Friday, October 18, 2019 Edition by Peoples Media Limited

Friday, October 18, 2019/ Safar 18, 1441 AH

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The nation awaits rescue of the remaining abducted Chibok schoolgirls

Transcorp acquires P&ID: Why Nigeria won’t pay $9.6bn Afam Power for judgment fine -Petroleum Minister N105.3bn -BPE

Buhari orders probe of NDDC operations page 5

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Says projects don’t reflect huge funding

Surrounded by officials of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation(CCRC), Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi test run one of the two motor cars & four Locomotives(trains) built for Nigeria by CCRC when the minister took delivery of the first batch of the additional trains that are to service the Abuja-Kaduna and Lagos-Ibadan rail lines, in Qisuyan district, Changzhou, yesterday in China.

Boko Haram: Senate urged to strip Ndume of army C’ttee chair

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Mambilla power projects: Police crackdown PDP to presidency: Reps uncover N2.5bn on fake journalists Make details of 2020 budget public at NASS, nab 3 compensation scam pAGE 10

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PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

News News 2-10,14 Editorial 11

Politics 15-17 Business 19-20

World News

Africa News

World News

24 Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu (middle), Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba (left) and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Arc. Sunny Echono, at the opening of 2 days retreat for Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries, SUBEB Chairmen, Directors and Head of Agencies in Education Sector, Theme: “Education for Change, a ministerial register Plan”, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

Buhari approves N10bn for emergency works on Enugu Airport By Lawrence Olaoye

The Presidential wedding that never was Page 4

Feature 25 Sports 29-31 Back Page

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News Editor, Ese Awhotu

By Ese Awhotu

Op.Ed 12-13

News

Buhari appoints Aliyu SA Media to First Lady

CONTENTS

Metro

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PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

resident Muhammadu Buhari has approved the release of the sum of N10billion Special Intervention Fund for immediate repairs and upgrade of the Akanu Ibiam International airport, Enugu. According to a statement made available to newsmen yesterday by Buhari’s spokesman, Femi Adesina, this was the high point of the courtesy call on the President by a delegation of governors and leaders of the Southeast yesterday at the Presidential Villa. The President said he was aware of the central nature of the airport, which was closed for repairs since August 24, to the socio-economic development of the Southeast.

He also said he was aware of the infrastructure deficits all over the country occasioned by lack of judicious use of available resources in the past. Buhari however declared that his administration was working on remedying this situation. “We’re trying our best to make sure that infrastructure rehabilitation is carried out very quickly. “I personally firmly believe that if we get infrastructure correct, the roads , rail, power, most Nigerians will mind their businesses, they would not even care who is in government. But when you deny them infrastructure, it will be difficult for them to compete and move across the country and regions. He appealed to the governors

to explain this position to their people. “Please, have the courage to continue to explain to your constituencies whenever they feel that there is laxity in government effort to rehabilitate infrastructure. “We are doing our best within the resources available to the government. The Federal Government is working to fix infrastructure deficit in the country. The challenges are there. It is our responsibility to fix things, we are doing it and we will continue to do our best in this regard,” the President said. In a presentation on behalf of the Governors and leaders of South East, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, while expressing gratitude over some of President’s infrastructural development in the

region, noted that the people of the South East were delighted with the speed and quality of work at the second Niger Bridge. The governor also commended the President for other ongoing Federal projects in the region including Enyimba Industrial City, Aba. On the condition of interstate Federal roads in the region, the governor described them as deplorable, urging the President to ‘‘kindly declare a State-ofEmergency’’ on them and issue appropriate directives. The leaders, who decried the challenging security situation in the region, had also appealed to President Buhari to approve special funding for the rehabilitation of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu.

Agric Show: Niger woos investors with areas of comparative advantage By Musa Adamu

overnor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello, said the state would continue to leverage on the vast comparative advantages in the production of rice and other high valued cash crops. He said this was to further encourage both local and foreign investors. Speaking at the 2019 and 12th edition of the annual National Agricultural Show, the Governor who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, the Ministry Agriculture, Ibrahim Garba Musa, listed other features where the state had comparative advantage to include “expansive arable land, conducive environment, large water bodies, expansive

forest resources and favourable government policies.” To further consolidate on the state’s efforts at boosting the agric sector, he said government was in collaboration with Alliance in for a Green Revolution I’m Africa (AGRA) to develope the state agric policy and investment plan. The Governor also disclosed that the state had continued to collaborate with various development partners, adding that “our partnership with the World Bank, African Development Bank, French Development Agency, and the Food and Agricultural Organization.” According to the Governor, the state has keyed into the Federal government National Livestock Transformation Plan, believing it would revolutionalise the sector.

“Niger state has already set the pace in this regard through the encouragement of ranching as a means of encouraging the adoption of global best practices in livestock animal husbandry.” The Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Agriculture, Alhaji Musa, said following the directive of the Governor, his Ministry had taken measures to fully develop the valued crops where the state had comparative advantage. Speaking on his behalf, the Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Dr Jonathan Wasa, Alh Musa said: “ the Ministry has identified these crops and regarded such crops as projects with each being assigned a project

officer.” The National Coordinator, Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria (NAFN) organizers of the National Agricultural Show, Dr Samuel Negedu, said described Niger state as a worthy partner to the Show. He praised the state for its “tenacity and sheer determination to lead in Agricultural development in the country.” He called on other states in the country to emulate the state on its efforts at breathing life into federal government agricultural development strides in the country. The Niger state Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria(AFAN), Alh Shehu Galadima, noted that the state was active in the development of agricultural value chains.

arr. Aliyu Abdullahi has been appointed Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity in the office of the First Lady, Aisha Buhari Aliyu was appointed along with other special assistants approved by President Muhammadu Buhari according to a statement from Abuja. Aliyu was the Board Secretary of Atar Communications Nigeria Ltd (owners of Liberty Television, Radio) and the Vice Chairman of the Buhari Media Organisation. He is graduate of University of Lagos where he obtained his LLB, a BL from Nigerian Law School where he was called to the Nigerian Bar as a Barrister and Solicitor. He later proceeded to Bucerius Law School for his Masters in Law and WHU Otto beischem School of Management for his MBA both in Germany. Aliyu has previously worked with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). He has a diverse areas of interest in his career ranging from Law to finance to Maritime and of late to Media. Aliyu is also one of the most distinguished and respected political analyst in Nigeria and ardent supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari. He was a member of the Media and Publicity Directorate of the APCPCO in both 2015 and 2019 and also the head of media of the Women and Youth Campaign Team of the APC In 2019.

President Muhammadu Buhari (middle), with South-South Governors, during their visit to President, at Presidential Villa, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: State House

Police, Press Corps crackdown on fake journalists, nab 3 at NASS By Christiana Ekpa

n view of the proliferation of fake journalists at the National Assembly Abuja , the Nigerian Police in conjunction with the House of Representatives Press Corps have apprehended three persons impersonating themselves as journalists. . The 3 impersonators were arrested shortly after the budget defence by the House of Representatives Committee on

threatened to beat them up, a situation that compelled the members of the Press Corps to call for help from the police and the Sergeant at Arms at the National Assembly who swung immediately into action and arrested the suspects through the directive of DPO , Umar Abdullahi Sambo ( SP). The three suspects Balarabe, Ibrahim and Joseph were later taken to the National Assembly Police Station where they were interrogated and detained for

further investigation. Recall that, Nigeria Union of Journalists FCT Council had recently declared war on fake journalists asking them to relocate from the nation’s capital as there is no more hiding place for them. In line with this, the NUJ inaugurated a nine man committee to tackle the menace of these hoodlums who have continuously brought the image of the journalism profession into disrepute.

JNI condemns kidnap of Kano children, urges fast-track of their return By Ese Awhotu

Barr. Aliyu Abdullahi

Petroleum Downstream which was held at the conference room 028. Trouble started after an interview session with the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timpre Sylva when the hoodlums posing as journalists accosted the minister demanding for some gratification to the amazement of accredited journalists covering the House who tried to stop them. These dare devil hoodlums, however, vented their anger on the accredited journalists and

he Jama’atu Nasril Islam, has expressed its unquantifiable pain and sadness over the unbelievable inhuman act of the kidnapping of Muslim children in Kano State by Igbo Christian slave traders. Recall that the kidnapped Kano children were later sold into slavery and were subsequently converted to Christianity. The Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI under the leadership of His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto in a statement yesterday, signed by Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu Secretary-General, JNI, condemned in the strongest terms this act of barbarism of inhumanity against Muslim children, saying that.” It is

unacceptable, dehumanizing and reprehensible.” “We call on all government agencies responsible to fast-track the return and rehabilitation of the abducted kids with their parents and relatives and investigate further the reported cases of hundreds of the same criminality being reported by parents in Kano, and who knows where else in Muslim states. “We also call on all parents to be vigilant of their children against criminal minds,” JNI stated. The JNI said the perpetrators must be tried and sanctioned appropriately in accordance with the relevant laws. “We shall keep our eyes and ears opened to ensure that justice is done,” the Islamic group assured.

JNI prayed the Omniscient and Omnipotent to restore peace and security in Nigeria, even as it gave credit to the Nigeria Police Force, Daily Trust and the Daily Nigerian news outlets for their respective exceptional performances, breakthrough and professionalism in uncovering this act of man’s inhumanity perpetrated by these Igbo Christians. JNI noted that, “ What was painfully shocking was the desperation of converting these Muslim minors to Christianity and changing their names to Christian names, in order to obliterate their history, lineage and culture. “What would have happened now in Nigeria if the story is the other way round? The lopsided Christian Nigerian media lords,

practitioners, institutions and their sponsors would have stuffed the airwaves and newspaper pages with all sorts of inciting captions, in electronic and print media calling Muslims all sorts of derogatory names in order to stigmatize them. But alas! “The usual conspiracy of silence on such issues which affect Muslims’ rights and dignity in Nigeria is now evident, as if nothing had happened. “Tribal jingoists and religious bigots would have called for secession and poured all sorts of curses and invectives on Muslims and their religion. “Allegations and agitations would have drowned everyone listening to the news by now. Social media would have been awash with floods of hate speeches and abuses.”

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PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

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Buhari orders probe of NDDC operations *Says projects don’t reflect huge funding

By Lawrence Olaoye

orried by the persistent criticisms of the operations of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered a forensic audit of the operations of the organisation from 2001 to 2019. In a statement made available to newsmen yesterday by hi pokes an, Femi Adesina, Buhari gave the directive while receiving governors of the states that

ake news got to its height in the last few weeks with the reports that President Muhammadu Buhari would be getting a second wife. First, it was the absence of the First Lady, Hajia Aisha Buhari, from the seat of power for a long period that got the tongue wangling. Rumour mills went to work insinuating that the wife of the President had irreconcilable differences with her husband and had resolved to stay out of the Villa to register her discontentment. It was reported that the First Lady was not comfortable with the activities of some unnamed men around her husband who allegedly have been controlling the levers of power. So the long stay of about 90 days outside the power house was interpreted to be her own way of protesting the excesses of the ‘cabal’ in government. After observing her hajj in Saudi Arabia, she went to London, United Kingdom to hibernate. But the First Lady cleared the air that she actually went on a holiday to have private time with her immediate family members. According to her, she had missed the annual holiday for sometime due to the demands of her exalted office. This put a lie to the speculations that she may have be angered by the activities of the so called cabals in the corridors of power. However, a disturbing video released by Fatima, daughter of Mamman Daura (Buhari’s older nephew), cast the First Lady in bad light. In the viral video, the mother of the nation was portrayed to have violently confronted Fatima just as it was reported that the President’s wife was locked out of the Villa. Initially, the authenticity of the video

Buhari was in doubt until Fatima claimed to have released it to the public, promising to even release some more. The First Lady equally authenticated the video explaining that the Daura’s locked her out of her apartment in the seat of power. Though it is unfortunate that skirmishes within the first family were brought to the public glare, it must be stressed that such is inevitable among humans as there is bound to be disagreements especially among closely knitted family members. It was the release of the video that bolstered the rumour that the President would be taking a second wife by last Friday. Until last Friday, the insinuations that President Buhari would be taking his Minister of Humanitarian Service and Disaster Management, Hajia Sadia Umar Farouk, had assumed flesh and blood. The nation waited expectantly for the D-Day and funny enough, activities in the Vila assumed a high tempo. Ahead of the D-Day, some ministers were overhead discussing the rumours in hushed tones ahead of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC). But the ‘new bride’ who was expected to tie the supposed nuptial knot with the President was in the United States of America (USA) attending to state functions. Calls kept coming from everywhere seeking to find out where and when the wedding will hold. While some claimed that it would hold in the National Mosque, Abuja, others said they had it on ‘good authority’ that every arrangements had been made for the nuptial tie to be done in the Presidential Villa’s Mosque. Notwithstanding the fact that the bride was not on ground, it was observed that the

News

with Lawrence Olaoye

The Presidential wedding that never was

Sadiya

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PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

make up the Commission, led by Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State. Buhari said what was presently on the ground in the South south region did not justify the huge resources that have been made available to the organisation. “I try to follow the Act setting up these institutions especially the NDDC. With the amount of money that the Federal Government has religiously allocated to the NDDC, we will like to see the results on the ground; those that are responsible

for that have to explain certain issues. “The projects said to have been done must be verifiable. You just cannot say you spent so much billions and when the place is visited, one cannot see the structures that have been done. The consultants must also prove that they are competent, “the President said. Buhari admitted that developing the Niger Delta area required enormous resources compared to other parts of the

country with firmer lands. “I am acutely aware, with my experience, that projects in your area are very expensive; that is why if any job is given, we must make sure that the company is competent and has the capacity to do it well with experienced consultants,” the President added. He, however, said that he would wait for the report of the audit before deciding on the next line of action regarding the organisation. Governor Dickson had earlier

expressed the disappointment of other governors with the operations of the NDDC, which they said was characterised by poor choice of projects, shoddy handling, uncompleted jobs and lack of the required support for the efforts of the states and local government administration in the region covered by the organisation. He, therefore, called for the repositioning of the NDDC in order to achieve the objectives for which it was set up.

Aisha number of Muslims who came to pray in the Aso Villa Mosque increased particularly last Friday. This was probably for some of the faithfuls to witness the ‘wedding’. The Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina’s denial of the imagined wedding was also not enough to stop the people from looking forward to a marriage that was not to be. Meanwhile, it was gathered that many politicians who would not want to be caught unaware of the ‘wedding of the century’ were lobbying those in the corridors of power to get the ‘Special Invitation’ to attend the event. Operators in the social media took it to a ridiculous level by providing ‘invitation Cards’ codenamed BUSA 2019. The hilarious card was probably taken for real as some persons were reported to have contacted sources in the Villa to get it. Some even dressed the President in impeccable suit while the minister was seen in a viral video in a wedding gown. Alas, Friday came and there was no wedding! The President, as usual, was in the office attending to official matters while everyone connected to official responsibilities in the seat of power were seen going about their normal business. Now, the ‘Presidential Wedding’ story has shown the damage that the social media could do if it continues unregulated. Though many would say that proposing regulation in the use of new media in the country would be tantamount to gagging the press in a democracy. The ridicule that the phantom wedding brought to the President and first family by some unconscionable persons who, armed with just a mobile phone, manufactured

and sustained lies was regrettable. One can only imagine the negative effect such fake news could have on the peaceful coexistence in the country should the same fervency adopted by the purveyors of the phantom wedding be deployed to promote unsavory information. Notwithstanding the argument that democracy thrives with the freedom of the press, something just has to be done to stop the propagation of fake news in the country. Today, it’s about a presidential wedding that never was, it could be about other sinister issue with capacity to dismember the country tomorrow. Something just had to be done and the time is now. The National Assembly must make laws that will criminalize fake news. Purveyors of fake and unverified news must be brought to account. Sources of fake news must be traced and perpetrators brought to book. The media must carry out self cleansing exercise. With the social media, everyone is a journalist. Journalism must be professionalized. Those bloggers bereft of journalist etiquette must be isolated, disowned and dealt with accordingly. It’s only by doing this that the genuine media Organisations could be excused from the mess the social media had brought upon the noble profession. Since some bloggers and online publishers have obviously resolved to bring the entire media into disrepute by generating and reticulating get fake news, the populace must learn to take every information from them with a pint of salt until confirmed by the traditional media. This is just one of the ways the people can retain sanity in an uncoordinated media milieu.

Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State (2nd left) Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu (2nd right), Chief of Staff to Governor of Gombe, Alhaji Abubakar Kari (left) and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs. Ekaro Comfort, during the governor’s visit to ministry of water resources, yesterday in Abuja.

P&ID: Nigeria’ll not pay $9.6bn judgment fine -Petroleum Minister By Christiana Ekpa

he Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, yesterday stressed that the federal government will not pay the $9.6billion judgment fine to Process and Industrial Developments Limited (P&ID) which he described as “fraudulent”. It would be recalled that, a British Court judgment had slammed the fine on the Federal government in favour of the Virgin Islands-registered company, earlier this year. The contract required the Nigerian government to pay $300 million for P&ID to set up a way to turn a dirty form of natural gas burned off during oil production into electricity for use by local governments. The deal was said to have been sealed in 2012 amid mutual recriminations and claims of fraud, while the $9.6 billion was built up through accrued interest

payments. Defending the Ministry’s 2020 budget before a joint-committee of the National Assembly on Petroleum Resources that sat at the House of Representatives wing yesterday, Sylva said in response to a question on the case, that “The P& ID is fraudulent and Nigeria will not pay” the fine. He told the Joint Committee headed by Sen. Bassey Akpan (Akwa Ibom-PDP), that the Ministry was determined to fix all the refineries in the country, before 2023. “All Refineries will be functional by the end of this dispensation”, he assured. The Minister also disclosed that Bauchi State “will definitely be an oil producing state in a few years, because the reserves there, are in commercial quantities”, but said, “I don’t know yet, if Anambra is a prospective oil or gas basin, but I will find out”. The Ministry had a few days ago, announced a discovery of oil

in the Northeast. The Minister also assured that “more jobs will come on stream, during this dispensation. I can assure you that a lot will begin to happen, during this dispensation”. He pleaded with the National Assembly, to provide adequate funding for the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to enable the downstream-policing agency, to check sharp practices in the industry. He said for the DPR to be everywhere, its operations, must be well funded in the 2020 budget, which is expected to be approved and passed for President Muhammadu Buhari’s assent in December. “For DPR to be everywhere, they must be well funded. They police the downstream sector, including the ports, so I will plead for adequate funding for them”, he said. He also assured that the ministry, will work with security agencies to make sure pipeline

vandalism is curtailed. Though details of the Budget proposal for the Ministry are yet to be made available, about N450billion has been earmarked for subsidy payment in 2020. Chairman of the jointcommittee on Petroleum Resources, Sen. Bassey Akpan on his part, also assured the Ministry, that the Senate and the House of Representatives, are committed to supporting the president in his efforts in the oil and gas sector. The senators however, expressed worries that DPR is “grossly understaffed”. The Committee also frowned at the failure of DPR, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and other agencies in the Ministry to appear before the committee The Minister also yesterday assured Nigerians that the Federal Government has no immediate plans to remove fuel subsidy. “This government is not about to remove subsidy because

it is difficult. We believe as a government that our people are going through a lot. “We cannot as a responsible government heap another issue of petroleum price hike or removal of subsidy on Nigerians “It is not on the cards at all, we are just looking at how we can manage it,” he said. The minister added that the official daily consumption rate of petrol in Nigeria does not reflect the actual consumption rate. Silva said that government does not believe that Nigerians consume over 60 million litres of fuel daily. He said there is a lot of smuggling and lots of our neighbours are taking advantage of the cheaper price in Nigeria. According to him, Nigeria is subsidizing for almost half of Africa which was very difficult to manage. He said that government was working to close up such leakages and when achieved, the cost of subsidy would be bearable.

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

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News University Don tasks govt. on improved power supply

Stakeholders condemn abuse, violence against young girls

From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua , Katsina

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

he Head of History and Security Studies of the Umaru Musa ‘Yar’adua University, Katsina, Dr. Musa Ahmed Mashi has tasked Federal Government to ensure steady supply of electricity as a tool of eradicating poverty in the country. Dr. Mashi stated this yesterday while delivering a key note address at the Celebration of International Day for the Eradication of poverty organised by the Anchor Initiative for Community Development in Katsina State. He added that the provision of stable power would lift people out of poverty by providing them with multiple sources of employment opportunity and make the selfreliant. Mashi said poverty is prevalent in Nigeria because people have to provide for themselves services such a education, health care and security. The Don therefore advised women to be creative by engaging in small businesses from their homes that will enable them support their families. He similarly decried a situation where men married multiple wives that produces children they cannot cater for. “Even if you have a government employment you should try as much to venture into a business that would support your income and family” he stressed The coordinator of Anchor Initiative for Community Development, Mr. Shola Babadiya has tasked All stakeholders to join hands in eradicating poverty in the country.

Gov. Ortom condoles Onitsha fire victims From Att:Editor from Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

enue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has described yesterday’s tanker fire disaster in Onitsha Anambra State which led to the loss of some lives and destruction of property worth millions of naira as devastating and unfortunate. The Governor who said this in a press release signed by his Press Secretary Terver Akase, stressed the need for urgent steps to be taken to stem the spate of fire disasters in parts of the country. Governor Ortom prayed God to grant those who died in the Onitsha fire incident eternal rest and their families the strength to bear the loss. He also wishes the injured speedy recovery.

takeholders in the health sector have condemned all forms of abuse and violence against young girls in the country. The experts who spoke on Wednesday to mark the 2019 Day of the Girl Child condemned various forms of abuse carried against young girls. At the media round table organized by the Society for Family Health (SFH), Dr. Ejike Orji, Chairman of the Association for the Advancement of Family Planing (AAFP), said the day is important to look at the issues affecting girl child such as humiliation, forced marriage and sexual violence. “We are also concerned that 62 million girls around the world have no access to education. Also,

70% of our population in Nigeria is under 30 and they are sexually active people. At this age, they need food, love and sex and if they can’t get it easily they take it by force. “The security forces are overwhelmed. Every year we add 3 million to our population and our resources is not doing well. We must discourage this violence and educate our young ones properly. “Mothers should be friends with their children and build a panel of behaviour. This is to ensure that they trust you with any information. If you don’t do that, they will open up to other people who might not give them the right advice.” Also speaking, Pharm. Fifi Ogbondeminu, A360 Deputy Project Director, said for over

two decades the organization has been implementing youth-focused programmes and facilitating youth participation in health programmes. “It is for this reason that addressing the health and development of young people promotes their adoption of healthy behaviours and in turn, ensures a healthy and productive future adult population is paramount. She said it’s Global Fund Adolescents and Young People (AYP) Project :Babes Alive Action research was meant to; “unravel the vulnerability factors that predispose Adolescent and Young Persons (AYP) to HIV and AIDS and developed health and social interventions to identify and mitigate the vulnerabilities of AYP to HIV.

She added that the program was Implemented in all Local Government Areas across three states – Akwa Ibom, Oyo and FCT Abuja. She said the aim of the Project was to minimize new cases of HIV to increase voluntary, modern contraceptive use and reduce unintended pregnancy among adolescent girls between 15-19-years-old in Nigeria”. Also speaking, Hajiya Fatima Muhammad, A360 Project Director, called on young people to support the global family planning goals, UNAIDS goals, and sustainable development goals through volunteering for health interventions, advocating for impact within their communities, and influencing peers to live healthier lives.

L-R: Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Kamoru Busari, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Hon. Timipreye Sylva and Director, Depart of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Ahmed Rufai Shakau, during their budget defence before the Joint committee on Petroleum Resources downstream and upstream, at the National Assembly, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Okowa mourns ex-military scribe, Major General, Henry Clark From Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

elta Governor, Sen. (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, has commiserated with the Clark family on the passing on of former Military Secretary, Maj.Gen. Henry Clark (retd). The late Clark is a younger brother of elder statesman and the convener of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin

Clark. The deceased, a highly educated army officer, hails from Kiagbodo in Burutu Local Government Area.of the state. He reportedly died peacefully on Tuesday, two days to his 71st birth anniversary, at his Enerhen home, near Warri. He was a one-time Registrar of Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna and until his

death, was Chairman, GenClark Marine Limited. In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, on Thursday in Asaba, Okowa commiserated with the Clark family, the people of Kiagbodo, the Ijaw nation and Nigeria Army over the passing of the retired General. He recalled that departed Gen. Clark was a fine officer who

made his mark by establishing the elite corps of paratroopers in the army, and described him as “thoroughbred army officer”. “On behalf of the government and people of Delta, I mourn the passing of a gentleman and thoroughbred army officer, Gen. Henry Clark, who reportedly died peacefully on Tuesday. Okowa prayed God Almighty to grant the deceased eternal rest.

Customs reopens Kebbi Command From Ahmed Idris Birnin Kebbi

he Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reopened its Kebbi State Command. This was contained in press statement signed by the Command Public Relations Officer (PRO), Nasiru Manga and made available to the

newsmen in Birnin Kebbi, the State capital. The PRO said that the reopening of the Area Command was to boost administrative, convenience, efficiency and revenue generation of the Service, adding that the move was also in line with the directive of the ComptrollerGeneral of Customs, retired Col. Hameed Ali.

The public relations officer further said that the Area Command would enhance service delivery and effective land border management, adding that it was part of the current administration’s policy thrust of reforming, restructuring and improving the system. “The customs service recently created additional area

commands for administrative convenience and to boost revenue generation,” he said. He said that Emmanuel Chukwuemeka, Controller for the new Area Command had since assumed duty. Our correspondent gathered that the kebbi State command office was closed and merged to Sokoto Command before it was now reopened.

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PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

CRIME News

Cybercrime: Student jailed, two others arraigned By Ese Awhotu report

with agency

Higher National Diploma (HND) Mechanical Engineering student of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Ojere in Ogun State, Olalekan Ogunremi, was on Wednesday found guilty of criminal impersonation and sentenced to six months in prison. The 21-year-old “actually found favour before Justice Patricia Ajoku of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, who commuted the one-year punishment proposed for his offence to six months”, the EFCC said in a statement. “The judge succumbed to his lawyer’s passionate plea that his client had missed two examination sessions owing to the criminal charge filed against him by the Ibadan zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. “Ogunremi had pleaded guilty to the one-count amended charge with which he was arraigned on Wednesday consequent upon a plea bargain arrangement between him and the Commission. “The offence contravenes Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015, and punishable under Section 22 (2)(iv) of the same Act,” the commission said. Following his ‘guilty’ plea, the prosecution counsel, Babatunde Sonoiki, had prayed the court to sentence Mr Ogunremi according to the terms contained in the plea bargain agreement he and the defence lawyer, Tunde Lawal, jointly signed. Though the judge reduced the jail term, she upheld other proposed punishments contained in the agreement, including forfeiture of items recovered during his arrest and investigation, and restitution of sums in foreign currency to his victims. In a related development, the Commission’s Ibadan office also arraigned two other suspects before Justice Ajoku. The suspects – Samuel Tanimowo Owolabi (aka Dr. Keilah Forgey, Jame Romero, Romero Williams) and Ekene Kingsley Odinamba – were separately arraigned on charges bordering on obtaining money under false pretence and possession of fraudulent documents with the intent to defraud. Their offences were contrary to Section 6 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act. Mr Owolabi, according to the 30-count charge preferred against him, swindled his victims of over $21, 000. Mr Odinamba’s four-count charge alleged him of defrauding his victims to the tune of about $2,700. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges when read to them. Due to their not-guilty plea, prosecution counsel, Sanusi Galadanchi, prayed the court for a trial date and an order to remand them in prison custody. The court has fixed November 21 and 22 for the hearing of the first and second defendants’ bail applications, as she ordered that they are remanded in prison custody pending the dates The cases were also adjourned to December 10, 2019 for trial.

Police recover decayed corpse of officer’s wife in Benue From Uche Makurdi

Nnorom,

enue State Police Command yesterday recovered the decayed corpse of a sergeant’s wife, Mrs. Bridget Ihom who was murdered by unknown gunmen in Zaki Biam, Ukum Local Government

Area. It was gathered that Sgt. Abraham Ihom and his wife were early this year, murdered by unknown gunmen in Zaki Biam during his visit home. Our source said it took relentless efforts of men of Operation Zenda to arrest some of the killer gang to get to the

site were Sgt. Ihom wife was buried. However, the men are yet to recover the corpse of Sgt. Abraham Ihom. The family of Sgt Ihom were said to be appreciative to the operation headed by SP. Justin Gberindyer and his team as well as Nigerian Police and Governor Samuel Ortom for intensifying

the war against criminality in the state. It could be recalled that the same Operation Zenda led by SP.Justin Gberindyer had few weeks ago uncovered a mass grave in Ushongo local government area and arrested more than 16 ritualists and kidnappers.

Boko Haram: Group asks Senate to strip Ndume of Army C’ttee chair By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

oalition Against Terrorism and Extremism (CATE) has called on the Senate leadership to strip Senator Ali Ndume of his role as Chairman Committee on Army over his recent flawed remarks aimed to plant terror in the heart of Nigerians.

The group said at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday that it is a “dangerous situation where a serving Senator is now posturing as an expert in security matters”. In a statement signed by National Coordinator, Comrade Gabriel Onoja, CATE revealed that the Borno South lawmaker is

exploiting this sensitive position to the advantage of Boko Haram terrorists. Mr Ndume, once linked to the radical Islamic sect, had claimed that 847 soldiers were killed by the group – a statement that has since backfired. In order to avoid such gaffes in the future, CATE advised the Senate

leadership to stop playing politics with the lives of innocent Nigerians as well as jeopardizing the amiable effort of the gallant troops on the frontline and replace Ndume. Mr Onoja added that the lawmaker should be assigned any other committee in which he can’t directly manipulate or offer tactical support to terrorists.

L-R: Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan; Minister of State for Education, Hon. Emeka Nwajiuba; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investments, Otunba Niyi Adebayo; Minister of Communication, Dr Isa Pantami; Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba; and, Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Pauline Tallen, at the Emblem Appeal Launch for the 2020 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration.

Abducted Kaduna principal regains freedom From: Kaduna

Femi

Oyelola,

he kidnapped principal of Government Technical College in Maraban Kajuru in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Mr Francis Maji has been released by his abductors. Mr. Maji was abducted from his residence inside the college by gunmen who broke into his apartment last Thursday. Though, no figure was quoted, but it was gathered that, a huge sum was paid as ransom

before he was released. A source in the school told our correspondent that, the kidnappers dropped the principal at a location in the early hours of yesterday after they received the ransom. Meanwhile, armed bandits suspected to be kidnappers have killed one person and abducted five others including a primary school head teacher during two separate attacks in some villages in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of the Benue State. The gunmen were said to

have attacked a filling station in Doka village along Funtua road at about 1:00pm on Wednesday, shot one of the attendants to death, injured two others and later took another two away. Chairman of Birnin Gwari Vanguards, Ibrahim Nagwari in a statement made available to newsmen in Kaduna yesterday identified the abducted Head Teacher as AbdulHafiz Abdullahi of Dangamji Primary School. He disclosed that the bandits also wounded three members of a local vigilante group. However, Kaduna State Police

Command was yet to confirm the incident as at the time of filing this report. The Birnin Gwari Vanguard’s statement lamented that, the Birnin-Gwari-Funtua road has been deserted, while the entire Eastern part of BirninGwari neighboring Zamfara and Katsina States is now surrounded by armed bandits who attack both travellers and villagers almost on a daily basis. They said, many travellers were abducted in another attack on Polwaya and Gayam village at about 5:00 pm on Wednesday.

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

PAGE 8

NEWS

By Christiana Ekpa

he Registrar of Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Prof. Josiah Ajiboye yesterday disclosed that the 31st December, 2019 deadline issued by Federal Government to them to phase-out quacks from the teaching profession in the country is sacrosanct. This was just as the Registrar revealed that the Council has identified six states in the six geo -political zones with large number of unqualified practitioners adding that the monitoring exercise scheduled to commence in January 2020 across the states of the Federation Prof. Ajiboye who disclosed this at the 2020 budget defence session organized by House Committee on Basic Education and Services

December 2019 deadline to phase out quack teachers sacrosanct -TRCN chaired by Hon. Julius Ihonvbere, rated Edo State as number one in terms of teachers qualification. Prof. Ajibola expressed optimism that the ongoing repositioning of the teaching profession “will take teaching from normal scheme of service to a new level and will be able to give them their own specialized scheme of service whereby teachers will be motivated and able to enjoy the benefits of their services and ultimately be motivated to do

better in the profession”. Speaking on the efforts being made to improve the quality of teachers travelling abroad, he said: “TRCN is a member of African Teaching Regulatory Authorities and also a member of the International Forum of Teaching Regulatory Authorities; these two bodies are the ones that regulate teaching in Africa and globally “And TRCN is a strong member and because of that we

have an Article of Faith that has been agreed upon by all Membernation, and this is what we called Letter of Professional Standing. Any Nigerian that is interested in teaching in any country of the world, what they need to do is to approach TRCN for that Letter “And when we issue that letter of Professional Standing they are given the same recognition as a professional teacher in any country where they want to teach, so its really working well,” Prof.

Ajiboye stressed. He added that TRCN has established cordial working relations with all Development Partners including UNESCO, MacArthur Foundation on teachers education and other training programmes. Speaking earlier, Prof. Ihonvbere who applauded various initiatives and ingenuity of the Council, harped on the need to improve its revenue generation drive.

Yobe to get Air Force base, secondary school soon -Air Chief From Uche Damaturu

Uche,

he Nigerian Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sadiq Abubakar has given the assurance of establishing an Air Force Base in Yobe State International Cargo Airport, which project is ongoing but at high level of completion. He gave the assurance yesterday when he led a team of high ranking military officers on a courtesy visit to the state governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni at the state Government House, Damaturu, pointing out that it is part of the command’s effort, in collaboration with other security agencies in the state, to ensure the protection of the lives and properties of the communities in the state. He said the command would support the state in ensuring the completion of the airport and would establish a refueling station in the airport so that the command’s helicopters would be operating from the state. He also assured that in due time and gradually, the air force would also establish a command secondary school in the state to facilitate the training of staff for the command. Earlier, the state governor requested the command to establish an air force base as well as air force secondary school in the state, assuring that his government would give every needed support to the force to establish the facilities and to have success in it fight against insurgency and other crimes in the state.

Minister of State for Works and Housing, Mr Abubakar Aliyu (M); Chief Executive Officer, Selter Afrique, Andrew Chimphondah (4th L); Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Dr Muhammed Buka (4th R) and other dignitaries, during Shelter Afrique visit to the Ministry, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: NAN

Buhari sympathises with victims of Onitsha tanker explosion By Lawrence Olaoye

resident Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness over the death of a mother and her child as a result of an oil tanker accident in Onitsha, in Anambra State. In a statement made available to newsmen yesterday by his spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu,

reacting to the incident yesterday, Buhari said: “I am profoundly touched by the sight of the charred remains of an innocent mother and her child who are victims of this tragedy.” He continued, “I also extend my sympathies to other victims of the explosion whose houses, shops and other property were destroyed in

the mishap.” The President explained that, “while I express sadness over this tragedy, I must at the same time call for urgent action on the part of those concerned to stem these frequent fatal disasters on public roads.” According to him, “safety precautions and routine

maintenance are taken for granted by vehicle owners.” “I call on the Ministry of Transport, the Federal Road Safety Commission and other stakeholders to urgently address the issue of safety standards in the country, with a view to stemming the embarrassing frequency of these tragedies”, the President added.

Poor diets damaging children’s health worldwide -UNICEF warns By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

he United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said an alarmingly high number of children are suffering the consequences of poor diets and a food system that is failing them. UNICEF gave the warning in a new report on children, food and nutrition, as the United Nations and partners commemorate World Food Day. The state of the World’s children 2019: Children food and nutrition revealed that “at least 1 in 3 children under five – or 200 million – is either undernourished or overweight. Almost 2 in 3 children between six months and two years of age are not fed food that supports their rapidly growing bodies and brains. This puts them

at risk of poor brain development, weak learning, low immunity, increased infections and, in many cases, death.” The report provides the most comprehensive assessment yet of 21st century child malnutrition in all its forms. It described a triple burden of malnutrition: Undernutrition, hidden hunger caused by a lack of essential nutrients, and overweight among children under the age of five, noting that around the world: “149 million children are stunted, or too short for their age, including 13.1 million children in Nigeria. 50 million children are wasted, or too thin for their height, including 2.9 million children in Nigeria”. The report warned that poor eating and feeding practices start

from the earliest days of a child’s life. “Though breastfeeding can save lives, for example, in Nigeria, only 27 per cent of children under six months of age are exclusively breastfed and an increasing number of children are fed infant formula. This means many Nigerian children are missing out on the life-saving benefits of breastmilk which is a baby’s first vaccine and offers the best possible nutrition at the start of life. “In Nigeria, malnutrition remains a major public health and development concern:49 percent of children under five years of age are not growing well (they are either stunted, wasted or overweight). This is the second highest proportion after the Democratic Republic of Congo

in the West and Central Africa region. This is partly because 34 percent of children between six months and two years of age are fed food that is not rich and diversified enough to ensure optimal growth.” The report also notes that climate-related disasters cause severe food crises. Drought, for example, is responsible for 80 per cent of damage and losses in agriculture globally, dramatically altering what food is available to children and families, as well as the quality and price of that food; Nigeria is also affected by climate change. To address the growing malnutrition crisis in all its forms, UNICEF is issuing an urgent appeal to government, the privat

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

PAGE 9

NEWS

554 farmers Letter bomb: Dele Giwa’s family, in-laws get lifeline petition Buhari, allege neglect from FADAMA III From Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

By Osaigbovo Benin

Iguobaro,

do office of Fadama III Additional Financing has offered lifeline to 554 farmers in the rice value chain. The empowerment, according to Mr Edward Izevbigie, the State project Coordinator of the programme was targeted at cultivating hectares per farmer. Izevbigie noted that 12 Production Clusters(PCs) and 55 Production Groups(PGs) were supported across the three senatorial districts. “In Edo South, 280 farmers were empowered to cultivate 280 hectares of rice in Iguoriakhi in Ovia South and Iguomo/Aideyanba communities in Ovia North East local government areas the State. “In Edo Central, 92 farmers were empowered to cultivate of 92 hectares of rice in Illushi Community in Esan South East Local Government Area of the State. “In Edo North, 182 farmers were empowered to cultivate 182 hectares of of rice OkugbeAgenebode in Etsako East and Warrake in Owan East local government area,” he said. Izevbigie noted that the state government was in partnership with syngentia Nigeria limited for the supply of inputs and agro chemicals for the project. He explained that the company supplied farmers with Faro-44 long rice seeds which has a high germination rate of about 100 percent and maturity period of three months. He stated that the state government had also signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) which stipulates that produce would be bought at the prevailing market price with Agrotek Nigeria limited as off-taker of all the produce after harvest. He the company has the capacity to process 40 metric tons of rice per day with ongoing financing in Edo State since 2017.

hirty three years after a great journalist, and Editor in Chief of News Watch Magazine, Dele Giwa was allegedly murdered in cold blood through letter bomb, his family members and In-laws have petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari over what they described as unfair treatment to ascertain the killers of their son through a letter bomb .They have also alleged neglect by security agencies and the Federal Government to fish out Dele Giwa’s killers including the welfare for the family members and children. The letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari reads in part:” We are still very sad that up until now the security agencies and the Federal Government were yet to fish out the Killers of our son thirty three after, and we have been neglected and his children, especially his first son, Billy Giwa who disappeared from Nigeria many years ago and

his whereabouts up until now unknown.” The letter signed by one Segun Giwa and Kola Ogunsetan, a copy made available to journalists in Asaba yesterday, lamented the in the increasing spate of killings in Nigeria and urged President Buhari to as a matter of urgency wade into the situation with a view to fishing out the killers of Dele Giwa who was the bread winner of their family before he was murdered in cold blood. Sources alleged that Billy’s mother died of thinking few years after the death of her beloved husband, Dele Giwa who they were in relationship while they were both in the school in Ibadan before she had Billy who studied and graduated from the University of Jos before he allegedly disappeared from Nigeria. Family sources said that Billy a graduate of English and Literature had his certificate allegedly stolen in Benin City, Edo State, his mother’s home town the last time

he visited hence his anger and fear of the unknown which worsened pains in the alleged killing of his father through the letter given to him for his father who was on his dining table having his breakfast. Since then, Billy had vowed not to return to Nigeria from London where unconfirmed source said he moved into to hide himself for fear of the unknown and possible attack from the father’s killers who may still have been looking for him. Speaking to journalists in Asaba, Mr Kola Ogunsetan, one of those who signed the letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari said” our pains are increasing by the day and we are not happy with Federal Government and security agencies who could not up until now fish out the Killers of Dele Giwa, we have also been neglected and the Children our brother left behind, nobody is asking after us from anywhere and we want President Muhammadu Buhari to come to

aid and assist us , we need to know the killers of our brother and we will not rest until the killers and exposed.” He said that several efforts to fish out the Killers of Dele Giwa has not been successful amidst accusing fingers at some top military men who are now retired, adding soon there will be memorial service for the late Great Journalist and Editor in Chief in his home town Ekperi in Edo state and appealed to well-meaning Nigerians to ensure supports for the memorial service It would be recalled that Dele Giwa was allegedly murdered through letter bomb from his son to in the early hours of on faithful day after he was said to have exposed shady activities within the military rulers some thirty three years ago as since then all efforts to fish out his Killers have proved abortive amidst accusing fingers pointing at different directions among some retired military officers.

L-R: Former Nigerian Ambassador to Philippines, Dr Yemi Farunbi; Former Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Abiola Odejide; Chairman of the Occasion, Prof. Adebisi Sowunmi; Chief Reader, Prof. Olabode Lucas; during the Ibadan School of Government Public Policy Book Reading Event, yesterday in Ibadan. Photo: NAN

Rivers govt. inaugurates Road Safety Advisory Council

overnor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has inaugurated the Rivers Road Safety Advisory Council to drive the implementation of the Nigerian Road Safety Strategy in the state. The governor, while inaugurating the council in on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, said that the aim was to reduce the menace of road crashes the state.

“This inauguration is in good time because the Rivers Road Maintenance Agency was recently sworn-in to ensure safe and motorable roads for the good people of the state. “You are to advise the state government and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on measures to improve road safety management, safer vehicles, safe road users and post crash care among others.

“Your assignment should be carried out in strict adherence to the nation’s road safety laws and strategy,” Mr Wike represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Tammy Danagogo, said. He advised members of the council that would serve as technical working group to input best practices in their assignment. “You should begin massive awareness on road safety and to

reduce the carnage on our roads, having been drawn up from different ministries, departments and agencies,” he added. The Sector Commander of FRSC in Rivers, David Mendie, said the advisory council was necessary to join synergy with the rest of the federation in ensuring the safety of road users and proper emergency management. The state advisory council is chaired by the Secretary to the

State Government, Mr Danagogo, with the FRSC Sector Commander in Rivers, Mr Mendie, as the alternate Chairman. Other members of the council were drawn from Ministries of Transport, Health, Justice, Information and Communication, Education, Finance, the Port Harcourt Chambers of Commerce, Nigerian Society of Engineers and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

PAGE 10

News

Buhari assures of unflinching support for devt. of Calabar By Lawrence Olaoye

resident Muhammadu Buhari has assured full Federal Government’s support for the development of the historic City of Calabar. At an audience granted His Eminence, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi, Otu V, Obong of Calabar, at the State House, the President said that though the City had lost its preeminent status as the first capital city of Southern Nigeria to Lagos, his administration will not lessen ongoing efforts to open the City to the rest of Nigeria, but will increase the efforts to ensure happiness and betterment of the people of the City in particular and Cross River State in general. By Ekpa Christiana

he House of Representatives yesterday discovered that after 40 years of conception of the Mambilla power projects and billions of Naira spent, the site of the project is still unknown, despite N2.5 billion Naria budgeted in 2019 for compensations. The lawmakers on Thursday in a budget session were told that the federal government in collaboration with the Taraba State government was yet to survey the site of the project.

According to a statement made available to newsmen yesterday by his spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, yesterday, the President said “We will open up that part of Nigeria to the rest of the country,” adding that a number of projects are being executed by the Federal Government in the state. According to him, “three road projects – Calabar-Ugep-Ikom-Ogoja; Calabar-ItuIkot Ekpene and Sapele-Ewu – are at various stages of completion.” He noted that in order to speed up work on the Calabar-Ugep-Ikom-Ogoja road, plans are underway to incorporate it in the Sukuk Bond to increase the level of funding of the construction work. Buhari assured that dredging of the

Calabar harbour will be undertaken as soon as some legal issues are settled by the Ministry of Transportation and the Nigerian Ports Authority with the contractor. The President pledged full support to the Calabar Deep Sea Port project of the State, adding that a number of electricity projects would soon follow after a visit to the State by the Ministers of Power in the upcoming two weeks. Enumerating other projects in the State being undertaken by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs such as the Industrial Park which is one of the three set up through the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board, the President also noted the construction of roads and water projects by the Niger Delta

Development Commission; the development of a Skills Acquisition Centre for youths; and the construction of houses among others. In his address, the Obong of Calabar decried the disregard and neglect of the Calabar Kingdom in spite of its national historical significance, and called for the reversal of the “demotion” through the execution of projects in the areas of roads, power, maritime access, security and border issues as well as the plight of displaced persons from the Bakassi Islands. The royal father congratulated President Buhari on his “overwhelming victory” in the February election and at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, and urged his administration to restore Calabar to what it lost to Lagos and Abuja.

Mambilla power projects: Reps uncover N2.5bn compensation scam However, compensations have been paid out over the years. To whom? The lawmakers wanted to know. The Minister, Engr. Sale Mamman, who claimed to be new, could not provide an answer, neither could his Permanent Secretary, Louis Edozien who is

the Chief Adviser, Administrative Head and Accounting Officer of the Ministry. Surprisingly, the committee headed by Rep Aliyu Magaji approved the budget. “The 2020 budget is hereby approved,” he said. According to the Permanent

Secretary of the Ministry Louis Edozien, the projects were conceived 40 years ago and the cost presently stands at an estimated $5.73 billion. According to the ministry, out of the appropriated sum of N12.5 billion only N8.6 billion has been released between January to

October 2019 releases which stood at 70%. For the 2020 budget, the figure presented stood at N9.4 billion. Despite the unsatisfactory presentation the committee went ahead and approved the 2020 budget. “The 2020 budget is hereby approved,” Magaji remarked.

L-R: Director finance and accounts Baba Mohammed, Permanent Secretary ministry of Information and Culture Grace Isu and information Minister Alhaji Lai Mohammed, during the Minister budget defence at National Assembly, in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Zamfara: Coalition laments release of only N3bn to education From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

n active Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) operating as ‘’Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA) has lamented the release of only 3 billion naira against the 13 billion naira budgeted for education sector in Zamfara State in the year 2018. This was revealed by the Zamfara State Coordinator of CSACEFA, Shehu Adamu Dinawa

who was represented by the state Secretary, Abdullahi Lawal Bungudu during the Advocacy brief presentation to the House Committee on Education Zamfara State House of Assembly last Wednesday. Dinawa who, said the unfortunate situation might not be unconnected and directly related to successive years of poor fiscal allocation and implementation of budgetary process which positioned the state at a very low level where the percentage of out

of school children stands at 76.2%. “Reliable data had shown that the literacy rate in the state remains at a very low level where the percentage of out of school children stands at 76.2%, and that in the year 2018, the budgetary allocation to education sector was N13.9bn naira, but ‘’only a sum of N3.9bn was release for both recurrent and capital expenditure, representing only 28.37% of the total allocation. The Coordinator further lamented that, the 2019 budget

is characterised with same problem as according to him, out of the focal allocation of N16.7bn for educational sector for both recurrent and capital expenditure, reflecting an increase of about 29% compared to last year, ‘’The release of the allocation still remains a formidable challenge’’ he cried. Responding, the Chairman House Committee on Education, honourable Yusuf Alasan Kanoma, has expressed worried by the alarming nasty development in

the educational sector in the state, assuring that, his committee will ensure that, the issue is tabledforwarded to the state assembly for through deliberation and prompt intervention. He observes that as Zamfara State is in desperate need of more qualified indigenous manpower to effectively handle the government affairs, it is necessary for the government to reverse the situation so that the state could satisfactorily compete among its sister states in the country.

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

PAGE 11

Letter to the Editor

EDITORIAL

Let Buhari salvage Gov Masari, the Worthless War and Us the situation

he joint panel that recommended that the Services and investigated the August other security agencies establish an 6 killing of three police Interagency Liaison Desk to include officers and two civilians by senior officers for timely resolution soldiers at a checkpoint near Wukari, of future misdemeanor.” Taraba state, turned in a report Firstly, we note that the BOI took slightly over a week ago. longer than the time The inquiry was ordered given to it to finish the by President Muhammadu inquiry and submit Buhari following the its findings in a case huge public outrage that that had become After a thorough the killings provoked. very emotive. This and painstaking The BOI’s report was led to allegations in investigation into submitted to the Chief the incident, the BOI certain quarters of of Defence Staff, Gen. submitted its report to an attempted coverOlonisakin. A statement the convening authority, up. Secondly, if the by Defence Headquarters, observing that there panel’s investigation Abuja, said in part: were infractions and was “thorough and “After a thorough and poor communication painstaking” as painstaking investigation claimed by Defence between personnel into the incident, the BOI of the NPF and troops Headquarters, why submitted its report to of the NA. It was also did it only recommend the convening authority, “further investigation” observed that there observing that there were was non-adherence to of persons whose roles infractions and poor the Standard Operating in the killings had communication between been confirmed? Why Procedure by both personnel of the NPF and parties involved in the not simply say this and troops of the NA. It was incident. It further made that should be done also observed that there some recommendations to them? Thirdly, it was non-adherence to does not make sense to the NA and NPF the Standard Operating to mandate the CDS, to forestall future Procedure by both parties reoccurrence and bring whose neutrality involved in the incident. the Nigeria Police anyone culpable to It further made some book in accordance Force, may doubt, recommendations to the to make the final with extant laws. NA and NPF to forestall recommendations future reoccurrence and on the matter to bring anyone culpable to book in President Buhari. In our Aug. 15 accordance with extant laws. 2019 editorial, we had referenced “The BOI also recommended that unstated doubt when we asked that the NA and NPF further why Police Hqtrs chose to conduct investigate Captain Tijani Balarabe, a parallel inquiry to the one ordered Sergeant Ibrahim Mohammed, by Mr. President. “This can only be Corporal Bartholomew Obanye, the outcome of mistrust”, we said. DCO, Ibi Police Division, Assistant “This is not good. We believe the Superintendent of Police Aondoona joint team ... should be trusted to do Iorbee, and Inspector Aliyu Dadje a thorough job of the investigation. for complacency and necessary If, at the end, the outcome is not disciplinary measures. It was seen to be impartial, it is then that also recommended that further questions, if any, should be raised”. investigation be conducted In our view, the panel’s insipid on Hamisu Bala (Wadume) recommendations do not reflect the for gunrunning and possible claimed thoroughness of the inquiry. kidnapping, in order to prosecute It is now left to Mr. President, who the suspect. has the final say in the matter, to “Additionally, the BOI salvage this unsatisfactory inquiry.

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By Shehu Adamu

here are disturbing signals emerging from the discordant tunes thrown up by recent revelations in Katsina state. The temptation to classify these developments as mere symptoms of political disagreement or differences between Governor Aminu Bello Masari and some segments of the political class now estranged by the current realities of the state will only be an underestimation of the wider dimensions and the consequence they represent for all well meaning citizens of the state. In recent times, the challenges confronting the state, particularly in the area of insecurity, requires a sense of patriotic zeal among all stakeholders of the state, especially the political class in rallying round the efforts of the Governor. It is quite an irony that, even the bandits who have held the state hostage for long are breaking ranks to declare support for the Governor’s strategy towards encouraging disarmament and de-radicalization. This support has offered gradual wins in the short term, with huge prospects for sustainability on the long term, as well. It is against this backdrop that, any one will wonder why the rapid progress being recorded in this regard in complementing the overall development of the state, is being threatened by conflicting interests within the political ranks. It is difficult to rationalize winning the frontal banditry war with compromise by the enablers themselves, with the very sad reverse being the case within a disgruntled segment of a political class, for any motive hard to justify. When reports from news sources began to emerge recently and suggested that, Abuja based Katsina All Progressives Congress (APC) members have been daggersdrawn with the Governor and have perfected their devices to bring his administration to disrepute, many keen observers will search for reasons why this should be so. It has taken an eventual validation by the Governor himself, in a publicized statement credited to him, before some meanings could be generated from the cold war. Why has this been taken to such a hideous level against the interest of the state? No doubt, the Governor’s recent statement calls for serious introspection, given the reality that, he has put up with knowledge of the purported conspiracy and has remained focused thus far, without

giving heed to a brewing call to a baseless war. In his characteristic and charismatic disposition, the Governor has acknowledged his role as a father and leader in the state, refraining from joining issues with the Abuja group inspite of evidently abundant justification for an onslaught against them. For instance, it is affirmed that, the State Chapter of the ruling party and administration were dragged up to the Supreme court twice, including open collusion with the opposition to upturn the Governor’s victory at the court. These are clear recipes for possible decisive actions on the grounds of Anti-party conduct. Yet, we have not seen that happen, even as the persons concerned have no pretentions about their war, having detached themselves completely from the state, purportedly from the aftermath of their losses at the primary elections. It is also on this note that, we can all worry about the unfortunate allegation of two million membership cards, said to have been printed by the group to cause chaos and disruption for the party and administration at the state level. The moles created from disenchantment in electoral verdict or obvious political differences will only be in the interest of the promoters themselves and not the good people of Katsina state. With the turn of events tending to suggest that, the State party leadership is finally considering decisive action against the group, there is a lot more reason to appreciate the Governor’s maturity and to commend his sense of restraint in putting up with this internal, unjust war against his person and administration, for this long. The battle has obviously taken on wider dimensions including media propaganda through sponsored publications. It is however clear that, the vanity of the motive is already established, as the Governor has remained undeterred with an unwavering commitment to put the state on a firm stead to sustainable prosperity, with an open arm for all patriotic elements to own the vision. It is in light of this that, the solidarity and support the Governor has continued to enjoy from the citizens of the state has remained unshaken even in the face of a needless and worthless war. It is not a war in anyone’s interest. Not in the interest of the state; certainly not in the interest of the promoters, as well. Shehu Adamu wrote from Kaduna

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Opinion

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

UNILAG and the sex narrative in the Villa By Festus Adedayo

ex and sexual narratives took over the information highway for the better part of last week, causing a very serious gridlock. My Alma-mater, the University of Lagos, launched the traffic. Kiki Mordi, a journalist with the British Broadcasting Corporation, (BBC) had undertaken an undercover operation of finding out what the colour of sex was on Nigerian university campuses. Her findings were as shocking as they were revealing. UNILAG lecturers, whom Mordi encountered, failed the litmus test and got dragged down the cliff by the lurid revelations of their sexual indiscretions. In the same week, the virus of sex sneaked into the seemingly impregnable buffer of Aso Rock Villa. The Number One citizen of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, was its victim. By the time the week ended, the duo of illicit sex in universities and an alleged sexual liaison in the Villa, a virus that had allegedly grown wings, so much that it had mutated enough to be on the verge of transforming into a Nikah, emerged top of the news on Nigerians’ discussion menu. But why did sex, a ubiquitous daily meal on the human menu list, suddenly detain a whole country for a whole week? Why did sex, or sexual matters, become so important that Nigerians had to debate it for that long? The truth is, sex is an ancient narrative in human discourse whose narration is as old as humanity which, whenever it rears its head, gets the attention of all. Sex always finds a way to sneak into every power equation and women, by that very fact, are always implicated in the discourse. Reasons have been searched to justify why men suddenly lose their senses when sex comes on board. Why did the UNILAG lecturer, who probably had a daughter of the age Mordi alleged while talking to him, suddenly found her an apt venison for lunch? Why do men sleep with their maids, not minding the social gap, some with under-age girls and even their own biological daughters, in some curiously abnormal instances? While criminalizing sex-for-marks that has become an epidemic on Nigerian school campuses, let us not be ostriches about the fact that indiscriminate sex has always been a fact of human history. It is in fact worse on the African continent where, historically, sex was seen as a commodity to be purchased. The advent of social media is what has obviously pushed sex and its discourse to the level of a menace. Before the advent of modernity, in those face-meI-face-you apartments, sexual abuses were rife. Using sex as gambit for advantages was also an incidence which today has

blown beyond proportion. Today, sex has become almost a pestilence and the social space, an arena where sex is employed as a weapon, to influence decisions. It is also used to get undue advantage in government, secure promotions and other perks in corporate organizations, marks by students, in diplomatic circles and the highest decision making level one can think of. Why then do lecturers demand sex as precondition for passing their students? Socio-biologist, Johan Van Der Dennen, seems to be saying that since the power to pass and fail students is in their hands, lecturers see it as a powerful tool. Ancient history of traditional African society is replete with terrible decisions taken when sex is at issue. Even though it duds the influence of women in decision-making process, African history also reveals that those who underrated the sex appeal of the female gender in decision-making processes in pre-colonial society did so to their peril. One illustrative story of this was that of a king simply referred to as Olufimon-Akoko. His queen, curious about what transpires when the Oro cult was in session, persuaded the king to bring her to the arena of the cult initiation process. Alarmed by this unprecedentedly dangerous demand, the king was reported to have spurned the queen’s request but her constant seductive overtures won. So he devised a strategy to smuggle the queen into the royal stool, veiled from public glare. However, the kingdom, which relied strongly on divination, fazed by the discordant tunes emanating from the celebration, consulted the Ifa oracle which divined that the queen was hidden underneath Olufimon-Akoko’s royal stool. He and his queen were reportedly beheaded. The truth is, the history of sex’s colonialism of Nigerian school campuses is as old as the establishment of higher education. Lecturers have been, covertly or overtly, exchanging sex for marks, exchanging sex for money and exchanging sex for nothing on the campuses, among the female students, for ages. It is getting more alarming because the drive to study and rigor by students is getting reduced daily. And many of us, parents, are complicit. We take them to Miracle Centres to write their secondary school leaving examinations; bribe for them to get admission into schools and when they get to the schools, their brains cannot cope with the rigour of the academia. They thus devise several modes to swim ashore. If they cannot use their bodies or, if their bodies are not sought in exchange, they pay cash. In many cases, the randy lecturers seek flesh rather than cash.

It is even hypocritical of us as a society to now shout blue murder that our girl children are the meals consumed by lecherous lecturers to satisfy their libidinous rascality today. Many of the mothers today are graduates of this same sex school. In very many Government Houses, girls are ferried like dogs on sale to entertain government guests. They are your daughters; our daughters. The sex-for-marks story in Nigerian universities, one can understand, but what exactly was responsible for the hoax of President Buhari getting married to one of his ministers? Who was behind this “sinister” motive of insinuating that sex matters, just like the UNILAG experience, is also a bother in Aso Rock? Were they insinuating that as arduous as the task of governance is, Buhari is still encumbered by matters of the flesh? The social media was saturated with the illusionary sex-matter-in-thepresidency, so much that even those who do not ordinarily get sucked into the vortex of hoaxes believed it. Was it manufactured by “us” – the PDP, the usual suspects – or it had elements of truth in it? Could it have been spun by government itself to test waters? What is certain is that, whoever manufactured it must have based their actions on the sudden and inexplicable AWOL of the official wife of the President, Aishat. It synchronized with the hoax so much that not many people disbelieved it. My source however told me that Hajiyah Sadiya Umar Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, is like a quasi-daughter to the president. She was indeed his late daughter, Hajia Zuliahatu’s bosom friend. Zuliahatu died in 2012 at age 40 during child birth. The source said that upon her death, Hajiyah Sadiya started tendering the president. She had been cooking for the president, taking care of him and handling his finance ever since. Upon Buhari’s smell of fart in the Social Intervention Programme (SIP) handled by his vice, he withdrew it from him and appointed Hajiyah Sadiya Umar Farouq as Minister, putting all of these programmes under her purview. The President is said to trust Hajiyah Umar Farouq as you trust the back of your hand. Since the SIP is close to Buhari’s heart, no other person was qualified to handle it, a la Buhari, other than Hajiyah Umar Farouq, who, as a demonstration of his trust of her uprightness, he made the National Treasurer of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Buhari’s earlier political party. Mrs. Maryam Uwais, who at first denounced Mrs. Buhari’s claim that there were suspicious underhand dealings in SIP, my source said, has now been moved

to work under Hajiyah Umar Farouq, which she reluctantly accepted. Whether there is a UNILAG-like dalliance between the president and his quasi-daughter, the source could not say. He was however sure that the role Hajiyah Umar Farouq plays for Buhari is same with that the biblical Abishaq, who tendered King David in his old age, played for the king. Thus, the purveyors of the social media news of the “marriage” between Buhari and Hajiyah Umar Farouq may not be difficult to decipher. She is a woman Buhari can trust with the billions in the scheme and not the fellows with thieving vices who had reportedly soiled their hands with the delicious porridge while they asked Nigerians to recite the Lord’s prayer. Anyway, the power and influence of sex over man are not necessarily destructive. This perhaps was the idea behind western democracies fashioning out the office of the First Lady. It is to assist the husband in the discharge of his duties. Sex as a variable of power is essential and consequential, yet society blinds its eyes to its destructive and constructive roles. Some decisions taken by government that seem overtly incorrigible and indeed very unrealistic are realistic from the prism of sex. For instance, governors, ministers and many other highly placed, powerful office holders have awarded billions of naira contracts to sexual liaisons simply because they became captive to the sex appeals of the women. Roads have been tarred to houses of sexual partners and the people living on the road assumed that government had their love at heart. It is all the power of sex. The lesson in the hoax, for President Buhari and his spin doctors, is that Nigerians do not think that their president is super-human. They believe that, like every man, he also has blood flowing in his groins. President Olusegun Obasanjo is reputed to be a man in whose groins multiple gush of blood flows, even at his age; so also virtually all past occupiers of that office. Buhari should not be advertised as someone incapable of falling ill, as it will be unconscionable to advertise him as incapable of finding love. Love and sickness are existential indices. As our president is capable of lusting after women like any human being, he is also capable of taking ill. Nigerians will pray for him; we are not as callous as to wish our president evil. When his spin doctors, the cabal and all other principalities, put a lid on his human frailties, they make a god of him. Festus Adedayo is a Public Affairs Analyst.

Unraveling the intricacy behind BBNaija show By Binzak Azeez

ig Brother Naija is a famous TV reality show that features contenders for cash prize and other handful material gifts. According to the show’s parlance, the contenders are known as “housemates” who reside together in an isolated house under close monitoring with live television cameras. The home viewers and fans determine the housemate who wins the competition through online voting. Customarily, eviction is carried out through voting on weekly basis until a housemate remains and wins the prize. The first edition of the BBNaija

show was aired on AFANG TV in 2006 where Katung Aduwak emerged the winner among other 14 housemates who contended for $100,000 cash prize and other valuable gifts. In 2017, the second edition of the series had Micheal Efe Ejeba as the winner. Miracle Ikechukwu emerged victorious in the 2018 third edition, while Mercy Eke won the prize for the recently concluded fourth edition. Numerous calls for the cancellation of BB Naija series had trailed the concluded fourth edition. The arguments for the calls ranged from religious, cultural and moral purviews. Many religious leaders and adherents have regarded the TV show’s daily routines as satanic.

The moralists and culturists argued that BBNaija promoted indecency and pornography as against societal values. Nigeria is a secular state guided with constitutional provisions and other enacted laws. BBNaija could only be banned on legal grounds and frameworks. The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) controls and regulates the broadcasting industry in Nigeria. This regulation can’t be exercised except in a manner stipulated by law. The NBC ban doesn’t suffice on individuals’ sensation and outcry. Succinctly, the BBNaija TV show is liable for abrogation if its contents contravene any extant laws. The aforementioned complaints

levied against BBNaija would be unsolved if the show is eventually banned subject to due process. Nigerians are accessible to hundreds of unregistered local channels that streamline sexual related movies and songs. Moreover, there are foreign pornographic airwaves easily accessible to all and sundry. The moralists and religious leaders could properly refrain their subjects and congregants respectively from streaming sexual contents through teachings and admonitions. Binzak Azeez writes from the faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

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Comment

Before Trump, US already legalized corruption By Larry Beinhart “No quid pro quo” is a magic phrase. A lot like “no collusion”.

t is also the tip of an iceberg. An extremely dangerous one: the legalisation of corruption. The phrase popped up after William Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, wrote to Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the EU, “I think it’s crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign.” Sondland responded: “The President has been crystal clear no quid pro quo’s of any kind.” He then went on to suggest they stop “the back and forth by text,” adding that if Taylor still had concerns, he could “talk”to others. “Quid pro quo” is very simple. It translates – and actually means – “this for that”. It might appear that Sondland is denying that such a deal is taking place. That’s not what he’s saying. Not at all. He’s saying that Trump is saying “no quid pro quo’s,” therefore, William, you better not say there is one or you better stop describing stuff that sounds exactly like “quid pro quo’s” and if it bothers you so much that you cannot stop, do not do it in writing, there are a couple of people you can call about it. The reason that particular phrase is so important is that the Supreme Court has made it so. John Roberts became chief justice in 2005. Since then, the Supreme Court has been on a campaign to legalise, normalise and, ultimately, enshrine political corruption. That sounds like it must be an

exaggeration. It is not. The common understanding of corruption is that if Public Office Holder gets money, vacations, Rolexes, other gifts and fancy things from “a person with a lot of money”, and then does things that benefit that person, particularly if they do not benefit or they harm the public interest, that is corruption. As more and more money poured into political campaigns, it became obvious that large sums had a corrupting effect and, worse, that they were distorting the entire political process. Even politicians thought so and attempted to restrain spending with laws such as McCain-Feingold (named after the late Republican Senator John McCain, and Russ Feingold, a Democrat). Once Roberts took charge with a Republican majority on the Supreme Court, they began to invent ways to rule in favour of money and strike down any laws that diminished its power. First, they defined spending money on speech as speech, and therefore protected by the First Amendment. In Citizens United vs Federal Election Commission, the majority opinion literally redefined reality: “Independent expenditures, including those made by corporations, do not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption.” Having redefined reality, they said doing so would have no effect: “The appearance of influence or access will not cause the electorate to lose faith in this democracy.” Justice Anthony Kennedy, in the majority opinion, quoted himself from another case (McConnell vs Federal Election Commission) writing: “It is well

understood that a substantial and legitimate reason, if not the only reason, to cast a vote for, or to make a contribution to, one candidate over another is that the candidate will respond by producing those political outcomes the supporter favors. Democracy is premised on responsiveness.” It is an astonishing statement. It says people are supposed to spend money to get politicians to do what they want, and that politicians are supposed to “respond” to getting money. The court was not going to say flat out, “there’s no such thing as corruption any more.” They had to leave something. Along the way, it decided to settle on “quid pro quo” as the standard. “Any [campaign finance] regulation must instead target what we have called ‘quid pro quo’ corruption or its appearance. That Latin phrase captures the notion of a direct exchange of an official act for money.” There was a class element to this. Nobody ever suggested that Dick Cheney should be prosecuted because he gave the contract to privatise the US military to Halliburton and, after he left office, Halliburton made him a very rich man as their CEO. Such things, on a smaller scale, had become standard practice with government contracting, especially military contracting. But unless there was a written or audio record of the deal being made, as a “quid pro quo”, there could not even be a presumption of corruption, let along prosecutions. In 2016, the Roberts Court made it even worse. Bob McDonnell, as governor of Virginia, had taken $175,000 from a businessman and then done him

favours. A jury convicted McDonnell. John Roberts set him free, declaring “conscientious public officials arrange meetings for constituents, contact other officials on their behalf, and include them in events all the time. The basic compact underlying representative government assumes that public officials will hear from their constituents and act appropriately on their concerns …” Several significant corruption cases were either stopped or tossed immediately after that decision. It appears that Sondland will testify that he was not speaking of his own assessment. That he had been directed by Donald Trump to say the magic words. You can see why Trump would believe that simply uttering the incantation, “no quid pro quo”, would decriminalise his crime. Even if Trump is held liable, the greater underlying problem remains. Corruption is a significant factor in the great malaise of today’s world. The “feeling” that the elites were institutionally corrupt created the opportunity for Trump to be elected. The reality that corruption has been more and more normalised, has allowed Trump to turn the presidency into an office dedicated to personal profiteering. The rich like being able to call on government, shape government, use government – that is, they like institutional corruption, a lot – and will not give it up easily. That is the big fight. Larry Beinhart is a Public Affairs Analyst.

The interrelatedness of accounting and law By Hajia Kudirat A. Abdul-Hamid

ccounting is a multifaceted discipline of identifying, measuring and communicating an organization’s economic health. The discipline of accounting is best understood when one has strong conceptual understanding of other interconnected disciplines. The other disciplines which accounting is increasingly seen to interact with are: Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, Law and Management. In brief let’s discuss the interrelatedness of accounting, law and the non-existence of one without the other. 2.0 DIFINITION OF TERMS/CONCEPTS DEFINITION OF ACCOUNTING The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) defines accounting as“ the art of recording, classifying, and summarizing in a significant manner and in terms of money, transactions and events which are in part at least of financial character, and interpreting the results thereof”. Accounting: is the measurement, processing and communication of financial information about economic entities such as business and corporations. It refers to the process of summarizing, analyzing and reporting these transactions to oversight agencies, regulators and tax collection entities, business owners, investors, and other stake holders. DEFINITION OF LAW Law is the set of rules which a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members, which may be enforced by the imposition of penalties. It is a system of rules that a society or government develops in order to deal with crime, business agreements, and social relationships. Law is a rule or set of rules for good behavior which is considered right and important by the majority of people for moral, religious, or emotional reasons. (https- // Merriam – Webster.com/ dictionary) The main sources of regulation which interrelate accounting with law includes: Accounting standards Company law; and For listed companies, the listing rules of the relevant stock exchange. Accounting standards: are authoritative statements of how particular types of transactions and event are reflected in the financial statement. International Financial Reporting Standards are used in Nigeria (IFRS) for Companies while, International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) are in use for public sector establishments (Government). Company Law: this is the primary source of company Law in Nigeria. Among other things, it establishes the requirements for financial reporting by all companies in Nigeria. It sets out rules for determining profit available for distribution, issuing and redeeming share capital, the reserves that a company must have etc. The main company law status in Nigeria is Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2004 as amended. 3.0 THE INTERRELATEDNESS OF THE SUBJECT MATTERS Accounting is interrelated with law, as it operates within a legal environment. Thus, all the transactions are governed on the basis of different Acts. Business organizations are governed by their respective statues that provide many aspects pertaining to the preparation of accounts. However, it’s likely that accounting influences law and is also influenced by law. In this way, accounting is also related to law because of the variety of many legal aspect and procedures. Accounting is guided by regulatory frame work and it is regulated by

law particularly Business /Commercial Law. The relationship between accounting and law reveals itself in many forms as company law consists of detailed rules. Accounting standards may be rules based or principle-based. International Accounting Standards (IAS) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are mainly principles based, or a mixture of both rules and principles. This clearly show the interrelatedness of accounting and law. Nigeria has a regulatory system in which company and business law deals with specific matters. For instance the Sales of goods Act, Insurance law, Hire purchase transactions, Agency, partnership Act, 1890, Banking Laws Bank and other financial Institution Decree (BOFID) No. 25 of 1991, Central Bank Decree No. 24 of 1991 which repealed the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act of 1958. This was effectively an effort to ensure they fit between the CBN Act and the general Bank and other financial Institution (BOFID). All these laws/ Act are interrelated and complement the accounting principles and standards in terms of preparation and presentation of financial statements. 4.0 THE INSEPRABLE LINK AND NON_ EXISTANCE OF ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER In a report presented to the Essex County (New Jersey) Bar Association by a joint committee of lawyers and accountants, the following were noted as examples of interrelatedness of activities requiring the services of both accountants and lawyers: (1) Planning the type of legal entity to conduct a new business, having in mind the subject of Federal, State, and Local Government taxes. (2) Upon incorporation of businesses, the opening of books of account and installation of accounting software. (3) Problems involved in the dissolution of partnerships and corporations. (4) Problems involved in the consolidation, merger, acquisition and reorganization of corporations. (5) Determination of extent of damages and profits in patent and other infringement suits. (6) Determining losses covered by fire insurance policies and preparation of proof of claim. (7) Matters arising in receivership and bankruptcy cases, including Examination of books and records of the bankrupt and an analysis of Financial statements. (8) Determination of rights of life tenant and remainder man, especially with regard to distribution of corporate dividends. (9) Income tax matters, including presentation of cases before the Commissioner of Internal Revenue and before the Tax Appeals Tribunals. Example Self assessment done by tax payers. (10) Preparation of registration statements for the Securities and Exchange Commission etc. (see Byerly, Relationship between the practice of Law and Accounting 1998). In addition, other areas of interrelatedness of accounting and law are: (a) The preparation or interpretation of lease contracts, particularly where valuation of property or the determination of income is involved, or where there are lease security deposits. (b) Problems relating to the declaration of dividends. (c) The preparation of documents creating trusts, either living or Testamentary. (d) Preparation of evidence for presentation in court where accounting records constitutes an

important part of the evidence (Forensic Audit). (e)The preparation of uniform legislation, particularly where it affects the interpretation of such terms as earned surplus, capital surplus, stated capital, dividends, insolvency, and many other matters which relate to both accounting and law. (Journal of Accounting the North Carolina review 2003) Furthermore, financial transactions recorded in books of accounts are affected by law in the sense that in so many cases, accounting data must comply with the requirement of a particular enactment. In the case of Nigeria For instance, there is no statutory obligation upon sole proprietorship or partnership firm to prepare final accounts. Whereas, Joint stock companies have a statutory obligation to keep accounting records and to prepare financial statements as required under Section 331 and 334 of Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2004 as amended. For instance; Duties of a Director Section 305 (3) duties of a director as amended “shall have regard to the impact of the company’s operations on the environment in the community where it carries on business operations”. Thus, there is now a codified requirement for Directors to be conscious of the community and environment in areas where the company carries out business. This provision is most welcome and long overdue, considering the fact that environmental issues are fast taking the front burner in the global business community and businesses in the 21st century are proffering ways of conducting their activities in more environmentally friendly manner. Additional Financial Statements Section 375 (2) makes provisions for additional financial statements required to be prepared by the directors of a company in respect of each year of the company. These additional statements include a statement of cash flow as an alternative to a statement of the source and application of fund; and changes in equity. These essentially align with International Financial Reporting Standards. (www. Nigeria Law.org / Companies and Allied Matters Act) as amended. More so, accounting is interrelated with law in area of forensic accounting and auditing. The Forensic accountants are often engaged to quantify damages in instances related to fraud and embezzlement as well as on matters involving insurance, personal injury, business disputes, business interruption, divorce and marital disputes, construction, environmental damages, cyber-crime, products liability, business valuation and many more. The investigation is likely to ultimately lead to legal proceedings against one or several suspects. The lawyers and accountants who are members of the investigative team must be comfortable with appearing in court to explain how the investigation was conducted, and how the evidence was gathered. “It has been my observation however, that training in the elements of bookkeeping and accounting are very valuable to a lawyer. Many at times, I noticed from experience that, the lawyer who is familiar with books of account has a greater advantage over an opponent unfamiliar with such matters. In fact, so much of the litigation which is profitable to the lawyers, requires the examination of books of account that all lawyers who accept to trial cases ought to possess knowledge of Accounting.” “Accounting is especially valuable in the examination of witnesses in the trial of cases; also for the understanding of a client’s business and business problems.” For instance, in the field of the patent law: (i) Deals of all kinds for the manufacture and

articles for sale, machines, etc. Whether on a royalty or other basis, requires a thorough understanding of accounting and law. (a) For the negotiation of the deals, and (b) for the drafting of definite, certain and workable contracts; and (ii) In connection with recoveries for infringement, a large body of law has been built up, which is generally referred to as “the law of patent accounting”. The recovery is absolutely dependent upon knowledge of accounting, and such knowledge is necessary to the application of the law itself. This has special reference to Cost Accounting and to such items as the proper classification of law and accounting terms of cost and the spreading of overheads, as well as such items as depreciation and depletion. The lawyer whose practice includes any substantial amount of advisory work for business enterprises, whether corporations or partnership, has frequent need for the ability to understand and analyze financial statements. These statements clearly indicate the relationship between law and accounting. One explanation of the interrelationship between these Two (2) fundamentally dissimilar decipline was presented by (A. A. Berle, Jr. and Frederick S. Fisher, Jr. Journal of Accounting, North Carolina, law review 1993). After exhaustive research to determine the extent to which the courts have undertaken, to impose rules of accounting as rules of law: “Every day, lawyers and courts predicate legal effects on the results of accounting. It may fairly be said that rules of accounting are for many purposes rules of law or conversely that rules of law entail rules of accounting”. The respective tasks of a lawyer and accountant here intermingle so closely that neither can proceed without the other. To a much larger degree than perhaps either profession realizes, this intermingling has already taken place. Courts have in fact and in form laid down rules which bind the accountants, or they have themselves adopted accounting conventions. Once these rules of account have found their way into the body of law, it becomes legally obliged to be followed. Not only do the courts adopt and lend sanction to accounting principles as exemplified in accounting practice. CONCLUSION From the foregoing, there is practically a universal agreement amongst practicing lawyers, that the services required of the lawyer today (outside of a very few specialized fields) demand a certain amount of accounting training for most competent performance. Therefore, simultaneous consideration of the legal and accounting aspects of certain problems, may suggest the necessity of important modification of accounting practice in order to reflect the results of the legal rules. There are undoubtedly many other points at which lawyers and accountants should unite their activities in the endeavor to render to clients a service which is complete, adequate and satisfying for the specific purpose at hand. However, the examples listed in this discussion constitute a fair sample, and in themselves offer substantial proof of the interrelatedness of Accounting, Law and the nonexistence of one without the other. Thanks for your attention and God bless you. HAJIYA KUDIRAT A. ABDUL-HAMID AUDITOR-GENERAL FOR FCT AREA COUNCILS

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

PAGE 14

News

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PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

Enemies of journalists promoting fake news, says NUJ By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

he Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has declared that enemies of journalists are the promoters of “fake news”. Chairman, Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Edo State Council, Mrs Nefishetu Yakubu made the remark at the maiden mandatory training programme for members of the Chapel on Tuesday in Benin City. The theme of the programme was tagged, “fake news as a menace to Nigeria’s democracy.” She noted that the media industry has been under vicious attack arising from the menace of

fake news for ulterior motives. “This attack is coming from many angles. Some of us as professional media practitioners are actively involved while the main architects are those who do not wish the society well, so they go about generating and sharing Fake news. “The consequence is that a very gullible society like ours bears the brunt of the calamity. “A nation that is fed with fake news cannot survive for too long. Fake news will thrive in an atmosphere where information meant for the public is clothed in secrecy and the public is left in the dark. That is undemocratic”, she said.

A Felix lecturer at the event, Dr Felix Oriakhi, one of the lecturer, described fake news as a selfish and self-centered desires of the promoters. While speaking on the topic, “democracy and national development in Nigeria: The damage fake news can do”, upbraided some Ministers of Information, Spokespersons of Presidents, Governors, Ministers, Local Government Chairpersons, and spokesperson of Chief Executives of MDAs for categorizing unpleasant stories about their organizations as fake news. Oriakhi who is from the department of Political Science,

Federal University, Otuoke, however noted that if unchecked fake news could plunge the nation into unexpected crisis. According to him, “Fake news is purposely propagated by its initiator for personal interest either for political or economics interest. “The menace has affected every facet of the nation including her voting pattern. The former journalist who advised journalists not to accept everything they see on social media as true, however emphasised that fact-checking is a key to professional journalism. He said it was unfortunate that any truth said about the ruling class this days is seen and perceived as

fake news and hate speech by the ruling class. On his part, Mr Tunde Ebozoje, lecturer at the Benson Idahosa University, Benin City, said increase in fake news has resulted in unnecessary tension in our society. Ebozoje who spoke on fake news: A menace to Nigeria’s democracy.” He explained that the efficacy of the internet is an impetus to the ever increasing trend of fake news in our society. He also posited that the only solution to fake news for professional journalists is factchecking and an analytical mind that should be able to distinguish lies from truth.

Gov. Bello sends 3 additional commissioner nominees to assembly From Yakubu Minna

R-L: Maj. Gen. Sani Adamu, Commandant Army Depot Zaria presenting a gift to Hon Abdulrazak Namdas Chairman House Committee on Army when he visited the Depot on a fact-finding mission, yesterday in Kaduna state.

Aid Foundation set for anniversary in Abuja By Albert Akota

nongovernmental Organisation, Anneozeng Ogozi Aid Foundation (AOA), has disclosed that it would be celebrating her one year anniversary and award ceremony. The event which is slated for October 25, 2019 by 4pm at Merit House,Maitama, Abuja

would have so many dignitaries in attendance. In a statement issued by the founder, Ambassador Anneozeng Ogozi Peters on Thursday, it noted that the organisation’s goal is to create a world where everyone feels valued and are able to contribute meaningfully to the society. In achieving these goals, it noted that the Foundation

have been able to reach out to over 20,000 children with exercise books & writing materials, adding that over 650 scholarships have given given out to children who are absent from school due to lack of funds. It also stated that the Foundation have visited numerous orphanage homes, carried out medical outreach in various communities, provided

them with wheel chairs and clutches. “Over 300 widows have been trained in various skills with financial empowerment to start up their businesses.” “Success never comes in a day, it comes with strong determination and great hard work which have been the driving force behind AOA Foundation,” it added.

Lack of nutritious food exposes children to poor health-Kaduna First Lady From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

he wife of Kaduna State Governor, Ummi El-Rufai said failure to eat the right nutritious food, exposes children to myriad of poor health outcomes. She stated this while flagging

off campaign to improve the consumption of egg among children age six to 59 months in Kaduna State organized by Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) She said that the campaign would disseminate key messages that will stimulate sustainable

behaviour change, particularly on egg consumption in target communities. According to her, intake of adequate animal source protein like egg and fish will contribute to better health outcomes for children in the state. In his remark, GAIN Country

Director, Dr Michael Ojo, explained at , that the campaign tagged “Eggs Make Kids”, targets over 210,000 households. Ojo said that the campaign would be carried out in Chikun, Kaduna North and Kaduna South Local Government Areas of the state.

Mustapha,

overnor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State has sent three additional list of commissioner nominees which comprised two women to the state assembly who have screened 14 out 17 of the first list for confirmation Reading the letter at plenary by the speaker Hon Abdullahi Bawa Wuse said that they includes; Mrs Tasala Fati Ibrahim, Mrs Rufkat Adamu and Dr Abubakar Baba Aliyu. Member representing Gurara st the state assembly, Hon. Binta Mamman appreciated the Governor and speaker for answering the call by women in the state for additional women in the state executive cabinet. She also thanked her colleague members for their support in actualizing their dreams and therefore moved that the three nominees should be screened on Tuesday next week that was seconded by member representing Bosso, Hon Malik Madaki Bosso. Meanwhile, the speaker further read another letter from the Governor seeking approval for Zenith Bank offer of N2billion for counterpart funds with 18% interest for some vital projects by donor agencies He said that the payment of the offer will be within 24 months including the interest noted that the donor agencies were SUBEB N600 million, RAMP 111 N150 million, SDG N500 million and UNICEF has various projects especially on what concerns health with different millions of naira.

By Lawrence Olaoye

ayelsa state governor, Hon. Henry Seriake-Dickson, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies to ensure the conduct of free, fair and credible governorship election in his state.

Onitsha tanker fire: Ekweremadu commiserates with victims By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

ormer Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has expressed heartfelt commiserations to the victims of the fire disaster at Ochanja Market, Onitsha, Wednesday. Ekweremadu, described the incident as a sad loss, not only to the Government and good people of Anambra State, but to the South East and the nation as a whole. He said: “I received the news of the fire disaster at Ochanja Market, Onitsha, with a deep of grief. This is a collective loss, not only to the affected traders, their families, the Government and good people of Anambra State, but also to the South East and the nation as a whole. “My heart goes out to the victims; Anambra State Market Traders Association, ASMATA; Obi of Onitsha, HRM Igwe, Alfred Achebe; the Government and good people of Anambra State; Ndigbo and the nation. I sympathise in a very special way with those, who lost their loved ones or properties. The lawmaker urged support and prayers for the casualties. He prayed God to grant peaceful repose to the souls of the deceased.

Conduct free, fair election in Bayelsa, Seriake-Dickson urges INEC ...says reconciliation ongoing in Bayelsa PDP The governor, in an interaction with State House Correspondents after leading the governors of the oil producing states to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari behind closed door, also said that the reconciliation of all dissenting voices after the Bayelsa People’s Democratic Party primary, which produced Senator Douye Diri as the party’s candidate, was ongoing. The governor, who called on the leader of the opposition in the state to join hands with him to ensure peaceful poll in the state, expressed the confidence that his party would win the November 26th governorship election in Bayelsa state.

He said “My call back home to all politicians and parties, to all institutions of government, particularly the INEC and the security agencies, is that all hands must literally be on deck. We have had very unfortunate instances where in elections you see unnecessary violence, carnage and brigandage, maiming and displacement of people. In Bayelsa, we have IDPs. There are people, innocent, peaceful women and children and people who were chased away by the militia boldly supported by some security agencies and some political actors who kill and have federal government support and cover; who know they cannot win

any election if we are to rely on votes of the people. That is the situation in some communities and those concerns have always been raised. So, we call for free fair and credible and above all peaceful governorship election. I am not on the ballot this time and I have always said that myself as the leader of the PDP and the leader of the leading opposition party who is a minister lead the charge and work together for a peaceful free and credible election.” The governor said his administration has been able to stabilize the state and made it one of the safest states in the country in the last eight years or

so that he had been in power. Asked what efforts he had made to reconcile aggrieved PDP members in the state following the party’s primary, the governor said he had contacted leaders both at local and national levels stressing that reconciliation efforts are ongoing. According to him, the ruling PDP was unbeatable in Bayelsa as the leading opposition in the state was unorganized and parading unsellable candidate with no capacity to govern the state. He said the opposition candidate cannot win any election in Bayelsa state in a free, fair and credible poll.

L-R: Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream, Senator Sabo Mohammed Nakudu, his counterpart of upstream, Senator Bassey Albert and Chairman house of representatives committee on Petroleum upstream, Hon. Musa Sarki Adar, during the Ministry of Petroleum Resources budget defence, at the National Assembly, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

PDP tasks presidency to make details of 2020 budget public By Lateef Ibrahim

he Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has expressed its unhappiness over the failure of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led presidency to make the details of the 2020 appropriation bill public, despite demands by well-meaning groups in the country. This is even as the PDP has tasked the presidency to explain the basis and source of presidential support for the office of the First Lady, including the appointment of aides, contrary to his promise not to run that office. The party said these in a statement yesterday by its

National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja. The PDP declared that the failure to make the details of the budget public, places a huge burden on the on presidency, particularly in the face of allegations of budgetary corruption and financial sleazes. The leading opposition party contended that unless the budget is made public for Nigerians to see, any directive on cost cut remains cosmetic. The PDP further challenged the President to lead by example by ending the profligacy that pervades his Presidency in order to give validity to his directives to ministers and other functionaries.

According to the statement, “In the same vein, the PDP tasks the Buhari Presidency to explain the basis and source of Presidential support for the Office of the First Lady, including the appointment of aides, contrary to his promise not to run that office. “The PDP holds that Mr. President remains responsible and answerable for his presidential assurances and Nigerians expect an explanation on the violation of such sensitive undertaking. “While the PDP is still monitoring the implementation of directive to government functionaries on cost cut, the party tasks President Buhari to take the first step by immediately

fulfilling his promise to reduce the Presidential fleet, as well as cut his over bloated entourages and curtail the opulent lifestyle in the Presidency, which is daily flaunted before suffering and impoverished Nigerians. “The PDP invites Nigerians to note that the Buhari Presidency has proven to be extremely expensive and a major draining pipe for valuable resources, while millions of compatriots, who look up to government for solutions, wallow in hunger and acute poverty. The profligacy that permeates the Buhari Presidency had further manifested in the public fight between the First Lady,

Aisha Buhari, and President Buhari’s nephews over issues of opulent accommodation in our presidential villa. “The party further urges Nigerians to note that the Buhari Presidency has failed to make the details of its budget public, despite demands by our party and other well-meaning groups in Nigeria. “The failure to make the details of the Presidency budget public places a huge burden on the Buhari Presidency, particularly in the face of allegations of budgetary corruption and financial sleazes. “Unless the Presidency budget is made public for Nigerians to see, any directive on cost cut remains cosmetic” it said.

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

PAGE 16

Politics

Undercover investigation: DPA asks NASS to conduct public hearing on abuse of prosecutory power by police

Immigration boss laments PPP arrangement as Nigeria loses N18billion

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

*Says Nigeria will descend on irregular migrants in January 2020

he Due Process Advocates Foundation (DPA) has asked the National Assembly to conduct holistic public hearing on continuous abuse of prosecutory power by Nigerian Police which was uncovered by Investigation carried out by Fisayo Soyombo. Fisayo Soyombo is the investigative journalist ‘spent two weeks in detention — five days in a Police cell and eight as an inmate in Ikoyi Prison — to track corruption in Nigeria’s criminal justice system, beginning from the moment of arrest by the Police to the point of release from prison. The Group made this known in statement signed by its Director of Information, Ifeanyi Calistus said that every element of police failure came out nearly all at once in Soyombo’s work which is similar to Barrister Emeka Ugwuonye experience in Abuja Police station. DPA added that the current travail of Barrister Ugwuonye cannot be separated from his continuous criticism of Police activities across.

According to the statement, Barrister Ugwuonye, is still in detention based on a fabricated murder charge by the police, which was calculated to prevent the disclosure of the worst police corruption and atrocities in Nigerian history. The most astonishing thing about Ugwuonye’s case is that the court seems to have ineptly aided the designs of the police. The statement reads “the extraordinary work of Soyombo also highlights some institutional failures that have aided and even facilitated the police problem, such as the failure of the courts to control police abuses and the failure of the Bar to checkmate and vigorously advocate for rights of victims. Further, it highlights the absence of adequate internal controls within the police force, such as ethical control and effective rules of engagement. “Normally, the Nigerian courts should be able to check the excesses of the police in two major ways: vigorous enforcement of fundamental rights and effective application and observance of due process standards as contained

in Sections 35 and 36 of the Constitution. Unfortunately, the courts seem to have abandoned these standards and taken positions that amount to complicity in the abuse of rights. This is evident in the fact that over 80% of the inmates in our correctional facilities all over the country are awaiting trial. This was discussed in greater detail in DPA’s Policy Statement for October 2019. “Equally, every indication shows that the organized bar and individual lawyers have been unable to challenge the abuses by the police. More and more lawyers have been intimidated by the police. Most lawyers are terrified by the prospect of going to visit their clients in detention centers controlled by various police units. And with a judiciary that increasingly rubber-stamps every police action, the individual lawyer is totally helpless. “Finally on this, the Nigerian Police Force has repeatedly failed to come up with standard ethical and security doctrines that police officers would follow. Instead, each time a new Inspector General

of Police (IGP) is appointed, there will be several positive pronouncements that are soon ignored. “As we speak, the Founder of DPA, Barrister Emeka Ugwuonye, is still in detention based on a fabricated murder charge by the police, which was calculated to prevent the disclosure of the worst police corruption and atrocities in Nigerian history. The most astonishing thing about Ugwuonye’s case is that the court seems to have ineptly aided the designs of the police. “The implications of police failure in Nigeria are quite chilling. Today, there is no major crime in this country without the complicity or connivance of the police. Be it armed-robbery, kidnappings, banditry, even terrorism, you will find the fingerprints of Nigerian police officers all over it, even if it be in supplying weapons and arms used in such crimes. “DPA has sent a petition to the National Assembly calling for wide ranging measures air med at curtailing police corruption in Nigeria.”

L-R: Director of Early Warning, ECOWAS, Dr Abdou Lat Gueye; representative of the ECOWAS President, Mrs Finda Koroma and Yvonne Akpaso, Head of Conflict Prevention, Giz ECOWAS Peace and Security Architecture and Operations (EPSAO) Programme, during the opening of ECOWAS Early Warning and Response Network (ECOWARN) Ministerial workshop in Abuja . Photo: NAN

Onitsha market fire: PDP mourns, calls for probe By Lateef Ibrahim

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed shocked at the devastating petrol tanker fire outbreak in Onitsha, Anambra state, describing the incident as heartbreaking and traumatizing. The PDP has, consequently, called for an investigation into the remote and immediate causes of the accident as well as the circumstances that may have frustrated timely intervention in the tragedy. The leading opposition party

said that it is deeply saddened by the tragic occurrence particularly, the painful death of “our compatriots”, including the mother and child, who lost their lives in the inferno that also razed houses, shops and other valuables. The party said this in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja. The party commiserated with the government and people of Anambra state and prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased. The PDP also urged public-

spirited individuals and organization to support the government in finding succour for the victims over their losses. The PDP, in the statement, said, “Indeed, our party mourns. Our hearts ache as our prayers go out to the victims and the families of the deceased, who are now in anguish over their excruciating losses. “Our party commiserates with the government and people of Anambra state and prays for the repose of the souls of the deceased. “The PDP also urges

public-spirited individuals and organization to support the government in finding succour for the victims over their losses. “The PDP however called for an investigation into the remote and immediate causes of the accident as well as the circumstances that may have frustrated timely intervention in the tragedy. “This is primarily to ensure that measures are put in place to forestall a reoccurrence, as the safety and wellbeing of all Nigerians remain paramount to our party”, it said.

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PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

POLITICS

By Musa Adamu

he Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mohammed Babandede , Thursday, lamented over the Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement signed on behalf of the agency by Ministry of Interior with private companies . Babandede who made the lamentation during an interactive session with the Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Interior, said the agreements are skewed in favour of the private companies to the detriment of operational efficiency of NIS. According to him, attempts made to jettison the agreement by NIS was frustrated by the beneficiary companies by going to court and securing N18billion judgement against NIS. “The sharing formula in the agreement between NIIS and the private companies , was skewed in favour of the companies which to us, is economically injurious to the Nation . “Expectedly, Immigration as a body has vehemently protested against the whole arrangement but the fact that the agreement was signed on our behalf by the Interior Ministry , the private companies have continued to have upper hand “, he said . He however informed members of the joint committee, that President Muhammadu Buhari has already taken up the matter with operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) thoroughly investigating the agreement . Babandede who refused to explain in details , what the contractual agreements were all about and companies involved , was taken up on it by the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Kashim Shettima ( APC Borno Central ), on why the agency gave N18billion to one the companies in 2017 and another N16billion in 2018 . On irregular migrants in the country, the Immigration boss said from January 20, 2020 , any of the irregular migrants that had not done biometric capturing, will be arrested and deported . “ President Muhammadu Buhari has given them six months grace of Amnesty which started from 18th of July this year and ends on 19th of January 2020 . “ During this period , biometric data of concerned migrants are to be taken and documented . Information to that effect has been sent out to all the affected migrants that whoever refuses to comply, will from January 20, 2020, be on the radar of Immigration operatives for arrest and deportation”, he explained. He added that while the agency received only N3.4billion out of the N13.175 capital votes appropriated for it in 2018 budget , not a single dime , has been released from N8.214 billion appropriated for capital projects in 2019 . The committee members however resolved to approach the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning on behalf of the agency for way out of the poor capital budget funding.

First row: Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos (M); Chairperson NLC, Lagos Council, Mrs Sessi Funmi (3rd R); Chairman Trade Union Congress (TUC) Lagos, Gbenga Ekundayo (3nd L); Commissioner for Establishment, Training and Pension, Mrs Ajibola Panle (2nd L); Head of Service of Lagos State, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola and other members of the Unions, during the courtesy visit of the two Unions delegate to the Governor, recently in Lagos. Photo: NAN

Ohanaeze tackles Junaid Muhammed over statement against Nwodo

hanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has warned a second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed to desist from further vituperation against Igbo, noting that he should be more concerned about the level of insecurity in the north-east. While disclosing thing this in a statement signed by the group’s President, Mazi okechukwu Isiguzoro, and Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, the Secretary General, respectively, Ohanaeze said that Igbo cannot be cowed by Junaid’s political antics, promising to produce the likes of Nnamdi Azikiwe, as Igbo Presidency come 2023. The group equally said that it would

not field the likes of Nnia Nwodo in the 2023 presidency, saying that Igbo have a lot of qualified candidate to present. Recall that Junaid Muhammed had said that when Nnia Nwodo was vying for presidency in 2003, that he (Nwodo), came with a delegate from Enugu, knelt down at the house of Lawal Jarfaru Isa, former military administrator of Kaduna and solicited for their support. Continuing, Junaid said they laughed at Nwodo, noting that North does not support begging Culture. In view of this revelation, Ohanaeze opined that “Using the antics of Nnia Nwodo to haunt the genuine aspirations of South East from taking a shot at the

2023 Presidency is dead on arrival”. The statement reads thus: “We wish to remind Junaid Muhammed, that South East will not be provoked by the traps and pitfalls set up by few Northern Elders against the popular choice of supporting a Nigerian President of Igbo stock with a Northerner as running mate. “We’ll not remind Junaid Muhammed that quality candidates will emerge from the South East who are in the same pedigree with late Dr Nnamdi Azikwe and Chief Samuel Mbakwe. “These men see the entire Nigeria as their constituency. Based on the numerical strength of Igbo existing in

all the 774 LGAs of the Country, the fundamental issues of almajiris which the likes of Dr Junaid Muhammed had failed to address would be resolved. “Igbo Youths wishes to assure Dr Junaid Muhammed, that Chief Nnia Nwodo will not be among the Presidential materials we will present in 2023 Presidential race. “We are strict on age and qualities of whoever we will project in 2023. Among those who would possess the needed qualities include; current Governors, former Governors, Senators and legion of respected Sons and daughters who had international statue, that equals the Great Zik of Africa.”

Makinde vows - I will step on toes to make Oyo great By Ikechukwu Okaforadi with agency report

yo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has said that his administration will not shy away from taking hard decisions in order to set the state on a path of sustainable development. The governor who also advised other state governors not to allow themselves to be caged by crave for second term, stated that service delivery to the people

should be of greater importance to office holders. In reference to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Taiwo Adisa, said that the governor stated these while performing two separate functions in his office. Governor Makinde, while receiving reports of seven committees set up by his administration to look into various issues, said “I have seen people come to me and said I

should not do some certain things or take certain decisions because of second term. Those that are interested in second term should wait, at least till 2022. For now, we should do the job the people have committed to our hands and do things that will place Oyo State on the path of greatness.” Of seven committees set up by his administration to look into various issues, said “I have seen people come to me and said I should not do some certain things

or take certain decisions because of second term. Those that are interested in second term should wait, at least till 2022. For now, we should do the job the people have committed to our hands and do things that will place Oyo State on the path of greatness.” Also, while receiving the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State, Mr. Musa Wada, Makinde advised office-seekers and governors not to allow

themselves to be caged by the crave for a second term in office. “The people are the sole determinants of the fate of the politicians. Fresh term, second term are all linked to what we have for the people. During the first term, you make promises to the people and once you start ticking those boxes, the people can always decide that they want you to come in first and later say they want you to continue,” the governor said.

Page 18

Health

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

Scientists show how an experimental vaccine offers long-term protection against Ebola I n the recurring, deadly Ebola outbreaks in parts of Africa, today’s health workers now have at least some tools to fight the disease: vaccines. Vaccines against Ebola have been administered to over 100,000 people to date, but they are barely out of the experimental stage. It is not known how well these vaccines will provide long-term protection across a broad population. Furthermore, on the basic scientific level, the effect of vaccination on the immune system and how the immune response of vaccinated individuals compares with that of individuals who have survived Ebola infections was not known. A Weizmann Institute of Science lab recently joined forces with a research team in Cologne, Germany, to uncover the details of the molecular response that occurs in the immune system after vaccination against Ebola. Their findings may help health organizations devise better strategies for containing and preventing the disease. The findings of this research were published this week in Nature Medicine. Dr. Ron Diskin of the Institute’s Structural Biology Department explains: “These vaccines—made by recombinant methods that attach an Ebola protein to a harmless virus—are hard to produce, and thus there is not enough of them to vaccinate an entire population. In addition, the civil strife in some areas where Ebola is rampant today, the facts that it is often needed in villages that are hard to reach and that because of its scarcity, the vaccine tends to be given only to those most closely connected to individuals who are already sick. Understanding exactly how the immune response is produced following vaccination will not only help refine the vaccine, itself, it can help us understand whether it will work against different strains of the virus or whether the dose given today is the best one.” The study began in Germany, in the lab of Dr. Florian Klein of the University of Cologne. Klein, an

immunologist, and his group looked for signs of the immune response in blood samples from six people who had received the vaccine a year or more earlier. The group singled out the B cells—those that produce the antibodies that make up our “immune memory”—and conducted deep sequencing, tracing the lineages of those cells and isolating individual antibodies that bound to viral proteins. Cells from each of the six people produced a wide number of antibodies, and Diskin and his team— including Dr. Nadav Elad of Chemical Research Support and Dr. Hadas Cohen-Dvashi in his lab group— decided to focus on two promising ones they believed were strongly involved in the long-term immune response. The first step was to understand exactly how and where the antibodies bind to the viral glycoprotein (part of a virus’s outer membrane) used in the vaccine, and just how this binding neutralizes the virus so effectively. To do so, the team was able to use a new piece of equipment: a top-of-the-line, high-powered electron microscope. In fact, this study was the first conducted with the new microscope, recently installed in the Institute’s Electron Microscopy Unit. Advances in the preparation, detection, automation and computational analysis (some of which garnered their developers a Nobel Prize in 2017) have made this latest version of the electron microscope able to reveal the three-dimensional structure, practically down to the last atom, of an antibody bound to its target on the glycoprotein. “Until recently, the work of structural biology involved painstaking crystallization and X-ray diffraction—a process that could take at least half-a-year to a year,” says Elad. “We can now skip the crystallization altogether, and the entire process—including extremely involved computational analysis—is completed within a couple of weeks.”

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

Page 19

Transcorp acquires Afam Power for N105.3bn -BPE By Etuka Sunday

he National Council on Privatisation (NCP) has approved Transcorp Power Consortium as the preferred bidder for the Afam Electricity Generation Company (Afam Power Plc and Afam Three Fast Power Limited) with a bid price of N105.3bn (about US$343.6m) and Diamond Stripes Consortium as the reserve bidder with a price of N102.3bn. This was one of the major decisions taken by the Council, chaired by the Vice President and Chairman of Council, Professor Yemi Osinbajo at the 2nd Meeting of the NCP for 2019 held at the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja on Monday, October 14,

2019. It noted that the winning bid of US$343.6m for the power plant is above the winning bid of US$265m in the previous privatisation transaction conducted in 2013; and that Transcorp Power Consortium (preferred bidder) plans to invest US$350m in the firm over a period of five years after take over. The Head, Public Communications, BPE, Amina Tukur Othman in a statement said, the Council also approved Quest Electricity Nigeria Limited as the preferred bidder for the re-privatised Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) with a bid price of N19bn (about US$62m) which is above the US$59m paid by the previous

core investor in 2013. It would be recalled that Council at itsfirst Meeting for 2019, held on Friday, April 12, 2019 at the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja, granted approval to Diamond Stripes Consortium, Transcorp Power Consortium and Unicorn Consortium to proceed to the financial bids opening stage for the acquisition of 100 percent shares in the Afam Electricity Generation Company (Afam Power Plc & Afam Three Fast Power Limited), having met the benchmark score of 750 points after evaluation in accordance with the criteria set out in the Requests for Proposal (RfPs). It also directed Quest Electric Nigeria Limited to proceed to the

financial bids opening stage for the re-privatisation of the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC). Recall that the privatisation of Afam Electricity Generation Company could not be concluded during the first round of the power privatisation in 2013 due to issues stemming from gas supply to the plant. Following the termination of the Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) signed between Taleveras (the then Preferred Bidder) and BPE in 2016, Council at its 1st Meeting of 2017 held on 22nd and 23rd August 2017, approved the privatisation of the enterprise based on a strategy to be recommended by the Transaction Advisers.

The glycoprotein spike complex of the Ebola virus bound by a neutralizing antibody isolated from a vaccinated individual. Surface representations in grey and pink show the two distinct submits that make the trimeric Ebola spike complex. The heavy and light chains of the neutralizing antibody are shown as blue and green ribbons, respectively. The antibody neutralizes this complex by stapling two adjacent subunits and preventing conformational changes needed by the virus to enter the host cell Credit: Weizmann Institute of Science Although many of the antibodies produced by the B cells bound to the glycoproteins—some apparently more effectively than others—the research group was able to show why the two antibodies characterized by Diskin and his group were very efficient at stopping the virus. These bound to two sites on the viral glycoprotein known for their vulnerability, but they bound in a different way than other antibodies that had been studied. Diskin and the group were able to distinguish the exact make-up of these antibodies—the way that one socalled “heavy chain” combined with another “light chain”—and to map the precise points at which these attached to the viral protein. “In fact,” says Diskin, “the antibodies we studied are much more effective at binding than those that are being tested today to treat Ebola.” Comparing the map of binding sites to those studied in Ebola survivors, which are known to be protective, showed a nearly

identical pattern. Further research in the German lab as well as others tested the antibodies against the Ebola protein—even against the live virus—and these confirmed that the part of the immune response that was created by the vaccine and which was studied by the group is indeed effective, ultimately explaining the mechanism of protection. Although there is still too little information to enable us to tell whether the vaccine can produce an immune response against other Ebola virus species, the study suggested that the antibodies did work against multiple isolates of a single species, and Diskin hopes that further research will show whether, as they hope, a single vaccine can fight the disease across the continent. Another reason for hope, says Diskin, is that subjects who had received a lower-dose version of the vaccine had a similar number of effective antibodies to those

The Deputy British High Commissioner to Kenya, Susie Kitchens addressing the people during the PRISE project launch at her residence in Lavington, Nairobi. [Photo: Courtesy]

n agricultural research initiative has been launched to help control pests and assist Kenyan farmers to reap more yields from their crops. The Pest Risk Information Services (PRISE) programme was flagged by the Deputy British High Commissioner to Kenya Susie Kitchens Susie Kitchens at her residence in Lavington, Nairobi. The event brought also other partners like Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO),

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Mr. Louis Edozien, Minister of Power, Engr. Sale Mamman and Director Finance and Account, Ministry of Power, Mr. Steven Ojo, during the Minister›s budget defence before the house of representatives committee on Power, at the National Assembly, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

in subjects who had received a higher dose, and this could lead to a reconsideration of protocols for administration and possibly afford more people protection. Diskin and the German research team intend to continue this research. Based on an additional surprising observation from this study, that a particular group of effective antibodies sharing the same heavy-and-light-chain germline combination was elicited robustly in all the vaccinated individuals, they want to know precisely why and how these particular antibodies are produced, and how they manage to work so effectively against the virus. They also want to understand whether there are any serious limiting factors that could prevent the antibodies produced following this specific vaccination from targeting all the Ebolavirus species, or if the breadth of this response might possibly be expanded by improving the vaccines.

KALRO, UK embassy team with researchers to launch pest control program Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) and UK Space Agency. In her address, Kitchens commended the other partners for teaming up in the PRISE research to channel efforts to eradicate pests and diseases which affect crop yields and food production in the country. She stated that PRISE is in line with the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals, which aims at achieving food security, promoting proper nutrition and agriculture.

SEE ALSO :What the creation story teaches us about work “Right from the beginning of PRISE project, KARLRO together with other partners were able to prioritise on crops and pests that threaten food security and livelihoods of small scale farmers that PRISE could focus on,” she said on her statement. The group has already added to their bag a series of pest control trials focusing on bean fly and fall armyworm as they aim to make changes in the agricultural sector.

For the YEDC, although it was successfully privatised and handed over to the core investor in 2013, a force majeure was declared in 2015 by the core investor citing insecurity in the North-East region of the country. Following this, the company was duly repossessed by the Federal Government. It is expected that the successful bidders will be responsible for operating the generation and distribution companies, making the necessary investments to improve the generation and distribution networks and customer service in line with the objectives of the Federal Government of Nigeria set out in the National Electric Power Policy.

IoT: Kaspersky detects 100m attacks on smart devices in H1 2019

aspersky honeypots – networks of virtual copies of various internet connected devices and applications – have detected 105 million attacks on IoT devices coming from 276,000 unique IP addresses in the first six months of the year. This figure is around nine times more than the number found in H1 2018, when only around 12 million attacks were spotted originating from 69,000 IP addresses. Capitalising on weak security of IoT products, cybercriminals are intensifying their attempts to create and monetise IoT botnets. This and other findings are a part of the ‘IoT: a malware story’ report on honeypot activity in H1 2019.

Cyberattacks on IoT devices are booming, as even though more and more people and organisations are purchasing ‘smart’ (network-connected and interactive) devices, such as routers or DVR security cameras, not everybody considers them worth protecting. Cybercriminals, however, are seeing more and more financial opportunities in exploiting such gadgets. They use networks of infected smart devices to conduct DDoS attacks or as a proxy for other types of malicious actions. To learn more about how such attacks work and how to prevent them, Kaspersky experts set up honeypots - decoy devices used to attract the attention of

cybercriminals and analyse their activities. Based on data analysis collected from honeypots, attacks on IoT devices are usually not sophisticated, but stealth-like, as users might not even notice their devices are being exploited. The malware family behind 39% of attacks - Mirai - is capable of using exploits, meaning that these botnets can slip through old, unpatched vulnerabilities to the device and control it. Another technique is password brute-forcing, which is the chosen method of the second most widespread malware family in the list – Nyadrop. Nyadrop was seen in 38.57% of attacks and often serves as a Mirai

downloader. This family has been trending as one of the most active threats for a couple of years now. The third most common botnet threatening smart devices - Gafgyt with 2.12% - also uses bruteforcing. In addition, the researchers were able to locate the regions that became sources of infection most often in H1 2019. These are China, with 30% of all attacks taking place in this country, Brazil saw 19% and this is followed by Egypt (12%). A year ago, in H1 2018 the situation was different, with Brazil leading with 28%, China being second with 14% and Japan following with 11%. “As people become more

and more surrounded by smart devices, we are witnessing how IoT attacks are intensifying. Judging by the enlarged number of attacks and criminals’ persistency, we can say that IoT is a fruitful area for attackers that use even the most primitive methods, like guessing password and login combinations. This is much easier than most people think: the most common combinations by far are usually “support/support”, followed by “admin/admin”, “default/ default”. It’s quite easy to change the default password, so we urge everyone to take this simple step towards securing your smart devices” – said Dan Demeter, security researcher at Kaspersky. (APO)

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Nigeria to explore further investment opportunities with UAE -Adebayo By Miriam Humbe

he Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Richard Adeniyi Adebayo on Tuesday said Nigeria would explore more investment opportunities in the United Arabic Emirate, UAE. The Minister disclosed this in his office in Abuja when he received the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria,

Dr Fahad Al-Taffaq. He said : “As a government, we hope to do more by ensuring that we increase the business figures between us”. “We therefore seek cooperation of your government and its business stakeholders to encourage more of our ambitious business initiatives in the shores of UAE”. “We are concerned that our two countries are working together in

beneficial manners in the areas of trade and investment. “President Buhari is keen about seeing how the trade and investment potential in Nigeria will attract key business oriented nations like the UAE”. The ambassador in his earlier remark conveyed the congratulatory message of the UAE Government to the Minister over his recent appointment.

He said UAE had shown interest in investing in Nigeria due to its huge trade and human resources potential, adding that his country’s investment portfolios in Nigeria grew to 25% in 2019 from $1.2 billion in 2018. He expressed hope that with the necessary legal framework put in place by the Nigerian government, more UAE investors would come to Nigeria.

Al-Taffaq who said he resumed duty in Nigeria in June 2018 described the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment as very important for UAE to work with in Nigeria. He, therefore, used the opportunity to invite the minister to the “One Year Countdown to for Dubai Expo 2020” scheduled to hold in the UAE Embassy in Abuja on 20th 0ctober, 2019.

L-R: Minister of Trade and investment, Chief Adeniyi Adebayo; Perm Secretary, Ministry of Trade and investment, Mr. Edet Sunday Akpan and Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mr. Osita Aboloma during the 2020 budget defence of the ministry with House committee on Industry Trade and Investment, at the National Assembly, yesterday in Abuja. Phtoo: Mahmud Isa

Nigeria marks World Standards Day 2019 -As video create global village By Miriam Humbe

dvances in video technology as a modern medium of expression have changed the world, revolutionizing entertainment, connecting friends and families across the globe, enriching our communication experiences and enabling major improvements in medical care and education. These according to a statement from the office of the Director General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Osita Aboloma Esq. is the focus of the 2019 celebration of the World Standards Day being coordinated by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) with the theme “Video standards

create a global stage”. Aboloma posited that the innovation of recent decades has driven a huge leap forward in video quality, making it more accessible, helping people worldwide to share their stories in vivid, moving pictures. He stressed that these gains in both the sophistication and accessibility of video are built on the development and application of International Standards. According to him, the video compression algorithms standardized in collaboration by IEC, ISO and ITU have been honoured with two Primetime Emmy Awards, recognizing that these standards are central to industry’s ability to meet rising demand for video, one of the most bandwidth-intensive applications running over global networks. “International Standards meet industry

demand for powerful compression capabilities and enable smooth transitions to the next generation of video compression technology, helping industry to maximize return on each wave of investment”, he said. The SON Chief Executive stated that having standards recognized and respected all over the world means that video encoded on one device can be decoded by another, regardless of the device being used. This, he said introduces economies of scale that help to grow the market, giving innovators the confidence to invest in new video applications and services. International Standards, like those produced by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Telecommunications Union

(ITU) will thus continue to be chief drivers in the continued innovation, promoting compatibility and interoperability, as well as new investments all over the world, he said. Aboloma affirmed that the Standards Organisation of Nigeria as a representative of these international standardization bodies in Nigeria would continue to propagate the global standards through adoption and modification for local use, manpower training through seminars, workshops, consumer enlightenment activities and certification of products including management systems to international standards. Aboloma called on all Nigerians to join the quality vanguard and continue to support SON in its quest to improve the lives of Nigerians through standards and quality assurance activities.

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

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Aliyu harps on revamping Gwagwalada Food Processing Center By Stanley Onyekwere

he FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has expressed the determination of the Administration to overhaul Gwagwalada Women Food Processing Center, in order to enhance economic growth of rural women. To this end, she revealed that the FCT Administration will collaborate with the private sector to bring about the viability of the center to meet the set goals. Aliyu gave this indication while addressing journalists at the end of tour of facilities in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Territory. She, however, frowned at the under-ultilization of some of the equipment at the center, noting that if properly put to effective use, the center is capable of producing food supply that could be enough for the Territory. The Minister further revealed that the Administration will sought for experts that could put the machines to good use, stressing that advertorial will be placed in national dailies for applications. “We have seen a lot of state of the earth mechines rangging from bread milling, bread making, knitting machines, rice processing machinces among others. “Interestingly and saddly too, they are brand new machines but

not put to use. Basically, this is a case of abandoned project. “I don’t know what it is intended for, but we are going to revisit it completely and revive the Food Processing Unit of the Women Developing Centre to produce groundnut oil, garri, rice, even bread enough to supply FCT in totality. “This will also go by PPP arrangement. By and large, from what we heard from the women, it has been difficulty for them to

operate the machines. “We are going to advertise in newspapers to find experts who will be able to prove beyond reasonable doubt their ability to operate machines and from there they shall be equipped and the building restructured. “As you can see the structures are weak because it been decades there so we will try to see how we can upgrade and strengthen the facility before the operation. Then with this, we will be able

to empower the women,” Aliyu noted. In a related development, the Minister also called for total relocation of Gwagwalada abattoir instead of upgrading the facilities, arguing that renovation of the abattoir will amount to waste of public funds. According to her, “to even say a facial uplift or upgrade of that facility is a waste of resources. I dont even know where we will begin the repair of what they call

abbatoir, practically that place is calling for a total new abbatoir”. In his remarks, the Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Hon. Adamu Mustapha Danze, assured the Minister that the council has already identified a suitable site for the construction of a new abattoir. He, however, called for a stakeholders meeting to harmonize all views regarding the establishment of the new abattoir in Gwagwalada Area Council.

Founder, Hopes and Dreams Initiative, Nguzo Ogbodo (2nd L), teaching pupils of diffrent schools in AMAC proper way of hands washing, during the 2019 International Hand Washing Day at Aleita L.E.A. Primary School, recently in Abuja.

Flood: Minister condoles with victims in 150 communities By Stanley Onyekwere

he FCT Minister Of State Condoles Kogi Flood Victims FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has condoled with victims affected by flood in over 150 communities in neighbouring Kogi State, just as she described the incident as tragic and

unfortunate. Aliyu called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and other relevant stakeholders to come to the aid of the state who are severely devastated by flood leading to loss of cash crops and valuable property. The Minister in a statement by her Special Assitant (Media),

Austine Elemue said; “I am deeply saddened to hear of the great loss occasioned by the flood and my sincere heart goes out to all victims in time of grieve. This is tragic and unfortunate.” Aliyu, however, commended the Government of Kogi State through the State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources for the

quick intervention, stressing that the establishment of over 20 camps by the government to accommodate flood victims was a step in the right direction. The Minister also advised residents of flood-prone areas and affected communities to cooperate with the State Government by relocating to safer places to avoid

further loss of property. It could be recalled that over 150 communities was submerged following flooding in nine Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the State. While the state is still profiling, the LGAs severely affected are: Ibaji, Kogi Koton Karfe, Lokoja, Ofu, Ajaokuta, Omala and Idah.

COCIN leader urges Christians to shun hateful tendencies By Stanley Onyekwere

resident, Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), Rev. Dachollom Datiri, has called on all Christians to always pursue peace and to shun acts that do not represent Christ. Speaking at the ordination

of pastors of the church in Gwagwalada-Abuja recently, Datiri attributed the present problems bedeviling the country to human nature and its sinful tendencies. He noted that the only way out of the problems is when Christians begin to live like Jesus

Christ in all their dealings. Earlier in a remark, the chairman of COCIN RCC FCT, Rev. Chrysanthus Bala, said he was happy seeing the new development of the church in Gwagwalada. “As a community of faith we owe the society certain

obligations that must be fulfilled. “We must live by example, love each other and embrace peaceful coexistence, irrespective of one’s background, for effective furtherance of the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” Highlight of the occasion was the ordination of 11 pastors

by the COCIN president, Rev. Dachollom Datiri, which was witnessed by dignitaries from all works of life, including the representative of the Aguma of Gwagwalada, Alhaji Muhammadu Magaji and that of the area council chairman, Alhaji Mustapha Adamu Danze.

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world news

Brexit: EU and UK reach deal but DUP refuses support

Johnson

Brexit deal has been agreed between the UK and EU before a meeting of European leaders in Brussels. Boris Johnson and Jean-Claude Juncker called it a “fair” outcome - and the EU Commission President said there was no need to extend the Brexit deadline. He said: “We have a deal so why should we have a prolongation.” This will be a boost for the PM, but he still faces a battle to get the deal through Parliament on Saturday, with the DUP opposing it. Mr Johnson urged MPs to “come together” and “get this excellent deal over the line”. He added: “Now is the moment for us to get Brexit done and then together work on building our future partnership, which I think can be incredibly positive both for the UK and for the EU.” The prime minister has repeatedly

insisted the UK will leave the EU on 31 October - he could yet be forced to ask for an extension but it will be up to the leaders of the 27 member states - not Jean-Claude Juncker - whether to grant one. The two sides worked round-theclock on the legal text of the deal, but it will still need the approval of both the UK and European parliaments. In a statement, the Democratic Unionist Party, which the government relies on for support in key votes, said: “These proposals are not, in our view, beneficial to the economic well-being of Northern Ireland and they undermine the integrity of the Union.” It added: “Saturday’s vote in Parliament on the proposals will only be the start of a long process to get any Withdrawal Agreement Bill through the House of Commons.” Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the deal sounded “even worse” than the

one negotiated by the PM’s predecessor, Theresa May, and “should be rejected” by MPs. MPs have voted to hold an extra sitting in the Commons on Saturday to discuss the next steps. Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said the government would hold a vote on the deal. He added that he was “not contemplating defeat”, but if the plan did not get the backing of MPs, the alternative was leaving without a deal. The DUP has been in an agreement with the Conservative Party since the 2017 election, which, in the past, gave the government a working majority. But after resignations and the removal of the party whip from more than 20 Tory MPs in recent weeks, Mr Johnson now could face a tough battle to get his deal through Parliament. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said he and Mr Juncker had been told by the PM that “he has faith in his ability to convince the majority he needs in the House of Commons”. MPs passed a law in September that requires the PM to request an extension on 19 October if Parliament has not agreed a deal or backed leaving without a deal by that date. While Boris Johnson may have a deal in Brussels, he absolutely does not have a deal in Westminster. The DUP isn’t prepared to back this package because it does not give it a veto over the new customs arrangement, which it fears could threaten Northern Ireland’s position in the United Kingdom. Team Johnson hopes that, by presenting this as a choice between Mr Johnson’s deal and no-deal, the DUP will buckle.

N international_peoplesdailyng@yahoo.com

Russian companies mull establishing car assembly plants in Kenya, says ambassador

ussian companies expressed interest in setting up plants manufacturing Russian automotive industry products in Kenya, Russian Ambassador to Kenya Dmitry Maximychev said in an interview with TASS ahead of the Russia-Africa summit. “Current relations between Russia and Kenya are very multifaceted. Kenya is our largest partner on the African continent, ranking 4th in terms of trade (more than $300 mln a year) among subSaharan Africana states,” he noted. “We mark the interest of Russian companies in launching assembly plants of the domestic auto industry in Kenya, joint ventures for production of fuels and lubricants for sale in East Africa,” he said. According to the ambassador, Africa is the most dynamically developing continent. That is why strengthening ties with Africa is the imperative of the time. “Summit and Economic Forum of Russia and Africa are a natural result of growing interest of both parties in cooperation,” he said. “These events will help to reveal the potential for economic cooperation between Russian and African business circles on a wide range of issues. We expect this event (the coming Russia-Africa summit - TASS) to help establish partnerships relations with leading African organizations responsible

for stimulating trade and attracting investment in the region’s economy. “ “Today, Russia has a lot to offer African countries - from cooperation in the digital economy to food security, transport and energy,” said the ambassador. “Achieving sustainable development of the continent through mutually beneficial multifaceted interaction is a significant contribution to international efforts to achieve the goals of the UN Global Agenda for the period until 2030,” he said. In turn, Kenya, according to the Russian ambassador, has “unique experience in preserving its natural heritage, protecting biodiversity and the environment.” “It has become one of the first countries in the world to prohibit the production, sale and use of disposable plastic bags. Work is currently underway to ban disposable plastic bottles,” the diplomat said. Sochi on October 23-24 will host the Russia-Africa summit, to be co-chaired by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. The leaders of all 54 African countries were invited. Alongside the summit there will be an economic forum involving the heads of state, government officials, businesses and Africa’s integration associations.

‘Don’t be a fool’ Trump tells Erdogan in letter: World reacts

s a communication between two powerful heads of state, it didn’t exactly follow the usual protocol. “Don’t be a fool” Donald Trump told Recep Tayyip Erdogan as he ended the three paragraph letter, which mixed threats to destroy the Turkish economy with lines out of a Hollywood action movie. The extraordinary content of the note has sparked widespread reaction both at home and abroad as the US president faces a furore over his decision to withdraw troops from north-eastern Syria. The text of the letter was revealed on Wednesday evening as Trump was accused of giving Turkey the green light to launch an operation against Kurdish forces. The letter was sent on Oct. 9 the day

the incursion began. “You don’t want to be responsible for slaughtering thousands of people, and I don’t want to be responsible for destroying the Turkish economy – and I will,” he wrote. “History will look upon you favorably if you get this done the right and humane way,” Trump continued. “It will look upon you forever as the devil if good things don’t happen.” “Don’t be a tough guy. Don’t be a fool!” In Ankara, Erdogan “thoroughly rejected” the letter and “put it in the bin” Turkish presidential sources told BBC Turkish. Despite his anger at the tone, Erdogan went ahead with a meeting on Thursday with US Vice President Mike Pence. The Kremlin, which has troops

alongside Syrian forces filling into some of the territory vacated by the US, questioned the tone of the letter. “You don’t often encounter such language in correspondence between heads of state. It’s a highly unusual letter,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. At home the letter was seized upon by Trump’s rivals, and even mocked including within his own party. The letter emerged on Wednesday after Republicans joined Democrats in voting 354 to 60 in the House to condemn the decision to withdraw US forces. “I actually thought it was a prank, a joke, that it couldn’t possibly come from the Oval Office,” the Democratic congressman Mike Quigley told CNN. “It sounds all the world like the president of the United States, in some

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

sort of momentary lapse, just dictated angrily whatever was on the top of his head.” However, Republican senator Lindsey Graham, who has criticized Trump for the withdrawal, said it was a “good letter” and had urged him to release it. After the House vote, congressional leaders of both parties went to the White House for a briefing, which grew contentious, with Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi trading jabs. The Democrats said they walked out when the meeting descended into trading insults. “What we witnessed on the part of the president was a meltdown,” Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters, saying Trump appeared visibly “shaken up” over the House vote.

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EU: Mozambique elections marred by climate of fear

ozambique’s general elections held on Tuesday were well organised but marred by an unlevel playing field, violence and a climate of fear, according to a preliminary assessment by EU monitors. While praising the voting day as smooth, orderly and largely peaceful, the EU decried violence in the run-up to the vote - murder, the torching of houses and obstruction of campaigns. Th EU also questioned the integrity of the voters’ register. The electoral administration has denied accusations of vote manipulation. The leader of the main opposition party, Renamo, Ossufo Momade, has warned he will not accept manipulated results, prompting fears August’s peace accord with the government could be in jeopardy. Official results are expected before the month’s end.

South African child rapist sentenced to life

outh African convicted rapist Nicholas Ninow has been sentenced to life behind bars for raping a seven-year-old girl. The 21-year-old was caught naked and with the child in the female toilets of a popular Pretoria restaurant in September 2018. Thunderous applause erupted at the Pretoria High Court as Nicholas Ninow was sentenced to life behind bars – he also received a further 10 years for defeating the ends of justice and drug abuse. Judge Mosopa said the rapist had showed no remorse for his actions. His name will also be entered into the register of sexual offenders which means he cannot be allowed to work in any environment that involves children in the future. In a bid to get a lenient sentence, Ninow detailed his history of drug use and apologised to his victim and her family. On Wednesday, he read out a poem he wrote for his seven-year-old victim. Ninow also admitted he had been on a threeday drug binge and that he didn’t care about the consequences of his actions at the time of the attack and admitted to flushing his victim’s underwear down the toilet to get rid of evidence. The National Prosecuting Authority praised both the investigating officer and the state prosecutor for working diligently on the case.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths also spoke at the UN Security Council meeting and thanked Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his efforts in supporting the Yemen peace talks Griffiths added that the UN

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etween 2016 and 2018 thousands of people were forced from their homes and hundreds killed during clashes between Oromo and Somali communities in Ethiopia. One Somali woman living in Ethiopia’s Somali region Jigjiga has decided to do something about it. Filsan Abdullahi Ahmed, along with other young people, decided to bring about peace through dialogue, music and

team’s efforts in Hodeidah has also helped reduce violence. Meanwhile, Kuwait’s permanent representative at the UN ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi said that his country was ready to host a new round of negotiations between Yemeni sides.

Filsan Abdullahi Ahmed was born in Ethiopia to Somali parents

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Egyptian Railways to sign loan agreement with Eximbank of Russia -top brass

he Egyptian National Railways and the Eximbank of Russia will sign a loan agreement on the sidelines of the RussiaAfrica Economic Forum, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov said on Thursday. “This document will also be initialed by the Eximbank of Russia and the Egyptian National Railways shortly, within the framework of the Russia-Africa Economic Forum,” Manturov said. Supply of railcars produced by the Russian-Hungarian joint venture is the largest project of the two countries, the Minister said. A loan agreement between the Eximbank of Hungary and the Egyptian National Railways has already been signed within the project framework. Supplies of railcars manufactured by the Russian-Hungarian subsidiary of Russia’s Transmashholding (TMH) to Egypt will start in March 2020, co-chairperson of the RussianHungarian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation and Russian Minister of Healthcare Veronika Skvortsova said earlier. In September 2018, Transmashholding Hungary inked a contract for the supply of

Former president Jacob Zuma is expected to return to the state capture inquiry from October 14 to 25, 2019. 1,300 passenger railcars to the Egyptian National Railways to the total amount of over 1 bln euro. The term of contract performance is five years from its signing. The Russia-Africa Economic Forum will

be held in Sochi on October 23-24. Over 30 business events involving international speakers will be staged on the sidelines of the Forum, according to the Roscongress Foundation.

Uganda: 4 pupils injured as classroom collapses during immunization exercise

our pupils at Nsonga C/U Primary School in Nsonga Village, Nakisunga Sub County in Mukono district have been injured after the room which they were in collapsed on them due to the heavy rainfall. The pupils, Harriet Nambasse, a P.7 candidate, Nusra Nandase, Alvin Namwedwa and Barack Waliggo were seriously injured by the bricks from the building that collapsed as waited to be immunized. The pupils were rushed to Nkokonjeru hospital for further treatment. Mr. Anthony Mudegedda, a teacher who had been in building shortly before it collapsed says the building collapsed due to the strong winds that came along with the heavy downpour. “I was shocked to see the building

The Somali woman who started a TV channel

UN relief coordinator thanks Saudi Arabia for supporting humanitarian efforts in Yemen he Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock thanked Saudi Arabia for supporting UN efforts to address the humanitarian situation in Yemen on Thursday.

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entertainment, in an attempt to reconcile the Somalis and Oromos. Nabad - which means peace in Somali - was thus a peace campaign born out of violence. The campaign, which travelled from the capital of Ethiopia’s Somali region Jigjiga to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, proved so successful, she decided to aim for an even bigger audience.A little later, Nabad TV was born. With money donated by local Somaliowned businesses, Ms Ahmed started the satellite TV channel to continue the dialogue and create programmes that celebrated the similarities of people and brought them closer together.She is the only Somali female head of a satellite TV channel. “It’s challenging,” she admits to the BBC. But the young woman, who was born in Ethiopia and completed her masters in the UK, has big plans for her channel. “Currently we broadcast six hours a day - and in Somali,” she says. She envisions a channel that will serve people for longer hours and in different languages too.

of the children but four of them got serious injuries and they were rushed to the hospital,” Mr Anthony said. According to Ms. Deborah Namutebi, the deputy head teacher, the building which is part of the primary seven block, has been incomplete for over 30 years which made it weak hence, collapsing. “We request our leaders in Mukono to help us replace this building because it is old and incomplete and other buildings which are equally in the same state may also collapse because it is still raining,” Ms Namutebi said. She also added on that “it was a P.7 block and yet they are about to sit for their examinations, we really need an immediate response.” collapsing. Fortunately I had taken some

Daily Monitor

Ethiopian Airlines crash: families to subpoena US operators of 737 Max

awyers representing families of passengers killed in a Boeing 737 Max crash in Ethiopia in March are set to issue subpoenas to Southwest Airlines and American Airlines, the two biggest US

operators of the jet, according to documents seen by Reuters. The subpoenas will be issued over the next couple of days, the lawyers separately told Reuters. The lawyers want to know what

Rescuers work at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight crash outside of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 11 March 2019. Photograph: Mulugeta Ayene/AP

Boeing promised potential airline customers about flight crew training and the 737 Max certification process, and its communications with the two airlines following a Lion Air crash in Indonesia on 29 October 2018, and before the Ethiopian Airlines crash on 10 March. They are seeking documents about 737 Max software known as MCAS widely linked to both deadly crashes, as well as information on the aircraft’s sensors. The 737 Max was grounded globally following the Ethiopian crash in March, and Boeing has been working to deliver software fixes aimed at winning fresh approval for commercial flight in the fourth quarter. Southwest and American have each canceled more than 100 daily flights. While families of the Lion Air crash victims are in settlement talks with Boeing, the Ethiopian crash victims are pursuing a jury trial.

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Erdogan, US Vice President Michael Pence High Net-Worth Investors end almost two-hour-long talks in Ankara driving Hospitality Sector in Francophone Africa

ne-on-one talks of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US Vice President Michael Pence ended in Ankara, sources from the presidential office told reporters. Erdogan met with Mike Pence at the presidential palace in Ankara’s Bestepe neighborhood. The talks lasted more than an hour and a half. There have been no statements following the talks as yet. They were expected to focus on Turkey’s operation in Syria. The US delegation led by Pence arrived in Turkey to convince the Turkish leadership to stop its military operation codenamed Peace Spring in northern Syria. The delegation also includes Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien and US Special Representative for

Syria James Jeffrey. On October 9, Ankara announced the launch of Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria, which began with airstrikes on Kurdish positions. The operation’s goal is to create a buffer zone along the Turkish border, where, according to Ankara, Syrian

refugees residing in Turkey could return. SANA (Syrian Arab News Agency) slammed the operation as aggression. The international community condemned Ankara’s actions. On October 13, SANA reported that Damascus had sent troops to northern Syria to counter the Turkish army.

Courts review 8 lawsuits from Ukrainian companies against Russia for $12 bln

ight cases of claims from Ukrainian companies for a total of $12 bln against Russia in connection with reunification with Crimea were accepted for consideration in international investment arbitrations, Russia’s Representative at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Deputy Minister of Justice Mikhail Galperin said in an interview with TASS. “Today, eight such cases following lawsuits by Ukrainian

individuals and legal entities are active totaling over $12 bln. Several more arbitration notices have also been filed, which could turn into full-fledged lawsuits,” Galperin said. According to Galperin,applicant parties in the lawsuits are trying to prove that at the time of asset seizure during the reunification period they were foreign investors in Crimea. He noted that such position does not match basic principles of the law of international treaties. In

particular, Ukrainian oligarchs claim that Crimea remains part of Ukraine, while Russia must pay them compensations. However in this case, they would not be considered foreign investors, Galperin noted. “Following this logic, the Ukrainian side must inevitably admit that any Russian company registered in Crimea after 2014 may demand compensation from Kiev authorities for violating its rights in Ukraine as a ‘foreign’ Russian investor,” he said.

ccording to Derycycke, the market is very active with global and regional brands “targeting hotel openings in the majority of the region’s major cities” ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, October 17, 2019/APO Group/ -- Francophone Africa’s burgeoning hospitality market continues to be a critical opportunity for “global hospitality brands and investors,” says the host of the second annual bilingual FrancoReal Property Investment Forum, Kfir Rusin. Taking place in Abidjan on 29 & 30 October 2019, the Summit is hosted by the continent’s leading pan-African real estate networking and conferencing company, African Property Investment (API) Events (APIEvents.com). According to regional hospitality analysts and advisor, Clemence Derycke of Horwath HTL, Francophone Africa’s hospitality sector is attractive to a broad spectrum of High Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs), Private Equity, Institutional, French and Anglophone African Investors due to the lack of branded supply, and its stable CFA currency and strong demand drivers. “Proparco has invested in Azalaï hotel and Teyliom (Mangalis Hotel Group), and at the same time, Grit Real Income Group has just acquired the Club Med Cap Skirring property in Senegal,” says Derycke. According to Derycycke, the market is very active with global and regional brands “targeting hotel openings in the majority of the region’s major cities.” “Accor has been very active in Francophone Africa. It has more hotels and its pipeline remains robust, while the Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) has recently been very dynamic with opening flagship hotels in most capital

China says the US needs to lift tariffs before final trade deal

hina said on Thursday that it expected the US to roll back tariffs on its products as part of any final trade agreement, casting another layer of uncertainty on progress announced by President Donald Trump last week. “China’s position, principle and goal for the China-US trade negotiations has never changed,” Commerce Ministry spokesperson Gao Feng said at a weekly press conference, according to a translation. “Both sides’ ultimate goal for the negotiations is to end the trade war, cancel all additional tariffs.” The White House did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment. On Friday, the Trump administration agreed to delay scheduled tariff increases as the two sides negotiated a yearlong trade dispute that has roiled the largest economies. But China has been slow to confirm details on key parts of the agreement, which has not yet been put on paper. That has raised questions about what China expected from the US before it would take steps to meet demands announced by the US. The US has asked for steep agricultural import quotas and unspecified adjustments to intellectual property rules. Bloomberg reported

Trump and xi Wednesday that China wanted the US to scale back tariffs before it would increase American farm imports, which it halted last year to retaliate against the Trump administration. A spokesperson at the Chinese embassy in Washington confirmed to Business Insider that China planned to increase agricultural purchases but did not offer comment on the amount. Tariffs on thousands of products

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, October 18, 2019

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

remain in place despite the partial truce, and the US plans to expand duties to virtually all imports from China if a deal is not reached by December. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Wednesday that there were not yet any plans for another high-level meeting, but that the two sides remained in touch. Trump and administration officials have defended trade

progress made with China, which came as concerns over a recently launched impeachment inquiry into Trump continued to unfold. “For the skeptics out there, I appreciate that and I respect that, but I’m telling you that there’s a lot of momentum and there’s agreement on both sides,” White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on CNBC early Thursday.

cities. They are now looking for new development in the resort or the midscale segments,” says Derycyke. While these brands are currently leading development in the region, other international brands, including the Marriott and the Sheraton Four points are also expanding into what is Africa’s hottest hospitality market. According to RHG Development Director for Francophone and Lusophone Africa, Erwan Garnier, the region is a primary focus for the group with the international brand aiming to add significantly to its portfolio over the next five years. As one of the Francoreal’s Forum’s numerous international and returning industry speakers, the twoday conference is “a great networking opportunity” he says. As Garnier adds, “We currently have 16 hotels and over 3, 000 rooms in operation and a further 13 hotels and almost 2,000 rooms under development in Francophone Africa.” Francophone Africa’s burgeoning hospitality market continues to be a critical opportunity for “global hospitality brands and investors FRANCOPHONE STRATEGY To fuel its growth strategy, the group has created a specialized Frenchspeaking development team which can align to the group’s Africa development strategy of focusing on capital cities, financial hubs and resort destinations. Being fluent in the language and local market dynamics, helps the Radisson Hotel Group to be focused and “competitive in the market,” says Garnier. “We have identified seven proactive cities in which we are focusing our efforts for scaled expansion. The two primary focus cities are Abidjan and Dakar, followed by Douala, Yaoundé, Kinshasa, Mauritius and Seychelles,” he says. Adding that the group has opened two new hotels in Algeria and Niger, with the group employing a development strategy that is focused on the business segment for hotels, resorts, serviced apartments and mixed-use developments. The Radisson Blu Hotel & Conference Center Niamey, Niger is the first five-star hotel to be built in the country and ‘made development history, for good measure”, says Garnier. “The hotel was the first five-star hotel to be completed from design to construction in 11 months,” says Garnier. With two more hotels set to open in 2019, including a second hotel in Morocco (Casablanca), the market provides value for the hospitality group, and is very attractive for real estate investors, particularly “High Net-worth Individuals (HNWIS) investors,” many of whom are the biggest sources of current investment, says Garnier. For Rusin, the value of the conference is to highlight the opportunities for investors in one of Africa’s most exciting markets across the ecosystem. “Hotels provide significant opportunities for global brands and investors, but beyond this sector, we look forward to exploring opportunities in retail, logistics, housing and more.” Source: API Events

Feature

When FCT Minister, Aliyu stormed Lokoja amid funfair By Stanley Onyekwere

or many political watchers, October 5, 2019, was a day popularity and clout of the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu was put to test as her people of Lokoja and its environs in their thousands thronged the streets to welcome their illustrious daughter home. The occasion was a grand reception in honour of Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, over her appointment as FCT Minister of State by President Muhammadu Buhari, organised by the First Lady of Kogi State, Mrs. Rashida Yahaya Bello, in Government House Lokoja, the state capital. On that day, the good people of Lokoja have to jettison other private engagements to welcome and demonstrate their unflinching support and loyalty for their daughter, an Amazon of Nigeria politics. As early as 7.30am, indigenes of Lokoja have defiled the boisterous weather and gathered at Akpanya a few kilometres from Lokoja town to receive their amiable daughter whom they described as a horine. Unsurprisingly, the mammoth crowd that came out overwhelmed the entourage of the Minister as security operatives attached to the convoy of the Minister were faced with challenges of crowd control and management. After exchanging pleasantries with her people, the entourage drove straight to Lokoja town when she commissioned Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu Okun Constituency Office for Governor Yahaya Bello 2019, christened RTA Okun Constituency Office for GYB 2019. After interactive session with the officials of the campaign team, the convoy drove to the palace of Maigarin Lokoja (Lakwaja), Alh. Muhammed Kabir Maikarfi 111, to seek royal blessings and counsels that will guide her in her national assignment. While addressing residents at the palace, the Minister expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for finding her worthy to be a member of his cabinet as Minister of State for FCT. She also thanked the entire people of Lokoja for coming out in their thousands to receive her and her entourage. According to her; “This is home to me. So it is not new to me that my people decided to welcome me this way, but I will tell you that I am still more delighted that they picked me by surprise and I am proud of them. “This is the very first time after a very long time that ministerial appointment is coming to this local government and you can see that everybody is overwhelmed with joy to receive me. But as they say “to whom much is given much is expected”, so to me this is a daunting task. There is a responsibility for me to carry on the shoulder to hold the trust for the people and here I am their servant”. Interestingly at the monarch’s palace, she was accorded a red

Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu

carpet reception befitting of prince and princess. Horse riders adored in colourful costumes, various cultural troops, market men and women came out to display in honour of Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, the Zinariyan Lakwaja, meaning the “Gold of Lokoja.” Dignitaries from all walks of life including Senator Smart Adeyemi, commissioners, serving members of Kogi State House of Representatives and Heads of Departments and Agencies of the Federal Capital Territory Administration graced the occasion. And from the opinion of many residents of Lokoja, it was a mother of all receptions put together by the First Lady of Kogi State, Hajia Rashida Yahaya Aliyu, to honour the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Alliyu, over her appointment and her contributions towards the enhancement of women in Nigeria.

At the Glass House Lokoja, venue of the reception, it was clear to visitors that the FCT Minister of State is indeed the Zinariyan Lakwaja and Amazon of note. The hall was filled to capacity. Speaker after speakers extolled the virtues of the FCT Minister of State. In his remarks, Governor Yahaya Bello affirmed that 55 percent of women that cast their ballots for President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2019 general elections could be traced to the efforts of FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu. The governor also described the Minister as a bridge builder and skillful mobilizer that deserves honour both at home and national level, adding that her ministerial appointment was not a surprise to many supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The governor who was

“

While addressing residents at the palace, the Minister expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for finding her worthy to be a member of his cabinet as Minister of State for FCT. She also thanked the entire people of Lokoja for coming out in their thousands to receive her and her entourage. According to her; “This is home to me. So it is not new to me that my people decided to welcome me this way, but I will tell you that I am still more delighted that they picked me by surprise and I am proud of them. “This is the very first time after a very long time that ministerial appointment is coming to this local government and you can see that everybody is overwhelmed with joy to receive me. But as they say “to whom much is given much is expected”, so to me this is a daunting task. There is a responsibility for me to carry on the shoulder to hold the trust for the people and here I am their servant”.

represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Shade Ayoade, maintained that the Minister has strengthened the place of women in the party’s dynamics and used it as a platform to effectively market the party’s programmes as it relates to women empowerment and development. Bello, also applauded the poverty alleviation programmes initiated by the Minister in rural communities, noting that she used her platform to strengthen marginalized communities by placing emphasis on poverty alleviation programmes that would reduce poverty. “A woman of relentless vigour, she initiated a grassroot women mobilization machinery with a penetrating door-to-door campaign in private homes in the six-geo political zones of the country as a strategic effort to market unique selling points of the APC presidential flag bearer and his running mate. “To complement the gains of her insight, Hajiya Ramatu mounted a vigorous outreach programme with market women right inside their respective stalls and trade posts in virtually all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). “An avowed crusader, she visited homes of notable leaders of various ethnic tribal associations in strategic parts of the country from Sokoto through Ile-Ife to Uyo, extolling the virtues of Gen. Buhari’s antecedents as a bridge builder with consummate passion for a new Nigeria of equal opportunity for all, especially the women. “It is therefore not surprising that over 55% of the electorate, who elected Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as president, we’re women. A most telling endorsement of her tireless efforts in the emergence of Nigeria’s 4th elected president,” Bello stressed. On her part, wife of the governor, Hajia Rashida Yahaya Bello, commended the Minister for her efforts toward promoting women participation in politics, while describing her as a role model and pacesetter. She, therefore, urged women to embrace politics of peace, love, unity and shun politics of thuggery and hate speeches. As expected, the FCT Minister thanked the government and people of the state for the warm reception accorded her, just as she promised to be a crusader by serving the people of Kogi as their servant. As she succinctly captured: “Today is indeed a very memorable day I will never forget in a hurry. Perhaps not in my entire life because I got celebrated by those who matter to me most. Those that have seen me grow and seen me through my political struggles. “I have nothing to say than to say thank you to them especially our mother, the wife of Kogi State Governor who put this night together.”

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PUBLIC NOTICE MUSLIM AID AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE OF NIGERIA

The general public is hereby notified that the above named foundation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part C of the companies and Allied Matters act 1990. Name of Trustees 1 Abubakar Habibu---Chairman (AMEER) 2 Nafiu labaran---Secretary 3 Mudassir Ahamad 4 Mansur Kabir 5 Mubarak Ahamad Labbo AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1) Providing access to clean water 2) Planting Trees 3) Building of Mosques, Clinic and Schools 4) Helping orphans and rendering assistance to any deserving individual 5) Delivering emergency medical aid to those injured in conflict 6) Economic empowerment to assist people to better life 7) Child sponsorship 8) Research and Creativity

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. AKAOLISA EKWUEME - CHAIRMAN 2. SHAMSUDEEN MOHAMMED BELLO - SECRETARY 3. MAHMUD-NASIRU MAMUDA 4. ALEXANDER OMONIYI AJAYI 5. ADEYEMI ADEGITE 6. TARIAH DAVID-WEST 7. MFON AJIBOLA NTUKIDEM THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE : 1.TO CATER FOR THE WELFARE OF MEMBERS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : BARR. OPAOLA OLUWAGBEMIGA.

PUBLIC NOTICE ZAKKAT PROFESSIONALS

This is to inform the general public that, the above named has applied to the CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION(CAC), ABUJA, For Registration Under Part”C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990. BOARD OFTRUSTEES: Ibrahim Tudu-- Chairman. Yunusa Rufai-- Member. Ismail Mohammed B/Magaji-- Secretary AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To create awareness on Zakat and Waqf in Nigeria. 2. To disseminate comprehensive information and understanding of Zakat and Waqf. 3. To facilitate or organize workshops, seminars, conferences on knowledge of Zakat and Waqf. 4. To facilitate and promote enabling environment for development of Zakat and Waqf products. 5. To network and cooperate with other Zakat Waqf Institutions. 6. To serve as a reliable, effective and efficient source of information for issues relating to Zakat and Waqf.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguinyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, PMB, 198, Garki Abuja within twenty eight (28) days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Nafi’u Labaran Secretary

Signed. Ibrahim Tudu, Chairman

DIGEST How selling citizenship is now big business Y

ou can be born into it, you can earn it, and you can lose it. Increasingly, you can also invest your way into it. The “it” is citizenship of a particular country, and it is a more fluid concept than ever before. Go back 50 years, and it was uncommon for countries to allow dual citizenship, but it is now almost universal. More than half of the world’s nations now have citizenshipthrough-investment programmes. According to one expert, Swiss lawyer Christian Kalin, it is now a global industry worth $25bn (£20bn) a year. Mr Kalin, who has been dubbed “Mr Passport”, is the chairman of Henley & Partners, one of the world’s biggest players in this rapidly growing market. His global business helps wealthy individuals and their families acquire residency or citizenship in other countries. He says that our traditional notions of citizenship are “outdated”. “This is one of the few things left in the world that is tied to blood lines, or where you are born,” he says. He argues that a rethink is very much due. “It’s super unfair,” he says, explaining that where we are born is by no means down to our own skill or talent, but instead “pure luck”. “What is wrong with regarding citizenship like a membership,” he adds. “And what is wrong with admitting talented people who will contribute?” There are those who support his argument. But for many, the idea that passports, so tied to identity, are in some way a commodity, doesn’t sit well. We followed the citizenship trail to the tiny Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. Since the country introduced its new citizenship scheme

MJ says that many wealthy Chinese use a Vanuatu passport to get into Europe four years ago, it’s seen an explosion of interest. Passports now provide the biggest source of its government’s revenues. For many aspirational Vanuatupassport holders, the biggest draw is visa-free travel throughout Europe. Most foreign recipients of Vanuatu passports never even step foot in the country. Instead they apply for their citizenship in offices overseas, like the licensed Vanuatu citizenship broker PRG Consulting, based in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is one of the world’s biggest citizenship marketplaces. In a cafe at Hong Kong airport, we met the citizenship agent MJ, a private businessman who helps an increasing number of mainland Chinese obtain a second or even third passport. “They don’t feel safe [in China],” he says of his clients. “They want access to Europe to open a bank account, to buy property or to start businesses.” Citizenship is a competitive global market, and for many small and island nations, notably in the

Caribbean - the price for a passport is around $150,000. The cost of a Vanuatu passport is said to be around the same level. A Vanuatu passport, MJ explains, is “so fast” to arrange (you can get one in just 30 days), and that helps make it a popular choice. But Mr Kalin and others caution that Vanuatu has a reputation for corruption. As a result, Henley & Partners and others do not deal with the Vanuatu citizenship programme. However, this doesn’t stop the interest from China. A few years ago Hong Kong television channels aired catchy TV advertisements promoting Vanuatu citizenship, aimed at the territory’s steady flow of visitors from the mainland. So how many Chinese clients actually visit Vanuatu, after receiving citizenship? Maybe one in 10, guesses MJ. Port Vila is the capital of Vanuatu, and a city of contrasts. The roads are often flooded and scarred with potholes. There’s not a single set of traffic lights, but congestion is

The government of the Pacific island state of Vanuatu will sell you a passport for about $150,000

PEOPLES DAILY, friday, October 18, 2019

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Mba seeks return to football after two years out

unday Mba is determined to return to active football after staying two years without a club. Mba, who scored the Super Eagles’ winning goal in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations final, was released by Turkish club Yeni Malatyaspor in September 2017. Mba has not played competitively since his last appearance against Sivasspor in May 2017, but believes he still has plenty to offer. ”My desire is to get back into club football and I am working hard to start playing again.”As a free agent things are not really that easy, but you can only be hopeful,” he said. ”Football is everything I have and I cannot just give up. I believe there’s something out there for me.” Mba played for both Enugu Rangers and Warri Wolves in the Nigerian top flight before switching to French club CA Bastia in January. He left for Turkish side Yeni Malatyaspor in July 2015- where he

Buying and selling citizenship is now a global industry worth an estimated $25bn a year worsening thanks to the growing number of shiny four-wheel drives. It’s a tax haven, and recently rejoined the EU’s “blacklist” of countries, over transparency and corruption issues. The country’s people - known as Ni Vanuatu - were only officially recognised as citizens themselves in 1980, when the country achieved independence. Previously it was an Anglo-French condominium called the New Hebrides, and the people are scattered over a daisy chain of more than 80 islands. Less than 40 years ago, they were stateless. A fact not lost on former Prime Minister Barak Sope. Former Prime Minister Barak Sope says that Vanuatu’s citizenship scheme is a “betrayal” “I didn’t have a passport until 1980,” he says, sitting in a hotel and casino on Port Vila’s main road. “I had to travel with a piece of paper the British and the French gave to me. It was humiliating.” Mr Sope says it is a “betrayal” for Vanuatu to sell its citizenship, and points to the flood of Chinese investment in the region. “The Chinese have so much more money than us,” he says exasperated. The Chinese investment is criticised by locals such as Mr Sope, who complain that the Chinese companies keep all the money, and only employ Chinese labour. Vanuatu’s all male government, one of only three countries in the world where women are entirely

I didn’t have a passport until 1980,” he says, sitting in a hotel and casino on Port Vila’s main road. “I had to travel with a piece of paper the British and the French gave to me. It was humiliating.” Mr Sope says it is a “betrayal” for Vanuatu to sell its citizenship, and points to the flood of Chinese investment in the region. “The Chinese have so much more money than us,” he says exasperated. The Chinese investment is criticised by locals such as Mr Sope, who complain that the Chinese companies keep all the money, and only employ Chinese labour.

excluded from politics, was not keen to speak to us about its citizenship scheme. But we tracked down a government appointed citizenship agent, Bill Bani, who explains his take on the initiative. Bill Bani says that the citizenship scheme is a vital way for Vanuatu to make money “We have to look at Vanuatu on a global scale,” he says. “Other countries sell passports to make their living, we don’t have a lot of natural resources. It’s bringing in a lot of money to Vanuatu.” But for the mainly rural population the policy has been highly controversial since its inception in 2015. Anne Pakoa, a community leader, shows us around a typical village made up of corrugated iron shacks. It’s just 10 minutes’ drive down a dirt road from the shops and restaurants of the capital but feels a world away. Anne says that local communities aren’t seeing the money from the passport sales, despite promises that the scheme would rebuild infrastructure and homes after the devastating Cyclone Pam in 2015. Anne Pakoa says that the country’s rural villages haven’t seen any of the money “Our ancestors died for our freedom. Now people are carrying the same green passport I carry? For $150,000? Where is the money? I think this has to stop,” she says. Susan, another woman from the same village, shows us a dirty well. “I want the government to provide a running tap, so that the children can have a shower, and drink clean and safe water,” she says. Passport sales now account for more than 30% of the country’s revenue, according to Dan. “For a tiny country like ours this is a big deal. But we have to ask ourselves, is this what we fought for? Is this right? Is it right to sell our hard won sovereignty to the highest bidder?” It’s a question that many countries, not just Vanuatu, will have to grapple with in an increasingly globalised world. But as Mr Kalin, from Henley & Partners, says: “Citizenship through investment, and investment migration programmes, are nothing but a reflection of a world where everything has become more fluid.” Two radio documentaries that accompany this story are available on the BBC World Service - How To Buy Your Own Country and Passport To Paradise. BBC

netted eight goals in 55 appearances. Out of the spotlight and keen on a return to competitive action, Mba understands the challenge that lies ahead. ”First you’d need the luck to find someone that believes in you and ready to give you a chance,” he said. ”I’ve continued to stay in shape, train daily and be physically ready for any opportunity. ”I still have something to give and will continue to stay mentally and physically ready.” Despite playing all three matches at the 2013 Fifa Confederations Cup in Brazil, his international career stalled and he missed out on the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Mba scored twice to help his country’s B side to success at the regional West African Football Union (Wafu) Cup title in 2010. He has scored three goals in 16 appearances for the three time African champions.

Eaglets shove aside Korea, ready for World Cup By Albert Akota

olden Eaglets of Nigeria showed class as they defeated South Korea 4-2 in their second friendly game played at HWT Sports Academy in Sao Paulo on Wednesday evening.

Sunday Mba

Samson Tijani’s shot outside the box was headed into goal by Divine Nwachukwu in the 6th minute. It was an early goal, but the South Koreans were not rattled by the goal. Rather, they attacked their more illustrious opponents and were rewarded by a penalty theee minutes later after Usman Mohammed fouled Hong Sungwook inside the box. Steven Sunday in goal for Nigeria streched full lenght in an attempt to stop the low drive penalty taken by Oh Jaehyeok, but he could not stop the kick from. It was 1-1 after 10 minutes. The Koreas were all over the Eaglets, piling pressure, winning the balls in the midfield tussle and launching attack after attack, but their efforts only

Golden Eaglets yielded some corner kicks and some shots on goal, which failed to beat Sunday. The Koreans were rewarded with another corner kick in the 40th minute and this time around, it was well taken by Lee Taeseok and Choi Minseo rose highest to nod the ball into the net and give the Asians the lead 2-1. The lead only lasted for a minute as the Golden Eaglets equalized through a goal mouth scramble. Olakunle Olusegun was well positioned to hit a low drive into the net. Monsur Abdulsalam and Divine Nwachukwu gave way for Akinkunmi Amoo

and Jabaar Ibraheem at the begining of second half. The fresh legs gave the Eaglets fresh initiatives in the attack. When it appeared that the game was headed for a draw with five minutes remaining, Jabaar set up Olusegun again with a defence splitting pass and the attacker dribbled both the defender and the goalkeeper to make it 3-2 for Nigeria in the 86th minute. Eaglets saved the best goal for the last when Jabaar laid a pass for Charles Etim at the edge of the box and the defender hit the ball with a curly shot that sailed into the net to give Nigeria a 4-2 victory.

SWAN hails sports Minister on Onyali’s appointment, relocation of office >>>PG30

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Amapakabo picks Ezenwa, Ibrahim, 18 others for Togo

Ikechukwu Ezenwa By Albert Akota

ead Coach Imama Amapakabo has unveiled a list of 20 senior homes –based professionals to take on Togo’s Sparrow Hawks in Saturday’s 2020 African Nations Championship qualifying final leg in Lagos. Super Eagles’ goalkeeper

Ikechukwu Ezenwa tops the list, with Nasarawa United’s stormy forward Sunusi Ibrahim and Akwa United’s Ndifreke Effiong, who netted a brace for the U23 team in the 5-0 defeat of Sudan in Asaba in September, also selected Kano Pillars’ ace Nyima Nwagua, Fatai Gbadamosi of Shooting Stars and Lobi Stars’ trio of Ebube Duru, Sikiru Alimi and John Lazarus make the list, alongside goalkeeper Adamu Abubakar of Wikki Tourists and Enugu Rangers’ Anthony Shimaga are included. Nigeria have a mountain to surmount at the Agege Stadium, Lagos on Saturday, with Togo having won the first leg by a handsome 4-1 scoreline in Lome.

Day dies after brutal knock in Conwell fight

Golden Eaglets arrive Brazil for FIFA World Cup By Albert Akota

he Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has described as a milestone development the appointment of former African sprints Queen Mary Onyali and the relocation of the office of Youths and Sports Development Minister Sunday Dare to the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja. The body, in a statement jointly signed by its president, Comrade Ahmed Aigbona, and Secretary General, Mr.Mike Oboh, in Abuja on Thursday, noted that Onyali’s appointment was akin to putting a square peg in a square hole. SWAN also said it believes that the relocation to the stadium was a pointer that the Minister has the sincere interest of movin sports in the country to the next level in line with the aspirations of the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government. “The minister within his short stay has proved that he has what it takes to move sports to its rightful place in the country,” the statement quoted Dare as saying. SWAN, while congratulating Onyali, charged her to bring to the table her wealth of experience to impart on the policy formulation and implementation of creative ideas to change some of the negative narratives in sports development.

Sunday Dare “Now that we have Onyali there as an aide to the minister, we can roll out our drums to give her the desired support. We can all attest to the fact that she has been involved in sports development since her retirement from the tracks, with various initiatives projected towards producing world stars for the country. “Expectedly we believe she will be

an asset in the drive of the minister to change the tide positively,” the association said. On the planned rehabilitation of facilities in the various governmentowned stadia across the country, SWAN urged the minister to match words with action as this has been one area the country has lagged behind in the development of the sector.

Dikko sues for unity in football family at Match Commissioners’ seminar By Albert Akota

atrick Day has died aged 27 - four days after suffering a brain injury in a fight against Charles Conwell. The American was put into a coma on Saturday after he was knocked out in the 10th round of his super welterweight bout in Chicago. Promoter Lou DiBella confirmed Day had died on Wednesday “surrounded by his family, close friends and members of his boxing team”. Day was taken from the ring on a stretcher after the conclusion of the fight on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk’s heavyweight victory over Chazz Witherspoon in the US. “Patrick Day didn’t need to box,” the statement from DiBella

Patrick Day

Entertainment continued. “He came from a good family, he was smart, educated, had good values and had other avenues available to him to earn a living. Day won 17 of his 22 fights, with four defeats and one draw.

he Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) 2nd Vice President/Chairman, League Management Company, Mallam Shehu Dikko yesterday called on the nation’s football family to unite stronger than ever, as the present administration pursues the implementation of policies and programmes to take the nation’s game to higher heights of excellence. Speaking at the opening ceremony of this year’s NFF Match Commissioners’ seminar, at the Merit House, Abuja, Dikko harped on the benefits of the football family remaining one indivisible unit, in order that the Nigeria game can witness even better results on and off the pitch in the coming years. “We are currently witnessing a period of transition, as against what some people see as crisis. We need stability in the system; we need everyone to be thinking in the same positive direction. We have to acknowledge that unity is key in whatever we do. “Whatever the issues are, the game itself should not suffer. Every disagreement or conflict can be resolved in the boardroom while the game thrives on the field. Those jurisdictions who appear so perfect have even more problems and disagreements than Nigeria,

Shehu Dikko but they ensure that their conflicts do not affect the game on the field.” Dikko called on the match commissioners to not only sustain the improved standards that have been witnessed over the years, but to take their conduct and performance to an even higher level in the interest of Nigerian Football. In his welcome remark, Chairman of the NFF Match Commissioners’ Committee, Alhaji Babagana Kalli appreciated the passion and doggedness of the match commissioners in carrying out their duties, and assured that the NFF will continue to hold them in high esteem. “The tremendous successes achieved by the various National Teams internationally over the past few years means a lot more eyes are on Nigerian Football, including Nigerian match officials (match commissioners and refereees) at home and internationally. Over the past two

years, the National Teams have qualified for major championships in Africa and globally. From those championships, the Super Eagles won bronze at the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt; the Super Falcons won a 9th Women Africa Cup of Nations title and; the Home-based Eagles won silver medal at the African Nations Championship. Recently, the Super Eagles drew 2-2 with Ukraine and then, 1-1 with five –time world champions in friendly matches. “All these great performances invite attention on Nigerian Football from the outside world, and match officials – including match commissioners – are also under focus. This is why it is important that at all times, we must maintain our integrity and dignified conduct, and give good account of ourselves without fail.” The seminar was for match commissioners in the Nigeria Professional Football League, Nigeria National League, Nigeria Women Football League and the Nigeria Nation-Wide League. Also at the opening ceremony were NFF Executive Committee members Ibrahim Musa Gusau, Yusuf Ahmed Fresh, Chidi Ofo Okenwa, Mohammed Alkali, Sharif Rabiu Inuwa and Musa A. Duhu, NFF’s Director of Technical, Mr. Bitrus Bewarang (who represented the NFF General Secretary) and Members of the NFF Congress.

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. . . putting the people first

friday, October 18, 2019

SPACE FOR SALE

SPORTS Ali Ndume’s crocodile tears on Boko Haram latest

Roger Federer to play French Open in 2020

oger Federer will again compete in the French Open next year. The 20-time Grand Slam champion, 38, returned to Roland Garros in 2019 after a three-year absence but was beaten by Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals. The Swiss player - who has only won the French Open once, in 2009 - will also compete at next year’s Tokyo Olympics. He will be aiming to add a singles gold medal to his collection in Tokyo after being beaten by Andy Murray at London 2012.

Gauff out in first round at Luxembourg Open

eenager Coco Gauff was knocked out of the Luxembourg Open in the first round - just days after winning her maiden WTA title. American world number 71 Gauff, 15, was beaten 6-4 6-0 by Russian eighth seed Anna Blinkova in just 59 minutes. Gauff became the youngest player to win a WTA title in 15 years in beating former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the Linz Open final. Gauff and compatriot Caty McNally are in the women’s doubles quarter-finals. “I’m very happy with my performance,” said world number 66 Blinkova, who will play Germany’s Tatjana Maria in the second round.

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hen the expired 8th Session of the Senate under the leadership of the former Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki slammed a six-months suspension on Sen. Mohammed Ali Ndume, in March 2017, the action invoked empathy and condemnations from some of us. We faulted the frivolous reasons the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges adduced for the suspension of Ali Ndume. But strongly, the 181 sitting legislative days he was barred from plenary were prolonged, ill-timed and absurd; much as it constituted unfair depravity of his constituents from parliamentary representation. Ndume has been in the National Assembly since 2003 when he was first elected into the House of Representatives to represent Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Federal Constituency, where he served until 2011. He morphed into the Senate in 2011 as Senator representing Borno South Senatorial district and currently serving his third term in the upper chamber of the National Assembly (NASS). By Ndume’s service records, it’s clear he was already a leader when Mohammed Yusuf, the founder of Boko Haram formed the sect; its years of incubation and eventual explosion into a national insecurity problem, years later. Unarguably, Borno South Senatorial district remains one of the most ravaged and devastated part of the state by Boko Haram. Until now, Gwoza was once Boko Haram Caliphate headquarters. And in spite of Sen. Ndume’s prime and privileged position as a parliamentarian whose jurisdictional enclave was directly affected by the heat of Boko Haram, his voice was rather muffled nor his actions ever felt as his contributions to ending insurgency. But most of us felt, he may have been hamstrung. Alas, his appointment by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan into a committee to anchor talks with Boko Haram was a golden opportunity to deepen dubious contacts with Boko Haram. Then came the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari which channeled all energy and resources in quelling Boko Haram terrorism, with the glaring positive impacts under the leader of the counter-insurgency operations, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai. I reasoned that Nigerians needed an insider like Ndume who would explain the imperative and nuances of the intermittent monetary demands on fighting Boko Haram as presented before the Senate for approvals and also, intimate the lawmakers about the plight of the people of Borno South worse hit by the menace of terrorism. So, to me,

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Hassan Biu

Ali Ndume his suspension was against national interest. But unknown to me and many Nigerians, Sen. Ali Ndume is a celebrated disappointment and a study in confusion. Infact, his actions and inactions on the festering Boko Haram saga under the Jonathan Presidency might have betrayed him as not doing well enough to quell insurgency, perhaps for political gains. And not much seem to have changed. Ali Ndume’s mouthing and the quick resort to inciting sentiments on the anti-insurgency operations in the Northeast, which is incontestably at its lowest ebb have pricked me strongly that Sen. Ndume could assist us to unravel why remnants of insurgents still terrorize the people. It is understandable that Ndume currently chairs the Senate Committee on Army. But I could neither reconcile nor discern the rationale propelling Ndume’s recent outbursts on the floor of the Senate that 840 Nigerian soldiers murdered by Boko Haram terrorists in the course of battle from 2013 till date are committed to mother earth in a military cemetery located in Maiduguri, Borno State; while a dozen others are buried in other military cemeteries scattered all over the Northeast region. What immediately assailed my mind is, what was Ali Ndume’s motivation for such disclosure, I

asked myself rhetorically? What is the wisdom or logic in the revelation or would it in any way give verve to finally routing out Boko Haram terrorism from Nigeria? When soldiers die in battle, is the military cemetery not the right place for their burial with full military and national honours? Are they supposed to be buried in their respective villages by Ndume’s reckoning? I immediately deciphered Ndume’s emphasis on this angle as a crafty and clever way of stoking sentiments and condemnations against the Federal Government of Nigeria and a subtle indictment of the military leadership. The unvoiced intentions of Ali Ndume and his cahoots for embarking on this doomed voyage reverberated very loudly. And any Nigerian who has monitored Ndume’s inactions on Boko Haram these years would have reasons to accede to my postulations. We all know Boko Haram derives its strength from the large pool of idle youths it freely recruits into its fold and consecrate to perpetrate atrocious acts and heinous crimes against humanity. Strangulating poverty, unemployment and idleness nourish and have sustained resurgence of Boko Haram terrorism in the Northeast. I was excited when the incumbent Borno state Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum accurately dissected these problems. Boko Haram bounces back because there is a sea of unemployed youths to be exploited and lured into the sect. Zulum’s focus now is how to arrest the mass poverty and underdevelopment of the state which has made it susceptible for the breeding of insurgents. Leaders think positively and Gov. Zulum’s posture is positive thought. A leader has no business in stoking sentiments over very serious national security issues as Ali Ndume and conspirators are pleased to do. And I find it strange; extremely strange that aside the political advantage Ali Ndume enjoys from exploiting the plight of his depressed people by cornering undeserved reelection victories into the parliament at every political dispensation, it is inexplicable. What have the people done that the likes of Ndume cannot allow the ghost of terrorism to be permanently chained? Does Ali Ndume know the

psychological impact on troops in the frontlines, when he churns out such unconfirmed and obviously inflated figures of military casualties in the anti-insurgency operations? It is a tacit instigation of revolt within the ranks of troops fighting for the peace and security of Nigerians. This is unpatriotic and uncharitable. From 2003 to date, Ali Ndume has been in the NASS. What empowerment schemes has he launched for unemployed youths in his senatorial district with the billions of constituency allowances that have accrued to him in the span of over 16 years? Is there any concrete development he can pinpoint as a legacy for his representative sojourn? Why is Sen. Ali Ndume apparently uninterested in pairing up with Gov. Zulum to explore the problems that trigger terrorism and solve them? Therefore, when a leader like Ali Ndume turns a blind eye to the rightful path and actions, but prefers to drum such inanities with insane embellishments, it beats me hollow. I also challenge Ndume to tell Nigerians and the world why the war has not ended and why politicians don’t want it ended? I have noticed over time that Ali Ndume particularly is fond of making unguarded utterances on the state of the war against insurgency. Why is it like that? Let me advise Ali Ndume that Nigerians are aware that some politicians in Borno use their diplomatic immunity against the eagle eye of our security agencies to supply Boko Haram with food and hard drugs, because they have perceived an endless insurgency as personal protection and means of illicit wealth acquisition. If Ndume doubts my assertions, let him disprove these suggestions. It’s better than shedding the crocodile tears in pretentious empathy for slain soldiers in the war. Biu sent in this piece from Maiduguri

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