skills empowerment programme for women in Lafiya emirate to improve their Economic well being, in commemoration of 2021 international women day celebration, held recently in Lafia Nassarawa State

My wife was murdered by burglars, not assassins, former CP From: Uche moron, Makurdi

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ormer Benue and Kogi States Commissioner of Police CP Ibezimako Aghanya has said that burglars and not assassins murdered his wife, Eunice.

Mrs. Aghanya was murdered in her house last Friday in Makurdi by unknown persons.

Narrating the incident that led to her wife’s death, the former CP said on Friday he received a call from his daughter who is expected to get married in April, saying that her mother was not picking her call.

He said on hearing this, he quickly called someone who told him that he sighted his wife’s car somewhere.

“So, I decided to send a message to her phone saying; if it is kidnappers, I am ready to negotiate with them.

“My cousin went to the house, opened the window and saw her lying on the ground and when he went in, he saw her dead body.

“From investigation, it is possible that someone jumped into the house and killed her.

My son had called me on that

Friday at about 12:30 pm, to say that her phone was switched off.

Probably, it is at that time that she was murdered. She might have recognised the person and he came back and killed her.

“I came back two(2) weeks ago to pick up some epitaph I kept of deceased police officers in 1964 and 65. When I was commissioner of Police in Kogi State, I also kept epitaph of deceased Police officers that I wanted to present to the Inspector-General of Police as a model.

“Benue is home to me and my wife. I met and married

my wife in Taraku Gwer local government where her father was a businessman. We later left to Kwande local government area where she taught and started business. I have retired for the past 12 years and I and my late wife lived in Makurdi for the past 24 years. She is loved by Benue people. I will miss her”, the former CP said amidst tears.

Governor Samuel Ortom lamented over the murder of Mrs. Aghanya whom he described as ‘an industrialist’, who contributed immensely to the economic development of the State.

he Flag Officer Commanding ( FOC ) Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Suleiman Garba, has warned operators of illegal refineries to desist from the criminal act or face severe punishments.

Rear Admiral Garba handed down the warning, shortly after the destruction of some illegal refineries in some parts of Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State and the Benin River Basin by the Nigerian Navy, on Sunday.

While noting that the illicit act was adversely affecting the national economy, he advised the operators to take to some other legitimate businesses towards the development of the area and boosting the national economy.

The exercise, code named, “Operation Ame Jiji”, also known as, “Cold Water”, was led by the FOC Rear Admiral Garba and the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship NNS Delta, Commodore Samiu Adepegha.

The areas where the destruction of illegal refineries took place included Madagho, Abiteye Egwa 1 & 11, all in Warri South West Local Government Area and in the Benin River Basin.

Rear Admiral Garba explained that the destruction of the illegal refineries was in line with the directives of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, to rid Nigeria’s water ways of criminal activities, adding that more than 2 million litres of illegal refined petroleum products were destroyed in the operation, while some suspects were also arrested.

PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

PAGE 8

News

C/river North: INEC sets to miscarry Man begs court to justice in senatorial re-run

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

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coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of being out to carry out injustice in the December 2020, Senatorial re-run in Cross River North district.

The right group posited that the case in the election stands out as one in which the supposedly election umpire is bent on causing great damage to democracy in Nigeria and rob the duly elected candidate, Senator Stephen Adi Odey of the victory.

The Network of Democratic Watchdogs of Nigeria (NDWN) said that ‘‘the defense of our democracy’’ is not only sacrosanct but a responsibility for all men of good will.

The Coordinator of the group, Comrade Chijioke Onyekaonwu, said, ‘’It is a fact of reality if I say that the survival of our nascent democracy will be highly jeopardized if the electioneering process is marred by corruption, deceit, and bribery thereby breeding injustice and political instability.’’

He stated that, the election management is agreeably the most sensitive process in a democracy and it is expected that the umpire shouldered with such important and

sensitive responsibility must have transparency and rule of law as his or her beacon. This is in order to produce a credible outcome or result. “ The INEC involvement and actions in the said election amounts to a total decampment from the electoral process and is nothing short of standing the electoral law on its head. The PDP primaries for the December 5th election was held on November 5th according to the provisions of the electoral act.

“The primary election was held and all requirements according to the electoral provisions were put in place including the presence of the INEC chief observe and the local government EOs. The party electorates voted overwhelmingly to elect Senator Stephen Adi Odey as winner. The closest runner up with a high margin Hon Jarigbe Agom on sensing his loss walked away before the end of the election.

“The senatorial election was held on the 5th December 2020 and after the election, Senator Stephen Odey came out on top with a high margin and a total vote of 129,207 to beat his closest rival Joe Agi the APC candidate who scored 19,165. votes and Subsequently, INEC issued Senator Adi Odey with a certificate of return. The intrigues and desperation of INEC and Hon Jarigbe did not end with the

election as they in connivance with one chief John Alaga, a close friend of Hon Jarigbe who now filed an isolated matter in FCT high court Abuja purportedly to challenge the qualification of Hon Jarigbe whom he mischievously referred to as the winner of the primaries in the motion, stating that his certificates are questionable and as such not qualified to run for the election.

“The court ignorant of the real status of Hon Jarigbe and treating the matter on its face value dismissed the certificate issue as it was not proved beyond reasonable doubt intentionally by the conspiring ally Chief Alaga. INEC in an open bias and acting in grievous error hurriedly issued another certificate of return to Hon Jarigbe without recourse to their election records.

It is worthy to note that neither Senator Stephen Odey nor the PDP was joined as parties in the said suit.

“This unfolding comic drama being directed by the INEC chairman has in its characters a stranger with a strange interest, how else will one describe the sudden interest of Gov. Nyesom Wike in the internal politics of Cross River North Senatorial district?

The enormous size of blunder presently going on display is an indication that an equivalent size in sum is passing as bribe under the table. It

is obvious where the funding for this democratic blunder is coming from.

“We are not unaware of the relationship between Gov. Nyesom Wike and the INEC chairman dating back to many years of close affiliation. Wike should face the task of governing Rivers state and desist from stirring trouble all over the country. Just to fan his vice presidential ambitions. He has a right to aspire to any elective position but that will not be at the detriment of societal peace and collective interest of the country”, the Network said.

“No court at any level ordered INEC to issue Hon Jarigbe with a certificate of return nor did any court direct that Hon jarigbe should be sworn in as the senator representing cross river north senatorial district.

Hon Jarigbe on national television yesterday 14th march 2020 told the whole country that he has secured his swearing in for Tuesday 16th march, as according to him, he has his report sitting at the senate presidents table. His statement further indicates his desperation and connivance with some dark forces to truncate our democratic gains and values in the national assembly. Any action

by INEC or anybody based on the purported judgment is tantamount to usurping the power of the judiciary and a recipe for anarchy.

order his ex-wife to leave his house

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39-year-old man, Shafi’u Yahya on Monday begged a Shari’a court sitting in Rigasa, Kaduna State, to order his former wife, Aisha Muhammad to leave his house.

The petitioner, who resides in Rigasa area of Kaduna told the court that he divorced his wife according to Islamic laws.

In her defence, Mohammed said she will not move until she completes her iddah (waiting period), as expected of her. ”The house belongs to both of us. We built it together while married as husband and wife .

The Judge, Malam Salisu Abubakar-Tureta, adjourned the matter until April 1 for the petitioner to present his witnesses. (NAN)

Group says lack of good environment makes learning stressful in Nigeria From:Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

E From left: Deputy Director, WTO/ Secretary, NTFC, Dr Adamu Abdulhamid; Director General, World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi OkonjoIweal; President Muhammadu Buhari; Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama during the visit of the WTO DG to the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday (15/3/2021)

Kaduna social protection policy is “strategic response” to economic shock-CODE From:Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

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Group under the auspices of Connected Development (CODE) has discribed Kaduna State Social Protection Policy as a “strategic response” to economic shocks caused by poverty and vulnerability which was

worsened by the outbreak of COVID-19 and the lockdown imposed to contain its spread.

The Senior Programme Manager, of the Group Mrs Lucy Abagi stated this when she led some officials of the organisation on a courtesy call on the state’s Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Fausat

Ibikunle, yesterday.

Abagi commended Kaduna State Government for developing a Social Protection Policy that responded to the plight of women and vulnerable households in the state.

She also commended Gov. Nasir El-Rufai, for appointing a woman, his Deputy Chief of

Staff, Mrs Saude Atoyebi to coordinate the implementation of social protection programmes in the state.

She lauded El-Rufai for providing platforms for women to participate and lead some decision-making processes, describing as “second to none” in the country.

URO Products Limited has said lack of good environment, is making learning stressful in Nigeria.

The Managing Director the Company, Mohammed El Hussaini made the assertion while handing over rehabilitated blocks of four classrooms at Local Government Education Authority Primary LGEA Baban Dodo ,Makera in kaduna South Local Government Area, yesterday.

According to him, the intervention was in recognition of the importance of education to the development of any society.

El Hussaini added that the gesture was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility aimed at improving the learning environment.

PAGE 9

PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

News

Action Alliance disowns Kenneth Obidike Udeze as National Chairman From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

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he Action Alliance, (AA), has disowned Kenneth Obidike Udeze, who purportedly claimed to be the National Chairman of the party.

This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of an emergency Virtual National Executive Council meeting held yesterday.

The communique signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olu Omotoso, stated that Udeze ceased to be a member of Action Alliance since February 14, 2020.

The communique added that Udeze was found wanting on several allegations bordering on criminal diversions of party funds, unilateral alteration of party papers and documents, forgery and anti-party activities.

“A disciplinary committee was setup to look into these allegations, he was invited to defend himself, and he blatantly refused to do so.

“Upon the third invitation in accordance with our party constitution, the committee drew up and submitted its report.

“NTTC, the highest ruling caucus of our party sat and review the recommendations of the committee. The caucus gave him another lifeline to come and defend himself, he also refused to do so till the lifeline lapsed.

“Thereafter, the Caucus suspended him at its scheduled meeting monitored by INEC as required by law.”

The communique explained that follow-up to his suspension, and his refusal to come up with a defense against all allegations against him, the National Convention of the party resolved and expelled him on February 14, 2020.

“This Convention was adequately monitored by INEC, he was formally informed, and it was also widely publicized.

“He has since went to five (5) different Courts to ask for reinstatement as chairman, and all five Courts have ruled against him.

“He has employed many strategies to arm twist the courts to procure judgment in his usual way, but has not succeeded, hence his new approach to deceive the people by using the media to strangulate facts.”

L-R: Project Coordinator, Rad Up Africa, Mrs Ladi Ogbole; women leader, Kabusa community, Hajiya Ajara Ishiaku and Chief Executive Officer, Brown Con group, Mr Ndubuisi Brown when the Brown Con group visited the Kabusa community to distribute sanitary wares and other relief materials to mark the International Women’s day celebration, yesterday in Abuja/ Photo Justin Imo-Owo

UN lauds Dangote over commitment to women empowerment

By Stanley Onyekwere

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he United Nations (UN) has commended the commitment of the President, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote to promotion of gender equality and women’s rights, through his social and economic investment in women and in other sectors of the economy.

Making this assertion, the UN’s Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, said gender equality and women’s rights are essential to getting through the pandemic, to recovering faster, and to building a better future for the world.

She spoke at a Dangote Women’s Network (DWN) webinar titled: ‘Choosing to Challenge for a Win-Win: Overcoming Challenges in a Gender-Biased World’, to commemorate the International Women’s Day, which is marked in March every year.

During a virtual video call from the UN Headquarters in New York,

Ms. Mohammed, who was the main Speaker at the DWN Webinar, said “Let me begin by thanking my brother, Aliko Dangote’s support not just in advocacy, he has put his actions and investment in women.

You can see that in the work he does in the Aliko Dangote Foundation, in the group and in the spaces he occupies.”

Mohammed, who is also Chairperson of the UN Sustainable Development Group, said the COVID-19 pandemic is deepening the already existing gender inequalities and vulnerabilities in the social, political and economic systems.

She underlined the need for governments around the world to take urgent steps to protect women and expand support services that would reduce the impact of the pandemic on them.

According to her, putting women and girls at the centre of any economic recovery plan would fundamentally drive better and

more sustainable development outcomes for all, support a more rapid recovery, and place the world back on a footing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Mohammed disclosed that about 50 per cent of working women lost their jobs during the COVID-19 lockdown, saying the situation is even worse in the informal economy where jobs are neither legally regulated nor protected.

“During the year, as we tried to address the lockdown and health crises, which really fell on the shoulders of women, we also had to deal with a double effect of the social economic impact.

“We found that women were most hit in the formal sector where we have only 39 per cent of the global workforce. In the process, 50 per cent of women have lost their jobs. So, it was real double trouble for women,” she stated.

While noting that the UN was doing everything possible to ensure

women are given the right they deserve, the UN Chief assured that: “The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) which is the principal global intergovernmental body dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women starts next week.

“Member States will come together to try to push forward the issues of women, their rights and the progress we have made on the various resolutions and the framework that we had since Beijing”.

Earlier, Dangote, in his welcome remarks at the event, reiterated commitment to the empowerment of all categories of women, saying this was a top priority of the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), the philanthropic arm of the Group.

He insisted that women empowerment would enable them play important roles in supporting a sustainable future in the society and the entire world.

Reason we ‘re constructing more roads in Okpanam - Okowa

By Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

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overnor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Monday said his administration embarked on massive construction of roads and storm water drainage projects in Okpanam to check siltation emanating from flood in the community into Asaba.

Okowa stated this while speaking to newsmen after inspecting 28 internal roads in Okpanam, spanning over 11 kilometres and 20 kilometres of drains which have been completed and ready for inauguration.

He stated that government embarked on the projects after a careful study by experts, and explained that tackling erosion and

flooding problems on Okpanam necessitated the construction of the roads.

The governor called on the people to stop dumping refuse in drains to avoid blockage of the water channels.

He noted that many civil servants live in Okpanam and had made it imperative for government to provide amenities for the residents and others living in suburbs of the capital territory.

“As a government, it is our duty to provide for all, both those within the main capital and others who are within the capital territory.

“We have been tackling very major erosion and flooding problems in Asaba and most of the water normally come in from

Okpanam.

“In the study that was done, it was clear to us that beyond the storm drainage projects that we are doing, that we really need to pave as many roads as possible to be able to slow down the effect of siltation which was also causing a lot of problems, otherwise the very major drains that were constructed will become silted in a shortwhile.

“Having done the study, it became obvious that many of the roads in Okpanam will need to have drains into the main drain at Okpanam road and from there it will connect to the major sewage which takes us down to the rivers.

“It’s not just enough to do the drains, it has to be followed with the pavement of the roads and

that’s why you have these several network of roads that have been paved and you can see that each of them has drains on both sides and the roads are fully paved,” he said.

Okowa disclosed that the people had started taking advantage of the road network in the area, with massive development in varying degrees.

“You can see that this area cannot be truly a suburb anymore; you have seen the kind of development that is going on along the various road projects that we have trekked through.

“I believe that Asaba and Okpanam have now become twintowns even though they belong to two different local government areas.

PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

PAGE 10

News Tambuwal restates commitment to educational dev’t

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ov.

Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto says his administration was committed to developing education in the state.

Tambuwal, also the Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum, stated this in a statement by the Director-General of the forum, CID Maduabum, and issued to newsmen, on Sunday in Abuja.

It said that Tambuwal restated the commitment at the combined first, second and third convocation ceremony of the Sokoto State University.

The governor noted that his administration accorded education top priority in line with today’s reality, which projects knowledge as the key driver of socio-political, technological and economic development.

As part of measures to develop education in the state,

this administration had planned on building 40 model secondary schools in the state. ”Pursuant to our policy of a State of Emergency on education since 2015, when we first came on board, and in the current dispensation from 2019 to date, our budgetary allocation to education has never fallen below 26 per cent. ”In 2016, we had a whopping 29 per cent allocation to education, above the UNESCO benchmark, and ever since, we have maintained the tempo by ensuring sustained funding for the education subsector. ”Funding coming from the education levy, through the concern and goodwill of political office holders and civil servants in the state. and a handsome budgetary allocation to education, have greatly assisted in turning around the fortunes of the sub-sector in the state.

”The construction in 2016, of Model Government Secondary School, Balle in Gudu Local Government Area, hitherto the only Local Government Area without a Senior Secondary School in Nigeria, has set the standard guiding the expansion of the education subsector in Sokoto State,” the statement quoted the governor as saying.

He added: ”The intention is to build 40 such model secondary schools in the state, while our agenda of building 160 new primary and secondary schools in the state has recorded more than 50 per cent accomplishment. ‘’These, coupled with the renovation of 1,500 Primary Schools and 180 Junior Secondary Schools, clearly point to the administration’s commitment to enhance education at the basic and secondary levels. ”Indeed, this unprecedented expansion is meant to provide access to education, particularly in the rural

areas and to disadvantaged groups.”

The governor also said that the creation of the Agency for GirlChild Education, by the current administration, was aimed at implementing policies designed to promote the education of girls in the state.

According to the statement, the administration is not unmindful of the problem of out-of- school children in the state as well, such that the establishment of additional primary and secondary schools aimed at addressing the problem of this category of children. ”Associated with the problem of out-of-school children, is the problem of street begging by school age children. ”The various steps taken and are still being taken by the state and Federal Governments toward addressing the problem of Almajiri would be pursued rigorously,” Tambuwal said. (NAN)

The Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security Home Affairs,Mr.Samuel Aruwan[m] with Miss Fatima Lawal [l] and Master Adewale Rasaq that escaped from kidnappers in Kauru and Chikun forests. Photo: Shehu K Goro

Ortom distances self from rumoured industry land From: Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

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enue State Governor, Samuel Ortom yesterday distanced himself from widespread insinuations that he acquired a large hectare of land located in Tse -Moon along Makurdi-Gboko road and the project is being develop as an industry.

Peoplesdaily noted that speculations have have been rife in the state that, governor Ortom has taken over a crises laden land to build an automobile assembly plant while others said, it was for his personal airport.

But, Ortom has debunked these insinuations in it entirety while on the spot assessment of

the development saying, “I have no hand, no knowledge of the project until yesterday when my attention was drawn to it.”

The Governor who expressed disgust that the developers of the land ( a foreign Chinese Company) did not fulfil all the procedures and protocols meant for citing such a project, and accepted the apologies of the company He said, he cannot throw away a baby together with bath water and urged the management of Pure Biotech company to immediately erect a signpost to educate the people about their activities.

Ortom further called on more private investors within and outside the country to come to the

state to explore the investment opportunities available in the Food Basket State of the nation and said, the Pure Biotech Company, a private organisation that is into Ethanol production is of importance to the economic development of the state and Nigeria at large.

According to Ortom, many youths would be provided with jobs through emergence of industries, and such would in turn reduce insecurity occasioned by restiveness and also create wealth along the value chain.

The Governor also charged the host community to provide security for the facility, even as he directed security agencies to provide surveillance and patrols to

encourage more investors to the State.

But earlier in his clarification, representative of the company, Mr. Stephen Numbeve, stated that his firm, a Pure Biotech Company Limited is into Ethanol production with a capacity to produce 500 and 300 metric tonnes of fresh and dried cassava respectively, adding that the company would take 2,500 persons off the street through employment.

He apologised on behalf of the company for not following due procedures for the acquisition of land and siting of the company, saying they would retrace their steps and fulfil necessary conditions as law abiding citizens.

PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

PAGE 11

Letter to the Editor

EDITORIAL

COVID-19 Vaccine: Enugu residents express mixed feelings

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ome residents of Enugu State have expressed mixed feelings concerning the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination in the State.

Some of them, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in separate interviews, said that they preferred provision of food, security and other social amenities to the vaccine.

Mrs Blessing Eze, a teacher, said she would not take the vaccine on the ground that it was not what Enugu people needed at the moment.

According to her, people in Enugu need food, good road and security to make life better for them.

“The way they are going about COVID-19 of a thing, one will wonder if there is coronavirus in the state, but as for me, the vaccine is not for me.

“They should give it to politicians and their families, why are they remembering the poor ones now,’’ she said.

Mrs Ngozi Okpara said she preferred free vaccination of Typhoid and Malaria to the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Typhoid and malaria kills us more than coronavirus in the country and there is no free vaccine for it.

“As for me, I will enquire from my husband as to know if I should take it or not,’’ she said.

According to Chukwuemeka Chioke, a trader, I heard that the vaccine causes headache and weakens the body so l would not take it.

But a nurse, identified as Philomena, said she would take the vaccine since some health workers in the state had died of COVID-19.

“I will take it whenever I am called upon to take the jab. Some doctors and health officers had already taken the jab and nothing has happened to them,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Enugu State, Mr Isaac Onukwube has urged residents in the state to embrace the vaccine.

“It is one who is alive that will think of road and food, I know that they are the basic necessity of life but life is the most important thing,’’ he said.

He urged them to disregard death rumors surrounding COVID- 19 vaccine as the vaccine is real and safe.

NAN reports that Enugu State Government had on Wednesday took delivery of 65,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.

(NAN)

A watershed decision

T

he supreme court in the United NGOs said the people of Ogoni land were Kingdom February 12 ruled that still waiting for a thorough cleanup of the polluted Nigerian communities could oil spills. The report said only11% of the sue oil giant Shell in English courts. In what total area contaminated was being cleaned lawyers said was a “watershed moment” up, and even in the area targeted the work for the accountability of multinational had not been completed. The report said: companies, the court overturned a decision “In order to address its devastating legacy by the court of appeal, and ruled that the of pollution in Nigeria, Shell should also cases against Shell could proceed. pay for cleanup of the rest of the Niger delta The judges said the court of appeal and compensate communities affected by was wrong when it said the company was its activities. not responsible for the harm caused by “The tragic and unresolved situation oil extraction in the Niger Delta because in Ogoni land demonstrates the urgency it was merely a holding company for Shell for governments – including those of Petroleum Development Company of the UK and the Netherlands where Shell Nigeria (SPDC). It had also is headquartered – to erred, the judges said, when it issue strong legislation carried out a mini-trial of the mandating companies to facts before the disclosure of respect human rights and relevant documents. “There environmental standards are real issues to be tried”, the across their global The tragic and supreme court said. operations.”

The communities have been unresolved situation Villagers of the fighting for five years to have Ogale and Bille in Ogoni land their cases heard in English communities claim they demonstrates courts because they say there have suffered decades is no prospect of obtaining of pollution, including the urgency for justice in Nigeria. Leigh Day, the contamination of governments – the law firm that represents their water wells with including those the communities, successfully potentially cancer causing of the UK and the argued that Shell, one of the chemicals, as well as the world’s 10 largest corporations Netherlands where devastation of mangrove by revenue, with assets of more Shell is headquartered vegetation, all of which than $400bn (£290bn), must was documented by – to issue strong answer for the environmental the United Nations failures of its subsidiary because legislation mandating Environment Programme the company is registered in in a groundbreaking companies to London. The villagers from the report in 2011. The report respect human rights said it could take 30 years Ogale and Bille communities and environmental to clean up the pollution said they had been affected by oil pollution for years because standards across their caused by oil extraction of Shell’s operations in Nigeria, and recommended an global operations including the pollution of their initial fund of $1bn drinking water. (£800m) for the first five Shell did not dispute that both years to be paid by the oil companies that communities had been severely polluted operate in Ogoni land, of which Shell is the by its oil or that there was yet to be an largest. adequate cleanup of the pollution. Instead, We commend the doggedness of the it argued that Royal Dutch Shell plc could Ogoni in this protracted, agonizing struggle not be legally responsible for the harm done to reclaim the soul of their land. Their lack to the communities, and so the cases should of faith in the Nigerian justice may seem not be heard in England. unpatriotic but they are right. It is easy for Daniel Leader, a partner at Leigh people with money to buy justice in this Day, said: “This supreme court judgment country. gives real hope to the people of Ogale and We also praise the lawyers for the oil Bille, who have been asking Shell to clean producing communities for taking up this up their oil for years. We hope that now, difficult case, what with all the high politics finally, Shell will act. “It also represents a and financial muscle flexing involved. They watershed moment in the accountability have shown that there are still people in this of multinational companies. Increasingly, world ready to side with the very weak in impoverished communities are seeking to society. hold powerful corporate actors to account However, we dare caution that the UK and this judgment will significantly increase supreme court decision is not an end in their ability to do so.” itself. It marks only a start in a long walk A report last year by Friends of the to justice. Let the legal fireworks begin in Earth, Amnesty International and other earnest.

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Operation liberate Adamawa

By Mohammed Mayas

T

he All Progressives Congress (APC) as a party in Adamawa state has started building a formidable structure that could save our present and future generation from total collapse. The state under the present leadership is heading towards economic confusion.

When they took over as an elected government, 19 months ago, after a hectic campaign that was full of fake promises, deceits, and lies, they made Adamawans to believe a man who had issues with the law was a Messiah, not until when he started rampaging the state treasury and dismantling the state’s viable structures he inherited without any alternative, that, many of whom were hitherto blindly supporting him, started blaming themselves.

He inherited a viable and economically stable state, with a functional structure, that cost his predecessors energy, resources, character, and morality to establish just to destroy them in less than one and a half-year as a governor. Not only that, he successfully mortgaged the state, by borrowing billions of naira without a single project completed. By so doing His Excellency has now ambushed our future generation, and we are liable to blame if we remain silent and allow this government to continue with these atrocities.

Our efforts as an opposition political party, have started yielding dividends, as notable PDP stakeholders, ADC as a party and its entire structures in addition to other candidates from other opposing political parties, have taken the bull by its horn and joined us in saving the state on Saturday, Jan 9th for the rebirth of new Adamawa State. Notable politicians, among whom was the former governor, a serving senator, a senator, and a gubernatorial candidate and his entire party structure who recently decamped to APC were at the party secretariat to address Adamawa people on their efforts to assist in dismantling this horrific and shady administration.

Speaker after speaker all agreed that it’s a crime against humanity if they allowed this present administration to continue beyond 2023, and God would query us for not doing enough to curtail the present dangerous situation.

“We are not desperate to get power but people of Adamawa are desperate to get out from the present economic and political bondage that was created by the draconian method of Fintiri’s leadership, in Adamawa state” quoting from Senator Abbos speech.

While the APC state office was hosting the press briefing, the former governor, Senator Bindowo Jibirilla arrived in Yola in an announced private visit, but the number of crowds who defied sunshine and man-made go so low to welcome him was instructive.

Not only our finances and political structures are under threat but our security is more threatening than ever before. If Jimeta and Yola are not

secure from this small kids called Shila boys, who are freely operating just like tax collectors, then which place would you suggest is safe in the state.

The question here is simple. What is happening with our security votes? In their publication on the 24 Nov 2020, Desert Herald revealed that 700 million naira is being pocketed monthly by his Excellency as security vote, almost the same or less Professor Zulum is collecting as security vote, but was able to visit Baga, Mongono, Marte, Dikwa, Damasak, and Gamboru Ngala, which hitherto, were no go areas, because of Boko haram, who are carrying sophisticated arms and looking more dangerous and vicious than any other terrorist organization in this world, while our shila boys, who are just less than 20 years of age who use knives and Matchets are operating from Nboromji just 200 meters away from Adamawa seat of power in Dougirei, without any serious challenge.

Last month, when Garkida town was attacked, the same week, a small border town, not far away from Garkida was attacked, by the insurgents, killing many and destroying properties worth millions of naira, one expected to see his Excellency in Garkida, at least to show sympathy just like what Zulum did to Shafa people after the attack, compensating almost all their material loses, while our man is enroute to Dubai to see the Godfather, who deliberately refused to give him an audience, because he is not satisfied with the way and manner which the PDP govt is impoverishing the Adamawa people, against what he stood for more than half of his lifetime.

On health matters, the COVID-19 pandemic, which remains the burning issue worldwide today, is not given any serious attention in the state, apart from issuing an executive statement, preventing large gathering, to hinder opposition from performing their civic right, what efforts are they making to rescue the state from the pandemic, after collecting billions of naira from federal govt, world bank and private individuals who are interested to invest in the state.

The NCDC was nowhere to be found, they were forced to abandon the state when their allowances from the state govt were not forthcoming, and the hotel management where the stayed has evicted them when the state govt failed to settle the hotel bill they incurred. The so-called temporary isolation centers created earlier, with the sole aim of collecting the federal and world bank financial assistance is under lock and key while some are being used as private shelters for private people.

Morally and ethically, the occupants of Duogirei government house are not supposed to exceed 2023.

Let’s joined hands and save Adamawa from bondage and calamity.

Mayas is the assistant publicity secretary of APC in Adamawa State.

PAGE 12

Opinion

PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

Between Asari Dokubo and Nnamdi Kanu: Who blinks first?

By Isaac Asabor

I

f there is any topic Nigeria’s political historians will not skip or rather hide in the process of documentation for the sake of posterity, it is unarguably the threat made by Mujahid Asari Dokubo in 2013 that there would be blood in the streets if now former President Goodluck Jonathan was not reelected president in the 2015 election.

There is no doubt that his threat caused panic and concern among Nigerians so much that the leadership of the All Progressives Congress Campaign Organization (APCPCO) at the time was compelled to urge then President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to call Dokubo to order as it was emphasized that he threatened to wage war against the country in the event that their “son” loses the presidential election.

Against the foregoing backdrop, if anyone that thinks the foregoing threat made by Dokubo some years ago was threatening enough, then it means he has not heard of his latest threat. If the news that is now trending on social media space is anything to go by, he has dared President Muhammadu Buhari by proclaiming a Biafran government. In a statement on Sunday, Dokubo declared himself

as the leader of the new Biafra defacto Customary Government (BCG).

As conveyed in a statement issued by Uche Mefor, BCG’s Head of Information and Communications, and signed on his behalf, the former militant leader named those who would serve as leaders of BCG. As copiously quoted by DAILY TRUST, he said, “We as people have resolved that as Biafra, it’s time for us to take our destiny in our hands and bring freedom to ourselves and our children and the generation of Biafrans yet unborn. I hesitate a little but I thank God that it’s time for us to do our duty and our service to motherland, I have accepted this role. I have dedicated my life hundred percent to play this role.

“My first act today in taking this position is to name those who would be on the driver’s seat to navigate through this period of tempest, this period of uncertainty with me. I want to call on our brother, George Onyibe to come on board to join as the secretary of the defacto customary government of the State of Biafra. He will take care of the administrative, day to day administration of the Biafra State.

“I also call on our brother Emeka Emekesiri to take care of the legal needs of this nascent government.

My brothers

and sisters, the four of us will kick start the process, others will come on board. We want volunteers who are committed, we want volunteers because there is nothing anymore. We are the people who have volunteered to salvage ourselves and the rest of us.

I also call on Biafrans in the various province of the Biafra nations in Aba, Abakiliki, Anang, Awka, Calabar, Degema, Eket, Enough, Nsuka, Ogoja, Oji River, Okigwe, Onitsha, Opobo, Orlu, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Umuahia, Uyo and Yenegoa province.

We are going to proceed to set up provincial structures of government starting with provincial assemblies and provincial governance and administrators.”

At this juncture, it may not be wrong to say that with his proclamation that the acclaimed Niger Deltan Militant has seemingly looked into Mazi Nnamdi Kalu’s eyes. Then, given the fact that there is no love lost between them, the question of who blinks first has now become the question on the lips of political analysts and political observers.

In as much as critics of this piece may be wondering on why would anyone be expecting one of the warlords to blink first, it is expedient to say that Nnamdi Kanu. a British Nigerian and Biafra political activist has literarily been

nurturing the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which main aim is to create an independent state for the people of old Eastern Region of Nigeria through referendum as his pet project. In the course of the struggle, he was arrested on treason charges on 14 October 2015 and was detained for more than a year, despite various court orders that ruled for his release.

When in court, Kanu appeared regularly wearing a Jewish prayer shawl and head covering. He said in court, that he “believes in Judaism” and considers himself a Jew and oftentimes has led his Biafran people to various Jewish prayers and religious observations. On 28 April 2017, Kanu was released from prison on bail.

Analyzed from the foregoing perspective, it would be expedient to proverbially ask, “Why would a farmer clear a farmland, and another farmer comes in to plant?”

That there is no love lost between them cannot be farfetched as they have for the umpteenth time been literarily hurling brick-brats at one another on media space so much that not few were surprised over Asari Dokubo’s proclamation on Sunday, March 15, 2021.

In one of their landmark altercations, Dokubo in June 2020 challenged Nnamdi Kanu to swear if he has not been collecting money from governors.

It would be recalled that on Sunday May 31, 2020 that Nnamdi Kanu accused Dokubo of collecting N20million from him in 2016.The money, he said, belongs to IPOB. He then challenged him to swear on the Quran to deny the allegation.

“ASARI DOKUBO, if you claim that I didn’t give you money and I didn’t send people to discuss with you, make a video and swear with your Koran, SWEAR WITH YOUR RELIGION AND DIE. “You are an idiot, you are a thief, over-bloated swamp pig”, Kanu said. In his reaction, Dokubo replied him in a video.

He also asked Kanu to swear on the Bible or the Torah, since Kanu says he is a Jew, if he has not been collecting money from South East governors.

Dokubo claimed Kanu’s payoff runs into hundreds of millions and that he collects money even beyond the region. He further made a claim that will shock IPOB members.

Dokubo alleged that Kanu has been betraying the IPOB members to the DSS, the secret police.

Analyzed from the prism of their frosty relationship, it would be a misnomer to ask that with the latest development, “Who blinks first between Asari Dokubo and Nnamdi Kanu?”

Isaac Asabor is a Public Affairs Analyst.

Russia’s Far East development: Fostering collaboration through eastern economic forum

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

T

he Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) will host the 6th edition of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) on September 2-4 in Vladivostok, that is expected to bring together corporate business directors and investors from the Asian-Pacific region and the Far East region of Russia.

Roscongress Foundation, the organizer of the forum, said in a statement that preparations were underway and would depend on the situation with the current pandemic. “The EEF will most likely be held this year, the dates are under discussion so far, but the issue is about autumn.

The format will depend on the epidemiological situation,” it said.

The forum is traditionally held early September on Russky Island in the Primorye Territory. But, it was cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. “I am confident that this year’s Forum will build on its investment capacity. Moreover, it will become an important platform for developing humanitarian ties in light of our cooperation with Asian countries in fighting COVID-19,” according to Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation, Executive Secretary of the EEF Organizing Committee, Anton Kobyakov.

Kobyakov said that, “the forum

will be organized at the highest level, following the recommendations of Russia’s Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Kobyakov describes the economic forum as an efficient tool for developing international multilateral cooperation in the Asia-Pacific, which annually brings together leaders of the top APAC countries for discussing universal aspects of the global economy.

The meeting considered as

“

and tech and innovation companies, and representatives of the media.

The 5th forum in September 2019, hosted over 100 panel discussions, roundtables, and business breakfasts dedicated to the most relevant topics on the international and regional agendas. The discussions were focused on 4 thematic areas: · New Solutions for Accelerating Economic Growth · Improving the Business Environment · The Far East and Asia Pacific: Fostering Collaboration · New Solutions for Improving Quality of Life

Russia is one of the few countries that is located both in Europe and in Asia. Its unique geographical location makes it a bridge between East and West, between Europe and Asia. It (forum) helps foster partnership across the Asia-Pacific region.

The Eastern Economic Forum was established by decree of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin in 2015 to support the economic development of Russia’s Far East and to expand international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific

The plenary session featured Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, Shinzō Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, Mahathir Bin Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia, and Khaltmaagiin Battulga, President of Mongolia and many other dignitaries and high-profiled personalities

an important step forward in developing and strengthening investment‑related collaboration between business communities in the Far East. As one of the biggest economic forums in Russia, it yearly gathers several thousands of participants, including representatives of ministries and government bodies, financial and investment organizations, startups,

The plenary session featured Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, Shinzō Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, Mahathir Bin Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia, and Khaltmaagiin Battulga, President of Mongolia and many other dignitaries and high-profiled personalities.

region. During the 2019 forum, the ‘Welcome to the Far East’ exhibition particularly showcased the results of the work of government agencies over the previous five years and the prospects for the development of the Far East under the National Programme 2025.

President Vladimir Putin has been making efforts to transform

the Far East into a vibrant industrial and commercial region by attracting both local and foreign investors. The Russian government has allocated huge budget for its development.

Putin has stated, several times, that the government implements additional initiatives to drive economy, rebuild infrastructure and intensify efforts to improve investment climate, and create employment opportunities there as part of its priority programme.

Given the vast territory of the Far East, 6.3 million people translates to slightly less than one person per square kilometer, making the Far East one of the most sparsely populated areas in the world. The Russian government continues discussing a range of population programmes, hoping to attract in particular Russians there, but eventually agreeing on populating the region through a system immigration similar to Canada.

Until 2000, the Russian Far East lacked officially-defined boundaries.

A single term “Siberia and the Far East” often referred to Russia’s regions east of the Urals without drawing a clear distinction between “Siberia” and “the Far East”. That however, the Far East is generally considered as the easternmost territory of Russia, between Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia and the Pacific Ocean.

Kester Kenn Klomegah is a Public Policy Analyst.

PAGE 13

PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

Comment

Nigeria And COVID-19 Vaccine conundrum -By Gozie Irogboli

I

n 1999 at the threshold of the New Millennium the corporate world was held spell bound by a campaign blitz about the inevitable crash of computer systems and the collateral danger to human existence.

The buzz word the world over then was Y2K compliance. There were so many cataclysmic predictions against noncompliance. It was as if the world would come to an abrupt end by midnight of 31st December, 1999.

Everybody fell for it especially as the campaigns came from respected voices, global institutions and multinational giants. Little did the unsuspecting hostage audience know that behind all the fuss was the vested interest of computer firms interested in marketing their wares to the pliant corporate world. Then came 1st January, 2000, the world did not cease to exist; the moon did not drop from space neither did the other planets but the world seamlessly progressed into a new year, a new decade, a new century and a new millennium.

Today, as the campaign for the acquisition of COVID-19 vaccine rages, indications are that the world may be experiencing the worst level of simulation. The whole world not the corporate world this time but nay the whole humanity is witnessing a more deadly and terrifying rehash of the 1999 glitzy campaign, this time with lethal threats. The campaign this time is not just from corporate giants but from governments and international agencies and the aim is to coax humans into taking the said COVID-19 vaccine.

In January, 2020, the world woke up to the shocking and macabre news of the outbreak of corona virus disease

2019 otherwise known as COVID-19 in Wuhai China after almost decade-long predictive programming activities as experts observed. And after this, the fireworks began. The disease was declared a pandemic by World Health Organization (WHO). The whole world followed the same pattern and protocol. First was the epidemiologic response, and then followed by lockdown, government palliatives and stimulus packages. Businesses were closed down and human movement restricted locally and internationally while we were being pre-warned of the coming of the second wave of the disease.

In the midst of the upheaval, some experts came up with the finding that hydroxychloroquine is a potent cure for the disease but this was allegedly suppressed by WHO and other forces intent on spreading the panic, fueling the speculation of conspiracy and complicity. The official narrative is that the COVID-19 is real, deadly, spreading and intractable and unless the vaccine is administered, there is no respite. The narrative is loud and deafening. On daily basis there are terrifying news and figures of global infections and deaths ostensibly from COVID-19 infections reeled out and are analyzed by too-know media experts to the bewildered global audience.

But there is alternative hypothesis from “cynics” which states that the whole COVID-19 conundrum is a scam designed to hoodwink the world for the pecuniary gains of some death merchants intent on creating a new world order. The conspiracy theory harps on the globalist’s insidious desire to latch in on the situation to create a global tyranny by forcing

the world to take a vaccine hastily produced without the needed safety procedures and whose efficacy has not been tested or authenticated, that would enable them control the world affairs as never before. To this effect, there are allegations of bribery and settlement of health workers, big media organizations, international agencies and various governments to compromise in order to enforce their nefarious agenda.

It is said that people are deliberately murdered in the hospitals with the active connivance of “settled” or ignorant health officers; all deaths now are attributed to COVID-19 complications. Medical cures and dissenting comments on the said vaccine are suppressed and censored in the big media. Only the narratives from the sponsors are allowed to flow down to the disillusioned world through the big media organizations owned, controlled or settled by the merchants of death. All medical officers are forced to follow the same narrative while non-compliant medical experts are intimidated and threatened.

All these are to compel people to accept the COVID-19 vaccine. But some experts are skeptical about the said vaccine. The vaccine is alleged to be a chemical weapon that will irreversibly alter human DNA. As one report puts it, the vaccine “contains nanotechnology that connects us to artificial intelligence and initiates a process of trans-humanism, making us hybrids that will lose the ability to think freely.”

The questions on the lips of people now are: how could they have hurriedly developed a curative vaccine within one year of the spread of the

disease if it not pre-planned? If it was that easy, to develop vaccine why hasn’t the world developed vaccines for diseases like diabetes, cancer or asthma and other terminal diseases?

Where is the said vaccine tested and what are the possible side effects?

As strange and as novel as the conspiracy theory angle is, it seems very real. I have carefully sieved through some reports and expert opinion on this matter. I have also seen video clips of experts including some African leaders spoke about it. The whole din about COVID-19 pandemic is a scam; a simulation carefully designed to coax the world into taking a lethal vaccine that will mutate human DNA. Indeed, the events prior to the outbreak of the disease, the ensuing intrigues, the suppression of the cure, and the continued holler about the second wave when the socalled pandemic began indicate that the whole thing was premeditated. It indicates that the proponents of this plot have plans and timelines set for the implementation of their sinister plans. The lockdown was created to create panic and to destroy peoples’ means of livelihood in order to create uncertainty and make people pliant in order to submit to taking the lethal vaccine and to rely on government’s “guaranteed income” for survival.

Moreover, the world is not new to this kind of lethal deception. When the HIV/AIDS scourge first came some conscientious experts said it was manufactured in the lab but some dismissed the idea as a hoax but some decades later those behind the invention of the biological weapon confessed to their crime.

At the epicenter of all of these is a man called Bill Gates, one of

the world’s richest men, a famed software expert and vaccine dealer who has made his fortune from selling computer software and vaccines. In the past there were suppressed reports of the havoc caused by his vaccines across the globe. From India to Mexico, from Philippine to South Africa and from Afghanistan to Nicaragua it was the same gory tale but in the media, he is presented as a benevolent philanthropist globally. Already Mr. Bill Gates is said to have acquired the patent to develop and deploy digital I/D that would enable contact tracing, biometric recognitions etc. for those that would take the vaccine.

In Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa are said to be chosen as the launching place of COVID-19 vaccine.

I have listened to the Ghanaian leader express skepticism about the vaccine, the Zambian President and the President of Mauritius too. But in Nigeria, the case is different. And for a visionless and idealess government that we have in Nigeria at present, that goes cap-in-hand all over the world begging for loan, it will be quite easy to goad it into compliance. For instance, in December, 2020 the National Assembly (NASS) passed a law prescribing jail term for anyone who refused to wear face mask in public.

Already the bill for the acquisition of the COVID-19 vaccine has passed the second reading. People are being forced to link their National Identity Number (NIN) to their phone numbers preparatory to digital identification. They may also extend it to bank account numbers.

Gozie Irogboli is an economist and public policy analyst

Climate change and the future of food security in Nigeria

By Churchill Okonkwo

E

xpert value judgment about potential risks of drought due to climate change/variability and what should be done is not the role of scientists, but policymakers.

Yet, it is the scientists that will lay out the elements of risk to help policymakers evaluate what ‘critical’ drought that could result from climate change entails. This piece, to mark the 2019 World Water Day, will focus on the future of food security in Nigeria in the face of climate change.

The theme of the 2019 World Water Day, marked on 22nd of March is ‘Leaving no one behind’.

This theme was adapted from the central promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that as sustainable development progresses, everyone must benefit. As we make progress in the agricultural sector, the question on my mind is whether these agro-farming improvements are sustainable in the face of climate change. Will the peasant farmers that produce over 80% of Nigeria’s agricultural output be left behind in the climate change era?

Per the estimate by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FOA) of the United Nations, Nigeria has a very low level of irrigation development (less than 2 percent of cropped land).

Thus, there is a high reliance on rainfed agriculture. In the absence

of irrigation, rained lands, especially those in the semiarid and Savannah agro-ecological zones of Nigeria will remain fragile, threatened and unsuitable for sustainable food production. What will be the impact of climate change on the more than “7 million” Nigerians that are currently actively employed in agriculture?

Extensive studies on rainfall variability show that regional climate change and associated climate variability is likely to affect the availability of water from the year 2032 across West Africa, especially the Sahel. This climate information on future drought is the foundation that should guide our current investment in agro-business.

During a severe and prolonged drought in a new climate era, will there be sufficient water/moisture to support the current investment in the agricultural sector on a long-term basis? Will the agricultural sector in Nigeria have the capacity to respond?

During drought, some surface water will dry up, groundwater will be depleted, threatening food production in across the Sahel and Savannah regions, the present food basket of Nigeria. This will result in the collapse of the current agro-based economy. It is only this understanding that can precipitate informed discussion, then, informed policy directives that will empower relevant authorities to take meaningful action.

The failure of the farming programs, such as the Operation Feed the Nation (OFN) and the “Green Revolution” initiated under Olusegun Obasanjo and Shehu Shagari should be a reminder that a well-intended agrarian revolution can go wrong. A holistic framework and strategy for sustainable water governance systems for an agrobased economy are thus essential.

With only about 40% of the 84 million hectares of arable land in Nigeria cultivated, the challenge for the government is, therefore, not how to improve on this per se, but doing so in such a way to withstand prolonged severe drought. The key to this readiness is the maximization of the use of ground and surface water for irrigation purposes where applicable.

Chinua Achebe wrote that “A man who lives on the banks of the Niger (river) should not wash his hands in spittle.” The good people of Nigeria that live on the banks of Rivers Niger, Benue, Imo, Cross River, Gongola, Hadejia, Kaduna, Katsina-Ala, Ogun, Osun, Owena, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara Rivers etc. should not face food scarcity under any climate change scenario.

The development and execution of a master plan that will involve the efficient use of perennial water resources across Nigeria is a shortcut to ensuring food security. In the face of increasing population and

uncertainties from climate change, these enormous water resources potential should be fully utilized by the state and federal governments.

All we need to do is take advantage of technological innovations to tap these untapped water resources at our backyards. Think of the capacity (cubic liters) of irrigation water we can easily harness from these untapped resources. The promotion of large-scale water management schemes to provide water resources for agriculture can thus guarantee enough water for year-round farming under present and future climate change scenarios.

The lesson from the glitch in the production of tomatoes in Nigeria in 2016 that resulted in an astronomical increase in prizes with untold hardship is that any prolonged drought in the Savanah belt northwards will be catastrophic. Therefore, in addition to developing the agricultural sector in the northern parts of Nigeria that are more prone to severe drought, the federal and state governments should also invest heavily in the food baskets in the south.

The antiquated mindset focused on developing agriculture in a drought-prone region without adequate irrigation facilities should be modernized. The Nigerian government should push for, develop and harness the irrigation potentials of our water resources. They should provide policy guidelines aimed at strengthening all

River Basin Authorities for integrated water resources management at the sub-regional and watershed scale.

In the face of climate change, managing surface and groundwater through small-scale irrigation will be essential in sustaining food production in rainfed areas. This irrigation programs should be tailored to the local and ecological peculiarities of watersheds. Water availability for agriculture during severer drought will give farmers the security they need to risk investing in other productivity-boosting technologies, such as fertilizers and improved seed. This is how to put the nation on the road to food security.

Finally, per the Food and Agricultural Organization (FOA) of the United Nations, “Food security exists when all people, always, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food for a healthy and active life.” For Nigeria to have access to sufficient food, always, we need a new paradigm in food security.

Such a paradigm should be aimed at guaranteeing food security by creating an agricultural sector that is equipped with irrigation facilities to withstand years of drought. It’s only after we have done this, that we can guarantee food security for all Nigerians in the climate change era.

Churchill Okonkwo, Ph.D. is of the African Center for Climate Change Science and Policy Research, Washington D.C.

PAGE 14

NEWS

FG congratulates Burna Boy, Whizkid over Grammy Awards

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

T

he Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has congratulated music stars Burna Boy and Whizkid over their Grammy Award victories.

In a statement issued yesterday in Lagos and signed by Segun Adeyemi Special Assistant to the President (Media) Office of the Minister of Information and Culture, said the Minister described the much-deserved awards as fitting rewards for the persistent hardwork of the duo.

He said the awards also represented a global endorsement for the Afrobeat genre of music that has propelled Nigeria’s increasing dominance of the music world.

Mohammed expressed the hope that the clinching of the prestigious awards by the two music stars would not only spur them to greater heights, but would also serve as a source of inspiration for others.

PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

Ophthalmologist warns against fixing artificial eyelashes

By Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

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c o n s u l t a n t Opthalmologist, Dr (Mrs) Onoriode Umolo, has advised women on the danger inherent in the use of artificial eyelashes, saying that it could cause cornea ulcer and possible total blindness.

Dr (Mrs) Umolo, who spoke with journalists in Ughelli, the Headquarters of Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.

He said ladies who indulged in fixing of eyelashes were

ignorant of the danger such act posed to their eyes on Sunday According to the Consultant Opthalmologist, “the eye is a very sensitive organ of the body and whatever we do around the eye matters a lot and as such, we should be careful so that we do not lose our vision,” she said.

Dr (Mrs) Umolo noted that sometimes, the artificial eyelashes would tend to rub part of the cornea and create sensation around it, indicating the presence of foreign bodies, which may compel the person wearing it to continue to rub the eye with her hands, thereby

damaging the cornea, adding that it could lead to cornea ulcer.

She said that if the cornea ulcer was not properly handled by a specialist, it may degenerate to complete lost of vision by the patient.

Dr (Mrs) Umolo also noted that the glue used to attach the eyelashes to the eye could cause inflammation of the eye which may lead to series of infections in the eyes.

She advised ladies to shun the act of indulging in unhealthy practices, such as fixing of eyelashes, in the name of

beautifying themselves, but to practise what could protect their eyes from being damaged.

Corroborating the view expressed by Dr (Mrs) Umolo, a beautician, Miss Rejoice Oru, said that some of the eyelashes could be dangerous to the eyes, adding that picking the eyelashes, which involved the use of needles while fixing the lashes, was most dangerous to the eyes.

She stated that the process of picking eyelashes was risky, adding that any mistake could result in instant blindness, as the needle could pierce the eye ball.

T

Mustapha,

he immediate past councillors in Niger State have barricaded the state Secretariat in a protest demanding for their entitlements worth N4.8 million naira each.

The leader of the group, Hon Garba Umar from Usaile ward in Kontagora Local government in an interview, urged the state government to urgently consider their suffering by coming to their aide and effect payments.

Consequently, the former councilors are demanding for the sum of N4.8 million which consisted of their furniture allowances, N2.4 million naira and severance allowance N2.4 million.

The said ex- councillors however turned the state Secretariat gate to a special prayer ground, as both Christians and Muslim offered special prayers.

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi with agency report

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he All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that it has already started looking for its presidential candidate ahead of the 2023 general election.

The national youth leader of the party, Barrister Ismail Ahmed, disclosed this at a meeting with stakeholders at the Manpower Development Institute in Dutse.

He said the party is in search of a presidential candidate that could bring millions of votes in subsequent elections.

“For the first time in a long time, President Muhammadu Buhari will be out of the equation in 2023 with an entirely fresh candidate that will be expected to win elections for the party”, he said.

He said the party will face a stiff political war in the coming 2023 presidential election as the main opposition party PDP has about

2023 presidency: APC shops for President Buhari’s alternative - Youth leader 14 states with mega resources to finance the party.

The meeting which took place between the national youth leaders and other stakeholders in Dutse comes at a time the

All Progressive Congress is in a dilemma of a political candidate that would have a pedigree President that would guarantee mass votes for the party.

Jigawa State APC chairman,

Alhaji Muhammad Dikuma, said for many years, youth were neglected making them less important in society. “it is very unfortunate that youth in the north were neglected

F

ormer Zamfara State Governor, Abdul’aziz Yari, has reacted to news of him alleging that members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), sponsor banditry.

Yari insisted that he never accused the party members of sponsoring banditry while in

office, NAN reports.

He stated this while addressing journalists in the Talata Marafa Local Government Area of the state, on Monday.

The former governor described those behind the allegations as mischief-makers.

According to Yari, the mischief-

makers are those determined to work against the APC. Yari said: “When I was the governor, I never accused the opposition party of sponsoring banditry.

“I wish to debunk such claims as they were made by mischief makers working against APC in

T

President Muhammadu Buhari receives the new Director General of Wto Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at the State House Abuja. Photo: State House

Jakande’s life worth emulating – Marwa

B

rig.-Gen. Mohammad Buba Marwa (Retired) on Sunday said that the late first Executive Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, lived an exemplary life worth emulating by all Nigerians.

Marwa, the military governor of Lagos State between 1996 and 1999, said this when he paid a condolence visit to Alhaja Abimbola Jakande, the wife and family members of late Jakande at the Lagos residence of the deceased.

Marwa is the curent Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) reports that Alhaji Jakande died on Feb.11,2021.

“Jakande was the first Executive Governor of Lagos State, from 1979 to 1983.

“He was a journalist and he first worked with the Daily Service and then in 1953, he joined the Nigerian Tribune Newspaper where he rose to become its Editor-in-Chief.

“He was the first President of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN).

“He was Minister of Works under the late Gen. Sani Abacha-led military regime from 1993 to 1998, among other giants achievements.

The NDLEA boss also described the late Jakande as a great humanitarian.

According to him, it is very sad to pay the condolence visit to the family of his predecessor in office.

“However, God knows the best.

“He was a very religious man and a journalist per excellence and a lover peace.

“He did very well as a former governor of Lagos State because he brought smiles to the people as their governor between 1979 and 1983 through his people-oriented programmes.”

Marwa said that when he served as the governor of Lagos State between 1996

and 1999, Jakande was supportive of his administration.

“When I was appointed as the chairman of NDLEA, he also sent me a congratulatory message.

“I prayed that he rests well, May God give us the heart to accept his passing away as no one lives forever,” Marwa said.

The widower, Alhaja Abimbola Jakande, in her words thanked the NDLEA boss for the visit.

“I thank you all for putting us in mind, God bless,” she said.

NAN reports that the entourage that followed the NDLEA boss on the condolence visit include the NDLEA Lagos Commander, Mr Ralph Igwenagu; and the Apapa Seaport Commander, Mr Samuel Gadzama.

Others are: the Director of Airport’s operations, Mrs Joyce -Titus Awogbayi and the Commander, Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Command, Mr Ahmadu Gatba. (NAN)

the state.”

Zamfara State is one of the states that has witnessed the sting of banditry.

Bandits had abducted several students from the state and later freed them, following intervention from the state government.

Chief of Staff to the President Prof Ibrahim Gambari being vaccinated with the Astrazeneca COVID-19 Vaccine by the Chief Nursing Officer, State House Clinic, Esther IbrahimTukur at the State House Clinic in Abuja on Monday (8/3/2021)

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi he All Progressives Congress (APC) has celebrated Nigeria’s Afrobeat stars, Damini Ogulu (Burna Boy) and Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (Wizkid) on winning awards at the 63rd 2021 Grammys held in Los Angeles.

Recall that Burna Boy won the Best Global Music Album category with his Twice As Tall album, while Wizkid won the Best Music Video for his song with Beyoncé; Brown Skin Girl.

In a statement issued yesterday by the National Secretary of Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John James Akpanudoedehe, the party said this is unarguably Nigeria’s biggest moment on the world’s music stage and an affirmation of Nigeria’s artistes and the vibrant afrobeat genre as an international musical force.

“This indeed crowns efforts of Nigerian superstars such as Fela Ransome-Kuti who were the main progenitors of afrobeat/afropop that have become mainstream music all over the world. As a party, we are immensely proud that our musical stars are leading the pack of young Africans who are redefining the global music space.

“Burna Boy and Wizkid’s Grammy awards are an inspiration to Nigerian youth as they continue to make their mark in different endeavours. Our youth are our asset. Their creativity, talent, energy, innovation, and drive is positively impacting and changing the world”, the statement by APC said.

for a very long time and their future has been tempered making them unproductive” Dikuma stated.

Zamfara: Yari opens up on allegations of APC sponsoring bandits

APC congratulates Burna Boy, Wizkid on Grammy Awards

Ex - Councilors barricades Niger Secretariat over nonpayment of allowances From Yakubu Minna

PAGE 15

PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

Rep asks Gov Wike to fly PDP flag in 2023 Presidential election

By Christiana Ekpa

A

member of the House of Representatives, representing Kabba-Bunu/ Ijumu Federal Constituency of Kogi state, Hon. Tajudeen Yusuf, has asked Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, to fly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag in the 2023 presidential election.

Yusuf said inspite of prevailing challenges across the federation, the Rivers state Governor has continued to impact positively on the economy of his state through people oriented projects, thereby giving positive prospects of Nigerian democracy.

The lawmaker said Governor Wike’s populist approach to governance and the execution of significant capital projects stands in deep contrast against the dismal records of the ruling party in Abuja.

He said “Gov Nyesom Wike’s outstanding achievements amply recommend him for higher responsibilities in Nigeria; his effective management of state resources for execution of major

projects already project him as a leading light in this dark moment of our democracy.

“Beyond the ongoing massive infrastructural development and various project commissioning which continue to attract the attention and presence of eminent leaders across the federation, Gov Wike has positively impacted all sectors of the state’s economy while revolutions in the health, agricultural and education sectors, the strings of flyovers scattered all over strategic points in Port Harcourt to decongest a seemingly insurmountable traffic situation are clear attestation to what visionary and people-oriented leadership can do.

“Agricultural productivity is being boosted with a state Cassava Processing Company with 3,000 uptakers, there are three new campuses for the State University supported with N9billion takeoff grant; Gov Wike established a Medical School for the state university and gave scholarships to Rivers indigenes studying Medicine

at Pamo University.

“In addition, 5,000 youths are now being recruited into the Rivers state civil service towards reducing youth unemployment, in sports, the Real Madrid Football Academy has been established to combine education and football towards addressing youth development and grooming of future stars.

“In the health sector, there is now a Mother/Child Hospital to address antenatal and paediatric health issues while a Cancer/ Cardiovascular Disease Centre is about to be established in Rivers state”.

He said while developments in Rivers state under the former Minister is commendable, the same cannot be said of what is going on at the Federal level with what he described as ‘systematic pauperization, anti-people lies and propaganda that dominates the APC-controlled federal government.

“In Abuja, we have seen how lies and propaganda about change have only brought Nigerians’ suffering to the next level; fuel price and the

cost of living are about to jump to the next level once again.

“Rivers state is faring well but elsewhere, the ruling party’s two weeks old promise about the end of school abductions just got shattered at the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation where bandits again abducted innocent students.

“Under the APC government’s opaque ‘transparency’, some of its officials are currently in court over alleged looting of N4.5 billion at Federal Internal Revenue Service yet others have just been summoned by the House of Representatives over what may be a classic case of ‘looting the loot’ involving forfeited assets.

“In an APC era where the only things rising to ‘Next Level’ are rates of unemployment, prices of all marketable items, kidnapping of students and numerous dimensions of human miseries, Gov Nyesom Wike has demonstrated consistency, standing out as an outstanding example of peoplecentred leadership in Nigeria”.

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PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

POLITICS It’s evil to sack 53 casual workers who demanded regularisation – Ogun PDP

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

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he Ogun State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reacted to the dismissal of 53 casual workers by the State House of Assembly, describing it as an evil act.

It was reported on Sunday that the casual workers were sacked for demanding that their appointment be regularised by the Assembly and the Ogun State Government.

Reacting in a statement made available to journalists on Monday, the Ogun PDP Publicity Secretary, Akinloye Bankole, said the act was “another sad confirmation of the cruelty which has been a major characteristic of the ruling APC government in the state.”

According to Bankole, it was very disheartening that the same government that had sworn to promote the general wellbeing of the people was seen to be adding untoward hardship to the people by engaging in what it termed, “modern-day slavery”.

The PDP said the persons had been working as casual workers for the past 10 years in the assembly complex, expressing worries that they were sacked “for having the nerves to demand regularization of their status.”

“For us, this is the height of monumental wickedness. It is evil and it is unacceptable.

The same government that is incapable of securing its citizens from banditry is also involved in the use of able-bodied men who reserve rights to decent means of livelihood as casual labour.

This is a deliberate violation of all known International Labour Protocols,” it was said.

The party also berated the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Ogun for “not doing enough to ensure that these acts of gross insensitivity from government does not see the light of the day.”

Therefore, the PDP has demanded the immediate regularization of the status of all the 53 affected workers, saying, “It is immoral for the government which they have diligently worked.

2023: Zoning has come to stay in Abia – PDP chieftain A

chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State, Okechukwu Apugo, has said that no section of the state would be allowed to scuttle existing zoning arrangement for 2023 governorship election in the state.

Mr Apugo, in a statement in Umuahia, on Sunday, said power shift among the three senatorial districts had come to stay in the state.

He bared his mind against the backdrop of comments in some political circles that the next governor of the state would not be determined by zoning.

He said zoning would help

promote greater peace, unity and political stability in the state.

Mr Apugo urged political stakeholders and parties in the state to embrace the principle and objectives of zoning.

“Power rotation has become sacrosanct and must be respected by all political parties and aspirants in line with the Abia Charter of Equity,” Mr Apugo said.

He said it would amount to political betrayal for those that had benefitted from power shift to turn around and campaign against it.

According to him, the governorship position has rotated

among the three senatorial districts in accordance with the spirit of the Charter of Equity and should not be truncated.

He therefore urged those nursing governorship ambition in 2023 outside Abia North “to wait for their own turn.”

“Equity demands that power should return to Abia North in 2023 in the interest of peace, unity and fairness,” Mr Apugo said.

He described those behind the plot to disrupt smooth power shift to Abia North as greedy and selfish and “not having the interest of a united Abia at heart.”

He warned that any attempt

to stop power shift to Abia North in 2023 would breed mutual suspicion and distrust among the various sections of the state.

He further warned against any “sinister attempt” by any person or group to impose the next governor on the people, stating that “Abia youths will vigorously resist it.”

“The era of godfatherism is gone. We will never allow anybody to impose himself or crony on the state.

“While zoning must be allowed, we insist that candidates must emerge through due process from their respective political parties,” Mr Apugo said. (NAN)

Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Gen Buba Marwa being vaccinated with the Astrazeneca COVID-19 Vaccine by the Chief Nursing Officer, State House Clinic, Esther Ibrahim-Tukur at the State House Clinic in Abuja on Monday (8/3/2021)

CBN Gov hates us, refuses to grant agricultural loans to Rivers – Gov Wike

By Musa Baba Adamu

R

ivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has alleged that politics has been used to deny the state access to agricultural loans offered by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Governor Wike made the accusation when he hosted the Minister of State for Agriculture, and Rural Development, Mustapha Baba Shehuri at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Monday.

The governor decried the situation where every issue in the country including agriculture has been politicised instead of implementing such policy

dispassionately to achieve the intended food security and jobs for the youths.

“I think, I am one of those States that nobody gives loans for agriculture. I don’t know what hatred the Central Bank Governor has for us? We do not know.

“We have been hearing of ANCHOR borrower this and ANCHOR that. But when it concerns Rivers State, you will hear a lot of things.”

Governor Wike explained that in an idle situation devoid of politics, the Central Bank of Nigeria will partner with the Rivers State government to achieve the objectives of setting up the stateowned cassava processing plant.

“Please tell the Governor of Central Bank to remember us too, that we are part of Nigeria. When we applied, they said this loan was N5 billion. We have applied for more than one year now. They said we should bring this and bring that.

“They said we should bring the co-corporative societies and I say this where the politics come from. If I want to eat government money, I can sit here and write cooperative societies.

The previous administration took loans and said they gave them to cooperative societies of over N3 billion. Who are these corporative societies? And the money went off like that.

Governor Wike said even without the loans from the Central Bank of Nigeria, his administration is achieving a revolution in cassava processing that will create jobs for youths and enduring patronage for farmer folks.

He said the State government will invite the Minister of Agriculture to commission the cassava processing plant.

According to him, many companies have keyed in already to buy off what will be processed.

“We have over 3000 farmers who have registered. From them, the company will buy off all their produce. We are happy with this feat.

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PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

POLITICS Zoning 2023 presidency to North will mean third term – Ndume

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he senator representing Borno South in the Senate, Ali Ndume, who is also the Chairman of Senate Committee on Army, has kicked against zoning the presidency to the North ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

The lawmaker told newsmen on Saturday that in the spirit of fairness, justice and equity, any part of the South should produce the next All Progressives Congress

(APC) presidential candidate.

According to him, any attempt to zone the party’s presidential ticket to the North would be tantamount to third term after President Muhammad Buhari’s second term in office.

He said, “I’m against APC producing its presidential candidate from the North.

The APC presidential candidate should come from the South. I have said it before and will still say it again that if we have a northerner as APC presidential candidate,

to me, it is tantamount to third term, and it is not constitutional.

“The (APC) constitution says the president shall serve two terms, and we said then that the north should serve two terms.

“If you say the north should produce the presidential candidate again, it means you are going for third term, which is not fair and I believe in fairness, justice and equality.

“Let candidate from the south — and that means, south-south, southeast and

south-west — clinch the ticket.

“For the southeast, let me say for example, you want to be the head of this house and you are calling for the division of the house, will it work?

“And I think the southeast needs to think about it. That is what is creating the rumour for the northerners to even say they want to be the president again. If you want to be president of Nigeria, you must believe in the unity of Nigeria. I support the candidate to come anywhere from the south.”

Group issues 21-day ultimatum to Enugu Assembly to kill Ex-governors’ Pension Bill

By Christiana Ekpa

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sociopolitical group, Save Enugu Group (SEG), has issued a 21-day ultimatum to Enugu State House of Assembly to kill a Bill seeking for a law to provide life pension for former governors and deputy governors of Enugu State.

The group, in a statement signed by its national coordinator, Willy Ezugwu, said the bill which has passed its first reading must be killed immediately by the state lawmakers for the peace and tranquility in the state’s political arena to be sustained.

SEG said it’s already mobilising “conscious citizens, civil society groups and labour unions in the state to shut down Enugu State House of Assembly for as long as it will take to kill this most insensitive bill.”

According to the group, “it will be a betrayal of the trust the ordinary people of Enugu bestowed in their representatives serving as lawmakers to pass such outdated bill.

“It is shocking that while a state like Lagos, with high internally generated revenue (IGR) that runs into billions of naira monthly, has abolished pensions for former governors, the Enugu State House of Assembly allowed such a bill to pass first reading when such a law will deplete the meager Enugu State revenue to the tune of over N2 billion annually.

“It’s more disheartening to discover that the proposed law is an executive bill.

“More worrisome is the provision in the bill for medical allowance not exceeding N12 million

per annum for one surviving spouse of a former Governor, “provided that such spouse was married to the governor while in office”.

“What is more unfortunate in the bill is the provision seeking to mandate the state government to provide three vehicles for exgovernors and replace them every four years.

Also very insulting to the sensibilities of the suffering masses is the provisions that when a former governor or former deputy governor

dies, the state government should make “adequate arrangement and bear the financial responsibility” for his/her burial; “And that the state government should pay “a condolence allowance of a sum equivalent to the annual basic salary of the incumbent” Governor or Deputy Governor to his next of kin.

“This is a country where people that served their states as civil servants for over 30 years are struggling to get their terminal

benefits while a governor or his deputy who may have spent eight years, or even less, will be buried at the state government’s expense and the next of kin paid thereafter.

“It is very unfortunate and we call on the Enugu State House of Assembly to kill the bill within the next 21 days or face the wrath of the citizens.

“In addition to other legal measures, we shall mobilise and guide all constituents in the state constituencies to immediately

initiate the process of recalling their representatives at the state House of Assembly in the event that the lawmakers failed to kill the bill.

“To pass such a bill into law, the State Assembly must include a provision for all retired state civil servants to receive exactly same retirement benefits as the Governor and the deputy, including the exact condolence allowance to the next of kins of all retired civil servants in Enugu State”, the group demanded.w

L-R: Minister of Science and Technology, Dr.. Ogbonnaya Onu, Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Director General , National Agency for Science and Engineering infrastructure (NASENI), Professor Mohammed Sani Haruna and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Science and Technology, Sen. Uche Ekwunife, during the inspection tour of NASENI pavilion at the ongoing Technology and Innovation Expo 2021. Theme: “Science , Technology and innovation for Economic Recovery and sustainability amidst COVID-18 Challenges”, organized by the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, held yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Insecurity: Govt responsible for banditry, kidnapping, others – Arewa youths

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he Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF) has said that Nigerians should hold the government responsible for banditry and general insecurity in the country.

AYCF National President, Yerima Shettima, said it is the sole responsibility of the government to provide security for Nigerians, but it has failed to do so.

Speaking with journalists, Shettima

urged the government to ensure security agencies are adequately equipped with manpower.

According to the AYCF National President: “The government should be held responsible. It’s the sole responsibility of the government to provide security which is key to the citizens.

“Despite the fact that some of us are aware that the security agencies have been

overstretched at one point or the other, we are saying they should consider additional manpower and provide the necessary equipment to encourage these agencies.

“We must consider equipping the Nigerian Armed Forces. Intelligence gathering is key, but they need to build trust between them and the communities, so they can get more information about these criminal minded people. These criminal

minded people are in the community and some know them very well.”

In the North, the issue of banditry and kidnapping has been on the rise lately.

Some students in Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, and Zamfara States were abducted by bandits.

While students abducted in some states have been released, those from Kaduna State are still with the abductors.

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

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PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

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By Etuka Sunday

T

he Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta has hinted that the commission was concluding processes to issue regulation on Electronic Waste and tackle plastic pollution in the country.

Prof.

Danbatta spoke in Abuja Today in a Press Conference organized by the commission to commemorate the World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) for the year 2021; It’s observed every 15th day of March.

He said, NCC was equally mindful of the fact that many ICT and telecom devices have plastic components, whose waste materials could worsen plastic pollution in Nigeria.

He noted that the objective of the Regulation was to manage E-Waste; promote reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery; improve environmental management system of operators in the telecom industry; and reduce greenhouse emissions as well as enhance sustainable development efforts.

This year’s WCRD global theme, “Tackling Plastic Pollution”, is aimed at raising awareness and engaging consumers globally to adopt and promote more sustainable practices which will also focus on the central role that consumer advocates, governments and businesses can play in tackling the global plastic pollution crisis.

With over 200 million mobile voice subscribers and over 150 million Internet users in the country, the Commission has, over the years, demonstrated its commitment towards protecting telecom consumers, making it one of the most consumer-centric public institutions in the country.

He said, the NCC Act 2003 – enjoins the Commission to protect the interest of the consumers, which the Commission has done religiously, through subsidiary legislations, guidelines and

NCC set to issue Regulation on e-Waste, Plastic Pollution -Danbatta directions that proactively address consumer concerns and stipulate responsibilities of all stakeholders.

“We had made declarations to curtail excesses of some operators and to expand the frontiers of freedom for the consumers. Warnings had been handed out and fines have been imposed on erring operators.

“Determinations have also been made by the Commission to ensure consumers are neither short changed nor denied their privileges and rights.

“The NCC demonstrated the foregoing to reveal the extent it could go to defend and protect the interests of telecom consumers; and to successively restate its commitment to its ethos of fairness, firmness and forthrightness – the doctrinal tripod of its regulatory mandate.

“Today, and right here, we are unveiling a new Consumer Handbook – a compendium

of consumer information materials compiled to enhance education and protection of the consumer,” he said.

According to him, “the specially created toll-free number 622 and DND short code 2442, are as active as ever.

“They are emplaced respectively to enable consumers to escalate unresolved complaints earlier reported to service providers, and to manage unsolicited messages.

“Just last month, we provided evidence that “NCC’s DND crashes unsolicited SMS by 96.6% in three years”.

“Also, the results we are getting through the NCC Tollfree Number 622 has been phenomenal.

“Thousands of complaints have been received from consumers and escalated by the Commission to service providers for quick resolution to the satisfaction of affected

consumers.

“In our latest report, of the 11,327 genuine consumer complaints received through the 622 between 2019 and 2020, 11,288 which translate to 99.1%, have been successfully resolved,” he said.

Danbatta said, in view of the challenges of security in the country, the Commission has completed and launched Emergency Communications Centers (ECCs) in 18 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

He informed that the toll-free three-digit 112 Emergency Number is created to bring succour and necessary assistance from appropriate Response Agencies (RAs) to address emergency needs of citizens.

He assures that the Commission would not rest on its oars until the challenges of telecoms consumers have been reduced to the barest minimum.

He thanked the Media for being consistent partners in diffusing information about activities of the Commission promptly and in contexts that make meaning to the telecom consumers, the general public and other stakeholders.

Earlier, in his Welcome Remarks, the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Barrister Adeleke Adewolu said, “in 2017, NCC expressed unequivocal commitment to the centrality of the telecom consumer in the telecom ecosystem by declaring that Year as Year of the Telecom Consumers.

“Before then and after, we have been unwavering in our commitment to the primacy of the consumer in the architecture of telecommunications industry in Nigeria. For this reason, the NCC has received many awards, and we will not rest on our oars,” he said.

Deputy Chief Party, Community Initiative to Promote Peace (CIPP), Sani Suleiman (L), presenting a souvenir to Focal Person, Social Investment, Office Deputy Governor of Kaduna state, Saude Atoyebi, during the commemoration of International Women’s Day by the CIPP in Kaduna on Monday (8/3/21).

NAN

NNPC pledges to join fight against illicit drugs

By Etuka Sunday

A

s a socially responsible entity, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says it would do everything within its power to support the fight against drug trafficking in Nigeria.

The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, made the commitment Friday in Abuja during the visit of the management team of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) led by its Chairman, Brig. Gen. Muhammad Buba Marwa (rtd).

NNPC, in a statement by

the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru, quoted the GMD to have said that beyond the strict enforcement of the drug policy in the Corporation, there was need for NNPC to be sensitive to the ravaging effect of drug abuse in the larger society.

“Consumption of illicit

drugs is a major problem in this country, ravaging communities and all categories of people and dispositions. As an enabler organization that is very conscious of what happens in our country, we are very interested in the containment of illicit drugs in Nigeria”, he said.

Speaking earlier, the

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Muhammad Buba Marwa (rtd), appealed to the Corporation for support in the fight against the menace of drug abuse in Nigeria.

He commended the NNPC GMD for his progressive doggedness and result-oriented leadership.

PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

Page 20

PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

BU$IN€SS

Data Breach, NITDA fines Electronic Settlement Limited N5m

By Etuka Sunday

T

he National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has concluded its investigation process on the personal data breach by Electronic Settlement Limited.

The investigative process involved an analysis of the company’s applications and websites; visit to the company’s office in Lagos, review of its technical documents as submitted to the Agency and interrogation of its officials by NITDA investigation team in Abuja.

The Head, Corporate Affairs and External Relations, NITDA, Mrs Hadiza Umar in a statement said, at the end of the process, “we have established that there was a data breach involving the company.

“We commend Electronic Settlement Limited for the actions taken to mitigate this breach. Particularly, it’s taking full responsibility for the breach, updating identified security issues, cooperation with NITDA investigation team, recruitment of a data protection compliance organization, submission of its annual NDPR audit report and generally improving its compliance with the NDPR. “The company’s actions demonstrate its sense of responsibility and duty to protect the data of Nigerians and customers in general.

“The objective of our investigation was to assess the risk resulting from the breach, with a view to identifying the causes, remedial actions taken and other necessary issues to avoid recurrence,” the statement said.

It said, the company has been well briefed on the prescriptions for better information security and protection of personal data.

The statement said, in compliance with the NDPR and the need to prevent a repeat of this unfortunate breach, NITDA has directed as follows: 1. Electronic Settlement

Limited shall be under a sixmonth information technology oversight by NITDA. The oversight shall involve oversight of implementation of prescribed security controls and processes.

2. That a clear data security and governance document is drawn up between the Electronic Settlement Limited and all its Information Technology services vendors identifying roles, responsibilities and processes involved in securing and

protecting personal data.

3. That the company conduct regular NDPR training for all staff, publish and implement appropriate policies as required by the NDPR. 4. Submit 2020/2021 regulatory audit as required

by Article 4.1.6 of the NDPR, conducted by a Data Protection Compliance Organization (DPCO) as licensed by NITDA. 5. Conduct Data Protection Impact Assessment on some

data intensive applications and products.

6. Payment of the sum of Five million Naira only (5, 000, 000. 00) as fine in line with the requirements of the NDPR. “We thank the public for its continued interest in ensuring the full implementation of the NDPR to safeguard personal data of citizen.

“NITDA is therefore using this opportunity to encourage every data controller and processor to

embark on necessary measures to protect personal data.

“The Agency has graciously approved the extension of time to file the annual audit report to 30th June, 2021.

“We further reaffirm our continued commitment to implementing the NDPR vigorously and providing periodic updates to the public with regards to our activities and investigations in discharge of our mandate,” the statement said.

Mother’s Day: FIRS Boss Salutes Mothers For Family, Nation-building Sacrifices

By Etuka Sunday

E

xecutive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Muhammad Nami, has lauded Nigerian mothers and their counterparts globally for their untiring contributions to family stability and national development.

Mr. Nami gave the commendation on the occasion of this year’s International Mother’s Day in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.

The FIRS executive chairman

commended mothers for their “tenacity of purpose and leadership in situations of distress” like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, stressing that “sadly, mothers have become the carriers of the burdens of the society especially in times of insecurity, wars, pandemics, and other socioeconomic eventualities.”

FIRS in a statement quoted Mr. Nami to have called on “governments all over the world to evolve programmes of support and empowerment for mothers and their children.”

On the part of the FIRS, Mr. Nami disclosed that the Service is “supportive of women and mothers in their respective desire to become professionals in their chosen careers. Today, there are more female directors in the Service than any other time before now. This is our own way of empowering the women and mothers to be able to provide care and support to their families and the society.”

He also noted that “the Federal Government has equally appointed more women into

positions of authority than any previous administration. This is heartwarming considering the enormous potentials with which the women are endowed.”

Mr. Nami urged all “women and mothers to continue to be positive role models by weaning their children off negative vices such as kidnapping, thuggery, thievery, drug abuse, and other forms of criminality. Our women and mothers have a great role to play in bringing an end to the spate of insecurity in our dear country.”

Former Vice President Arch Namadi Sambo chats with the Minister of Information Alhaji Lai Mohammed during a meeting with the President at the State House Abuja. PHOTO; State House

NEITI Seeks Coys, Civil Society Partnership On Extractive Industry Reforms

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has called for closer collaboration and partnership with the civil society, oil, gas and mining companies towards the implementation of ongoing reforms in the extractive industry in Nigeria.

The Executive Secretary NEITI, Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji made the call in Abuja at separate consultative meetings with leading Civil Society organizations and a forum of oil, gas and mining companies in the extractive sector in Nigeria.

While briefing the oil, gas and companies, Dr Orji stated that the

new approach by NEITI is to work with the government, companies and civil society to rebuild trust urgently required to promote inflow of foreign direct investments into the oil, gas and mining sectors through the NEITI/EITI process.

He expressed regrets over the complaints by oil companies that out of over $75 billion investments that came into sub Saharan Africa in the last few years, only $3 billion came to Nigeria.

In his words, “It is time for us to re-unite with mutual respect to address poor investments in the industry and I see my appointment as NEITI Executive Secretary as the instrument of that unification.

Dr Orji further explained “ “stakeholders unity is key because

in transparency & accountability, every one gains”.

At the meeting organised by the oil trade section of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Executive Secretary assured the companies that under his leadership, NEITI will be a pillar of trust, partnership and collaboration, adding that NEITI will work with the companies and relevant government agencies to address the growing concerns over multiple and proliferation of levies and taxation.

Dr Orji disclosed that NEITI will evaluate the roles of its strategic partners, device new approaches to achieve results, create opportunities and extend the frontiers of transparency and

accountability by responding adequately and swiftly to the emerging issues in the EITI”.

Dr Orji expressed the hope that working together with companies to improve the business climate will help strengthen revenue contribution of the extractive industries to support ongoing efforts at rebuilding the nation’s social infrastructure, create jobs and positive change in the living standards of our citizens.

While addressing the civil society, Dr Orji noted that NEITI under his leadership will work with development partners to enhance the capacity of the civil society to respond adequately to unfolding challenges associated with driving the reforms in the extractive

industry in Nigeria.

He stated that “We will create the space for engagement and address every concern that you have. Trust that we will work with you to deliver on your mandate as enshrined in the civil society protocols set out in the EITI Standard”.

The NEITI Executive Secretary announced the formation of a civil society congress, where robust debates and constructive dialogue on the scope, dimension and stakeholders responsibilities to reform Nigeria’s extractive sector through consensus building will be held from time to time under NEITI- covered entities and donors’ collaboration.

By Stanley Onyekwere

T

he FCT Administration yesterday flagged off COVID-19 vaccination for residents of Abuja, the nation’s capital city, just as it assured unhindered and stress free access to the vaccines.

Performing the exercise at the Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja, the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, noted that the launching was the single largest vaccination programme ever in the FCT, to herald decisive victory over the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aliyu added that Abuja being the seat of the Federal Government and melting pot of the nation has been challenged by the pandemic.

She stated that in readiness for the COVID-19 vaccination, the FCT, through the FCT Primary Healthcare Board and partners, completed a Cold Chain Preparedness assessment and trained all members of the 65 vaccination teams, adding that the FCT can safely store, deliver and administer the vaccines required to immunise all residents in this first phase of COVID-19 vaccination.

The Minister reiterated that the FCT had in the past led the way in several vaccination campaigns against diseases such as polio, measles and meningitis, while assuring that this vaccination exercise would not be different as the administration was committed to ensuring that the FCT serves as an example to other states in surpassing all COVID-19 vaccination targets.

“The FCTA will resolutely enforce all the National Guidelines and ensure that all stages of the vaccine roll-out are equitably and fairly implemented and all the 227,480 doses received are accounted for.

“For a start, vaccination rollout is expected from today for frontline health and non-health workers in all private and public COVID-19 isolation centres, treatment and laboratory centres, in the FCT. “Other health workers, strategic leaders, military and paramilitary, as well as FCTA/ FCDA personnel will continue to receive theirs over the next 10-day work period. We may consider an extension of time for catch-up for those who may miss their appointments,” Aliyu added.

Earlier in his remarks, the FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola, urged residents in the FCT to avail themselves of the opportunity to ensure that residents are vaccinated as the leadership of the administration would continue to promote unhindered

METRO

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FCTA flags off COVID-19 vaccination, assures unhindered access and stress free access to its citizenry to get vaccinated According to him, “the administration will advice and continue to ensure strict compliance to the COVIS-19 protocols. As its always adviced,

prevention is better than cure, we will therefore continue to advocate and enforce the existing protocols to ensure the safety of our teeming populace. You can be assured the leadership will not relent in

its determination towards the welfare of the citizenry of the FCT”.

In a goodwill message, Ona of Abaji and Chairman FCT Council of Chiefs, Alh Adamu Baba-Yunusa, assured that

the Royal fathers will take the cardinal message to the people especially those in rural areas.

He however urged the FCTA to ensure that there are adequate vaccines for all interested people to take their jabs.

FCT Minister Malam Muhammad Musa Bello taking his first jab of the COVID-19 vaccine yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Agency to up health insurance coverage for FCT residents

By Stanley Onyekwere

T

he FCT Health Insurance Scheme (FHIS) has stepped up measures to provide more insurance cover for people in Abuja, the nation’s capital city.

Making this disclosure yesterday in Abuja, the FHIS Director, Dr. Ahmed Danfulani, expressed optimism that the target will be achieved by the

time the agency rolls out all its programmes, envisaged to engineer a robust insurance coverage of the populace especially the vulnerable.

Danfulani, who spoke recently after making a presentation on FHIS activities and programmes to the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, however disclosed that presently, about two hundred thousand people are covered by the scheme.

He noted that the agency has so many programmes as part of workable measures towards improving health insurance coverage in FCT, which in turn boosts efficient healthcare delivery to people in the Territory.

He said: “We have so many programmes to especially carry the poor and vulnerable persons; we have programmes to take care of the retirees; we have

programmes to take care of the pregnant women and children under five, apart from the formal and informal sector.

“And this year, we are hoping to cover not less than half a million people. By the time we roll out all our programmes, we should be able to cover half a million population.

Currently, we have about two hundred thousand people covered by the scheme.”

PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

Page 22

world news

N international_peoplesdailyng@yahoo.com

Covid-19: France, Germany and Italy suspend AstraZeneca vaccine

G

ermany, France and Italy have halted rollouts of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, after a series of incidents in Europe involving blood clots.

They join several smaller European nations who have halted vaccinations as a precaution while checks are made.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said there is no evidence that the incidents are caused by the vaccine.

It said it was reviewing reports relating to the jab, but it was important vaccinations continued.

It was good practice to investigate potential adverse events, it added.

The WHO’s vaccine safety experts are meeting on Tuesday to discuss the jab.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) will meet on the same day and is due to draw conclusions on Thursday. It has also said the vaccine should continue to be used.

There have been a number of cases in Europe of blood clots developing after the vaccine was administered.

However, experts say the number of blood clots reported after the vaccine were no more than those typically reported within the general

population.

About 17 million people in the EU and the UK have received a dose of the vaccine, with fewer than 40 cases of blood clots reported as of last week, AstraZeneca said.

What measures are being taken?

Germany’s health ministry announced on Monday that it would stop administering the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine with immediate effect, on the recommendation of the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI), the country’s authority on vaccines.

“The background to this decision follows new reports of cases of cerebral vein thrombosis connected with an AstraZeneca vaccination,” Health Minister Jens Spahn said.

“In light of these newly reported cases, the Paul Ehrlich Institute today re-evaluated the situation and recommended a suspension of vaccinations and further analysis.”

He said the decision was “not political”. “All of us are very aware of the consequences of this decision, and we did not take this decision lightly,” he added.

Shortly afterwards, French President Emmanuel Macron said France was suspending the vaccine until new advice was given by the

EMA. “We have a simple guide, to be informed by science and the competent heath authorities and to do it as part of a European strategy,” he said.

And Italy’s medicines agency extended a ban introduced on individual batches of the vaccine throughout the country, also pending the EMA decision.

The suspensions came less than a day after the Netherlands did the same. Its suspension will last until at least 29 March.

The Irish Republic, Denmark, Norway, Bulgaria and Iceland have also temporarily halted inoculations with the vaccine, while the Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia have postponed the launch of their rollouts.

Several European countries, including Austria, have suspended the use of certain batches of the drug as a precautionary measure.

Thailand announced that it would start using the vaccine on Tuesday, following a brief delay to the rollout over safety concerns.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said health experts had assured him all vaccines being

administered in the country, including AstraZeneca’s, were safe.

What do the WHO and other experts say?

WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said the body was investigating the reports.

“As soon as WHO has gained a full understanding of these events, the findings and any unlikely changes to current recommendations will be immediately communicated to the public,” he said.

“As of today, there is no evidence that the incidents are caused by the vaccine and it is important that vaccination campaigns continue so that we can save lives and stem severe disease from the virus.”

The EMA - which is also currently carrying out a review into incidents of blood clots - said the vaccine could continue to be administered.

The UK medicines regulator also said evidence “does not suggest” the jab causes clots, as it urged people in the country to get the vaccine when asked to do so.

Professor Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford vaccine group that developed the OxfordAstraZeneca jab, told the BBC’s Today programme there was “very

reassuring evidence that there is no increase in a blood clot phenomenon here in the UK, where most of the doses in Europe [have] been given so far”.

While vast numbers of people are being vaccinated at pace around the world, some of them will still get sick with other things unrelated to the vaccine.

These pauses for the AstraZeneca vaccine are not because it is unsafe to give. It’s to allow time for experts to explore why a small number of people who were recently given the shot also developed blood clots.

When an illness occurs shortly after vaccination, it is right to question whether the shot might have contributed in any way.

There is no indication or evidence, however, that the vaccine was linked or responsible.

In the UK, more than 11 million people have already received at least one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine and there has been no sign of excess deaths or blood clots occurring.

Europe’s drug regulator has also backed the vaccine, saying its benefits are clear. Covid can be deadly and vaccination saves lives.

Source: BBC

Multinational corporations show increasing confidence in investing in China

By Jin Chen, Li Jie, People’s Daily Overseas Edition

F

oreign businesses in China are optimistic about the prospects of China’s economic development and still consider China as a priority investment destination, according to a survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China).

Seventy-five percent of the respondents are optimistic about the prospects of the Chinese market, and 81 percent of the companies surveyed expect their industries in China to grow this year, as shown by a report on the survey released on March 9.

China boasts prominent advantages of a huge market, said Yan Bin, chairman of Reignwood Group, a multinational company founded in Thailand.

With the growth of Chinese people’s income and the expansion in the size of China’s middle-income group, the country sees a growing trend toward consumption upgrading, which means enormous business opportunities, Yan noted.

By pursuing a new round of high-level opening-up, China has fully demonstrated the inclusiveness of its economy, said Yin Zheng, executive vice president of Schneider Electric and president of Schneider Electric China, adding that the move not only helps attract more technologies and investment to China, but facilitates the export

of advanced Chinese technologies and products.

Last year, Schneider Electric increased its investment in local research and development and the establishment of advanced production lines in several Chinese cities, including Xiamen, Xi’an and Beijing, in a bid to produce new-generation digital and green electrical products, according to Yin. “With the new openingup initiative, we see more opportunities to co-work and innovate with our Chinese partners and achieve win-win results,” said Yin. In 2020, the amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Chinese mainland, in actual use, grew to about one trillion yuan ($153.8 billion), making China the world’s largest recipient of FDI. “We are firmly bullish about the prospects of China’s economic growth,” said Song Weiqun, global senior vice president of Johnson & Johnson and chairman of Johnson & Johnson China.

During the past year, the Chinese government put into effect its foreign investment law and implemented the regulation on optimizing the business environment, and made active efforts to ease market access for foreign investments, better protect foreign investors’ legitimate rights and interests, and create a fair and transparent business environment, offering genuine support for the

development of foreign-funded businesses in China, Song noted.

High-level opening-up is not only beneficial to international trade and cooperation, but also helps boost innovation, said Fabrice Megarbane, president of L’Oreal North Asia Zone and CEO of L’Oreal China.

China’s efforts to promote innovation-driven economic development and Chinese consumers’ aspiration for highquality products, services, and experiences make the country an indispensable market for multinationals, according to Megarbane.

“Foreign investors are welcome to expand their investments in China and share in its vast open market and development opportunities,” said China’s recently released annual Report on the Work of the Government.

In the report, the country pledged efforts to promote fair competition between domestic and foreign companies and protect the lawful rights and interests of foreign-invested enterprises.

China is also going to leverage the flows of the domestic economy to make itself a major magnet for global production factors and resources, thereby promoting positive interplay between domestic circulation and international circulation, according to the report. Such gestures have won wide recognition from foreign-funded

PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

Visitors are attracted to a Tesla Model 3 electric car exhibited at the automobile exhibition area of the third China International Import Expo held in east China’s Shanghai, Nov. 6, 2020. (Photo by Zhai Huiyong/People’s Daily Online) companies.

The country will develop new systems for a higher-standard open economy, promote the highquality development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and build a globally oriented network of high-standard free trade zones, said the report.

China’s efforts to open its door wider to the rest of the world have not only intensified the bilateral trade between China and Saudi Arabia, but provided strong support for the integration of the BRI with Saudi Vision 2030, noted Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Al-Ajlan, chairman of the Saudi Chinese Business Council and vice chairman of Ajlan & Brothers, a Saudi Arabian manufacturer of menswear.

As China constantly deepens

reform and opening-up, the country enjoys bright prospects for reshaping the development of the digital economy, according to Lothar Herrmann, president and CEO of Siemens Greater China.

Herrmann believes that China is not only the second largest overseas market for Siemens, but an exceptional center for research and development and an important base for the company’s future development.

Siemens will continue to carry out extensive cooperation with its Chinese partners in an environment featuring equality, openness, and transparency, and empower the transformation of pillar sectors of economic growth such as industry, infrastructure, and transportation with technologies, said Herrmann.

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John Magufuli: Tanzania arrests over missing president rumours

P

olice in Tanzania have arrested four people on suspicion of spreading rumours on social media that President John Magufuli is ill.

The 61-year-old leader has not been seen in public for more than two weeks.

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said last week that Mr Magufuli was “healthy and working hard”.

But opposition politicians have said he’s in a serious condition after contracting Covid-19 and had been flown abroad for treatment.

“To spread rumours that he’s sick smacks of hate,” Mr Majaliwa said on Friday, adding that he had spoken to him on the phone and that he had sent his greetings to the public.

On Monday, Vice-President Samia Suluhu Hassan told

Morocco condemned over extradition to Saudi Arabia

R

ights groups and supporters of Osama alHasani have condemned Morocco for extraditing the Saudi-Australian theologian to Saudi Arabia, where they say he could face torture.

They accuse Morocco of violating the non-refoulement principle under the UN Convention against Torture.

Moroccan officials confirmed they had handed Mr Hasani to the Saudi authorities, who had issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of theft, which he denies.

Mr Hasani’s legal team say it is politically motivated and has urged the UN to speak to Moroccan and Saudi authorities.

While the Moroccan authorities said they had handed him over to Saudi Arabia, there is no indication Mr Hasani has left the country.

Activists believe he is still in Morocco in the custody of Saudi officials.

His wife Hana had pleaded with the Australian prime minister, saying she fears for his life if taken to Saudi Arabia.

The Australian government confirmed on Thursday it was in contact with Morocco on the matter and that an embassy official had visited him.

Mr Hasani was arrested last month in the Moroccan city of Tangier on his way to visiting his wife and infant son.

Source: BBC

Mr Magufuli has not been seen in public for more than two weeks

Tanzanians not to listen to rumours and urged them to remain united.

“It’s quite normal for anybody

to be afflicted by illness, to contract flu or a fever… this is the time for Tanzanians to be united through prayer,” she said,

without elaborating who she was talking about.

The four arrests were made in different parts of the country,

with the first on Friday, says the BBC’s Munira Hussein in Dar es Salaam.

Speculation about the president’s health grows as each day passes, correspondents say.

Opposition leader Tundu Lissu told the BBC last week that his sources had told him Mr Magufuli was being treated in hospital for coronavirus in Kenya.

He said the president had suffered a cardiac arrest and was in a critical condition. But this claim has been denied by several Tanzanian officials.

Another Tanzanian politician told Associated Press, on condition of anonymity for fear of a backlash, that he had spoken to people close to the president who said he was seriously ill and in hospital.

Mr Magufuli has been accused of playing down the threat posed by the coronavirus and has been criticised for encouraging Tanzanians to rely on prayers, steam therapy and herbal remedies.

Ethiopia’s Tigray crisis: Hospitals ‘vandalised and looted’

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early 70% of health facilities in Ethiopia’s conflict-hit northern region of Tigray have been vandalised and equipment looted, a report by medical charity MSF has found.

The facilities were “deliberately” attacked to make them “nonfunctional”, Médecins Sans Frontières said.

The situation was having a “devastating” impact on the population, the organisation said in a statement.

The Ethiopian authorities say most health services have been restored.

Conflict erupted in Tigray on 4 November 2020 when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered an offensive to oust the region’s former ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), after its fighters had captured federal military bases in the region.

Fighting continues despite Mr Abiy declaring victory at the end of November.

The situation in Tigray “remains extremely concerning” and the conflict continues to displace people, the UN’s humanitarian affairs agency (OCHA) said last week.

It added that although aid workers had now been able to access some parts of the region, “many people remain in hard-to-reach areas due to insecurity, logistical and administrative hurdles”.

Hundreds of civilians have been killed and tens of thousands displaced in the last five months, a situation that has sparked condemnation around the world.

Last month Amnesty International accused troops from neighbouring Eritrea of killing

hundreds of people in the ancient city of Aksum on 28 and 29 November, saying the mass killings may amount to a crime against humanity.

What is the state of health centres in Tigray?

Only 13% of 106 facilities that teams from MSF visited between December and early March were operating normally.

They also found destroyed equipment, smashed doors and windows, and medicine and patient files scattered across floors in health centres in Debre Abay and May Kuhli in north-western Tigray.

On a visit to a hospital in the central city of Adwa it found medical equipment, including ultrasound machines and monitors, had been deliberately smashed.

Tigray’s medical system has almost collapsed, MSF warned A hospital in the town of Semema had been set on fire while a delivery room at Sebeya was destroyed after the facility was hit by rocket, MSF reported.

Looting of health facilities still continues, the organisation said.

The Ethiopian embassy in London told the BBC in a statement that 75% of hospitals in Tigray were now operational and 10% were operating partially.

It added that 90% of healthcare workers were providing the required health services and that it had rolled out a Covid-19 vaccination campaign in the region.

Who is to blame?

MSF did not directly name perpetrators but called on “armed groups in the conflict” to respect and protect health facilities and medical staff.

MSF teams found hospital equipment vandalised and medical records strewn on the floor It accused Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers of occupying some hospitals. Both government have denied that Eritrean troops went into Tigray despite persistent reports.

“The army used Abiy Addi hospital [in central Tigray] as a military base and to stabilise their injured soldiers,” says MSF emergency coordinator Kate Nolan.

“During that time it was not accessible to the general population.

They had to go the town’s health centre, which was not equipped to provide secondary medical care they can’t do blood transfusions, for example, or treat gunshot wounds,” she added.

MSF also accused Eritrean soldiers of using a health facility in Mugulat in east Tigray as their base.

It also accused the armed groups of seizing ambulances.

But Ethiopian authorities blame TPLF fighters for the damage to health infrastructure.

What has been the impact?

Tigray used to have one of the

best health systems in Ethiopia, with a network of health posts in villages, health centres and hospitals in towns, but the conflict “has almost completely collapsed” the system, according to MSF. In the past four months children have gone unvaccinated making them vulnerable to infectious diseases in the future, the charity said.

Pregnant women, patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and HIV, as well as psychiatric patients, are going without life-saving drugs, it added.

“Health facilities need to be rehabilitated and receive more supplies and ambulances, and staff need to receive salaries and the opportunity to work in a safe environment,” said MSF general director Oliver Behn.

The Ethiopian embassy in London said MSF’s assessment failed to acknowledge the government’s efforts to fix the infrastructure and restore the health sector, “which is rapidly resuming service”.

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PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

Hong Kong’s patriotic societies launch activities to support decision on improving Hong Kong’s electoral system

By Chen Ran, People’s Daily

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draft decision on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) was submitted to the 4th session of the 13th National People’s Congress for deliberation, which inspired all walks of life in Hong Kong.

Since March 5, Hong Kong’s patriotic societies have launched petition activities and symposiums in all 18 districts of the HKSAR, which were actively joined by citizens.

Hong Kong citizens believe that it’s perfectly justifiable to implement the principle of “patriots governing Hong Kong,” and to improve the electoral system will bring a prosperous future to the special administrative region.

On March 6, 36 booths were set up in Eastern District of Hong Kong to explain to the citizens the importance of improving Hong Kong’s electoral system for the region’s stability and prosperity, and collect signatures from supporters.

“We collected over 500 signatures in just an hour,” said a volunteer surnamed Peng offering services at one of the booths. She believes that the fundamental reason for Hong Kong’s social disturbance are those who want

to destabilize Hong Kong and have seeped into the HKSAR’s governance system through institutional loopholes.

“Therefore I strongly support the improvement on Hong Kong’s electoral system, which is expected to eliminate the destroyers and select those who really want to serve the Hong Kong citizens,” she said.

According to Li Guanhua, head of the residents’ association in Sha Tin District, many residents joined the activities even in rains, and they were of different ages and from different jobs. He hopes that the electoral system can be improved as soon as possible, so as to return a happy and stable environment for Hong Kong citizens.

“We must stop allowing the ‘burn with us’ tactics. Only the patriots love their homes and the society, and genuinely protect the interests of citizens,” said a citizen surnamed Cheng, adding that the Pearl of the Orient will be shining again after governance issues are improved.

Cheung Kwok Kwan, vicechairperson of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, and member of the Legislative Council, introduced that he talked with many citizens during the activities, and found that almost every one

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China rolls out mandatory national standards to prevent myopia among students

By Zhang Jinruo, People’s Daily

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set of mandatory national standards on juvenile myopia prevention was put into practice in China since March 1, requiring all school supplies to meet myopia prevention criterions, from paper materials such as text books, to classroom lighting and multimedia teaching systems.

All schools supplies produced, manufactured, operated and provided by enterprises, primary

and middle schools, vocational high schools, kindergartens and afterschool training institutions, must comply with the standards.

According to the World Report on Vision released by the World Health Organization last year, myopia affected about 2.6 billion people around the world, and its penetration among children and adolescents was kept rising. In China, around 60 percent of children and over 90 percent of adolescents suffer from this common refractive error.

Myopia rates among Chinese primary, middle school and high school students rose 15.2 percent, 8.2 percent and 3.8 percent, respectively in the first half of 2020 compared with those at the end of 2019, said a survey done by the Ministry of Education that investigated students in nine Chinese provinces.

The newly implemented standards will prevent and control myopia from multiple aspects, said the State Administration for Market Regulation.

For instance, the standards have different requirements on the font sizes adopted by textbooks for different grades. Textbooks for first- and second-graders must be printed with characters not less than point size 16, and those for thirdand fourth-graders must be printed with characters not less than point size 14. The font size for fifth- to ninth-graders, as well as high school students must be equal to or larger than point size 12, while that for preschool materials must be not less

than point size 16.

The standards also request textbooks and exercise books to be neatly printed without any visible smudge. Ink on study-use paper must be evenly distributed. Blurry prints and obvious watermarks are not tolerated.

Besides, flickering of multimedia teaching systems shall be imperceptible, and the systems shall comply with blue light protection requirements and offer suitable screen brightness.

“Patriots governing Hong Kong” an irresistible trend

By Zhong Sheng

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he decision of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the top legislature of China, to improve the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has won wide support from the 1.4 billion Chinese people, including Hong Kong compatriots.

However, a very few countries in the west recently issued statements to smear the NPC decision, which trampled on international laws and basic norms governing international relations and came as blatant interference in China’s internal affairs.

It only lays bare their ulterior motive to wish Hong Kong ill and use Hong Kong as a pawn to hold back China’s development at large.

Modern international relation system shall no longer be a jungle

world from which justice and morality are absent. A very few western countries, however, have made unwarranted remarks about Hong Kong affairs on the pretext of democracy and freedoms, which only revealed their malicious intentions.

To improve the HKSAR’s electoral system is not about whether democracy and freedoms, but about a battle against those trying to grab power and commit subversion and infiltration.

These western countries must be aware that China today is no longer the old one that was once bullied by the Eight-Nation Alliance. Chinese people do not believe in fallacy. Nor are they afraid of evil forces. No country should expect China to trade its core interests away or tolerate any infringement on its sovereignty, security and development interests.

The statements made by these

Digest

By ROZ LEWIS FOR THE DAILY MAIL

Photo shows a bronze statue on the Golden Bauhinia Square, Hong Kong. (Photo by You Bing/People’s Daily) of them hoped to improve the Council, said no tourist likes came to the Tamar Park that electoral system and stop the to travel to a chaotic city, and sits adjacent to the offices of actions disturbing Hong Kong’s to implement the principle of the HKSAR government. They rule of law and orders. “To bring “patriots governing Hong Kong” unfolded a giant Chinese national orders to the society and a happy is the only way for the HKSAR to flag and a regional flag of the life back to citizens is a common maintain long-term stability and HKSAR. “We support the decision development. to improve the electoral system to aspiration of the people,” he said.

The young generation is the ensure stability and prosperity of “If you love your country, you shall be bold to express it.” That future of Hong Kong, so patriotism Hong Kong,” they said, adding that was a common voice made by over education must be enhanced for they have waited for this moment 30 young representatives attending this group, so as to cultivate new for too long.

The initiator of the activity said a symposium jointly held by HK successors of the cause of “one Federation of Fujian Associations country, two systems,” said a that Hong Kong shall no longer and The Y. Elites Association on representative from The Y.Elites be wasted, telling People’s Daily Association. that only patriots can implement March 7.

On the afternoon of March good policies to lead Hong Kong Wong Chun-tat, Chairman of The Hong Kong Travel Industry 7, multiple youth associations forward.

countries are nothing but ideological prejudices and hegemonic thinking, which expose their hypocrisy and double standard.

Democracy never existed in Hong Kong when it was still a colony ruled by a UK-appointed governor.

When did any of these western countries care about its democracy back then? Their statements today are not about democracy at all. If they really intend to uphold democracy in Hong Kong, they would have never sat back and watched riots attempting to break into the Legislative Council building, or rebuked China’s effort to improve the region’s electoral system and bring long-term stability of democracy.

The value of democracy is how it brings governance, not chaos.

Currently, the forces that impede Hong Kong’s governance and make troubles on Hong Kong affairs are

exactly standing at the opposite side of democracy.

Since Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, the region has entered a new historical period featuring the principle of “one country, two systems” and high autonomy, and Hong Kong residents have enjoyed more extensive democratic rights than at any other time in history.

However, in recent years, antiChina disruptors jumped on the loopholes of the electoral system to endanger national security, and some western countries and external forces added fuel to the fire and covered up the rioters.

Facing such challenges, the NPC’s decision to improve the electoral system is totally necessary and is conducive to the stable development of Hong Kong’s democratic system. It has received wide support from Hong Kong compatriots, who believe it carries

the central government’s caring for the special administrative region and will develop a new democratic electoral system with Hong Kong characteristics.

Hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong citizens recently joined an online petition to support the decision, which explained that to improve the electoral system is an unstoppable trend that complies to the aspiration of the people.

The Sino-British Joint Declaration has always been taken as a tool by certain western countries to meddle in Hong Kong affairs.

They did this because they wanted to label China as an irresponsible country that is reluctant to fulfill its international obligations. However, what they did was just comparing apples to oranges.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy.)

PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

an you ever be too fit? It may sound unlikely, but actually you can have too much of a good thing when it comes to exercise, especially if you are tall.

And that may be particularly true when it comes to the risk of developing a common heart condition: atrial fibrillation (AF), which affects around 1.5 million people in the UK. It is a heart rhythm disorder which makes the heart beat irregularly and often abnormally fast, causing dizziness, shortness of breath and tiredness.

Left untreated, the condition can cause heart failure and stroke. It is triggered by irregular electrical impulses in the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) which disturb its rhythm.

AF gets more common with age. Risk factors include high blood pressure, heart valve problems, blocked arteries, excessive alcohol consumption and an overactive thyroid, all of which make the heart work harder.

Mild to moderate exercise will help prevent AF by reducing obesity and blood pressure.

But AF is an astonishing five times more common in middle-aged men who are lifelong marathon runners, longdistance rowers and cyclists, compared with individuals of the same age who don’t exercise as much.

‘The theory is that excessive exercise causes enlargement of the atria due to the stretching of the tissues as a result of exertion,’ explains Sanjay Sharma, a professor of sports cardiology and inherited cardiac diseases at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in London.

‘There is also emerging evidence that repetitive stretching may cause inflammation or scarring of the atria, which predisposes a patient to AF.’ As an Olympic rowing champion, Greg Searle, now 48, prided himself on his fitness.

‘After the 2012 Olympics, I retired from competitive sport but kept my fitness ticking along, playing the odd game of tennis or five-a-side football and going for a run,’ explains Greg, who is now a rowing commentator and performance coach. He lives in Buckinghamshire with his wife and two children.

Left untreated, the condition can cause heart failure and stroke. It is triggered by irregular electrical impulses in the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) which disturb its rhythm +3 Left untreated, the condition can cause heart failure and stroke. It is triggered by irregular electrical impulses in the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) which disturb its rhythm But a year after picking up a bronze medal at London 2012, he says: ‘I found myself struggling during spinning classes, though I didn’t really think anything of it at the time.’

A few months later, in October 2013, Greg was in Italy for a triathlon and underwent a routine medical before the race.

To his surprise, the doctor told him his heart rate was ‘jumping around all over the place’ and he couldn’t take part.

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Why too much exercise might not be a good thing... especially if you’re tall (III)

Can you ever be too fit? It may sound unlikely, but actually you can have too much of a good thing when it comes to exercise, especially if you are tall [File photo] Suspecting AF, the doctor sent Greg to hospital where he was put on bloodthinning drugs to reduce the risk of stroke.

He was flown back to the UK and within weeks had tests at St George’s Hospital — including one in which he had to walk on a treadmill.

‘My heart rate started low, at around 80 beats per minute, then climbed as my exertion levels increased, to 110, then 140.

Next it shot up to 260 beats per minute,’ says Greg.

‘I knew that reading was very high, above what was healthy. It was a really sad moment for me. I knew this was the end of my career as an athlete.’

Trudie Lobban, founder and chief executive officer of Arrhythmia Alliance and the AF Association, says AF can be easily detected with a simple pulse check.

But while some people are alerted to the condition by the heart fluttering or pounding for a few seconds or minutes at a time, others have no symptoms and, as a result, ‘it can be years before it is detected’, she says.

The fitter you are, the more likely

you are to feel symptoms, as it brings performance levels down, says Professor Sharma.

This is because AF is associated with a 25 per cent reduction in the amount of blood the heart can pump out.

As an Olympic rowing champion, Greg Searle, now 48, prided himself on his fitness. ‘After the 2012 Olympics, I retired from competitive sport but kept my fitness ticking along, playing the odd game of tennis or five-a-side football and going for a run,’ explains Greg, who is now a rowing commentator and performance coach. He lives in Buckinghamshire with his wife and two children ‘When people exercise intensively, instead of the heart pumping five litres of blood per minute around the body, this increases to 25 to 30 litres per minute to provide sufficient oxygen and fuel to the muscles,’ he says.

‘If you have AF, this dramatic increase in output may not be achievable, causing breathlessness or exhaustion.

‘In contrast, someone who just walks briskly or jogs slowly may not need

“

When people exercise intensively, instead of the heart pumping five litres of blood per minute around the body, this increases to 25 to 30 litres per minute to provide sufficient oxygen and fuel to the muscles,’ he says.

such a high increase in cardiac output and may tolerate the AF much better.

Anyone who does a form of endurance exercise who gets tightness in the chest or another symptom, such as a feeling of breathlessness disproportionate to the amount of exercise; dizziness during exertion; or an unusually fast or erratic heart rate should seek medical attention.’

To be at greater risk of exerciserelated AF you need to have done 21 years of intensive exercise or 1,500 hours of competitive running, cycling or triathlon, he says.

But another factor is height. ‘Taller men generate higher blood pressure during exercise, which may load the heart more and put more stress on the atria,’ adds Professor Sharma.

Since an untreated irregular heart rhythm raises the risk of a stroke, diagnosis is vital.

This is because AF allows blood to pool in the atria, which can lead to blood clots that may travel to the brain.

Anticoagulant drugs such as warfarin can help with this but do not treat the underlying problem, and while antiarrhythmic drugs such as flecainide can help restore the heart’s normal rhythm, they don’t work for all.

Another option includes cardioversion, a controlled electric shock treatment used to bring back a normal heart rhythm.

PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

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PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

Feature

Discovering WW1 tunnel of death hidden in France for a century

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ot since the 1970s has there been such an important discovery from the Great War in France. In woods on a ridge not far from the city of Reims, the bodies of more than 270 German soldiers have lain for more than a century - after they died the most agonising deaths imaginable.

Forgotten in the confusion of war, their exact location was till now a mystery - one which the French and German authorities were in no hurry to elucidate. But thanks to the work of a father-and-son team of local historians, the entrance to the Winterberg tunnel on the Chemin des Dames battlefront has been found.

The urgent question is what to do next. Should the bodies be brought up quickly and buried in a German war cemetery? Should there be a full-scale archaeological dig so we can learn more about the conduct of the war and the lives of the men who fought it?

Should there be a memorial, or a museum?

The two governments are still deliberating, but time presses.

Because if the tunnel’s location is in theory still a secret, it is a secret that has been badly kept.

When I visited the spot a few days ago, it was to discover that bounty-hunters had been the night before. A three-metre deep hole had been dug near the entrance, and a collection of wartime artefacts axes, spades and pit-props as well as unexploded shells - left in a heap.

We also found a human ulna the fore-arm bone.

The looters had not managed to break into the tunnel - that lies even deeper down - and what they found are bits and pieces thrown up in the shell explosion that sealed it off.

But no-one doubts they will be back, because whoever gets into the Winterberg tunnel first will find a treasure trove.

In the spring of 1917 the French launched a doomed offensive to retake the hills that lie in a westeast line a few miles to the north of the river Aisne. The Germans had held the crest along the Chemin des Dames for more than two years, and they had a complex system of underground defences.

Near the village of Craonne, the Winterberg tunnel ran for 300m from the north side of the crest invisible to the French - and came out to supply the first line of German trenches on the south-facing slope.

On 4 May 1917 the French launched an artillery bombardment targeting the two ends of the tunnel, sending up an observation balloon to get a sight on the north-facing slope.

For once their accuracy was formidable. A shell fired from a naval gun hit the entrance, triggering more explosions from ammunition that was stored there and sending a cloud of acrid fumes into the shaft. Another shell sealed the exit.

Inside, the men from the 10th

and 11th companies of the 111th Reserve Regiment were trapped.

Over the next six days, as oxygen ran out, they either suffocated or took their own lives. Some asked comrades to kill them.

By a fluke of physiology, three men survived long enough to be brought out by rescuers, just a day before the crest was abandoned to the French. One of them, Karl Fisser, left an account for the regimental history: “Everyone was calling for water, but it was in vain. Death laughed at its harvest and Death stood guard on the barricade, so nobody could escape. Some raved about rescue, others for water. One comrade lay on the ground next to me and croaked with a breaking voice for someone to load his pistol for him.”

When the French took the ridge, the scene outside would have been of untold chaos and destruction.

Digging into the tunnel would hardly have been a priority, so they left it. The Germans retook the Chemin des Dames in a later push, but at that point they had no time either to search for remains.

By the end of the war noone could say for sure where the Winterberg tunnel had actually been. They weren’t French bodies inside, so it was decided to let them lie - as countless other bodies still lie unfound along the Western Front.

The woods grew back and the shell-holes became mere undulations in ground. Today the spot is popular with dog-walkers.

But a local man called Alain Malinowski could not get the tunnel out of his head. It was out there somewhere on the ridge.

Working on the Paris metro in the 1990s, he travelled daily to the capital and used his spare time to visit military archives in the Château de Vincennes. For 15 years he accumulated descriptions, maps and prisoner interrogations - but to no avail. The landscape had been too badly disfigured by bombardment to make any meaningful comparison.

But then in 2009 he chanced on a contemporary map showing not just the tunnel but also a meeting of two paths that had survived till today. With painstaking care, he measured out the angle and distance and arrived at the spot, now just an anonymous bit of woodland.

“I felt it. I knew I was near.

I knew the tunnel was there somewhere beneath my feet,” Alain Malinowski told Le Monde.

For 10 years nothing happened.

He told the authorities of his find but they refused to follow it up, either because they did not believe him or because they had no desire to open up a mass war-grave.

Into the story stepped his son Pierre Malinowski, at 34 years old a maverick ex-soldier who once worked for Jean-Marie Le Pen and now runs a foundation in Moscow dedicated to tracing war-dead from the Napoleonic and other eras.

Angered by official obfuscation,

Pierre decided to force the hand of the French and German governments by opening up the tunnel himself. This was illegal, but he thought it was worth the punishment.

One night in January last year he led a team that brought a mechanical digger to the spot his father had identified. They dug down four metres, and what they found proved they were indeed at the entrance to the tunnel.

There was the bell that was used to sound the alarm; hundreds of gas-mask canisters; rails for transporting munitions; two machine-guns; a rifle; bayonets and the remains of two bodies.

“It was like Pompeii. Nothing had moved,” said one of the team.

Pierre Malinowski then covered up the hole, leaving the place as anonymous as he had found it, and he contacted the authorities. Ten months later, again frustrated by the slowness of the official response, he went public and told the story to Le Monde.

It is fair to say that Pierre Malinowski is not a popular figure in the archaeological and historical establishments.

They believe he has not only broken the law. Without any authority of his own, and overriding the argument that the dead are best off resting where they are, he has also twisted the arm of government, forcing it either to open the tunnel or at least protect it.

And by his example he has encouraged other go-it-alone excavations - most of which will be conducted for purely mercenary motives.

Official reluctance to proceed

“

Some of the debris uncovered by looters at the site with an investigation is clear. Diane Tempel-Barnett, spokeswoman for the German War Graves Commission (VDK), told German radio “to be honest we are not very excited about the discovery. In fact we find it all most unfortunate”.

It is hard to imagine the Commonwealth War Graves Commission taking a similar line if the bodies of 270 UK troops were found. But then World War One is often described in Germany as its “forgotten war”.

In fact efforts are under way now to track descendants of those who died in the tunnel - and with some success. The 111th Regiment recruited men in the Baden region of the Swabian Alps, and nine soldiers have now been identified who died on 4 and 5 May 1917.

“If I can help just one family to trace an ancestor who died in the tunnel, it will have been worth it,” says Mark Beirnaert, a genealogist

For 10 years nothing happened. He told the authorities of his find but they refused to follow it up, either because they did not believe him or because they had no desire to open up a mass war-grave.

and Great War researcher.

“What I hope is that the bodies can be brought out and identified by their dog-tags. Then what would be fitting is that they leave this cold eerie tomb and be buried together as comrades.”

That is what happened to the more than 400 German soldiers who were found in 1973, having died in a similar tunnel at Mont Cornillet east of Reim Pierre Malinowski also wishes that due honours be paid to the men. “These were farmers, hairdressers, bank-clerks who came willingly to fight this war, and then died in a way that we cannot begin to comprehend,” he says.

He is scrupulous in his respect for human remains. The bodies he has found have been returned to the ground, and he will not let them be photographed. But alongside the soldier’s solidarity, there is also the fascination.

“The bodies will be preserved, so they will be like mummies, with skin and hair and uniforms.

“Remember the tunnel was where these soldiers lived from day to day - so there will be all their normal possessions. Every soldier will have a story. It will be the biggest ever reserve of human material from the First World War.” Source: BBC

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PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

Sports

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sports@peoplesdailyng.com, SMS- 08142929046

Tuesday, march 16, 2021

NPFL: Prompt medical intervention averts tragedy in Enugu

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ut for the prompt intervention of medical personnel on duty, the matchday15 of Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL match between Rangers International of Enugu and Adamawa United, a fatal situation would have been recorded.

The quick intervention of medical personnel on duty using the medical facilities on ground at the Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium, Enugu venue of the match day 15 fixture between Rangers International F.C and Adamawa United F.C helped in saving the life of Emmanuel Ibekwe, an attacker with the visiting team.

In a release from the Rangers after the match, it indicates explained that “An aerial challenge between the attacker and Rangers’ defender, Uche John on 28 minutes, saw the attacker coming worse off and the alertness of Osas Okoro who saw the attacker’ awkward posture on hitting the ground, raised the alarm that brought the medical personnel onto the pitch while the life-support equipped ambulance was called in.”

Medical doctors and nurses from both teams and those from the state F.A quickly

went to work at reviving the footballer which was achieved before he was taken to a nearby medical facility for further observations and treatment.

Team manager of the Enugu side, Barr.

Amobi Ezeaku, said after the player’s revival, “We thank God for His mercies this afternoon because, we could have had what we saw last season in one of the league venues that led to the loss of a footballer but we were prepared here and we don’t joke with life of any footballer.”

C.E.O designate of the LMC, Prince Davidson Owumi who witnessed the near calamity, said, “When we talk about clubs and F.A to be up to date with their medical facilities, it is for this kind of situations.

Thankfully, the home side, Enugu state government, and the F.A were spot on and that is why we were able to contain the situation this afternoon. I thank all the medical personnel that did their best in saving the life of the player.”

Recall that the league lost a player last season when medical assistance did not get to him as he slumped during a match in Lafia.

Emmanuel Ibekwe being attended to

Motsepe promises to restore the dignity of Africa Football

By Amaechi Agbo

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ew Confederation of Africa Football, CAF President, Patrice Mostepe has vowed to restore the dignity of Africa football during his four-year tenure.

Mostepe who became the first South African to occupy the seat and the seventh CAF supremo promised in his acceptance speech at the end of the elections in Rabat, Morocco, Friday said that he will chart a new path for Africa football.

The 43rd CAF General Assembly on 12 March, 2021 in Rabat, Morocco, elected Dr. Patrice Motsepe, as President of CAF. Dr Motsepe, who becomes the seventh person to occupy the position of CAF President, begins his four-year term after being elected unopposed by the Member Associations of CAF, present in Rabat.

Going to the General Assembly, Africa adopted a unity stance which saw other three candidates, namely Augustin Senghor, Ahmed Yahya and Jacques Anouma withdraw from the race to be President.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who was in attendance in Rabat in his remarks in the General Assembly commended the African Member Associates for the unity they have displayed in the last few weeks.

Dr. Motsepe, 59, is an accomplished South African businessman and philanthropist and no stranger to football. For almost two decades, he has been the President of a South African club, Mamelodi Sundowns.

In his first address as CAF President, Dr Motsepe spoke about creating a new CAF that will take African football to new heights.

“I’m very excited. There is a great deal of urgency of getting things done. There is a going to be a lot of work and a lot of running.

We have to make sure that African football is not just competitive but globally successful.

Africa spends millions of dollars every year paying for tv rights of leagues outside Africa.

There is a need to build our own products and we will succeed.

“The face of African football will never be the same again. 95% of our conversations will be about football and that is fine but there must be that 5% where we discuss the importance of the private sector partnerships.

We need to restore the pride, the dignity and the respect of Africa,” said Dr Motsepe.

“There is a great deal of urgency and this is something we all know. One of the things I’m going to propose is that we need to meet regularly as the Member Associates Presidents. We need to close the distance between the members and CAF. I believe we have a clear understanding of what needs to be done. At times we find fancy words to describe what needs to be done but the most important thing is implementation.”

Dr Motsepe has committed to visiting each of the 54 Member Associates of CAF as part of a plan to understand the problems facing Member Associates and also to assist in creating better relations with the corporate world.

New CAF President, Patrice Motsepe

Iheanacho scores hat-trick as Leicester thrash Sheffield 5-0 PG30 >>>PG31

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S p Dele Ajayi promises to revamp grassroots football in Ondo

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ewly elected Ondo State Football Association Chairman, Dele Ajayi, Saturday said one of his major projects was going to be the development of football from the grassroots.

Ajayi in Akure said that to do this he was ready to tap from the wealth of experience of his cocontestants in the election.

“This is to ensure that football is developed to the next level in the state.”

He assured that Ondo State FA would organise competitions at various stages such as the under-13 and under-15.

Ajayi also expressed optimism that peace had returned to the state football family after none of the participants in Wednesday’s election had officially contested the outcome.

“It’s great (that no one contested the outcome). We are one big football family, and we are going to tap from all resources.

“This is our state, as we have no other one than Ondo state.

We are moving to the grassroots; we are going to get sponsors and develop talents.

“We are also going to help our major club, they are going to get a promotion. So, we should all be expecting good results from now on,” he said.

Ajayi, however, identified non-release of government allocation for over 12 years as a major problem confronting the state FA, saying “we use personal funds for the little we are able to do.

“But by the grace of God, now that everything is settled and peace has returned to Ondo state FA, we will work together.

“Before now, if we plan to move to Ondo State House of Assembly, some people will go ahead of us and stop the process. ”But with the return of peace now, all of us will go there and demand state allocation for the FA,” he said.

The new state FA chairman thanked the delegates at the election for the faith reposed in him, urging all football clubs in the state to work with the state FA.

Dele Ajayi

PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

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AFCON Qualifiers: Onyekuru replaces injured Kalu for Benin, Lesotho clashes

By Amaechi Agbo

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uper Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr has called up Henry Onyekuru to replace injured Samuel Kalu in the 24-man List for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON qualifiers against Benin Republic and Lesotho this month.

Kalu was injured in Bordeaux’s 3-1 win at Dijon on Sunday after just 16 minutes.

Bordeaux confirmed Kalu’s injury in a Tweet on their verified Twitter handle during the game.

Kalu was replaced just 16 minutes of the game by Nicolas de Preville.

However, Rohr has reportedly replaced him with Onyekuru who was on the standby list released last week.

“Galatasaray’s Henry Onyekuru will replace the injured Samuel Kalu in Super Eagles squad for this month’s #AFCON qualifiers,” former Super Eagles Media Officer, Collin Udoh said

on Twitter Monday.

With Onyekuru replacing Kali, Gernot Rohr has once again left our Paul Onuachu, the highest goal Scorer in Europe currently but he is among the standby players named by Rohr for the Eagles’ matches.

Onuachu scored his 27th goal of the season to help Genk secure a 2-1 victory over Anderlecht in Sunday’s Belgian Cup tie.

The centre-forward has been in blistering form for the Blue and White this season and against the Purple and White, he increased his tally.

The Nigeria international was handed his 31st appearance across all competitions this campaign and helped his side continue in their winning ways.

Super Eagles will battle Benin on March 27 and Lesotho three days later in their quest to reach the 2021 AFCON final in Cameroon.

Samuel Kalu

Keeping clean-sheet will earn Watford PL promotion - Troost-Ekong

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atford’s 2-1 stoppage time win over Cardiff City in the English Championship on Saturday ensured that they are 7 points behind league leaders, Norwich City and their defender, William Troost-Ekong believes that keeping clean-sheet will propel them to return to the Premier League one year after Watford’s Super Eagles defender, Troost-Ekong who is part of Gernot Rohr’s 24-man list for the 2021 AFCON qualifiers later this month, disclosed how Watford are hoping to keep a clean sheet in every game they play to boost their chances of achieving their promotion target.

The defender has played 24 games across all competitions to help Watford to their current third spot on the Championship table.

The Hornets have conceded the fewest away goals in the league this season and Troost-Ekong has revealed their success is as a result of their teamwork.

“We’ve created that mentality this year. Every time the ball goes out of play we are reminding ourselves to keep a clean sheet,” Troost-Ekong told the club website.

“It’s an uplifting feeling to help the boys and take the pressure off the boys up front. It means we only need to score one to win the game if we defend like that.

“It’s not just the centre-backs, the full-backs and the goalkeeper, though. It’s a team effort. Everyone is doing some leg work for the team, helping to cover the spaces and that means we have one job, which is to defend.

“We have had some outstanding performances in a real team effort.”

“It’s going to be a massive game. The game at home against them was tough and we know what they will bring from set-pieces and how strong they are,” he continued.

“They are on a roll, so we have to show them respect, but not too much as we aren’t a nice team to face either.

We regret that defeat at home, and we want to set the record straight. It’s going to a massive game for us.

“Each striker presents a different challenge. You have to be smart and not try and fight players like that all the time.

“You have to try and outwit them, make sure you stand your ground and not be pinned. You have to pick and choose your battles. I enjoy these sorts of games and battles. We need to show them what we are about.”

PAGE 31

PEOPLES DAILY, Tuesday, march 16, 2021

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p r t Iheanacho scores hat-trick as W Leicester thrash Sheffield 5-0

By Amaechi Agbo

ith Super Eagles set to tackle Squirrels of Benin Republic and Lesotho in 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON qualifiers on 27 and 30 of this month respectively, Super Eagles striker, Kelechi Iheanacho has made case to lead the Eagles attack following his three goals against Sheffield United in the EPL Sunday Kelechi Iheanacho, 2015 FIFA U-17 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winner, scored a superb hat-trick as Leicester City maintained their push for a top-four finish with a commanding Premier League victory over Sheffield United, in the Blades’ first game since the departure of manager Chris Wilder.

Having been appointed interim manager until the end of the season on Saturday, Under-23’s boss, Paul Heckingbottom took charge of bottom club United following Wilder’s departure by “mutual consent” after almost five years in charge.

But Leicester were far superior at King Power Stadium on Sunday, where Iheanacho continued his fine goalscoring form as the Foxes ran riot in the second half.

Iheanacho scored for a third successive Premier League game for the first time as he met Jamie Vardy’s cut-back to break the deadlock shortly before the interval.

Ayoze Perez had come closest to an early

opener with a flicked header that Aaron Ramsdale diverted onto the post, but the Spaniard got the goal his performance deserved with a fine finish into the bottom corner after 64 minutes.

Iheanacho got his second from Vardy’s excellent pass five minutes later, before the Nigeria forward’s powerful strike sealed his first treble for the club.

Vardy thought he had ended a six-game goal drought with his shot 10 minutes from time, but Blades defender Ethan Ampadu made the decisive touch.

Leicester temporarily moved up to second place before Manchester United’s win against West Ham, while Sheffield United are 14 points adrift of safety.

An ‘embarrassing’ performance at the end of a turbulent week for Sheffield United For the first time since a 1-0 defeat by Bolton Wanderers on the opening day of the 2016-17 League One campaign, Sheffield United took to the field without Wilder as manager.

Tasked with lifting the players for their final 10 Premier League games with relegation to the Championship looming, Heckingbottom was only able to link up with his players on Sunday due to Covid-19 protocols.

But the former Barnsley, Leeds United and Hibernian boss could not have been further from inspiring his side to a shock victory in a tough opening assignment against Leicester.

United failed to register a single attempt at goal in a one-sided first-half but they at least had Ramsdale to thank for not finding themselves further behind before the interval.

Chris Basham headed Vardy’s shot off the line as the Blades offered resistance early in the second half, but Heckingbottom’s side were torn apart as they shipped four goals in the space of 16 desperate minutes.

Having never lost by more than a threegoal margin under Wilder, United fell limply to their heaviest defeat since September

Kelechi Iheanacho 2008, bringing to a close a week that few could have envisaged less than one year on from the club’s remarkable ninth-placed finish on their top-flight return.

Pele Congratulates Ronaldo on new record

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razil football great, Pele has congratulated Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portugal forward’s hat-trick against Cagliari took him past the Brazilian legend’s tally of goals scored in official matches.

Ronaldo netted three times inside the opening 32 minutes to take his career total to 770 - three clear of Pele’s tally of 767.

“Life is a solo flight. Each makes his own journey. And what a beautiful journey you are having. I admire you a lot, I love watching you play and this is no secret to anyone. Congratulations on breaking my record of goals in official matches,” Pele posted on Instagram.

Some reports suggest this is a world record tally but that is disputed by the Czech Football Association, which claims former Austria and Czechoslovakia striker Josef Bican is football’s true all-time top scorer with 821 goals.

Meanwhile, data from Rec Sport Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF) says Bican scored 805 career goals. But among them were 27 goals for Rapid Vienna’s reserve and amateur teams, as well as strikes which were not in official international games.

Remove those and Bican finished his career on 759 goals - short of Pele and Ronaldo’s total.

‘My ever-lasting and unconditional admiration for Pele’ Ronaldo said he ‘can’t wait for the next challenges - trophies’ after surpassing Pele’s goals tally After the game against Cagliari, Ronaldo explained on Instagram why he is only now acknowledging the “record”.

“The last few weeks were filled with news and stats considering me the world’s top scorer in football history, overcoming Pele’s 757 official goals,” he said. “Although I’m thankful for that recognition, now it’s time for me to explain why I didn’t acknowledge that record until this moment.

“My ever-lasting and unconditional admiration for mister Edson Arantes do Nascimento [Pele], such as the respect that I have for mid-20th century football, led me to take into account his 767 score, assuming his nine goals for Sao Paulo State Team, as well as his single goal for the Brazilian Military Team, as official goals. The world has changed since then and football has changed as well, but this doesn’t mean that we can just erase history according to our interests.

“Today, as I reach the 770th official goal in my professional career, my first words go straight to Pele. There’s no player in the world who hasn’t been raised listening

to stories about his games, his goals and his achievements, and I’m no exception.

And for that reason, I’m filled with joy and pride as I acknowledge the goal that puts

me on top of the world’s goalscoring list, overcoming Pele’s record, something that I could never have dreamed of while growing up as a child from Madeira.”

Tokyo Olympics: Dare confirms ‘silent preparations’ for Nigeria athletes

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unday Dare, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, said Team Nigeria had been “silently” preparing for the Tokyo Olympics Games.

Dare told newsmen at the two-day meet organised by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) that not all preparatory processes were being publicised.

“Preparations are ongoing at various levels, but some of these will not make it to the pages of the newspapers and the media

and it’s deliberate too.

“We have several plans running almost concurrently too, for our foreign-based athletes and home-based athletes. But not all of these will be in the newspapers.

“And just this last week, eight other Olympic-bound athletes were adopted too and you know what that means. That’s a plus. We had five or six adopted before COVID-19 last year. It became a bit difficult after COVID-19 because it took so long because people lost a lot of money and revenue.

“But just last week we had about eight adopted, bringing the total to about 15. We hope that we can adopt about 40 of them to make a difference,” he said.

The 2020 Olympics have been rescheduled for July 23 to Aug. 8.

Dare, who hailed the performance of athletes at the AFN event, assured that the country‘s sports authorities were working day and night ahead of the Olympics.

He noted that the two-day meet was impressive as momentum was being gained ahead of the Olympics.

The minister added that he was happy that young athletes were setting personal best records with excitement and a higher spirit of competitiveness.

“I think the two-day meet we have had in Akure is good. I followed what happened yesterday (Saturday), and I think we are gaining momentum as regards the Olympics.

“But what gladdens my heart is the young athletes setting personal records. One can see the excitement, the competitiveness, and I think the future of Nigeria in the track

Tuesday, march 16, 2021

SPORTS latest

Gumi, Igboho, Kanu – three of a kind? (2)

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List of CAF presidents since 1957

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atrice Motsepe of South Africa Friday, March 12, became the 7th President of Africa’s football governing body, the Confederation of African Football, CAF. Motsepe became the first English speaking country to occupy the exalted seat.

North Africa countries have had dominance of the CAF Presidency with Egypt recording three presidencies between 1957 and 1972.

Ethiopia had their share of the position from 1972 to 1987 while Sudan had the shortest stewardship with one year from 1987 to 1988.

Cameroon, though had one President, but they produced the longest served president of CAF in the person of Isaa Hayatou who oversaw Africa football from 1988 to 2017, 29 years.

Ahmad Ahmad ensured that Madagascar had their share of the number on Africa footballer position for four years from 2017 to 2021. He was succeeded by a South African, Patrice Motsepe who began his stewardship on March 12, 2021 Below list of CAF presidents From 1957 Till Date Abdel Aziz Abdallah Salem, Egypt (1957-1958) Abdel Aziz Mostafa, Egypt (1958– 1968) Abdel Halim Mohamed, Egypt (1968–1972) Ydnekatchew Tessema, Ethiopia (1972-1987) Abdel Halim Mohamed, Sudan (1987–1988) Issa Hayatou, Cameroon (19882017) Ahmad Ahmad, Madagascar (2017-2021) Patrice Motsepe, South Africa (2021-) Taye Taiwo and Oduamadi

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ast time I focused on one of the three persons that are involved in one way or another in the nation’s current security challenges and are consequently always invariably in the news over it, viz, Nnamidi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Another is Sunday (Adeyemi) Igboho. Igboho is a rather new entrant to the scene because until now he was relatively unknown to Nigerians generally.

Today, Igboho is more or less a household name in the southwest.

He was apparently catapulted into the limelight when he unilaterally gave an ultimatum reportedly to Fulani herdsmen to quit Igangan, a community in Oyo state after the residents allegedly complained of being ‘terrorized’ by the alleged herdsmen. He has since extended this his apparent fight against them to other parts of the southwest. Igboho however, insists that his fight is against “criminallyminded killer” herdsmen. He says his mission is to rid the southwest of killer herdsmen, free the Yoruba race from the shackles of slavery, injustice and to engender good governance, according to reports.

When you watch Igboho speak in his native Yoruba language, you decipher seething anger within him. One can summarise his grouse thus, ‘how dare this people commit these atrocities against us in our very own soil, who do they take us for, weaklings?; look at the long list of our people that were killed by herdsmen, suspects were arrested by the security agencies but none has been brought to justice?’

Igboho is right to feel emotionally pained especially as there was no solution to the issue with news of farmers/herders clashes in the region increasing and the casualties rising too. The impression is that because of the perceived lukewarm attitude of the authorities in tackling the problem Igboho now took it upon himself to lead some people to put a stop to the alleged atrocities of the herdsmen his own way; by flushing them out from the forests and their places of abodes. This amounts to self-help. And I ask, is there no other option to solve the problem. True, Igboho’s way is popular with the masses, his media visibility is high. He is now variously described as a Yoruba

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Tuesday Column

By VICTORIA NGOZI IKEANO vikeano@yahoo.co.uk 08033077519 activist, Yoruba freedom fighter, Yoruba nationalist However, this his (action) way has led to other actions, reactions, counter reactions etc., some of which negative effects we are still experiencing till-date and the closure by way of healing would take a rather long while. As a saying goes, it is easier to destroy than to build. After giving a sevenday ultimatum to killer Fulani herdsmen to leave Igangan, he and his people visited the Fulani leader in the community and in the process the leader’s house was burnt. Days later news broke that one of Igboho’s houses in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital had been torched by unknown persons.

Later, apparently following the nationalistic fervor lit by Igboho, there were grumblings in the popular Shasha market in Oyo state with Yorubas reportedly querying why leadership of the decades-old market should be Hausas…. A fight ensued, erupting into a crisis that lasted for some days and which left many dead and injured, houses and other properties destroyed. In the end many northerners relocated back to their home states with apparent deep-seated hatred for the Yorubas with whom they had been co-habiting for centuries. Then they reacted by declaring a five day food and cow blockade of the south by the Amalgamated union of foodstuff traders and cattle breeders association in the north.

Expectedly the result was sharp rise in prices of commodities and meat in the south, the north being the nation’s food basket. Igboho,

“

Odua Peoples Congress(OPC), Afenifere and the like counter reacted by declaring a ‘No cow’ day, urging people of the southwest in particular and southerners in general to totally boycott cow meat on that day. To what end, I ask? ‘An eye for an eye’, you are told. However, human beings on earth cannot justly implement that principle because we are not perfect and cannot overlook the whole; we are short sighted so that it often happens that the good (innocent) is tarred in same brush with the bad. The aforementioned actions, reactions and counter reactions are further deepening the suspicions amongst these peoples.

In all of these the governors and traditional rulers in the southwest seem to be passive. I mean there has not been any concrete actions by them to broker enduring peace among the fighting groups by tackling root cause of the problem.

Yes, the governors met sometime ago and banned open grazing in their states. But an association of cattle rearers have said that that is not possible. None of them appear to have sat down with Igboho or called him over to proffer another way to approach the fundamental issue. So far, he has been having talks with private individuals only. I understand that they view him generally as a political thug with whom they should dine with a long spoon. But this is a matter that requires all hands to be on deck for a beneficial solution. The governors should remember that part of the reason Igboho literally took matters into his own hands

In all of these the governors and traditional rulers in the southwest seem to be passive.

I mean there has not been any concrete actions by them to broker enduring peace among the fighting groups by tackling root cause of the problem

is because the issue has been lingering without the governments seeming to do anything tangible to nip it in the bud. Suspects are yet to be prosecuted several months after their arrests. Justice must always be seen to be done to dispel speculations of favoritism and sacred cows.

And now following on the footsteps of Igboho, the OPC that had seemingly been on recess has woken up and also taken it upon itself to go fish out and arrest “the most wanted criminal in Ibarapa land” said to be one Iskilu Wakili.

He was handed over to the police.

But the police also detained the OPC members because according to them they allegedly committed murder and arson in the process of effecting Wakil’s arrest. They were later released.There is also unconfirmed but widely reported news that Wakil’s son has allegedly ‘killed’ some people since arrest of his father.

Needless to state that tension is brewing anew in Oyo state. Both parties appear to be sheathing their swords.

It should be noted though that war is sweet only to the ears of those who have not experienced it. All those directly and indirectly involved in this matter, including civil society groups, cultural organizations, traditional and faith-based institutions, opinion leaders, etc., should come together to deliberate on a viable option out of this growing quagmire which if not handled with wisdom could engulf the whole country. Selfhelp is no solution because of its cyclical effects. ...To be concluded

DAN GAYE Dangai

Bauchi detects 2116 ghost workers - News

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